Brianna's Play House - SUCCESS!!!

Dad & Bill constructing the playhouse.

Working away.

They have it started!

YAH! Dad, Brandon, and Brianna check it out.....they couldn't hardly wait!

Playing in the playhouse, how neat!

Brandon looking out the window.

Brianna likes the windows shut....

Again, closing the shutters.

Brandon hanging out on the porch, drinking a cup of water.

Dad came down for the second day in a row this weekend to help Bill build Brianna's playhouse. It is her Birthday Gift from Great Grammy, Great Papa Bud, Papa Mike, Grandma Lynn, Mommy, & Daddy, we all pitched in so "Mommy" (I) could get just the one she wanted.

The instructions were vague, a few boards warped, but still it turned out fantastic! I couldn't keep the kids out of it, not even until we got the final word that it was done. They have been playing in it every since. Brianna walks around saying "Anna's house" and Brandon wants to know if it's "OUR HOUSE"....I tell him, well no it's Brianna's, but she will share with you. ;-)

I think the kids will spend hours and hours in it having lots of fun! Again, thank you Bill and Dad for braving yet another hot summer day and getting another project checked off the list, the kids and I thank you very, very much!

Screen/Storm Door Success!!!!!

Yah, I finally have a storm door on my front door!

Just a "pick" (no pun intended) of how amazing my wave petunias are doing in the new front flower bed under Brandon's bedroom window!

Picture of whole flower bed, well almost....I can't believe how well my perennial seeds and wave petunias are doing!!!! :) Makes me a very happy, happy girl!

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Okay, so I know to most of you this post will seem, well ummmm pitiful! However I am not the kind of girl that likes to be cooped up in the house with the air conditioner going all spring/summer/fall, I have to work in a "closed/no fresh air" enviroment, the last thing I want to do is have to have the air conditioner on 24/7 at home during our warmer months. Last year when we moved into our new home my Father-in Law & Mother-in-Law bought my husband and I the storm door as a "thanks for doing our taxes/housewarming" present. My Father-in-law was over a year ago Father's Day and bought the door, however it did not get up....he was here again on Labor Day, and the frame for our door is well, weird because of the window, so unfortunately it did not get done. My dad said he would come down and help Bill put it on and well....summer turned to fall, fall to winter, winter to spring, and spring to summer...Bill works the weekends, and dad works the weekdays and let's face it, this is not a top priority for anyone but myself :) as well it should not be.

Bill needed some help with our sprinkler system, so he asked Dad to come down and help...boy did I jump on that band wagon....I added the screen door to the list and WAAAALAAAA, it turned out great, I was so excited to have it done, I even painted everything out and it's all done the day they got it out TAAAA DAAAAAA!!!! I love it, love it, love it....now I know a screen door is not a thing of beauty, but just think how nicely aligned my back sliding screen door and front screen door are, and what a beautiful, wonderful, fresh air breeze will be filling my home, of course on the days it is below 90, nonetheless I am thrilled to pieces. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to my dad and husband for sticking it out in the 95 degree hot weather, in the HOT front yard....I am SOOO appreciative!

I did include some pictures of the front flower bed we put in this year under Brandon's window, WOW look at those wave petunias.....I LOVE IT!

Tomatoes, Tomatoes, and more Tomatoes!

Brandon being silly and showing me all the tomatoes he picked!

Brandon still showing me and Brianna following along, she has two green tomatoes in her hand that you can not see, and LOTS of pizza sauce on her face from our gluten-free pizza (YUMMY!).

Brandon with his basket of tomatoes.

Since Carissa is gone for the weekend and she has been the primary "tomato picker" this season we had quite a few grape and cherry tomatoes ready to be picked. My dad was down helping Bill out with some projects around the yard and house....Brandon was very excited to show Papa how much the garden has grown and how big his Pumpkins are getting. My dad made a comment to him about how many red tomatoes there are that are ready to be picked.....right after my dad left he got the "tomato picker basket" and was pleased with his yield. It's great to have so many anxious helpers with the garden this year!

Country Mercantile

Brandon and Brianna taking the horses for a ride.

Brandon says, heee haaaaawwwww!

Brianna says, yah! Giddy Up!!!!

It's just the four of us this weekend, the teenagers are spending the weekend at their dads, they have their Aunt Stacy's wedding reception to go to and are planning a fun weekend. With an age gap between the kids like we have, I am constantly trying to think of fun things to do with the little ones that will please them but also will not make the teenager feel as though they "missed out". This can sometimes be challenging, but we try our best.

We have been taking a weekly Saturday morning trip to the Pasco Farmer's Market, but will be unable to attend tomorrow morning due to Bill and my Dad having a whole lot of yard/maintenance work to do around the yard tomorrow.....sooooo I heard about the Country Mercantile just outside of Pasco and wanted to go check it out. They have such a wonderful selection of fresh organic produce, a gift shop complete with country themed gifts, home made jams, meat rubs, pickled asparagus, decorations, etc...you name it they seemed to have it. They also have a chocolate factory and an "old fashioned" country diner with home made ice cream. Now with my recent diagnosis of Celiac, I wasn't going for the "dining experience" just yet, I need to learn a whole lot more before tackling that, but we got lots of fresh produce, some home made fudge ( just what we need) a caramel apple for the kids, who knew they would eat it before we got out of the parking lot, and raspberry truffles for Bill....oh and a Bumble Bar for me (it was good!)

Anyway, they had a "not so old-fashioned" quarter ( or should I say .50 cent) ride of the double horses like the Country Store in Union Gap/Yakima use to have when I grew up...the kids saw that and really didn't know what to think....they of course wanted to ride it and so we made a deal with them, if they could behave themselves in the store they could ride it. They did and they loved it soooo much I let them ride it twice....you would have thought I had taken them to Silverwood or Disneyland they liked it so much, infact after the dollar was spent and it was time to go, Brianna cried like she was heart-broken, "Anna wanna ride murrr" bless her heart, I think we will definitely be visiting the Country Mercantile again! And I just bet the teenagers won't feel left out one bit!

Becky having ice cream.

Cody likes ice cream too.

Sis really likes ice cream too.

looks like strawberry and vanilla swirl , huh?

Cody Michael

Obviously there was not a parent anywhere close or this would not have been happening.

Cody, wearing goggles, in the car....don't ask, don't tell right!

Sis and Cody

Again with Sis and the ice cream.

Becky finds a starfish!

Cody walking along the water.

Sis and Becky

Becky with another starfish

Sis and Cody discussing something, rumor has it he wanted to jump in, but the girls would not let him, thank goodness!!!!!

Carissa and Cody searching for starfish

They found one!

And another one

Carissa Jo

Carissa and Cody took a trip to Ferndale with Becky for 5 days. They stayed at Becky's house, Aunt Carol and Uncle Dennis' and had a good time according to the information I could pry from them. Becky was kind enough to send me the above pictures. I especially like the one of Sis and Cody sitting on the rock obviously discussing and looking at something, it reminds me of a time, not so long ago, when they were so close and Carissa was such a loving, mothering older sister to Cody, and Cody absolutely looked up to and loved his Sis to pieces....those moments seem to be fewer and far between anymore....but I know they still love each other and some day as they get older, they will learn to treat one another with respect and love once again!

Brandon and Brianna visit the dentist - 1st Check Up.

Brandon and Brianna had their first dentist visit today. We have all been having regular dental visits it seems of late, and it was time for Brandon and Bri to go have their cleaning and check. They took Brandon and Brianna back to the same room and showed them the "Barbie Mirror", Vacuum, Squirt Gun, Cool Gloves that the dentist and hygienists wear and gave each of them one - made a whole cool game out of everything. Then Brandon decided Brianna should go first in the chair, she was a little reluctant, but did great, they counted her teeth, flossed them and even got the cleaning done. She was a really good girl! Brandon's turn was up and he was not excited....he sat on the chair finally when we showed him the tv - which the hygienist had already set to cartoons....she got a quick look at his teeth and accomplished some what of a cleaning. We then waited for the dentist, Brianna did wonderful and Brandon was not having it....when forcing the issue did not work the dentist suggested having Brandon sit in Bill's lap and laying his head over to the Dentists' lap - it was so funny, as they laid Brandon's head back to the dentists' lap he rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue...the dentist said, oh I've never had a dead patient before, so to correct the dentists' mis perception Brandon quickly closed his eyes, and began to snore.... " oh he's asleep, I see" the Dentist said....well while Brandon slept snoring loudly and keeping his eyes closed as tight as he could, the Dentist fought not to laugh, and Bill and I couldn't stop laughing...it was so stinking funny! When the Dentist was all done, he said okay, I hope you don't wake up grumpy and lifted him up and we were all done....talk about playing possum. The Dentist said it was very funny that Brandon's "coping mechanism" was to pretend he was asleep. We all had a great laugh!

NO CAVITIES! FREE PIZZA COUPONS for no cavities! Next appt in 6 months!!!

Dinner and a nap????

We had gluten-free Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza for dinner and it was YUMMY (if I do say so myself)! Brianna and Brandon did not get their naps today, and as we were finishing up dinner, Brianna decided to have a power nap....just look how her little hands are still "getting another bite." Brandon is really starting to grow out of his naps and does quite well as long as he goes to bed before 9 when he skips his nap, Brianna thinks she is just as capable, but according to these pics, I beg to differ! :)

Growing By Leaps -n- Bounds

Brandon and Brianna counting the pumpkins....

Brandon wants to know if he can pick the tomatoes today.

One of the pumpkins.
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Not only is our garden growing by leaps -n- bounds, are kids are all getting so big! Brianna will be 2 in less than a month, Carissa 16~ now that just doesn't seem right at all! Brandon is getting taller by the day I think, and Cody is getting so slim and tall and his voice is changing for pete's sake. I do not know where the time goes!

As for the garden, you can see the pumpkins are taking over everything. The cherry and grape tomatoes are coming along good and we have 4 or 5 cucumbers that are just about ready to be picked and ate up! The little kids really enjoy helping me in the garden and watering it every day. Brandon is thrilled by the idea that the little seeds we planted are growing into the fruit and pumpkins...although he wants to eat the pumpkins.....who knows maybe I'll make some pumpkin pie from scratch this year?????