NPR Junkie

I frequently get made fun of for starting so many of my sentences with "I was listening to NPR..."

If I get to take a trip in the car lasting about an hour, I pick a podcast to entertain my brain. I love, love, love radiolab! It's my favorite broadcast. If you haven't gotten to enjoy its creative mixing, head on over to their site and pick a topic. I promise you won't be disappointed. 

Food fight

Mark and I finished dinner and got distracted as he got things ready to sell his truck. We turned around to discover that Oliver and Finn had been having a quiet food fight. Their weapon of choice? Spaghetti. Now, I am well aware that our house is not the cleanest on the block, but never the less, I still don't prefer tomatoe bombs covering the walls. 

In the end they snapped out of their military funk and realized their mistake. While mark and I stared on with mouths literally hanging open, the boys quickly offered to wash the walls. 

More library fun with the Taylor's

Ya know when you find a friend that you really just click with? Conversation is easy. You can relate to each other. And you leave the visit feeling better than whence you came. Feeling like you've just spent the afternoon with a friend you've know for years.

And if you're lucky, each other's children will enjoy one another's company as well. 

I am so thankful for my friend and neighbor, Keegan, who I met at this very place, nearly a year ago. I told Mark then that I felt like God had wanted me to remember her. Then a few days later, we realized that we practically lived across the street from each other. Wild! 

              Weston, Eli, and Finley 

    Micah and Weston - enjoying puzzles

               Eli, Oliver and Caleb

Getting in some good grandma time

Finnerism

"George Washington cut down his father's apple tree, and Abraham Lincoln-log was supposed to get a bigger ax and cut down the cherry tree. That's what they two did."

Good 'ol homeschoolin'!!

Finns way of protesting lights-out at bed time

F:"Mom, is it ok if I just run downstairs real quick to get some things and then I'll come back up here and get some things?"

Me:"What are you getting?"

F:"Tools and wire and stuff."

Me:"Why?"

F:"To make a lamp."

P

Boys boys boys!

First day of school

I decided to start our school the week after everyone else. Why? Because I'm the boss. 

This year Oliver is in 1st grade/second grade

And Finn started Kindergarten because he really wants to learn

Who are we to hold him back because of a number?

Night before school - Kopps

BBQ with the Elmer's

Soaking up these last few days of summer.

Amanda must have danced for the twins for 10 minutes. They are it up!

The lovely hostess (Left) Bridget and Amber

A little beanbag gin' after losing a new drinking game 

Candid moment

I found this on my phone after the kids had swiped it. I kinda love it:)

Art - Finn

All of our children are wonderful artists! They each have their own styles, and medium preferences. These pieces are some of his recent inspirations

"Tornado"

"Roller Coaster "

"Tree with sun hiding behind it"

Labor Day Weekend - Lake Geneva Beach

Oliver's first "sleep over"

My in-laws recently spent the night in our driveway, in their RV, and they invited Oliver to spend the night in the camper as well. It was the perfect test to see how he'd do away from mommy and daddy. He did wonderfully, and even slept in the next morning! Way to go Oliver!

Half Marathon - The third time around

I can't even begin to tell you how immensely proud I am of Mark on a daily basis. Really, he's remarkable. Then, he does something like training, running, and finishing a marathon, and I'm speechless. 

He was lucky enough to run this one with his brother, Jeff, and Father, Bill.

                          Pre-race

 This "silly" pic is for my sister-in-law Holly

We walked up just he was crossing the 9 mile marker, and he stopped for some major accolade and sweaty hugs.

          The sweet cheering section. 

  Bompa and Biff coming in for the finish!

Kudos to my husband for being far more concerned with letting his boys run to the finish line with him then his final time. It meant so much to them. 

Beachin' it

Pics from our day on Lake Michigan (it's laughable that we only made one trip there, given the fact that we live 2 miles away).

It's more due to me thinking that we'd never survive, taking 5 boys to the beach. However...

Per the norm: my free-spirited child started off scared to death, but his fear quickly dissolved when he remembered that he's invincible.

The Twinnies checking out terry-cloth