Fall, Already?

I can't believe it is officially here, and I can't believe that I haven't blogged about all of the wonderful goings-on that have happened for us during the summer. Chalk it up to two babies. (how long can I call them babies again...?)
Anyways, after a seemingly FOREVER long internet depravation we are once again up and running. Sorry for all of the lack of information and updates, but I really rely on internet to do everything! We live so far out in the boonies now that I really wasn't sure that we would ever get internet again, and I was beginning to feel like Laura Ingells Wilder. Seriously. Although I did get a TON done. More on that later. Anyways, I found a great internet provider and although I am not sure that I will be able to keep up with internet tv anymore due to the slow connection, I am so happy just to have email. And google.
Back to the point. We are moved and settled (sort of) in our new place. We are now living in a great house that sits on about 250 acres. I know, more land that I have ever imagined. There is a grass hay pasture below the house, and about 230 acres of dry land behind us and the house sits up on a hill and has the most incredible view. I sit in the living room and watch the sunset every night behind the entire Cascade mountain range. It is breathtaking. I will take a picture, but so far my little point and click does it no justice at all.
The story on the house: we found it on craigslist. My obsession finally turned into something more productive than furniture that I try to get everyone else to buy! The landlords, who live next door on an additional 80 acres, wanted someone to live here and help set up the ranch, work with the cows and help with general maintenance in exchange for a portion of the rent. I emailed on the house and didn't hear anything back for weeks, then finally got a call. It is just a perfect fit for us--or more correctly for Chad. He is providing all of the labor and making it possible for us to live in such a great place.
We have a vegetable garden that we inherited, a pear tree, and big plans for the next summer. We are loving it here, and the boys are totally thriving. It is amazing what having a yard and few acres does for them. They have both been sleeping really well and growing so fast (although I am not sure that is related to the yard part...)
Anyways, I will get pictures up soon. Maybe.

This and that, and then nothing

So we have been doing things, just nothing really exciting. It's too hot for exciting. Yesterday we really tried to break the habit of staying inside next to the a/c, and we went to the pool. We had to wait around until it opened, because apparently they close for 30 minutes if they hear thunder. Finally, they opened the pool, we jumped in, and no more than 3 minutes later there was thunder. So we had to get out. That pretty much sums up our summer. I am planning on staying inside for as much of the rest of it as possible. The a/c unit is so much less dissapointing.

Here are some snapshots though into our lives when we decide to break away from the a/c. It isn't often, so nothing here is too exciting, but its all I got.

-Cade got some new crocs, bright orange. He modeled them in Nordstroms. As in walked back in forth in front of the mirror, once on his tippy toes (you know, to see how his calfs looked). He loves them so much he refused to let me take them off of him for bed the first night that he got them. I figured it wasn't a battle worth waging, so he fell asleep with them on. I went in to take them off about an hour later, and he woke up and told me "no mama" and rolled over and went back to bed.

-Cade tried to put Luke in the dryer yesterday.

-I have been having to give Cade a lot of time outs.

-He rolled on the floor of Home Depot yesterday while screaming.

-I have been having to give Cade a lot of spankings.

-I have been baking in the 100 degree weather. Insanity. Sweaty hot insanity. Jodie's baby shower is next weekend, and I have been spending my time alternating between the sewing machine and the oven. Throw in a couple of rotations of feeding and disciplining two toddlers, and oo de lally, that's good times.

-We have also been watching Robin Hood (see oo de lally above).

Thhhhhats all folks! (Interestingly, we have NOT been watching looney tunes, but I was on a roll).

The exploring will have to wait

Chad has been working. A lot. He has this internship in Salem that he travels to once every three days--he leaves at about 5:30 am and gets home at about 2:00am, then when he is here he is working so we have barely seen the guy. Which means me and the boys are just trying to stay sane. So yesterday, even though he was gone, I decided that the house-boundness had to end, and we struck out early in the morning to explore a new park.
I loaded the car with the stroller, the snacks, the sunscreen, the extra clothes, the kids and we took off. Now this new park is really just a huge wildlife reserve, lots of trails and meadows right on the river, I thought that Cade would enjoy running, and I was hoping that Luke would enjoy sleeping.
We unloaded, got the stroller put together and up, loaded the stroller with the aforementioned accoutrements, and then took off through a covered bridge over the river. Cade was helping me push the stroller, which is really not so helpful, but he was having fun. As soon as we got to the other side of the river disaster struck.
We were SWARMED by killer mosquitoes. Seriously, I felt like the little African babies with the bugs in their eyes, I was just swiping bugs off my face, trying to get them off the boys without slapping them, but these little suckers were vicious. And starving. They went after us with a vengeance, biting through my jeans. We tried to push through, but since Cade was pushing that wasn't going too fast, and the mosquitoes were not clearing up. It really all ended when I checked on Luke and there were 5 on his chubby little cheek! I picked up Cade, football style under one arm, and ran, pushing the stroller one handed over the trail, all the while telling Cade "we're running away from the bugs! Hurry, hurry!"
I have two bugbites on my scalp. Like in my hair, on the top of my head. I have seven on my right hand. It's ridiculous.
We ended up at the regular park, on the regular slide, without any bugs.

And June in pictures=caught up!

The boys have really started playing together lately, Sometimes I wonder how much damage a 20 pound baby can really inflict, or if the mauling/wrestling will ever evolve into something civilized (I don't think so...sadly) but here is some of the playing:

This was right before Cade pushed Luke off the truck.

In June we took our very first trip to the Zoo. Cade LOVED the train, and he thought the animals were ok too.

And then the second week in June we went camping. It rained at least once a day, but it was a great trip and the boys loved living outdoors, sleeping outdoors, chopping firewood, and playing with fire. You can never start these lessons early enough!

The month of May in pictures

We traveled a lot in May (and June for that matter...pictures in a minute). Here are the boys in all their glory!

Luke has an INSANE reach, like go-go-gadget arms. I left the room for a second and came back to this!

For Memorial Day we went to Lakeview, the boys loved the new wagon and Cade got to drive his first tractor!




The next weekend we went to Corvallis to see Aunt Jodie and Uncle Shawn. Cade was busy looking cute--with his hands down his pants:

I am a tardy tard

HA!!! Get it??? Tardy as in late, tard as in politically incorrect total stupid-head. I am a seriously funny girl. So I was sooo late in posting the link to the boys photo session that it done expired already. That's why it was asking for a date and all that nonsense--because it doesn't exist anymore. You'll just have to trust me that they were adorably cute.

In other news, Chad is interning right now which means that he spends a 24 hour shift in Salem, and then he is here for 48 hours. When he is here he will be working, so he is one busy kid and I am one crazy mamma. The boys go to be earlier and earlier!

Other than that, same ol same ol. Woohooo!

I have been remiss...

I know there are a lot of things that I have not updated all you thousands of faithful readers on, but it is just wrong that I have not let you know that the boy's newest photo shoot is up and available for your viewing pleasure.

Go Here to see the slideshow. If it asks for a password it is Grogan.

Hope you enjoy!