Fun at Riverfront Park

Today we spent part of our afternoon at Riverfront Park. We met Bill, Julia, Connor, Zachary, and Ben-a-min (Benjamin) there. We had tons of fun soaking up the sun and enjoying other activities.

Here is one of the signs by the water. My question is, isn't everything slippery when wet? Doesn't everyone have enough common sense to know that? So why did they post the sign?

It's a really good thing that Mason cannot read yet, or he would have known that we were setting a really bad example for him. Oh well I don't think it's against the law to feed the ducks. It's more of a suggestion. Right?

This one goose kept taking the crackers right from my hand.

Cooper doing what he does best, supervising.

We all packed lunches, so we found a shady spot to sit. Zachary didn't want to eat his sandwich, he wanted to go straight for the good stuff, the cookies. This was his way of making a statement.

Then when that statement didn't work, he thought he would try this one out. Mason thought he could persuade Zachary to come eat.

Causing trouble together.

Feeding the garbage goat

Riding on the carousel

Sliding on the big radio flyer slide.

We all had a great afternoon and came away wondering why we don't do these kinds of things more often. It was fun and only cost us a couple dollars to ride the carousel and the extra bread to feed the ducks.

Crystyne

Not much has changed...

So not much as changed to the appearance of our house. The siding has been completed all the way around the house, they have dug out more dirt where the driveway and back patio will go, and I believe all the mud, taping, and sanding is complete. I have decided that Jeff will be our photographer from here on out, he takes better pictures. My sister, Julia and her little family, and Jeff's parents joined us this week to check out the house with us.

Here is a close up of the house, so maybe you can see the colors and details a little better.

Looking from the corner of the formal dining room and is of the formal living room.

Looking from the corner of the formal living room (opposite of the front door), looking in at part of the family room and eating nook.

Looking from the corner of the loft, the door next to the stairs is the furnace and hot water tank room. The other two door ways are the two secondary bedrooms. The hallway next to the stairs leads to the master bedroom.

Looking from the corner of the master bedroom at the entrance into the room and the entrance into the master bathroom.

Sense there wasn't much to "brag" about this week, we decided that we would show off what the rest of our block looks like. As you can see from the two pictures above and below, there isn't much human life to speak of. The above picture is looking out from one of the master bedroom windows, looking to the South of our house. Neither of the these two houses have been sold. So if you are looking for a great house to buy, here are two wonderful options and did I mention that you would have some really great neighbors? Both of these houses are the same floor plan as ours. I guess it is a really popular floor plan. Also if you look closely, you can see another house that is blue right in the middle of the picture, though the trees. We are not sure if that house has been sold or not, but it looks to have been completed. The picture below is also looking to the South of our house, it was just taken further North of our house so you can see that there is no one to the North of us either. It will be great in some ways if we end up being the first on the block, for one we would have the bragging rights of being just that, and two it will be quiet.... well in the evenings that is. The down side of being the first on the block is that there will be construction going on all around us, so you can bet that we will have the noise from all the heavy machinery, cement trucks, and other construction workers building houses, not to mention the block will be dusty and dirty until the majority of the houses are built. Just look at the sidewalk and road right behind our car in the above picture and you will see what I mean.

This was just too cute not to share. Nothing bets the love of grandparents. Our boys have truly been blessed with the greatest grandparents who love them and the boys know it.

Crystyne

Potty Train

I was talking to a friend of mine (Amber) who's daughter, Abby is ten months younger than Mason. This Sunday Abby decided that she did not want to wear diapers any more. So sense Sunday, Abby has been in "panties" and doing great, with no real accidents to speak of. Not only is she not having any accidents, she is also telling Amber when she needs to go potty.

This news made me excited and annoyed at the same time. Excited that Abby had figured out the whole potty thing, annoyed that Mason, who is ten months older that Abby, still had not. I know what you are all thinking, girls potty train earlier and easier that boys, yeah I know, but ten months earlier, give me a break, Mason should be getting this by now.

So, today Amber came over and had brought Abby's potty seat with her, just in case Abby needed to go. Amber asked if I wanted to borrow her potty seat as Abby was doing really well and probably didn't need the seat. Of course I jumped on that chance to borrow it. Amber gave me a few pointers on what she has done with Abby and then we were off, well actually on, the potty seat that is.

Mason spent a good part of his afternoon on the potty seat, drinking a ton of juice and water, and eating saltine crackers.

Mason peed in the potty THREE times!!! Hip-hip-ha-ray! We are on our way!

Hopefully more updates to come!

Disipline strategy not working so well...

For a little while now, Mason has been testing us to see what he can get away with at bed time. When we put him to bed and he gets out of his bed we usually tell him that if he gets out of bed a second time we will shut his bedroom door. Well this began to not work and we were fighting this battle with him trying to get him to stay in bed. Jeff and I were both trying to figure out a new "punishment" for Mason if he got out of his bed. So a couple weeks ago I told him that if he got out of bed I was going to put him on his top bunk, take his ladder, and shut his bedroom door. This seemed to do the trick. That night he did get out of bed, so I took him back to his room, put him in his top bunk, took his ladder, and shut the door. He got the message. Mom was not joking. But tonight, he got out of bed, I reminded him what I was going to do if he got out of bed again. The next thing I knew Mason was coming out of his room carrying his ladder. He leaned it against the wall (which is where we put it when we take it out of his room) and asked me to put him on his top bunk. So I followed him to his room, he put his arms up for me to put him on his top bunk, so of course I did. I guess Jeff and I will now have to come up with a new "punishment" for Mason when he gets out of bed.Crystyne

My little helper

Mason is always looking for ways he can help me. I am not quite sure why he is always wanting to help me, but either way I am very grateful for his help. Today I noticed that the pop supply in our fridge was getting low. I pulled some pop out of the closet I have it stored in. Mason can RUNNING to help me carry it to the kitchen. He insisted on helpong me put it in the fridge. So I opened the cases and at that moment Cooper began to cry, so I left Mason to attend to Cooper. When I came back to the kitchen, this is what I found. And no, I did not take the picture up-side down.
What is really funny is that this is just how I put the pop in the fridge just right-side-up. I guess Mason pays more attention to the little things I do during the day than I thought.

Crystyne

Happy Birthday Mason!

It is so hard to believe this was just three years ago! Look how tiny he was. I truly was blessed with an easy pregnancy, labor, and delivery with Mason. I remember thinking about how or if I would be able to handle having a baby. I wondered if I would be able to love him. I even told my sister Julia when I was pregnant with Mason that I was worried that I would not be able to love Mason as much as I loved Julia's little boy, Connor. Julia assured me that I would easily be able to love Mason and that I would soon realize that the love I would have for Mason would be a stronger yet differnet love than the love I had for Connor. She was right. My love for Mason continues to grow each and every day. Especially now that I have the oppertunity to see Mason as a big brother and to see the love Mason has for Cooper. Being a mother is the greatest blessing I have been given.

Crystyne

Mason's 3rd Birthday Party

We celebrated Mason's 3rd birthday tonight. Even though his birthday is not until Tuesday, we decided it would be best to celebrate it on one of the weekends right around his birthday. This year we held the festivities at Jeff's parents house, since we are in an apartment. With doing it at Jeff's Parents house, we didn't want to have a huge birthday, with lots of people, like we have done the last two birthdays. We invited all of Mason's cousins and a few of our friends who had kids around Mason's age. Even though we didn't want to have a big group of people, it still turned out to be just that. I guess I didn't realize just how many cousins and friends Mason has around the same age. If I counted right we had 14 kids and 14 adults.

I love/hate birthday (and other) parties. I love being able to see a lot of our family and friends (epically those who we don't see often). But I hate these parties because there is always so much to do during the party (when hosting it) that I feel like I don't get to really enjoy the time I have with the guests. If I am the one running the party, I don't want to leave a lot of "lag" time where there is nothing going on. I hate going to birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers, etc. and just sit and sit in between the different games, present opening, and cake eating. I always just want to tell the host "come on let's get this show on the road"!!! because before you know it you have been at the party for well over two hours and you have not gotten through all the games/events you want to do. I hate this, I feel like it is really inconsiderate of the host to drag everything out, like you have nothing better to do on your Saturday than sit at a party and guess how big the expectant mother's belly is, or listen to EVERY detail about how the happy couple met while watching the soon-to-be bride open her blender, toaster, and other misc. cook ware.

So anyways....

I tried to keep everything "moving" with Mason's birthday and it seemed like every time I would ask Jeff to help me with something, he would be too busy talking with someone. Eventually he would get around to doing it, but dang it, I want it done NOW not when you feel like it. (Sorry Jeff, but it's true) So, needless to say, I stayed really busy during most of the party.

We didn't do many games, we just had a pinnate, opened presents, and had cupcakes and ice cream cups. Overall I think (hope) all the kids had a great time.

Mason got to take the first whack at the pinnate.

Ethan

Zachary

Megan

Ashley

Mason again, once Connor knocked it to the ground

Ah... candy.... just what all the kids were waiting for.

The birthday boy

Opening presents. Thanks everyone for the great gifts!

Look at Connor, isn't he just the cutest!

Mason's new baket-ball scoop (no not a typo, this is how Mason says it)

Cupcakes with "prinkles" as Mason called them

Make a wish!

Enjoying the cupcakes and ice cream.


Thank you to all of you who were able to come to Mason's birthday. And most of all thank you to Grandpa and Grandma Borders for letting us have Mason's party there.

Crystyne

Siding, drywall and front steps

WOW!!! This week there has been some really big changes in the construction of our house. We now have the siding completed on the front and north side of the house, and the south side is close to one third finished, the front steps are in, the drywall is up, and it was being mudded and taped when we went by to take a look at the progress being made. (Literally, the workers were there on their stilts and all, so I didn't get any pictures of the main floor because I didn't want to get in their way).

It was really hard to pick out colors for our house because the samples that we had to look at and choose from, where no bigger than 2" X 2". Literally. So looking at the colors of siding on those tiny samples, it was hard to picture those colors together on a much grander scale. I was a bit nervous that the colors we chose were going to be too dark, but now that the siding is up I am very happy with our choice. I just kept looking at the front of the house in amazement, not only because the colors turned out just how I wanted but also because I know that from here on out the changes that will happen will be big and the house on the inside will now begin to take shape.
Main bathroom upstairs

One of the secondary bedrooms

The Master Bedroom

Master Bath looking in from the Master Bedroom (that little bit of wood on the left side of the picture is where the linen closet will be).

Master Bath looking from right in front of the window.

Well, we now have just under eleven weeks left until we are due to close on the house. Not that I am counting or anything. EXCITING!!!

Crystyne

Savannah's Baptism

This last Saturday July 5th my friend's oldest daughter, Savannah was baptised. It was surprisingly very emotional for me. I guess I really should not have been surprised at that. Nicole has been like a sister to me and in turn her girls have been like nieces to me.

As Savannah was baptised, I got teary eyed, and felt like it was my daughter being baptised.

Us with Savannah in her pretty dress.

I thought this was a pretty cool picture

Cooper with his tounge out OF COURSE!

Ben, Nicole, and Savannah McCombs

Mason, playing with Mailee and Isabella

The Borders and The McCombs

On a VERY sad note, the McCombs will be moving to Utah this Saturday the 12th. As I said before, Nicole has been like a sister to me (or as Jeff says Nicole is "my wife". Nicole is the one person I call to "vent", the one I hang out with during the day while Jeff is at work, and the one I call when I need help with anything and EVERYTHING. I will miss the McCombs very much! I have never had a desire to take a vacation to Utah, but I do now.

Crystyne

Jeff's Blog

So I started a blog to spout off about my opinion, I didn't want to mess up crystyne's blog so to view my crazy opinion, got to jeffscrazyopinion.blogspot.com.

Thanks,

Jeff

Mason's birthday conversation

Today Jeff and I were telling Mason that his birtday was coming up. Here is a bit of our conversating with him.

Jeff: Hey Mason your birthday is coming up.

Crystyne: Mason when is your birthday?

Mason: July

Crystyne: July what?

Mason: July

Crystyne: Is it July 15th?

Mason: Yep, July Sirst-eeth.

Crystyne: How old are you going to be?

Mason: Older

Insulation and duct work

We went up to our new house last night. Usually we go up on Friday night, but with today being the fourth of July, we did not know what our plans included. So we thought it would be best to go last night so we made sure we got some updated pictures. This last week all the insulation and duct work for the heating and cooling system was run.

This is a picture of our pantry. I know it is hard to judge the size of things by a picture so just to give you an idea of the size, the pantry is approximately 6' 2"wide by 7' 8" deep.

Kitchen

Standing in the kitchen looking at the informal dinning area and family room

Some of the duct work that has been run in the attic and the picture below is of one of the cold air returns.

One thing I forgot to mention is that on June 20th Jeff and I went to Great Floors; we picked out all the flooring, counter tops for the kitchen and bathrooms, and the tile for our full tile back splash in the kitchen. So I guess we will soon see if Jeff and I were able to coordinate color well.

Crystyne

Urban Cowboy

Our Latest Movie. Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY 4th of July.

America is truly the promised land, that God has set apart for us. It is our responsability to protect and serve this wonderfull nation. Remember what the flag stands for and those who currently serve under its stars and stripes. Go out of your way to thank our serviceman and take a moment to ponder the events of July 4th 1772.

The Star Spangled Banner

O! say can you see by the dawn's early lightWhat so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming.And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet waveO'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On September 3, 1814, Key and John S. Skinner, an American prisoner-exchange agent, set sail from Baltimore aboard the ship HMS Minden flying a flag of truce on a mission approved by President James Madison. Their objective was to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes, the elderly and popular town physician of Upper Marlboro, and a friend of Key’s who had been captured in his home. Beanes was accused of aiding the arrest of British soldiers. Key and Skinner boarded the British flagship HMS Tonnant on September 7 and spoke with Major General Robert Ross and Admiral Alexander Cochrane over dinner, while they discussed war plans. At first, Ross and Cochrane refused to release Beanes, but relented after Key and Skinner showed them letters written by wounded British prisoners praising Beanes and other Americans for their kind treatment.
Because Key and Skinner had heard details of the plans for the attack on Baltimore, they were held captive until after the battle, first aboard HMS Surprise, and later back on the HMS Minden. After the bombardment, certain British gunboats attempted to slip past the fort and effect a landing in a cove to the west of it, but they were turned away by fire from nearby Fort Covington, the city's last line of defense.
During the rainy night, Key had witnessed the bombardment and observed that the fort’s smaller "storm flag" continued to fly, but once the shell and rocket [2] barrage had stopped, he would not know how the battle had turned out until dawn. By then, the storm flag had been lowered, and the larger flag had been raised.

Key was inspired by the American victory and the sight of the large American flag flying triumphantly above the fort. This flag, with fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, came to be known as the Star Spangled Banner Flag and is today on display in the National Museum of American History, a treasure of the Smithsonian Institution. It was restored in 1914 by Amelia Fowler, and again in 1998 as part of an ongoing conservation program.
Aboard the ship the next day, Key wrote a poem on the back of a letter he had kept in his pocket. At twilight on 16 September, he and Skinner were released in Baltimore. He finished the poem at the Indian Queen Hotel, where he was staying, and he entitled it "Defence of Fort McHenry."
Key gave the poem to his brother-in-law, Judge Joseph H. Nicholson. Nicholson saw that the words fit the popular melody "To Anacreon in Heaven", an old British drinking song from the mid-1760s, composed in London by John Stafford Smith. Nicholson took the poem to a printer in Baltimore, who anonymously printed broadside copies of it — the song’s first known printing — on September 17; of these, two known copies

On September 20, both the Baltimore Patriot and The American printed the song, with the note "Tune: Anacreon in Heaven". The song quickly became popular, with seventeen newspapers from Georgia to New Hampshire printing it. Soon after, Thomas Carr of the Carr Music Store in Baltimore published the words and music together under the title "The Star-Spangled Banner", although it was originally called "Defence of Fort McHenry." The song’s popularity increased, and its first public performance took place in October, when Baltimore actor Ferdinand Durang sang it at Captain McCauley’s tavern.

The song gained popularity throughout the nineteenth century and bands played it during public events, such as July 4 celebrations. On July 27, 1889, Secretary of the Navy Benjamin F. Tracy signed General Order #374, making "The Star-Spangled Banner" the official tune to be played at the raising of the flag.

-Jeff

Super Mason: Part 1

Check out our first major motion picture!