Haircut for Lukey

We love Lukey's hair.  It's the kind of hair that looks great messy and tousled.  It's soft, with a tiny bit of curl and bleaches blonde in the summer- the perfect "surfer" hair.  We tend to just let it grow cause we like it, plus it's really thin and wispy which makes it hard for us to cut.  A buzz cut just doesn't do it justice.  Here is Luke a couple of days ago...

As you can see he's cute as pie but we felt like it was time for a trim, makes things a bit more manageable that way.  He is four after all and not a big fan of washing his hair.  We usually cut the boy's hair at home but we decided to have a professional do it this time, to see if we could take some off but still preserve the surfer look.  Here he is before the cutting began...

Having his hair cut in an airplane, while watching a movie, with the promise of a treat if he didn't cry made for smooth sailing.  Although here he still looks a little unsure...

Lizzy had a great time playing with all the toys.  Someday we'll have to figure out what to do with the mullet she is growing but for now we'll just enjoy the fact that she doesn't know the difference.

Here's the handsome little dude when he's all done.

I heart that sweet little smile.  Sometimes I want that kid to stay little forever.  Of course I think he looks great and the woman who cut his hair was super nice but I think I miss his crazy hair just a tiny little bit. It kind of suits our wild and crazy guy.  Since it was on my mind I had to look back at a few of his longer hair moments.

showing his muscles on the left and a feathery do on the right- notice the head wound in both of them

And a couple of my favorites...

This is in Hawaii- his surfer hair at it's best

Love you Luke- short hair, long hair, or no hair at all.  :)

"A Slice of Life" photo challenge

This weeks theme at I Heart Faces is "A Slice of Life."  I love this picture of my boys with their Uncle Eric enjoying some hang out time on the couch.  They are enjoying the moment!

Coming out of the fog

Well friends and family, I think we're finally coming out of the fog.  I feel like the last week has been a haze.  What day is it again?  I'm still trying to get my bearings.  During the last week of sickness I have totally lost track of:
-how many times I have taken someones temperature
-how many doses of children's Tylenol and ibuprofen I've administered
-how many movies we've watched
-how many different sleeping situations we've had (Lizzy in bed with me, Kyle on the floor in the boys room, Kyle and Luke on the couch, Luke in our bed, me in Luke's bed...)

I think this was the first time that all three of our kids have been flat-on-your-face sick at the exact same time.  Kyle and I did everything we could to avoid catching the bug, downing vitamins like crazy and chugging water, but after 5 nights of pretty much no sleep our bodies finally succumbed to the ickiness.  This one definitely was a doozy.

But things are looking up.  Last night everyone slept in their own beds for almost the whole night.  I am wearing jeans instead of sweats and I did my hair today.  Luke is well enough to go back to preschool tomorrow.  The younger kiddos and I made it out of the house to the grocery store where we bumped into our good friend Mrs. Bee and her two youngsters who have also been battling this bug.  I am planning on making a real meal tonight for the first time in a week.  The sun is shining and it's a new day!  I'm so glad!  Here's a couple photos from the last week- I didn't take many.

Our kitchen counter looked like a drug store...

Here's the green eggs and ham I made for St. Patrick's Day that Debbie Dora ended up eating because no one else felt like eating eggs.

We did manage to keep a quick day trip to Portland we had planned with our friends the Nelson's thanks to Nana and Papa who watched our sick kids.  We had some great car time and we discovered how much we LOVE the Nike employee store!  AND, I only needed two coffees and a cherry pepsi to keep from falling asleep. (not for lack of great company of course)  We can't wait to go back!

a stop by the river to stretch our legs and enjoy the sun with Jess and Amanda (and baby Kate- can't to meet her!)

Thanks to everyone who was thinking about us and praying for us to get better.  It was very much appreciated!  Love to all!

Raindrops keep falling on my head...

Raindrops keep falling on my head, after last night I wish that I could have stayed in bed, da da da da daaaa da!  Let me just say for the record that while I am truly very thankful I did not just go through an earthquake and a tsunami, the weather has got me a bit down.  It's kind of a common phenomenon this time of year around these parts.  Call me common, I don't care- I'm ready for some pleasant weather.  Ready for a backyard that isn't soggy, ready for the dog to stop tracking muddy paw prints all over the kitchen floor, ready to trade in the raincoat for some sun glasses.

Today there actually was a little sun break and I would have taken full advantage of it except that Isaiah was home sick from school and Lizzy and I were recovering after she was up all night throwing up. (hence the wishing I could have stayed in bed part above)  The poor little thing.  It was her first real experience with puking and she let us know that she did not enjoy it.  "No, No! Aw none, aw none!"(all done) she would feverishly cry every time, pushing away the bowl I had brought upstairs.  It was a restful night.

With Lizzy down and Isaiah spending the whole day on the couch we were relieved that Luke was still bouncing around like a hot piece of popcorn.  Until dinner that is when he started complaining that his tummy hurt.  This is not an unusual complaint for him so we figured he just wanted a little of the extra attention everyone else was getting.  By bedtime his temp was 103.  Guess he wasn't faking it after all.

As I have been folding laundry and writing this Isaiah has come downstairs twice in tears because his hands feel weird.  I think they feel numb although it's hard to get a good description out of him.  Apparently it feels like his hands are falling apart.  He's quite distressed about it, but I guess I'd be scared too if I thought my hands were falling apart.  I'm assuming they just fell asleep because he was laying on them funny but if anyone knows something about numb hands that I don't know please let me know.

Well, I think I'll get some sleep. (I hope)  I'll leave you with this picture below.  I have it on my computer screen right now because it makes me happy and thankful and peaceful.  Until the real sun comes back this will have to do.

"Knight King" Lukey at Cannon Beach last summer

The "Speecher"

Last week Isaiah was sitting at the kitchen table one day while I was doing something.

"Mom."  

"Yes bud?" I said.  

"I've been thinking... do you know what I want to do when I grow up?" 

"What do you want to do?"  I asked.  

"I want to be a speecher." 

"A speecher huh, cool!  What exactly does a speecher do?"

"Mom!!!  You don't know what a speecher does?!?" 

"Well...I mean, I do know, I just wanted to hear what you would say."

"A speecher is someone who talks to people and stands on a stage and tells them things.  You know how some people don't know about Jesus?... My friend Jubee says she wants to be a singer for Jesus, well I want to be a speecher for Jesus.  I want to stand on a stage and speech to them so they can know."  

"That's awesome buddy, you will be an AMAZING speecher!"

Oh how I love Isaiah.  He is so sweet and so genuine and I couldn't be prouder that he wants to be a "speecher" when he grows up.  I know I'm probably a little biased but the thing is I have no problem imagining him on a stage and captivating the attention of a crowd.  It's just the kind of guy he is.  He's a natural in front of people.  I can safely tell you that he did not get this characteristic from me.  I would much rather stay out of the spotlight.  It is not from my gene pool.  If you've ever watched him closely at a school performance you have had a taste of his stage presence.  He sings strong, he does the movements with flair, he gets his hips into it, he does it with gusto.  He loves life and you can tell.  Most of the time it seems like he is unaware that people are even watching him- he's just having fun up there.  

Isaiah has another crowd drawing strategy; his jokes.  He got into them a while back and has a few (pretty bad) joke books.  He'll tell them to anyone and everyone and he's got pretty darn good delivery.  I've seen him entertain 50 somethings at a wedding reception and  recently auntie Kaylene's new boyfriend the first time he met him.   He has no qualms carrying on a conversation with strangers and throwing in a joke or two.  Just don't get him started on knock, knock jokes.  

Enjoying Life

Isaiah's memory might also prove to be helpful in any future endeavors on the stage.  He has an uncanny knack for remembering movie lines and will throw them into normal conversations.  One of my favorites took place last summer.  I said something to Kyle and the boys and then headed out the back door.  Luke said, "What did she say?"  To which Isaiah answered, "He who has gas travels at the back of the pack.... just kidding- she said I'm going out to pick carrots." (that line is from Ice Age:  Dawn of the Dinosaurs, in case you didn't know)  

Isaiah as Indiana Jones running from the giant ball

Our little Ice Man has influence too.  Anyone who can talk Luke out of sneaking a donut off the counter without asking mom and dad has some decent persuasive abilities.  At his parent conference this year his teacher said that when Isaiah talks everyone stops what they are doing and listens- they want to hear what he has to say.  

Can you tell I'm kind of fond of my first born?  I suppose that's enough mommy bragging for one day... although it is my blog so I guess I can talk about my kids as much as I want, right?  :-)  I'm just saying, don't be surprised if you see Isaiah Grunenfelder on stage in about 20 years doing a music and comedy act then preaching the Gospel and bringing people to Jesus.  I know I am fully expecting it... and I can't wait!

A couple jokes from Isaiah:

What do monkeys have at all their parties?  Chimps and salsa
What is white and black and red all over?  a sunburned penguin
Why did the ocean roar?  You would too if you had crabs on your bottom


Ask him for more next time you see him... he'll gladly tell you some. 

Which Boots are Best?

I have a problem.  It's not a life or death situation, no nothing like that... it's not a serious problem at all, it's silly really, but I wouldn't mind your help.  I've always been a little indecisive.  I'm working on it and I'd like to say that I'm better than I was (Kyle may disagree) but buying clothes is one of my worst areas.  I let things sit in my closet with the tags still on while I'm "deciding" if it's something I really want or not.  It's sad but true.  Case in point; I got a pair of jeans last August at the Nordstrom sale and they sat in my drawer with the tags on for six months.  Recently when I got some boots (back to these in a minute) I remembered them and pulled them out to try on with the boots.  They were perfect with boots, I LOVED them!  Yay! I thought,  I'm keeping these for sure, I can finally take the tags off.  Then I squatted down to the floor to change Lizzy's diaper and RIIIIPP the knee split wide open... I took them back. :(

So, all this brings me to the problem at hand, Boots.  I've been looking for cute riding style boots for a while now, and I finally found not one pair I like, but three!  Which leaves me with a decision to make.  Which boots are best?  I need to make it soon, I need to send the other two pairs back cause I can't keep them all people.  I'm desperate.  So, I've decided to take a poll.  Take a look see below and cast your vote!  Which boots do YOU think are best?

Boots #1

bonus: these are from REI so I could return them forever :)

Boots #2

Boots #3

these are the tallest and the biggest in the calf- I have small calves

OK folks, there they are.  A quick note: all 3 pairs are very comfortable, they were all a great deal, and I want to wear them with skinny jeans or dresses.  Vote below for #1, #2, or #3!  Thanks everybody!

#1                                                                                #2                                                                     #3

Getting out of Dodge

There are some things that you just can't do in the city.  Riding around on a 4-wheeler and towing a sled behind it is one of them.  The kiddos loved the snow we got last week and happily suited up in their snow gear to play in it.  The only downside was that the snow in our tiny backyard was packed down or rolled up into snowman parts in about 30 minutes flat.  So on Saturday we headed down south to Kyle's parents for some more snow fun.  Kyle got out his old 4-wheeler that he got in 7th grade and tied a sled to the back and the boys (all 3 of them) were happy as clams.

I love watching Kyle when we are down in Tumwater or anywhere out of the hustle and bustle of the big city.  It's his natural environment and he thrives in it.  The stresses and weights fall off and he comes alive.  He is tough and manly, and a kid again at the same time.  He wears camo, and shoots his bow, and introduces the boys to the adventures he had when he was their age.

My Wild Man

The boys could not get enough of the sled rides.  They were loving every minute of it, whether they were on the 4-wheeler with dad or behind it in the sled, or on their faces in a pile of powdery snow.  They had a BLAST!

All Smiles

just like dad

Isaiah's expressions... priceless

Mom even got in on the fun

Lizzy was not as into the loud, moving machine as her brothers.  More accurately she didn't want anything to do with it.  She was content to stick with her favorite past-time at Nana and Papa's; saying Hi to Lady the horse and getting lots of attention from Nana and Papa.  Kyle comes from good folk- we are blessed to feel so loved and spoiled when we go visit.  We love Nana and Papa! And we love getting out in the country a little, it is good for our souls!

I couldn't help myself from taking lots of pictures of this weekend's snow adventure.  Everyone was having so much fun!  I just can't resist the smiles and squeals of laughter, and the face plants into the snow.  My picture taking hand was freezing cold by the end but my heart was warm and full.

I Heart Faces- Anything But A Face

Oh how I love little baby piggies!  Some of you might recognize this picture of my daughter's pink cowboy boots.  They are her favorite and she wears them almost every day.  I want to remember that sweet little memory about her forever!

Lots of other fun pictures over at I Heart Faces.  Check them out!