My Girl turns ELEVEN!

Happy Birthday, Melanie Kate!

I can't believe my first daughter is 11 years old at 4:06 a.m. Sunday May 31! (She was actually born on a Sunday morning)...

This very night, 11 years ago, I was just hitting the home stretch of my 3rd attempt at childbearing and what a night.

Yes, I know that I recall her birth every year...but hey, it's my blog...so I get to do that!

I would have added more pics but I JUST now figured out how to scan to Mac. so watch out world...

We are having her b-day party tomorrow so I will be SURE to snap some pix of the day's events for your viewing pleasure!

We love you, Mel and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. You are a great sister, daughter, niece, cousin, granddaughter, friend....Love you, girl!

Have a great evening....(it's 11:15 pm here)

Mac's home

talk about dedication! here's our A-1 employee trudging thru Keystone Mall with Mac. we actually took turns but she is a trooper and an amazing chick!

yikes...a horrible pic of me but Mo, our salesdude, looks magnif...and of course, my sister is always so photogenic below...I'd cut this pic out but I haven't quite figured that part out yet. Tammy? help....:)

My LOVELY friend Tammy (see below), offered to come sit at the house with the ragamuffins for a bit...and she even brought LUNCH, soda, and good fellowship. You rock, girlie! 

doesn't our porch look so ghetto? I'm used to it but when I see it's unfinished self in pix, it makes me gasp! we really do live in Deliverance. 

yeah, and this pic should be up above but I can't quite figure out how to move the pics around in a post yet....so forgive.

So, that's what is happening down here...the mundane days of May. We took the kids bowling today and I forgot my camera. I also forgot how much I really do not like to bowl. It's challenging and you have to move your body in weird ways (which I'm totally ok with but...)

Ok, so gotta run...hope this finds you well, healthy, enjoying these springy days! Wish I had something deep, funny or encouraging to say but that will have to wait. Peace!

Steamy Saturday...

Um, 'scuse me, Miss, your glasses are upside down!

We're going to miss Coach Mike! A fun guy, for sure! Piper and Levi really liked him a lot! Maybe we will try to get him again in the fall. or his gorgeous wife, Chana, who also coaches little kids! Cool family!! Levi did tell me though that he doesn't want to play soccer again because he doesn't "like to get schweaty". o boy.

Molly borrowed Caroline's hat

Go Mel! She scored a goal in this game and I ACTUALLY SAW IT! I couldn't believe it! Really, what are the chances of that happening?

Levi picked a lovely handful of clovers for me. Ann and her lovely daughter, Joy, tied them all together...a nice clover chain indeed. You gals are my hippy chicks!

I do believe she inherited my great need for refrigeration....sorry girl.

I'm thinking E. looks like he hurts here...funny runner....Will is right behind him...

This moment was one of the highlights of my weekend...and we needed this moment. a good chuckle still ensues when we mention this. We borrowed Beck and Scott's neat-o canopy, so we could at least try to endure the Saturday afternoon tournament in the scorching heat...so glad and quite thankful for the offer, kids. Thanks, thanks, thanks. Anyways, there are two fields the kids were playing on...and we thought their next game was on field #2....we got all hasty pudding and moved the canopy...When we realized it was at the same field as games #1 and 2, we had to enlist all of our shade dwellers to help move it back...no big deal. But somehow in the shuffle, David got away empty handed. Check out Levi...struggling with a big ol' bag of stuff...and D. with his hands on his hips...hi-lari-ous! I think he mentioned that he was "moral support" here. yeah, whatever.

as soon as I pick up my camera or even act half way interested in the soccer games, they become quite dull, my kids don't get anywhere near the goal and you can hear crickets sawing their legs...no joke.

Jose (Mel, Will and E's coach) and Jesse...



And after all was said and done in soccer land, we had our lovely friends, the K family over for dinner and fellowship...Bobby's Guac dip, wine, Tiny Tim, toddler squabbles, Dixie Chicks...o man, the fun kept coming!

The battle of the wills...Caroline and Molly enjoyed playing Queen of the ladder....

sweet Caroline

baby bum...

Annie, Melanie, Levi, Sarah, Molly and Caroline....Will and E joined up eventually....

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I won't keep you now...my poor blog needed some serious updates so here you go. Don't delete me...I'm still blogging.

Ok, outta here!

Sweet Melanie!

On the day that you were born, the angels got together, and decided to create a dream come true. though we don't technically believe the angels created anything more than beautiful praise music from their harps...it's still a cute line from an awesome Carpenter's song!

this face is being made because her brothers were razzing her, as always. We see this face a lot nowadays. Hang in there, Mel! this too shall pass. maybe.

As we prepare for Mel's upcoming 11th birthday celebration, I wanted to post a few recent shots of her for your blog viewing pleasure.

M: maternal

E: energetic

L: lovely and loving

A: affectionate

N: nice, super duper so

I: intelligent, inquisitive

E: exquisite, easy going

Love you, girl! enjoy your last week of TEN!

Keepin' up...

Caroline, Nora and Molly, really getting into a.) snacks, b.) an Usborne book, or c.) hand lotion....

Hey Miss Nora...what up?

I like your bangs....and you are such a good auntie!!

Hello stylish!

After the soccer celebration at Mt. P, the kids and I drove up to D's current job, and Will, ever the amazing big brother (they are all amazing big sibs to Sybil), put Mollsy on his back...whatta sight!

Jose and a few of the crew working on taking wax off the floor...man, did the smell of that stripper make me happppppeeeeeee! we were all a little tipsy!

David's younger brother, Nathan! You are doing a great job, NY.

My big brother (in the distance) and Sean, David's cousin that is the same age as Nathan, working hard!

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I will try to keep updating Miss Blog today...since it's a "holiday" and I refuse to do anything productive. I joke.

These pix were taken last Thursday evening....

Haircuttin' fun with Michelle & Phil

Observing her hair for the first time. Yes, these pix are sadly out of order, but I'm just glad to be getting something up on the blog...so enjoy!

Michelle was trying to convince Pipes that Leela wasn't a killer dog...by night's end (1:30 a.m. actually), Piper and Leela were fast friends! Leela, (if I'm spelling your name correctly) you are a lovely doggy!

Double Phil and crazy-haired Beck...

Pipes, pulling a Sean Penn...

dolly girl!

Piper's new 'do is simply adorable! It suits you well, little Miss!

the proof...Pipes, loving on a dog. a dog, I tell ya!

I like to refer to this picture as baked potato heads...

this pic totally does not fit in with the haircuttin' fun...but I took it on the same day...and I thought Molly was pretty cute in this outfit that Melanie wore about 9 years ago!

Saturday

One of my more intriguing post titles...I know.



L to R: David, Carl (D's dad), Molly, Levi, Will, Ethan, Nathan, Emilie, Melanie, and Judy (D's mom)...

A view from the other end...

Hanging with two of my favorite dudes.

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***I've been outside, bent over, planting all day...so I think my blood flow diminished in my already struggling brain power. Forgive me...but my tomatoes are in, as well as lavender, salvia, black eyed susies, zinnia, and the list goes on...I feel quite accomplished and heck, the pool has even been treated now and should be swimmable for the coming Mem Day weekend.

***We had a nice visit with David's Mom, Dad, and sister Emilie on Saturday. Nathan is already over here in Indy, if not living in Mel's room, then at a hotel somewhere between here and Henryville...anyways, Mom and Dad Y came to see the kids play in their soccer games...Mel's game was a wash, but she did score a goal...Yah Mel! You go girl! and by the time the boys' game rolled around a bit later, the sun was out and it was quite pleasurable out of doors! gotta love spring time in Indiana!

****We then visited the Cheesecake Factory (mm mmm good) and honestly, could YOU feed 11 people at this expensive place for 76 bucks, not including tip? Really? We've got it down to a science...you can enjoy eating out if you do it "correctly". We all split meals (they are HUGE) and they give you bread, we got salads for some and have you had their side salads? O. MY. GOSH. delish. We all drink water...and waa laa! affordable dining out! David is amazing. (aggravatingly so, love you honey).........

***On that note, since this cat is so extremely sore and tired, I'm outta here...Hope your Tuesday was magnificent. I know mine was! C'mon over. I'll brew a pot of coffee and we will visit on my loverly porch!