And summer is on!
We've kicked off the summer with some good ole basic fishin' at Grandpa's pond.
The boys have been down a few times already... Here are a few pics I captured.
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Showing posts with label Grandpa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grandpa. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Fishing at Grandpa's pond
Well School is out!
And summer is on!
We've kicked off the summer with some good ole basic fishin' at Grandpa's pond.
The boys have been down a few times already... Here are a few pics I captured.
And summer is on!
We've kicked off the summer with some good ole basic fishin' at Grandpa's pond.
The boys have been down a few times already... Here are a few pics I captured.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
It's the little things that are really big.
As most of you know the past year has been pretty interesting for us. We moved out of our house last May just as the kids were finishing school and lived in a hotel for a couple of months and then moved in with Dad. It's been quite a journey. Probably one of the toughest times in our lives. It has been a time of sadness and stress but also an amazing journey through healing, faith and growth. We are so thankful to Dad for taking us in. We know what a sacrifice he is making and I have to say he has been amazing.
When we moved we put pretty much everything we own in storage. We only brought with us what we thought we would need for a couple of months. Well nearly one year later we are managing pretty well without all that "stuff". I know the boys miss their "stuff" and would like to have their own rooms but I have to say they have risen to the occasion. It has truly been a learning experience for them too. Sometimes I worry it has shaken their security but other times I see in them a strength and confidence they may not have otherwise developed.
Even though it's been rough there have also been many blessings. Mark's successful surgery back in November is one of the greatest. The other is watching the relationship bloom between the boys and grandpa. I know years from now they will remember this time in our lives and look back at the quality time they were able to spend with their grandpa.
Not only has he given us a safe haven to duck into during this time of crises and healing he has done many little things that are really big things to make the boys more at home.
One of those being this basketball hoop he made for the boys. The boys really miss their basketball hoop we had at our last house. They spent a lot of time shooting hoops and playing basketball together and with friends and neighbors. Well a few weeks ago they figured out a way to improvise. They used a medium size rubber ball and bounced it against the side of the house, Making a point required hitting the ball on just the right board. Well, I came home from work one day and saw them shooting hoops into something bolted onto the side of the wall. I actually teared up when I realized Grandpa had cut the top off of a bucket or something and bolted it to the wall so they could play basketball.
These are the moments that stop me in my tracks and make me realize how much we have to be thankful for.
From the bottom of my heart... Thank you Dad........for everything.
When we moved we put pretty much everything we own in storage. We only brought with us what we thought we would need for a couple of months. Well nearly one year later we are managing pretty well without all that "stuff". I know the boys miss their "stuff" and would like to have their own rooms but I have to say they have risen to the occasion. It has truly been a learning experience for them too. Sometimes I worry it has shaken their security but other times I see in them a strength and confidence they may not have otherwise developed.
Even though it's been rough there have also been many blessings. Mark's successful surgery back in November is one of the greatest. The other is watching the relationship bloom between the boys and grandpa. I know years from now they will remember this time in our lives and look back at the quality time they were able to spend with their grandpa.
Not only has he given us a safe haven to duck into during this time of crises and healing he has done many little things that are really big things to make the boys more at home.
One of those being this basketball hoop he made for the boys. The boys really miss their basketball hoop we had at our last house. They spent a lot of time shooting hoops and playing basketball together and with friends and neighbors. Well a few weeks ago they figured out a way to improvise. They used a medium size rubber ball and bounced it against the side of the house, Making a point required hitting the ball on just the right board. Well, I came home from work one day and saw them shooting hoops into something bolted onto the side of the wall. I actually teared up when I realized Grandpa had cut the top off of a bucket or something and bolted it to the wall so they could play basketball.
These are the moments that stop me in my tracks and make me realize how much we have to be thankful for.
From the bottom of my heart... Thank you Dad........for everything.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Mad Scientists...
Grandpa, Mark and Alex had discussed Alex's Science fair project for weeks. They reminded me of mad scientist disappearing into the basement to discuss, build and experiment. They came up with an idea of a water and oil separating device to compare it to the oil spill. You know the one. You may have heard about it on the news. (Unless you were hiding under a rock).
Grandpa built a great device that had to be "tweeked" a little as we got down to the wire but it all worked out perfectly in the end.
Alex wasn't too thrilled about Dad taking a picture at school but I'm sure Mark said something along the lines of "Sorry bud, Mom's orders" Can't you just see it in his smile? :)
On the day of the science fair Mark was planning to be there in case Alex needed help but Alex was determined to do this on his own. I was a little nervous because it did involve oil and food coloring... what if it spilled or didn't work? In the end we decided that if he wanted to do it on his own then good for him! And he did excellent! No problems other than when he retrieved it the next day, with the "help" of a couple of buddies. Someone (not Alex) may have spilled a little on the library's carpeted floor :0. I called and offered to come clean it up but was told the boys did a good job of cleaning it up themselves. Shewwww... with all the budget cuts in our school I was a little concerned we may be responsible for replacing the carpet! Anyway it all worked out in the end. I am curious though if there isn't a little stain, (it was oil after all) as a reminder of Alex for Science fairs to come.
Thank you Grandpa for all your hard work and determination although part of me suspects you enjoyed as much as your grandson!
By the way Alex ended up winning for his grade! They don't give out ribbons anymore but he received a certificate and was announced over the intercom. Good job Alex!
Grandpa also "helped" Alex with his science fair project last year.
Remember the Hot Dog Cooker? Click HERE to see that post.
Grandpa built a great device that had to be "tweeked" a little as we got down to the wire but it all worked out perfectly in the end.
Alex wasn't too thrilled about Dad taking a picture at school but I'm sure Mark said something along the lines of "Sorry bud, Mom's orders" Can't you just see it in his smile? :)
On the day of the science fair Mark was planning to be there in case Alex needed help but Alex was determined to do this on his own. I was a little nervous because it did involve oil and food coloring... what if it spilled or didn't work? In the end we decided that if he wanted to do it on his own then good for him! And he did excellent! No problems other than when he retrieved it the next day, with the "help" of a couple of buddies. Someone (not Alex) may have spilled a little on the library's carpeted floor :0. I called and offered to come clean it up but was told the boys did a good job of cleaning it up themselves. Shewwww... with all the budget cuts in our school I was a little concerned we may be responsible for replacing the carpet! Anyway it all worked out in the end. I am curious though if there isn't a little stain, (it was oil after all) as a reminder of Alex for Science fairs to come.
Thank you Grandpa for all your hard work and determination although part of me suspects you enjoyed as much as your grandson!
By the way Alex ended up winning for his grade! They don't give out ribbons anymore but he received a certificate and was announced over the intercom. Good job Alex!
Grandpa also "helped" Alex with his science fair project last year.
Remember the Hot Dog Cooker? Click HERE to see that post.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Happy Birthday Grandpa!
Grandpa Dick's birthday was last week and we had a nice dinner out at Chili's. We then came home and ate some scrumptious Dairy Queen ice cream roll cake (his favorite!)
The boys "helped" him blow out his candles.
The boys "helped" him blow out his candles.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Tending the stove...
It was cold cold cold here this week. Grandpa and Alex love to light the stove out on the patio. Grandpa took this picture of Alex by the stove. I thought it was great! I love watching the two of them "tend" the stove. They are like two peas in a pod. I sometimes imagine Alex one day telling his kids and grandkids about when he and his Grandpa used to light the stove.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Decorating the tree
Last weekend Grandpa got the tree out. The boys pretty much decorated the entire thing by themselves.
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| What are they using for a topper? Is it an angel... uh no |
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| It's one of their Halo action figures and when I looked closer there were several all over the tree, Perfect! |
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| GOOD JOB GUYS! |
Sunday, November 21, 2010
What are they up to now??
Every once in a while the boys (all of them) including Dad and Grandpa will disappear into the basement. There are all kinds of cool tools and gadgets down there. I call it the boys club and always ask permission to enter. They are pretty cordial............ most of the time.
Well the other evening all the boys were in the basement so naturally being the nosey female I am I had to go see what was going on. They were building something.
TA DAHHHH!!! A MINI SKATE BOARD PARK!!
(CONNOR CREATED THIS VIDEO)
Well the other evening all the boys were in the basement so naturally being the nosey female I am I had to go see what was going on. They were building something.
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| GRANDPA AND CONNOR |
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| MARK AND DAD |
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| DADDY AND ALEX |
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| PRECISE MEASURING |
TA DAHHHH!!! A MINI SKATE BOARD PARK!!
(CONNOR CREATED THIS VIDEO)
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| A HALF PIPE AND MINI RAMPS |
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| A MINI GRINDING RAIL..MY PERSONAL FAVORITE |
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Halloween Part 3... Pumpkin Carving!
We always enjoy carving our pumpkins. It's one of our favorite traditions. I almost titled this post "Pumpkin carving gone wild" because well it got a little wild. It all started out fine but then Alex started having his yearly gagging problem. He loves the act of cleaning out and carving his own pumpkin but the texture and smell get to him. He gags and digs, takes a breath, scoops some more, gags.. and on and on it goes. He hangs in there though and gets it done. Connor thinks it's funny and decided to torture his brother in various ways. One being scooping out "pumpkin guts" and dangling them in front of Alex. It ended up in a pumpkin gut throwing fight.
Then out came the power tools. Living with Grandpa, you have all kinds of cool tools at your disposal. It wasn't quite the Norman Rockwell family jack o lantern carving experience I may have imagined it would be but that is the joys of boys and I wouldn't trade it for anything.... well maybe... nah.
Check out Grandpas spot lights...told you he had cool stuff
Grandpa keeping the stove going
The finished products
Then out came the power tools. Living with Grandpa, you have all kinds of cool tools at your disposal. It wasn't quite the Norman Rockwell family jack o lantern carving experience I may have imagined it would be but that is the joys of boys and I wouldn't trade it for anything.... well maybe... nah.
Check out Grandpas spot lights...told you he had cool stuff
Grandpa keeping the stove going
The finished products
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Happy Halloween! Part 1
Alex was having a very difficult time choosing a halloween costume this year. He has never enjoyed the "scary" part of halloween. He's been a duck, Mickey Mouse (grandma's favorite), Tigger, a race car driver, a power ranger and a penguin (twice). After several trips to two different "Halloween" stores and 2-3 trips to Party city we were getting discouraged. Monday evening as we sat at the kitchen table pondering this, Alex getting discouraged thinking he wasn't going to have a costume for the halloween festivities at school on Friday I decided to browse the internet. What a concept!
You have to understand that up until this point EVERY idea I came up with was shot down by both boys.. by eye rolling, my personal favorite....blank stares (like you must be from another planet Mom). I had the most idiotic ideas according to them. I thought when I suggested he be an 80's rocker, pointing to a costume that included a blond wig and bandana head band I was really on to something. Alex said dryly... "Mom, I don't want to look like Bret Michaels." I answered in an honestly surprised tone "You don't"?? To which Connor took me aside and said "Mom, I don't think you should make any more suggestions, just let me help him."
Okay so back to Monday night... I had one more chance to redeem myself. I have to say by this point I'm a little gun shy. I google "home made Halloween costumes" and scroll down a bit when............ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I see the Rubics cube! 1. Alex loves Rubics cubes and 2. He loves props. I'm still a little apprehensive because I also thought being a nerd, mummy, rocker...etc were excellent ideas. Obviously I have no clue! I'm so excited I'm bursting at the seams. I shout as I'm running down the stairs... I got it!!! As I enter the kitchen Mark looks at me like "oh no what's she going to say" and Alex looking at me a little curious but maybe just a little nervous that I'm going to totally let him down again. I say "A RUBICS CUBE!!" I watch cautiously as I see his wheels turning.... he brightens a little... here it comes... "I like that Mom." shewwwwww I turn to Mark and he has an expression of relief that quickly turns a look of.. I see a bubble above his head that say's "I'm going to have to create this aren't I ??" I'm just relieved we have a plan. Now Mark, Grandpa and Alex can execute it, right? I'm just the brains of this operation, they are the brawn... heehee
I didn't get a picture of Alex wearing the finished product but I will tonight. Oh and of course for Mark nothing less than absolutely mathematically correct would do. Alex picked a pattern and Mark followed it to a tee. He did such a great job, always puts everything into everything he does.Never ever does anything halfway. Thank you grandpa, you are always such a good sport and always ready with helpful suggestions. I love watching you and Mark "collaborate." Alex you did a good job of helping too, as always.
Part 2 coming soon...
You have to understand that up until this point EVERY idea I came up with was shot down by both boys.. by eye rolling, my personal favorite....blank stares (like you must be from another planet Mom). I had the most idiotic ideas according to them. I thought when I suggested he be an 80's rocker, pointing to a costume that included a blond wig and bandana head band I was really on to something. Alex said dryly... "Mom, I don't want to look like Bret Michaels." I answered in an honestly surprised tone "You don't"?? To which Connor took me aside and said "Mom, I don't think you should make any more suggestions, just let me help him."
Okay so back to Monday night... I had one more chance to redeem myself. I have to say by this point I'm a little gun shy. I google "home made Halloween costumes" and scroll down a bit when............ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
I see the Rubics cube! 1. Alex loves Rubics cubes and 2. He loves props. I'm still a little apprehensive because I also thought being a nerd, mummy, rocker...etc were excellent ideas. Obviously I have no clue! I'm so excited I'm bursting at the seams. I shout as I'm running down the stairs... I got it!!! As I enter the kitchen Mark looks at me like "oh no what's she going to say" and Alex looking at me a little curious but maybe just a little nervous that I'm going to totally let him down again. I say "A RUBICS CUBE!!" I watch cautiously as I see his wheels turning.... he brightens a little... here it comes... "I like that Mom." shewwwwww I turn to Mark and he has an expression of relief that quickly turns a look of.. I see a bubble above his head that say's "I'm going to have to create this aren't I ??" I'm just relieved we have a plan. Now Mark, Grandpa and Alex can execute it, right? I'm just the brains of this operation, they are the brawn... heehee
I didn't get a picture of Alex wearing the finished product but I will tonight. Oh and of course for Mark nothing less than absolutely mathematically correct would do. Alex picked a pattern and Mark followed it to a tee. He did such a great job, always puts everything into everything he does.Never ever does anything halfway. Thank you grandpa, you are always such a good sport and always ready with helpful suggestions. I love watching you and Mark "collaborate." Alex you did a good job of helping too, as always.
Part 2 coming soon...
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Happy Father's Day!
Happy Father's Day!
Mark, the boys and Grandpa got up and out early this morning. They went to the shooting range to do some target practice. Meanwhile back at the Suites.... I did some laundry, molded some burgers and went to the store and picked out a cake. They came home and we went out into the courtyard for a cookout. Alex swam while we got ready. Connor collapsed onto the bed (he's not used to getting up so early anymore). Grandpa and Mark visited and cooked the hamburgers while I brought out the side dishes. We had a nice quiet lunch and then Alex and I went swimming for a little while. The dogs ran around in the courtyard happy to be free of their leashes. Eventually we all made our way back into the room and watched Mark and Grandpa open their presents. Then we ate cake. That was our Father's Day in a nutshell.
Enjoying lunch in the Courtyard
Mark reading a card Alex made him in school
Grandpa opening his gift
Mark, the boys and Grandpa got up and out early this morning. They went to the shooting range to do some target practice. Meanwhile back at the Suites.... I did some laundry, molded some burgers and went to the store and picked out a cake. They came home and we went out into the courtyard for a cookout. Alex swam while we got ready. Connor collapsed onto the bed (he's not used to getting up so early anymore). Grandpa and Mark visited and cooked the hamburgers while I brought out the side dishes. We had a nice quiet lunch and then Alex and I went swimming for a little while. The dogs ran around in the courtyard happy to be free of their leashes. Eventually we all made our way back into the room and watched Mark and Grandpa open their presents. Then we ate cake. That was our Father's Day in a nutshell.
Enjoying lunch in the Courtyard
Mark reading a card Alex made him in school
Grandpa opening his gift
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