The Prettiest

I know I posted about these flowers last year too - but they are even more full of color this year.  They are my absolute FAVORITE!! So pretty!  They have multiplied and I have a ton now if anyone wants a start off of them I will share!

These are a close 2nd.  They are pretty much beautiful too!

I'll Be Happy

So - I KNOW everyone thinks I'm ridiculous with strollers..and really it is kind of ridiculous.  BUT - I HATED our double stroller.  It was so hard to push and it kept me from wanting to walk.  We bought a really nice single stroller when Chase was refusing to ride in the stroller anymore because we thought that was all we would need.  Well lately Chase hasn't been wanting to walk or ride a bike so I had been having to either not walk or push that God awful stroller.  I didn't need another excuse to be lazy and fat so I sweet talked Josh into letting me get a new double stroller.  He was against it at first but I told him I'll be happy and stop complaining if he just agrees to it.  Haha.  I had to agree to get a home for the old one because he didn't want them all around.  DONE!  So I found this one for sale in Ft. Madison for $100.  It's a Schwinn and this particular one is like $260 new and it is pretty much new.  The tires still have the things on them and everything.  I feel like we got a deal.  It pushes super easy.  I've already gotten my money's worth out of it.  Wohoo!  Thanks sweetie!! : )

The Simple Things

I showed Chase what the little helicopter things off the trees do.  He loved it!  We gathered handful after handful just to throw in the air and watch fly.  Moments like this are Mommy moments with my babes.  These simple little things are what are special to me.

Baby Kitties

Ruth and Taylor's cat had kittens!  They are SOOO tiny!  There are 4 of them and they are all orange.  Ruth had told us all about them and Chase was excited to go see them.  We had a few hours to spare one morning before Josh had to go back to work so we ran to Dallas City so he could see them.  It is very tempting, I must say!  I don't think I'll give in to the temptation but they sure are cute!

Ruth's Birthday

Ruth turned 50 this year.  Her sister Bobbi called me and asked if I wanted to help put together a party for her.  We decided to just have a little family cookout at our place.

All simple food but they are simple eaters so it was perfect for them.

None of their family had been to our house before so it was fun getting to show it to them.  Josh and I realized we actually are kind of proud of our place.  We are doing pretty well for 2 "kids" our age, I suppose.

Milo kept sharing his grapes with Bobbi.  Haha.

The boys don't see Bobbi often but they both really like her when they do.  She doesn't have any of her own grandkids so she eats them up!

We had a nice little evening with all of them.  Hopefully we accomplished making Ruth feel special.  Happy 50th!

A Day In The Sun

We spent the ENTIRE day outside last Wednesday.  We were having a cookout at our house on Thursday for Ruths birthday (more on that later) and we wanted the yard looking nice.  We got out the water table for the boys for the first time this year.  They were entertained for seriously almost 2 hours.  They had so much fun!  First thing Milo did was stick his face right in the water and tried to drink it.  Haha - goofball!

Milo tries so hard to be like his big brother.  They are 2 peas in a pod anymore.  : )  They played together really well while Josh and I got all our yard work done.

Mitchell yard looking tip top.  This is home.  I may not like everything about our house but I do LOVE our big yard.  ...and the landscaping is looking better and better every year too.  I have put in a LOT of work to get it where it is.

Once we finally came in for the day we all took baths and got comfy.  Chase wanted to be like Daddy and wear comfy shorts and a white t-shirt.  Love my hubby and his mini me!

Fun day in the sun at OUR house with OUR boys.  Love it!!

Hands

You would think he was posing with his hands by his face to look so cute.  Nope, he's just that adorable!  Peacefully sleeping.  : )

Pre-K Graduation

Cullen graduated from Pre-K!  The boy and I went to the little ceremony.  I usually love them because they are full of cute little ones - but this year they put too much into it and it was too long.  Still cute, but longer than necessary.

They had a little picnic with bounce houses at the park afterwards.  Colista asked if we wanted to come so I went.  Chase actually left my side and went and played.  He is starting to explore more.  Big boy!  After we left, Chase told me a million times that he had fun.  Even the next day he was still telling me he had fun - so I was glad I took him.  

The next day the pre-k class went to the zoo.  They had to have a parent go if they wanted to go.  Jeremy had taken a lot of days off already for Vivianne and Colista had no business being on her feet all day - so since it was Moms day off work she got to go with Cullen as his chaperone.  She was excited.  Mom wishes she could do more things like that so she is happy when she does get to.  

Grave Stone

Mom and Dad rode home with me on the way back from Cedric's birthday party.  Dad needed to stop at the cemetery to look at where he thought Grandma's ashes are going to be buried.  I mentioned on the way there that last I was out at Kaynes grave that he didn't have a head stone yet and Dad said that Kyle had told him they JUST got it up.  So we decided to go to the other cemetery and check it out real quick.  I didn't feel sad at all that evening and was NOT expecting to cry at all...but as soon as I saw it I broke down and started bawling.  I wasn't expecting the picture with Kayden on there.  It's a a really nice stone.  I love it!  I can't help but to want to ask why.  Why do I get to see my boys grow and raise them and he doesn't get to do that?  It hits me different every time I think about it.  I was puffy eyed for the rest of the night.  Gone too soon.  I think about him all the time.  RIP Kayner!


P.S. - I was driving by Michelle's house (Kayden's Mom) and her step Dad was mowing the grass with a push mower.  Kayden was following right behind him with a toy push mower.  He had a very serious look on his face like he really thought he was working hard!  : )  So cute!  It is comforting and sad all at the same time to see him.  Comforting because I know Kayne is living on through him...Sad because Kayne isn't here in the physical world to experience it.

Cedric's Birthday

Cedric's birthday was 2 days after Vivianne was born - so they didn't have us over that day.  But a few days later we all gathered at their house for pizza and cake to celebrate.  Vivianne kind of stole the show.  What can we say - we love babies!!

Chase wasn't allowed to see her in person at the hospital so he was VERY excited to see her.  He wanted to hold her right away..and he did an awesome job!

I'll admit he is VERY cute and would be a great age to have a baby around right now...however, Milo would not be a great age.  We learned that already.  I will just enjoy watching him with baby Vivianne and hope that he will still be cute and excited about babies when we do have another one in a few years.

I got Cedric some ice cream parlor jelly belly's and he was actually really excited.  He ended up with $70 from all of his cards and was very pumped about that!  I said I wanted to go back to a time where I felt rich with $70 in my pocket!!  Happy for the birthday boy though - he is quite an awesome 12 year old!

Grandpa snuggled baby girl while we all ate.  He loves the babies too.  Special times!

Happy 12th birthday Ced!!

Grandma's Boys

How cute is this?  Grandma and 4 of her grandboys out digging in the dirt with her.  : )  She is surrounded by love.  Lucky Grandma!

Vivianne Lucille Kelley

#7 has arrived!!  She was born on May 15th.  She weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long.  I was lucky enough to spend the day at the hospital in the room with Jeremy and Colista.  I was the photographer with Colista's fancy camera.  I didn't realize until after she was born that I hadn't taken ANY pictures on my own camera the entire day.  Haha - oh well.  I was having too much fun!  I had experienced her giving birth to Cullen - which was amazing..but experiencing it now after I have had my own kids brought the experience to a whole other level.  They induced her around 10am and she was born at 5:17pm so her labor was really reasonable.  When things got intense I teared up with her and could almost feel her pain.  I called and put Grandma on speaker phone when she started pushing.  She was out in 2 pushes and cried right away!  What a beautiful sound it was!  Colista labored awesome and delivered a beautiful baby girl.  Very proud of her!  So thankful for my time with them.

They put the baby in the warmer so they could check her over.  She was crying pretty hard and then Jeremy went over and started talking to her and she instantly stopped crying.  It brought tears to my eyes because it was like she already knew his voice.  Amazing!

All the family was out shortly after she was born to meet the newest addition.  It was a happy day for the Kelley's!

I kept Eden the next day while Colista was still in the hospital.  Josh happened to be home so he stayed home with the boys while Eden and I went on a little girls trip to the hospital to see baby sis again.  I figured the more she was exposed to her the better..and I wanted to see her again too!  ; )  Eden was super cute with her and wanted to hold her and hug and kiss her.  Her reaction to her was so much better than I ever dreamed it'd be.

That day I decided she looks just like Jeremy.

They still hadn't named her at this point.  Colista said she kept looking at her and thinking she was a boy - so we stuck a bow on her head and immediately we were like yep, she's a girl!  : )

Back at home I youtubed how to do a fishtail braid.  Now that I know how - it is super easy.  Eden let me play and practice on her.  So fun!

I ended up picking up Cullen and Asher from school too.  All 3 of their kids were having an amazing day.  They all played together really well.  Asher was being super polite without being asked.  I told Colista about it and she was glad that they were "showing their good sides".  Haha.

Cullen and Chase played dinosaurs...

..Asher played baseball.  He even convinced me to pitch to him.

It was actually a fun little afternoon.  Josh even commented on how well behaved everyone was that day.

The next day little miss was given a name.  They named her Vivianne Lucille Kelley.  I LOVE it!  Colista said her nick name will be Vivi Lu.  Cute!  I know Grandma is honored.  : )  Welcome to the family baby girl!!

New Milo Stuff

Milo is affectionate - but on his own terms.  If you ask for loves you'll rarely get them.  It is his idea when he decides to do it.  He often climbs up on our laps just to snuggle in by us.  This time he put his little hand on my arm and just sat there like that for quite a while.  : )  So sweet!

My piano has been serving as Milo's car garage lately.  Pretty creative right?!

Peek a boo!!  He starts this game on his own all the time.  Just out of the blue you'll hear him say "pee boo".  Adorable isn't he?!

Milo is copying and talking up a storm right now.  He says uh oh and stuck a lot.  The cutest one is when he says "where go?" or "don't know" and he puts his little hands out like he is just baffled.  Haha.  : )

This boy has one speed..he can't walk - he RUNS!  ..and when he does his little body twists and bounces so cute.  He kind of runs on his tippy toes.  He still has that baby look when he runs and I am SOO in love with it!

His binky has officially been given a name...and he has decided to call it a "me".  Now that I have figured out that is what that means our communication between one another is getting better.  ; )

You can slow your growing down any time now too Mr. Milo...

Amazing

I was across the room doing something while Chase was playing with his trains.  He says "Look Mom - it's a big choo choo!  Is it amazing?!"  Ummm YES Chase it is!  Just like you!!  : )