Connor's 8th Birthday Party

Although I am suffering through my tonsillectomy I decided that we should have Connor's party this weekend. My thought was this; one Grandma and Grandpa have never lived in the same state as us and as a result never get to be here for big moments like birthday parties and first days of school (now this year they can say they were in attendance for both). Secondly if I wasn't feeling good I knew all my amazing friends would understand and instead of a big fun adult party would fling their kids out of a mostly stopped car and instead of hanging with us for a night of drinking and fun would instead have a quick happy hour date while we (and by we I mean the game truck) entertained their child.

This year we let Connor make the list of who he wanted to invite. He probably could have fit 25 kids in the game truck but he asked his 10 best friends to come. It was awesome, it was in Connor's words, A PERFECT DAY!

There were two girls invited, one was sick and the other got stung by a bee and had to leave before the pictures were taken.

 I only wish I had felt better so I could have kicked Grandpa's Butt at Mario Kart

 Serious

Funny

Fun Run

It was a beautiful day for the boys to run their school fundraiser fun run!

                                          Connor & Emma

                                         Connor & Lilah

                                         Mrs. Christensen's 2nd Grade Class. That is Connor in the front with the Trooper mask on.

Update Stair Rail Ballisters

Another example of less birch in our lives. We love the Colorado feel but these poor 90 ballisters were beat up and we were ready to see them go.

Blinking

It is so true what they say about "you blink and they are all grown up". I was talking to a first time school-ager Mom this morning and she was talking about how she is going to blink and her 3 year old is going to be in kindergarten. I still feel like Connor is in Kindergarten, it is just crazy how fast time is going by. Ray and I look at Ryan every day and see his toddler/baby/preschool face disappearing and him morphing into Connor. Yesterday I knew Ryan was in the shower but had to do a double take when I grabbed him towel as I could have sworn it was Connor stepping out.

 Soccer is back in full swing, Connor had his first tournament this season

 Ryan was given a sunflower seedling at the end of preschool and here it is, 7 feet tall

Back to school Movie night, we almost didn't go, but these are the memories I love and need to remember are important to us as a family

 One more piece of gold gone from this house

Hello 2017

Ryan got some new ski's. We might have accidentally left his last pair in the parking lot at Keystone last year. Oops. He has grown so much anyways he probably needed new ones. 

All Systems Go

We are running at 100% these days. School is going, soccer is going, Ray is traveling; this all means we are back in the rhythm of our daily routines.

Ry guy had the CUTEST little birthday party to date in his 6 years of living. We had his class come over, get to know each other, bounce in a bounce house and eat cupcakes. All the little siblings couldn't get enough of the two story tree house, which frankly was freaking me out!

 Ryan is doing morning Kindergarten and his teacher is exactly what you think of when you think of a  sweet Kindergarten teacher. He is LOVING it! Small class size, 17; (only 7 boys). He has found a girl named Bridget who likes to fish and hunt. He said he is considering marrying her, but he propossed to his current girl friend over a year ago at church so the dilemma for him is REAL.

Ryan lost his first tooth this weekend. Tooth Fairy gave him $5. He took that and his birthday money and went to Cabella's to buy a drone.

Tonsils

Read the post below this one as it is all my brain thoughts and what not. Two other quick things. Cynthia is pregnant. If you didn't know that, read her blog. It is listed to the right of these blogs under blogs I follow.

Secondly; Im getting my tonsils removed. AHHH. Why am I agreeing to this?
The reality is, my parents should have gotten them taken out when I was like 10. Strep throats ever year are getting old. Heard it is 14 days of HELL, but here we go.

Can you see that big white 6mm thing in the back of my mouth on my tonsils? and the smaller one above it starting to form? Yeah these are gross "tonsil stones" that have had skin form over them because they want to stay in my mouth forever. Good bye stones, good bye tonsils. Coming out a few days after we get back from Lindsay & Dan's wedding in September.

Boy Mom

Being a Boy Mom mostly means digging for worms, buying 10 gallon tanks to house toads from the pond in, telling fart jokes and wresting. Not a lot of "talk to me about how you are feeling" moments. Which for the most part I love! I hear stories from friends about how emotional girls are and how many times a day their daughter cries. I am happy I don't have "girl drama" but in these last few days leading up to the start of Ryan's first day of big kid school all I am is feelings and emotions. He will be an extremely old Kindergartener, turning 6 on his very first day of school. I know he mentally and emotionally is ready for school. It is me who is not ready for him to go.

Ryan is my tender hearted child. He is very literal, which means he is an extreme rule follower. If someone does the wrong thing he tells me. He is always stopping his play to run over and give me a hug or whisper an "I love you" in my ear. Ryan is a great listener, shopping companion, assistant chef, navigator, explorer and buddy. I'm going to miss our days together little dude.

Ryan; I hope that school enhances your compassion towards others, shows others your big heart and builds your confidents to take you far in your life journey!

What it all boils down to is this is a great next step for Ryan and I have to tell myself that it is great for me to. In reality what I see is him walking down the aisle with a super model and moving far away and never calling his dear old Mom again.  I know I know, I'm getting ahead of myself right? Kindergarten isn't high school, or moving off to college so it definitely isn't his wedding day right? My rational side knows this but my irrational brain can't see this. When the kissing hand or whatever that emotional good bye book was that Ms. Lee read on the first day of Connor's day and then showed the parents the door and said to get out of there Connor was reaching for a pencil and ready to conquer the world, no looking back. I'm sure Ryan will be the same way. By the first day of 1st Grade, Connor wouldn't even let me take a picture of him outside the school the first day. He also insisted that I wait in the car and not walk him down the sidewalk and across the street any more. He doesn't need me, I'm forgotten. Those snuggely days on the couch are about to end Mama. So I have to buck up right? My life as a MOP (mother of preschooler) is over.

I did start this spring a "tennis league" with a bunch of Mom's. We are now about to start a "golf league" this fall. I have to refigure out things I like to do that don't involve sidewalk chalk or science experiments. I can now listen to PodCasts and read steamy romance novels again. I'll have time to go to yoga and reconnect with old friends at coffee shops. I know these are all good things and will nourish my soul that has been depleted for the last 8 years while I was in the bottom of the pits raising two rambunctious boys. I know all this is good, its just hard when you have had one identity so long to start over in this new identity.

Ryan at soccer camp this week

Ryan pouting about me not letting him take a HUGE frog home from under a friends trampoline

Hiking Castlewood Canyon with Grandma & Grandpa this past weekend

The one who keeps me as sane as he can

End of Summer

Summer is almost over, I really can't believe it. I think it was the best summer yet. I am beyond grateful that I get to stay home with the boys and literally watch them grow before my eyes.

Today I went than ENT to look at a growth in my throat. Back in April I saw this thing growing on my tonsils. The little clinic told me "not to worry about it" then an ER Dr friend also said don't worry about it. So, I ignored it and frankly forgot about it. Then last week my throat was hurting so I got out a mirror and was shocked to see that "thing" was still there and had gotten much larger. It is a 6mm tonsil stone. Now a new one is growing behind it and because I ignored it for so long my body has grown skin around it and surgery is the only way to get rid of them. The ENT suggested that sense I need surgery to get those nasty things out I might as well get my tonsils out too. DANG IT. Not looking forward of two weeks of misery and weigh loss. My surgery is scheduled for September 26th.

Growing like weeds

Last night we had the boys weigh in. Connor was at 53lbs and Ryan 40lbs.

 Connor has golf camp this week, he is killing it! Chipped in a putt yesterday.

Who are these big kids? Connor was giving a little 2 inch sunflower on the last day of school, it is now taller than him. We are hoping it will bud to attract bees to the pumpkins to pollinate them.

Okoboji 2017

Another summer at the lake! This was my first time going in June. Honestly I was pretty worried that it was going to be horrible weather. We went so early as my Mom & Dad both had their 45th High School Class Reunions this month so they could go back and forth from the lake house to reunions.

The weather over all was good! It as nice not having to beg GLo to turn the AC on! Many first(s): first family golf trip in Okoboji (Connor did awesome), Connor was finally tall enough to ride "the legend" roller coaster at Arnolds Park. He loved it, did it 6 times that day. Ryan learned to ride his two wheeler. We all knew he could, he was just lacking confidence. The difference between C & R is that Ryan can't figure out how to slow down and STOP. So we have to run along side so that when he wants off we can rescue him. Oh goodness!

I'd say it was our best fishing year to day.

 Cousins are getting so big! Aiden, Connor, Logan, Ryan & Eli

Cynthia's baby bump popped out just in time for Boji

Celebrated 11 years married to this hunk!

Mom stayed in the boat, I'm not crazy

The house was in tip top shape and the flowers all looked marvelous