Unexpected Recycle

About 3 or 4 years ago our puppy boxer ate our leather couches (among many other things!). I happened to find our current couches at a yard sale shortly after the destruction and they came with a matching ottoman that was missing 2 of the legs. It functioned as a make shift bench until the toys took over in our family room and some where along way our lovely dog ate one of the corners of it. We tried to cover the hole with pillows, but this piece of furniture was really a waste of space and it made its rounds through several rooms of our house. We knew that if we wanted to get rid of it we would have to take it to the dump.

Poor ottoman just never got a chance to really show us its potential!

These past few weeks have been spent spring cleaning and it was time for the ottoman to go! I took a good look at it and realized that the wooden frame was hollow and appeared to be perfect size for a raised garden bed, something that we have also been spending the last couple of weeks getting cleaned up and ready for the growing season. My brother had made a table top garden bed for my parents for Christmas, which came out really cool and allows access to the garden without getting down on your knees. I happened to have a cheap little table with screw on legs that was in the garage sale pile, so I took the legs off and Mike attached the hardware so the legs could be screwed on to the now naked wooden frame of the ottoman. I bought a cement mixing tub (that happened to fit in the frame perfectly) and voila, we had a raised garden planter!

But of course I had to add my some decorative touch so I added some mosaic tile accents around it…

First you get some tiles and break them into little pieces with a hammer  Then you put them together as you want them to appear in the finished product

I used packing tape to keep the design together, then I lifted it off the wood.  I applied a tile adhesive, it was like icing a cake.

The taped tile design is pressed into place, tape removed and then grout is applied. 30 minutes later the excess grout is wiped off...

It turned out pretty nice, I think it will be my new herb garden!

15 years past... Half a lifetime ago!

The spring time always brings to mind tender moments of joy as I have the life changing memories of bringing my first two babies home from the hospital during the dawn of spring. I can remember being on cloud nine as we drove as slow as possible with a new priority bundled up in the baby car seat next to me. I remember gazing out the window and feeling like everything seemed so much brighter, the grass was turning green and all the trees were in picture perfect bloom. I couldn’t help but have a permanent smile on my face as I was taking my brand new babies home to care for and get to know. The spring symbolized new birth and the start of our new life.

Before having my spring babies, I had another reason to feel a little sentimental about this refreshing season.

It was the times of big baggy sweat shirts and cut off shorts, long bunched up socks and clothes that showed off the name of their brand. The year was 1995 and I was a high school freshman, it was half my life time ago. I found myself hanging out with a cool guy who I met at a basketball game via a mutual friend. We quickly hit it off as friends, talking on the phone frequently and hanging out at lunch time. Spring break started and we were best buddies that week going all around town… The Jeep dealership to look at both of our at the time ‘dream car’- a Wrangler, the Natural History Museum, the mall, my house to play basketball, McDonalds for ice cream, ice skating and a long drive around town in search for the stadium that hosted the New Mexico Chili’s Pro Soccer team (we finally found it and got to enjoy the last 20mins of the game!). After that week of bonding and getting to know each other, we became girlfriend and boyfriend. While we may have seemed ridiculously young (which we were), we got to grow up together and we have this lengthy history of memories to draw upon on the few occasions that we have alone time these days. We had all those years to talk about our goals and dreams, it still baffles us that here we are today with the three beautiful babies that we always hypothetically talked about. I love you so much sweet heart, you provide so much to our family and I appreciate all of it!

Here’s to the giddy days of spring and to the early days of us!

Boy did we look awkward going to our first homecoming dance 1995!

More dances 1996/97...

Senior Prom 1998

graduation party 1998... t-minus 2.5 months til we got married!

A visit from the Rain Forest!

It was a busy week at preschool.  On Tues, they invited us all to come and enjoy a rain forest adventure!  It was very entertaining and the kids loved all the real animals. 

This bird liked sitting on J's head!

This one walked up his arm

Ben waited for the biggest one to sit on his head!

Mrs. Eileen even joined in the fun

The birds did all kinds of tricks

Then came the snacks (I stayed clear of them!)

J wasn't too fond of them either!

The siblings enjoyed the show and mingled together afterwards.

Preschool Easter Program

Josh's preschool had an Easter party today that included songs and food.  Oh, how they have grown since their first program last October!

Posing for the camera... Look at all those fake four year old smiles!

Listening to the teachers

Ben and Josh... Great buddies, they have known each other for most of their lives!

Time for songs...

Rowing a boat...

And, the favorite run around song!

Happy Easter!

Hallelujah, He is Risen... He is Risen Indeed, Hallelujah!

Our Easter was spent at church, hunting for eggs and spending time with family. 

Hunting for eggs after the church service

And more eggs at home

Bird's eye view of the action

Our best attempt at a brother picture

And Kyle was off!

Fun basket from G&G Barker... Thanks for NOT including more candy :)!

Nice Ham dinner with G&G Reinert!

Sick Week...

It has been a while since I posted, our bird nest has struggled with the changing weather and that has made us all little under the weather!  Last week it seemed that everyone in our family has been hit with a cold and a few of us came down with strep throat.  It made me reflect on how it seems that someone has been sick with something most of this winter.  A cold here, and ear infection there... Croop, RSV, Strep!  I guess we are a growing family and have to expect something each year and more than anything we have to be thankful to have the medicine/vacinations to overcome these minor illnesses!  It slowed us down, but also gave us that much needed cuddle and reading time.  Thank God for our good imune systems and outlook for nicer weather!

Suprise Ship

The nice thing about having the 2 older boy's birthday so close is that they can celebrate together and get a combined gift (although they may not like that so much when they are older... It works now).  This year we suprised them with a huge wooden ship to go with the peter pan figures that were on their cake.  We got it second hand on Ebay for about 1/3 of the cost for a new one and has been a hit for all the kids.  It has real working sails and the ship itself is a puzzle to be taken apart and put back together... Kyle figured that out right away!  I think toy buying is just as much fun for the parents as it is for the kids, Mike and I were the first ones to play with it as we set it up in the family room the night before their birthday.  Josh woke up and did a double take, I don't think he had ever seen anything like it before!

Date with Kyle

Several weeks ago I got the chance to spend a morning with my 2nd born baby... I think it was the first time EVER that we have been out and about by ourselves.  We hit the grocery store, (so easy with just one kid!) and then went to a Bounce and Boogie class with our Mom's group.  We had a a good time and I tried to really tune into Kyle to see him set apart from his brothers. 

Hanging/climbing on the bars was one of his favorite things to do

He took things in before he tried it himself

Music shakers!

How did I get on the other side of the wall?!

Tumbling

How does this ball work?

The younger kids got to ride the parachute.

I think he is processing the laws of gravity?!

Catching bubbles...

I think he enjoyed the special attention and I was reminded a few things about our sweet little guy:

• He is definately our free spirit, marching to the beat of his own drum!
• He stops, watches and takes the time to figure out how and why things work.
• He talks a lot if I stop and listen to him... and he knows a lot more than we give him credit for!

We love you Ky, Ky!!!