Home on the Range: September 2015

May and June 2015

Tessa's show, prepping for the end of school, and getting Grandma and Grandpa situated ate up our May, and I think my massive waddling self trying to prepare for the baby ate up June. I did my best.

Wildflowers.

Kids. I dunno beyond that. I'm guessing it's a bug.

Jake and the kids discovered a turtle in the backyard one evening while I was gone. All the rain had animals appearing where they wouldn't usually. Jake took him back down to the nature preserve.

This was the beginning of June when all my good intentions of summer activities reached a realistic halt, and I threw them outside with some chalk.

Dad took the bigs to the office. He put them to work.

Pretty.

This is a picture of a sign at the park. You know, one of those tall signposts? The water was THAT HIGH. It was insane. The rain just kept coming and coming and coming.

Reassurance that we didn't need to build an ark:

My love to dress up children:

She's not tired, and she doesn't want a nap.

We got some stone landscaping done around. I'm pleased with the outcome.

Plus, Cole has big muscles.

This is actually the start of July here. It was hot. I was really pregnant. I tossed the bored kids outside one morning to play with chalk until they complained about the heat too.

This year, Tessa Plano Dance Theatre Spring Show was a twist on Mary Poppins. It took the line from the movie where Burt says it had all happened before and shows how Mary was HIS nanny when Burt was a child and changed the course of his life as well. Tessa tried out for a part and got one of the leads! She was thrilled. She played Ernestine --basically a version of Jane from Mary Poppins. She worked really hard, and we were very proud of her. Jake was asked to take part in the musical again this year as Artie the artist and Burt's dad, and he did a fantastic job. Most importantly, though, he was able to spend some wonderful daddy daughter time on this production with Tessa. It was good fun for both of them.

Artie (Jake), Ernestine (Tessa), Burt, and Mary Poppins (Ms. Sharon) before they jump into the chalk drawings:

Some other part...

Feed the birds:

My dress rehearsal date:

She's a cutie. And she loved it. My kids do pretty well in the theater early on. She'll be ready to go to the actual show with me next year.

Outside the theater:

My dates for the actual show: Anna and Cole.

Tessa's teacher, Ms. McAffrey, came to see her. I was so impressed by that, and it meant the world to Tessa.

These girls are the best. They are so supportive of each other at such an early age.

My "bigs".

Let's go fly a kite!

Tessa, Mommy, and Gavin:

Burt and Ernie:

Mary Poppins. Practically perfect in every way.

April 2015

Sadie insisted on having the toy car on the way home from church. I can see why. It's clearly a very comforting toy...

I *think* we were going to dye eggs, so we put the little aprons on the little girls.

EASTER EGG HUNT! Happy Easter, with the Fitzgeralds.

This was a ridiculously wet spring. It was unlike anything I've experienced in Texas thus far. We've been in a drought since we've lived here, and suddenly, in one spring, the lake is so full they have to let water out of it. Crazy. Anyhow, it was a soggy lawn Easter egg hunt with well over a hundred plastic eggs. Bring on the candy!

Cole started swim lessons at the gym through Safe Splash. I'm able to work it since I have a membership and can put the two little girls in the gym child care and then bring Tessa in with me. I have to be in there, and bringing the whole nutty tribe was not going to happen. Cole loves to swim. he has grown leaps and bounds since he's started, despite the many different coaches that have rolled on through.

Mom and Duke, through lots of crazy events, finally sold their home in Preston, Idaho and moved to Texas! They moved in with us for a couple of months and then found a home about 25 minutes away, more in the country, and closer to the lake. We're so happy to have them here. Months later, and it's still surreal that we have family nearby.

My girls.

The Twin Tower missionaries came to dine. They are both very, very tall and their companionship made for constant commentary ...and probably a lot of talk about basketball. Here they are jumping not the trampoline after bouncing the kids on it for a while.

And then the longest body I've ever seen flip around. Impressive.

The bluebonnets. We took Grandma L and the kids to see the bluebonnets nearby. Paige had a fit and wanted nothing to do with them. I think she was afraid of bugs at the time. Ironically, while standing on the sidewalk, refusing to go back into the flowers, she got bit by fire ants.

Then Sadie had a breakdown when it was time to leave. One crying until we left, and the other starts up because we left. Whatever.