August 29, 2009

Tonight we had dinner at MomandDad's. After a long day of canning. ("jarring" I decided) Greg came in this morning after running around with Iris and told me that he'd seen a couple of tomatoes in the garden. A couple HUNDRED. So I went out and took a look, called Mom to make sure her pressure cooker was available, and we canned another 14 quarts of tomatoes, plus we tried a little experiment of tomato sauce.

Got a nice photo of everyone before we left. It sure has been nice having Dianne here for the past week!!


Enjoy it. It's the last photo my computer will accept. Number 9999. Camera and computer don't know how to function past #9999. I will concede that it's probably operator error. But until I get it figured out, I can't put anymore photos on here, or it will start erasing old ones. Good times. Gotta love technology.

GAHHHHHHHH!

August 29, 2009

Aunt Dianne spent some time with us today--here she got to relax with Iris. Uh-oh. Spoiled dog alert.

August 28, 2009

After Greg's first day back to work--just teachers no kids!--it was still a hot day and I needed some time without both kids and puppy hanging around my ankles! So Greg put Calvin on a blanket, the dog licked him twice and then was done with him, and then Greg and Maisie played on the slip and slide for about an hour!

August 26, 2009

Somebody had the giggles tonight! We had dinner at Grandma Dena's house with Grandma and Aunt Dianne and my parents. After dinner, Maisie and Gogo were playing cards and Calvin was getting a little bit fussy--I tried to cheer him up by tickling. Works pretty well! :) I was getting some GREAT giggles!!

August 25, 2009

Maisie asked all day for a "tea set". She already HAD the tea set, but we had a tea party! (YES, that's a nutri-grain bar! don't judge! I'm a busy mommy! We'll be making cookies in the next few days!)

And what a cute new little hairdo she has! She's been trying to grow it out, but it's frustrating for all of us! It seemed that her bangs were never going to catch up to the sides and back! Since we are going swimming at the beach next week, Gogo suggested it would be easier and nice for her to have super short hair so her hair wouldn't be in her eyes for swimming and so that she wouldn't wake up with tangles. She agreed! So Gogo took her to get her hair cut, and did it turn out fabulous!!!

August 24, 2009

This is at least the 3rd time (not by us--just our 1st time) this poor cabinet has been re-sized to accommodate a refrigerator! Mom and Dad gave us the biggie fridge from Bonney Farm, and we (read: GREG) had to pull the cabinet apart and cut some off in order for the new fridge to fit in there! A work in progress, still, but I LOVE my new fridge! It's gigantic! Whoop!

August 23, 2009

Here is my first re-bloomer. Do you know what it is, Gramma?

Happy Anniversary, Greg! :) Too bad we didn't make it to the roller coasters in Ohio, but I REEEEEAAAAAAALLLLLLLLYYYYYYYY love my fence! :)

August 22, 2009

A picture tonight of the sleeping puppy. Right NOW I wish she was sleeping. She's barking out in her kennel. Hope she gets that figured out soon enough!

August 21, 2009

Yesterday we went to the Grant County fair! Maisie had a GREAT time, couldn't wait to ride the carnival rides, and we couldn't wait to eat! Calvin....well...he was happy to just sleep.

August 20, 2009

The newest member of the Becker family.

Meet Iris.

Half Golden Retriever, half Treeing Walker Coonhound.

We were in the market for a barky dog, and while wandering around Fred Meyer we found a couple with this little puppy, wet and shaking in their cart--looking for a home for her. She's so adorable, Maisie loves her! As soon as Greg held her, he was smitten. Didn't put her down until it was time to drive home.

She spent the first night in the laundry room, then Mom and Dad brought over the old kennel from this house that's been residing at their house, as well as the Dogloo from Bonney farm, and we set that up in the back, and she spent last night there. I think she'd rather sleep on her rug in the sun room.

August 19, 2009

Today was "pay it forward" with plants day. :) Since Gramma 'Raine brings me more iris every week (shhh...don't tell Greg!), when some friends needed "a few things" to fill in their yard, we obliged!

We shared phlox, chrysanthemums, columbine, day lilies, some unidentifiable (by me) ground cover, a little decorative grass, and two irises for good measure! Oops! We forgot the Hens and Chicks!

Calvin followed us around in his cadillac stroller and Maisie helped by entertaining him when he needed it.

August 18, 2009

Hey smiley boy!!! Calvin has to hang out in the exersaucer while I fuddle around in the kitchen. (you can see WHY by the floor behind him. VERY unforgiving tile--for a little guy who still flops around like a fish)

Thank goodness he doesn't complain too much! :)

August 17, 2009

I guess I should have taken this photo from the side instead of from above.

I WAS setting a really good example for Maisie, by STANDING ON THE BED to take it. Gee, I wonder why she stands on her bed? Sheesh.

When I got out of the shower, I could see piles of pillows on the bed, and Calvin's little arm sticking up between them....I went over to see what was going on, and he was alone in the bed. And the room. With a laundry basket at his head, cushioned by comforter, and with pillows stacked two high on either side, coming to a point at his feet. Moments later, Greg cruised in with a bottle. Apparently we've become a little more cautious, since Calvin has rolled off our bed TWICE!

August 16, 2009

Hmmmm...just can't seem to capture the beautiful lavender color of this Russian Sage. This is the one that's planted in the northwest corner of the iris bed. Not to be confused with the one I tried to transplant from the fence line to the berm. Eeek! That one is SAD. VERY sad. It did NOT want to live somewhere else. Poor thing.

August 15, 2009

Open mouth means: "MORE green beans, Momma!" Because you got MOST of them on your shirt, kid! I only got to whip up a small batch of green beans-I forgot to plant any! So I used Mom's, but Calvin wasn't ready for them until this month, so we only got to try a few. He likes them! (So does his shirt!)

August 14, 2009

Candyland!

Nothing like a little game of Candyland to settle down the 4 year old for nighttime. Yeah, RIGHT. At least her tongue isn't hanging out in this picture! (I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank Calvin for the barf stain on the carpet)

August 13, 2009

MORE garden bounty!

We ate all that corn last night, it's so good! Well, the red one is a little starchy, but it still tastes good--probably plant only a few next year for fall decorations, because the yellow is SO good, and I'd love to freeze it like Mom used to! Gonna have to buy some more Tupperware-I have raspberries and blueberries in all of mine!

I have so many baby eggplants! I'm so excited! I'm making stuffed eggplant with this one tonight-am hoping to get another out of the garden today. I invited Mom over for dinner to try it-Dad's on the wrong coast with Tim, so it's a good day for her to get to sample eggplant!

August 12, 2009

Oh dear. What has she learned? We went to a BBQ at Jeff and Jaimies' house--where there is a Wii. Maisie sang and danced and cheered. Here, Kiana was teaching her the cheer one. VERY cute, but I missed the best shot where Kiana was holding her from behind and helping her move her "controller arm". Maisie had such a blast playing with all the girls!!!

August 11, 2009

Maisie helps Papa on his tractor.

August 10, 2009

Went out to the garden today and found that I had enough tomatoes to can! Wow! So I packed up my kids and the tomatoes and went to Mom's house where we washed, blanched, peeled, cored, cut and pressure cooked until we had 14 jars of canned tomatoes! Cool!

August 9, 2009

I transplanted a Hen, and I think it already had a Chick!

Greg is working in the front yard, and I should probably be out there, too, picking rocks out of where we want grass to be. But I found another project I want finished--the berm. I'm putting ground cover on the sloped edges to try to keep the grass in it's place. The FLAT place.

I pulled this little guy out of the willow tree stump, and was hoping I got enough root for it to survive.

August 8, 2009

Weird angle, but I'm NEVER in front of the camera, so thought I'd include one. Calvin is wearing his "new" fuzzy onesie (it's terrycloth! cozy!) from Christopher, and having his nighttime snackie before bed.

August 7, 2009

Another day of harvest. What are we going to do with all these? I ate the yellow one on the left for dinner tonight before I went golfing. Yes. GOLFING. I think hell froze over! I think I *might* have liked it. Greg gave me a 5 minute tutorial before I left, and yelled as I drove away "Buy golf balls at the clubhouse!" Ok. So I bought 4, because I already had 6 in the bag. My first time out, I figured I'd need at least that many, then start mooching off my friends....but I played with the same ball all evening!!! Whoop! I even made it OVER the lake! I did have to fish out of the sagebrush once and a tree once, but they were only inches off the grass! :) Heeheehee. All in all, successful.

August 6, 2009

Calvin scooted off the edge of his blanket today so he could play in the grass. I had to extract some from his fingers and mouth! But he didn't seem bothered by laying in it or by it touching him, he was happy to pull on it and touch it for a good 15 minutes! Very intent.

August 5, 2009

Maiserella. Such a big girl! And Papa was able to snap a shot without her tongue hanging out, or a big cheesy fake-0 smile. :) Good one, Maise!

August 4, 2009

Calvin sitting up in the rocking chair at Papa and Gogo's! Not unassisted, mind you. Lazy little guy won't hold his own bottle, nor will he sit up on his own. He can do it if he's propped up somehow, but he's not too interested in doing it alone. I like the expression, though. :)

Photo compliments of Papa. (on a different day)

August 3, 2009

My usual view from the front seat during the drive. Maisie and her naughty tongue sticking out. And one of Calvin's feet. I'm surprised it's not blurry, because if he's awake, his feet are running in place! Still don't like that minivan, but it certainly serves it's purpose. We fit everything we needed for the weekend, plus on the way back we brought 3 boxes of Christopher's hand-me-downs. We just needed Calvin's stroller-we can't continue to carry his carseat around, it weighs a ton!

August 2, 2009

Beckers4 walking along the beach of Indianola. Thanks MAS, for the wonderful weekend (Religious Experience, indeed!) and Mark, thanks to you and your family for hosting, allowing us to descend upon your cabin!

August 1, 2009

Saturday morning we went down to the beach to make a sand castle and take a walk to the dock. There was a float plane taking off and landing very close to us. It passed by once and the kids were thrilled! Maisie said, it's coming back Mommy. I told her probably not, that it was going to land and go home, or fly away. She said, "No. It's coming back!" And sure enough, it did! About 7 or 8 times! I think twice it gave them a really close fly by, and they were thrilled! I couldn't believe they all lined up like this to watch it!

July 31, 2009

Friday afternoon--welcome to Indianola!! This is our room for the weekend! We had to have some space for Calvin's pack&play. Maisie slept on the floor. Worked like a charm!

July 30, 2009

Yikes! Don't look too closely! This is what my bed looks like when we are getting ready to go on a weekend trip. I do laundry like crazy and try to get us packed up! What a mess. But we are so excited to go to Indianola! Maisie can't wait to see her friends!