Christmas x 3...

We started Christmas with Brad's family at his mom's house.

Kaden & Howard always have fun with Great-Grampa, Papa A.D.

Playing doctor with Grama Betty.

Lots of great toys!

Then we had Brad's Dad come to Christmas at our house.

A great big hug for Papa Bill for the super cool train table!
Then it was off to my folks in Prineville for round 3.

We decided to do homemade gifts for each other this year (with a couple exceptions for Kaden) & unfortunatly I didn't get pics of many of the great things that were created. Here though are a couple.
Love how my sisters dog Dobber got into this shot.

Kaden got his very own fishing rod from Papa 'eve.

Grama Nana made him a heating pad froggy to keep him toasty at night! I'm not sure how good of an idea it is to teach him to put frogs in the microwave!
Uncle Dave trying to burn the house down with his demonstration of how to use the flint stone in the survival packs he made. Very creative!
Bathtime fun with Grama Nana

Rental House- Before & After

A couple years ago we bought a rental home near the Country Club that Brad's mom rents from us. We decided it was time for a paint job so Labor Day weekend we set to work.

Before Shot:

Notice the giant bush under the window. It was growing under the siding and into the house throught the window sill. Not through the window, but actually through the joints in the window sill! Flowers could bloom IN the kitchen!

And here's how it looks now! Brad did all of the stone work himself before we started painting. He did such a great job! I'd like to put some bark mulch in the flower bed & a flower box under the small front window to set it off a bit. Other than that I think it looks pretty great!!

Killer Bee Attack!!

We were out in the field behind our house today trying to plant a little cornstalk that had been growing wild in a friends yard. We thought it would be fun to transplant it and see if it would continue to grow wild corn. While I was digging a little hole for it suddenly my arm was killing me, I shouted to Brad, who was 15-20 feet away from me with Kaden, that I thought I had been stung by a bee. It really hurt and I could still hear it buzzing around me. As I was high tailing it away from where I had been squatting it was still buzzing around me, and as I got closer to Brad and Kaden suddenly Kaden started screaming. I thought maybe he was reacting to me screaming and flailing around as well as Brad who was batting at the air and trying to see if it was stuck in my hair or something. I told Brad to grab Kaden start running as it, or they, or whatever, was still buzzing around trying to get us. With Kaden sobbing we made it into the house where I removed his shirt to find this:

There are seven sting marks. Three right along his waistband and four others up his back. Whatever it was was clearly stuck in his shirt and wasn't the kind of bee that stings once and then dies (we never did actually get a look at it/them- wasp, hornet, who knows.) After a dose of baby tylenol, laying on his tummy while the baking soda paste worked its magic, and one episode of House of Mouse he was pretty much recovered. (Although I am still whining about my one sting on my arm- I can't imagine how seven must feel.)

He is posing with Grama Betty while I document his battle wounds. What a brave little guy!

(P.S.- This was no where near that hive we saw earlier this summer)

We love blueberries!

We got to go blueberry picking this weekend out by Peavy, so yummy! Kaden was a big helper, he was in charge of quality control and therefore had to eat about every third berry that landed in the bucket. There is something almost magical about a dark blue fruit that doesn't stain!

Kaden with Brad's Mom, Grama Betty.