Should have done this weeks ago...

Bode has been very grumpy the last month or so. I figured we were just going through a rough phase. He was fighting with Laine over everything, not listening, just being over all hard to deal with. He would tell me he was too tired to pick up his toys, put on his shoes or eat dinner. I just thought it was an excuse. But no, he was telling the truth. He was just to tired! Since the summer season is just right around the corner the sun has been coming up sooner and going down later. Normally Bode would go to bed around 7:30 and get up around 7:00. But since it is so nice in the evening I let them play until the sun went down and he would end up going to bed closer to 8-8:30. Then he would literally be up at the crack of dawn. I would hear him around 6 but I know he was up earlier than that most days. So a few nights ago after a particularly fight ridden, scream fest, water everywhere bath Jeremiah got a bunch of cardboard paper and taped up his whole window and we put the kid to sleep at 7. He didn't wake up until 8:30 the next morning. That has been the case every night since Jer taped off the window. Lucky for me Laine doesn't wake up until she hears Bode so everyone has been getting a full nights sleep. Now Bode has the perfect little cave to sleep in every night. Why didn't we think of that sooner?

On a little side note. See the ginormous stuffed bear Bode is sleeping with? It was mine when I was little. One Christmas all I wanted was a giant stuffed animal. He is what I got. It is a big comfy bear. I slept with it every night. My mom found it when she cleaned out her attic and returned him to me. I was tempted to just give it to Goodwill of throw it out but he tugged on my heart strings. Kind of a Toy Story relationship, I remember putting a green ribbon around the bears neck so none of the other toys would pinch him on St. Patricks day. :) and I couldn't toss it. I tried to give it to Bode when I got it back and his exact words were "ewwe gross". So he has been sitting in a box in the garage ever since. We cleaned out the garage this last week and uncovered him. This time the reaction was different. Bode wanted the bear and so did Laine. Ever since they have been lugging him around the house playing with it. It is huge, old and in the way but I am glad they like it.

Easter at home...

Every year, instead of hiding eggs at our house, the Easter bunny drops off magic seeds. 

We pant those seeds and in the morning, if they are lucky, lollipops grow where we planted our seeds.

Our seeds planted in the rocks. There is no loose dirt in our yard.

It was all dark after our drive back from Tucson when we got home. Bode was very concerned that there would be no seeds because it was late. Lucky for him the bunny didn't for get our seeds. Almost though ;)

I thought that since Bode and Laine had such a long fun day running around with cousins that they would be exhausted and sleep in a tiny bit. I was wrong. Bode was up running around at 6 checking on the seeds and hunting the house for baskets. Good thing the Easter bunny made rounds at 5:30.

Lollipops 

All dressed up for Easter.

We stayed home and had a yummy ham dinner with strawberry shortcake for desert. Laine woke up from her nap with a fever so we spent the afternoon cuddling with her on the couch, watched a movie and America's Funniest Videos. It was s wonderful day.

Print by Walter Rane Art

“In our hour of deepest sorrow, we can receive profound peace from the words of the angel that first Easter morning: ‘He is not here: for he is risen.’”

Easter fun in Tucson...

 Saturday we headed to Tucson to have a little Merrill get together for Easter. All the cousins thoroughly enjoy the time they get to spend with each other and this was not exception. After a very easy drive straight down the I-10 we made it just in time to start all the fun. The adults visited while the kids ran wild threw the house.

First you HAVE to dye Easter eggs.

I am glad we did it there, saved having to do it here.

Then it was to the park for a yummy picnic....

which was briefly interrupted by the sprinklers.

Just a few moments of kids running in all directions to get out of the water and parents running into the water to save the food and the blanket.

After lunch all the kids headed back to the house to grab baskets for the big hunt.

They were all dieing to get out the door and find the eggs.

Then they were off...

The kids took off running down this hill to get to the eggs in the grass. 

There was only one casualty. 

Abbey lost her footing and ate it in the rocks. 

This is her about 2 seconds before it happened.

I think her face tells the tale.

We paused the hunt and made sure Abbey was good to go. 

All the cousins were very concerned.

She was up and ready to get some eggs in no time.

Laine got her fair share of eggs for her first hunt.

But I think the prize goes to Mel in the background.

She obviously knew the quickest way to get the most eggs was to run.

Bode was in to much of a hurry to stop and pose.

He was very proud of this big egg.

All the Arizona cousins.

It was a very fun way to spend a Saturday. We missed the Papa's and my parents though. Thank you to Pete and Brittany for letting us come to your beautiful home. We had a wonderful day!

Happy Easter...

To all the Grandma's, Grandpa's, Aunt's, Uncle's, Cousins, Friends and family!

Happy Easter... lollipop.

From Bode and Laine.  

Biscuits and Gravy...

I love biscuits and gravy.

I loved growing us seeing my mom make the biscuits and getting to stir the gravy. 

It is one of my all time favorite camping foods. My dad cook some great ones in the dutch ovens. 

Top off some fresh biscuits with some hot sausage and green chili gravy and I am one happy girl. 

Or if you are out of sausage then hard boil an egg and mix that into your gravy. 

Sounds weird but is delicious.

Sadly not everyone in my little family feels that way. 

I like to make them for breakfast or dinner. 

My husband doesn't really like to eat them for any meal 

and come to find out neither does Bode, so I don't make them that often. 

But sometimes on a day that Jer works I make them for dinner. 

Never fails that anytime I do Bode groans and complains about eating them 

and requests that he only have butter and jam on his biscuit. 

That is the way Jeremiah eats his as well. 

But not my Laine Bug. 

No way. 

She is a girl of my own heart.

 She wants those biscuits slathered with melted butter and gravy. 

Thankfully at least two people out of our four can enjoy this meal like it is meant to be enjoyed.

 Except.....

Laine likes to eat her biscuits and gravy in the nude. I prefer to wear clothes.

First of many...

I hope not.

Do you notice the hacked little pig tail on the right side of Laine's hair?

Yep, that's right. Laine Jo took the scissors to her hair and chopped off a huge chunk of hair.

She and Bode were sitting at the table playing with crayons, paper, stickers, scissors and glue. I was talking with Jer on the phone and noticed a large chunk of hair on the ground. I have no idea when she even did it. No matter when she did it, it looked pretty bad. So out came my scissors and we went to work. I had to blend it all together and take off like 2 inches to make it look decent. The worst of it was at the front, of course, so it is pretty short.

 Luckily she is a cute girl and can pull off a bob.