Party on!

Last Friday I had the honor of helping my niece, Taylor, with her graduation party. My sister Beth had to teach school until 2:30 in the afternoon, and the party was that evening, so my other sister Kristen and I rallied at Taylor's house to help get things ready for the party.

Plan A was to use a tent in the backyard. People were supposed to walk to the tent via their side yard. Which meant that no one needed to go into the house except to use the restroom. So we planned for that. The tent was up, all the flower beds in the front and back were weeded and mulched. The pool was cleaned and ready for floating candles. We were set.

Then Friday came along.

And it rained. And poured. And was really, really windy. Se we had to change our plans.

Plan B was to still use the tent in the backyard. But to have people walk through the house to get to the tent.

But it still rained. And misted. And sprinkled. The grass under the tent was OK. It was just that to get to the tent, people would have to walk through muddy, spongy grass. And then they would have to walk back through the mud to leave. It just wouldn't work.

So on to plan C.

Plan C was our final, last-ditch effort. Keep in mind that it was now 1:30 or 2:00, and guests would be arriving by 7. The house was clean, but not ready at all to host a few hundred people. In short order, Kristen, Taylor and I had relieved the house of all vestiges of Christmas. We also figured out where everyone would be situated (Beth and Rod welcoming people on the porch and Taylor and her pictures in the living room.) Then we found out the tent guys could come back and put up a tent on the driveway to basically extend the garage. Thank goodness we knew someone who had large panels of fabric to hang in the garage to hide everything (like shelves, a grill, ladders, was there even a lawnmower back there?) And thank goodness that either 1) Beth and Rod always have a clean garage or 2) they had previously cleaned it out just in case.

And before long, we had many hands to help set everything up, finish getting things cleaned up, and in general, just getting ready for the party.

We set up the food and drinks in the kitchen for people to get while on their way to the garage and tent.


And before we knew it, it was time to get ready for the party. The house was transformed.


We were ready for the party to start!

There were 3 different kinds of pie and ice cream. The pie that is closest in the picture below is black raspberry. That was definitely a favorite. The problem we encountered with serving it was that it wasn't set up. So as soon as I put it on the plate it would just puddle everywhere. So even though it didn't look very nice, I was told that it still tasted wonderful!


After guests left, Taylor opened her presents. Times have changed because when I graduated people gave actual presents. Now the vast majority is a card with money. It was still fun to see the goodies that Taylor got!


Below she is opening the present from my family - a purse I made for her. The surprise was that I gave it to her a month or two ago and she didn't realize that I took it back and wrapped it up.

One of the sweetest presents was from her former babysitter. Her babysitter and her daughter made Taylor a denim comforter and they gave her the cup that Taylor used every day when she was at their house. Like, it's the actual cup with Taylor's name on it! It was such a sweet gift - and Taylor was thrilled with it.


So maybe the graduation party didn't go quite as expected. But it turned out really nice in spite of the poor weather. And we had so much fun getting ready for it and helping at the actual party. And I think Taylor had a blast too!

Look Mommy!

Look Mommy - I have a pockek (that's Jesse-speak for pocket.)

Oh wait, I have 2 pockek's!


(Yes, one "pockek' is just his hand in his pants!)


Can you tell how proud he is that he figured this out all by himself?!?

Note to self: As much as I love our bright and sunny living room, I've got to remember to take pictures facing away from the windows! I do remember thinking that when I took these pictures but I was afraid if I tried to move Jesse, he would forget about his pockets and move on to the next thing and I wouldn't get a picture.

What we have been up to.

Well, a lot of time has been spent outside lately.



We've taken many wagon rides to and from the garden. Which is coming along quite nicely, I think! This row of lettuce and spinach has at least doubled in size from when I took the picture.
Last year was the first year that I was in charge of the garden instead of my mom. And I learned a lot. This year I'm doing better at knowing what to plant, what is a plant and what is a weed, and knowing that it's sooo much easier to keep weeds at bay if you just deal with them when they are tiny.

Meredith found baby kittens in the garden shed and had a day or two to play with them...before the mother cat moved them to a safer place. Meredith has been searching and searching for them at my parents house, but to no avail.


She was so thrilled with the 6 baby kittens (can you tell from the picture??) They were old enough that their eyes were open and she could hold them, but they were young enough to not yet be scared of humans.

More to come on what we've been up to...

Yes, I'm still here.

Well, it's been awhile, right?!? We are still computer-less, and since my parents came home from Sweden, we are no longer able to borrow (mooch) a computer from them. So I apologize for not blogging for FOREVER! We hope to get our computer back tonight. Or maybe tomorrow. Or at least this week sometime!

Until then, I'm stuck with only an iPod to connect me with the Internet at least when I'm home. (I check my email at work, but can't exactly take time to blog.)

And my fingers just aren't very fast when I type on the "keyboard" on the iPod!

So, short story long, I am still here, but am just biding my time until we get our computer back.

(Have I blogged before about my total love-HATE relationship with computers?)

from the sickie...

I've been sick since last Friday. And apart from this past year, I don't usually get sick. And when I do, it's just a day or two until I'm back on top of things.

But not this time. I have been sick since last Friday, and I just keep thinking that I have to get better soon.

I hadn't gone to the doctor because it takes 35-40 minutes to get to the doctor's office, and I would still have to take Jesse. In short, it's just a hassle to go. Especially if it's just for me (and not for my kids) and if all they will tell me is that I have a virus and I just need to take it easy and drink lots of fluids. I mean really, why do I need to go to all the trouble just to hear that?

Well, as it turns out, there is a reason that you go to the doctor!

So I have strep throat. And sinus infection.

Oh yeah, and my 2 main support systems (Kent and my parents) are both gone now.

Lest you think this is all just a sob story about poor me, I am well aware that it could be much worse, and that even though I'm sick and solely resposible for 2 young kids, there are many things to be happy about.

Like the fact that neither Meredith nor Jesse have shown signs of strep. Yet. The doctor looked at Jesse's throat, and it looked perfectly normal. But now I know to keep on the lookout and we'll be at the doctor as soon as I see anything.

Also, thank goodness that it's just strep and sinus infection. Both of which can be cleared up relatively easy with medication.

And I can't wait until the day when I can swallow without wincing...it's been awhile since that has happened!

And Kent will becoming home on Sunday. Yippee!

And my parents are not yet on their 3 month vacation, so they will be home from Sweden on Tuesday. (If you want to see what they are up to, go to their blog.) Yippee!

And finally, one of the best things is that now I know why I have been so tired and feeling so crummy. (Had Kent been home, I think I would have gone to bed at 7 every night.)

If I didn't know better, I would have thought that I was pregnant.

WHICH I'M NOT!!!

(Let's just squash that rumor before it even gets started...)

And now I have license to sit on the couch and watch tv all weekend long. Right?!?