SCHOOOLLLSS out for SUMMMER!!!

It is official! Schools out!!! I love having my kids home during the summer. We are on no one's time, but our own! It is great!! Here are the girls on the last day of school. Do they look smarter???
Okay, so maybe this normal, but Marley had an absolutely perfect report card. PERFECT! And in her testing packet, she missed ZERO! (I realize this IS Kindergarten, I am not taking her down to the community college to have to her tested in!) Way to go Marley, she also has re-discovered riding her bike without training wheels. She learned how about 9 months ago, but then got scared and we put them back on. Then Paige said come on Marley I will help re-teach you, and in only a few minutes she had it down again. Now she runs in and out of the house riding that bike.

We have been preparing for our yard sale this weekend. The kids love to have a bake sale during it, so we are busy making cookies and banana bread muffins. They usually rake in the dough, people basically buy stuff cause they're cute. Paige takes this very seriously, she makes the signs, gets the cash box ready and sets up the goods. She even uses wax paper to handle the cookies when she sales them. Should be fun!! If it doesn't rain.

50's Kindergarten Graduation

Marley graduated from Kindergarten yesterday. It was so fun. They had a 50's themed celebration. The kids learned the songs, "Lollipop", "Don't step on my blue sued shoes" "Sandman" "Shake Rattle and Roll" and another school song as well. They performed them so well. Marley really did a great job this year. Things just come naturally for her, art, penmanship, you name it, she's got it down. We love her! I have been noticing how tall she has gotten, I wish I would have measured her before she started school this year. But by the looks of her high water pants she has grown an inch or two!

Happy Birthday Buck

(Here is the cake I would have made if I made cakes like this, but then again I don't know, because Buck would say something like, "why did they make that deer look like that", "those antlers would never be on that type of buck" Or he would say, "that type of camo is not right for the area we live in, it is too dark" But really he would say, "thanks babe, you did awesome!")

Today is my Buck's birthday. If you don't know to much about him I thought I would share some my favorite things about him.
#1 He is clean, squeaky clean. Not that you would want to...under the most desperate circumstances to eat out of someone's ear, but if you had to you could eat out of his!! He have stock in Q-tips.
#2 He is extremely thoughtful.
#3 He works hard.
#4 He keeps are yard and Pops and Linda's yard looking PERFECT!!!
#5 He is funny, not funnier than me, but funny.
#6 He does things with the girls that make them feel special and teaches them things.
#7 He has nice thick hair, but he shaves it. I love how he looks with a fresh shaved head, and face for that matter. He is fanatical about keeping himself groomed up!
#8 He treats me good, spoils me in fact.
#9 Have I ever mentioned that he brings me flowers?
#10 I am convinced that there isn't ANYTHING he couldn't do.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUCK!!! I, WE, LOVE YOU!!

Old Business

Preesley has had a busy month, she learned to crawl, learned to clap, wave bye-bye and say "papa". I know I enjoyed all my girls at this age, but I think maybe now I appreciate it more. Especially since she is probably our last baby. She is still the most popular gal at our house.

Paige has been dying to go fishing lately, she went last Saturday with Pops and Linda, and is begging every chance she gets to get of school and go. Pops taught her how to tie her own flies so she has really gotten into it. She has also been busy taking the hunter safety course. She will be 10 this year, so she can start putting in for the draw. I have never seen a girl more excited to hunt. She takes the test tonight and if she passes..watch out wild animals! She loves it all, (the boy we never had). She actually loves to do just about anything. In the evenings I have been teaching her how to pass a volleyball. She is getting pretty good, each time we are done practicing says "thanks mom". I think that is so sweet. All kids really want is our time.


Miss Marley has just been buzzing around dabbling into everything. You never saw a kid more happy to be home from school. She comes in drops the backpack, goes up stairs and puts on comfy clothes, comes downstairs flops on the couch and watches tv. Then she starts asking to eat just about anything I will let her, then she sits and snacks, then she is ready to got outside, she loves to play badmitten, then she rides her bike, then she is on the swingset and into the sand box. She does not stop till bedtime. She is just so fun to watch, she really enjoys life. Oh and usually squeezes in some painting and drawing. She wants to be an artist. I have been asking her if the want to be soccer, or dance, and she says nope I want to be in art class! So Pops is going to start doing some things with her when Paige and Ally start soccer.


As for Ally, her days consist of helping me with Preesley, watching cartoons, playing outside on the swingset and going to Preschool. She also seems to squeeze in a weekly play date with one of her friends. She loves to hang out with Brooklyn, Jade and Lydia. Ally is always so willing to help around the house, very rarely does she argue about doing her chores.

It's a GIRL!

Yeap we've done it again. He have added another girl to our family. This girl comes via you local pet store. Somehow, and I do mean somehow!!! The girls talked us into getting a hamster. It all started with Paige earning money and wanting to spend it on a pet, you know a fish or turtle or something. Well, no turtles at the pet store, and I mean why would you want a fish after you see bunnies, puppies, hamsters and macaws!! Paige was not going to buy a fish! Anyway, we ended up with a hamster. And I told Paige I wasn't contributing one red cent to this little endevour!! Ally and Marley kept saying that they would "mix" their money in with Paige's to get everything. (Ally had $1 and Marley had $2) Well they were about $1-$2 short of having all the cash they needed for a cage, food, bedding, and the hamster. So I gathered up some change (literally) from the cup holder in the car, and gave it to them. I couldn't believe they had talked me into this. What happens is that they get Buck on board with stuff first, so if he agrees and I don't, well...then...I just look like a hag! So there you have it, we have a hamster. It's name is Pam, created from an initial of each of the girls names.

Pinch'm..They're Cute

Happy Birthday Dear TRACI....

Happy Birthday to YOU!! If you haven't met my sister Traci, you should. I have looked up to her my whole life, in fact I am still doing it! So I have posted the top 10 reasons why you would want to meet my big sister Traci....here it goes.

#1 She loves my kids just as much or at least dang close to as much as she does her own.
#2 She always had the coolest clothes and hair....still does. She gets prettier every year!
#3 She can cook/bake anything.
#4 She is the best hostest ever.
#5 She is always up for getting a treat..DQ,Sonic, whatever.
#6 She always remembers my birthday.
#7 She always decorates her homes so cute, just the right amount of new, antique,and nostalgic. You instantly feel right at home when you visit.
#8 She likes to shop.
#9 She makes my girls homemade play-dough, they are convinced she has the only recipe in the world. (I'm going to keep it that way)
#10, number 10 already...I"m just getting started.
#11 She loves and appreciates old things.
#12 She is laid back and wants to make others happy, I think Traci of all of us siblings got the perfect mix of mom and dad's characteristics.
#13 She has let me be in charge of canned corn at Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember!
#14 She just plain has it together!
#15 She lets her kids do stuff, pet rats, horses, chickens, cows, cats, dogs, baseball, football, basketball, igloo forts made out of snow, sledding behind a four wheeler on a deer skin, leather crafts and long bows. She allows them to explore their interests even if it isn't hers.
#16 Which brings me to the obvious she and Mark made some awesome kids.
#17 She taught me and Connie how to head bang when were about 8 years old! In case you don't know how to head bang...her instructions were these....pretend you have a pony tail on top of you head, and then pretend you are pulling that pony tail forward with your fist. Got it?
#18 She will stay up late and just visit.
#19 She made me a washer and dryer out of card board boxes so I could play house with them when I was little. I have never forgotten that, I thought that was the coolest thing.
#20 She is the best sister and friend I could ever ask for.

Happy Birthday! Love ya, Tra