I'm gonna be just like you, dad

Nate is a gifted guitar player (he wouldn't say so), but he is. I'm hoping Jonah will be the same. All of my kids love music and they each have their own little knack. Jonah has probably taken the most interest in playing the guitar. They all got little kid guitars a few years ago from my mom. But, Jonah stepped on his and broke it. He has since played with Izzy's pink one. And now, he has a real guitar. Here are some pictures of he and Nate when they were in the garage one day.

He always compare his to Nate's

Rummage sales, my birthday & Charlie McCarthy

About 3 weeks ago we headed up to my in laws for their big neighborhood rummage. I took some things with me to put in the sale. The kids and I went on Thursday afternoon and Nate met us there Friday afternoon. It turned out to be a beautiful weekend. The weather was perfect and the kids had a great time playing outside and greeting shoppers that stopped by.

It's nice to make a little money, but I can't stand dealing with hagglers. I thought there would be less in the "big city" than we have here in red-neck-ville. I was wrong. People are relentless. And you wanna know what makes it worse? When you ask $2.00 for something and they haggle with you to take the price to $1.00. You give in and say "ok". THEN, they hand you a $20 freakin' dollar bill. Other than that, the weekend was nice. The kids drank too many grape Crush's. Isn't that what grandma's and grandpa's are for? To feed them sugar and spoil them?

Saturday was my big 35th birthday! I spent my last big birthday (30th) on hospital bed rest with the three amigos. Nate's parents kept the kids while we went out Friday night. We rarely get to go out...and I mean, rarely. But it is pretty much a guarantee when we go visit my mother and father in law's that we get time by ourselves. In fact, I think they want us to go out. That is a nice change. They like when we aren't there to set rules for the kids ;) Saturday morning I woke up to a cute flower cupcake cake. We ate cereal for breakfast followed by cupcakes. Does it get any better than that?

Isabel & Jonah pushing rummage sale strollers

Jasper was perfectly content laying on grandma and grandpa's bed watching Thomas.

And now...Charlie McCarthy. The creepiest doll you'll meet. What is it about that guy? Am I the only one who gets the heebie jeebies around this red mouthed puppet? Apparently this was Nate's while growing up. I think it was intended for us to bring Chaz home, but I think we "forgot" him up there. Jasper took a liking to Charles. And Nate's dad decided to scare the crap out of me with him. I'll admit, he got me good.

Isabel singing

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks

Or in our case, "buy me some popcorn and slushies". The first game of the baseball season. It was a month and a half ago. It was cold. Of course, now it is 93 degrees. Indiana goes from 42 degrees one day to 82 degrees the next day...no joke. But, summer is here and we are happy!

These first few pictures are of the kids and I waiting in the van for the game to start. I thought I'd snap some shots of them in my side mirror.

This is Ashley up in the box. She & Kayla were keeping score.

#5...Trevor Huffman

There's no picking flowers in baseball!

First base

My hooligans and Ashley's hooligans.

Nick & Will

Brothers

Will

Jasper & Jonah

My dad (Pa) and Izzy

Dad walking the kids to the concession stand where he purchased like 9 bags of popcorn among other thing. What a good man.

Nick