We're all a little Nutty

I went to the cemeteries with my mom and sisters yesterday morning and came home to find Lee ready to harness himself to our last remaining Cottonwood tree. (Lee is standing towards the top where the red webbing is tied to the tree.) We had debated about hiring someone again (this is the 4th huge tree we've removed from our yard), but Lee insisted because it was so climbable (is that a word?), that he could do it himself. So, in order to save $800, he began hacking away at it, and we began dragging limbs to the front yard and hauling them off to the city compost. Deja vu. Now all that stands is a giant cactus-like skeleton waiting to be assisted by a chainsaw. Lee wants to hang a flag from it for Memorial Day. You can see it towering above our house from all over the neighborhood. Thanks to family members who helped steer the limbs away from the many obstacles (are your hands as achy as mine today?), and thanks to neighbors whose handy tools made it easier. Too bad the job i...

What a busy week we have had. Tuesday was the Pinewood Derby, where Dillon raced his "Great Pumpkin" car that he made. They had us make signs to cheer for the boys as they raced their cars. As the race started, I saw Mckay off to the side, slyly waving his sign in silent support of Dillon. More of the older brothers soon joined in Mckay's cheering section. And I thought that boy was quiet and shy! Last night Dillon wowed us all at the Hershey Track and Field meet, taking home 3 blue ribbons. Thanks to his 2nd grade teacher for starting a "running club" at school so that he'd have the confidence to participate and find out he was good at it!

I just have to share the happiness I feel because I finally changed a tire from start to finish yesterday. I got in the van to meet Lee for lunch and the front tire was completely flat -- driving on the wheel hub. I hitched a ride to the restaurant, since I would be late if I dealt with the tire first. When I got home, I jacked up the car and took the tire in (ended up having to buy a new one, as it was slashed in 8 places...very strange), and then put the new tire back on later on last night. It made me feel proud as I have always watched someone else do it and felt like I could probably do it if I HAD to. I try not to let on that I can do so much as Lee would probably be happy to sit back and let me take over all the manly jobs, but I felt pleased with myself all day for being able to take care of the tire! Simple pleasures! I might add (to the tune of "I'm a Woman!"), that in between taking care of the car, I also managed to cook up a Chinese Buffet dinner for 16...

We have always joked that Lee becomes an adverb when you add him to just about any adjective. Sam's cute card for his birthday demonstrated this perfectly!

The weather at Lizzie's rainout soccer game make-up was worse than the game they cancelled. But, who couldn't swoon over this cute face? Hooray! We finally got to meet Baby Ben! Lizzie and Grace eating their fruit kabobs like corn on the cob. Since we had church so early, we decided to have "lunch in bed" for Mother's Day. So, we all changed out of our church clothes, put on our pajamas, (Ian was only about halfway done with that process.) and ate lunch on a blanket on the kitchen floor.

WARNING...GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW! Lizzie LOVES the spring festival at the elementary school, even when it's freezing cold. I loved her blue sno cone mustache combined with her face painting. Lizzie's class did a singing program and one of the songs was "When you come to the end of a lollipop," so of course they needed giant rainbow lollipops as props. She has been licking it every few hours for a week now. The very same day of the giant lollipop smile yielded this horrific face when Lizzie got a nosebleed in the shower. (It was probably from all that lollipop licking.) The saddest thing is that Lee had to leave the terrified, freaking out girl in the shower so that he could document how gross it was.