- Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of [SO MUCH] Happiness -

I had no idea when I married into this family ~10 years ago that the 4th of July holiday would be basically equivalent to the excitement and chaos of Christmas...

...but here we are a decade in, and I'm finally settling into the fact that it's a perfectly normal sighting for me to find my husband on the couch in November/December, watching YouTube videos of other people's firework shows so as to begin planning improvements for his backyard party/firework show the following July.  Annnnnnd I digress.

On the eve of the hallowed family party, we were invited to the neighbors' new lake house to kick off the holiday weekend celebrations!

And then... THE BIG DAY FINALLY ARRIVED! #familyfunforeveryone

Super J enjoyed her first 4th but thankfully drifted off to sleep in Grammy's arms inside before the fireworks began!

After lighting up the sky on the 3rd and highlighting it alllllll on VIDEO HERE, we spent the actual 4th on the lake with my parents and their pontoon! The big kids loved their first boat ride of the year, and Super J loved her first boat ride ever [but she wasn't too sure of the lifejacket that really restricted her neck and definitely enjoyed getting a nice break/breather from it every time the boat was not underway]!

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of [SO MUCH] happiness....... So thankful for the gift of our freedom! 

 

Happy 4th of July!!!

- Growing Butterflies: ROUND 2 -

After a very successful session season of caterpillar raising/butterfly growing during the initial COVID lockdown of spring 2020,  we decided to take another stab at it this spring!  Scarlett was so excited to watch the process more intently this time [she was a fresh 2 years old in spring 2020!] and be able to "narrate" some of the vlogs for our followers [AKA a small group of very charitable family members who pretend to be ever-so-interested in even the smallest of small of updates!].

 

TBH, even though this was definitely a STEM activity for the kids, I was just as amazed at the beauty and perfection of nature and all of God's designs! The process of metamorphosis is truly miraculous, and it is sooo awesome to see the transformation of these caterpillars during their month inside the cup!  Needless to say, if you're a middle-aged adult like me and want to order a cup of these critters for yourself, I would not judge you even a tiny bit! ;) :)

 

 

 While we waited for the chrysalides to hatch, we stayed busy with crafts:

And AFTER they hatched, Scarlett was diligent about feeding them [with a sugar-saturated cotton ball!] each day: 

And thennnnn....what time is it, you say?!?  FLY HIGH DAY!  After not quite a month in total of feeding/growing/watching our caterpillar-turned-butterfly friends, we released them into their natural habitat!  A couple of them really stuck around for a while and the girls were able to hold and hang out with them before they fluttered away for good! :)

Don't be strangers, little friends...our back yard is always ready for visitors!!! :)

 

- Father's Day 2022 -

Happy Father's Day to these men who love us so well! 

 

BLESSED WITH THE BEST! <3

- Bonifest 2022 -

It's one of the best weekends of the year...YAYAYAY, Bonifest is here!!!  After marshalling a corner during the Run for Bonifest [complete with cowbell ringing and excited cheering for all the runners passing by]...

 

...we retreated home for quick naps for all... 

 

...and plucked Daddy away from his golf tournament so we could all head back to the party of the summer!  Food/drinks, rides, and live music....?! DON'T MIND IF WE DO! :D

 

 

 Juliette was THE BEST trooper for going along with our crazy amidst the heat and noise.

 

 

And! The magic doesn't die when the actual night is over; there were nugget carnival rides for all the kids and stuffed animals in the house for days to come! 

Until next year... :-*

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XXXV -

On the way home from school:
Harper:  "Mom, why did the chicken cross the road?"
Me:  "Hmmmmm, I don't know!"
Harper:  "You have to guess!"
Me:  "To get to the other side?"
Harper:  "No!  ...To lay its eggs in its nest!"
Me:  .....

Still on the way home from school, while attempting to explain everyone's last names:
Me:  "....So if you marry _____, then your last name would be _____.  Or if you marry _____, then your last name would be _____."
Harper:  "But MOMMM, I can't marry ANY of those boys in my class!"
Me:  "Why not?!"
Harper:  "Because!  They are all my age!"
Me: "Oh... Well what's wrong with that?  You planning on marrying an older boy?!"
Harper:  "Yes.  Of course!  So then they'll be really tall and can reach high things for me."
Me:  .....

As a falcon was flying by:
"WHOA!!! MOM!  I just saw a huge bald eagle fly by the side of the house!"

While getting ready for bed:
"Mom, can you wake me up tomorrow really early before you leave for work so I can get all ready and surprise Daddy?  Because he'll be busy taking care of all the other children in the morning."

While overhearing a conversation Brian and I were having in the kitchen about someone who died:
Scarlett:  "Hawpa, what does 'passed away' mean?"
Harper:  "Like...past?  Like in the olden days and stuff?  OH, passed away.  Well, actually...'passed away' is another word for DIED, because that person they're talking about went up to Heaven and died."
Scarlett:  "Oh."

 

 

While Brian was wiring up 20 remote boxes for his fireworks show:
"When will Daddy ever take a break on the 4th of July just to watch the fireworks?"

At Scarlett's birthday as she was unboxing a shiny new [knock-off] American Girl doll:
"I want an American Girl doll like Scarlett because every time I play now I just feel like I always have to take care of littler baby dolls."

 

As Juliette was screaming her head off while we were getting gas:
"Juliette!  You just need to wait a little bit more patiently, ok?  Because we need to get gas, or else we'll have to get a tow truck to take us home!"

A few months after the Winter Olympics finished:
Harper:  "Are you going to be in the Olympics when you grow up, Scarlett?"
Scarlett:  "Yeah.  Are you?"
Harper:  "Yeah.  What are you gonna do?"
Scarlett:  "I'm gonna do 'dat ting [thing] where they go around 'da cones.  And tap dance!"
Harper:  "Oh!  That's nice!  I'm gonna do gymnastics!  I think it will be nice to win a medal for the United States."
Scarlett:  "Yeah. Pob-ee [probably] so."

While unknowingly walking into the bathroom where an unnamed family member was going #2:
Harper:  *shout yelling* "POO! IT SMELLS LIKE POOP IN HERE!"

After spending the afternoon at her friend's house:
Harper:  "Mom, what's my trouble name?"
Me:  "Your what?"
Harper:  "Like the name you're supposed to use for me when I get in trouble!"

Randomly:
"Mom, has your period ever bleeded?"

On the way home from school:
Harper:  "It was so hot at school today that my legs turned red!  .....And you're probably about to start getting sunburns!"
Me:  "Oh, yeah?  Why?"
Harper:  "Because!  You're always trying to get a suntan and instead you get a sunburn!"
Me:  .....

After passing a homeless woman and her three kids at a stoplight in town:
"Why would she stand there and ask us for food when she could just ask a farmer for one of his tomatoes or something?"

One evening as we were watching a Disney movie:
Harper:  "Ok, Juliette, let me tell you a story.  Once there was two parents who loved to look at their phones and sleep a lot."
Brian:  "That sounds like your parents!"
Harper:  "Yeah!  I'm telling her a story about you two nut jobs!"
Brian, me:  .....