13 years!

13 years has come and gone so fast! I couldn't of asked for a better companion, plus he is a very sexy man! I feel like lately I have more love for this man that I married. I've worked hard at not taking him for granted, especially since I realize how short life can be and we don't know how long we have with those we love. Last week we had four airmen crash a c-17 while they were practicing for the airshow last weekend. Come to find out one of them lives in my neighborhood. I passed him often out washing his 4-wheelers and camper trailor. He had a wife and two young boys. My heart goes out to his family and I can't imagine the hardships she's going through right now and in the near future. I just want to hold on dearly to those I love so I know they are safe and sound, but that is not reality. You just have to live each day loving those around you!!

Happy Birthday to our big Austy!

Austin is now 8! Eight things about Aust:

1-He's definetly his own person...he's not persuaded by many people.
2-He loves lego's more than anything.
3-He is so sweet with animals and babies.
4-He is a great helper.
5-He loves soccor.
6-He always says thank you for everything. No matter what I feed him, he's thankful, or if he gets to do something fun...he let's you know he's thankful.
7-He loves to sing, loudly and crazy, if I can catch him!
8-He has the sweetest big brown eyes that melt you.

Happy Birthday to our big Aust!

Random writing...for journaling purposes

This summer I'm noticing that girls are "noticing" Hunter. A few in the neighborhood, a few at the pool, and at the parade today. The cute girl at the parade was handing out candy and she gave some to Austin, who of course had a grocery bag and was stealing it from the three years olds. Hunter wasn't and never really has been interested in a lot of sweets (who's child is he???), but this cute girl gave some to Austin and then seeked hunter out and gave him just one piece. I thought maybe she went to his school. So I asked, but no, he didn't know her. Great! I feel the mamma claws coming out with some of these girls and I'm sure that I'm not going to do well when he starts dating. Girls these days are a lot more aggressive than I remember being when I was younger.

Greg and a few of his partners are starting up a pedo clinic which opens in a few weeks. They have had the boys go over and help clean up and tape for painting. One of the times I was told that Austin flat out said no he didn't want to help when asked, which does surprise me a little, he's usually a pretty good helper. So I told him how hard he worked depended on his pay. So they went again yesturday and I told Aust that he should try to work his hardest and he said "That's exactly what I was thinking!" Wow! Good timing right? And when I picked him up he said he worked so hard. Cute kid!

The twins have a thing going where if one is crying and you tell him to calm down the other will say "I not cryin mama!" They do this for everything! When the older boys aren't home I have to lock their room or the twins will play with lego's for hours, destroying all the creative stuff the boys have made. They want to ride their bigwheels all day! Our house is in a culdesac which goes onto a dead end street. In each direction is a gradual hill. They will ride their big wheels up and down it all day if I let them. Peyton loves to go fast and his face is so funny when he goes fast.

We went on a big bike ride over the 4th with some friends. We all have bikes and the twins just get pulled in the Chariot. We went about 24 miles round trip. The whole way Austin is saying are we turning around yet, are we turning around yet, etc...When we finally decided to turn around Greg labeled him a "horse". If you've ever gone horse back riding you know that the horse has a sense when you are heading back and they go faster. They are more determined. That was Austin. He just took off when we said we were going back and we didn't catch him for a good 5-6 miles.

Hat's off to Robyn! Myself, Robyn and Bobbi went on a bike ride this morning. We parked and then rode next to the freeway from the Eagle River exit south to the Hiland exit, which if you are familiar with that area you know it crosses the river and goes up, up, up! Then we went around the loop, past walmart, past skyline drive and to the North ER exit and back to the middle ER exit. It has some pretty consistent hills. Robyn has a pretty cool road bike that makes me have to pedal twice as hard to normally keep up with her. But she was falling behind. At the top of one of the hills she stopped and said something must be wrong with her bike. We were checking it out and sure enough...the gears on the left side of her bike were on the hardest, but she couldn't remember which one was easy or hard. She never got off and walked she just kept pushing through. That's what I love about Robyn...she never gives up!!

I've been really bad about taking pictures so that's why it's all just writing!

Funny Story!

Thursday night Greg and I were out on a well-needed date. On our way home Hunter calls and says that a squirrel opened the front door and ran into our house. So, he had to catch it. He got a net that we used for catching little fishy's at the beach. He must've had a lot of 10-year old adrenaline and hit it when he was catching it, because it had a bloody nose. Don't worry the squirrel is fine. We thought for sure he was teasing us. He even took a picture of it on his phone and sent it to us. We thought that our newest neighbor, Randy (and also friends of ours), put him up to it. Nope. Hunter caught the squirrel and Greg held it and made sure it was going to survive. It did and escaped the plastic box the next morning.

Greg took Hunter river rafting on the Eagle River last week. He is taking Austin this week.

Group effort putting together twins gift.

Thanks aunt Larissa for the money...we bought these Diego's with it!

Peyton was told not to touch the cupcakes on the counter. I turn my back and see what happens?

Spiderman, buzz jackets, buzz chairs, buzz and his gang...thanks all for a great birthday!!

Blowing out candles.

So happy it's my birthday!

This is their birthday cake..easy and simple! Of course they snuck up on the counter and started playing with the toys!!

This is the raccoon hat the g-pa Harr sent us. He also sent pop guns that make a lot of noise!!

Myrtle Beach, SC

So the past few weeks I've been in Myrtle Beach with my family. The first week was supposed to be a "sister's" retreat, but only myself and my youngest sister was able to make it out of our family. Well, also my mom and dad, they drive their 5th wheel there and stay for a few months. So we thought we were going to have this relaxing week with just our small children (hunter and austin came later with greg). What were we thinking? We had four children under the age of 5...it was not relaxing, but fun to spend some time with my sister and the boys spending time with cousins they barely knew. It was fun when Greg came with the boys because they also got to spend time with some cousins. Out of ten kids only four of us made the trip. We only do it every three years and I missed last trip because I was delivering the twins. But my oldest sister Larissa, her husband Brian, daughters Gentri and Brileigh, and Brian's mother-in-law and her friend came. My brother Russ and his wife Susan, and their two sons Boston and Phoenix came. And my youngest sister, Jessica and her husband Kelly came with their two kids, Adde and Ezra. It was a fun time and I am glad to spend some time with some of my siblings.

We did some fun things. One of the days we decided to go and visit a rice plantation home. I love the old history. Greg and all the other husbands opted to stay and babysit the kids. The place was beautiful and full of history.

We also took the kids to see "Legends". It's where singers impersonate legend singers. We've seen it before, but this time we thought it would be fun to take the boys. They did love it. Hunter had a few of the people sign his shirt after. They had a Michael Jackson impersonator and you would've thought it was really him. This person did such a great job. Actually, all of them did a great job.

The last pictures on the slide are of my garage. We had a friend acid wash our garage floor and I had no idea what I was going to come home to. I am very impressed with how it turned out that I had to post a picture.

Can you believe we're three?!?

Ryder and Peyton turned three today. It seems to have gone by so fast. Happy Birthday, boys!

Am I a Bad Mom?

So I am just sitting here thinking how great it is that there is no noise around me and I can blog for a minute. As much as I love my kids, and obviously wouldn't have it any other way, I sometimes day dream of those days that are long gone...days that are just about ME! The excitement of Greg picking me up on a date, or the thought of when would I see him again. Or going out with my girlfriends with no guilt of leaving the kids and husband. Or my mother taking care of me. Or if I wanted to read ALL day long, I could. Or if I didn't want to be found, no one would try. Is this all bad of me? It's almost like confession time right now!

When I was little I just knew I wanted to be a mother more than anything in this world, but sometimes I wonder if I am cut out to have that much patience...and my kids aren't even teenagers yet! Now the last day of school is upon us and my boys will all be at home. Should I pray for patience? No, I probably won't...last time I did that I was tested to the max!

I do need to add a little blurb about Hunter, my 10 1/2 year old. He is a very loving boy, usually very mature for his age and I forget he is 10. Well, yesturday as he came home from school he was making a whole lot of noise. So I told him to please not make so much noise because the twins were asleep. But the noise continued and it kinda ticked me off that he would ignore me. So this time I was just a tad bit less and asked why he would ignore me and make so much noise. He blew up at me and told me that he didn't mean to. Doesn't he know that all I needed to hear was that the first time? No he doesn't know this yet, because he is a man child. So I send him to his bed, because obviously this behavior requires that he needs a nap. Then our neighbor came by and needed his help. I said only if you change his attitude. Sure enough, he came back from helping and he gave me a big hug and said he was sorry. Times like these are what makes it all worth it. Or when the twins call out to me "mama, where are you?" Just their sweet voices make me happy. Or when big Aust wants to do FHE and has us all write down nice things we are going to do to be like Jesus...and then all week he actually does it.

Anyway, life goes on and the reality of it is that I am a mother to four sweet boys and I wouldn't change it no matter what! Plus, I still love my jr/high school sweet heart...it can't get better than that, can it?

Puna Laii

Greg had met his dad in Hawaii during the week that we closed on our house in AK. Greg loves to vacation, infact he has multiple personalities. Greg on vacation and Greg in the real world. I love both of them. Greg in the real world finds any excuse to become Greg on vacation. While in Hawaii his dad took some pictures of the home we have there. So I am posting them. Here are a few things that I didn't know about Hawaii until recently.

1) The Big Island, Hawaii, consists of two totally different climates. Lush, green and absolutely breath-taking. The other climate is very, very dry and desert like. But within 20 minutes from where we bought you can have either climate.

2) There are signs all over for donkey's. Appartently there are wild donkeys. I wonder how wild they are? I got a good laugh everytime I saw the caution sign for them.

3) On top of Mount Kilolea (I am not sure of the spelling) is one of the world's largest telescopes. It looks like you are on the moon when you get to the top. I posted some pictures earlier of me by one of the telescopes. It kinda looks like the ball when you enter Epcot Center in DW. There is a little lake at the top that is very unusual. It snows at the top, but only stays for a little while. The sun melts any sort of water except this little lake. So what feeds it? It can't be something above it because you are on the top of the world. They say it is still water from the Ice Age that is keeping the lake around. Pretty cool.

4) The Ironman takes place on this island. They always have re-runs of it on TV and these people are amazing. I always have a tear or two after I watch it. It will be inspiring to take my kids to watch it one day.

5) There are "real" cowboys in Hawaii. All sorts of people that raise cattle and ride horses. I didn't realize this.

6) There are all sorts of legends linked to the Hawaiian people. The one that I love is about a king that wants to prove how tuff he is so he carries this huge bolder around everywhere he goes. There is a bolder on the side of the road claiming to be "the bolder". It has a sign there and everything. So FUNNY!

7) This is the only island that still has an active volcanoe. You can actually see the steam and lava flowing from it. Because of this, the island can still grow. Hawaii is the baby of all the islands.

It will be fun to bring the boys next year. My plan is to go and stay a month in the summer while Greg is working...so if you feel like you want to come and visit, let me know.


This flower is from the lemon/lime trees. Funny story. While we were there Greg was on the phone with Larry, his friend/buisness partner we bought the house with, and he told me to go and start pruning the fruit trees because the fruit was weighing the branches down. So I got the wheelbarrow and started picking the big fruit, which looked like overgrown limes. When I was just about to the last tree, with a full wheelbarrow, Greg was off the phone and said I had picked the wrong stuff. I picked the lemons that were going to be ripe soon. He wanted me to pick the fruit that was just starting to grow on the tree. Oops! Maybe he shouldn't have been on the phone!!

This is a poinsetta flower growing in the garden. Since the house is on the dryer side of the island we have no grass, just gardens. Thanks to Larry who loves to do this kind of stuff, the yard is very beautiful.

This is not the house...it is the view from the back yard. The house is in a gated community and one of the perks they offer is a horse stable. If you have horses you can board them here. Also there is a gym down in the building.

This is the lanai in the back of the house. It wraps around the whole back deck. Around the corner is a more private area that has an outdoor shower. That was fun.

This is the front of the house...and yes that awesome truck is ours. Someone that our realtor knew was selling everything he owned and leaving Hawaii. So we bargained with him and furnished the whole house, plus a truck, plus tools and gardening equipment and beach stuff. There is no way we could've purchased all the stuff we got for the price he basically "gave" it to us.

Ahhhhhhhh...nothing like brotherly love!

So what do you think happens when I leave two little boys in my room to watch TV while I get some work done around the house? They were very quiet for a while, then I heard them coming down the stairs. So I went to see what was up. They had done a makeup job on each other. It was so great. But hey, they didn't get any on the carpet or the walls.




Then a little later that day they are downstairs playing and I hear them fighting, but they fight a lot and I usually let them work it out. There was lot's of crying along with the fighting. Then it was quiet. Then it starts back up, but I hear my friends (Robyn) little boy screaming also. So I go downstairs. Ryder is looking very guilty, Mason is holding his head and screaming, and Peyton is riding the rocking horse with blood all over him. He just says, "hey, mom" when I come into the room. I think Ryder went on a hitting frenzy. Mason couldn't stomach the blood. He was crying from getting hit, but then he would look at Peyton and gag. Again brotherly love.

Just had to throw this statement into the mix. As I was downloading pictures I see Ryder stuffing his pockets full of labels from the file cabinet. When I look at him he says "Nossing", holds his pocket and walks off. What am I in for?

SURPRISE!

The end of march I turned a year older. Birthday's are just another day. Infact I had to go and get my teeth cleaned on this day, then go to lunch with my hubby afterward. A few days before, I was trying to find a sitter for the twins so I could get my teeth cleaned. I asked one of my friends, Bobbi, whom delayed in answering me. When she did answer me she says that she can't watch them, but another friend, Robyn, will watch them. I thought how sweet of her to find a sitter for me...I know I have amazing friends though, right. Well, it gets better. Robyn picks me up because she is heading to Cathie's house for lunch. That way the four little boys can play together and Robyn would pick me up after. Cathie lives just around the corner from Greg's office, so this did not seem the least bit strange to me.

When I am getting out of Robyn's car I was going to leave my purse because it had diapers and sippy cups in it. She was very pushy about me taking my purse and leaving the twins stuff. Before she drops me at Greg's office I get a call from Greg saying that we need to drop his partner and wife off at the airport before we go to lunch. I was a little bummed because he only took an hour off for lunch and that would cut into that time. Selfish me. So she drops me at Greg's office and I sign in, just as I do when I am getting work done on my teeth. I take Greg's diet coke back to his office and he is in normal everyday clothes. I only think for one second that this is odd. Then Greg tells me that he canceled my cleaning appointment and we have to go now to take Larry to the airport. So we get to the airport. I stay in the car. Everyone else gets out. Greg says "hey Melinda you need to come and help them get their luggage." I was thinking that they only had a couple of things, why would they need my help. But I get out to help. I notice that they have all the same things we have. They have the same pillow cases and make-up bag and carry-on. I even tell them that they have the same stuff we have. That did hit me strange. Then I realized something strange was going on. Greg says "Do you want to go to Hawaii with them?" I was shocked. Of course I did, but I have four kids at home to care for. He assured me that it was all okay and the boys all had places to go. He even had a list of where they would be at different times (thank you Robyn). With five AMAZING friends my boys were well taken care of. Thank you so much to Robyn, Bobbi, Cathie, Nichole and Katie. They all knew about Greg taking me for a week or so and didn't even hint to me. They even lied a little, (bobbi).

So of course I had to forget about everything that I left at home, clothes still in the washer, a repairman coming for my stove. I had so much fun with Greg in Hawaii. I finally got to see and stay in the house that we purchased. It is in Kona, so we had to hop a smaller plane to get to the island of Hawaii. We did so much fun things. Saw a few different beaches. Saw a beached whale. Hiked (in flip-flops). Shopped for the Hawaii house and went on long drives all over the island. We also had to do a little clothes shopping for myself since Greg only packed a few swimsuits and my make-up bag.

I must say that this was the best birthday ever! And I thought I saw him hiding my birthday present at Robyn's house! Silly me!!