Last of the 30's

Gil had a birthday too!  We had already started harvest and was going good but we did sneak away the night before the big day for an Outback Steakhouse feast in the van.  Harvest was so early and went so well that it is nearly over and we're not even to November!  Probably about 2-3 weeks left.  

Gil you are such a great dad and husband and person.  I am sooooooooooo thankful for you!  If 39 looks this good on you, I can't wait to see what 40 will look like!  Plus we will be out of 2020 and that will be enough for anyone!  MMMOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHHH 💋

And then he was three...

Our baby Tommy Boy turned 3...almost 2 months ago!  I think this is the latest birthday post to date.  It has been on my to do list all this time, but let me tell you, a full time job is for the suckers!  Where did my life go?!?  Oh yeah, into a continuous cycle of "Blursdays."  But I digress... (that post is for another time...in November when I get my LIFE back!)

Anyway, the baby is three.  How can that be?  We are THIS close to the end of diaper buying (but for now pull ups can have all our money for bedtime security...for 2 boys still!).  His birthday was on a Monday so the day before Grandma and Grandpa Ridenour and the Swindoll family came up to celebrate.  Brittany and Bryan and Brynn have been staying in Council Bluffs for about 6 weeks to get out of their tiny apartment in Miami and away from the Covid-19 outbreak there.  So it was fun to have a cousin join the party!  Look at those two down there together 😍😍😍.  Everyone came inside (a new thing in this day and age!) for cake and ice cream and later for grilled steak.  We opened presents, played in the sprinkler (thanks Herrick Family!), played everywhere, and ate lots of sugar.  It was a great day!

Then the next day on his actual birthday he brought treats to his new daycare, Brooke's House.  He likes playing with friends there, but much prefers the days he gets to hang out with Grandma Lori instead!  As I write this I have one week left of teaching 4th grade and am greatly looking forward to some Tommy days of my own.  

Thomas/Tommy/Tommy Boy/Turd Ferguson/Thomas Koester Ridenour...whatever you happened to be called on a given day you are the life of the party!  You are full of energy and pizazz.  You run and jump and climb and fall and cry and laugh and smile and tease and wrestle and chase your brothers and lead your calf and do ALL. THE. THINGS!  You talk a mile a minute and are always asking "WHY?"  You love watching YouTube videos especially CocoMelon and tractor videos.  You still come into our room at night to crawl in for a snuggle, but we transitioned your crib into a "big boy bed" and you have been doing better (and are so proud...also the binky was taken away at the beginning of August.  It was a little rough, but glad that's over with!).  You love Wheels on the Bus and Baa Baa Black Sheep.  You break Legos.  You love books and everyday at nap time we read "The Little Blue Truck" and "I'm Not Sleepy."  You scream your brains out when you don't get something you want or are fighting with a sibling.  You don't eat meals worth a darn.  You love gum and ask for it constantly.  You just learned to put your own shoes on.  We are so happy that you are our baby and even that you keep growing and changing and learning.  What a blessing you are to the world 💙.

Tommy and Brynn

Construction Cake

Big Digger

Biking on Labor Day weekend

Birthday mornings are early!

Family

presents

laundry after labor day camping weekend!

more cake

kiddos

All the Koester family joined us for camping and boating.  The Pick's even stayed a night.

Ridenour Fam

Pirate Lights Boat Parade

Brothers!

Thanks for the cute shirt Aunt Alissa!

more presents

grandma and grandpa

"This is the best!"

Fun at the beach

Cora's Long-Awaited Birthday!

Cora had the longest week of her life last week, but she finally made it to Friday when she turned 9!!!  I think having the chain of Jude's birthday, then mine, then Bryn's, then Skylers, then Bretts is just too much before we finally hit hers!  She was EXCITED to say the least.  I think we had a good day.  It was rainy, but we had a good line up of events.  We started with Cinnamon rolls for breakfast and opening presents.  From us she got a new backpack and an outfit and jammies, earrings (for whenever she can go to the mall and get her ears pierced?!?), sunglasses, a bowl to paint since the one from art class at school never got finished, a hatchimal's guide book (?) and a big LEGO Friends ship.  After breakfast she had a zoom with the Ridenour fam, then zoom with friends, then Lego building.  Gil picked up pizza from the gas station for lunch.  Then more Lego, watched Descendants 2, made cupcakes, had tacos for supper and had cupcakes with Grandma and Grandpa Koester on the front porch due to the drizzle.  We visited Grandma and Grandpa Erwin Tuesday night and had a little party with them and then Hendrix's came the night before, so she got several little parties.  She also had a friend, Ellise, drive by and wave a leave a present.  So I think she felt very loved.  She also got a doll quilt just like her quilt from Grandma Carolyn, a unicorn to paint from GG Erwin, pink bike lights from the Herricks, a "Master Builder" shirt from Hendrixes, a Barbie car from Picks, a Barbie Jeep from GG Koester.  So yeah, she was spoiled!!!  And then we got a surprise quick visit on Sunday from GG Ridenour.  Yay!

Cora, we are so thankful for you and the spark and light you bring to each day.  Your smile is just too much and I love it!  You are very into riding your bike (and taught Luke!), watching Descendants or Miracaless or playing Adventure Academy on the iPad, you are getting good at building your own Lego creations, you love your Barbies and playing "farm" with your brothers.  We are still reading the Little House series together and are on the second to last book, "These Happy Golden Years."  You are my side kick when we go to get groceries or other errands.  You are my Thomas watcher and getting so helpful at many chores and jobs around the house.  I am so thankful for you my girl!!!  Love you to the mailbox!!!

cupcakes with grandma and grandpa Koester

Right before bed with new jammies and a finished Lego ship

Lego cupcakes

Hatchimals!!!

Birthday breakfast

presents from grandma and grandpa

Good morning sunshine

Set up the night before

Master Builder!

BIG LEGO!

Hendrix party

more Hendrix party

cupcakes

painted unicorn

party with GG Erwin

saying goodbye!

birthday hat and candy and GG Erwin's

GG Ridenour

I had a Birthday too!

I always mean to blog about my birthday and Gil's and our anniversary and many other things that I just never seem to get around to.  Today is Memorial Day and I have a minute to I think I'll go ahead and do that!  No celebrations going on today due to Covid-19 and all... I am keeping a kind of journal to record what this situation has been like for us.  Basically it has been like a summer of the past.  A time of just being with each other and not having outside activities.  When I was teaching and the kids were littler summer was just us and we didn't go anywhere, but we did so much!  When the kids got bigger and started having activities summers changed.  Last summer was a marathon.  Baseball all of June, 4-H all of July and a few trips and camps and fun things crammed around and then it was over.  The olden summers is what this is like only the kids are bigger...and it wasn't summer!  Now summer is upon us and we have MORE of it!  I am secretly thrilled to have all this time.  I think we think we need all this going and doing to be important and seen and have fun and fulfill our children's childhoods.  But I don't think we actually need it at all.  They do not need endless activities and endless social pressures and neither do we.  They are fine.  They would like to sometimes go somewhere and see someone, but for the most part they are totally fine.  They have been needing more time to play and relax and even be bored.  We have settled into a routine.  Sometimes I lose my mind when they won't get along.  But for the most part I am fine too.  I have a joke that I want to be Amish.  It's mostly a joke.  But this is a little like that.  And I like it!

Anyway, I had a birthday.  I turned 38 😳.  I have been out of high school 20 years.  It was a good day, but kind of a bummer because Gil was spraying ALL DAY,  ALL WEEK.  It was a Monday so I was supposed to be working from home but instead it was gorgeous out so I played outside with the kids, made an angel food cake, took a long walk to mom and dad's dam and got a ride back from mom, made the lasagna mom gave me (yummy and no cooking!) ate the angel food and finally did the glow sticks in the front yard that came from grandma Carolyn.  I also got a picture of me with my new cowboy boots!!!  Gil picked them out and ordered them and totally surprised me!