I wish I was a blogger really I do.  I have even thought about rewriting an old song....it would go something like this:

Hello?

Oh how I wish I was a cyberspace logger

An internet blogger

I wish I had the words so I could make some dollars

I wish I had a dock instead of writers block...

I wish I wish

Okay that is probably enough....

Anyway life has been busy. 

I know that sounds super lame. 

Everyone thinks they are busy and I mean EVERYONE.

I recently heard someone say, "People make time for what they want."

But for me this isn't true because I barely have time to do what I need to do.

I have heard organization is the key to getting it all done.

And I actually love to organize.

But most of the time organization is unhappening around here.

Case and point:

Yesterday I was diligently working with the kids on cleaning everything.  We had gotten back from our yearly vacation to Mexico with my husband's family when Ava decided she wanted a little bit of Mexico right in her room.  She spread confetti EVERYWHERE.  She is a very generous child and decided to share the "beauty" (as she referred to it) with her siblings and their rooms.  Somehow they didn't find it to be as "beautiful."  This took a very long time to clean up; not to mention the irritation of the confetti on our socks.  I let her leave it for awhile though before cleaning it up because she truly felt it was decoration.  She oohed and awed over it for quite some time.

 In other news: Apphia recently got a crib.  It was a crib I found at a thrift shop and her grandfather and I painted it.  We are trying to convince her that it is a really fun place to be.

 All was well....

...for about three minutes.

As I was cooking supper I saw these fly by. 

I thought, "Did I just see his football pads taped outside to his pants?" 

I had to make sure so I called him back in. 

I asked, "What is that????"

He explained to me how his brother and him were going to train.

I guess he had taken it upon himself to be his brother's personal trainer.

I wasn't sure his brother liked the whole idea as much as him.

But he some how got talked into it as little brothers often do.

 I might have to try this.

This happened a lot. 

Aziah would get knocked down,  AJ would inspect him to make sure he wasn't knocked out, and then they would both laugh.

I guess this is fun??

Oh, the wonderful world of boys.

A Few of the changes that have taken place this Summer:

        Little Miss. Apphia has two new teeth, is crawling, and says mama and dada quite often. 

Aziah's hands have grown, so now he can hold three frogs in his hands at one time.

Mr. Prep gone Farmer has taken a sudden liking to coffee.  In fact he knows good and bad coffee after just one month of this new habit.

(Oh and she is wearing a diaper for those of you who may have wondered.)

Fishing poles are no longer a good enough way of catching fish.  We have upgraded to sticks.

Aziah has decided to take naps cowboy style.

He has also learned how to spin his gun.

AJ is still doing cheap hick things, but now he is doing them with a more mature voice .

(This here is training at the Ashley Acres.  He has old cardboard around his waist so the rope doesn't cut into his waist. Then he runs as fast as he can.)

When he got first in our state at Iowa Games in the 100 and 200 for his age, I decided maybe his training methods weren't so odd after all.  I saw a man at the games with a similar contraption to the one AJ had made.  I am thinking ours cost a bit less.

This is my nephew Alec, Aziah, and AJ.  These boys ran together all summer at different meets.  My nephew just got back from nationals and did quite well! We are so proud of the hard work they all put in this summer!

Our house looks a bit different.  (More pictures later.)

And we've hired this wonderful man to help finish up all the carpentry.  Believe it or not he is helping things move along quite nicely.  His wisdom has been such a blessing

Some things have not changed:

AJ is still always doing something to make us laugh.

                                                Ana still thinks nightcrawlers are disgusting.

Ava still wants to live at her Grandma's house.

The boys still love to hang out together LATE at night.  Mostly doing stuff like watching Star Trek, working out, and well...whatever they can find to do.

And I can still take a photo of us all by myself. 

Hope you all are having a blast this summer.  I am hoping to post some more substantial stuff later.  God is doing good things in me, but I'll have to share another time.

Catch ya later!