Two Coke Day

Jake wrapped up in his blanket waiting for the snake we let go back into its' natural habitat to come back. He just knows he's coming back home. He just knows it.


The kids crowding around the Caterpillar to Butterfly kit I bought them. They loved it. In fact, the caterpillars are now in their chrysalis stage. Yeah!

It was a two coke day on Monday. Actually, it's been a two coke week. Actually...let's be honest. It's been a two coke Summer. If you know me, you know I only have one Coke a day. It's my vice. A great vice. I am actually staring at my Coke on the Rocks right this second. I think I'll have a sip.

So, Monday. Visiting Teaching. My kids aren't in school quite yet. Let's just say, Denver has officially met the Ford's.

Our first visit was especially tough since the husband was upstairs asleep recovering from a night shift. My kids were running through the house. Coming in and out of doors. You can only say "Stop that, be quiet" so many times to the Ford kids. The icing on the cake was when my daughter started ringing the doorbell...a lot. I left.

The next house. The cute girl just kept saying, "Wow, your kids sure have a lot of energy." That was an understatement. The icing on the cake at that house was not that her baby woke up 10 minutes after our arrival, oh no, that would have been too predictable. It was when Jake ran through their front screen door and knocked the whole thing to the ground.

So I say, Denver: Meet the Ford's.

The Ford's: Welcome to Denver. I hope you make it.

Re-New

I am in the process of learning to Re-New. You know, turn run-down, worn-out, pieces of furniture and turn them into usable artifacts. These are special pieces of Re-New for me. My sister and I used to play with these two pieces of pine wood for hours on end.
In fact...

here's my name to prove it. (inside one of the drawers)


And now, after some serious sanding, paining, staining, more sanding, dipping the nobs into a bath of minwax walnut stain...this exact same kitchen set entertains my baby girl today.


They are sitting next to another Re-New project of mine. A $5 super-ugly wood thingy. A few dollars later and a lot of work...

behold...

the Ford Kids art and craft carry-all. We love it!

Favorite Snipets

from our first month in Denver.

Will with his homemade archery target. He has been researching whch archery set he would like for Christmas ever since going to his first scout camp.

So James comes home and asks Will about his new friend he met at scout camp. Will replied, "yeah, we were buddies until I was assigned to the Color Guard."

"oh, cool," responds James. "How did you get chosen for that?"

"Oh, well, I just kept getting lost and didn't follow the group that well so they assigned me to some older scouts so I wouldn't get lost anymore."

"oh. Alrighty then," responds his dad.

I am such a great mom. I take my kids to our new library and my 3 year old chooses this book. Does this concern anybody but me?

Here she is reading this wonderful book to her imaginary friends.

I am trying to refinish some garage sale purchases. I found this great bookholder for the boys room. I painted it blue and sanded off some finish to make it look "pottery barnish." Williams response after a couple of days of having the new book keeper in his room. "Mom, you didn't even paint the whole thing. Some parts aren't even painted. Paint it again!"

Mom: "Will, that's the look. It is suppossed to look that way, It's cool."

Will: "No it's not"

Swim lessons. a few days during the other kids lessons I got in the pool and Will and I swam laps together. He showed me how to do the backstroke. "Mom, you have GOT to keep your kicks straight." "No mom. Your arms are suppossed to look like this." "Mom, your biggest problem is your kicks." "You have got to keep your tummy up, mom!"

Mooch: "mom, you can't get a coke!"

Mom: why Mooch?

Mooch: It is soooo bad for you

Mom: did daddy tell you that?

Mooch: No

Mom: who told you that it was bad for you?

Mooch: I just know mom. Don't get one!

So I ordered a Pepsi.

He asked what it was. I told him it was like Sprite.

He seemed O.K.

Indiana Cousins

First of all, It is official. Uncle Joey is a Mormon family man. He comes to our house and makes Green Jello. My kids had absolutely no idea what Jello was. "It jiggles. Gross". Jake, of course, is the only one brave enough to taste it. Way to go, Mooch.

At the park with our cousins.

Joey let Ne Ne and Maddie do his hair. "Isn't it beautiful. Go look in the mirror"

They had practice doing their own hair before they tackled Joey's. No wonder Joe's looked so good.

The baby spider. Aren't they cute? All I can say was that it was traumatic when they left late last night.

We waited for our cousins to see Snuggles the snake before letting him back in his natural habitat with his family.

We love you Snuggles the snake. Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope you don't come back.

My Boys

My precious, precious boys. You wouldn't know it from these pictures...but they fight CONSTANTLY! Little do they know, that as long as they keep fighting like this, they will be sharing a room. Here's the deal. Well, first of all, they don't have a choice to not share a room. There is really no place for them to go. However, I absolutely LOVE the fact that they share a room. Do you know why? Because for all of the fighting, bickering, beating, yelling, screaming, threatening, hmmmm,what else? There are those tiny times. Very tiny times...when I see this. And everything is worth it. After all is said and done. They are best friends. They would NEVER admit that to ANYONE. But I know it's true. They can't fool me. I will sit outside their door at night and listen to the laughter. After all the fighting. There is laughter. And that my sons is the reason you may always share a room. Because your mom is selfish. And she can't get enough of that nighttime laughter.

The boys caught their first snake. They named it "snuggles". Interesting. It was a proud, very proud moment for one 8 and 6 year old boy.

They're pretending. Can you tell?

Utah Cousins

It's True. Our Utah cousins came to visit. Well, and one Pennsylvania cousin came as well. But she drove form Utah...with the other Utah cousins. Here we are at the Denver Aquarium. Check us out with the sharks. We're pretty tough...even if they are behind a thick chunk of glass.

touching the sting rays

the one and only picture I have to prove my sister was here. Pathetic, I know. Maybe she will give me a new camera for Christmas. This quality is simply amazing.

looking down at those crazy sharks

hi Eliza!

lounging out on my bed

Civic Green park. So fun. And free! Wa-hoo!

the best part about cousins...they don't even care if they have to sleep on the floor. As long as they're together.

Uncle Joey has been living with us for a month. He is the best, lowest maintenance guest we could ever have. i am already sad thinking he is leaving soon. I love having him come home from work and telling me about his day. It is so fun. Just like old times. Oh, and he even does the dishes. Bonus!

When daddy comes home...

He takes the kids to the Renaissance Festival

Jake dressed up like a pirate. Here the boys are posing with the real Pirate Jack Sparrow (not that the kids have ever seen the movie...but he looked like a pirate...and that was cool)

William chose to dress like a knight. And it was a good thing. He ran into the Real Knight, Sir William. Now that is cool. They even cheered for him to win the deadly jousting duel bwteen Sir. William and the evil Black Knight. Can you guess who won?

Before the festival. Naomi was of course, the princess.

More swimming. There are about 6 different pools that we can go to any day of the week...for free. I don't know if we will ever move. It is amazing!

And did I mention that there are DQ's on every corner? We are in Heaven!

Busy helping me re-finish garage sale furniture.

And let's not forget...OUR SURPRISE VISITORS! The worst part about leaving Akron..."we are sooo much farther from Josh and Maddie and Ty Ty."

The morning they came to visit, I didn't tell the kids. I wish I could have video taped Will's face when he saw Josh. Let's just say, PRICELESS.

watching a movie in our neighbor's backyard