A little help from some friends...

   Our small group from church came to help out at our house for a couple hours last week.  It's neat to see and hear how kids are affected by the model of their parents.  Upon hearing he would be coming to Jake and Joe's house to work on their house, one of the 2 year olds immediately headed to his room to find his pj pants that had work tools all over them.  He, of course, wanted to help AND be dressed for the occasion! 

shoveling sand

moving sand

helping spread the sand

hanging drywall...ugh

sanding the wood

Wiring outlets (dad is inside the window and baby is in the stroller outside the house)

      Josh and I were blessed by the willingness to serve...and to love...like the body of Christ was designed to function.  I was especially grateful to and blessed by the two moms who came with babies under 6 months old (and they each have toddlers as well).  Wow!  What sacrifice, service, and selfless-ness!!!!

Father's Day

   We decided to head to Columbus, Indiana, after breakfast.  We found a bike trail that the boys could ride while we ran next to them.  And it worked well.  We biked/ran for about 30-40 minutes and enjoyed the varying scenery along the river and through the woods and park.  Very enjoyable!
    We also stopped at a very diverse playground near an elementary school in Columbus.  The boys enjoyed climbing rocks, sliding down conveyor belt style slides, swinging, and testing everything they could climb, jump, run, and slide on.  This playground is definitely on the "must return to" list!

    With the work on the house, we haven't gotten to do much together as a family.  So, it made for a fun time together...on Father's Day!

Things from the week...

 Jake wanted to read to Joe before Joe's naptime.  So, Jake picked out some of his little homeschooling short books to read.  Joe cuddled right up and listened! :)

During a library event for 1st-5th graders this week (through the summer reading program), Jake got to spend an hour learning about space and the moon.  They played Comet, Comet, Star (Duck Duck Goose) listened to stories, ate snacks, and created shaving cream/glue moons as well as the phases of the moon out of Oreos.  Of course, Jake loved it!!!  (Meanwhile, Joe survived story time by himself ...for the first time without Jake!)

I encouraged Jake to take a picture so we could throw away the food he wanted to keep forever! :)

On Thursday, during Joe's nap time, I let Jake have some things to look at or do during a rest time in his bedroom. I hoped he would sleep for a little bit, but he chose to look at the maps and do some crafts.  He brought the maps out later (a USA and a world map) saying he had a question for me.  He pointed to Indiana on the USA map (describing it as being below the lakes) and then asked if Indiana was where he was pointing on the world map below the lakes.  He was correct and seemed to soak the information in thoughtfully. 

Then, he showed me the picture he had colored and labeled.  I asked what it was he had drawn and labeled... Noah in the Ark (check out that phonetic spelling on his own...).  He forgot his "h" in "the", but I particularly like "Now" for "Noah".  :)  You may not be able to see the sticker is a boat traveling up and down on the waves! :)  (a very modern boat...)

Add caption

So, they've had a fun week...going to dad's swim meet on Monday night (near the Ohio border) and getting to play with new friends there, Library events on Tuesday and Wednesday,  small group friends stopping by our house Wednesday as we finished up dinner...playing until dark (their kids are the same ages as Jake and Joe), playground with small group friends on Thursday....who knows what we'll find to do today???

A Tractor Show, Antique Cars, and a Splash Pad

  Saturday proved to be an eventful day for the boys and I.  We ventured out nearby (with the main intention of getting gas and groceries), but planned to check out a tractor show, an antique show, and the newly opened splash pad at the park.
  First stop, the tractor show.  Talk about fun...we got out of the car, walked to the first building and only had to take about 1 step into the building before a complete excitement overtook the boys...especially Joe.  There were all kinds (and I mean all kinds) of tractors and implements and other structures in model form for sale.  We probably spent an hour just looking.  And Joe spent his birthday money on a few pieces to add to his collection...a sprayer, an air cart and drill, a planter, a 12 wheel articulated tractor, nitrogen tank, and a bush hog mower. (Mom purchased a few of the things to keep in the "treasure chest", too...so Joe keeps asking when he can get something from the chest!)  SO, needless to say, that was a big hit.  And we found out about another good tractor show (that I had been wondering about) nearby in 2 weeks. 

  Next, we drifted to the playground to play in the splash pad.  You can see from the pictures that they didn't have a bit of fun there! :)

 We did eventually make it to Kroger where the antique cars and motorcycles were parked.  More fun looking at old stuff and dreaming!!!!   We managed to also get what we came for (gas and groceries) before heading home!

You don't see this everyday...

  So, today is one of those days where I'm glad to be back in the mid-west.  Why? 

Here's why...

1. It's another "beautiful, not humid, not too warm, but just cool enough in the shade" kind of day.

2. I love that I can see sunrises and sunsets...simply because it is flat enough to see this across the big open sky. (and I'll mention that I am really excited about the views from our new house...like none I've gotten to have before in a house--yet what I've always wanted). Simple reminders of the faithfulness of God...today!

3. Sitting at our house, I LOVE looking out over the farm land around us as it greens up with crops...watching where the crop and tree lines meet the blue sky...with its puffy, cotton ball clouds in stacks across the big open sky. Spotted farms and houses lie in the distance in all directions to break up the farmland. A beautiful sight to me--that doesn't seem to get old...

4. And...you don't always get to drive behind tractors as they travel down the road...but today...we slowly proceeded to follow (by choice) not one, but four tractors as they slowly made their way from the fields across from our new house to some fields near Mama and Papa's house.  I enjoyed it as much as the boys did...a chance to slow down and enjoy what seems to constantly zoom by each day.

5. Just now, I heard a child's voice and some clip clop sounds.  I glanced out the window as the sound drew close...to find this...

It's an Amish family traveling down the driveway to our old house.  I don't think I've ever seen a buggy with a trailer behind it...much less a trailer holding a goat in a cage.  They must be selling Rob one of their goats. I had to get a picture because both boys are asleep.  And it's just not something you see everyday! :)

Walls and wire

  So, here is a view of the siding completed on the west side of the house.

   And, Jake took a picture of the bee hives Jack has on our property.

  And, we have FINALLY moved inside with the work on the house.  So, now the walls are framed up inside the house and wire is being pulled throughout!  Can you feel the excitement? 

first...a picture of our flower garden that is coming along...slowly

upstairs bathroom (tub is on west wall)

upstairs bath (looking through to master closet/bedroom)

closets in the boys room

wall next to stairwell in the boys' room

 

master "hall" and closet

master closet (facing southwest to take this picture)

standing at master door looking north

closet in spare bedroom on stairwell wall (facing east to take this picture)

Spare bedroom wall/closet on stairwell

stairwell (looking south while standing at the top)

closet in north room (you can see the front door in the background)

our garden in the making

  As I keep showing the boys the newly completed things in their room, Jake's comment the other day was, "I want my clothes in my room. " as he stood in the doorway of the master closet.  Perplexed at first, I quickly realized he had forgotten that our current situation (with all the dressers in Mom and Dad's room) is not how it's always been. So, I reminded him that his dresser was in his room in TN and that it will be in this house, too. His response, "Good, b/c I want to be able to pick out my own clothes in my room. "  My response..." Yes, I'd like that again, too!" :)

Oh deer

  Last night, Josh came out of our house saying his dad had called.  Jack was back by the woods at their house and found a baby deer curled up...maybe 4-5 days old.  So, we hurried to close up and load up at the house and head to Mama and Papa's to hopefully see the baby deer.

  Sure enough, when we got back by the woods at their house the baby deer was curled up in the grass.  Jack said it's not uncommon for the mom to be nearby watching.  And, it's not uncommon to mow over the baby without it even moving...or being harmed.  (I think I remember this happening several years ago while he was mowing to bale!)

 

The big 4--oh.....

   Yeah, Joe isn't 40, but we did celebrate his 4th birthday...which was huge for him (seeing as he is always trying to catch up with Jake...and in this case, it's never going to happen)! :)

   Requests for the day...painted waffles for breakfast (waffles with frosting, that is); riding bikes and playing on the playground; camping out at the house (since we aren't living there yet like we hoped); tacos for dinner; and chocolate cake with M&M's, white frosting with sprinkles, and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. 

   We did have a fun day.  It started dreary, so the bike ride was cut short (after 3 miles in random loops around the park) by a rain shower.  But later in the day, the weather cleared for a perfect camping evening. And Joe enjoyed his day! :)

A kickstand (from Jake) since Joe doesn't have training wheels anymore

More bike stuff...horn, water bottle, mirror, and bike lock  ("Whoa, look at this!" says Joe)

Putting his new shovel to work cleaning up the wrapping paper

Showing how the digger moves up and down

Jake "reads" (from memory) the card he picked out for Joe.

"Yes...thanks, Mom.  Thanks, Dad.  Yes, a tractor!"

Joe waits patiently for Dad to extract the toy from its secure packaging (which requires more tools than one knows)

Is he excited or what?

The tractor Uncle Eric created at the Lego store for Joe!

Joe has waited for this cake...for days...no joke!  I think it was the most anticipated thing for his birthday!

Joe helps sing "Happy Birthday" (with "dear Joseph") to himself!

We had to move into the barn to keep the candles lit! But he got 'em blown out!

Quickly grabbing candles to lick

I want that piece in the center...(which had 4 M&M's on top and lots of frosting!).

Listening to Dad's annual "birthday letter to Joe"

Jake caught a little butterfly.

Naps in the tent on Tuesday! :) (picture taken by Jake after he woke up)

picture Jake took b/c "Joe just looks so cute in the tent, Mom!"

Jake wanted a family picture on the front porch! :)