No Treasure

Last month when we were digging up some land to make our garden, Darren hit something metal in the ground. It kept going deeper and deeper until he finally dug out this old smashed washing machine. What in the world?! Too bad it wasn't some cash someone had stashed away, that would've been nice, but I was just relieved that it wasn't a dead body or something.

Stratt helping me burn weeds

He looks pretty pleased with himself.

Yummy

The house was getting crazy last weekend, so we made the boys pitch in and help clean it up. They worked so hard, so for a reward we had "treat cereal" for dinner. Yes, for dinner. I got these on sale and have been saving them for a special occassion, but a clean house seemed like as good a time as any. I always just get plain boring cereal with low sugar and no artificial colors, so the boys were in heaven. It was definitely fun! But I have to say we all felt a little sick that night. :)

Foxes - no hounds

Squirrels, cardinals, rabbits - these are the most common things we see in our backyard. We even have the occasional group of deer wandering around in the back.

But every now and then we see something unexpected. Last year it was a huge snapping turtle in our driveway. Last week Melanie was surprised when she looked out the window and saw four foxes running around!

Here they are. The video is kind of long - you can see them best toward the end:

Foxes from keelefam on Vimeo.

My Boys + one

So don't you think these boys need another brother?

Well, they're getting one...

IT'S A BOY!

We are so excited to have another little boy come to our family, I guess I'm just meant to be a mom of all boys. :) Thank goodness I absolutely love my boys! I'm 21 weeks along now (due October 3rd) and have the hot summer ahead of me, but thankfully I've been feeling fabulous lately! We're excited to meet this new little guy!

The Luckiest Mom Ever

I have a school boy now, which means this year I got my first made-at-school Mother's Day present! Quincy made me this cute button bracelet, and a flower pin with his picture in it to wear on my dress! I love it! And best of all, he wrote me a mother's day card to go with it:

"MoM i Love you becos
you are so nise to me
even wen you yel at me
you are stil a good mom
Love. Quincy"

Yes, my boys are very patient and forgiving of me as I figure out this mom thing. :)
Thanks Darren, Quincy, and Stratton for making me the luckiest mom in the world!

Lately

Playing in the backyard and getting muddy

Getting cozy in the sun after a bath. Stratt's favorite thing to say after a bath or before he goes to bed is, "Mom, will you make me cozy?" I love this little bench, Quincy and Darren made it out of some scrap wood.

Stratty swingin' with Mom

Quincy had a great soccer season this year and scored lots of goals! Great job Quince!!!

Pinewood Derby . . . lots of fun!

Stratt being cozy with Daddy

Stratty is officially potty trained, yay!!! It was a lot of work, but we did it!

And now that Stratt is a big boy, he insists on doing everything himself, including make his own sandwiches. Peanut Butter Jelly time!

Yay For Parents!!!

My mom and dad came to visit last month and we had a great time. I've been super sick and pregnant the last few months (for those of you who don't know yet . . . my little announcement) and they totally eased my pain. My mom did all my laundry and ironing and helped me get some much needed sewing projects done, including some fabulous curtains/shades for the boys windows (since Stratty decided to shred the other ones). :) And my Dad played with the boys and took them to the park and to the YMCA to swim everyday. They loved it! Poor Quincy had to go to school most of the time, but I let him take a day off and we even ate lunch with him at school one day. My dad picked him up from school early one of the days and they didn't come back for awhile so my mom and I started to wonder. Then they pulled into the driveway with big smiles on their faces and a bag full of goodies. They had been on an adventure to the park and to the store, and Quincy told me, "Grandpa Roger said, Kids need treats." I remember my dad saying the same thing to me when I was little. :) I feel so lucky to have such amazing parents!! Thanks for coming and for all your help and for taking care of us!!! Can't wait to see you again!

*I also have the greatest in-laws in the world, and I posted some photos of my mother-in-law's trip from November in the post below.

Grammie Judy- Thanks for coming!

Darren's mom, Judy, came to visit in November and helped out SO much!!! I feel so blessed to have such amazing in-laws and a mother-in-law who is also a great friend. We had lots of fun and got all the projects done I could have never finished myself. We painted and decorated and shopped and cooked and cleaned. She got all our rooms decked out and made everything look amazing. I just wish my house looked that great everyday. :) I always call Judy the "Boy Scout" because she leaves everything neater than she found it wherever she goes . . . and she definitely left us with some huge improvements. Thanks for coming and for all your help!!! We can't wait to see Grammie, Poppie, Britt, and Em in July!!!

Judy out in the dark pulling weeds out of the driveway with a flashlight on her head :)