After much anticipation and waiting, Anthony finally got his Fender Telecaster. He's so excited about it... it was almost like welcoming a new family member when he brought it home. It's a beautiful guitar!
He practices all the time, and it's amazing how much he has learned in the past couple of months. He plays really well! I try to keep up with him on the piano, but have a hard time sometimes. Anthony's parents or Chad and Tori come over, and we have 'jam sessions', or the guys will just sit and play guitars for a couple of hours at a time. It's a lot of fun!
We went to Grandpa and Grandma Bauer's and came home with some zucchini from their garden. The kids were so excited because they each got to bring one home to show Daddy. Kaitlyn hauled that thing around all night until it was time to go to bed. She was very proud of her "nini". That poor thing got dropped so many times, it's a wonder it wasn't complete mush by the time she got done with it! She tried to take a couple of bites out of it (I think she thought it was a cucumber), but was very disgusted with the taste.
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I love battered and fried zucchini spears, but I really don't need all the grease that goes along with it. So, I experimented and came up with a great, low-fat way to cook it on the grill!
1) Wash the outside peel
2) Slice it into approx 1/4" rounds
3) Spray both sides with olive oil (you can use plain Pam if you don't have the olive oil in a spray can)
4) Lightly sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder;
or use the Johnny's Garlic Spread and Seasoning Mix that you get in a big container from Costco, with just a little extra salt.
5) Grill both sides on the BBQ for a couple of minutes until it's as tender as you like it. I prefer mine to still be a little crunchy around the edges and a little soft in the middle.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!! It's a great way to use up the hundreds of huge zucchini that one small plant can produce!
Yes, this is our little bag lady. She got up in the morning, found Daddy's slippers and an empty bag, and pranced around the house randomly placing objects in the bag. Pretty pleased with herself, I might add (as evidenced by the picture here).
Admiring her reflection in the stove
We have our own handyman now! I found a huge tool set that I paid very little for, and Talon went to work 'fixing' things around the house. He was a little put out that the tool belt didn't hold more. He wanted all the tools hanging on the belt (it's about a 30-piece set). The next day was Sunday, and he insisted he needed to take some tools to church, so I let him pack 2 different screw drivers in the diaper bag. About half way through song service, he grabbed a screw driver, it became his microphone, and he was singing at the top of his lungs for all he was worth. We laughed so hard!
We went to my parents house for the day to visit. It was really hot, so we filled up the kids' little pool. Talon wanted me to 'go swimming' with him, so I pulled a lawn chair up, sat down, and put my feet in the water. As soon as he stepped close, I yelled "Water fight!" and started splashing him. He was laughing hysterically and tried to splash me, but only got a few drops of water on me... he was soaked!
We went and sat down in the lawn chair and he was wrapped in a towel.
Me: "Did we have a water fight and Mommy got you all wet?"
Talon: "No, I got you wet."
Me: "Yeah, but I won!"
Talon (not missing a beat): "Yeah, well I'm THREE!"
Anthony put the kids in their chairs and fed them breakfast, then got himself something to eat and sat down in the living room. Talon hollered that he was all done with his breakfast, and was very insistent that he be cleaned up so he could get down and play. Anthony told him to 'hold his horses', that he was almost done eating, and when Sissy was finished he would clean them both up at the same time. A minute or two later, Talon pipes up, "Daddy, I'n holding my horses... and Sissy's holding her cow!".
We got the kids a new swimming pool, and with the hot weather we've been having, they've spent quite a lot of time enjoying it. This one has a slide and is between 12 and 18 inches deep. Kaitlyn has only gotten inside of it a couple of times. She hates cold water, so she usually stands outside the pool and plays with the toys in the water. Talon loves it and will go in it even if it's not very warm out and the water's freezing. He loves the slide... though he doesn't go down it as often when it's really cold.
The kids were running around the yard, and Talon kept saying, "Mommy, take a picture of me!". So, I did.
Why the goofy face? Daddy had brought home some 'Sour Patch Kids' candy that they were snacking on. I had to keep an eye on Kaitlyn... she kept dropping hers, then would pick them up and try to put them in her mouth all covered in dirt. Yuck!
We took a trip to the beach this past week. It was the kids' first time, and they had a blast. It was nice to get away and just relax for a couple of days! Of course, we took lots of pictures!
When we left our house, it was 99*. The air conditioner in our van couldn't keep up with the heat, so we had a rather uncomfortable trip down there. As we got closer to the beach, however, the weather started to change. About 20 to 30 miles from Newport, the temperature started dropping rapidly. As we got close to our motel, we could hardly see because the fog was so thick. The temperature had dropped to 54*, it was windy and a little chilly. Crazy! It was a nice reprieve from the heat wave we had been experiencing at home. Thankfully, I had packed for warm and cold weather, coats and all, because you never know in Oregon!
Once settled in, we ran to the dollar store to grab some beach/sand toys. I had bought 4 beach balls, but only blew up one of them to take down the first night, because they get cumbersome to carry. Talon wanted to carry it, so we told him to hold on tight... it already had tried to blow away in the parking lot. As soon as we got down to the beach, Talon tried to bounce his ball. The wind came through, picked it up, and that ball took off! He took off after it, but it was G-O-N-E! I tried to run after both him and the ball, with a hot coffee in one hand and my camera in the other. When Talon saw me chasing after the ball too, he thought it was great and kept running for all he was worth. Anthony stood back and just laughed and laughed... you could hear him cackle clear down the beach. I'm sure we were quite the sight! I quickly realized there was no way we were gonna catch the ball... it was waaaaaaay down the beach. I told Talon we had to let it go, and we would get another one when we got back to the car. He fell apart! He just couldn't believe we weren't gonna go get his ball. After many tears were shed, he finally got excited about the water and the sand, and didn't fixate on it any more. The next day, he didn't argue when we told him he should leave the ball in the car while we played on the beach. I really didn't want to have to deal with another emotional breakdown when that one disappeared as well!
The kids weren't so sure about the sand. Kaitlyn immediately wanted me to carry her once the sand got on her feet. They got used to it pretty fast, though.
Very intrigued with all the water!
I thought Talon would be the cautious one. Nope! He ran right for the water. It was freezing, but he didn't care. He loved it!
I kept asking him if he was cold. He insisted he wasn't... although his face and body language said different. He just didn't want to leave!
No matter what the weather, the water is always amazing!
Kaitlyn wanted no part in going near the water, so we had to carry her. I put her down in it once and she hated it... it was so cold!
Talon tripped and fell forward in the water. It was only ankle deep, but he got soaked! After that, he finally admitted he was cold and wanted to change his clothes.
Daddy and Sissy heading back to the car. It was quite a walk!
The next day was beautiful. It was still overcast, but the temperature was in the 70's and less foggy. All Talon could focus on was going back on the beach and going in the water. Daddy took him in most of the time while I stayed back with Kaitlyn.
They absolutely loved playing in the sand... especially Kaitlyn! We tried to build a sand castle, but they kept walking all over it, trying to smash down all the big piles. Another thing Kaitlyn discovered was seaweed. She kept picking it up and putting it in her cup, or just carrying it around. Yuck!
They crashed once we got into the car. We drove down the beach to get some lunch, and took turns going into shops while the kids stayed in the car and slept. We had experienced Kaitlyn not getting a nap the day before, and weren't about to make that mistake again. Crazy how life changes once you have kids!
I got the kids big suckers, but was a little apprehensive to let them have them in the car because I had a feeling they would make a huge mess. I gave in about an hour before we got home, and my suspicions proved to be correct. They were a disaster! Kaitlyn was a red, sticky mess! It was so hot, though, that when we got home, I filled up the swimming pool and let them play in the water for a couple of hours. They cleaned up quite nicely!
We had a great time and can't wait until we get to go again!
We went to my parents' house to celebrate on the 4th. We barbecued and had a big potluck. We ate, and ate, and ate...
Anthony's parents came, as well as Loren and Kandi Brown and their kids. We had a great time visiting with everyone!
The kids had a blast playing outside and jumping on the trampoline. It was cloudy and a little chilly outside, but thankfully it didn't rain!
'Supervising' while Auntie Kayla and Laura sort through some fireworks.
Talon's 1st sparkler.
He thought it was great... though he kept trying to hold it close to his face and blow it out.
**The tailgate party**
All bundled up in the back of Uncle Jeremy's truck, snacking, and waiting for the fireworks to begin. The kids thought the fireworks were pretty neat. When the first one went off, it was really loud. I thought they might get a little scared. Nope! Kaitlyn's face lit up and she yelled, "Happy!".
We hope everyone had a safe and happy Independence Day 2010!
We celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary in May. We live in Minot, North Dakota. Anthony is on the ministerial staff at our church, Apostolic Faith Church, and enjoys playing the guitar. Candice is an RN, and the Unit Manager of Pediatrics and the NICU at the hospital. We have 5 kids- Talon Shade, Kaitlyn Michelle, Nolan James, Natalie Danielle, and Olivia Ruth. We have 2 miniature Schnauzers- Kiki and Kallie. We love spending time together as a family!
He practices all the time, and it's amazing how much he has learned in the past couple of months. He plays really well! I try to keep up with him on the piano, but have a hard time sometimes. Anthony's parents or Chad and Tori come over, and we have 'jam sessions', or the guys will just sit and play guitars for a couple of hours at a time. It's a lot of fun!
