farm life

oh how i miss farm life.
running free.
the open fields. the mud. the gravel roads.
the birds singing all day. the huge garden.
the puddles to jump in. digging for worms.
the quietness.
and of course my mom and dad.

the kids and i packed up and went to the farm this past thursday.
we never head to the farm in the summer b.c we always see my parents @ their cabin but they were not there this weekend. drew was leaving for a long golf trip in western ND and we get o see my gramma gi gi too! i am so glad we did. except for the sleeping... it was perfect!
dillon was so HAPPY!!!! he got to hunt for works. play in the garden. in the mud. have a water fight with papa.
he would have played in the rocks with papa's trucks and in the mud all day long! i love letting him just be a little boy. we get dirty here of course but no real MUD puddles on our cement driveway!!! i sure miss having all of that room to run too!
i would not go back to where i drew first lived (on a farm) for many reasons but for the open spaces... in a heart beat!
we went to the 125th anniversary celebration in a small town by where i grew up. so fun. jumping castles. a great parade which papa was the legionnaire carrying the flag @ the front.
fish races. and many more games.
we also attended a family reunion on Sunday.
and sunday we got to spend some time with betsy and hayden while we waited for the boys to get home from their golfing trip.
the BOYS had so much fun on their trip.
they saw 3 beautiful golf courses and lost lots of golf balls!

so we are back home.
rain most of the day yesterday. summer has not even started yet.

preslee got another tooth. so now she has both bottom teeth! so last night was a long one around here. not even sure if that is what is bothering her. but not sleeping well poor thing!

EIEIO and on his farm he had a "four wheeler"
.."tractor" and
then finally he decided "PIG"
i was not expecting to hear 4 wheeler when we were singing but... it works i guess.
and it was what his papa and grandpa have so he is right!!!

my baby girl turned 11 months old today!
really.... where has time gone?
she still is my little non mobile girl. so funny to see how content she is really just to hang out.
what more can i ask for though?!?!?! nothing.
she can scoot a little but chooses not to most of the time!
smiling. talking. laughing. playing. snuggling. is what she loves.
i love you baby girl!
i really know have to plan a 1st birthday party. i am a little sad about that. but excited to watch her grow! xoxoxoxoox

just got the three little babes to bed. my sisters youngest chase is staying with us. we met in the middle from mnpls and here today and did a switch. dillon and chase have been playing like crazy tonight!!!! can not wait for them to start again in the am!
excited to have some time with him. and soon we will have another NEPHEW!!! we are so excited for them. a family of 6! xoxoxoxox

i better get cleaning up so we can make a mess again tomorrow!
hugs
mb

where is...

summer?
it is june 15th and it feels like april.

@ home relaxing. kids in bed after a bit of a fight to get them both in bed
it has been a couple of rough days. to say the least
up late. (everyone)
not napping well.
no sunshine. rain rain go away.
my back is out again. (so my patience is low...very low)
drew has been gone alot. (we (or i) need some time with all of us home)

but we got to spend some time @ the cabin.
the water is so high that the beach is missing.
and about 10 more feet of the front yard is gone too.
as you can see by the pictures we have been doing a lot of fishing. he could be on the dock all day and cast and reel in. we for sure have a little lake baby on our hands! can not wait to see if we can get him out on the tube this summer. maybe skiing next year!?!?!?
the water is still a bit cold but the little boys do not care much. miss j even did some skiing!

had a good friend b and her son hayden here overnight.
love having them here!
h and d play so well together. it is so fun to see them talk, play and laugh! and be so good together. drew took them to Z last night (the girls had a spa party here) and he was a bit nervous as he left. but they were there for over 2 hours and came home happy and drew said he had fun and they both were so good! so glad!!!!! i would never get that 3rd barker baby if it would have been a train wreck. pres got to stay here to be a part of the girls night!

had a fun pool play date last week.
been playing in the swing-set! d loves it out there!
made cupcakes the other day and then dillon could not stop signing happy birthday all day! he could not get over the fact that it was not his birthday! but it was our neighbors 60th so he got a little singing gram and cupcakes!!! (dillon sang on the walk over but then froze when L answered the door)
it was the thought that counted.
made my first bath of cake jars! so fun and cute. did not get to finish them the way i wanted but they were fun to make. will for sure make again.
have been a pinterest addict!
been working on orders. sometime i want to take a hiatus. but them i remember how if i am not making orders i am making stuff that i do not need. i am so my father!!!
doing a show in DL in july. i now need to get my buttin gear!

my little PJ is almost 1 year old!?!?!? how can that be?
the time had gone by oh so quickly!
she got her first tooth on friday (june 10th/bottom right)
thanks jayden for finding out.
she is such a content baby. loves to sleep. *yesterday she slept till 10am*
still is not crawling. can get around a little on her tummy. but will not use her knees or walk @ all. will not move her feet. so funny!
she makes me laugh. she loves puppies. goes a bit crazy when they are around.
loves asia. and asia loves her. she lays on pres now b.c she knows that she will rub her and pull out her fur!!! they seem to be making great friends!
i can not get enough of those blue eyes.
the dimples.
and the big big big smile.
the new head nod.

off to bed i go.
xoxoxo

cant not get enough

of this smiley girl.
some days are not always fun around here
there are tantrums, crying, hitting, eating rocks and not listening....
but when you see your children smile or laugh. those things are so EASY to forget.
we all get wrapped up in the small stuff. we all need a reminder of what is important.
this is what it is. right here!

when we found out we were having another baby when d was just about 9 months old we thought "what.. you have got to be kidding me....how will we ever do this....."
and now
we can not imagine anything else.
these two are becoming the best of friends.
they are so fun to watch together (most of the time)

it melts my heart to know that they will have each others backs.
get to play HORSE in the driveway. learn to water ski together. build forts.
go to camps. make each other laugh. push each others buttons.
but always be buddies! oh how i hope that this dream comes true!

had a wonderful weekend.
had a fun party bus with some many friends.
did some realxing. playing in the sand. got the garden all planted.
and just hung out as a family.

have a great week everyone!
xoxoxoxox