What a Week!

FIRST OF ALL: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!!

My mama rocks--she is celebrating her birthday today by having her fourth chemo treatment.

We're thinking of you, Nana!

***

On Tuesday I got a great haircut and color (YAY) but I don't have pix of that yet. On Wednesday I took the girls to get their haircut while Rich was picking up his brother Mark and family in Bozeman (they surprised Grandma--she didn't know all of them were coming). Addie wanted ehr hair short, and I didn't, so we compromised... Now she has a thick, shiny, shoulder-length flip
Heidi got her regular bob from Renee...
Cutie Pie!
James got a little restless, so I put a movie on for him in the car and watched him from the door of the salon like this.
Then we went to see our Texas Melin Cousins!!! Addie (6) hugging Sariah (3)
Four Girl Cousins-Heidi (4) Addie (6) Liana (5) and Sariah (3)

On Thursday, 8/14, we all went to the park in the morning. Addie and Liana went right for the tire swing!
WEEEE! We need one of these at the ranch!
Liana & Addie as Pompey and Sacajawea
Sweet Baby James

James loves the playground train!
Heidi loves to swing!
Sariah and Heidi waiting for a swing
James, Liana, Addie, Sariah, Heidi, Uncle Mark, and Jared on the bench swing.

The girls had a slumber party last night (Rich took pix on his camera, so I'll upload those later). This morning they had a lovely bubble bath together...
Foggy Lens!
Heidi took this picture when Uncle Jess came to visit us this morning. He arrived late last night from Florida and we were so happy to see him (but we miss his family!) I have to work tonight, but everyone is going to Jamie Anderson's wedding party bbq tonight (where Uncle Mark is the bestman) and then tomorrow we float the river and go to the wedding in the evening. FUN!

Saturday Splash

We decided that the next couple of weekends are going to be FUN, so we kicked it off with a family trip to the Belgrade, MT splash park (Belgrade is just a few miles west of Bozeman), then spent the afternoon at Bogert Park swimming, until a huge thunderstorm came and spoiled it! I had to work at 6pm, so it was probably good that we got home at 3pm anyway. Since all 5 of us were swimming at Bogert, we didn't take pictures, but I took lots of pix at the splash park since I wasn't splashing... Addie
Daddy & Bub
Heidi (probably screaming)
Addie at the red water canon
Running through the spray

James getting up the nerve to play in the water
Daddy helping James put his feet on the sprayers
My family under the "mushroom shower"
Daddy leads the girls on a march through the sprayers

Daddy helps James through the spray
Addie standing on a sprayer
Addie squirting Heidi with the green water canon
Heidi squirting Addie back

These buckets were a blast--Heidi watches Daddy and Bub get showered!
James got COLD!
Heidi squeals with glee

This is our only picture at Bogert Park--James in his towel as the storm began
...and here is James this evening after Sunday Naps

(going to heck in a handbasket--and howya like my grubby son on my grubby carpet?)

***

So we are gearing up for another week of summer fun. Uncle Mark and Uncle Jess are flying in this week for one of their best friend's weddings, so we will have lots of Melin fun this week. Then, of course, there's TJay's 6th birthday, and Nana's and Aunt Marietta's to celebrate this week, so have fun with that.

CHECK OUT what we did today :) [more soon]...

Quick Howdy

I am at the hotel for a short shift tonight. No posts this week, no photos. I've just been chillin' with my wee ones, trying to fly by the seat of my pants (which is the hardest thing for me). We have had lots of fun this week, like picnicking on the river banks in the sand near Carter's Bridge and throwing rocks for an hour, or going out in the country to visit the donkeys and mini-ponies, getting ice creams, having PBJ and peaches and chocolate milk for dinner while daddy was away at a meeting, coloring pictures to mail to loved ones, making doll houses from boxes, and setting up little Calico Critters cities, complete with zoos kept by Heidi. Oh, and napping while thunderstorms roll in--my fave. I can never get enough of my girls making a "mommy sandwich," snuggling me on each side and falling asleep for an hour or two in the afternoon (James likes to stretch out and sleep on his own).

We are all well, life is good. I started Curves again, and I'm feeling better (still foggy and unmotivated, but healthy at least), Rich is getting us all geared up for Europe, and I am getting the girls ready for school. We're worried about my mama tonight, hoping she's feeling better. Love you, Nana! We miss you so much...

More later, folks. Enjoy your weekend!

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Do I have too many blogs? Maybe. But check out my latest HERE.

So I'm home now...

I made it home at 9pm on Saturday night after leaving Vancouver at 6:30am (with Matt & his boys), dropping off Postums in Helena, and doing the last 100 miles with just me & James. I was so busy snuggling my three lovies all weekend, I didn't get to blog about the end of my trip or arriving home, so here are the last pix from Vancouver: Jill arrived at mom's with Abby and Marshall at 10:30pm Friday night. Even though Matt and I knew we had to get up early and drive 800+ miles with three little boys, we stayed up til midnight visiting with the fam (and saw Ben Folds on Austin City Limits)
We also took pix with mom...here's me & my mama
Mom & Jill
Matty snuggling mom
Matt being silly with mom

My nephews Sam & Jake, and James

This is how the backseat of my car looked at 6:20am on Saturday

(see mom's house behind us?)

***

When we dropped off the Postums, Amie had made a yummy dinner of ham & bean stew and had fixed up the house in Matt's absence. It was great to see her, but we were in a hurry to get home, so James and I jumped back in the car around 7pm and drove to Livingston. I forgot to move James up front with me, so he was right behind me, yelling "MOMMY" in his endearing way. I tried to take some pix of him while I was driving:

It was rainy all the way from Missoula to Bozeman, and the sunset was gorgeous.
Happy Trails!

It's so good to be home with my girls and my sweetie husband. I really missed him, and I am so glad we get to go on our honeymoon next month!

Mom, I had such a great time with you this trip. I know you don't feel good, but I am glad you weren't writhing in pain, either. You're such a tropper and I love you!

***

Remember THIS LITTLE BABY? Well, s/he is 11 weeks along and officially a fetus now! Her/his mom and dad got a peek this week and saw a little heart beating and arms flailing, so things are going really well. S/he looks like this:

Yay for babies! And speaking of babies, we recently learned that we can expect some new nieces/nephews on the Melin side in March. Jess & Kelli AND Mark & Elena expect their 4th babies in the spring. FUN!

Mid-Week

I can't believe how fast time is flying! In two days I'll need to pack my stuff and get ready to head east! Last night we said good bye to Cody & Ty and I didn't even take my camera to get pix! James and I took them to the Portland Airport and we got escort passes to wait with them at their gate. James was so excited to (a) ride in a wheelchair (we forgot a stroller) and (b) see the airplanes! He cried when Cody & Tyler got on the plane because he wanted to go, too! We will really miss those boys!

***

Meanwhile, I did get some pictures yesterday of James, Matt & Sam taking a nap with NanaSo cute!
Tired boys!
James and Sam also went skinny dipping on Monday

(under the supervision of Matt, Cody & Ty)
White Boyz!
James had lots of fun in the water!
He also loves wearing Nana's shoes (or anyone's, really--the other day he tried to put on Matt's giant shoes and ended up skiing down the stairs in them!)

Sam, Jake, James, and Nana (on Saturday, I think)
On Sunday night, we played games with Amy & Michael...
but the boys colored first.
James & Uncle Michael
***
I went to sleep last night /this morning at 1am and Rich called me at 7am--James woke up and wouldn't go back to sleep, so I am thinking a nap is in order today! I am still just doing laundry, dishes, making meals, and trying to make mom comfy. Same thing everyday, but still really fun. We had a great time last night watching the Diane Sawyer special on Randy Pausch...it was really touching. So more later...

Hello

Good Mornin'! I don't mean to keep harping on Elder Busche's talk, but after finding the slide show I posted yesterday, I looked up the whole devotional and it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read, in any genre, EVER (and I am a Lit. major!). Please when you get a minute, follow THIS LINK, print out the talk, then go cuddle up with it and your favorite highlighter. Perhaps you will want to read and discuss for Family Night. At any rate, I just had to share.

I didn't mention in my earlier post that Michael and Amy (my younger sibs) surprised us on Saturday by coming down from Everett, WA where Michael is working. Amy is staying with Mike until the end of August, and they came to hang for a couple of days. It is so good to see them! They are heading home this morning and we'll miss them. I think today, we'll mostly be cleaning upo from the weekend, finishing up laundry, making sure mom is comfortable--maybe I'll even make some tapioca!

Happy Sabbath

I stole this link from another site I sort of clicked my way to tonight. I hope you enjoy these thoughts as much as I did (I want these words tattooed on the back of my hands or something). I dedicate this to my mama, just in case she doesn't feel good enough for church tomorrow, she can get her fill from Elder Busche.



PS: I read about the death of Randy Pausch, the professor who gave the now-famous "Last Lecture" last year. It's sad that he's gone, but I think it's such a "tender mercy" for him to live long enough not just to leave that beautiful message for his children, but that the message itself became so popular that it will provide for thier temporal needs as well as their emotional and spiritual needs. That's so cool.