Memorial Day...Fun in the Sun!

This afternoon we soaked up some sun out on the boat with my parents and cousins Ben & Maria.

Drayson loved getting dirty in the sand. And didn't even mind his life jacket! Such a trooper.
Oh yeah. Look what Drayson can do. Special.

Monthly Tidbits-May

YAY! We finally have some summer weather. It was perfect today. High 80's with a very slight breeze. We spent our day swimming and lounging at our friends the Taylors. Caleb removed himself only a handful of times from the pool in the 5+ hours that we were there. Drays had a blast splashing around with all the kids and being cooed at by the ladies. We are planning on the good weather sticking around so we can get out on the boat with my parents tomorrow!

Caleb--4yrs/8months, 38lbs

• you love to cuddle on the couch with Daddy and I before you go to bed
• you love to sing back up to me in the car and play your air guitar
• you are already a most gorgeous shade of toasted brown. I'm jealous.
• you say things like "you're crackin' me up"
• you took your own money to the soccer game yesterday and went to the concession stand and bought a soda all by yourself. when I asked you if the lady helped you count your money...you looked at me annoyed and said "mom, I know how many one dollar is!"
• you are always right and have a strong sense of reason. we were having a disagreement the other day over whether your friend Bryce would be going to kindergarten or not next year and you told me: "mom, you know how I know that Bryce is for sure going to kindergarten? Because his shoes are bigger than mine-that's how I know!"

Drayson--11 months, 21(ish) lbs.

• you eat anything you can get your hands on...including the dog food the other day!
• you love for people to look at you so you can smile your cheesy grin at them
• you have 8 teeth
• we are pretty sure you are saying some words: mom, dad, dog, all done
• when Daddy changes your diaper you get all perturbed and look around for me saying "mom,mom"
• you love to wrestle your big brother
• you are pulling up on everything and walking with assistance. we catch you standing all on your own for several seconds at a time
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And I had to share this one last picture. Drays still faces back in his carseat, so Caleb is the only one who can see him. Caleb has always been really helpful. And lately has been handing Drays crackers and snacks. This is the pic I sneaked the other day after getting Caleb a blizzard at DQ. You better believe Drayson was loving that!

May Journal Entry

Outside my window:

200+ ft of new concrete curbing, 2 new trees, several new bushes, a couple of new sprinklers. We have been hard at work here at House of Elfering.

I am thinking:

That I can't believe I was able to keep my trap shut once again about some BIG news. NO...not pregnant :) Yours truly was just named head Varsity girl's soccer coach at Richland High! I applied several weeks ago, then finally went through the interview process last week and found out a few days after that but wasn't able to officially spill the beans until late last week. I am thrilled to see what this new and exciting opportunity will bring our way (besides being super busy of course).

I am thankful for:

a husband who believes in me. supports me. builds me up. is proud of me.

From the kitchen:

Just opened a new can of formula and it got me thinking...only a couple more cans before Drayson is off the expensive stuff. Can you believe it?...he will be a year in just 5 short weeks.

I am wearing:

a sunburn on my back from the several hours we spent in the sun landscaping this weekend. Chip is sporting the matching burn.

I am going:

to be watching the new season of the Bachelorette staring Jillian that kicks off tomorrow night. You might remember THIS post about our unfailing love of the spunky gal from Canada, eh?!

I am hoping:

that my boy Kris Allen pulls out the upset win over Adam on Idol this week! Geez, by reading these last two prompts you'd think I was a reality TV junkie or something...oh wait, I might be :) Real Housewives, anyone?

I am hearing:

Chip watching a DVR'd episode of the Mentalist. and the humm of the air conditioner.

Around the house:

Lookin' pretty tidy here, friends.

I am creating:

I just did this super cute and super easy frame/message board as a wedding shower gift. They have the coolest stuff at Craft Warehouse right now. This literally took 10 minutes and a hot glue gun. Done.

One of my favorite things:

Scarves. They are my new favorite accessory. And inspired by the before mentioned Jillian. I know they are probably "so last season" but just like the whole popular music scene...it takes awhile for it to reach the Tri.

A picture thought I am sharing:

Yes, he blows a whistle, folks. I'm pretty sure this skill is not on any of those "by 12 months old your child should be doing...." lists. I can't imagine he could have picked this up from his big brother!

Plans for the upcoming month:

*finish getting the yard in shape. *preschool graduation. *end of school for Daddy

What We Did For Mother's Day & other random Funness (and yes Dear, I know funness is not a real word)

On Mother's Day (after Chip got up with the kiddos and let me stay in bed for a bit), he asked Caleb what we should do for the day. Caleb says: "I think Mom would like to go golfing." :)...at least he didn't say rollerblading! Now I actually have my own clubs (this in no way is meant to imply that I am a skilled golfer) and I do enjoy golfing. But most of all I enjoy doing fun stuff with "my guys." So we decided it was a great idea and off we went to Golfland (Par 3, 9 hole course). I am happy to report that my game has at least stayed consistent (consistently bad, but whatever). And that it was not our 4 year old son, but me, that almost took several fellow golfers out twice and lost at least 3 balls. But the weather was awesome and Drayson Pants was good as gold (when is he not?) and I can't think of another way I would have rather spent Mother's Day!

Check out some of the other fun we had this past weekend....

The boys cruisin' Papa Kev-O's jeep

Drayson showing off his walking skills...not exactly sure what's going on with the tip toes!

Caleb & Daddy showing Drayson how it's done


Also, Meghan finished up the final proofs of our family photos. They are amazing. And now I'm not sure how I will ever be able to choose. I definitely want a large family shot and a couple of the boys together and of them individually. And one of Chip and I. And then I will probably do some sort of collage frame, because there are just too many good ones. You can check out the finished product here. And pretty please...tell me what you think!!

Good things do come from stalking...

So everyone knows I am a self proclaimed "blog stalker." Though someone once told me it's only stalking if you yourself do not have a blog. So maybe I should refer to myself as a "blog SURFER"....doesn't that just sound less creepy and well, illegal? So while I was killin some time the other day, I hopped on a blog through an ACTUAL (not a pretend) friend's blog. This gal is seriously hilarious and witty. So of course I had to scroll back several posts and found this post. Considering I don't even know the gal, I couldn't even do the polite thing and ASK if I could share it with you all (all 2 of my readers that is). I'm sure this probably breaks some sort of blog "etiquette," but I just thought it too sweet not to share. I think she conveys such an awesome and loving message. And the fact that I want my hubby to write me notes like that!

So I basically had this convo with Chip the other night.

me: "so I was reading a blog the other night and she had this idea about a white board to write notes to each other on...blah, blah, blah"

him: "whose blog?"

me: "um,...I don't really know her, she's Sarah's friend"

him: (rolls his eyes--still not sure if this was more about the white board or my blog stalking) "aww, do we have to?"

me: "Pleeaase."

him: "whatever"

me: "k, I'm gonna pick one up the next time I'm at Target"

Which leads to this....

(the best $5 bucks I've spent lately)

I laughed. He laughed when he saw it. He wrote me a note the next day. Because he will do anything to make me happy (even if he complains a bit about it). I'm still smiling over it. Can't wait to see what is written next!

I love this man.

We had tacos the other night. I was crisping shells.

He says: "oh that was so sweet of you to make mine with a smiley face on it!"

Yeah, hon...I've been working on that one for months ;)

To My Boys on Mother's Day:

My dearest Caleb & Drayson,

I'm so glad God decided you should be mine!

Always, Mama

God sends children for another purpose than merely to keep up the race--to enlarge our hearts, to make us unselfish, and full of kind sympathies and affections.

Just some more fun pictures!

Here are some pictures of the past week. Randoms that didn't make a specific post, but were too cute not to share. And there are a few from this past weekend when my sis and Baby Parker were in town.

Aunt Kass showing off her new pink birthday bike...she and Caleb are riding partners now.

Drays being his cute self while we waited for Lance Armstrong Inc. to return from their ride

There is just something about little guys in basketball shortsMommy and the love bug on a shopping excursion with Auntie Jamie & Nonni
Caleb remembering the good 'ol days when he used to get pushed...those were the days!
Drays pushing Parker around and hammin it up for the camera

This is the only pic of all 3 boys I got this weekend...I readily admit that it is a terrible pic, but I just had to post it anyways. Look how big Parker is getting. He & Drayson are almost the same size.
My mom got superhero jammies for the boys--Superman for Drays & Batman for Caleb. Drayson will now be known as SUPER DRAYS!
Nonni also purchased a new snorkle & flipper set for our fish, Caleb. This will forever crack me up. All I can think of is "SCUBA STEVE" from the Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy.

And to finish up this totally random post I have to share this funny story about the neighbor kids and why you never say anything in front of young children that you don't really mean. While I was at the computer, the 2 boys from across the street knocked on the door and asked if we had seen their cat. I told them no. Then they asked me to bring the cat back home if I did happen to see it. Sure. Then 2 minutes later the younger of the two shows back up and says with complete sincerity "don't send the cat home if you find him, Mommy says he broke off a bunch of stuff in her garden and she doesn't want him back anyways, she says he just needs to find a new home." Me (hiding a smile), "ok, in that case I definitely won't send him home." She is going to die when I tell her this story! :) This really makes me wonder what Caleb has told the neighbors lately...hmmm.

Fish ON!

On Sunday Chip took Caleb on a "man" outing. And how much manlier does it get than fishing?. They went to the recently stocked Columbia Park Pond. And it did not disappoint. Several hours and a purple juice mustache later, Caleb hooked a 15" trout. After a little help from Daddy, that baby was theirs. And now it is in my refrigerator waiting to be cooked. Yippee for me. You should have seen how proud he was (I meant Caleb here...but Chip was pretty darn proud and excited too :) Please note his "fishing" vest. Yep, came up with that all on his own. Where does he get this stuff...it's not like we sit around watching the fishing network on TV or spend any time at all discussing anything fishing related. I'll say it again...strangely observant, this kid of ours.

After more than half the day I was getting worried that I would need to call in a missing person's report. But alas, they were not drowned in the kiddie pond...apparently the 10 year old boy next to Caleb had caught 2 fish, and our totally un-competitive child (please note sarcasm) did not want to leave until he had not just 2, but 3 fish! He was finally coerced into coming home with promises of more fishing and possibly golfing next weekend!

PS. Caleb thinks he is an amazing fisherman now. Really, no lack of self-confidence in this boy. Apparently besides playing pro hockey, he will also be joing the Pro Bass Fishing Tour...

I love this kid.

FYI: My kids are ADORABLE!

So, some of you might rememember a post from a while back where I raved about this amazing photographer I am lucky enough to know. Well, 2 weekends ago we got our family photos taken. And I have been waiting to see THESE. Aren't they so cool? I love that they are fun and different (kinda sums up our family I think :). There are so many more to come, this is just the sneaky peaky! I love the 2 close ups of the boys. Aaahh, they just melt my heart.

I don't care what else happens today...Meghan, you made my day pure BLISS!