What's One More?

Last week I was going to watch my friend Pam's girls while she tried to get some work done. I texted April to bring her Heidi over, too. Really, after four, what's one more? Plus I had help - April was here most of the time.

So it really wasn't too bad.

Of course, L Child took a 2.5 hour nap.

The big kids watched a movie.

And I got to send them all home after about 5 hours.

Okay, so I did have it pretty easy.

Happy Father's Day!

Love you Dad!

Happy Father's Day!

Like Going Home

There's a few places that feel like home to me - besides my own of course. One of those places is Pburg, Kansas - a little town near Nebraska. I never lived there, but I have a lot of good memories of visiting that place. A lot of those memories involve playing with my cousins out on a farm or upstairs in the old hotel. I was surrounded by so many adults that I knew loved me.

Some of my Pburg memories are sad though. Like when my mom took my brother and me up there a couple of weeks one summer to tell my Papaw good-bye. Those two weeks were such a gift to me. Not only did I get to spend some extra time with Papaw before he went Home, but I also had a cousin who I could talk things over and sort through all the emotions that come along with cancer. Despite the preparation, I was shocked a month later when my whole family returned for Papaw's funeral. Through all that though, Pburg still feels like a good, safe place. Maybe it's because I learned a few things about life and God and family when I lost someone close to me for the first time.

I usually hear old family stories when I visit Pburg. Like when my mom's cousin came to visit this time. Or I learn some new trivia- like where the house is located that my dad rented a room when he was engaged to my mom.

I feel blessed that I get to visit and bring my boys up there. I am happy that they are getting to know my grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins (and cousins' kids, etc.).

Here's a few pictures of our time a couple of weeks ago. I say "a few" because these are just a small sampling of all the pictures I took.

Bunny and Liam

With entertainment like this, who wouldn't want to sit in the back of the van on a road trip with Bunny?

My Kind of Boy

These pictures reminded me of our trip to Kansas last summer.

I love music. I have it on almost all the time around the house. Probably as a result, the boys seem to like music a lot too. They sing and dance around. On the trip, Case and I listened to some Cold Play together. Glad the boy has some good taste.

Aw, good times.

Kansas City Highlights

Josh and Case discovered the joys of garage sale-ing...especially Case.

And Mama makes Spider Man "disappear" from time to time. You can only just take "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Spider Man, Spider Man" so many times in an hour.

Cousin Times are one of the best blessings.










After meeting Baby Lilly and Baby Kaleah in the same weekend, we really wouldn't mind having a baby girl.




We girls know how to dine in style. And almost in peace. Until Case broke the glass lawn ornament outside shattering it into smithereens. At least no kid stepped on the glass.


I sure did love meeting this little boy! I lost count how many times Josh has told me since we've been home, "I could've taken that Jeremiah home."




Forcing the kids to take a picture together wasn't the brightest idea we've ever had. Oh well, lesson learned.


Pretty sure I had the best icecream ever. And we didn't share. The kids played in the basement oblivious to the fact that the mamas and grandmas were upstairs eating the best icecream ever. When Liam came upstairs, I bribed him with a bite to be quiet and was thankful that he can't talk yet. Or at least well enough to let Case and Chloe know we had the best icecream ever.


The best was just being together. We got a lot of pics of the kids (of course), but we didn't take any group shots of all of us. I was thinking as I was going through my pictures, Why didn't we take any pictures of us on Saturday? Or all dressed up Sunday morning?

Oh right - we were good keeping an eye on five kids under the age of 4 and getting all twelve of us ready for church on time.