"Brother, but when you're near me - I'm in the mood for love"

Hoonka and her boys (3 of them) went home this afternoon. We just had 5 boys under 5 for 12 days. It seems like I should say the cliche now like, "it was overwhelming and crazy and I don't know how our moms did it." But, really, it was fun and warm and "family-ish" the way those movies portray family. The boys got a long amazingly well. Hoonka and I kept expecting fights and it was more disagreements with a little shoving in between. Spitting, potty-talk, basic sassiness - that was all there. But the boys played constantly. They used every toy in the house and most of the toys outside. They ate through my snack supplies and the extras Hoonka purchased. They chased, they sang, they watched A LOT of TV. It was glorious. I must make the confession that I changed Teags' (5 months old) diaper on the first day and when I smelled the "breast milk" poop, I started to cry because I wanted another baby so much. Even hearing him in the middle of the nights didn't sway me. Teags in an amazing baby. 

And Hoonka (my sister-in-law) was so fun and easy to talk to. She was just as great as the boys (if not better because she both wipes and feeds herself. I am always amazed at the sister-in-laws God has brought in to my life. They are total gifts (I give NO credit to my ridiculous brothers who all lucked out and do not deserve these girls. I don't deserve RK most days either). 

Teags. 4th of July. I wasn't with him, but his mother has this picture of him on her phone, so I sent it to myself to post it. Humiliating and I can't wait until he gets married or becomes a Priest so that I can humiliate him with this. 

Not black and white, but still cool somehow. Buck, Thunder and me at Drumheller, the Dinosaur place about an hour away from us. That is a REAL T-Rex skeleton behind us. Cool. 

Thunder. Buck. K-Man. A-Man. Teags in in the seat with the stuffed duck head. Our crew for 12 days! 

Now, the Kellys are gone. Also, I said good-bye to a close Calgary friend as she and her family are moving to Aberdeen, Scotland next week. At the end of our visit, Buck said to his friend (her son), "We'll always be friends." I started totally weeping (drama all the way). I hugged my friend good-bye and told her that "we'll always be friends too." It was a bittersweet day. 

"And I said to myself - what a wonderful world"

Bad pics of graduation day. 

Crabby at the last day of Gymnastics (boys and pictures, what is it?) 

Hanging out in the backyard on the one day of sunshine. This is our fire pit. 

Little surfer boy with water gun. SO CUTE! 

Buck about to do a giant splash in the baby pool. 

We've been very busy this summer so far. Right now, Coach K1 and Hoonka are here with their 3 little boys. We have a house full of 5 boys under 5. It is barely controlled chaos and doesn't help that we've had a few nights of wine-induced fun/hangovers. The boys have been getting along really well and we've been having some great days and nights -even though it is still relatively cold most days. 50's and 60's - so weird. 

Family is great. We have two friends (and their families) moving in the next few weeks and it makes me think about how transient we all are. Family is forever and that makes this visit really important to me as the boys solidify "cousin" relationships. I'll have to post some pictures of the boys together over the next few days. 

Last, today RKZ and I have been married for 10 years. I seriously feel like we were married a few weeks ago. I have no way of writing all that I feel for him...Just the other day I told a friend, I have a really nice life. And I do - thanks to RKZ. 

"Nobody knows, the trouble I've seen"

This post is sans pictures and the song has nothing to do with anything.

It's raining and was 43 degrees here at one point. I'm sorry that I just can't feel badly for the sweltering heat in the East. Sorry. I'm wearing a coat and rain boots everyday. It hasn't stopped raining all week.

Today - I HATE Canada. I'm looking at tickets to anywhere warm right after this post.

There is a lot to write. I'll post some pictures later. Maybe tomorrow. Life calls.

Today is the day Marty McFly arrived in the future after hitting 88 mph in his Delorean from 1985......

When I just received this in my email (from RKZ), I thought it was a joke. We are officially "Back to the Future" and now I want to watch this movie tonight. How far have we come? Didn't this movie have Arnold Shwarznegger (sp?) as the President? 

We were in Montana for 4th of July. Pictures tomorrow. Today, I am celebrating the past!