Our Independance Day Celebration

We had a wonderful 4th of July celebration today!  It was hot hot HOT, but we had a great time and were blessed with some rain at the end of the day.  

 Mom got this adorable plaque at Alco.  We hung it right next to the door - isn't it festive?

 Our traditional 4th of July ceremony.  This time Mr. Radtke got in on the performance - and so did the little boys!  Isaac and Joshua weren't really sure exactly what was going on, but they tagged along and tried to act like they knew what they were doing!

 Miss Amanda and Miss Bethany - two very sweet girls!  Bethany and her sisters each got to take home a kitten today, so that helped solve our kitten explosion going on over here.  We tried to get them to take home our lone rooster that one of our neihbors kindly dumped on us.....but they weren't interested.  (Don't blame them!)  Looks like someone is going to be cooking up chicken noodle soup sometime this week.  Ugh.  We have no need for a rooster - he does crow, but at the oddest times!!!

 Sweet Isaac is looking so grown up - one of these days he's not going to be a toddler anymore!   He remembered last year's 4th of July celebration and was very pumped up for this year's. 

Our newest American citizen! He just loved eating the food and playing with the kids!

 Amanda with one of our many kittens.

Your's truly.  Courtney and I wore matching blouses today - we got them at Beall's for a very reasonable price.  I love finding good buys!

We had such a great weekend with the Doughty's - we love you guys!!  And it was such a pleasure to have the Radtkes out as well.  We had a great time and another memorable Independance Day!

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4th of July Treats

I saw the cutest idea for patriotic parfaits - I made them the other day and they were a hit!

Raspberry jell-o on the bottom, a layer of french vanilla pudding in the middle, and blueberries sprinkled on top.  It was a very refreshing dessert.  I probably would use just plain vanilla pudding next time, since the french vanilla looks too yellow-ish.  I didn't really achieve the red WHITE and blue that I was hoping for....but it was still delicious!  No one minded!

 With the kind of weather we're having, these cold parfaits were perfect.

 I also made chocolate / caramel apples.  (Unhealthy, but it IS the 4th of July.)  First I dipped them in caramel and let them harden in the refrigerator for an hour.

 Then I dipped them in chocolate....

 ....and immediately sprinkled them!  Again, these were supposed to have red white and blue star sprinkles, but our store didn't carry them!!  Oh well!

 We have yet to eat these, but they are on the menu for today's dessert.  They look VERY rich and scrumptious!

Isaac, as usual, wanted to help!  The caramels were individually wrapped and took forever to unwrap...but he did a great job of helping me.  He was in a good mood because I told him he might get a caramel when we were all done unwrapping, so he was the most respectful and cheerful young man you've ever seen.  "Yes ma'am Rachel", "Thank you ma'am", "I love you Rachel", "Yes ma'am".........

What bribery can do!!!

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Swimming

On Sunday afternoon, most of our family headed to the local pool!  Sunday is "family day" so admission is only $1 per person - and kids 6 and under swim free!  Very cheap!

 This was Joshua's first time ever in the swimming pool, so he was a little hesitant at first.  I think he was wondering what on earth the sunscreen, thongs, and swimming trunks were for!!  He loved getting his toes wet, but once we got waist deep he was clinging onto us for dear life!

Isaac wasn't afraid in the least - he went swimming last summer and he acted like he really knew what he was doing! Arm floats weren't allowed in the pool (rats) so we just had to carry them around with us.  Isaac kept trying to get down and was saying "No - Isaac big boy!", but I told him over and over that he would sink if I put him down.



Arm floats were allowed in the little kid pool that was a few feet deep, so we were at least able to do that.  Isaac is very independant (or at least tries to be) and loved going it on his own.

Once Joshua got in the water for a little bit, he started to have a good time; but he definitely never lost his death hold on whoever was carrying him.

 Your's truly.  Pardon the messy hair.

 Our little "twin" boys!!  Mom dresses them in matching quite often, so when we go out it's not uncommon for people to ask if they are twins.  They always look a little confused when we tell them that they're year apart - and then they want to know if Courtney is the mom.   Do you know, I've never once in my life been asked if I'm any of my sibling's mother??  Since she was about 13, Courtney has been continuously asked by people if she is our mom (never EVER understood that one). And now, even at the age of 18, I must still fail to look my age, because I was recently mistaken for a 14 year old.  Ahem.  And Jonathan was recently mistaken for a 19 year old - yep, that really made me feel good........ 

 Joshua did much better in the little pool, although as he mingled with some of the other kids I could tell he was getting lost!  Everywhere he turned someone was splashing him in the face or bumping into him.  Poor guy!  Several times I had to redirect him over to our little corner of the pool. 

 Toddler swimming lessons.  We start early!  :-)  All of us older kids got years of swimming lessons when we were younger - now it's time for Isaac and Joshua to start learning how to float on your back, hold your breath, etc.

 Too cute!

And that concludes our time at the pool!  It has been SO incredibly hot here; yesterday it was 105*.  Swimming was the perfect activity for that kind of weather.  I hope we do it again soon!

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Potty-training Secrets

Hi everyone!!  It's me, your favorite blogger - Isaac!

Rachel took a ton of really great pictures of me the other day and I felt I just HAD to share them.  I have a few other things to share with you, too.  Some secrets.

Sshhhhh!!   Now don't tell anybody, 'cuz this is top-secret stuff. 

I'm POTTY TRAINED!  

 Yep, pretty neat, isn't it? 

Okay, maybe I exagerated just a little.  What I meant to say, is that I'm working on being potty trained.  Like right now.  Rachel calls it "staying dry".  She says that even though we need rain badly around these parts, she wants to see a drought in my diaper.  

Wait - that's not right.  I meant to say pull-up.  Yeah.  Diapers are for little kids, but since Rachel says I'm almost a big man like Daddy, I get to wear pull-ups.  I asked if Daddy wore pullups one time, and everyone laughed at me.  Wonder why?  I mean, it makes sense to me. 

Course, Joshua's just a kid, so he has to wear diapers.  Hah!  Big kids like me get to wear pull-ups.  And mine have cowboys and racecars on them.  It's pretty neat.

When I go potty I get TWO goldfish.  Watch me say the word.  TWWWOOOO. 

Mama gives me three when I have a happy face about it.  That's...... well, most of the time.

And I get M&M's for.......oops, Rachel says I better not talk about that.  Let's just say that I get two kinds of treats for two kinds of victories.  I get the feeling that Mama isn't real happy when I fail to win that second victory.  But.... easy come, easy go.

So my friends, that's the news from here.  Let me know if you ever need potty rewards, 'cuz Mama has a huge stash in her closet.  You wouldn' believe how big the box of Goldfish she has is!  I guess I'm pretty well-supplied.  For now.  The next step is big-boy-briefs.  (But that'll be another post.)

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Coffee in 100* + Weather

Sounds pretty ridiculous, doesn't it?  Well, I just realized how silly it is for me to be sitting here and fanning myself, complaining about how hot it is, while drinking a cup of hot, hot coffee. 

But I had the urge for a cup when my free samples arrived in the mail the other day.  A few weeks ago, I signed up for a free sample of Taster's Choice coffee!  I've done this before, but this time I was able to sign up for two packs.  Altogether I have a dozen little packets, all of different flavors.  Exciting for me, yes!  I like coffee - except for the fact that it often keeps me awake at night.  The sad reality of caffeine.  It also gives me a headache.  As well as just a general not-good feeling.

But one small cup in the morning once in a long while doesn't seem to bother me.  Once a month is fine.  Once a week is borderline. But once a day is out of the question. 

I mainly like coffee because it tastes good....but another great aspect of coffee is that it always reminds my of my grandparents - both sets.   You know how certain smells or sounds can trigger your memory and remind you of days gone by?  Coffee is one of those smells for me!  I have fond memories of when my grandparents would come to visit; I'd walk in the kitchen in the morning and there would be my grandma / grandpa, eating cereal and waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.  It's such a comforting smell to me.....Mom and Dad never drink coffee so it is only a grandparent-related scent!!!!

So, grandparents, as you're reading this......coffee reminds me of you.  It gives me a headache and a stomachace too, if I drink it too often.....but I love how, when I DO pour myself a cup, it brings back that warm memory of you.  :-) 

(NOTE:  the headache and the stomachache don't remind me of you; just the smell.  Just wanted to make that clear.) :-)

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