Soon he will be able to take you down with one finger.

Pierce did pass his last testing, and now is officially an orange belt. Woot! Well, sorta woot. I'm not very happy about the idea of him actually sparring, but what you gonna do? Keep them at home cradled in your bosom their whole lives? Hey, that's not a bad idea is it? :-) Also, the sparring gear is expensive!! I expect to see him sparring in a suit of gold.

I am proud of him though for his hard work at this sport. He really loves it.

Oh, and just because she's cute.

There's a first time for everything.

Life is filled with firsts. First love. First concert. First heartbreak. First job. First child.

First pie.

I'm betting most people have made their first pie before the age of 36, but you know some of us are late bloomers.

Okay, so I have made one pie before. I attempted to make Paul his very favorite, apple pie. However, I did NOT make the crust, I bought one, and I even royally screwed that up.

I felt bad for my mom though, never getting her treasured cherry pie for her birthday. I offered to buy her one last year, and she said no. Whateves. BUT this year, she said I should and could make it. Time to for my first real pie making.

This moment HAD to be documented.

So maybe that is my mom in the picture......
I will have you know though, I did make the pie. Maybe just with a little assistance.
Look at this here, I am using a rolling pin. Look for Jesus, he might be coming back soon, because this is definitely a sign.
Isn't she a beauty? I have vowed to do it again, and in this decade too. I want to make Paul an apple pie for his birthday. So, I have 6 months till I pick up another rolling pin.
It does not stop there. Domestic goodness is oozing out of me.

Who's hooked on Pinterest? This online pin board craze, where you sit on your bum for an hour, and somehow feel as though you are crafty. You all know, I am NOT crafty, yet I have been inspired. Brittany sent me an e-mail one day, showing me something we should try, in her words, "we could so do this."

We got together one night last week, and set to make silhouettes of our kids. Profile shots of the kids first...
Then you carefully cut out their profiles. Or mess up, and give your son a very pointed nose.
Brittany's came out perfect.
It really looks kinda strange before you do the paint.
Oh, and never leave your phone or camera unattended, or random pictures might pop up later. :)
Then you paint the profiles.
See Pierce's crazy pointed nose? Oh and Hope's bob haircut, makes her look like she has a growth under her chin.
Cut off said growth and then properly frame! Which by the way, this is not considered proper framing. You get the idea though!
You were right Brittany, we could do this!
I'm on a roll guys! Maybe next I'll darn some socks, and churn my own butter.

Camo party for one and all.

This weekend we celebrated two very important birthday's.

Neena and Pierce.

Pierce is two days shy of being born on my mom's birthday.
And now we get to always celebrate these two people together :-)
Pierce requested a camo party this year, and we were happy to oblige. I'm sure mom was thrilled to have a camo party, but when you are little you get away with such requests.
My dad took his usual 'dinner photo' except this time he stood RIGHT in front of Paul.
Time for take two. As you can see Jo had a hard time keeping it together.
Take three. Oh, just forget it.....

Pierce is big into Star Wars and Lego's at the moment, and he was beyond blessed with gifts.

While Pierce was set with his camo cake...
My mom FINALLY got her cherry pie again for her birthday. Since my grandmother has passed away, my mom has not had her favorite dessert for her birthday. And why is that you ask? Because when your daughters don't know HOW to make a pie to save their lives, you have to go without. So, WHO made the pie?? I'll solve that riveting question later in the week.
Have I mentioned that I cannot believe that my firstborn is about to turn 7??
In just a matter of days.
And while he's counting down the days until he reaches another milestone.
I'm hanging onto 6 with all I can, because time is slipping away.

This is all you're gonna get.

This morning was the big morning for our little guy. He got his leadership award.

And while I have 876 pictures from the whole thing, I've made a decision to be a little more selective about what I put on here. Sure, I'll still blog obnoxious pictures of myself, I mean I gots no shame when it comes to me. However, when it comes to where the kids go to school and stuff, I think maybe I should be more careful. Maybe it's too late to be making these decisions? I don't know.

ANYWAYS.

Here he is!! The leader himself!! I couldn't be more proud :) I felt my buttons about to burst, but I held it together.

Getting his award :)
Oh, and before you think I've lost it, sending him to school in pants with moose all over them. Today was pajama day. :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!! We have a big one coming up!!

Mommy and Daddy are proud!!

Pierce came home with this today from school....

He's such a good boy. I love him so! Oh, and I'll be the one at the ceremony with the busting buttons.

My mom thought I was a pilgrim. And a boy.

So, my dad has been emailing me some older pictures at my request. (thanks dad!) And by far, there is one in particular that had me in dying laughing. My second grade picture.

Somehow my mom must have thought that we became pilgrims. She also must have decided she wanted a son and not a daughter. Oh my word.

I ramble.

You know sometimes you have so many things to blog, that it really doesn't make sense. Or maybe that's just me? I ramble.

Our weekend has been good. Friday night I cooked meatloaf and we just hung at home, nothing too exciting. However, Saturday morning was Pierce's testing to become an orange belt. See him there in the middle?

Please look at that table of judges. Karate is intense for these little people! You have to perform, all on your own. There's no relying on teammates for help. You are singled out to answer questions, and of course have to show you know all your forms.
Pierce told me as we were heading in, "I'm nervous, what if I forget an answer."
But I think that he did a really good job. Paul and I are really proud at how well he's done at Tae Kwon Do. We will find out soon, if he's moving up to orange belt, and then sparring. YIKES.

Lately when the kids are watching "toons" they snuggle up to one another really close. In my mind that sorta makes up for all the fighting they do the other times. :)
Also, sometimes on the weekend the kids will get up before me. I might lay in bed for about 10 minutes or so. It's a mighty sweet sight to see them coloring and patiently waiting on me. Ahhhhh. :)
Onto yet something else. Paul and I got to go out last night. When you move away from all your babysitters, that sorely cuts down on dates. We now have a babysitter we trust (thanks Brittany for letting us use your cousin :)) So we ran out of the house as fast as we could!

It also doesn't hurt, when the kids LOVE the babysitter. They were pushing us while we ran. The babysitter, sent us this pic :)We went to a wedding reception for a firefighter. We got a good free meal, and I got me a piece of wedding cake. We were all winners. I wanted to get a picture of Paul and I, like standing up. You know since all the ones we have are those self portraits. Anywho, we were photo bombed on attempt 1...
And attempt 2.....
Finally :)
And lastly, we are on FULL BIRTHDAY COUNTDOWN!!! Pierce's sweet Sunday school teacher gave him a gift today, since she would be gone on his actual birthday. So sweet! I cannot believe that in a mere 13 days my firstborn will be 7!!! years old. That's ridonkulous people.