Sneak Peak...sssshhhhh!

Ammonite and fish...

carnivorous drocera plants with pipe-cleaner insects...

hidden fossils...

a cave entrance...
...and an erupting volcano...the dinosaur cave is DONE! Thank goodness Mom came and helped me out! I'd still be sewing little parts by hand! I cannot wait to give it to the boys for their birthday. I may just have their party early because I don't know how long I can wait for them to have it. I have to keep this post a secret...I'll post more photos later.

Once the cave was finished, I had to fill my evenings with something. I chose ruffles.

Camouflage ruffles. Yes, this was done especially for Cyle. Was it appreciated? By Levi.

So I moved on to purple. I washed and dried this since taking the picture and it actually looks much better now that the green is frayed. It's going to look really good with the matching shirts for the boys...

These, too, look better since being washed. I can't wait for them all to match!

This past week, I also made a crib quilt for Levi. I know he's getting ready to turn two. I know. And that's why the mother's guilt has set in. Clayton has a crib quilt his Grandma Huck made, the new baby has a crib quilt I made years ago when I needed to fill the hours while I lived in a hotel room and Levi had nothing. It's not totally finished, but it's as done as it can be for now. The top is done and is getting ready to be mailed for quilting. It's not elaborate, but it's camouflage and made-by-mom. What more could he want?

At the moment, I don't have a project going. But that's not going to last for long. I could really use some more dishcloths, so I'm pulling out the knitting needles...we'll see how it goes. Mom and Lynn are awfully far away.

Nonna Came to Visit

Nonna came to visit us for three weeks! She started off her visit by watching the boys while I was in New York and spent the rest of it, in Clayton's words, "spoiling everyone." It was so great to have her here. The boys love all of the extra attention they get and I love having the help and companionship. Cyle loves that he never has to do the dishes. Her visit was so nice. Cyle and I were able to take a day and visit Mount Vernon (on my to-do while in VA list) and I was able to complete some projects. We can't wait for her to come back again!

Field Day

Both boys had so much fun at Epiphany's Field Day. The teachers and PTO did a great job organizing a truly fun day. (And the weather cooperated!)

The End of School

Clayton on his first day of school...


...and on his last day of school. (Clearly, he did not want me to take this picture.)

For most of the year, Clayton's classmate Rachel has been totally taken by Levi.

And now that Levi is a little older, he's totally taken with Rachel. I would say, "We're going to Clayton's school today!" And Levi would reply, "Rachel!" She is adorable and sweet and we will miss her.

Clayton told us is he is a "graduator," because he got a certificate from preschool.

We all had such a wonderful year with the Dashing Dinosaurs thanks to Mrs. Klagges and Mrs. Pories. They were loving, caring and fun. Future teachers have a high standard to meet!

New York, New York

The last week of May, I packed my suitcase and traveled to New York with two of my dearest friends - Kendra and Angie. We had a blast! Kendra took us on the grand tour of the city. We saw the important sites, took in a show (I HIGHLY recommend Mary Poppins), visited The Today Show, Good Morning, America for a Sugarland concert and we ate the best food New York has to offer. Yes, we did make stops and take a few treks just for the food. And it was worth it. I'm so glad I'm pregnant and can use that excuse to eat as much of the deliciousness that I possibly could. Fortunately, we walked a lot, too. A big thank you to Kendra and Mike for such a wonderful get-away treat!

Happy Birthday, Cyle!

Today Cyle celebrated his 28th birthday. The boys and I made him his very own camouflage "I Love to Cook Wild Game" grilling apron. (This was Clayton's idea. He found a pillowcase and wanted to make it into an apron for Cyle...since I already have one.)

Clearly, Cyle loves it. He even wore it later in the day when he was grilling ribs for supper. Though not wild game, he still loves to cook them.

For a special birthday breakfast, I made cinnamon rolls. Levi loved them immensely...the parts he actually consumed...

I highly recommend the recipe by The Pioneer Woman. They were delicious cinnamon rolls. I halved her recipe and still made 4 (FOUR) pans of them. My neighbors were all too happy to take one pan off of my hands and I was able to pawn a few more off on Mike and Kendra, too. They were a good start to a good birthday for Cyle. He got to work on his truck, go fishing and enjoy a great supper with good friends.

Bedtime

I happened to have my camera upstairs the other evening while the kids were getting ready for bed. Every evening, after their bath, they run around and wrestle with Cyle for a few minutes to get those last drops of energy out.



This picture captures Clayton in his wrestling finest, even though Cyle didn't.

I love this picture. Clearly, Clayton is too excited to be worried about being pinned.

And I love this picture, too. Look at how much fun they are having!

After Cyle's declared wrestling for the evening done, Clayton can't resist and has to take Levi down one more time. Levi does not think this is as much fun as Clayton does.

Then it's time to pick out a story...

and lovingly tell Mom goodnight.