Another weekend has flown past....

Today is Monday- HOORAY! Maddie is out of school for summer and we had a pretty busy weekend so today is a down day! So far today, we have played outside, ate lunch and I have done one load of laundry and I plan to hit the rest hard this afternoon while I watch an episode or two of Gilmore Girls season 5! Yesterday we had the Senior/Graduate Breakfast and everything went great! Praise the Lord. I had a blast working with a few girls from student ministry (they helped with decorations Sat. night and then we went for coffee) and now I am glad that it's all done! I am ready to spend the next couple weeks catching up around the house and scrapbooking. Maddie's birthday is in a month, but I have her theme all worked out in my head and that's great & today I finished up her invites on the computer...now print, mail and we'll be set! I am also decorating for our friends' rehearsal dinner the end of June & so I have that plan ready to go, but I can't do anything until the week of the wedding and so now it's time to just enjoy a rest and spend more time with my gardens too! I did plant some tomatoes, but I need to weed one of my flower gardens and get some annuals planted! Other than that, not much else to report...we are headed to Minnesota on Thursday to spend the weekend with my family...I haven't been home since Christmas and even though we saw all of them in March in Minneapolis, I am ready to go home home! Also, next Monday is our 7th wedding anniversary...we plan to exchange cards and buy ourselves a charcoal grill! Also, while we are home my parents and siblings are caring for the girls so that we can just do whatever we want and so we plan to: go bowling, fishing,shopping, out to eat, mini-golfing, check out a movie, etc... A great big date weekend! Can't wait!

The girls are napping now and so I really need to hit the laundry! Otherwise we will have no clothes for our trip this weekend! One other exciting note...I get to get my haircut tomorrow night! Nothing draastic, but still a head massage and pampering is involved- Wa-hoo!!!! :)

Post Mother's Day

HAPPY MOTHER's DAY!!!

Sorry this is late...we were barely home this weekend! Friday night we celebrated Mother's Day by going out to eat at El Azteca, my favorite Mexican place! Saturday we had Graduation Open Houses all day...we were gone from 10:30 am until almost 11:00pm...fun day, no cooking! Sunday, I got my Mother's Day/ Anniversary presents...Seasons 1 & 5 of Gilmore Girls on DVD! My husband did an amazing JOB! On Sunday, We taught Maddie's Sunday School and then we stopped by Panera for bagels and coffee and then headed to Tim's parents home in Ankeny. We had lunch there, came home napped and then met Dan, Amy , Kylie and Mom and Dad Stout for dinner at Village Inn- what a blast of a day! Kylie is now almost 8 pounds & she is almost 2 months old...eating 6 oz. per feeding and time is flying! I got to hold her for quite
awhile last night...Dan and Amy both got to eat their food while it was still hot...what a Mother's Day treat, huh???? I know I am the best Auntie ever! However, bummer No bonfirein our new firepit this weekend...too cold and rainy...maybe this weekend sometime!

The past two days Maddie has had Mock Kindergarten and she is loving it, she cannot wait for school next fall! Tonight we are all headed to Uncle Dan's softball games, weather permitting. I have almost everything coordinated for Senior/Graduate Breakfast on Sunday...HOORAY! Now all there is to do is make a few more phone calls, order the balloon bouquets at Nobbies ( I am doing this tonight on the way to dan's softball games), and then decorate and set up Saturday night!

Tim is busy with work and helping me with home stuff and the girls! he is a great dad!
He had a blast helping them shop for me for Mother's Day! They did also buy me a Puppy, a stuffed one, and his name is Mister Cuddles! Cute, eh???

Off to school we go for Maddie's Kindergarten entrance evaluation...she'll do great!

Overdue Update....

Maddie at Open House- April 2006

The Beginning of my Landscaping in the backyard- this will be a flower bed w/ hostas, tiger lillies, phlox and misc plants...I'll fill it a little each week with perennials so that I don't have to do anywork next year....

Today is Maddie's last day of preschool and then we have preschool graduation tomorrow night and next week she has 2 days of mock kindergarten and testing, etc...My oldest is going to be in Kindergarten...CRAZY!!!! Wow- time flies! Morgan is busy as ever and just chattering up a storm, except we just found out at church in her Sunday Scool class she never says a PEEP! Weird, eh???

We are immersed in Senior Breakfast Prep and end of the year subbing for me! This summer I will be doing some house cleaning with a gal from Grace and also pick up some part-time hours at new York Life with Tim's former boss...I will be filing, mailing , etc... Tim is busy with work and helping me with Spring Projects: cleaning, landscaping, fixing the backyard gate, reorganizing our storage area from the basement to the upstaiirs attic space.

Above and below you will see pics of some of the projects we are working on these days....

OUr fire pit/ BBQ Pit...My Daddy helped me with this...I still need to layer the bottom with some dirt and then get some charcoals, firewood and a baking rack thing... We also plan to put a few chairs around it, etc.... Fun Memories to be made and lots of S'mores!!!!! :)