Oh the fun....

 It's kind of amazing how life trudges on, and seems to go faster and faster.  It seems I blink on Monday and it's suddenly Friday.  The quilt above I just finished for a friend and her little girl's toddler bed.  She chose the fabric and I think it turned out SOO cute!  We tied it using my **new** quilting boards (which are going back b/c the wood was WAYYY too hard!).  It was fun to have my first taste of putting a quilt up on my own though (i.e. without my mom's expertise :)).  I'm looking forward to getting some softer wood and putting up a quilt to actually quilt.  Cross your fingers for me!

 Thursday was mine and Jon's 11th Anniversary! I can't hardly believe it has been 11 years!  We had lunch together and then stopped at Hyvee for a little 'triangle of wedding cake'.  It was ok, the cookies I make this afternoon will be much tastier :).  It was a good day though.

 See, we made it! 

 Julianne got to participate in the lunch time festivities.  She was loving the cars that day.

 And, like the other kids, always ends up lining them up at one point or another....

 Then we spent a romantic evening at soccer. Brooklyn had a game (see Jon coaching wayyyyy in the back?)....

 And Mason had practice.  What can I say?  We have to keep the flame alive!  It was a good day and I'm looking forward to going out to dinner this evening.  We never get to do that, so it'll be a great break.

Today, however, pinterest has caught my eye.  I pinned this the other day and Betsy suggested we make some together.  They turned out so fun and I love it!  We had a great time sewing today!  Good times! Good times!

Talented Friends...

 I am blessed.  I have many talented people who love me.  One of my very best friends comes every year to do pictures in Iowa.

 Lucky for us, last year she came twice! Just in time to do Julianne's 3 year pictures and Brooklyn's 8-year pictures.  And, of course, Mason's; so he didn't feel left out :).  They turned out A. Mazing! 

 If you would like to share in her talents, she'll be back this fall!  Hooray for us!

Isn't she awesome?  And my kids cute?  Hee hee!  Love it!

Joys of Boys

Oh, yesterday was fun.  (This cute picture was from our trip to the fair).  Let's back up a little farther than yesterday.  The day before yesterday, Mason was at school playing with his buddies and they all decided it would be super fun to each put a rock in his ear.  Yeah.  A ROCK in his ear!  OIY! So, yesterday, we headed to the Dr's office to get said rock out.  Jon had tried but it was too far in for him to get out.  I picked Mason up from school yesterday morning thinking we'd miss an hour or so and bring him back, no biggie.  Dr. Kemp made a valiant effort.  The more she dug the worse he cried and the more it hurt.  So, off to the ENT we went.  We hurried over to get there before noon and he took a look.  Mason wouldn't sit still for the ENT at all.  By then, I think it was just too tender and he was afraid for how much it had already hurt.  The ENT said he couldn't get it without putting Mason under so he would hold still.  The rock was very near his eardrum and the Dr. was worried about damaging it.  Since we hadn't eaten lunch and it'd been several hours since breakfast, they signed us up to go to the outpatient surgical center within an hour to get that darn rock out.  Poor Mason was already starving and had to watch while Julianne and I had a quick lunch on our way over to our 3rd Dr. office of the day.  They were really nice to him at the surgical center.  He got all gowned up and they explained what they were going to do.  I could barely keep myself from crying while they were telling us how they would give him laughing gas and then the gas that would put him to sleep.  I felt so pathetic for how much I was struggling with the day, but I guess the thought of it was just too much for me.  It took longer to get him to sleep and wake him up than it took to get the rock out.  The ENT got it out, no problem.  He said there was a little scratch from when he shoved it in, but other than that, no damage.  Finally, at 3:00 p.m., we headed home.  We got Mason some food, which he'd been begging for, and called the school to have Brooklyn bring home his backpack.  I'd spent my whole day in Dr's offices and was exhausted.  I'm fairly certain that Mason will NEVER do that again!  Ah the joys of having a boy.....