big chair

7/31- Another fun family outing today.  We stopped to see Gma Bartlett at work and took some pictures in the big giant chair! 

It was hard to get the boys to sit still enough to take a picture.

We just had to get a picture of Cainan in this thing.  We took one of Boaz in it when he was 8 months old.

Later that night, we met some of Luke's family at the nursing home to visit his Grandpa Cal.   Cal has been ailing for quite some time.  His dimentia has gotten pretty bad the last couple of years.  We knew he was going downhill fast, so we all paid one final visit.  Boaz sang him some songs.  We're not sure if he could hear us, but I like to think he did... and that he enjoyed Boaz's rendition of  '5 Little Monkeys'.  Cal passed away a few days later and Luke's dad officiated the funeral.  Cal was a man of God- followed Him with his whole heart.  While it's sad to see him go, we trust and know that he's in a better place.  It was his time to go be with Jesus.  

The weekend of the funeral was a crazy one for me.  I sang at a friend's wedding, which was shortly after the funeral, in a town 25 minutes away!  I rushed from one thing to the other... it was so weird to go from grieving to celebrating in a matter of minutes.  Life is sure full of ups and downs... glad that we have a rock to lean on through them all. 

Petting Zoo

7/31- Today we took a family outing to the petting zoo!  I've heard of the Sunrise Petting Zoo before, but had never been.  It's on the National Cattle Congress grounds in Wloo and it's FREE!!  Boaz was a little hesitant to get right up to the fences at first...

But then he caught on and was super excited to see all the animals!

The puppies were a huge hit.

Lots and lots of hugs for the puppies. 

Seriously- could these guys get any cuter? 

This horse was nice and friendly...

A bit too friendly?  He kept pushing Cainan's stroller around!!

Cainan wasn't quite sure what to think of it!

Lots of fun adventures today.  The zoo operates on donations.  If you check it out, bring a little cash so you can feed the animals! 

This has been one of Cainan's favorite activities lately... hitting objects together! 

Hello?

8/10- Boaz has been doing a lot of talking on his hand phone lately. It is so entertaining to hear him carry on conversations with his friends. He won't do it with the camera on knowingly, so I set it on the table to capture these chats. Here he is inviting friends to come and swim at Grandpa's pool.
First- Teagan, Keira, & Coco (colleen)

Then Jonny Rogers...

busy busy busy

8/4-  We've been so busy the last few days!!  Boaz did a bit of finger painting while I worked on a birthday cake for Uncle Justin.

He spends a lot of his time cleaning his fingers, instead of painting. 

Concentrating on making a nice picture for Gpa Glace. 

Then he frosted some of his graham crackers while I decorated the cake. 

The same day, a guy came over to practice singing a song for a wedding this past weekend.  We practiced in the living room while the boys at lunch/snacks.  Ugh- this is the scene that unfolded as I tried to keep the boys happy while we rehearsed -  Boaz reaching straight into a bag of cereal... and Cainan eating the sugary cereal!!  Two things that I swore wouldn't happen... but things have been so chaotic that we just did what it took that day.  Don't get used to this, boys!!

That night we celebrated Uncle Justin's birthday!  Boaz was more excited about the candles than Justin was. 

I made Justin a funny cake with Walt Rogers' picture on it.  Justin is his campaign manager.  :)   It really is the thing he's most focused on now, so why not make a cake of it, right?

I didn't really think the cake turned out well, until I stood back a long ways and looked at it.  Close up, it didn't look like Walt... but these pictures made it look great!

After the b'day meal, Justin entertained Boaz in this box... spinning it and getting him really dizzy.

Woah!!!

Boaz & Cainan spent the night at Gma & Gpa Bartlett's house that night.  Thursday & Friday, Luke & I got to attend the Willow Creek Global Leadership Conference at our church.  It was an amazing conference & I was so glad to be able to share that experience with Luke.  Gma Bartlett met Gma Glace on Thursday and made a trade-off with the boys.  Then they stayed with Gma & Gpa Glace until Friday night.  They had so much fun and Boaz came home with lots of good stories about his adventures at both places. 

What did Luke and I do with our free time in the evenings??  Clean carpets!!  Romantic, huh?  It is so nice to have that project checked off the list, though.   Thanks to our parents for letting us have a couple days to ourselves! 

This weekend was a busy one, also.  Luke's grandpa, Calvin Heyenga, passed away last week.  We had his funeral on Saturday afternoon.  Luke's dad gave the message and it was great.  Right after the funeral in Stout, I rushed back to town to sing in a wedding!  Luke was a pallbearer and stayed for the burial and luncheon afterward.  Then we spent time with family that evening. 

Sunday morning was my first time singing in church since last September!!  Luke watched the kids all morning so I could help lead worship.  It was so good to be back in the saddle again.  I didn't realize how much I missed that! 

There you have it... our last week in review.  :)

Boaz says...

8/2- Cainan went to work with Boaz in his office today.   Boaz didn't really enjoy sharing his office with his brother and evicted him quickly... someday Boaz will share better.  Cainan scoots around the house so fast!  He likes to follow people, toys, and pets into every room of the house.   This morning when I went to get him out of his crib, I walked in to find him standing up staring at the door with a giant smile.  He was so proud of himself!

Here's a video of Cainan working on standing up the other day...  almost there! 

(okay- can't get the video to load.   :(     #7744)

Boaz says....   (here are a few of the funny things that Boaz is saying these days)

Most of these things Boaz says incorrectly on purpose.  I'll have him say it slowly the correct way and then he'll turn around and say it wrong a thousand times while smiling at me... knowing that it drives me nuts!  :)

- winnie up the pooh (instead of winnie the pooh)

- Oh! I almost duhgot! (forgot) (he says this one alot!)

-Human Dome  (Uni-dome)

- Helpy Flack (he has a toy that sings a song about healthy snacks... he refuses to sing it correctly!)

- Oh no... not again!!

- I don't like Cedar Falls.  I like grandma's house better.  (he doesn't like anything these days)

- John Jacob JingleHyperSchmick (John Jacob Jingleheimerschmitt)

-Sit close to me?   Ganks!!

- I love you, too, Mommy!

- Next time sing me love you too.  (next time won't you sing with me... ABC's song)

- Elmo Donald's (for restaurant McDonald's and when he sings Old McDonald)

- That's not my job. 

The other night I started singing him the song "God is so good..."   Boaz looked right at me and said, "Don't sing that one, Mommy.  That song just makes me cry."  Every time I've tried to sing that song since then he tells me the same thing... "That song just make me cry again!"   I have no idea why, but apparently he's a sensitive soul.  :)  He is such a funny little kid. 

Cainan is standing!!

7/26 - Cainan is standing up!  He no longer likes just scooting around the floor looking for new things all day.   Now he's happiest if he's standing!

Today I put pillows all around behind him b/c I was still a little unsure about his stability.  He had a couple good tumbles, but did really well!

7/27- This toy is one of his favorites and today he started trying to pull himself up on it.  He's not quite there yet, but getting close!

He also enjoys throwing toys underneath it and crawling through to get them out!

You're growing up, Cainan!! 

sweet corn!

7/24- I went home today and Mom taught me how to put up corn!  I had intended to just go and pick it up today while the boys played with Gma & Gpa Glace, but Mom offered to help me just get it done at her place!  It was so nice to come home with finished bags of corn for the freezer. Hooray!!  We saved some ears of it for supper the next night.  Boaz & Cainan LOVE sweet corn... so do Luke & I!   Sweet corn goes on the list of the best things about living in Iowa for sure!  Thanks for helping me get this accomplished, Mom!!