back in the game

Soo...after a one-month blogging hiatus I'm back and ready to blow your minds!

Okay, not really, but I'll update you all on our family happenings and share plenty of Reilly cuteness.

 Sarah was in town for a few weeks so I got to meet my newest nephew, Hudson.  Reilly also got to spend lots of time with Nate.  You can't let those two out of your sight or else you'll have a crier (usually Reilly).  Favorite Nate memory: Laura always wanted to play with him and would do whatever he wanted but he was never interested.  She'd always get "No, no, Laura - no, no."  Poor gal.

 We took the boys for a little boat ride - they loved it. 

 Found these two wild animals at the Eau Claire County Fair.  We had all the cousins together for a short time.  I was crabby because it was humid, hot, and the gnats were terr-i-ble.  Ew.  Not a fun afternoon and I couldn't wait to be on our way home.

 My mom and I were looking at a couple nurseries in Eau Claire for trees for our yard.  They wanted to buy us one to plant in memory of Eric's grandpa, and I wanted to get some started for shade, looks, etc.  We finally found what we wanted at a nursery outside of Osseo.  The trees were much cheaper and the guy was super nice.  We bought 2 Autumn Blaze Maples, 1 Weeping Willow, a few lilac bushes, and some plants for the driveway area.  Eric wanted to just plant seedlings, but once these got planted he said how happy he was.  Score!

 The rough edge between our driveway and yard has been bothering me so for about $100 and some plants from my parent's house we came up with this.  It softens it just enough and I think will look nice in coming years.  I can't wait until we can pave this sucker.

 "Everado."  Our tree nicknamed after Everett.

 Eric borrowed an excavator from his work for a weekend.  This man was in. love.  I could wear the sexiest outfit in the world and I wouldn't catch his attention like a piece of heavy machinery.  Weird, I know, but that's the man I married.  Reilly liked beeping the horn and "helping out."

 Heidi visited and we had an ambitious weekend.  We hiked Brady's Bluff in Trempealeau.  Biggest workout of my life.  I do it every year with the 8th graders, and have even hiked it 7 1/2 months pregnant, but this 30 pound growth on my back made the trek quite difficult.  Heidi was a trooper, too, because she didn't have a "hiking" backpack and just used a Bjorn!  We must have done something right, because at the end of the hike both kids looked like this:

 Nude gardening.  Does it get any better?  Note: I have not participated in this summer event.

 Ry's new "smile."  I've seen some attractive cheese faces from other kiddos, and never thought Reilly would have one, but he made this beautiful face up all by himself. 

 I caught him mid-"smile" on a train ride at Carson Park.  This is always a favorite summer event.  I have to hold onto his belt loops or else we'd have a boy overboard.

 As Laura was feeding him this, these words were coming out of her mouth.  "Reilly.  I'm feeding you ice cream.  I'm your favorite Aunt because I'm feeding you ice cream.  My name is LAURA.  You like me because I feed you ice cream."  She wanted to leave a positive memory instead of the horrifying ones he has from infancy.  Juuuust kidding, Laura.  or am I?

 My parents and Laura the day before she left us for San Antonio.  They're standing on my parents' new deck.  They've done a LOT of remodeling and I'm excited to hang out there when it's all said and done.  It's been a mess, and visiting hasn't been the most fun because there's either 1) no furniture to sit on   2) no doors   3) contractors in and out   4) dust, debris, and other nastiness.  I know they are SO excited for it to be finished, too.

And Eric's favorite of this past month?  Watching the deer come into the yard to eat from our apple trees.  I took the picture to show how close she was to the house.  She didn't mind us being in the yard or even Lucy being out running around.  Our household has five seasons.  We are moving from summer to deer season. 

Finally, no pictures, but I just finished teaching summer school for 3 weeks.  I taught two sessions of 1st-3rd grade card making and one session of arts and crafts.  It was MESSY, but so much fun.  One thing I learned for next year?  NO GLITTER.  My poor 8th graders will be carrying it around on their shoes and bums for at least the first semester.  Yuck.