You know your best friend loves you if...

she stays on the phone while you count to 50 as your toddler sits on the toilet and tries to poop. :)

Emily Fruth

This is Becca guest blogging on Anna's blog because I am at her house logged on to her. I just read J.B.s greatest entry ever. So when I got here today to help Anna pack for WI, I was putting Meghan down for a nap while Emily carried on a conversation with Anna that went something like this:
A: "Oh you've been in the car all day today?"
E: "Yeah, mommy's sick and tired of driving."

Later on she had on one of my stretchy plastic bracelets (the kind the youth get at Youth Conference). Emily points to it and says "Mommy is 2-2-R" This means CTR for those of you who don't speak Emilese.

She constantly cracks me up with the things she comes up with.

P.S. Here is a Nataliism. She always makes these noises while playing. Kind of a cross between a hum and weirdo noise. Today she and the Beadner kids are playing out back and through this open window you hear what we thought was a ghost until reality set in and it was Nat. Well, it was funny if you were there.

Going to the Northwoods!!

George and I are being given the GREATEST gift ever!! George's brother and sister-in-law are going to take our kids for almost a week and we get to go camping in Wisconsin. Camping!! I am so excited! Camping has changed quite a bit since we had children. I always worry about everyone sleeping in a tiny space. I worry about kids eating gravel and dirt. I worry about kids falling into the fire pit (both with a fire and without). I worry about kids going to far out into the lake. I worry about where to change poopy diapers while camping. It's just how it is when you have kids 6, 4, 2, and 1. And I LOVE camping. So, this is SUCH a treat for us! I can almost recall the days of camping without kids. Peaceful, I think.

On the flip side, of course I will miss the kids but because they love these cousins SO MUCH, I doubt they will even notice we aren't there! I hope it's as good for Bump and Teresa as for us:) Thanks you guys!

Happy Birthday, JB!

The above pictures are all of us waiting for Harry Potter to start at midnight.



This was dinner beforehand at Cebollas.

This was such a fun night. I didn't have the camera at the "surprise" party for JB:) But it was great fun and Carisa made this super cool Hogwarts cake. Amazing! We just talked and talked and laughed and laughed. It was a great night! Thanks for making it happen, girls!

4th of July with the Family

Here are pictures of the 4th of July with my younger brother and sister and their families. This was before my sister's big move to the East coast. We had a blast all together. Too bad it rained...but we made the most of it using the garage and umbrella so we could do fireworks.

Maddie's a little wary of my picture-taking antics.

Abby's excited to pose.

We love you, Aunt Megan!

Sam, of course, found the Thomas train and accessories.

Aunt Liz and Uncle Calvin with some of the group.

Thanks Matt and Megan, for letting us stay and thanks for the fun time, everyone!!

You don't want to cook dinner on Friday?

Me neither...so check this out!