new babies covered!

I have been blessed recently with many friends with new babies. These are my favorite kind if babies. Babies I can hold and kiss and snuggle. Babies I even babysit on occasion. Babies I DON'T have to get up with in the middle of the night! The neighbor across the street had a sweet baby girl last Monday...8 lbs 15oz and cheeks I want to each for lunch! I had the fabric for these blankets and burpies, and a few were in various stages of being done. I had a blissful day at home on Friday and managed to FINISH all of the ones slated. I still have a few yet to begin, but for now, having 4 done was a pretty big accomplishment.

cutie patootie

Could this be the cutest pregnant person EVER! I think so. We share the same DNA, but I never looked that good pregnant. Its hard for me to see my baby sister getting ready to have her own baby. I keep thinking of how many times I did her hair before school, how she would rag tag along behind Ben and I, and how she has been the best aunt ever. I know she will be an amazing mom. I feel very blessed that God graced me with a sister like Kerry. I have amazing friends, but there will never be anyone like her...my sister.

happy birthday small boy

I can't believe he's four. It just can't be right. He has officially graduated from being a toddler. No more bottles, diapers, and spitup for the Wise family. A little sad if you ask me. Parker has turned into this sensitive, intuitive, active little man. He loves to play with his "guys" trains, and coloring books. And lucky for me, he still loves to cuddle up in a big chair with his mama to read a book. I keep telling him he's such a big boy these days. A few days ago he looked back at me and said, "I'm still just a small boy mama". And that's just fine with me. The baby days are over, but this sweet little blonde guy can be my "small boy" for a few more years.

footie jammies

Oh how I love the boy in footie jammies! There was just enough of a nip in the air to break in the new pair of footies! There is just something about a little guy dragging his feet across the kitchen floor to hear that shhh..shhhh...shhhh sound. It means the beginning of cool nights and soft blankets and hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows. It means curling up with a good book and a warm blanket ( and most of the time a warm kiddo or two). I know there will be a few warm days left, but what a cute preview of things to come!

lists

I can't even begin to tell you how many lists I have going right now!

I have my list for MOPS tomorrow (Mother's of Preschoolers).
1. Set up
2. Finish baby gifts
3. Label nametags posts

My list for Convention:
1. Pack
2. Make business cards
3. Put together gifts for Council

My list for my family:
1. Make list for week of events
2. Do laundry
3. Clean house
4. Kiss kids

Why does it seem that when you go out of town for a few days, you have to plan it for months in advance? This is a full force operation here! I have forgotten things on each of the lists already, and I have my normal everyday list as well. Oh to have a life without a list for only a day!

project runway

I have to confess an obsession. I LOVE Project Runway. I am not a big reality TV watcher, and I am certainly not a fashionista. I am, however, addicted to this show. The characters are creative and hilarious. Tim Gunn and his "make it work". Heidi Klum, anyone with the name Heidi can't be half bad. I had to replace West Wing on Wednesday nights with something. Who knew it would be a silk lined, chartruse draped, ridiculous show like this! Pure entertainment.

kitchen debate

This is a picture of our new kitchen color. I had a hard time getting an accurate picture of the color. It is actually more green. I LOVE it! Will has mixed feelings. I will try to post a pic of a larger space later! What do you all think?!

when pipe cleaner crafts go horribly wrong

Pipe cleaners. The staple art supply of any good and crafty mom. They foster imagination. The kids were making dolls and hats and dogs and cats and all other manor of beings. Parker was so proud of his heart balloon (made with a pipe cleaner bent into a heart shape ... sorta...he is 3...and another as the string) he had to show me up close. I went from reveling in the brilliance of my creative geniuses to writhing in pain. Little man actually poked me in the eye with the pointed end of the pipe cleaner...making sure I saw how perfectly brilliant he was. I'm positive I scared the crud out of the poor little guy. To make a very long and very dramatic story that spanned across several days and included the incompetence of a Walgreens pharmacy employee short, I scratched my cornea and have been paying for it ever since. I showed up for church today looking a little glazed. The one eye looked a little lazy and not just a little like I had a few too many the night before. All is well now. The eye drops have worked and I am pretty sure that I have not crushed my child's creative spirit. I did however, throw away ALL of the pipe cleaners in the house (and my mom's house as well...did I mention this all happened in Wichita... while Will was working nights in T-town... fun drive). We are a strictly crayon and playdoh family now.

keep with me

Trying to find some new options for my header. Wish me luck and enjoy the snapdragons from my garden!

i'm dreaming of a white christmas...

The air is cold, Christmas is near, the gifts, the activities ... wait ... never mind. It is still August isn't it? I may well be, but we started our fall and Christmas festivities this week. Nutcracker Auditions. We had a quiet summer of fun and traveling. The quiet is gone from the Wise household. With school is full swing, Sunday School starting back up, dance lessons, and Nutcracker, we may never have a quiet moment again! I wouldn't have it any other way! Abby has ambitions of playing a child in the party scene, while Morgan wants to be a mouse this year (those are supposed to me mouse hands in the picture). We will know in a few weeks. The sun is shining, my grass is still green, and the flowers are still in bloom. Not quite Christmas yet, but we are well on our way now.

nostalgia

Isn't this one of the cutest babies ever? Look at those round cheeks, tiny hands, and dark hair. Aside from my own perfect trio, this baby is one of my favorites. This pic is circa 1979. I was messing around with some of the old slides my folks took when we were little today, and kept coming back to this one. My sister Kerry was one of the most beautiful babies ever. I can't help but wonder if this is what her little one will look like. Reflecting on the three of us growing up, and watching my three grow has been amazing. I cherish the relationship I have with my brother and sister (although you couldn't have told me that 20 years ago). i also praise my parents for managing three lively kiddos all those years. I am getting my taste of the chaos of three right now! What pulls me through is the gift we have in each other. Thanks Mom and Dad for not stopping with perfection (hee hee). I don't know what I would do without them.

finally

I swear I forgot what was rain was like! Topeka has been in some magic bubble recently with all of the percipitaion moving just to the north or south. I mean really, look at my lawn. Shades of brown. What amazes me to no end is that the grass has gotten greener during the past few days of rain. I can put the sprinkler on all day and just get another shade of blah. God had to put his magic touch on it I suppose. Rain reminds of me of renewal. This time of year yields us more new things than any other time. New teachers, new lessons, new neighbors (we are sooo sad to see our old ones leave). But just as the rain adds color to the grass these new experiences give color to our family as well. So soak it up! Bring on the RAIN!

happy day, sad night

The first day of school. Music to my weary ears. We always have fun during the summer, but by the time mid August rolls around we are over it. The girls miss their friends, Parker misses having his mom to himself, and I miss the mind I lost in mid May. The girls were up and ready by 7am. Lots of time for a good breakfast and PICTURES.



Parker and I spent the afternoon with one of our favorite families, the Holmans. Chloe and Sophia don't start school until next Monday. I had the honor of babysitting the brood. Sophia doesn't need much babysitting, neither does Chloe, but the 7 week old twins (David in the yellow, Andrew in the blue) needed an adult in the house. Holding those precious boys made my day. Parker called them yellow baby and blue baby all day.

This active little boy had a full day. Fun with the neighbors, mommy to himself, spoiled by the Holman girls. What more could a boy need. Here comes the sad part. Poor boy was running through the hearth room and caught his foot on the ottaman. He face planted into the entertainment center. Much blood followed. As well as tears. Both of us. This picture doesn't do justice, and I have a feeling it will be black and blue in the morning. sigh. sniff, sniff.

is that rachel ray?

Anyone who knows Abby knows that she is obsessed with the Food Channel. Rachel Ray in particular. She wanted to cook dinner last night. And that she did. Waffles were the menu of choice. She prepped the batter and the iron, scrambled some eggs with ham and cheese. set the table, and served everything up. In the midst she even had time to be nice to her baby brother. I have never seen her so proud of herself in my life. Then came the bad news. She was basking in all of our compliments when I told her that part of cooking was cleaning up the mess. She wasn't thrilled, but she cleaned up dinner without a complaint. As she was drying the skillet she turned to me and said, "I'm exhausted. This is WAY more work than Rachel Ray does". You said it sister! I think I caught a glimpse of her future as a chef, and a mom. So very proud.

mops time of year

The past few nights my poor husband has been neglected and frankly tired of hearing the sewing machine (it makes a wicked noise through the floor). Above are little pouch wallets I made as favors for the members of the MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) steering team. We have our marathon planning meeting tomorrow. The theme for the year is "Fresh Air: What Every Mom Needs". Flowers are the main visual. The pouches carry a few packs of gum and a pen. Below are a few of the baby gifts (we have newborn triplets and a few moms still pregnant) for this year. We usually add lotion or bubble bath as well.

Once I finished the sewing components, I tackled the centerpieces. This took me a little longer than anticipated. We have 6-7 tables every year. I hate decorating differently every week, so I went for a centerpiece we could use all year. These are pots with flower pens. I took the logo from the website and decoupaged it onto the pot, then painted the rims blue (not quite as baby blue in real life...my flash is doing weird things). Then came the task of making 60 flower pens. I'm not even going to tell you how many hot glue burns I have! Use black beans as "dirt" and 9 hours later you have centerpieces. I'm soooooo glad MOPS is starting up again! Not really sarcastic about that either. MOPS has to be one of my favorite pieces in my life. I know I will be glad that I made these when I DON'T have to make them for every meeting!

babies

Abby must be he coolest 9 year old ever. All the boys wanted her this weekend. Granted, the boys are 3 and 1. We were graced with a visit from the Ashland Fultons this weekend. Its always fun to have another baby in the house (it was fun to have Ben and Janielle too). We also made a road trip into KC to see Kerry and meet up with Mom. It was a busy weekend, but one of the best I've had in a while.

Last vacation post, promise. I guess I just wanted it to last a little longer. Sigh. It's amazing how much you can do in a few days when you are out of town. There are about 60 more photos of this vacation that I have sitting on my hard drive! The picture above is from "Mass on the Grass". We arrived in Breckenridge to attend this quaint little Episcopal church only to find out that they were not having normal services, but instead they were having their annual outdoor service. This was one of my favoritethings about this trip. I mean look at that vista! How much closer to God's awesome creation can you get?! Yet another suprise was that the Bishop of Colorado was presiding. The music, the fellowship (great potluck after the service), and the spirit were amazing.

The next day, we took a tour of the Lebanon Mine in Georgetown. This was a steam engine ride to the mine and then a tour of the quarters. The kiddos wore hard hat and we went into the silver mine. The temp in the mine was 45 degrees and there was water running from the rocks. We all thought it was great, except for when Will bumped his head on the ceiling (the average miner was only 5'5). Instead of taking the Eisenhower tunnel we opted for Loveland Pass which took us to the Conntinental Divide. All in all the trip was a blast. Spending time with my precious brood was the best of all. It doesn't really matter where we go as long as we go together!

blue river

The days we spent in Breckenridge were filled with shopping, trolley rides, and ski lifts. Where do you think they wanted to spend most of their time? Wading in the Blue River in the center of town. This was an everyday occurance for us. The girls went right in, walking around and jumping from rock to rock. Parker, however, realized that the river is fed by SNOW and therefor is bone jarringly cold! This is about as far as he would go. He would stand there for a few minutes and then get out. Warm up. Get back in for a few minutes. I wish I was quick enough to get the expression on his face the first time he waded in. Reminded me of when he ate ice cream as a baby (remember the cold face)!

One of my favorite moments was when Parker would pick up a handful of rocks, stretch his other hand out to me, and sit on the edge of the stream throwing rocks in the water. This was one of my favorite things to do as a young child. It was great to see the joy on his face as he hurled the pebbles into he running stream, watching them be wisked away. We did this almost everyday and he laughted out loud every time. The simple joys and childhood memories.

rocky mountain high

Just got hoem late last night from our vacation in Colorado. We travelled around a bit, but we stayed in Frisco, Colorado which is right on this magnificent alpine lake. What a way to wake up each morning. For those of you who remained in the midwest last week, you may want to quit reading now. The weather was amazing. The warmest day was about 76 degrees with no humidity. The clouds rolled in over the peaks at about 4pm and cooled the temps to about 65. We were driving home and I managed to make the run from Frisco to almost Limon without stopping. It was a rude awakening to step out of the car in Limon and have my sunglasses fog over! Almost sucked the wind right out of me! Look for more posts this week, because I have a ton more pictures to post and stories to tell!

update on Will

Just thought I would post an update about Will. He was diagnosed today with Ulcerative Colitis. It has made him pretty sick for the past month or so and caused him to lose about 20 pounds. The good news is that its very treatable, but includes taking 3 horse pills three times a day. Thanks for the concern and prayers. They were all appreciated. The doc says that he should be up and running...ok up and walking in a few days. Glad to have you back babe.

jungle baby

The latest attempt at sewing yielded this blanket for my nephew David. Lightwieght and soft. I love the satisfaction I get with a completed project. Unfortunately, I have a hard time quitting before I'm finished. This has led to some late dinners and even later nights.

rub-a-dub-dub

...two boys in a tub. I forgot that I had taken this picture while we were down at mom and dads with Janielle and David. They truely had a good time playing with bath toys and bubbles. I feel so blessed that the boy cousins are so close in age. They really are starting to play together. Something tells me that "Mutt and Jeff" will be a formidable duo in the future. For now, toe headed cousins in a tub is a precious site.

hot, hot, hot

For anyone reading this blog who is NOT under the dome of heat, its a little warm hear. That is, if you consider 105+ degree heat for the past week to be a little warm. The humidity rockets that temp to over 110 degrees almost every day. Forcast says it should cool off...oh how I long for the days of 95 degree bliss. The only thing we have done is shop, craft, and swim. The trampoline and swingset only see use before 9am. We are lucky to have such gracious friends in the Jacksons. Rosie is Abby's best friend and Parker (yes another Parker) is only a few months older than our own Parker David. Laurie entertained my brood for the past few days...thanks friend! Sorry, no pics of me in a swimsuit...the benefits of being the photographer! Here are a few ideas we have used in the past few days:

1. Swim (obviously)
2. Teach myself how to sew...going ok, but a little sloppy still
3. Get that pesky school shopping done
4. Discover the joys of playing on backyard toys at 10pm
5. Driveway cocktails with the neighbors
6. Take a nap...ok, maybe not, but its a great idea if you don't have three kids
7. Freeze watermelon and cantelope...fun cold treat
8. Think cool, icy, chilly thoughts...I've only had limited success with this one...too hot!

Stay safe and cool evryone!

latest project

The kiddos were thrilled to see the sewing machine out this week. We all went to the fabric store and the kids picked out their own fabric for mini blankets. My children must instictively know my skill level, because they asked for these baby blankets. Parker needed a blanket for "dogs and boys", not be left out. I'm not sure if anything simpler exists. The American Girl dolls were pleased as were the kids in my house. Too hot to do much more than craft and swim...blog pictures of swimming adventures upcoming!

purple

I swear I can never have plants that look like this. My friend Laurie has the most amazing plants I have ever seen. The purple on this plant was amazing. Just thought I would leave you with the image...and my gardening envy.

first try

I finally got the sewing macjine out of the basement closet and tried it out. I have to say, I have been a bit frightened by the prospect of sewing. I'm not sure why exactly, but it has had a grip on me for a while. Fear step aside because now I'm sewing. Not only did I get the machine threaded and working, I made 7 burp clothes and all three kids little wallets. Not the work of Kerry or Jan (thanks for the inspiration), but not too shabby for a first timer! I think I may have the bug. Sorry Will...Parker may have some long days at the fabric store ahead of him.

i love my sister...really

This pic was taken while we were "camping" with bubby in Nebraska. I put camping in quotes because it wasn't exactly the roughing it type camping we did at Sky Ranch growing up. We had bathrooms in our cabin for crying out loud! I remember walking a quarter of a mile at night to go to the bathroom in Colorado! And the food wasn't anywhere near as wonderful as it was in Nebraska. But the time was there. The uninterupted-by-cell-phones-and-modern-conveniences kind of time. The girls actually sat down to play a game of cards. I don't even think there was much cheating involved. I look forward to these brief moments away from the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives.

under construction

I am trying to personalize this site a little more. Trying being the active word. So if you click on this page and it looks a little different evry time...stay with me. Any hints on how to add html images to the headers of these would be welcome. Also responses to how it looks in the coming days. I may need a lot of prayer. After an hour of messing with this and experimenting, I am done for the night. Thus, the plain white blog page. Sigh.

it's done

Our latest construction project is finally finished. This pergola has been Will's pet project for the past few weeks. It provides some much needed shade for our patio. We had a handyman come in to do most of the heavy work, but Will had pretty close supervision over the whole project. I say super"vision" because the vision was all his. I swear I had no idea what this thing was going to look like until it was finished. I am VERY pleased by the results. I plan on putting up some hanging baskets and lights. Tha's my department. Onward to painting the exterior, interior, and upgrading the kitchen with tile and slate. God only knows when that part will be done. I love this stuff, so I doubt we will ever be "done".

fabulous fourth

Alright, I know this is a ton of pictures, but we had a realy great fourth of July this year. Morgan and I got up early and went to a special service here. It was great to celebrate the birth of our nation in such a grand way. The music was amazing. I love spending one on one time with my little red head whenever I can as well. Speaking of red heads, isn't the duo above just too much? That's Daniel there with Morgan. They are friends of ours and Morgan has danced with Daniel for the last several years now. We tease them about being the long lost twins. Daniel is a year and a half younger however.

Parker had the time of his life. Gone are the days of being terrified of the fireworks. Our neighborhood started setting them off as early as Friday. Parker was in heaven. The loud noises, the colors, the smell of the smoke bombs. He loved every second of it. We spent most of the evening with our neighbors. Parker even managed to flirt with the teenage girls who live next door. They spoiled him rotten most of the night.

Abby on the other hand, still has a very healthy respect of fireworks. The loud noises still bother her quite a bit. That meant she stayed at my side most of the evening...not a bad thing. She seems so grown up these days, a little bit of snuggling from a scared nine year old reminds me she is still a little girl and not a 17 year old. What can I say...good food, good friends, and fireworks. Wish you were here dad...thinking about you on this day (and all other days as well).

nebraska fultons

We had a great trip to Ashland Nebraska this weekend. The Nebraska Fultons were great hosts. We had a great campfire on Friday night, swimming and sight seeing on Saturday, and I never get enough of that little David Aaron! We even had fun with the manual labor Ben volunteered us to do (landscaping the back of the Swanson Center). I thought I would add this great picture of Ben and David since my broter has been soooooo good at updating his own blog (ha ha Benny Boy)! We had tons of fun. More pics are available at flickr. Just click on the flickr button at the right!