Wordless Wednesday

A beautiful bride

This is a former student and teaching assistant of mine, Megan. (She was the lucky lady who agreed to tag along to my sisters wedding to help with our three kids last summer). Her wedding took place on Saturday (a hot, windy, and beautifully cloudless day) and my gift to her was to photograph her big day. Congratulations Megan and Chris! May God Bless you with many years of marital bliss!

Flashback Friday

OBX in 2006 (preggers with Nick)

OBX in 2007 (preggers with Kate)

We are looking forward to OBX in late summer of 2010....I can't believe Kate will be older than Jonathan was the last time we went (and I'm not pregnant...Please Lord). Crazy to think. Check out the digs this year: http://www.tourimaging.com/vt/OceanEasy/

If you want a great affordable family vacation...go to the OBX OFF SEASON. (Now....if only if only that nasty oil will stay south).

My goal: No binky's, no diapers, no pack-n-plays, no whining (ha)...just three semi-grown-up kids.

Summer Evenings

When we are not here....

in our own modest backyard paradise.

We are here (at the Liberty Community Center just down the street). We've been spending a lot of evenings here after daddy gets home from work and dinner is finished. With two large pools (one indoor and one out) and two small, it keeps the kids entertained for quite some time...and they sleep hard after (isn't the really the goal of all evening outings?).

One Fish, Two Fish

Relapse!

Yep...I've relapsed. I've found my way back to the 4-5 day habit and have decided, moderation is apparently a loose vocabulary term. So.......the Dr. and I are taking a break again. Instead of 6 weeks for Lent, I'm going for 3 1/2 months. Pray for me.

I start an official training program for the Chicago Marathon (flight & hotel are officially booked) next week and have decided there is no better way to celebrate a finish (and hopefully a Boston Marathon qualification) than with a ice cold Dr. Pepper in hand.

I'm on day two.
I have a headache.
Mommy's grumpy.


*Did you know that I am such a fanatic that I visited the Dr. Pepper Museum in Waco, TX in college? Who does that? (It was REALLY cool)

Father's Day/Birthday Celebration Sunday

We celebrated two birthday's (my own and my grandfather's) & Father's Day today. Here are a few pictures from our fabulous day.

Happy Birthday (88th) Grandpa. I love that my family was a part of your special day for the third year in a row.

Happy Father's Day Dad. I love you too! Thanks for always being there!

******************************************************************************

So why do we love our own Daddy so?

The words to tell a dad how special he is can be hard to find. Father's day is a beautiful reminder that we need to appreciate our fathers and express to them that we love them. I knew the moment I really fell in love with Jason that he would be an amazing dad. My children are so fortunate to be loved and adored by a man who has so many wonderful attributes.

He lays down clear rules and guidelines for his children's behavior; he praises them when they follow those rules, corrects them when they disregard them, and sticks to his guns even when it may be inconvenient (ya know....late in the evenings when you just want to end your day with a little peace and quiet and the temptation to give in to any demand is always present). He doesn't let his emotions get the better of him when dealing with his children; and always humbly admits it and apologizes when he does. He sets aside special "Daddy and Me" time for his kids, and frees up his wife so she can go get a pedicure or have quiet time to read or whatever she needs to sometimes keep her own sanity. He's not afraid to show emotion, or to be goofy and get down to his children's level during playtime. He doesn't talk down to his children or patronize them. He understands that his children will rise to his level of expectation for them. He takes equal responsibility for changing dirty diapers, giving them their baths, and reading to them at bedtime...among numerous other things most average dad's don't do.

He is.....an amazing dad to three amazing kids.

Goin' for a dip.

Those of you who have known me since childhood know I was OBSESSED with Barbies. For several years into adulthood, my sis Katie, would buy me one for Christmas & Birthday's as a joke. I am now the proud owner of a LARGE bin of Barbie's still in their packages. Today, I dug through the bin and found this gal and Kate oooooo'd and awed and immediately took her swimming. Ah, the life of "Baaaaabeeeeeeeeee". She's got it so good.

So where we have we been?

My mom informed me that I have grossly neglected the blog. So, I'm sorta blog purging tonight...much like my children have been doing in reality several times over the last few weeks (and no...I have no photos of that...sorry dad).

The other excuses include the conclusion of my semester online student courses and the commencement of summer online courses; along with...well, SUMMER. When not sick, we are outside, at the pool, or the park....enjoying capri suns and popsicles. Neglecting any assemblence of a schedule. We wear the aroma of sublock and bug spray and we wear it quite well. So.....here's to a binge and purge of the last week and a half:

He's still smitten.

Yes, yes...like any two year old in general, she's full of spitfire at times, but boy does she have her daddy wrapped around her little pudgy fingers. I can't help but be warmed by moments like these. She's one lucky lady.

A VERY SPECIAL GAME

What a blessing and honor to have this amazing man still be a part of our lives and the lives of my children. I think my dad wrote it best...the story of this very special game! So here is what he wrote in Monday's column in the Clinton newspaper:

Friday evening, across from the grounds of the Ford Plant in Claycomo, there were four generations of family members present to view Jonathan Kazmaier, 4, play in a T-ball League game. The most senior family member on hand, Great-Grandfather W.T. MacCarthy, 88, began playing baseball in the late 1920's as a youngster in Massachusetts, competed all through high school and went on to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, on a football and baseball scholarship where he graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering in the early 1940's. This was just in time for WWII. Now a resident of Villa Ventura located on Wornall Road in Kansas City after a career as an internationally recognized Wind Tunnel Engineer and consultant with Conviar, General Dynamics and Boeing, this gentleman knows more about the techniques and history of baseball than probably the accumulated knowledge of the rest of us who were present for Friday's game. And, as is his custom, he wore a Boston Red Sox baseball cap. Also on hand were grandparents, parents and Jonathan's brother, Nicholas, 3, and sister Kate, 2.

The United Auto Workers Baseball Complex itself was well manicured and maintained. Only American made vehicles were permitted to park on the lot. Those of foreign manufacture had to be situated on the lot of a bank just down the highway. Hey...point made. There was a definite family atmosphere to the T-Ball game with sets of parents, grandparents, youngsters and other relatives on hand in the stands and along with area in folding and sling-type chairs. It was humid but there was a nice breeze in the area. The younger children, of course, played in the area while their brothers and sisters enjoyed T-Ball as the adults behind home plate viewed the baseball action itself. It was interesting to watch the parents running the T-Ball game. The game was patiently emphasized through sportsmanship, proper batting techniques, fielding, running, stance and rudimentary outline of regulations...although fun trumped the rules at all times. It was apparent many parents, since the game began at 6 p.m., had shortly before gotten off work, made a flying journey home, changed clothes, packed the kids in their vehicle and made the baseball field just in time for the start of the game. Even if you raised youngsters long ago..doesn't this sound familiar?

With two teams present, the game lasted about 1 hour and 25 or so minutes. Every youngster had their chance to bat and positions were switched from time-to-time. Jonathan acquitted himself well in the eyes of his great-grandfather who had to be thinking of baseball games when he was a youngster in the 1920's and 30's with his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles present to watch him play. "Grandpa Mac" continued his affiliation with baseball through coaching in youth leagues, particularly in San Diego, for many years. And it was through this affiliation, at the end of the T-Ball game, he suddenly turned and rattled off the t-shirt numbers of some 8 of the players who he felt already understood the game, even though this was only the second one scheduled for the youngsters. He also allowed he had hoped to see his grandchildren one day but never, in his imaginings, believed the opportunity to watch a great-grandchild play T-Ball would one day be presented to him on a June evening in 2010.

Summer Adventure!

Jonathan has been attending a 3 1/2 week long Summer Adventure Program at his new Elementary School in preparation for Kindergarten this fall. This boy LOVES school...even though he's up earlier to rise than normal, he's rearing to go by 8:00am and hurriedly tells me about his day when I pick him up at 3pm. Today his teacher, Mrs. Sneed, told me that Jonathan had such a great day and was twice recognized for setting a good example. He was able to pick something out of the treasure box (an orange sucker) and had the privilege to take one of the school's walkie talkies to the main office. (Not to terribly exciting for any adult, but he was soooooo proud of himself!). And as any parent would, we are proud to receive such good news!
First Few Days of Summer School Down!
This is a great group of kids! We are having so much fun!
We have been working on our name, building up hand muscles, and learning about farm animals.
We have also been practicing what a kindergartener does and how a kindergartener learns
Enjoy a few pictures of our day!

THANK YOU!! Mrs. Sneed

Addictions are genetic.

It's genetic.

I truly believe it.

Don't believe me?

Daddy introduced Jonathan to the Star Wars Lego Wii Game. He's hooked. He independently began playing for hours. We had to set some limits. We now have a new 8pm to 9pm rule.

(with some fine print disclaimer that doesn't apparently apply to daddy)

Summer Lovin'

While Jonathan enjoys Summer Adventure...Kate and Nick have been enjoying our own little backyard oasis. My two little fishes! (We have ventured out to the Community Center pool a couple of times....and whew, what a difference a year makes in not being petrified to be alone with all three around water). It's shaping up to be a great wet summer.

Another year older...another year wiser.

I thought that was true....but this parenting thing sometimes sucks the braincells right out of me. I'm so scatterbrained keeping up with it all! Sincerely. Almost forgot my own birthday.

Anyway....thanks Jason, for never making my birthday a dull day! Sleeping in, breakfast in bed, and day with my babies topped of with my favorite cake on which all of my kids blew out one candle each after a loud 2, 3 & 4 year old rendition of "Happy Birthday". Does it get any better than that?