my revised schedule

I've been struggling a little bit with my health, especially since Easter and so we've been trying once again to find a new normal.  It's so hard to find a balance between doing the things that make me happy and not doing too much and getting too worn out.  Still working on that!  I laughed one morning though, when I woke up and found this schedule written on the blackboard- an attempt by the girls to help me cut back and get more rest!  My favorite part is the "Please try for 1 day" part!

Ryenne had also made a sign for my door reminding everyone to stay out so I could get rest.  I also found a text on my phone she sent to my good friend and walking partner to explain to her that I wasn't feeling well and asked her to not call me to go walking in the mornings.  She knows how much I love it and don't like to say no, but that it wears me out- so she decided to take care of that on her own. 

My family has been a lot more patient with the new me than I am with myself most of the time.  So thankful they keep hanging in there with me while I figure all of this out!

the wizard of oz

This Spring Kate and Emmy decided to take part in the school play, The Wizard of OZ.  Emmy was a bunny rabbit and Kate was a cornstalk.  (I mentioned before how disappointed she was with that role, but developed a pretty good sense of humor about it by telling people, "I'm all ears!" 

 

We had a pretty good chuckle when we went to the play.  Kate came onstage with the other cornstalks, chewing gum (later my mom mentioned that maybe she should have swallowed it and Kate told her she had 4 pieces in her mouth- so we're talking some pretty serious chewing here).  They were supposed to wave their arms around and lets just say that Kate was looking less than enthusiastic about the whole thing.  There were even a few yawns involved.  It made me laugh because that is our Kate.  What you see is what you get.  Not much of one to put on a show and act like she's having a great time when she's a cornstalk.  Can't say that I blame her! 

 

 

Emmy was much more enthusiastic about her bunny part and was pretty energetic about hopping around the stage.  Overall, I think they both had a good time being with thier friends!

Kat

soccer kate

 

Kate has taken quite a liking to soccer.  This past Spring, we couldn't find a girl's team for her to play on, so she decided to play with the boy's league.  I was a little worried that she might be a little intimidated or left out, but I should have known better.  She got right in there and played her heart out.  She loved it, and actually decided to continue playing with the boys in the fall even though there is a girl's team she could have joined.  She said she feels like playing with the boys pushes her a little harder.  The boys were such great teammates for her. 

 

We had to laugh though, at one game when a boy from another team asked her, "Aren't you supposed to be playing with the girls?"  She and her coach laughed about it and decided she should have responded with a "I thought I was!" comment!   

the day that sam realized daddy had left for work without him

 

One morning Courtney was getting ready for work and Sam got a hankering to go too.  He rushed to find his hat and gloves and was heading down the stairs ("all ready to go daddy!") when he realized Daddy had left without him.  Pretty sad day.

 

 

 

This little guy can't wait to be Daddy's little helper.  One of his favorite things to do is to sit in daddy's truck.  Yip, just sitting there is fun enough!  But to ride in it with dad?  Heaven!  This little man sure loves his daddy!

 

sisters

this little guy loves the lambs

. . .and that makes grandma and grandpa pretty happy!

wowza. . .a teenager!

It's official!  Ryenne is a real live teenager! 

 

The morning of her birthday, we were (barely) awake when the door rang at about 5:30 am.  When we opened the door, this is what we found.  First of all, we laughed our heads off.  Second of all, Ryenne shouted "Brylee!!!"  Her good friend Brylee had quietly snuck this giant donkey pinata on our porch and made her escape.  These two girls have this thing about being "ninjas"- and after this stunt, I believed it! 

 

 

 

A month or so before her birthday, I got a call one afternoon from someone speaking in a British accent (a very convincing one, actually) wanting to know if I wanted to buy a donkey.  To make a long story short, it turned into a lengthy conversation, with the anonymous (although I had a pretty good idea who it was)caller making a witty response to every statement I made. 

 

Needless to say, I did not buy a donkey. 

 

 

 

As it turned out, I didn't have to!  You can't believe the size of this thing!

 Later that night, Ryenne's friends pulled off a surprise birthday party.  After some pizza, we went to the bowling alley- where these cute girls pulled off some of the most creative bowling moves I've ever seen.

 

It was such a fun night to kick off this teenager stage of our lives. 

A few things about Ryenne right now:

 

1.  She is super funny.  Really.

2.  She has really great friends.  I love those girls.

3.  She is almost taller than I am.  Eeek!

4.  We can share shoes (except one of us is a better sharer than the other.  Guess who?)

5.  She borrows my make-up, which only bugs me when I have to go track it down.

6.  She has a great relationship with her dad - not that sparks don't fly sometimes (let's be real, here)

but they are really great together.  I love watching them together.

7.  She's smart, she's beautiful, and she is looking way too grown up all the sudden.

8.  I'm so glad to navigate this rocky new teenage road with her as our guide, although wow. 

9.  She loves alone time with mom or dad.  I think she things being an only child would be pretty

nice sometimes, but in reality she'd probably hate it.  

10.  We sure love our Ryenne girl.  So glad she's ours.