day 338

I bought my husband a Tim Horton's BUNN coffee maker for his birthday. And he's gone for 8 weeks so I'm enjoying it. He ordered himself several other birthday presents which have been arriving in the mail this week - so I don't feel bad for using the coffee maker without him. I went to the mail to pick up one of his packages and was surprised to find it was one for me - a BzzAgent package for a Nabob coffee campaign. Now and then BzzAgent sends me free samples of stuff to try out and if I like it, I tell other people about it and that's how it goes. Well, their timing couldn't be better since I have this awesome new coffee maker. I mean, HE has this new coffee maker. Anyway.

So here's a good start to the morning with the Tim Horton's coffee maker brewing up a nice pot of coffee in less than three minutes - gotta love that. And I have two tins of Nabob coffee - which is what we usually use anyway but now I guess now I can feel so much better about because the BzzAgent tins came with a whole bunch of information (which Annique is perusing) about how it is 'Rainforest Alliance Certified' coffee and the social, economic and environmental reasons why that is so important. I'd sure like to enjoy my coffee as guilt-free as possible, but I haven't been into seeking out the Fair Trade varieties - if its not carried at my local grocery store, I'm too busy to be hunting it down and making special trips to places that sell special coffees. But this stuff I can find, and I have a bunch of coupons for it, if anyone's interested in trying it too.

day 337

It was still sprinkling and thundering a bit but we needed to get out of the house - and it can't get WORSE when there's a rainbow, right? So I walked and the girls went for a bike ride.

day 336

So, with everyone else at school, its just me and Bella Dancerella here all day.

day 335

Okay - FINALLY - off to school!!! Little Miss is in her PJ's still so hopefully she'll understand when she doesn't get out of the van and they do. Percy is not going to school.

day 334

Backpacks ready to go to school. The owner of the smallest pink backpack doesn't know she's not going, obviously.

day 333

Cecily learning Sudoku strategy from Uncle Bill - Grandma S. crocheting in the background. A rainy afternoon at the lake.

day 332

The beginning of 8 weeks of hell - my husband driving off to school 5 hours away. We'll see him on the weekends.

day 331

Having an afternoon nap in Grandpa's chair

day 330

And, wow. He got a lot done in just two days. Yesterday's picture was taken over by that power pole, and this whole area was covered in thick brush.

day 329

Clearing brush on the back lot

day 328

Getting ready to do a little lake-fishing.

day 327

Serge's stuff all packed and ready to go to school next week.

day 326

When the two year old is unsupervised for five minutes, she can clean the middles out of a pile of Oreos.

day 325

The girls sharing a bed at the hotel - we're off for a weekend of school shopping and relaxing at the waterpark.

day 324

We're waiting in the truck while Dad helps pour cement at the house.

day 323

The rudebeckias are just huge this year. And in the spring I thought they wouldn't come back at all - I don't think we had any last year.

day 322

I'm due in December, my sisters-in-law are due in October (middle) and September (right).

day 321

Looking out over town from the top of the hill across from our house. We took the quad out for a few hours this afternoon.

day 320

Attempts at life support for a hummingbird - it drank a lot from the feeder, but didn't survive. The kids were absolutely fascinated, though.

day 319

Meanwhile I'm in the kitchen busily lining up 5 bowls of cereal...

day 318

Bedtime stories with Grandma.

day 317

Would you believe she screamed bloody murder for the first five minutes of the boat ride?

day 316

My nephew showing my husband exactly how he wants to set up his new fishing rod - picking his favorite lure out of the bunch.

day 315

Annique getting used to the concept of 'baby' - she's fascinated. Where's baby? Where's baby? Baby sleeping? Baby awake? I hold it???

day 314

I actually took a sunrise picture of my own! I absolutely HATED being up this early but I couldn't get back to sleep - so I made it worthwhile.

day 313

Happy birthday to my six-year-old girl! She learned to ride a two-wheeler just in time!

day 312

At the very, very last minute she insisted on dressing up to be in the parade with her sisters. So I found a costume and threw it on. Then she wouldn't take it off.

Now, if I'd have PLANNED for her to walk in the parade and look adorable in a pretty floofy costume, there is no way on earth she would have done it. No way.

day 310

Curious George tattoos = potty success.

day 309

We're home, and making strawberry jam. The Skittles did not go in the jam.

day 308

Can't forget this one - like two peas, huh?

day 307

We're packed up to go home, and the cat is all settled in and ready to go too. One problem though - that's not our cat.

Oh, and he's really, really heavy. And stubborn.

day 306

Don't feel sorry for Grandma - she started the water balloon fight.

day 305

I just like this one.

day 304

Just a typical afternoon at the beach - do you think Annique will float?

day 303

Mmmmm, roasted marshmallows.

day 302

And there it is, sitting on the foundation. I didn't hang out long enough to see how they got those beams out of the way - we're off to the lake.

day 301

The kids were so excited to see the new house going down the road - and onto the foundation right behind us. They can't wait to have their cousins living right next door.