Meet Jasmine

A few weeks ago our little dog Princess (a dachshund) got hit by a car. We (well most of us, okay only the kids and I) were so sad. She was really protective of us and our house/property so she would yipe yipe yipe and bite at anyone's heels who tried to even get close to the house. We had her for almost 2 years. She was so tiny when we got her. Dachshunds are small anyway but then she was the runt of the litter as well, so she was itty bitty. I guess 2 years has been kind of the 'unlucky' number of years for our dogs. Before Princess we had a lab/husky mix dog named Maya and she was the best dog ever. I still miss her=( But she got hit by a car as well before we got Princess. We only had her for about 2 years too. She was my little baby. We got her shortly after we had a miscarriage so she was really special to me. And then she had a litter of puppies a couple months after we had Titus so that was a really fun time with all the puppies. She was such a good mama dog. Anyway.....
So hopefully this time around we can keep our pup for longer. We are definitely going to train, train, train her not to go to the road!


She is such a sweet but ornery little pup! She is an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix. She is just so soft and fluffy. And we can tell that she is going to be a smart dog! She looks just perfect for the farm!

Lillie loves her new little Jazz! She just asked me today if she could feed Jazz every day! Of course she can. I love that Lillie likes to help do the chores and help outside. Now if only I could get her to get excited about helping inside the house=) But she really does like to help with things outside. Maybe its because her Daddy is the one who does the chores so she gets to be out there with him helping out! Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's why! She likes to water the garden and feed the cats and the dogs. Since Matt has been cutting wheat and planting soybeans like crazy I made sure the animals were all hydrated during these hots days and Lillie just thought it was great getting the bucket for the water and watching it to tell me when it was full. And then putting it away when we were done! She makes a great little farm girl!

Matt grew up with an Australian Shepherd that was a wonderful dog so after Princess got hit I was talking with him about what he thought would be a good dog to get and we talked about a few breeds. I said that if I saw a lab/husky mix pup for sale that I wanted it (just because I loved Maya so much). And he thought maybe an Aussie or maybe a Collie and then he said an Aussie/Collie mix would be about perfect. I didn't start looking for puppies for sale for probably a week after that conversation and the day I looked at the paper online someone had posted an ad for these puppies. I was so excited! So I made arrangements to go look at them. Matt wasn't able to come look at them with me but said he thought I would pick 'a good one'. So off I went to find the newest member of our family. I thought this little girly would fit right in! They were all so adorable though! There were 2 colored like this and 4 black and white ones.

On the way home she was whining in her cage and Titus was so concerned about her. He kept saying "Okay, puppy, okay puppy" And then she would whine again so in a sad little voice he would say "oohhh, okay puppy" It was so sweet!

Playing in the wheat

Here are some fun pictures of the kids playing in the wheat! Other years they got to play in the grain truck when Grandpa Stucky was still farming because his grain trucks were still the old grain trucks. This is the first year that he isn't farming so I wasn't sure if the kids would be able to play in the wheat since Gary and Matt only use semis to haul their wheat. Well, I was so happy to learn that for Diane's business, Kansas Country Blessings, they would still need to get some of Matt's wheat for their flour. So Matt put some wheat onto the old grain truck so they could fill their barrels from there like they always have! The kids thought it was great fun! And to be honest I liked it too=) The wheat feels so funny between your toes! And there is just something about wheat harvest that is so special!

Titus was having so much fun just flopping belly down into the wheat! They were all itchy when they were done. But definitely worth it!

I didn't roll around in the wheat but I got my feet in=)

Sleepy Babes

Aren't kids and babies just so sweet when they are sleeping!!! I didn't have a recent one of Titus sleeping but here are a couple of Lillie and of Zethan.

It was past time for Zethan to eat again so I was trying to wake him up by rolling him onto his back. (He usually sleeps on his tummy.) He was just so sleepy though he still didn't wake up. He was just so sweet I had to take his picture! He will be 2 months old on Father's Day! He is doing really good with his sleep actually, which I am very thankful for! He takes numerous naps throughout the day and I can usually count on one of them being at least 2-3 hours. And he has slept through the night a few times. Not consecutively, but hey its a start. And if he doesn't sleep through the night he usually only gets up once!


And this is how I found Lillie one day when I got up from my nap. Most days I can actually get the 2 boys to take a nap at the same time so I can rest. But Lillie doesn't usually take naps so she colors or watches a movie or something while I rest too. And I say 'rest' not 'nap' for a reason. If she is coloring she always has to show me what she colored and she colors a lot of pictures in a short amount of time. Or if she is wants to watch a movie and can't get it to play right she'll bring the remote and ask which buttons to push. But I don't really mind too much. At least I get to be resting and then I know she isn't getting into something she shouldn't. She knows she isn't allowed to play outside while I'm resting so I know she is just in the other room. Anyway, I guess this day she was just too sleepy too! I think she was watching a movie and fell asleep while it was on!

It always gets worse before it gets better

Here are some pictures of the Tahoe torn apart, getting ready to put the new parts on. Matt bought used parts from a salvage yard. The first pictures I posted awhile ago don't look too bad compared to these. I don't know how these guys can ever figure out how to put it back together!
A side shot.


A shot from the back.


One of the new parts.


The new door.

There are a lot more parts than just these 2 things but these were a couple of the big ones.
Now they all just need to get put back together. Actually it is pretty much all put back together already=) I am just a little late in posting about it. We even have the tags and everything for it. The only things left are putting some trim around the wheel well and the inside of the door needs put back on. Matt had to wait for a new window switch that works! I've even driven it a couple of times and I really love it!

The Dress Is Finished!!

So I found this really cute pattern for a little girls dress and I was so excited about it. It kind of had that old-fashioned, Little House on the Prairie look to it. And then when Lillie picked out the fabric I was even more excited because she actually liked the fabric that helped add to the look! I couldn't wait to get started sewing it. Of course with a nursing baby and a 2 year old who loves to make a mess with anything he can get his hands on, and a 4 year old who taught the 2 year old how to make messes, I wasn't really able to get started on it right away. Over the course of a few days I got the pieces cut out and then they just sat there for awhile so finally yesterday I got a chance to work on it. Well once I got started I didn't want to stop so.... I got the dress done, but not much else as far as house work=)

The dress was really a two part thing. The main dress and then a slip dress that had a ruffle on it that would show out the bottom of the first dress. Well, when I got the first dress done, I was so excited and I couldn't wait for Lillie to try it on. But.... I had forgotten that she hates clothes that have anything by her neck, such as a turtle neck or a collar. This dress has a collar....

She graciously tried it on...but you can tell by the look on her face that she was not happy about it. She kept saying how silly is was with 'this thing on it'. Meaning the collar. I told her it was super cute and that I thought she was so pretty in it. But she DID NOT like it. So I told her we would just have to give it to her cousin Emily. Of course she was sure that Emily wouldn't like it either=) So after being super disappointed about her not liking it I decided to go ahead and finish the slip dress so that Emily could have it to wear under her dress.
Well, when Lillie saw the finished product of the slip dress with the ruffle and everything she LOVED it! I let her try it on and told her to just try on the other dress over it to see what it looked it. I guess that did it! She now loves BOTH dresses!
This is her posing with both dresses on. You can't see the detail very well but you can kind of see the ruffle coming out from under the dress. I thought she just looked so cute in it! I want to have her pictures taken in it out on the farm here!


Here is just the slip dress that she liked. She told me that she only likes the other dress if she wears this one under it. Not by itself=)
Maybe we'll have to go ahead and make Emily a matching dress so they can both have one!

And modeling our high-heel collection is...

These are some fun dress shoes I found at a garage sale in Andover. Pretty fun! And I just noticed that both of them are wearing outfits that I found at garage sales too! Haha!


The kids wanted to try them out! Lillie is modeling these high-heel black shoes. Cute-cute!



And up next is Titus is these stylish blue high-heeled shoes. I think the look on his face says it all...whoa, these shoes are hard to walk in=) And believe me, they are. I think I'll have to practice around the house before I actually wear them anywhere!

Rolie-Polie Baby Z

Look at me- I can roll over! Here is Zethan on his tummy and just a few seconds later...


Here he is rolled over onto his back! I'm pretty sure that he doesn't actually mean to roll over but if we put him on his tummy to play he won't stay there, so I guess it counts=) Lillie and Titus and cousin Emily think it is pretty cool that he can actually do something other than just lay there=)



Cousin Emily came over to play and spend the night so they all had lots of fun playing together! Notice all the little pieces of hair falling on Emily's hair... well her Dad couldn't get her little pony tails out so he tried to cut them out and accidentally got some of her hair. When her Mom saw her next she said "What happened to your hair Emily?" But apparently Emily didn't know what had happened so she replied "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Her mom told her what happened and Emily's response was "Maybe that's why he said 'Uh-Oh' when he took them out"

Then a few days later Emily thought she should cut some of her own hair, so she hid under a table at the Print Shop (my Dad's print shop where Kayla-her mom- works) and cut some more=) Oh well, I guess they'll grow back! And she is still so cute!!

Bright Shirts, Cute Kids

Getting ready to go to church. I think Titus is ready!

Let me see your pretty pink dress, Lillie girl!

I've got my Hawaiian shirt!

Smile for the camera kiddos!

The kids were having posing for Daddy with the camera while I finished getting ready for church. They were having lots of fun! Not on purpose, but they all happen to have on bright, fun shirts for the day!

Kylan & Mallory Engagement Photos

My little brother-not so much little anymore- is engaged to a wonderful, sweet girl, Mallory! They are planning on an early November wedding. We are all excited to be able to look forward to another wedding! They are so sweet together and Kylan treats her just like a princess=) I just saw their engagement pictures today and they are beautiful!

Here is the link to go look at the photographers website with the pictures! Enjoy!
http://ericamay.wordpress.com/2009/06/12/engagement-photos-mallory-kylan-kansas-farmeastborough-park/

One Tuesday Morning

The towers still standing

Okay, so all my posts have pretty much been about my kids and such but this one is going to be a little different. I’m not a very good writer and don’t really know that this is going to come out the way I want it to but I’ll try.

I have been reading the books One Tuesday Morning and Beyond Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury, and they are excellent books. I have read a couple of other books by this author and I really like her. She just has a way of grabbing your emotions and taking them into the story right along with the characters. I have cried through every book.

Anyway, these two stories are loosely based on the tragedy of 9/11. I have finished the first book and am into the second. I know that these stories are fiction but that day was such a tragedy and there were so so many lives affected on that horrible day that this very well could have been a true story. I was a sophomore when this happened and I really didn’t pay any attention to anything political or the news or anything so when this happened and we were all at school watching I have to admit I didn’t even know what the World Trade Center was. I really didn’t have a clue about how devastating those planes crashing into the twin towers was and. There were so many lives lost on that day. The firefighters that rushed to rescue people even though they knew they could be a victim. They were such heroes. I am sorry that I didn’t realize the magnitude of what happened that day. And the reality of the pain and loss. Really, it wasn’t until I started reading this book that I got a good idea of what families went through that day. The book isn’t so much about the events that happened but about what some families went through that day and the days following. The two main stories were a firefighter and his wife and 4 year old daughter and also a business man and his wife and son. It is such a sad sad story of all the innocent lives lost that day and the pain that these families had to deal with and still have to deal with. I can’t imagine how they feel. As some of the characters in the book point out- it seems like everyone has forgotten but they remember everyday ad especially every birthday and anniversary and the anniversary of 9/11. For me, living out here in the Midwest and not knowing anyone personally who was affected by this, I don’t ever really think about the sacrifice of those firefighters and police officers who worked the scene. This book has been really good to remind me of what happened that day and that there are men and women who risk their lives and give their lives everyday so that we can sleep at night. I’m sure there are a lot of you who have a husband or son or daughter or family member or close friend who is in the line of duty and I just thank you for your willingness to let them serve. I’m sure this book can’t show me even just how much you go through but it has given me a glimpse into your lives. And I for sure thank everyone who is out there fighting with the military. And the firemen and women and the police officers here in America that are all working for our safety. Thank you for fighting for our freedom and our safety!

This book had made me want to visit Ground Zero and just be able to honor all those heroes who gave their lives. Maybe some day.

The towers no longer standing.



Just a small yet powerful scene of the destruction.

The BEST Mother's Day Present EVER!

Okay this first picture has nothing to do with a mother's day present but I just thought it was so cute of Titus and Daddy. Matt was planting in the field around our house and Titus got to help! Of course the sun was so bright=) so he had to have his sunglasses!
Now...on to my awesome Mother's Day Present! A brand new Tahoe. Okay, well maybe it isn't brand new=) But...it will look as good as new after Matt- with the help of his brother Andy and their Dad-work on it a bit.

This side doesn't have any damage! That's good!

I am so excited for this to get fixed! Our red grand prix GTP has been a great car and I still like it except for the fact that the back seat is a little scrunched with 3 car seats across the back. Oh ya and the outer side trim came off so it looks kinda funny. Oh and I guess it is a little annoying that the air conditioner doesn't work... Yeah, I am definitely ready for the Tahoe! And just for me, Matt got a third row seat to put in! And this model has heated leather seats, a 6-CD changer, and bose (sp?) sound system in it. And the seats are so so so comfy! And I love how it looks with the all white exterior-the handles the back of the mirrors and the wheel well trim! Awesome! I can't wait to drive it!

Thank you honey! I love you!

What do you think? Are they brothers?

Here are a couple of pictures of Zethan and a couple pictures of Titus when they were close to the same age. I think Titus was probably a little older in his pictures though. I though that Zethan wasn't looking very much like Titus but they definitely look alike. I would see if you could guess which is which but the dates are in the corner...=)




Its kind of fun to see how much they look alike. They do have different personalities though! One big difference is that Zethan HATES pacifiers. If I try to keep one in his mouth it just makes him even more mad than he already was or it makes him cry if he wasn't crying already. It's kind of funny! Titus had a pacifier til around 8 or 9 months. Sometimes it would be nice if Zethan did take one so I would have a quick fix for when he is crying in church or something, but oh well, one less thing to deal with I guess=)