10 great years!

Happy 10 years of wedded bliss!

To the man I love with all my heart!

May we have at least 40 more!!

July 28th

It has happened. Summer vacation has gone on too long. It looks like it was scheduled 3 weeks too long this year. Mark it down that as of yesterday, July 28th, Mitch and Megan declared war AND the end of the the nice peaceful, easy going summer we had. Since then it has been nothing but fighting, slapping, pinching, whacking, smacking and I think there was some tongue sticking out-ing. Time to get the referee shirt and the boxing gloves back out because unless I wear these 2 out daily with wind sprints it could be a long 3 weeks.

Pray for me!

Warty jaw

Does anyone know of any cures for warts and/or TMJ? I don't have both...Mitch has a wart on his foot that we are try to get rid of and I have TMJ pain that is flared up, lovely! Just let me know. For now, Mitch has duct tape on his foot and I am trying all sorts of cures for my aches and pains.

New Feature

I was tweaking my blog and added a new feature to the right side after seeing this on another blog that I sometimes read..."On My Shelf". I thought I would list the last 3 books I have read so if you like to read or have an interest in reading that is similar to mine you can check it out. Last night I just started Steig Larsson's 3rd book in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series called The Girl that Kicked the Hornet's Nest. When I was reading it the morning Mitch read the title, looked at me and said, "why would anyone do that?"! Good question Mitch.

A week full of fun

This week went by so fast, mostly because we were having so much fun we could hardly stop or stand still! The end of July is nearing and it's getting to be that time in summer break where you suddenly realize that school starts in just under a month and there are still tons of things left you want to do, do again and friends you still want to see. This week we had a play date at McDonald's, 2 very fun and long park dates, the kids went to Tiny Town with Grandma and Grandpa, a trip to the bookstore and a bowling night with Dad. It was so fun, very hot, exhausting for me, and the laundry has somehow managed to pile up with out my permission, again! Next week is looking about the same and Frank and I are planning a little something special for our 10th Anniversary. Ok, well, I am. I gave up on any romantic weekend and decided to plan it myself it I wanted it to be something special...I can't wait! July will be over soon and then comes the dreaded August, ugh, probably my least favorite month next to May just because of all the things that get crammed into 31 days. More grumbling on that in anther post; today was just too wonderful ruin.

Not so Clean

I'm finding it a lot harder to eat clean, organic and dairy and gluten free in the summer with the kids home. My helpers go the store with me more and Mitch likes to pick out what he eats so it is harder to steer him away from the dairy. The other, minus the organic, I have just gotten lazy on. Plus the cost! ugh... Farmers markers help out a lot in the summer but you really, really have to pay attention to the growers and make sure that they really are organic and know their stuff.

Two books I really want to read are, Jillian Michaels Master Your Metabolism and Organic Manifesto. Both cover the expensive of organics, and vice versa, what you are putting in your body and what diseases may come of this down the road. Yuck! All interesting reading I am sure, but something I am concerned about with two little ones and one that has allergies and asthma. For now I am trying to focus on good food most of the time and treats and special things some of the time and not going overboard or else Frank and the kids start to revolt.

Happy Birthday Megan!

Dear Megan,
Happy 4th Birthday my sweet girl! You are 4 now, can you believe it?! You have been so excited for this day for months now and it is finally here. I hope it is everything you dreamed of.

Watching you grow in the last year has been so much fun. I can't believe how big you are getting. Some of your favorite things are: Princesses, Barbies, your stuffed animals and playing with your big brother, Mitch. You feel the most safe when Mitch or Daddy are around and you and I love to snuggle up and read books or watch your favorite shows, Max and Ruby or Olivia. You love to "do art" and and one of the best colorers I have ever seen! You are all girl, but you also love to play rough with your brother. Most times you are shy but you have a bossy streak that tends to run true as well. Daddy says you are a lot like me, but Daddy is just silly.

I'm sorry you have been so sick this year. If I could give you a big mommy band aide and take all your "froat" hurts away I would. It will be better soon, my dear, I promise.

Daddy and I love you lots and lots.

Happy 4th sweet girl!

Lots of love and a snuggle,
Mommy

Toothless

We call hime Toothless, but you can call him a First Grader now!!

July, really?!

As a kid I was never a lover of July. The 4th of July always meant the summer was half over and as I got older I was board out of my mind because, you know, back in those days we didn't have Internet, texting or 24 hour cartoon channels like these blessed children do. July always seemed to drag on FOR.EVER.!

Now, as an adult, I am starting to wonder where the first half of the year went and start turning in circles looking for it. I'm also in a state of panic because Megan's birthday is next week and I haven't even begun to shop for her! I guess it's okay because she is almost 4 and changes her mind daily as to what she would like to have. One day Barbies, the next day a Belle dress...your guess is as good as mine.

One thing that has stayed consistent, and I so glad I have passed this on to the kids, is my love for reading. There is really nothing I love more in the summer than to curl up and read a really good book. I'm way behind on my shows because the patio is much more inviting in the afternoons and I have been reading just about a book a week, sometimes more. We are making lots of trips to the library and the used book store and finding lots and lots of new and old friends. Megan likes Bernstein Bears, Mitch has started reading chapter books and likes the Magic Tree House series and I read just about anything that you set in front of me, book, magazine or newspaper, but my favorite from the summer so far has been The Help.

July will be here and gone before you know it and I can just hear my Grandpa Jack saying, "only 5 more months until Christmas." and we all would roll our eyes or look at him funny. Now I know that that silly man was right and it's important to enjoy these lazy days because the busy, busy, hurry, hurry that drives me crazy of the school year will be here before I know it.

Back 40

I am not a lover of yard work; it really has nothing to do with the hard work or getting dirty and everything to do with pollen, weeds, trees and lately mosquitoes. Every spring I have the best of intentions to have a really nice, simple garden(s) and every year I am up to my knees in weeds by July. Keeping up with the yeard work in May and June with allergies like mine is like seriously ridiculous. This year, just like last, the hail got to a good portion of my plants the first week in June and left me with little more than sticks sticking out of the ground as well. In my vegetable garden I have rhubarb and basil still growing...yummy! And then there are the weeds. Oh yes, I have flowers, lots of them, and lots and lots of weeds! So for the last few days Frank and I have been trying to dig out from under then weed garden in hopes that by August it might look decent. Like I so optimistically say in the Fall, there's always next year!

Fourth of July

We're a crazy bunch on the 4th!

My sister and I dawned the most amazing outfits this year for our family's annual water fight.

We looked HOT and stayed really quite dry.

The water fight is just the kickoff to the Annual Youngmann 4th of July party.

It really is the party of the summer!

Frank turns into a crazed pyromaniac every year on the 4th and this year was no different.

He lit up the streets with the help of my dad, cousins and uncles for a show that really topped them all.

June was fun!

My camera has been giving me fits so I haven't posted many pics on here lately.

Here are some of the things we have been up to in June in the way of pics, enjoy!

Megan at gymnastics.

She completed a Level 1 USGA routine on bar, beam and floor...so cute!

Mitch riding his 2-wheeler for the first time.

Frank and Mitch on Father's Day, and yes, that tooth is still loose and hanging by a thread!

Megan at swimming lessons last week.

Mitch after swimming lessons last week.

He got to go down the big blue slide in the background

by himself on Friday.