Busy, Busy, Busy

It has been 2 weeks since my last post and I know we've been busy, but I have to stop and think of what we've been doing!!! 

Malaya is doing well at her piano lessons. She doesn't like to practice, but she plays so well!!  She even has some of her songs memorized by the end of the week.

It's been really hot here - 105 degrees!!!  Went to the pool in Grant one day. They have a kiddie pool and it's FREE. Although, the girls call it the kitty cat pool!! :)

We took the girls to their first movie at the movie theater yesterday. We saw Brave. They did pretty well. The move had a bear in it and I thought oh no, they are going to be scared, but they never mentioned it so that's great.

Gary had been helping a friend harvest wheat so the girls go to go for a ride in the combine. They loved it!!!

Well, that's an update of what I can remember..... The only picture I have this week is of the dogs!!

The Girls Visit South Dakota

Mike & Sheila were on their way back from Florida and they stopped at our house. They asked if the girls could go back with them and stay. At first I was hesitant because it was vacation bible school and Malaya was starting piano lessons, but the girls wanted to go. So, they took off on Memorial day with Sheila & Mike. They got to go camping, fishing, and roast marshmallows at Hart Ranch. They also saw Dick & Pam. They got to go to the farm and help feed bottle calves. They got to go to Reptile Gardens. They went shopping with Grandma Twila & got to see Chris & Lucy. I think they had lots of fun.  Then my mom & Twila met me in Alliance on Monday to pick them back up.

I worked on my Grandma's quilt all day Tuesday and got it all sewed together and went to Ogallala to get the rest of the backing & batting for it. I helped with VBS on Wed & Thurs. It was nice to have a little break, but I sure missed the girls!!!

Grandmas Quilt all sewed together

Fishing with Grandpa

Fish with Aunt Sheila

Uncle Mike & Malaya

Love this picture

Uncle Mike, Grandpa, Aunt Sheila & Girls

Running through the sprinkler at Hart Ranch

At Repitle Gardens with Grandma Twila

At Reptile Gardens with Grandma Audrey

Playing in the sand

Our Anniversary - 9 Years

On May 24 was our 9 year anniversary.  It's crazy how fast time has gone!!!  We had someone watch the girls so we could go out to supper and then came home and had some fruit dipped in fondue. It was a nice day.

We had another garage sale on Saturday that went pretty well. Then on Sunday we got invitied out for supper to a family's house from our church. We had a good time.

On Memorial Day, Sheila & Mike stopped on their way back from Florida and ended up taking the girls home with them for a week.

We have been so busy while they've been gone. I helped with Vacation Bible School at our church. I got to work on Grandma's quilt - I have it all sewed together and now I just need to tie it. We had another garage sale yesterday and have everything fitting in just totes - no more boxes!! 

Here are just a few pictures from here - I'm sure I'll have a lot more from the girls' time in SD for the next post.

Flowers Gary gave me for our anniversary

John & Twila gave us a blender

Us

Our dessert

Grandma's Quilt

Mother's Day

I had a great Mother's Day. We got up and went to church and then came home and worked in the yard. We planted the garden and I weed eated. Gary made onion rings and steaks for supper. Very yummy!!

The day before I went with Pam Briggs to Cheyenne. She had to go to Sams Club, Walmart and a few other errands. We had such a good day together.

Well, I am done babysitting. Friday was hard - the change of not having Ryleigh anymore. Malaya cried after she left :(  I think it's going to be hard for the girls at first.

Malaya also learned to ride her bike without training wheels. Gary took them off and on the 1st try she had it. Took her a little longer to master the turns, but she got it that night!!

I had my garage sale on Saturday then. I got up at 4:30 and Gary had to leave at 7 to go to work. We finally had to stop putting things out. It did not rain, but sure looked like it could, so I knew it would be up to me to pull everything in if it started, so I said no more. We actually did okay - much better than I thought. I was hearing thunder around 11 and the wind had picked up more so I finally decided to start picking everything up. I had it all in by noon and at 12:10 it started pouring & hailing!!  I lucked out. We are going to try again this Saturday and the weather is supposed to be nicer.

Mother's Day - me & my girls

They made me a cake & also cleaned house Saturday while I was in Cheyenne

Our garden

Girls riding bikes

Malaya with no training wheels

Ryleigh's last day

The 3 girls

Grandma & Grandpa Mortensen Visit

They arrived on Thursday afternoon. We hung out around the house on Friday. On Saturday we went to North Platte. There was a Honkey Tonk BBQ Cookoff going on. We walked around and the girls rode carnival rides. That evening we went to Ryleigh's birthday party. On Sunday, we went to church and then the girls took a nap and mom helped me price items for our garage sale. Mom and Dad got Gary & I the ice cream attachment to our kitchen aid for our anniversary so we made homemade ice cream. It was very good. Monday night was Malaya's preschool spring concert. The concert was great and Malaya did a great job. They headed home Tuesday morning.

I only have 2 more weeks of babysitting and then I am done. Malaya is also done with preschool on Thursday. The time is just flying by!!

Eating ice cream at cody park

A friend of ours made these tutu's for the girls

Michelle, Maddox & Malaya

Our family

Malaya & Michelle

Miss Connie, Malaya, & Miss Kami

Malaya & Miranda

Michelle, Miranda, Ryleigh & Malaya. Ryleigh opened her birthday gifts and she got an outfit that matches Malaya's

Plant & Field Trip to the Farm

Gary had to work on Saturday so the girls & I decided since it was a nice day we were going to go to Ogallala and get some flowers to plant. We had a fun time together & got lots of nice flowers. We came home and started planting until Gary got off work.

Gary & I as well as 2 other couples went on a date. We went out to dinner and then bowling. We had sooooo much fun. I haven't laughed so much in a really long time. The girls had a babysitter and they had so much fun with her. She was at Malaya's cheerleading camp so they did cheers & she took them to the park.

Sunday we went to church and came home and planted some more.

Today I went with the preschool class on a field trip. Miranda got to go too. We went to a farm 8 miles North of Grant and then had a picnic lunch at the park. The kids were very good and had lots of fun, but everyone sure was tired.

Future pianists - Malaya, Ryleigh, Miranda & Michelle

Planting

Malaya watering

My sweet girls

All done

At the farm - Miranda, Malaya & Michelle

Michelle & Malaya

Malaya feeding a goat

Maylynn, Hannah, Malaya, & Michelle

Maylynn, Hannah, Malaya & Michelle

Malaya petting a horse

The whole class