Fourth of July

Go to this link. I tried to copy it, but it's not working. But seriously, go to the link.

http://keeleynet.com/4th99.htm

Here we go again...

Well, had a surprising thing happen on Monday afternoon. I put a few seemingly random things together, got a rather disquieting notion, then took a test. Voila! Two little blue lines...

Begley Baby #4 is due February 19, 2010!

Have totally gotten over that disquieting notion, by the way...

Hannah is already making the baby a stuffed chicken. There have been lively debates on whether it will be a boy or a girl.

Silly smiles, faraway glazed looks, mild 'urpiness' have all been a part of our lives for the past 3 days.

Recent Pics of the Girls

Hannah giving Leah a ride...

Leah being cute in the front porch swing...

Adventures in Nathan

This has been a most exciting summer for Nathan so far. Here are a few firsts for my little man:
Playing the 'Queen's Guard' in a homemade play.

He caught his first fish with the help of Mr. P from church! How exciting can being a 4 year old be?! As a side thought - this child is going to be a manly man kinda boy. We are going to need to find ways to learn to do this kind of stuff. Neither Michael or I know how to fish, so maybe we'll have to pick Mr. P's brain on that one. Michael can teach him to work with wood and cars. There will be lots of camping. We will also need to consider activities like mountain biking (maybe even racing), and dare I say it?....motorcycles?

He learned to ride without training wheels! Only took 2 days. Somebody else who shall remain nameless took over a month and many many attempts to master this.

I love little boys. Wish I had another one...

Clara

I would like to introduce the newest member of our family, Clara.

We don't know what she is, but boy have we learned a lot about catepillars in the last couple days. I have to figure out how to make a catepillar house. She's in an old glass canning jar right now, and we are supposed to have a box about 1 foot square for her. With twigs and grasses and such. Sigh...I guess Clara doesn't actually qualify as a 'bug', but I am discontented to have a 'critter' in my house.

Hannah found her and is really good at taking care of her. She changes the grasses and stuff a couple times a day, talks with her, etc.

We'll keep you posted on Clara's progress...

Spring Cleaning

Remember forever ago when I started my spring cleaning and got distracted by paint? Well, I just completed painting the living room and entry area. Finally! After a couple months and 11 shades of gold, we finally figured it out. It's lovely. The main color is Refined Gold by Sherwin Williams. The accent color is called Bread Basket. I think it's an Olympic color. The wall with the front door, the entry arch, the mantle and the island are all the darker accent color. It looks so warm and lovely. I'll have Michael take a pic tonight after I've gotten all the 'stuff' that has reproduced in my living room the last month.

We have way too many toys. We recently read Little House in the Big Woods, and Little House on the Prairie. Did you know Laura and Mary had exactly TWO toys each?!?! A doll and a chipped cup or saucer. That's it! It sounds so lovely...the children actually had to use their imaginations and naturally supplied playthings like pinecones, tall grass, stumps. Sigh...

'Ornamental' Space

After conversing with the ladies at the park on Friday, I am rethinking the planting area of my frontyard. Not the grass, mind you. The 'flower bed' parts. For some unknown reason, society seems to think that this area of our yard is for 'ornamental' plants only. To grow a veggie garden there would be met with disapproval.

Why is that?

Why do my front flowerbed HAVE to contain flowers and/or ferns? Why not a big colorful tomato plant? Or a lovely silver-green artichoke? Strawberries with their vibrant greens and splashes of brilliant crimson? Are these not 'ornamental'?

Why do I wonder what my neighbors will think when I consider ripping out my poppies and replacing them with Thyme, Basil and a few bell pepper plants? Why must gardens only be in the backyard? Who started that anyway?