Making No Promises: May 2014

May 18, 2014

Up late, making her posters for student council elections.

This is not a picture of some ordinary cookies. These are Primary cookies. Tomorrow's lesson is on following the prophet. I didn't follow the recipe for these cookies. I replaced the sugar for salt. I really hope no one throws up in church tomorrow after tasting my object lesson. By the way, I never knew that cookies don't spread while baking without the sugar. I had to squish these a little with the spatula to make them look more normal.

May 16, 2014

My makeup buddy most mornings.

When she hears me doing my makeup, she grabs a step and helps herself to my brushes and sponges, asking how she looks after each "application."

May 15, 2014

This time of year there aren't many days that are empty on the calendar. But see the 15th? Nothing. And that's exactly what I did today, practically nothing. I did have to wait for a delivery this morning, so I felt completely justified sitting at home. It was awesome.

May 14, 2014

May 2002

When Shelbi started eating solid foods, before we purchased a highchair, I propped her up in the corner of the couch to feed her. It was disastrous.

May 13, 2014

The fourth grade Texas wax museum was today. Each student researched and dressed up as a prominent Texan. Syd asked to do Elizabet Ney, the same person Shelbi did two years ago. You mean we don't have to come up with a new costume and prop? Yes, please.

May 12, 2014

Another year, another music concert.

May 11, 2014

May 10, 2014

Is there anything better than huge new boxes to play in?

May 9, 2014

I don't expect you to get very excited about this post, but I'm thrilled. Ever since we first installed our wood floors, they've looked a little dull. Not what I imagined they would look like. But I came across a random product on the internet that claims to shine up dull floors. My hopes were not too high. I've tried a few different things, and nothing made a difference. Why would something from Walmart work??

But it did work! My kids kept asking why the floors were wet. Yay!

May 8, 2014

A lovely Michigan May afternoon. The girls covered our front porch with chalk drawings, and baby Erik looked on from his stroller.

Right now Jeff is looking at this lush green grass, and cursing Amarillo.

May 7, 2014

I can totally hear the conversation between these two in my head. Shelbi's explaining something elaborate to Uncle Bust, in her matter-of-fact three year old way, and he's listening intently and replying at all the right times.

May 6, 2014

Wonderland, ugh. Tonight was a school fundraiser at this amusement park in Amarillo. You pay $12 a person to ride essentially carnival rides, and $1.50 extra per ride for the "roller coasters," which barely qualify as such. I was not looking forward to tonight. But the kids had fun and at least we were there with other families from our school. I'm such a bah humbug.

Can you see Ryan's head poking up there? He could barely reach the gas pedal, but insisted on doing it himself.

May 5, 2014

Here we go again.

The boys have graduated from t-ball to coach pitch this year. We haven't had any games yet, so I don't have much to say about how this season is going to go. So far my observations are that Erik needs to watch what's going on in his game instead of the flag football practice on the same field, and Ryan has the appearance of knowing what he's doing, but can't quite connect yet. It'll get better.

May 4, 2014

Tonight I explained to my kids that growing up we didn't watch t.v. on Sunday. So we were left to entertain ourselves. I remember serious army guy/lincoln log battles, WWF wrestling in the family room, and leg wrestling, which I introduced my kids to this evening.

May 3, 2014

Gardening, sunburns, sprinklers, video games, Ghostbusters, grilled hotdogs, and…

S'mores.

May 2, 2014

Syd's choir competition. Every other picture I took of her looked like she was crying. She takes her singing very seriously.

May 1, 2014

I rather love this picture. It reminds me of little things that I had forgotten. Like how Shelbi loved to wear those red fleece pants with the fuzzy pink vest. All the time. I love the view of our little back patio in New Jersey where we grilled on our tiny grill and the girls colored all over with chalk. And I love little Sydney watching Shelbi through the screen door because I wouldn't let her go outside without me.

April 30, 2014

Definitely the most intimidating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle I've ever seen.

April 29, 2014

Remember those awesome dust storms we get here? We had another one today. At one point it started to rain a little. Not enough to settle the dust. Just enough to literally rain mud. This is what everyone's cars looked like.

April 28, 2014

2004

When I was fairly pregnant with Sydney, we took a short trip to Cape May in New Jersey to the zoo. It was a very small zoo. I think they had one skinny tiger and lots of turtles and birds. Which was fine with Shelbi, she said the birds were her favorite. Although she was terrified of the flamingoes.

April 27, 2014

2002

Just after we were married, when we lived in Utah, Jeff played on a softball team with some of my brothers and friends. I have very fond memories of the evenings we spent at the ballpark. I don't have any decent pictures of the actual game being played, but this picture of the fans represents what I remember most. I can name about everyone in this picture, some family, some friends from church. Sitting in the stands, talking to these people and cheering on our team was a perfect way to spent a Summer evening.

April 26, 2014

Jeff and I went to the Parade of Homes here in Amarillo. Someday I want a fireplace just like this in my dining room. Wouldn't that be cozy?

April 25, 2014

The girls take gymnastics together every Friday afternoon, and every Friday they are so excited to go. Most days, they have a no parents allowed policy. But today was parent watch day. I've seen the girls practice cartwheels and the like at home, but it was fun to see them trying different things in the gym. We've already set a 2020 Summer Olympics goal for Syd. Shelbi will be too old.