bringing hudson home...

...once upon a time...

i was in college and started a new job at valentino's.  and met a new friend.  her name was heather.  that was almost 20 years ago.

we worked together.
we were roommates.
i was a bridesmaid in her and matt's wedding.

and now?  heather & matt have 5 kids...and are trying to get #6 from china to his home!  consider helping this family to bring their little guy, hudson, home!

click on the "bringing hudson home" button on the right....or click HERE.

thanks!

the sunday funnies...

nope, not in the paper.

in my life.

saturday while my great-niece was hanging out with us (so her parents could move...let's see?  help move or watch the baby?  that was a really tough choice to make...ha ha) the 4-yr-old asked if she could be genevieve's big sister..."because i do not have anyone to be a big sister to and i am always the little sister".  so i told her "yes".

during the children's sermon at church today, pastor april asked the kids what they wanted to be when they grow up.  my 5-yr-old said:  "cheerleader - football cheerleader".  my 4-yr-old said:  "doctor".

at the oldest's t-ball games this afternoon, the 4-yr-old was watching the 5-yr-old's best buddy (kee-kee) and apparently was channeling some johnny cash...she kept singing, "i walk the line...i walk the line..."

chuckling at your offspring remains a healthy choice :)

things that'll make a momma proud...

...i was mowing earlier today and the girls were playing.  once i got about half the backyard mowed, i set up the sprinkler and let the girls run through it.  they were in swimsuits and slathered with sunscreen.

as i continued to mow, they yelped and hooted and hollered and enjoyed the cool water.  they even filled up the watering can and their empty gatorade bottles to water the backyard flowers (we have tiger lillies just about to bloom that they are anxiously waiting for...).

and then it happened.

in my peripheral i saw linnea standing in an odd position.  i shut off the mower just in time to hear her giggling voice shout to her sister:

"LOOK AT ME!  I PEE IN THE YARD LIKE OUR DOG!"

pride just welled up in me.

fickle & larky us...

laughter is the best medicine...

and lately? since i have not been feeling well (trip-to-the-e.r.-for-chest-pain...that is not heart related, but an unknown lingering thing that is probably pluracy...) lately the girls have been particularly humorous:

wren got a knew buddy from the zoo last week. a ferret she named zu-zu. today, apparently, was her birthday and her is her singing to zu-zu:

"happy birthday to you, ferret! may all you feretty dreams come true cuz Jesus loves you too" (mostly off-key)

then there was miss linnea...who has changed her name and birthday in the recent past. she changed her june birthday to october 11th. until no party was happening. then june was a-okay. then, she changed the spelling of her name. dropped the "a" at the end and replaced it with an "h". but this today, it is her middle name that she has changed. she is no longer linnea mariann. she is now "linnea oreo". oh, and she is not a bug or a spud. she is a person. with eyes. and a body. and she talks. she'll tell you all about it, too.

wren has this bold & infectious giggle. and she let it out numerous times today at the movie we saw. there were times when it was (mostly) quiet and her laughter echoed! it. was. awesome.

linnea likes to manipulate. although, since she knows not what that word even means, she'll call it something else altogether i am sure. the other evening when she felt like she'd not had enough momma-snuggle-time, she walked into our bedroom with her sad clown face, holding her arm. and she tilted her chin, looked up at me and proceeded to tell me: "i need some more momma snuggles because my arm hurts." when i asked why her arm hurt her reply: "cuz i dranked too much milk..." i could not argue with that, so snuggles commenced.

and, finally...tonight aliens landed in our living room! there was panic! pandemonium! and then...

the aliens!!

did not even bother me that they arrived during the college world series game.

of cake and kee-kees...dogs, too.

this is the pineapple/cherry-upside-down-cake i made yesterday...

if only blogs allowed for smells...this baby wafted deliciousness throughout our house.  and while i am asking for my blog to do something more:  couldya clean that oven, please?  it's self-cleaning, but those fumes nearly make me croak, so if you can do that when i am not at home and without causing a fire, that'd be peachy!  thanks!

and the cake.  cooling on it's tray.  ready to be cut up and eaten after dinner!

and this is the dinner party that coincided with our family dinner tonight.

the buddies were having a very special reunion dinner.  you see, lil white kee-kee has been missing for the past day.  she could not be found.  wren retraced her steps.  the hubs cleaned up the entire basement.  i went throughout our entire room.  little sister...she, ummm?  i'm certain she helped in her own special way.  let's just leave it at that, okay?

aahhhh, how sweet it is to have a best bud-bud back!

and in excellent shape.  albeit a bit hungry.  but in good spirits!

and speaking of best buds...this is my lil sleepy-doo...ruby.

she sometimes likes to snuggle up to a bud-bud herself.

and for the record:  do not let those open eyes deceive you.  she IS asleep.  asleep enough to snore.

yup, our boston snores.  with her eyes open.

or closed.

she ain't picky.  she's a snorer.

bestest daddy ever...

truthiness...

my girl!

born 4 years ago...she came out a bit blue, but that didn't last too long (or so i am told...) and we named her after my husband's great aunt:

linnea

her middle name is after my mom:

mariann

(12/30/41-12/20/85)

not much gets by this little girl! 

and she does not forget much!

and she is amazing!

d.o.b. 06/16/06

loves (in no particular order):  daddy, wren, momma, ruby, puddy, parks, giggling, swinging, pbs.com, snuggling, pink, books, movies, stuffies, snacks, root beer, dresses, stickers, paper dolls, puzzles, cookies, honey, mr. bilbo baggins, singing, snow white, ariel, barbie, tinkerbelle, fairies, dancing, tumbling, soccer, football, mythbusters, star trek, dora, imagination movers, curious george, garfield...

...and so much more!

HAPPY #4 ACTUALLY BIRTHDAY, NEA!

never too early for football...

last week we attended the iowa state university pep rally at our zoo.  it was such fun!  the girls loved it.  as they do each year!  and each year, isu adds something (or more than just one thing...) new.  this year it was a "photo booth".  the girls could choose their attire or accessory to have in their photo and then they also got to choose the photo they wanted to be "super-imposed" into.  wren went first.  and although we had discussed the options ahead of time, when it came her turn...she did NOT choose the pom-poms and cheerleader one!  i was a bit shocked.  what did she choose instead?  the full shoulder pads and jersey!  she looked absolutely adorable...err, i mean she looked rough and tough and mean and ready to play some football! 

so without further adieu...

here is wren running onto jack trice field with coach rhodes and the other cyclones!

(click on photo to enlarge)

and then it was linnea's turn.  she stayed true to her initial choice: 

pom-poms with the cheerleaders!

and so.....

linnea with her poms posing in front of cy and the rest of the cheer squad!

(click on photo to enlarge)

although i am a husker by birth

and

cyclone by marriage...

these photos will more than likely make

the 2010 chapter 8 of the larson christmas card!

busy, busy, busy

this week the girls & i enjoyed a GREAT week of vacation bible school! i was busy with being "winifred sassafras horsely" for the puppet show (voices were pre-recorded last week by me and a friend...) and teaching the kids the songs during music time. the girls were busy singing, dancing, reciting, crafting, gaming, snacking and having a ton of fun with their friends!

my hubs' vehicle died. engine has been deemed "terminal" by my brother, the mechanic. so the search is on for a new vehicle. no, it will not be a minivan. no, it will not be a "smart car". not sure what it will be...but we are not rushing into anything. we may get a rental next week to help with his commute to downtown (two mornings of taking daddy to work downtown and then going to church for vbs all the way across town was probably enough for me and the girls).

and the best part of our week? TOMORROW. SUNDAY! the girls get to sing and dance a couple of bible school songs at church and go to summer "funday school". then...

linnea's 4th birthday party!!

the decorations are hung.

the treatbags are filled!

hello kitty is on each cupcake.

the chocolate ones....

...and the vanilla ones, too!

now, i should probably go assist the daddy in getting the 2 wild girls settled and in bed...they are enjoying a "double feature mivie night":  toy story 1 and 2 (they now think that they HAVE to see "toy story 3" in the theater...good thing we need *something* to do on linnea's actual birthday day, huh??!!)

the toothless wonder.....

BIG EVENT at our home tonight.

during dinner.

whilst chomping her burger.

field of dreams...

movie site was our "last day of vacation" destination en route home.

the "field of dreams" movie site was really cool.  still looks exactly like it did in the 1988 film!  loved it!  totally took me back to the movie.  it would have been a smidgey better to stop in the late summer so that the corn would be taller than just a few inches...but it was still cool!

since this is wren's first year of t-ball...and she "needed" a purple and pink glove (luckily i was able to find one...and it was a lefty one, too - not exactly a common things as most people/players are righties).  she is proud to sport her green "salon with sass" team jersey and bennington "b" ball cap!  she had her 1st game last night and did great!  although most of the "game" is 45+ minutes watching 4 & 5 yr olds kick dirt, pick up rocks, mess with their glove/shirt/hat, and wildly throw a ball if they field it....y'know, "play" t-ball, ahem...but, wren was a hitter and did quite nicely!  should be a fun season....

and here are the shots from the "field of dreams" movie site:

running the bases....

and running...

and running...

and running...

and running...

and running...

after the girls chose their souvenir t-shirts...

sisterly love...

more sisterly love...

worn out from all that base running...

and this is the home on the farmstead...

do you remember the movie now?? 

it is a good one, that is for sure!