The Veihl Family

February

2012-02-09T22:12:00.007-05:00

Thumbsuckers. Abby (5) just quit sucking her thumb, so that only leaves 3 that still do. Thomas, we need to do something about that.

My friend Becky made all the kids hats! So cute.

Let's just say we are all thankful that the science fair is finally over. I told Jenny if I would've worked this hard on my own school work I would've went to Harvard. Good grief. If you have any questions about calcium propionate do not hesitate to call. Her little project did fetch a blue ribbon, so I guess the tears were all it worth it. Aunt Laurie and her computer skills made it look especially nice.

We are losing teeth left and right this week! Adam has lost his 2 front teeth, and Thomas lost his very first tooth a couple nights ago. Adam is very proud of his gap and loves to show it off to me. :)

I spent the afternoon with my sweetie today. Rachel turned 10 today, I can't believe it. 10 years ago at this moment I was staring into an incubator at my 4lb 4 oz preemie and falling in love with her. There was never a medical reason as to why she wanted to show up 8 weeks early, but I guess life is always full of surprises. Now she is an amazing, tender-hearted, soft-spoken 4th grader. Happy Birthday, Rachel. We love you very much.

It's been a long time

2012-01-07T22:14:00.005-05:00

I can't believe my baby is 17 months old. She really is a funny little thing. In this picture she is riding the Little People horse. Good luck with that.

On December 4th Casey and I celebrated 12 years of wedded bliss. We even spent the night away from the children! OK, we were only 4 miles away, but still! We had a riot. We ran into some of my dental patients (a fun married couple our age) and she said, "You have a hotel room and your shopping at Target?!?!??!" Hey, we have to Christmas shop when we can, people. We also traveled to the far off town of Bay City to meander around the antique mall. This is usually where we end up for our anniversary. We kept trying to avoid the people that smelled like Chinese food in there, they kept stopping to look at all the same stuff we were. They were totally killing the atmosphere. I want to smell must when I'm looking at antiques, thank you very much.

Man, they are so cute. Grandpa T. was talking to Abby one day about the fact that next year she'll be in kindergarten. "What do you think about that?" he asked Abby. "Mom doesn't want to talk about it." she replied. He thought that was hilarious.

River of Time

2011-09-28T21:13:00.010-05:00

This is probably my favorite event in our area. It's held once a year, and it's FREE! OK, they do have henchmen standing at a "Donations" bucket, so it's not really free... but still! It's the cheapest entertainment we'll have all year. Everyone at the event is so nice, it's very family friendly. And I get to hear people playing dulcimers. Awesome.

Casey goes for the root beer, I go for the kettle corn. We polished off 2 bags of this stuff. SO good.

Rachel was happy to pet the goats.

We felt the elk and bear furs.

Candy... marbles... it was hard to get Adam to move on.

Adam looked at the roasting meat and said, "There's grass all over it!" The man explained that it was thyme. :)

Panning for gold- Adam's favorite part, of course.

Rachel and Anna picking out scraps for their rag dolls

Here's Bethany and her new friend Lilly. So sweet!

August

2011-08-25T21:03:00.006-05:00

Anna and Bethany had a combined birthday party. We had a great time with all the grandmas and grandpas, Laurie, Dean, Addison, and Liam. The weather was perfect and we played in the backyard all afternoon. It was great! I'm kinda sad that my mom had me in February. I'm considering celebrating my birth in the summer instead.

Here is Bethany in one of her birthday outfits. Thank you, Grandma Maude!!

I started some zinnias from seed the beginning of April. I am so glad I did, they have been very prolific. The girls like to make little bouquets out of them. :)

I planted 3 glad bulbs- this is the only one that came up. I love the peachy color!

There's a weird virus floating around here. Bethany had it first- fever for days, finally that broke and she was left with some red spots that didn't last long. As this week has progressed the kids have been hit one by one... Buddy was the last one to get it I think. He has an eye appointment in the morning, so I'm hoping for a miraculous recovery by tomorrow.

Anna is 3!

2011-08-07T21:17:00.004-05:00

Anna had some crazy hair when she was a baby. I loved it!

Anna is our crazy one. She is pretty happy-go-lucky most of the time. She loves people, loves to sit on your lap and read, loves to sing. Here she is singing to Bethany during dinnertime...

Other things Anna loves-
* baked beans and refried beans
* mashed potatoes
* her baby sister
* sucking her 2 fingers while holding her pink blankie
* changing her clothes numerous times a day
* making a mess with her toys and books
* caring for her dolls throughout the day. It is precious. :)

Dislikes-
* picking up afore mentioned messes. She will end up crying she protests so much.
* most vegetables
* Tommy bothering her. He is good at that.
* having dirty feet
* shopping too long. She begs to go, and about half way through she wants to go home.

She thinks she should start school since she got a "lunch box" for her birthday. She loves to carry little items around all day and it's the perfect size. We are having Anna and Bethany's birthday party this Saturday, she is very excited about the grandmas and grandpas coming!

Happy First Birthday Little B.!

2011-08-05T21:56:00.004-05:00

Thomas and Bethany (about 1 week old)

My baby is one. Where did that year go? I am terrible at journaling or blogging anything of factual importance, so I thought I'd better jot this stuff down while I'm thinking of it...

Bethany likes...
* me :)
* Ok, she likes the whole family, but she always holds her arms out for Rachel
* bananas and carrots and oatmeal
* to have nibbles of my cookie. She is so spoiled!
* Daddy's picky chin- she laughs and laughs!
* to point at the flowers. This makes me very happy.
* to ride in the stroller around the block
* to play in the neighbor's pool with daddy holding her

Bethany dislikes...
* Cocoa wheat. I love that stuff. I have to make her oatmeal instead.
* refried beans. I'm still wondering if she's really my child.
* to be mauled by Thomas.

Happy Birthday Bethany. We love you very much!

Summer afternoon

2011-08-03T22:04:00.006-05:00

Two more days until she turns ONE! Now she wants to push the wagon around the yard instead of riding in it.

Rachel and Adam spent a week up north with Grandma and Grandpa V. recently, and Abby is so happy to have them back. Her and Adam get along splendidly. He is the brains behind the operation, and she gladly goes along with most things he comes up with. They removed the sand down to the dirt this afternoon and found ant tunnels with hundreds of eggs... fascinating.

T. still has an aversion to the camera. Only if he's holding Bethany will he behave for a picture.

Bethany has no idea how popular she is. They fight over who is going to push her.

Happy Wednesday!

2011-07-27T21:41:00.005-05:00

My sweet little Anna. She'll be 3 in a couple weeks! I made this jumper for her. She loved it when she saw it this morning. Too bad she can't stand still long enough to get an unblurry picture of it. She is still my snuggly kid, wanting to be carried and read to. She still naps for about 2 1/2 hrs each afternoon. I would like to keep her this size for a few more years.

Thomas. He's the athletic one. His six year old body is like a finely tuned piece of grissle. Grizzle? No, that can't be right. Well, he's got some muscles, anyway. And someday, when he stops sucking his thumb, the girls will be calling. Adam will still be overturning rocks in the backyard looking for ant tunnels, but Tommy will be going on dates. I don't want to think about it. Forget I mentioned it.

Abby is 4 1/2. Sometimes Abby has a poor attitude. And sometimes I like to take pictures of Abby when she is sporting her grumpy face. And yes, I've been told a gazillion times that girls only get harder as they enter their teen years. But for now I'll enjoy this stage because it doesn't last long. Usually a few minutes go by and she is back to herself, pretending she's a bird and making a nest so she can hatch her eggs.

What did we do before B.B.?

2011-07-14T21:30:00.004-05:00

Bethany loves to show off her 4 teeth... and some other things that should be covered with a onesie. I'm still sticking with "she's just big-boned..."

Bethany discovered the hole yesterday. And she wasn't coming out until she had that baseball.

Big Brother sometimes forgets that Bethany is only 11 months old and shouldn't be swinging alone. But she was doing her funny high pitched "singing", so I knew she was having a good time. I did stay right there... just incase he saw a bug and ran off.

May Pics

2011-05-28T22:07:00.009-05:00

Adam had a birthday! I can't believe he's 8 years old. Grandma made him a special blanket that has bugs on the flannel- pretty cool!

My big girl dreams of being an artist. Her drawing was on display at the Anderson Enrichment Center. I am so proud of her!

The old lady that lives behind us rescued this jeep from the curb. Clever uncle Dean fashioned a battery for it, and now it provides hours of fun! This is the only photo you will see of Thomas all year. He literally runs from the camera, but there was no way he was giving up his spot in the jeep!

I usually don't take pictures between 7:30am and 8:10am because it's the most chaotic time of day, but look at these two!!!! My heart was melting!! I love that my boys have such a sweet spot for the baby. :)

I love my tulips! They are all done now, but with the cool weather they did last a long time.

We are back to living on the porch. It's Bethany's favorite place to hang out. I can't wait til she stops putting every little stone/bug/fuzz ball in her mouth, it's exhausting always being on high alert.

I loooooove my new sewing machine!!! I just made some little shorts for Abby. Or Anna. They pretty much wear the same size so it doesn't matter.

I Love Spring!

2011-04-28T21:37:00.008-05:00

We spent Easter at my parents. As usual Casey had to work, so I took the kids and spend Sat/Sun there. It was chilly and windy, but the kids didn't seem to mind. They have discovered how much fun "the tube" down the road is. I can't believe nobody fell in the water.

I think we need to start saving for lessons!

I never pictured myself the Hellebore kind of girl, but Amanda gave me this plant a couple years ago, and I'm totally in love with it.

I love white and I love yellow. And all together on one flower??? It's a winner in my book.

The sandbox! Anna has been wearing her crown from MOPS for 3 days now. That must be some high quality cardboard.

The motorcycle. Sell it/ fix it... Casey can't decide. But look at how cute Rachel is on there! Yeah, we should sell it.

March and April pics

2011-04-10T21:17:00.007-05:00

Thomas turned 6 on March 9. He is doing good in kindergarten. He has lovely penmanship, it's so cute to see his own style coming out. :)

A long-lost MOPS friend sent me her extra Pampered chef pie plate. I mean, that doesn't happen every day! I put it to good use. I still have blueberries in the freezer.

We painted the pantry doors! They were a mauvy/burgundy sort of color before. This really brightened the place up. Yes, the floor is still ugly. I'm trying to live with it.

Abby. I could eat her up.

Yesterday was a glorious day! Both grandmas and a grandpa came to visit. Scrabble was played on the porch. All the dead stuff was cleared from the gardens. Have I ever told you how much I LOVE spring?!!?

Little Bethany is 8 mo. old now. She is loving baby food (sweet potatoes are her fave) and still nursing. She is crawling pretty good and pulling herself up to everything. She was sick for 2 weeks with a bad cold and then the fever/roseola crud, but the peds office said since it's a virus there was really nothing to do for her. So thankful she is smiling and happy again!

A Little Sewing

2011-02-04T09:28:00.002-05:00

I finally found a simple little pinafore pattern at the thrift store! It's just one piece and has 2 buttons in the front. AND I had the fabric in the bottom of a bin that somebody gave me. So this was the perfect thing to whip up while we were snowed in.

"Isn't this excitin'?! "

2011-01-27T22:00:00.005-05:00

The title of this post is what Anna says on the potty all the time. :) She's almost 2 1/2. I just have to brag for a moment- she wore underwear all day today with no accidents!!! She did wear a diaper for her nap, but woke up dry and went right to the potty and did her business. I can't even tell you how happy this makes me. I'm sure you understand. Yesterday every time I went into the bathroom there was a dirty pull-up laying on the floor. Um, no. I can't afford that. So I told Casey she was not going to wear one at all today. She could pee in her underwear all she wanted. Apparently she didn't like the idea of that.

These two make me laugh. They are getting along better these days, but they'll both be glad when summer is here and they can hang out with their brothers more.

I knew the day would come, but I don't feel ready. Bethany is becoming mobile and it's really putting a crimp in my lifestyle. She is dragging herself over to interesting objects. She's starting to nibble on books.
The poor thing has been sick all week. She's been coughing and her nose is raw from all the snot running out. But she's sleeping pretty good at night, so I'm extremely thankful for that.

Table Conversation

2011-01-12T23:12:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I like to look through my blog and laugh at the things the boys say.

Adam is obsessed with where on the animal cuts of meat come from. Monday night Casey made a ham, and the package said "butt" on it. Well, the kids obviously found this hilarious. So while we were eating, there was a (rare) brief moment of silence, and Adam says, "Yeah, it's just not supper without a pork butt."
And Tommy says in his 5 year old manly voice, (very slow and drawn out), "It's ALL about the pork butt..."

And so are the days of our lives.

Fun with B.B.

2011-01-09T13:58:00.005-05:00

I can't believe Bethany is 5 months old already! We sure are glad she's a part of our family.

Thomas likes to share the silky blanket with his baby sister. He frequently declares that she's the "best" one in the family. I'm not sure why, probably because she's so darn cute.

Here B. is helping Daddy with Scrabble. Sometimes when he's stumped she whispers ideas into his ear. No wonder he always wins.

B. likes to go for rides in the Bumbo seat. When you have big brothers, everything turns into a vehicle.

B. likes to lounge around in her new jammies from Aunt Laurie. These are my favorite- they fit nice and snug, yet roomy enough in the feet (from Children's Place).

November

2010-12-01T22:09:00.010-05:00

Bear with me- it's been a month since I blogged. I tried to narrow it down to the highlights...

We are borrowing Nate's Bumbo seat. She loves it! I can't believe that my baby will be 4 months old in a couple days. She's drooling like a madwoman, rolling across the living room, and generally just making us smile all the time. Such a good baby, I'm thinking I'd like to end on a high note. :)

Abby turned 4 on the 17th! Daddy was at work, but I couldn't let her day go by without a cupcake at least. And yes, it's November and we still have a hard time finding clothes around here.

Abby and grandma got to celebrate their birthdays together on the 20th. Awwwww, ain't they cute?

Here is the apron I won from Amber's blog! Isn't it adorable?!?! Her sister-in-law makes them, she has an etsy shop I believe.

Rachel and her mini-me. If you compare their baby pics... wow.

Barb found these mugs in Harbor Beach a while back. The girls really think they are cool!

I am so so happy that Bethany will take a bottle when I'm at work on Mondays. Anna started to feed her when Casey wasn't looking! I'm glad he snapped a pic for me. :)

A lady at the thrift store commented on how strong Casey's genes were. Definitely a resemblance there.

Fall is Winding Down

2010-10-31T21:06:00.005-05:00

There was a brief moment when they weren't attacking each other with the sticks, and they were kinda cute those boys of mine.

Are there ever days when you have a favorite child? No? OK, nevermind...

This is what Adam does during a Sunday sermon. Brilliant.

Here is the gang minus Chunky B. I was feeding her while Casey was getting the group photo. Of course I yelled at him because he didn't get close-ups of anybody. The bunny, the cowboy... I NEED CLOSE UPS!

2010-10-21T21:04:00.003-05:00

I read the most awesome post over at Kentucky Kate's about just keeping it together. You moms know what I mean. My husband has decided to go on a mission trip for two weeks in January. To Africa. Two weeks. Not here, but in Africa. And I wonder, will I be able to keep it together? I sure hope so. As you can see, this is a matter of prayer for me. To change my heart. To be happy that he wants to help. I hate being left behind. That's how it feels.

On a lighter note, my baby is growing like a weed, learning new things every day...

Bethany has discovered her hands. She must've seen Rachel practicing with her puppet.

Anna had spaghetti for supper. Then Anna kissed my nice clean baby.

2010-10-02T21:06:00.004-05:00

No, Anna has no problems at all with not being the baby any more. That's the problem with typing, you can't hear my sarcasm.

Pretty much every picture I take of Tommy he's doing this...

or this.

How she gets poop all the way up to her armpit I'll never know.

Today is my mom's birthday! She and my grandma came over Thursday and helped me make applesauce. It was great. I was going to post a pic of the event, but it was not very flattering. My grandma's always cute, but the rest of us? Not so much.

Funny Face

2010-09-29T20:48:00.004-05:00

My children have watched that episode where Daffy Duck draws mustaches on people one too many times.

This is Bethany's sad face.

This is Bethany's ... I'm not sure what this face is, but it makes me laugh!

This is Abby doing her Popeye face.

2010-09-22T21:21:00.005-05:00

I think today is the first day of fall! I'm starting to like fall more as the years go on. I am a spring lover. Fall reminds me of death. So here is one of the last flower pics to enjoy.

Abby makes me laugh. Except when she and Anna are fighting. Then I'm not laughing. She misses Tommy being away at school, so I've been taking her to the store with me when I go. She was afraid I couldn't find the way out of Menard's the other day. I love how concerned she gets.

B chatting with daddy

The bees are loving the sedum right now.

Bethany eats a lot and needs to sit in her car seat to stay propped up while I make supper. And supper was just hot dogs and beans tonight since I had my dental implant placed today and didn't feel like doing anything major. I'd really like to go lay down right now, but Bethany is screaming on my lap. She LOVES the night time. Not really. Tommy will tell you all about her "grumpy" time, which sometimes lasts til midnight. But then she'll sleep 4 or 5 hours, so I'm good with that.

First Day

2010-09-07T20:40:00.004-05:00

The first day went very well for everyone! Rachel is in 3rd grade, Adam's in 2nd, and Tommy started kindergarten. I was rather put off that he sent me away this morning with nary a tear, just "Go home, Mom". But when I showed up this afternoon to pick him up I received big hugs, just as Pam predicted! So I am still loved.

All day kindergarten wears a kid out the first few days. Here is meltdown #2- Rachel ate the last orange popsicle. OH NO. Meltdown #1 happened right in the parking lot at school when he realized we were walking home. He was tired. I carried him piggy-back half way home. I really need to start working out.

All is right with the world again.

Three Weeks Old

2010-08-27T13:05:00.003-05:00

Well, I think 6 kids has officially kicked my butt. But I'm thankful for a baby that sleeps pretty good at night, so that does make the days bearable. It seems like so much has been going on. Let's see...

* I think I had mastitis. Yeah, that's always enjoyable.

* We put our house up for sale. We would love to have 4 bedrooms and a couple acres. Don't know if it will ever happen, but all we can do is try.

* We had family photos taken by Amber yesterday. It went really well, I can't wait to hang one on my wall. In my new farmhouse. That doesn't exist yet.

* I hate school shopping. My children aren't weird shaped. I don't know what the problem is. I don't have time to make clothes right now.

* I have 2 more Mondays off before I go back to work. Where did the time go?

Here are a couple photos from today. It is GORGEOUS out!!!

The Past Week

2010-08-18T12:52:00.005-05:00

Oh there are so many pics of a new baby, I never know where to begin! Bethany is a wonderful baby. She cries to let me know she's hungry, and that's about it. She eats every 3 hours like clockwork. Unfortunately she is the pokiest eater ever, so the household runs amuck while she is nursing. She usually sleeps from 10pm-2am, then gets up once or twice more after that. Usually because she has a blow out in her diaper that I can hear from across the room. I'm just glad all systems are working properly. The kids fight over who's turn it is to hold her.

Thomas begs to lay on the couch with Bethany. He loves her so much.

Yes, I'm getting the stink eye already.

Bethany and Noel (my friend Pam's babe). They are just 2 months apart.

The boys have always loved this all-terrain tricycle. The seat broke off it, but Casey replaced it with a bike seat, and it just keeps on going...

Kicking her big feet around

Anna's 2nd Birthday

2010-08-10T20:42:00.007-05:00

My Anna girl turned 2 on Saturday! I was so happy to be home for her birthday. We brought Bethany home from the hospital around noon, and by supper time we were having a birthday party for my "big" girl!

Anna loves Addison's doll stroller, so Laurie got her one just like it, plus a couple bottles for her baby. She was one happy camper.

We enjoyed chocolate cupcakes made by Laurie and a pistachio ice cream dessert that my mother-in-law whipped up for me, bless her heart. I found the recipe in Taste of Home, but didn't have time to make it myself. I am still nibbling on the leftovers from my freezer. It was soooo good.

Our New Baby

2010-08-08T20:36:00.010-05:00

Thursday started off with my weekly check-up at the OB. During the exam Sonya the P.A. exclaimed, "You are goin'!!" I said, "What do you mean 'I'm goin' ?" Sonya said that I was dilated 4-5 cm and 100%. She told me I was not to go home but go right to the hospital. I said no, I'm not contracting, I had some things to do at home first. So we compromised and I said I would go home quickly and take care of my business (like get my sister-in-law to the house to watch the other 5 yahoos) and we'd head up to the hospital. This was around 10am.
So around noon we headed up to the hospital. They checked me and confirmed what Sonya said. They hooked me up to the monitors and not much contraction action was going on, just here and there. I asked if I could go home, but they said no since I tend to deliver quickly if my water breaks. So the plan was to get my antibiotics going (since I tested positive for GBS again) and after 2 doses of that they would break my water and we'd have a baby by night time. So we spent the afternoon watching Little House on the Prarie and pooping a lot (this was my clue that yes, the time was coming). By 7pm I had gotten in both bags of antibiotics. The dr. came in at 7:30 to break my water. I was dilated to a 6 at this time. At 8:24 my baby entered this world. It couldn't have gone more smoothly. The cord was wrapped around her neck twice, but the doc was quick to unwrap it and she was just fine. Once again the good Lord was watching over us and I have a healthy beautiful baby. Casey was a trooper changing several poopy diapers the first night, but hey. It's the least he can do. :)

My new girl Bethany Brooke. We immediately thought she looked like Thomas.

All cleaned up and ready for a night of eating and crying. That's all the first night entailed. The second night was much better.

Adam and Rachel couldn't wait to get their hands on her.

Anna took the baby very seriously.

Thomas and his girl

Enjoying the sunny room

The Usual Summer Stuff

2010-07-22T22:06:00.009-05:00

The butterfly bush is always very popular at our house. If you don't have one, I highly recommend that you get one.

Amanda, here's my Bright Eyes phlox! The rabbits spared me 2 flower trusses, wasn't that nice?

Some of my favorite people at the church picnic a few weeks ago. Check out Jenny in the background. He heeee!

Big sis and little sis

Three weeks til due date!
Here I am watching my big girl ride her bike- no training wheels for Rachel anymore!

Love these pink daylilies, they are nice and sturdy.

I was making cookies this morning and Anna wanted one. I told her she had to wait. She sat on the kitchen floor and started to pray.

She Keeps me Hopping

2010-07-07T10:05:00.003-05:00

The cookies weren't quite cooled off, so I left them out and went to the living room. Big mistake.

Abby was helping Anna wash her face. I am so happy they are finally starting to get along.

Those darn calluses.

The New and Improved Adam

2010-06-24T22:35:00.002-05:00

My first child to need glasses. He has struggled all year with his reading. He sits 2 inches from the tv. Did I put 2 and 2 together? No. Not until a note came home from school saying he didn't pass the vision test that the Health Dept. administered. Oh boy. Well, he has been very excited about the new glasses. He just got them today and has worn them most of the day. He couldn't wait to clean them tonight because they came with a nifty spray bottle and microfiber cloth.

And yes, they were out catching bugs this evening, nothing gets past him now.

Flowers for Amanda

2010-06-24T22:13:00.008-05:00

EVERYBODY wants to help water.

I love my screened in porch. This is where I sit and dream about frolicking in the yard again. I am heavy with child and still very sore from coughing. I know I'm not suffering like Paul in prison or anything, but there are days where I just want to cry and get some more ice cream. But now that's not even as fun because I've been getting heart burn lately. I can't win.

My astilbe compared to Amanda's are very... puny. So I took a close up so it looks rather nice and fluffy. Adam loves this one.

Awww, the boys are sharing. That's just a bonus photo.

Lily 'Pollyanna' and my favorite unnamed daisy.
This is one of the few lilies to survive the rabbit.

Burgundy gaillardia

Daylily 'Gordon Biggs'. It might be Briggs, I don't exactly remember.

32 weeks

2010-06-16T18:38:00.002-05:00

This is always our big milestone! Rachel, our first, was born at 32 weeks so we are always relieved when they days just keep going by without my water breaking. I'm still battling a cough with the help of some antibiotics, praying that the hacking is gone and my ribs aren't sore when it comes time to push this baby out.
We had to bribe with ice cream sandwiches to get this photo. And even then it's impossible for Tommy to stand still.

School's out- let summer begin!

2010-06-11T22:01:00.007-05:00

We always love the first flush of roses to pop out. The rose bushes were here when we moved in- yay for me! We removed the ones that were sub-par performers. Adam is always on aphid alert, he has an eye for these things.

This peachy one is my favorite!

Not everything is going so well in the garden. This was my new perennial. The evil little rabbit that hangs out in my flowers has devoured it. I was surprised because they don't have an interest in the other coreopsis (like the yellow one at the top of my blog). Oh well. My spray bottle broke so I haven't been able to coat it with something nasty. You just wait, you little scum sucker. Casey loves to get the paint ball gun out at my beck and call.

Rachel and Abby get along splendidly for being 5 years apart. Rachel likes to play school, and Abby is a more than willing pupil. It's a win-win situation.

Now this is a rare sighting. "What are you doing???" I ask more than puzzled. "We are playing that we are crossing the street." Hmmm. Maybe they could play this game all day. Look at how happy they are.

My Youngest... for a couple more months

2010-06-11T21:47:00.002-05:00

Anna will turn two right around the time I give birth to the new baby. She is such a delight. Daddy is in love with her. He loves her big brown eyes. :) Anna really is a funny little thing. She loves to carry around a pen and paper, I think she gets that from Rachel. Anna is much more cuddly than the other kids were at this age. She loves to sit on the porch swing with me. My big belly doesn't seem to get in her way, she just cuddles from the side. I hope the new baby doesn't throw her off too much.

Odds and Ends

2010-05-20T21:01:00.008-05:00

We had our last MOPS meeting for the year last week. They put on a carnival for the kids at the end, they sure had a good time. I was excited to see Lynn painting a John Deere tractor that matched his shirt. Man she's good.

Here is Abby napping with Stinky. Stinky is her favorite blankie. It was actually a regular sized receiving blanket, but now it's in about 4 little shreds. It is no longer to safe to put Stinky in the washer/dryer for fear of it dissolving completely.

Our niece Addison was over last weekend. It is so fun to watch her and Anna actually playing together now instead of fighting over all the toys. Anna is the one hiding in the picture. She's clever like that.

Here's my dear friend Jenny with her little Nater Tot. I wish I could say I came up with his nickname, but another friend beat me to it. Nate has the biggest dark eyes and cutest laugh ever. You know, come to think of it, all my friend have REALLY cute babies. I can't wait until mine comes out. It's getting hard to do... well... everything. It's going to be a long 12 weeks.

Tommy loves Nate and any other baby within mauling distance.

Rachel's latest love- pony tails!

This is Adam. I guess I should be happy that he's not afraid to get a little dirty, but sometimes his love of filth annoys me.

Adam's 7th Birthday (a week late)

2010-05-12T12:18:00.007-05:00

My firstborn son turned 7 recently. He loves stones and bugs. I even found a piece of broken glass in his pocket the other day. Glad he didn't fall on that wrong.
Grandma Maude and Laurie each bought him a set with stones/minerals. He was thrilled to say the least.

Adam is pretty easy to please. I got him this plastic piggy bank- he's in love with it. Unfortunately when you take the money out of it 54 times a day the plug thingy on the bottom will most likely break. Which it did. Now the money won't stay in. I guess it was the thought that counts.

He specifically asked for chocolate cake with white frosting and his name written in blue. I can handle that.

We're all ready for cake!

Burning off the cake and ice cream

My parents came later in the afternoon and took Adam shopping. He bought a bubble gun and some artsy thing with markers.

Trying to Get a Pic of the Belly- 26 weeks

2010-05-07T21:42:00.006-05:00

Tommy likes to take pics, and I really don't have any good belly shots, so I let him go to it. I should've known this would end up ugly...

Here we are- 26 weeks. I see by my ticker I have less than 100 days to go now. That's rather frightening. I feel like I have a month to go, so I hope I'm still mobile by August.

Rachel wants a picture WITHOUT Adam in it.

And we're still crying, even though Adam is long gone.

She still loves her mommy. :)

Flowers

2010-05-06T21:44:00.009-05:00

How we love when it's nap time for Anna. That means that we can play out front on the sidewalk. Anna has an affinity for the street and I'm not moving very fast these days.

My neighbor covets my purple tulips. I give her the stuff from my garden that I'm not happy with and she gives it a happy home across the street. So nice. But she gets no purple tulips.

Amanda, isn't this a cute little daffodil??? I hope it multiplies rapidly, I'd love to share.

I love my bleeding heart! The white one is new, I got it last year on clearance from Bluestone Perennials out of Ohio. If Casey ever died after the kids are grown I would like to go work there. It's always nice to have a plan.

And here are the 2 goofballs with their new haircuts.

Mini Vacation

2010-04-29T21:36:00.008-05:00

Last week we took a rather spur of the moment mini-vacation to Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City. The kids LOVED it. Day one was a much more joyous occasion than day 2, but that's how it goes when traveling with children. As Liz would say, we were building memories. Our kids had never stayed in a hotel before, so it was thrilling to say the least. I was afraid I'd lose my camera in the water area, so there are no awesome shots of the big bucket dumping on Rachel or of Adam trying to run laps in the "lazy river".

We believe that ice cream and vacations go hand in hand.

Abby started snooping through drawers but went right to work on her bible studies as soon as she found the Gideon bible.

The kids had their own little "cabin" in our room. They didn't fight as much as I thought they would over the top bunk (Adam ended up getting it for the night).

Adam thanked Casey about 100 times for planning this trip for them. It was so sweet. :)

Adam's was extremely excited when we told him we were going to find a beach somewhere so he could look for shells. We ventured up through Mission Point to see what we could find. We found a light house, some bear tracks, and cooooold wind. Abby was not happy about that OR the sand in her shoes.

I was hoping we could go in the lighthouse, but it was closed.

Well I guess Abby is ready to go. Grump.

Petting Farm

2010-04-23T21:01:00.006-05:00

On Tuesday, our MOPS group met at a local petting farm. My kids loved it! They got to hold a baby bunny, kittens, chick, pet a lamb, and a few other critters. Tommy was in all his glory because his best friend Jackson was there. :)

Tommy and Abby love feeding the sheep and goats!

However, Anna prefers to have a fence between her and all galloping farm life.

Our field trip ended with a hayride! Tommy is still talking about the fat pig that he saw along the way.

Speaking of fat pigs...
My kids were playing "I Spy" tonight. Tommy said, "I spy something really huge." Adam says, "Mom!" Ahh, 24 weeks of pregnancy never looked better. Well, that's what I thought until tonight.

March

2010-03-18T21:57:00.009-05:00

My Thomas turned 5 on March 9!

Grandma Maude got him a dust buster! How sweet is that?!?

My sweet Anna all grown up. Well, she thinks so anyway.

Still loving the swingset! Poor Abby girl sits there and yells until someone comes and pushes her. Adam is good to her. :)

Someday he is going to be a really big help!

We played outside pretty much all day yesterday. By suppertime this is what I found.

This could explain that "weighted down" feeling I've been having...

This pic is for Jenny L. I wanted her to see that I STILL put up with crying boys. And he's 5.

How we Spend our Winter Days

2010-02-28T15:49:00.014-05:00

*we make snow angels or try to dig trenches in the back yard

*we nap

*we build tall towers.
I will never get rid of my VHS tapes, they are so versatile.

*we play garage sale

*we make little snow men and drag them into the porch. And then daddy yells at us.

*read in strange places

*do daring stunts off the swing set

*cry when our blanket is in the washing machine

*make cookies to help us forget our blanket is in the washing machine

*playing with cousins!
I watched Addie last night for a few hours. The funniest this about this is that she starts to get all goofy after 9:00- just like her mother. :)

Rachel turns 8

2010-02-09T22:11:00.004-05:00

Rachel Grace is 8 today. It seems like yesterday she was toddling around rubbing everything with a cloth "cleaning". And now she is in 2nd grade, writing sentences with her spelling words that embarrass me. She basically chronicles everything that goes on in the house, I need to hang on to some of that stuff. It's funny and she doesn't even know it.

She really wanted to paint pottery for her birthday, so on Saturday I took her to Bay City and she did just that. She picked out a nice little bunny to do. Everything was going great until she got to painting on some whiskers. Well, the paint brushes were a little fat to do nice whiskers, and she ended up crying over her... imperfections. But all ended well, and she seemed satisfied with the finished product. Hopefully it will be done this week, she is getting anxious to see the finished product.

My Babies

2010-01-22T21:44:00.002-05:00

Here is a picture from Monday night after walking in the door from work.
I love my job. I am so thankful I stuck out clinicals and now I can work a great job part time and be home most of the time with my babies (which I do love more than my "career").
Which brings me to my next bit of news. There will be one more baby to love in this house come August. I didn't think we had any more room in this house, but we will make it work. For some reason God decided we weren't done when all this time we had been hemming and hawing about what "we" thought we should do. As always, I'm not in control. "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" was an awesome book, but God is more awesome. He heeeee! I am excited. Anna will be 2 on Aug 7 and I am due on Aug 11.

Thursday night fun

2010-01-22T14:09:00.004-05:00

"Me... and my shaaaaaaaaaaaa-dow...."
This is how I do dishes. With an extra appendage.

This pic is for Liz because she always laughs at my kids sleeping in places other than their beds.
I've given up fighting with Abby to take a nap, so sometimes I end up carrying her to bed because this happens around 7:30.

"We're making fake money. LOTS of it."

This and That

2010-01-05T14:24:00.010-05:00

This is Adam. He fell and hurt his chin.
Haha ahhahahha hahahahah. Poor guy.

Barb came over and played on New Year's Eve. Anna kept sneaking into her purse.

Sometimes it's a little unnerving, the way they stare at me while I'm baking.

I have been patiently waiting for a musical Veihl child to come along... I think this one's it! (It only took 5 tries. See, persistence pays off.)

The kids got all sorts of Play Doh paraphernalia for Christmas. My personal favorite was the dental one, of course.

When you need a nap, you need a nap. Location is unimportant.

Here she is an hour later, pretty much unphased by all the activity.

I know exactly how you feel, Tommy.

2009-12-18T15:50:00.007-05:00

Rachel and Adam had their "Holiday" program at school. I think the preschoolers mentioned Christmas in one of their songs, but none of the other classes did. Booooo hisssssssssss.
On a happy note, Adam was VERY excited when he saw me in the crowd. He said, "There's my Mommy!!!" It made me so happy I wanted to cry.

Anna loves to write. She makes delicate little marks on the paper.

Amanda stopped in with her precious bundle the other day. Tommy just couldn't get enough of her!

The other night Tommy crawled under here and fell asleep. Anna snuggled up next to him.

Casey came home last night with this remote control tarantula. Adam thought it was awesome. Anna kept backing away in total fear.

As usual, I got lots of help baking today.

10 Years

2009-12-08T22:25:00.010-05:00

We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on Dec. 4. It was so great. The past 3 years we have started our fun day out the same way- lunch at the Golden Dragon in Bay City, then on to downtown where you'll find the antique mall and other fun stops... come along!

Ahhh, the Fabric Fair. Expensive beautiful fabulous fabric. I bought just one yard of this fabric with the trucks, I am making a little blanket for Tommy. I'll post a pic when it's done. I am famous for starting projects and not finishing them, but I do so solemnly swear to finish this if it kills me.

Just like a kid in a candy store! You knew I was going to say that, didn't you.

No he didn't buy it.

This was the cutest old pop-up book ever! One vendor had a ton of these, I could've sat there all day.

And then back to the old grind. Here is Adam plugging away at spelling. For some reason this week's words have been a breeze to practice, but last week included other, mother, brother, and wow were those tough for him. But he only got one wrong!

Monkey see, monkey do!

2009-11-28T22:28:00.004-05:00

We spent Thanksgiving at my parent's house. Casey had to work as usual. I'm trying not to be bitter. After all, our anniversary is coming up next weekend and he took Friday off. Wooo hooooooooooo!

I can't believe my kid is reading my old books already! She found this on grandma's shelf and read it in 2 days. I'm pretty sure she reads faster than I do.

The perfect Thanksgiving afternoon. Anna was in awe of grandpa's blanket. Actually it was Becca's, and Becca promptly snatched it off as soon as she saw it there.

So we were watching the Rockette's (I think that's who they were) on PBS and the girls got very excited. Anna loves to dance around, Rachel tends to get her all riled up. I guess that's what siblings are for.

This is totally off the subject (do I ever have a subject?), but Tommy and Abby were playing this afternoon and I heard Tommy say, "Yeah, I've been to Egypt lots of times. I take my mail truck."
I chuckle every time I think about it!

2009-11-24T13:46:00.005-05:00

This costume is two sizes too small, but it sure is good for a laugh.

Abby is really starting to get into coloring. I love her little body.

Adam's new hobby is sharpening. Crayons, pencils, pens if I don't catch him soon enough...

It finally came out. Last night I had to put Rachel in a head lock to get her nasty loose snaggletooth out of there. Even her best friend at school told her it was gross. Now that's an honest friend. So after a slightly tearful extraction, my relationship with my daughter was restored after a couple bucks were handed over. Now look at that smile. Then she wanted her other tooth out. What does she think- I'm made out of money???

Birthday Girl

2009-11-17T13:12:00.008-05:00

Abby turned 3 years old shortly after midnight last night! I love her with all my heart. She loves to play with her siblings and run around in her underwear. It's great to be 3!
Casey's family came over on Saturday, so that's when we had the cake and present ceremony. :)

Abby got a little help from Adam when it came time to blowing out the candles.

Abby got some books and cute jammies for her birthday.
I love this picture because Tommy is just being... Tommy.

Grandma Maude made Abby this nice cozy flannel quilt. It's heavy, but she still wants to cart it around the house. :)

Today Casey and I took Abby shopping- no other kids along! She picked out this Playschool vacuum cleaner. She has been sharing quite nicely with Tommy. We heard them in the boys room say, "OK, lets go suck up some bad guys!"
Go get 'em, kids.

Rocks, Gems, and Minerals

2009-11-07T21:47:00.007-05:00

I had seen an advertisement in the paper for this rock and mineral show and just KNEW that my Adam must attend! But when you enter this sort of room with a double stroller and 5 kids in tow, people become very... frightened. We didn't stay long, and they were only told once (by someone running a table) that the goods were "fragile" and should be careful. It was a good day. Now if only Abby could get over her psychotic fits life would be near perfect.

Cool! This is way better than anything he finds in Grandma Thompson's driveway.

Look at that selection. It was so tempting to touch every one.

God made this!

Yay for the one lady in the building that likes children! The kids each got to pick a stone (actually it was glass) with eyes glued on it- for free! They were ecstatic.

Tricks and Treats

2009-10-31T21:37:00.006-05:00

In honor of the Halloween season, here are some of Anna's tricks...

Why? Because she can.

x
She's just checking to see when her next appointment is.

We had a cold but fun time going around our neighborhood. My friend Barb went with us, I really appreciated the helping hand!

And here are the treats! Kit Kat seemed to be the treat of choice to pass out tonight, and I'm not complaining.

Hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween!

Yum

2009-10-26T21:29:00.004-05:00

Last week I made caramel apples for the first time. Here's how it went...

I had to go with Steph A.'s suggestion to use Granny Smith apples. The sour with the sweet? I'm drooling just thinking about it!

Oooooo. Just look at that bubbly caramel goodness. I bought a candy thermometer years ago and this was the first time I used it. It went extremely well. No one was injured in the caramel-making process.
This was the recipe I used. You really can't go wrong when butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and (look away Jenny M!) corn syrup are all boiled together.

Eeek! Look at those warty bubbles! I figured a smattering of white and dark chocolate should help to cover those up. It did help.
I would definitely make this caramel again. It was deeee- lish.
However, does anyone have any suggestions to keep it from totally sticking to the waxed paper? I liberally buttered the paper like the recipe said, but it really didn't help AT ALL.

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-26T21:19:00.007-05:00

Look at my man go! Don't hurt yourself, honey!

Rachel is going to lose a top front tooth ANY day- she is so excited!

I prefer my pumpkin cooked, but to each his own.

I helped Tommy with his pumpkin. Tommy has been the only one sick around here, which we are very thankful for. I am so SICK of hearing about H1N1 I could scream.

The finished products!

My fourth born

2009-10-20T13:48:00.004-05:00

Abby got a little hair cut a few nights ago. I couldn't believe how blond that old hair was!

We have been experiencing nap rebellion around here. Thankfully she has been doing a little better this week. This picture was taken after Rachel read a book to her before bed the other night. Rachel is still talking about how cute Abby was that night. :)

I have been in the bonnet making mood ever since our trip to the River of Time. I found this tutorial on how to make one, it was perfect for Abby, who is almost 3. I need to enlarge the pattern to make one for Rachel now.

2009-10-16T09:10:00.005-05:00

Abby has a heap of blankets that she moves from location to location. Here they have settled on our bed for a little story time. It's nice that the older kids do this with the younger ones. It really does get easier the older they get.

Um, this is my skirt. My son is in my skirt, along with every toy that he could possibly stuff in there. I'm at a loss for words.

Rachel had to make sure that Anna had a toothbrush for the picture, too.

Yesterday I went with Adam's first grade class to the pumpkin farm. It was cold, but everyone had a great time as usual.

Your Opinion Matters

2009-10-08T21:36:00.002-05:00

I would LOVE to make some caramel apples-it would be a new adventure for me.

So I'm taking a poll...

*How do like your caramel apples- just caramel, or fun stuff added likes nuts and/or sprinkles? Maybe some chocolate drizzled on?
*What kind of apples do you think make the best caramel apples?

*Do you like homemade caramel or prefer to use the Kraft caramels?

The Usual

2009-10-05T20:39:00.007-05:00

Somebody has decided that they are through with naps. Hmmm who could that be??? Here she is "watching" Jeopardy, so it's about 7:30 pm. At least she sleeps 12 hrs at night.

It's that time of year again! My frozen stash of applesauce ran out months ago, so I am soooo happy that the fresh apples are here!

I don't know what she's yelling about. Casey took this picture, she was probably afraid he was going to take her broom away.

Even though they are 5 years apart, Rachel and Abby really like to play together.

We watched our nephew Liam for a few hours on Friday. If there was ever a perfect child, this would be it. I love him. He followed Tommy around all afternoon, they were so cute.

My son cleaned his room today after school. Shocking. He was very proud to show me when I got home.
He didn't do so hot on his spelling test last week (60%), but this week he seems to know most of the words- yell tell mall call, you get the picture.

River of Time

2009-09-30T09:15:00.013-05:00

Saturday we took the kids to the River of Time. I loved it! I would've spent all day there, but the kids were done after 2 hours. We did see some pretty cool stuff...

This is a table of homemade soap. Tommy apparently didn't know what it was because I saw him licking one.

How cute are they?!? I told Casey that we should do that when we get old. We need to start lessons right away if we're going to get as good as they are.

The boys panned for gold. It was really just little stones painted gold, but Adam was none the wiser.

Rachel made a doll out of some scraps. She loves to craft!

The rootbeer, without a doubt, was Casey's favorite part of the whole thing. You can bring your bottle back the next year and they refill it for a fraction of the original price. We'll be back!

The kids wanted to play at the park they saw on the way there, so we indulged them.

Not for the Faint of Heart

2009-09-26T21:55:00.004-05:00

Here I am. Just ignore the mustache. And flakey boog. It was 7am. I was at the periodontist's office to have #5 extracted and then have an implant placed. #5 is my ugly tooth with much recession and no bracket. The tooth has given me problems over the past 10 years. It's a long boring story, you just need to know that the tooth is coming out. And I'm more than ready...

Well would you look at that. I have a big hole in my head! It's not supposed to look that way, the big cavernous hole leading up to... my brain. There should be some BONE somewhere for Pete's sake. The dr. flapped back my gums only to find NOTHING. I had no bone on the lingual OR the buccal side of the tooth. That makes it pretty hard to place an implant- there's nothing to put the post into. So instead of getting the post of the implant in as planned, Dr. M. had to hammer in some bone- some human, some not so human. Mooooooo. Excuse me, that just slipped out.
Well, after all that messing around, the periodontist did some slicing and dicing and closed me back up pulling tissue from hither and yon to suture over the extraction site/bone graft. And now we wait four months for the bone graft to take. And then the implant process can begin.
I feel that I am babbling, so if you have any questions feel free to ask. I hope you have enjoyed this post as much as I have.

Would you like to see something cool?

2009-09-24T21:41:00.003-05:00

I am just dying to post a really gross picture of my mouth that was taken at the periodontist's office today! Dr. M. said in all his 25 years of doing this he has never had a patient bring a camera along. Well, imagine that.
So, should I? Does blood and alveolar bone bother anyone?

Well That Doesn't Happen Very Often

2009-09-22T13:36:00.006-05:00

We stayed home from MOPS this morning because Thomas hasn't been feeling well. So just when I thought my day had totally went down the toilet, my 3 pumpkins were suddenly out cold. And the silence was beautiful. I chatted with an old neighbor on the phone and put cherry crisp in the oven.

2009-09-17T20:51:00.004-05:00

Ah, sweet morning. Everybody loves everybody after a long night of separation. We are all refreshed. Anna is sleeping through the night now. Wow, that only took 13 months (please note the sarcasm). I was bordering on insane, but then came the morning (sometime last week) where I woke up and realized that someone hadn't cried in the night. And I smiled.

The day seemed to spiral downward after Tommy punctured his upper lip with the garden pruners. With Tommy, these incidents just... happen. I was just happy that it stopped bleeding and wasn't going to need a stitch.

I'm having spelling issues with Adam. He has started 1st grade. I would like him to complete it. However, spelling is killing us! He just doesn't get it. He knows all his letters, but to put them together? Oy. We have been practicing "went" and "this" all week. He sits there and fidgits and scratches his head and then I start to get loud. That's what I do when people don't understand. The loudness doesn't seem to help, though. I'm so frustrated and so is Adam. Any words of advice would be appreciated.

I Don't Want it to End

2009-09-10T21:22:00.007-05:00

It's now time for another installment of "Summer Evenings"

I have waited 3 years for this thing to flower! I love it.
Amanda, the rabbits are destroying my new aster, but not touching this one.

I kept trying to get Anna to smell the flowers. Instead she would poke out her little tongue and lick them. And then laugh. Weirdo.

Adam has a new hobby. Thank you, God.
"Come, Adam. Come show mother your pretty rock." You never heard that sentence when he was holding a jumping spider or the world's longest sewer bug.

Oh Tommy. He is a huge pest, but you can't deny that he dreamy brown eyes.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-08T20:56:00.011-05:00

Since Adam and Rachel were off playing put-put and eating pizza with grandma and grandpa, we decided that we should do something fun, too. So Sat morning we went to Dow Gardens. I get winded just thinking about all the walking, but it really is beautiful, and the Children's garden is adorable!

We spent Sunday and Monday in Deckerville.
I just never get tired of this shot!

Before coming back home we stopped out at my great aunt and uncle's place on the lake so we could say hi to my grandma. We also got to see family and friends that I rarely see. It was a wonderful day.
Adam is of course looking for some shells.

Abby didn't really get in the water, but she sure liked playing with the life jacket.

We were back in full swing this morning! First day, always so exciting. I thought Rachel would come home blubbering (Amanda knows what I'm talking about), but she was very good and didn't seem overly tired for the first day. Hopefully tomorrow will be another good day.

What a pouty face. A lot of days end like this around here. But tomorrow is a fresh day. Hopefully Anna can hold it together.

I Almost Feel Guilty

2009-09-04T20:42:00.011-05:00

I almost feel guilty because I have been having a wonderful day. Why so wonderful you ask? Because my parents picked up Adam and Rachel and I won't see them until Sunday. Do you know how productive I can be with only 3 children under foot? OK, so the house still isn't clean, but there is bread to be eaten, and ... well, we're getting to the rest.

I have been slowly trying to expand my little flower garden out back. Anna was helping me this afternoon. She tastes the dirt to make sure it's OK. And she chewed on a tomato for a while.

When Abby went down for her nap Casey took Tommy to the bowling alley to play in the new game room. They both had a great time. Tommy bought 2 guns- one for him and one for Abby- with the points he earned. What a nice brother.

I took my 3 little muffins to Bay City tonight. Tommy was so thrilled with the river that he bounced the whole time we were there. Or maybe it was the ice cream cone kicking in, I'm not sure.

My young 'ens, I love them so. Not even a case of diarrhea (Abby) could ruin this day.

Cuteness

2009-09-01T20:36:00.006-05:00

I could squeeze this child all day long! Abby couldn't wait to try on this hand-me-down coat that made it's way to our house tonight. She will be so stylish come fall! Again, we have been blessed abundantly with girl clothes from friends. Awesome.

Poor, poor Anna. She is forever getting thrown into her pack-and-play because she is naughty and wants to climb on the table. Putting food in front of her doesn't help, unfortunately. The doctor wants her fattened up a little so she had cheesecake tonight. She needed a bath after that. Disgusting. I don't like this learning to feed themselves stage.

This pic was taken 5 seconds after the previous one. See, life's not so bad. She just realized that no other 12 mo. olds she knows had cheesecake tonight.

Work

2009-08-31T20:36:00.003-05:00

I work at a dentist office. And to me it's the best job on earth. I just wanted to share my favorite moment (#1) from today. But I added 2 more so I could make a list. I like lists.

1. My favorite patient today (87 and most of her teeth) asked me, "Do you want to know what my secret is for a long life?" I nodded eagerly. She continued, " I never drank. I never smoked. **long pause** And I never danced, either."

2. Apparently people think it's OK to text while getting their teeth cleaned. Man I hate setting people straight.

3. I still know if you're lying to me about flossing. Don't even try it.

2009-08-28T21:08:00.002-05:00

Did anyone else see these colors last night? Wow!

Anna finally signaled that she was ready for bed a few minutes ago. She took 2 really long naps today, so that pushed bedtime back just a bit. She had her immunizations a week ago and they have been taking their toll.

What's Blooming

2009-08-26T20:27:00.007-05:00

Adam is pointing at the first Japanese anemone to pop out. This means fall is soooo close. My shoulders just slumped as I typed that.

Tommy poses by another 'Kelvin Floodlight' dahlia. For obvious reasons this has been our favorite bloom all summer- even Tommy's judging by his smile.

Here Rachel sports her current favorite piece of clothing (the hat).

I waited forever for my white phlox 'David' to bloom. Always worth the wait. The purple one has been blooming forever.

Simply the Best

2009-08-24T20:33:00.002-05:00

Last week I took the kids for our final round of blueberry picking. Casey was at work. We did alright without dad, but I had to pick twice as fast and frankly I don't like hard labor. Anywho, we went to the Berry Patch for the first time. The ladies working there were wonderful! They Oooo-ed and Ahhhh-ed over my beautiful children and gave them lots of stickers because it was the end of the season. So, we will be back to the Berry Patch next year. I love nice people.

I was sent home with a copy of the Berry Patch Gazette which had several recipes on it, and I have been itching to make blueberry buckle ever since Melissa posted about it last year. So this is the Berry Patch's version of...

Blueberry Buckle

2 1/2 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk (I always keep that powdered kind handy)

Streusel Topping:
1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to creamed mixture alternating with milk. Fold in blueberries. Pour into greased 9x9 baking dish.
Combine sugars, flour and cinnamon for topping and cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

It was wonderful. Casey said he could eat the whole thing in one sitting. Of course I didn't let him.

We are Never Bored

2009-08-21T20:45:00.004-05:00

TV? What? On a summer night? The Veihl children have other ideas, such as let's line up all our junk and see if we can walk on it all the way to mom's garden! Come on, join in the fun.

Headwound Harry found his helmet before he attempted the course.

I later asked Adam if he had made it to the end. He said, "Of course, I'm your son." I'm not sure what to think about that. I guess it means I don't raise no quitters.

2009-08-19T13:50:00.010-05:00

We had vacation bible school last week at our church. I helped with snacks and fetched here and there. It was a great week and the kids learned so much.

I bought this chair for $7 at a garage sale, Rachel loves it out on the porch.

Refreshing

Awww, just like her daddy!

Helenium- a happy addition to the Veihl garden

Mmmm Muffins

2009-08-13T20:54:00.011-05:00

My neighbor gave me a couple zucchini the other day, so I decided to try a recipe from that Pinch My Salt blog. They were pretty healthy and pretty tasty. Every child liked them, and I even grated the zucchini with the skin ON. They didn't even flinch at the green flecks. Now that's a success.

Here is the recipe!

** Two major blogging accomplishments tonight- I finally figured out how to link something in my blog posting! AND I got a profile pic to work! I had better go to bed now, it can only go downhill from here.

Cake Time

2009-08-11T13:55:00.004-05:00

Anna's birthday was great, we pigged out and had cake course. She got lots of cute outfits! I should take some pics of her in her new clothes.

Birthday Girl

2009-08-07T14:30:00.004-05:00

I can scarcely believe my baby is one year old today. I thought this special day deserved some fresh pics of my Anna.

Adam and I went to the Farmer's Market today to get some corn for the party tonight. Of course with Adam along we also bought raspberries and peaches. Mmmm, fresh peaches.
Anna kept trying to steal the cobs as we shucked them.

Since I wouldn't let her have any corn she decided to go back to dirt.

Anna's not terribly smiley, so this is the only way I get to see her teeth. I love them.

Pinch My Salt

2009-08-05T16:22:00.002-05:00

So I'm sitting here waiting for Casey to get home from work (supper's done, thanks for the suggestion, Pam!) and I stumbled onto this food blog. The pictures, oh my. Beautiful. Everything looks like something I would make. So check out pinchmysalt.com. You won't be disappointed.

This pic is taken from pinch my salt's blog and dedicated to Pam. It's her fave.

Weekend Up North

2009-08-03T20:58:00.012-05:00

We spent a rainy Saturday on Mackinac Island sans kids! My wonderful in-laws watched the kids so off we went.

Here is the awesome tandem that we rode around the island. We probably didn't look as cool as Phil and Cathy, but it had to be close.

Amanda probably took all the same flower pics when she was there.

They were scratching each other's backs!

We checked out the light house in Mackinaw City. Not really worth 6 bucks a person, but I got a couple cute pics. :)

After seeing Jackie's blog about the little train in Fairview, we decided it was worth checking out on the way home. Everyone but Tommy liked it (typical), so I'd say it was a success.

Thomas doesn't like loud noises.

Still covering his ears...

2009-07-29T22:03:00.003-05:00

My quiet eldest child, isn't she pretty?

The sit-and-spin has a multitude of uses! The neighbors were building a new shed today, and peering through the cracks just wasn't enough for Adam. It's hard to carry on a conversation with the builder with a fence in the way.

2009-07-28T14:02:00.006-05:00

Tommy's underwear were wet and he didn't want to sit on them.
This was at my friend's house last Friday. She has 4 kids of her own so she has no problem with the Veihl circus coming to town.

This weekend I finally ripped out the wood edging so I could make the shade garden a hair bigger. I added a white bleeding heart and moved my astilbe around, they were hidden under the big bleeding heart. I thought Amanda would be happy to see that.

Abby and Tommy posing by the butterfly bush. I like to watch for butterflies while I'm doing dishes.

It works!

2009-07-22T14:21:00.005-05:00

Somebody doesn't like to participate in group pictures. And this is why we can't get them professionally done.

So I'm blabbing on the phone with my mom around 5pm yesterday, simultaneously making my taco meat... blab blab stir stir... and I look over the counter to see Tommy out on the porch ZONKED out. Soooo cute.

Our yard is complete with "his" and "her" picnic areas. My kids are obsessed with picnics. Even if it is just carrot muffins.

It's that time of year again (a sort-of tutorial)

2009-07-19T14:01:00.010-05:00

Everything you wanted to know about the iris borer.

This is unhealthy looking foliage. Obviously. I cringed when I saw this forming. This is my next door neighbor's yard. I love her dearly, but she knows squat about plants. She lets me come over and dig as I see fit. Let's remember that I have 5 children and barely have time to go to the bathroom let alone garden two plots.

Cathy Luter, look away!!
The borers GORGE themselves on the iris tubers. Then they eventually turn into moths and lay their eggs in the old iris leaves in the fall. Then in the spring the cycle starts all over again: they hatch out, make pinhole marks in the leaves and eat their way down to the tubers again. So by late July you have pretty shabby looking plants. Much of the tubers are mush after the borers have tunneled through.

Even Adam doesn't want to touch them, which really tells you how gross and ugly the little demons are. But my kind hearted son wouldn't kill them, he used the knife to flick them into his bug cage. (Don't worry, I'll squish them after he goes to bed tonight. He would probably cry if he watched.)

All the discard really should be burned. Death to the iris borer!!!

Here are the salvaged borer-free pieces. They are soaking in a bucket of bleach water right now. I feel like I should bath in bleach water after touching the things.

Just for Fun

2009-07-15T09:47:00.001-05:00

It's a rough life being the baby.

Play Date

2009-07-15T09:30:00.008-05:00

We had a play date yesterday with some gals from our MOPS group. We didn't stay long, it's just too hard watching 5 kids going in all directions. Anna loved the park!

Here are Amber and Reese- Amber is 6 1/2 months pregnant and prancing around like it's just another day. If I were ever pregnant again I would hire her to be my personal trainer during the pregnancy.

Adam was more than happy to help our buddy Jackson get a refreshing drink.

Tommy wants in on the action. (Click on the picture to see Tommy's anger up close)

Adam wanted nothing to do with having his picture taken, so Rachel helped out.

The Best Moment of the Day

2009-07-08T21:49:00.002-05:00

Adam was measuring the yard with the yardstick.

Sanford Lake

2009-07-07T20:59:00.011-05:00

Since Casey always has to work over 4th of July, we were thrilled when my boss decided to close the office for an extra day on Monday! So we packed up the kids and headed to Sanford Lake. Love it!

So here are some pics from yesterday...

When you have five young children, it is vital that you do your activities as early in the morning as possible. You know, while everybody is still bright-eyed and bushy tailed. When we got to the beach the only other person around was an extremely tan/burnt woman laying in her lawn chair. I generally admire a nice golden tan, but sometimes you just need to know when to say when. I wanted to take her picture, but didn't know if she'd appreciate that. Yeah, so I blogged about her instead.

Guess who had green poop today.

Beginning, Middle, and End

2009-07-03T20:42:00.003-05:00

beginning of the day...

middle of the day...

(It feels like only yesterday that Abby was doing this.)

end of the day...

It's Done!

2009-07-03T13:43:00.005-05:00

I never have to leave the house now! The swingset of my dreams is right in my backyard. Casey is going to get some sand from work tonight, and we'll be good-to-go. They put it up in about 2 hours this morning. Thanks Mickie and Kendall! (The neighbor kid must've sensed the excitement around here and was over before it was done. :)

Favorite Pics from the weekend

2009-07-01T08:54:00.006-05:00

As summer always goes, it's busy busy busy! I take too many pictures, so I'll just post a few of my faves.

My favorite boys

My favorite family reunion pic- Rachel sandwiched in the middle of two sets of twins!

My favorite pic of 2 of my great friends. Amanda was enjoying the softness of Jenny's shirt.

My favorite yellow lily

Tommy's favorite picture- Rachel drew this garbage truck for Tommy. He had to hang it on the frige right away!

This is what summer is all about

2009-06-25T21:48:00.007-05:00

The beach +best friends gabbing for three hours = the most wretched sunburn we have EVER had. So when you see Jenny on Sunday, please, don't pat her on the back. Just smile kindly and say, "Nice to see you!"

My parents have a crazy strawberry patch this year. I thought I'd never hear my mom utter the words that she'd "had enough strawberries", but she did indeed say that. That just means that I get some more. :)

Anna enjoys the lilies almost as much as the rabbits do.

The in-laws popped in for a bit tonight. George is doing amazingly well! They went to Ann Arbor today, he had some stitches taken out (where the melanoma was removed on his back), and they took the drain tube out from under his arm where the lymph nodes were removed 2 weeks ago. He is ready to start chipping and putting. :)

Just a Reminder

2009-06-22T21:24:00.003-05:00

The coolest people in the world (Jenny and Josh incase you weren't sure) will be at Immanuel this Sunday!
We thought we could in together on some pizzas- Hot and Ready or something of that nature.
We will go back to the pavillion weather permitting. If you want to bring pop or something else to munch on go for it!
See you Sunday!

Father's Day

2009-06-22T21:08:00.006-05:00

Sunday night we went to the church picnic. Anna fell asleep in the van on the way home, so after putting her to bed the rest of us went out to enjoy the lovely evening. It was a great Father's Day. I was so happy Casey didn't have to work!

Abby!

What in the world is Casey doing with that stick... Oh wait that's Adam.

Rachel!

Tommy!

Two Things that Bothered Me Yesterday

2009-06-20T22:08:00.004-05:00

1. I went to the mall because Macy's was having a big sale. While I walked through the parking lot I observed a mom yacking a mile a minute on her cell phone. That is fine, HOWEVER, she was holding the cell phone with her chin and shoulder as she was assembling a large stroller. The children were carrying on in the vehicle.
Let's just say... if I were the carjacking type- I would be in Florida right now.

2. As I was coming home from my excursion to the mall, I came up to a busy corner where car washes are frequently held by teenagers who are trying to raise money for their church groups, sports groups, etc. Well, the Pom pon squad was having their car wash. 2 girls were on the corner wearing string bikini tops and super tight/short shorts holding up their car wash sign and bumpin' to the music of passing cars.
Do their parents think that's OK? Does the pompon squad leader think that's OK? What is wrong with this picture!?!??!

Summer Nights are Back!

2009-06-18T21:09:00.003-05:00

Let's face it- I know nothing about photography. But I just read somewhere that it is indeed OK to take a pic facing the sun, you can see the sunlight playing on the children's hair blah blah blah...
and it does indeed turn out great!

The kids are always begging to go on a picnic. Eating outdoors far from running water with 5 kids is not on my list of Favorite Things to Do ( I hate dirty hands). I sat inside with Anna and ate my leftover Chinese while I let the others have their picnic. Nothing like Doritos on a summer evening.

Out with the Old...

2009-06-16T21:01:00.004-05:00

The kids really enjoy the swing set. They spend HOURS out there. However, it has seen better days (it was a hand-me-down that already had years of love before we inherited it). So get ready for this... we are looking to build a nice sturdy wooden swing set!!! With the help of Mickie K. Sr., I believe my dreams really will come true. AND he said if we name our next child after him he would give us a sweet discount. Done.

Crazy Ladies on the Loose

2009-06-11T20:53:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I got to hang out with my friend Amanda! We went to a garden event I guess you would call it. Different vendors were there with anything from crafts to books to flowers. It was glorious. Everything but the guy puking his guts out right into the flowers. What the heck. I couldn't stop staring. Amanda wanted to run away. Other than that it was a perfect outing.
After we left there we stopped at the farmer's market and bought strawberries and matching phlox- because all friends should have matching flowers. Hers, of course, will be towering over mine in a matter of weeks. Amanda just has that way with plants. Her husband is really tall, too, but I think he was like that before they met.
(Side note: the flowers pictured were not the ones that were puked on. These smelled really really good, actually. I might have to go out to Abele's again...)

2009-06-07T21:22:00.003-05:00

Ahh, my little Anna-belle. She is going to turn me gray way before my time. EVERY time I turn around I am pulling something out of her mouth... a chunk of dirt, a wad of kleenex, a piece of a plastic wrapper... it goes on and on. It feels like we are yelling at the other kids constantly to keep all their little bits picked up, but it's hard to catch everything.

Amanda, you gave me this plant a couple years ago, remember? I think I finally figured out how to get a close-up pic that's not blurry, I'm so excited!
Amanda and I are going to a gardening event downtown this week, we are beside ourselves with joy. I didn't think I was going to be able to go, but lo and behold the Lord works in mysterious ways. Casey ended up getting Wednesday off! (He is at work tonight instead, which is kinda crappy. He'll crawl into bed in the middle of the night and I'll roll out a couple hours later.)

Picks of the Week

2009-06-04T21:18:00.006-05:00

Great Grains with raisins, dates, and pecans how I love you. I could eat you for three meals a day. Well, at least for a couple days, anyway. Then I'd need some Velveeta.

Tommy and I popped into Abele's today. How wonderful. The workers are always cheerful. Somebody actually asked me if I needed help. Unlike the young library worker today who stomped by with an armful of books and stated loudly, "Working here is going to drive me CRAZY!!!" Huh. There is no way this chick could handle McDonald's, so she had better stay where she is.

Speaking of the library, this is a book I checked out today. The kids have laughed all ten times that we've read it. Rachel asked if she could take it to school and show her friends. Oh boy. I really got it for Abby, she has been going around all day saying, "... and sat and sat and sat and sat..." which is what the kid does on the potty. So cute. It would be even cuter if she pooped on the potty tomorrow.

Purple

2009-05-31T21:16:00.006-05:00

This is Silverado's first summer flowering. He smells so gooooooood.

My only lilac. He was a sad little stick stuck behind some other plants at Wal-Mart 2 years ago. I rescued him and this is how he thanks me. :)

Iris and Baptisia (what a great pest-free plant!)
I wish they flowered all summer.

Laura, if you are interested I will probably have some little Jacob's Ladder seedlings for you- he's a prolific little bugger and he likes shade. Just let me know.