Detour...

Well we had sort of planned to stay at home this weekend but plans changed a little. We decided on Friday at about 5pm that we would head out of town to my parents house. We haven't been to La Crosse since Christmas so we quickly packed our bags and headed on our way. My dad took the boys this morning for a little while and my mother and me headed out to do a bit of shopping. Tonight we went to a local basketball game and let the boys run around. A good time was had by all.

Here the boys are checking our Rachel's new pets named Mac and Cheese.

Train Mess

The boys were busy this afternoon putting a train together.

Nick has taken the lead in clean-up duties and has told me to take the night off. He didn't have to tell me that twice! Nick has been so helpful around here lately, which has been nice because I haven't been feeling 100%.

I'd like to lie about my weekend but...

Nick won't let me. After asking Nick what I should write on the blog about this weekend he answered with, "Why don't you just be honest? Take for instance me and the truck, you didn't hold back when I made that mistake."

So here is my confession; I spent the weekend reading smutty books (yep, plural, as in more then one). There I said it. Don't frown down upon me people. Just because I didn't read anything thought provoking or enlightening doesn't mean it wasn't educational. Down right smut, the kind of books you can pick up at the grocery store. This is also the reason I haven't been able to blog, I've been so busy reading. The only thing missing this weekend was my bikini, a beach to sit on and the sun to soak up.

You will all be happy to know my kids had no idea what I was reading and I would have lied to them had they asked. They did have a bit of fun of their own.

Nick's cousins came over to play for a while.

Below is Geremu, the magician, right before attempted to split his beautiful assistant in half.

My boys enjoying each others company.

Early Morning Fun

We got a little more fun yesterday in the form of snow. When the boys woke up and realized it snowed again they were eager to get outside and "help" dad shovel. Here are a few pictures of the morning.

Not that long ago when it was a bit warmer the boys made a snowman. Well the temperature has since dropped and we never moved the snowman, so he is now an ice man that has made the driveway his home. I don't know if you can tell but his arms are a long reflector and a flag, so cars coming into the driveway notice him.

It's too bad I didn't get any front views of the boys, but this view isn't too bad either. I'm sitting my butt in the garage staying warm watching the boys do all the work:)

Little Helpers

Cullen and Geremu are lovin' Dad these days. The other day Geremu broke the bathroom faucet so it needed to be replaced. The boys "helped" or rather hung out under the bathroom sink while Nick was replacing it. I should give Cullen a little more credit then that, he did actually hand Nick tools when Nick described what he needed.

Don't you wish your boys were sexy like mine...

At one point Nick left the bathroom for a phone call. I went into the bathroom after I heard the boys laughing loudly. Loud laughing is never a good sign, it usually means trouble. Turns out Geremu had gotten a hold of the Lysol and numerous other cleaning products that are usually locked under the sink. Geremu ended up Lysoling himself and the bathroom. So not only did Geremu smell extra fresh and 99.9% disinfected but our shower curtain also got bleached. Cullen was totally entertained by the entire incident.

This next picture might bring back some memories from last spring ( http://awishwithwings.blogspot.com/2008/05/weeds.html ). Nick is not pulling weeds this time just vacuuming... a spot??? Anyways, thankfully he had the "helped" again of his boys.

If it wasn't for the "help" of our boys we wouldn't get any thing done around this joint.

Today was another beautiful day, temps in the 30's. So the boys enjoyed a little time outside on the screened in porch (think giant playpen). Here is what I walked out to while I was getting dinner ready tonight.

Their new party trick is to knock on the patio door. Then from in the house I yell, "Who is it?" Each time they make-up a different name and bust up laughing. I'm glad they get a kick out of spending time together.

AHOPE

There’s a movement growing. Everyday in the Western world someone’s eyes are opened to the orphan crisis that’s ravaging the developing countries. The problem seems so large and we seem so insignificant. We can make a difference though. By raising awareness we foster a community and as a community we can provide. We’re asking you to help us in creating that community.

World AIDS Orphan Day is May 7th. The AHOPE Store has developed a t-shirt to commemorate this day and the community of supporters that are growing year after year. Please join in by raising awareness. It’s simple. Order the newest t-shirt from the AHOPE Store for a $10 donation. (All proceeds go towards care of the children served by AHOPE.) Wear your shirt as often as possible, and especially on World AIDS Orphan Day. It will serve as a reminder to your community. It may even create a dialogue. That dialogue could open someone’s eyes. You might inspire them to do more, give more. Join us in creating a community that is committed to orphan care.

After seeing what one little t-shirt can do you might be inspired yourself. If that’s the case be sure to check out the World AIDS Orphan Day website. Here you can find further information on this grassroots campaign.

The new t-shirts images, designed by 13-year-old Isaiah, are shown below:

To order your shirt, please visit www.ahopestore.org.

AHOPE for Children is a non-profit organization whose mission is to serve the children of Ethiopia, with a primary emphasis on caring for orphans infected with HIV.

Happy Valentine's Day

What a beautiful day outside! We woke up to some fresh snow on the ground but it did warm up to mid 30's. Here's what the day included:

A walk outside.

Building a snowman.

A winter fire.

Sampling of snow from around the yard- yummy!