Where Boys become Men

Last weekend the boys went on a boys only trip up to the Boundary Waters. John has been planning this camp out for months with the Pollei and Fairbourne boys, but kept it secret from Jackson and Max. When John finally told them, they were ecstatic.

When they came home and I glanced through the pictures on the camera, I knew they had a blast. Want to know how I know? Max is actually smiling in the posed pictures!! That boy can't fake a smile to save his life.

John has been known to tip a canoe or two with little boys in them, so I was a bit worried about Max's hearing aids...umm and the boys too. I'm happy to say they all survived!

Max couldn't wait to show me this picture of him in the fog.

At the end of the season water levels are pretty low so the boys had to do a little more portaging than they expected.

The boys (John, Steve, and Doug included) had a blast fishing, getting dirty, staying up late by the campfire and acting like ruffians.

By the end of the trip the boys had turned into full fledged men. Check out the muscles on these guys. I think Collin has the best "I'm a tough burly man now" face, don't you? (red trunks)

It makes me happy to think that John loves to spend quality time with them forming happy lifelong memories and that he is passing on his love of the outdoors with them.

It's not every day we actually iron our clothes

A couple Sundays ago I had a hankerin' for some creased shirts. Don't ask me why....I usually could care less. (sue me, my kids usually go to church with their hair not combed and wrinkled shirts, but they are there) So to mark this momentous for no other reason than my kids clothes were ironed occasion, I had to take a few pictures. Notice those creases down Max's shirt......ooh ahh!!

Doesn't Jackson look extra handsome and well kept? Or is it that he is next to the shaggiest dog on the planet?

The, yes THE Sadie Lady looking pretty as ever.

I couldn't pass up posing with this little gem.

The kiddos looking cute, even if Gator is pretty much showing his man parts to the whole wide inter-web.

I'm still working on the brush the boys hair thing. One day lightening will strike twice in the same place and we will have ironed clothes and their hair will be done.

The bed brag post

It all started with a messy garage, some wood, and a dream.

Oh, and a brand spankin' new miter saw....and a dorky mini-van, but that has nothing to do with it, so forget I said anything about it. I've been looking/stalking the anna-white website for quite sometime because I've been wanting to make a bed for Miss Sadie. After we got back from our great trip westward, I decided that now was as good of time as ever, so I plunged right in.

My kids may or may have not been neglected while I was building this masterpiece. Everyone was fed and clothed, but beyond that I can't account for their whereabouts.

After the headboard and foot board were assembled I quickly stained them, and then not so patiently waited for them to dry. (dang humidity)

When the stain dried, I followed it up with some white paint and distressed the heck out of it....hammers were involved and it was quite fun.

In an unrelated note, this is Sadie's new way of posing for the camera and I'm not a big fan. What a cheese ball.

Here is the final product: (I made the quilt too!)

I'm pretty sure that it's a little bit like the Sistine Chapel or some Van Gogh painting in that it's absolutely fabulous, and pictures just don't do it justice.

All kidding aside, I think it turned out pretty good considering I didn't know what the heck I was doing and kind of made things up as I went along. (just don't look too close K?) Sadie Lady loves it and tells me that it is pretty on a daily basis, so I'm satisfied.