Celebrations

The end of April and beginning of May is busy at our house.  Lots of celebrations and school things.  

Just watching the 'garbage can!' come down the street.

And 'Play-dee-oh.'

Bob and I celebrated our 15th Anniversary.... crazy.  For some reason, we suddenly look really young in all of our wedding pictures.... haha. There's a much more middle aged face looking back at me in the mirror these days, but I don't remember growing older....  😜  Some things never change though, I still am rather fond of Dr. Pepper.  And Bob. 

We got 4 Corners Smokehouse for the occasion.  And Emmy almost ate a 1/2 rack of ribs all by herself. 😆

We hosted Bob's Sunday School class after their service project the next day, and Emmy decided that my anniversary flowers could pull double duty. 

The 5th graders and some parents did some yard work for Sara and Chris, then they all came back to our house for lunch.  We fed 20+ people (including our kids) and somehow they all had chairs.  Perrin was not so sure about all of the people in his house. 

The Beutels got together that evening and Perrin found a puddle. He was completely soaked and covered in muddy wood chips before anyone could stop him.  He was having so much fun, including backing way up, getting a running start, and jumping into the puddle.  😋 We were debating giving him a bath in the FH sink, but decided to just dry him off and take him straight home to the tub.  haha. 

Some of my family came to church with us on Sunday because their parking lot was inaccessible.  They came over for 'lunch call' afterward.  *sigh* I'll never be like Grandma Lydiann... they got pizza bites and box brownies...

I was working on Emmy's dollhouse and Mr. Buster found a snack and was begggggging to 'opee up!'  I told him not to spill and he wandered off... I found him later just chilling, eating his chex mix.  :) 

Ugh.  Finally a little progress!  Although fraught with frustration.  Some of the pieces were just slightly warped so they didn't fit together quite right, which affects the next set of pieces.  aksnlfndlkjfalkjdsf

Miriel turned 5!!  The first time I asked what kind of a cake she wanted she said Bandaid.... um... I don't know about that.  haha. So we looked at some pictures online and she settled on a 'Mousy Cake!'  Much more simple, and pretty.  :)  

Not sure how she is 5 already!  Silly grillo.

Happy Birthday Goose!

The girls wanted to play with my dollhouse, so the plexi cover was off.  They forgot to put the cover back on and all came upstairs... Perrin did not.  I came down and found him quietly moving things around with a very guilty look on his face.  hehe. 

Miriel got a sewing box for her birthday and she needed to make something right away.  I don't remember teaching her how to use a needle and thread, but somehow she knows how, which I love.

We had lots of maple keys all over and lots of help blowing off the driveway. :)

We remembered May Day this year!  The girls decorated a few May baskets.

Then we tried to be sneaky and deliver them without being seen.  We were only marginally successful, it was so nice out everyone who wasn't at work was out in their yards. 😂

Miri got real paint, Perrin got water-wow books. 

I took the girls and Arielle to the grade school open house and concert. It's always so crowded we decided it would be better if we didn't have to deal with Perrin, so the boys stayed home.  

Bob and I left Cecily and Kenna in charge and went to potluck a few blocks away.  First time leaving them without a 'real' babysitter!  We have arrived!  Sort of.  Haha. 
Saturday I helped Sharon paint for an hour or so at their new house while Emmy went to a friends birthday party. There was a portable petting zoo- a trailer filled with farm animals that you can rent for parties.  I don't even do birthday parties for my kids... 😬 
And we got ready for Emmy's birthday!  Em likes to play a computer game called Stardew Valley, so we went with that for her cake.  I just printed the house and people off on cardstock, the rest is frosting and graham crackers.  :) 

She was pleased. 

10 years old already.  How?!?  Happy to-you, Emmy Marjorie!

Lots of rain and lots of maple seeds make Bob worry about gutters. He was busy cleaning, the older girls were up lending moral support.  They apparently didn't inherit my fear of heights.

The little two were content to play in the spray from the hose on the roof, and the water running out of the down spouts.  😆

Monday evening was the Spring MS/HS concert.  I'm probably a glutton for punishment, but I do enjoy them.  ha.  Perrin got to stay home again, and I was wishing that I had left Miri home too.  

Story hour was at the Firehouse this month.  'Oooooooh! Fire-twuck!'  hehe.  So many trucks, they were both pretty wide eyed. 

Every time I turn the vacuum on, he comes running with a handful of cars. It makes vacuuming take twice as long.  ha.  Funny boy.

More slow, painful, dollhouse progress. It at least feels like I'm getting somewhere now, even though I've messed up and had to redo a lot of things.   

 

Michelle turns 33 this year, which as every good nerd knows is the age at which Hobbits come of age.  She wanted to throw herself a hobbit party, so we all pitched in and made it happen.  Well, I mostly replied to her texts with enthusiasm and showed up with some food.  :)  The group texts in the week(s) leading up to the event were classic.

We were all anxiously watching the weather, and we were blessed with a perfect night, though slightly chilly.  By the time our crew showed up they already had the tables and chairs up and decorated in the front yard of the farm.  

The old hobbit farmer showed up!  :D 

Matt knows a guy (of course he does...) so there was a keg of root beer iced down, ready to go. And we had glass mugs from previous root beer keggers.... ha. 

We make excellent hobbits.  😁

Party guests started to arrive... not everybody dressed up (Sackville Bagginses 😉).

We fed the kids frozen pizza on the porch, but we did let them go through the buffet line after the adults had been through.

It was a good spread.  There was bread, cheeses, fruit, roast mutton, ham, chicken, meat pies, shire-cuterie, and later- pie, and cake!

Such a great group. 

Kacie came out to help.  :) 

It was really fun to see these girls again.  😊 

Littlest hobbit lass helping herself. 

Such a lovely night- the sunset was gorgeous. 

Gandalf just happened to make it to Indiana the week before so there were fireworks! 

All the little hobbits loved it! 

Such a fun night! 

 Later that evening the northern lights were supposed to be happening.  We sort of saw some color in the sky at the farm, but we needed to get kids to bed so we didn't look long.  And it sounds like you really could see it best through a camera anyway. 
These three play pretty well together most of the time. 

Little helper boy. 

So we probably should have done this a long time ago, but we finally decided to buy a small tiller.  It required some assembly.

Snacks on the picnic quilt in the front yard.

It's tilled!  It was still a smidge too wet, but the forecast was not looking very dry.  Bob let me take turns tilling... I was doing pretty good until one round the tiller ran away with me.  It pulled me off my feet and kept going for a few feet after I let go... yikes.  But all is well that ends well and I got back up and finished the garden.  #stubbornwysswomen

And we planted it with some eager helpers. 😊

 

It seems late.... but we haven't hardly had a dry enough stretch.  Oh well.  I'm just hoping the tomatoes I had started inside make it, they're looking a little bit stressed. 

So this is getting really long, but some random everydayness for posterity and my feeble memory: Miri really likes to listen to the Marching Illini, specifically the 3-in-1 and I am happy to oblige. We were listening to it (loudly) in the pickup line at school; Cecily gets in ".....normal people rock out to rock music..."  😁😂 

 

Blessings.