Days With the Duerksens

The Slip 'N Slide has been a hit - especially with Delaney!  There's just something about those chubby little legs in a swimming suit! Ever since the gator arrived, there have been many work projects.  Caiden, obviously is the instigator in such projects.  Cambry, though, has been happy to help.  They've been working on a "house" in those trees so they had to clear away a lot of dead grass.  What a useful tool, that gator! Strawberries!  I think we've picked the last of them, but boy were they fun to have around.  Every trip out to the garden resulted in Delaney's question, "Stawbeee?"  So, we'd pick a few!  She even learned how to take the green stems off. A sink full of broccoli ready to be frozen.  It's amazing how many little creatures live in the depths of the broccoli stalks.  We finally had to pull the plants because the bugs were winning out! Ice cream cones!  I really should have a video ...

We made it!  Or, rather, the kids made it!  No more waking up at 6:30 a.m. every morning - at least for me!  Cambry had a special last day because she got to celebrate her birthday with her class.  She chose strawberries and bananas as a snack, so I brought 23 fruit cups for her to hand out!  She was so excited and happily picked out a Fancy Nancy book from her teacher's stash.  I was glad I could be there with her for part of her last day! Last day of waiting for the bus!  Next year, they will have a new bus driver. Passing out snack with Mrs. Booton.  Eli Boden is the recipient - unfortunately, he doesn't like bananas! The birthday cake poem.  Cambry is blowing out imaginary candles. Delaney was happy to be in school, too! While cruising around Pinterest, I saw this idea.  I quickly erected this banner before they got home!

Delaney has definitely latched on to Cambry's sunglasses!

We have found Delaney to be a girl with a vivid imagination who actually likes to play with her toys.  This is a new concept in our family - to have a child who plays with her toys!  Last Thursday, I was upstairs working on the computer and enjoyed listening to her playing and happy chatter down in the basement.  She was so content - I think she must have been down there for 30 minutes playing.  I heard words like "sleeping" "sing" and "eat."  I finally went down to see what she was so busy with.  She had completely covered a Bible Story Mat with all sorts of things: A little bit of everything - balloons, cows, bottles, Legos These would be the "singing cows" - every time she lines up animals, she pretends they are singing and she directs them. These would be the "sleeping" people and lion And these would be the cows that are "eating"

Whew!  It was a whirlwind weekend!  I told Chelan last night that I felt like I was in a state of exhaustion!  I could barely keep my eyes open Sunday afternoon, and by the evening, I was definitely ready for bed! We started out with a track meet - yes, I said track meet.  Caiden had registered for the Hesston youth track meet and planned on doing the long jump, softball throw, and the 100M dash.  So, we headed to Hesston Saturday morning - a cold morning!  He did awesome, coming home with 3 blue ribbons.  That sounds really, really awesome, doesn't it?  Truthfully, he was the only one in his age group for the field events, and there was only 1 other boy in the dash.  Apparently, the Hesston Rec. forgot to move flag football to the afternoon.  Most of the boys in Caiden's age group were doing that instead. Anyway, he jumped 10'11" in the long jump, threw 78' in the softball throw, and ran a 16 sec. 100M dash!  Way to go, Caiden!...

The bugs are out in full force and all my plants keep getting eaten.  The other night, we were checking things over, and this leaf (formerly attached to a pea plant) was turned just right.  Chelan and I had never seen anything like it.  This tiny little worm with fairly big fuzzy, yellow eggs.  I just had to share this picture because it was so interesting! The worm (and its eggs) did not survive long after the picture!

We were blessed with an absolutely picture-perfect day for Cambry's field trip yesterday.  We went to the Sedgwick Co. Zoo and to Botanica.  I was really interested to see the new Children's Garden at Botanica, and it didn't disappoint.  Cambry had a fabulous time and kept commenting on how much fun she was having.  She and I wrote a little story about the day.  You can check it out (soon) on Cambry's blog !  Thanks to her teacher, Mrs. Janzen for organizing such a fun day! We saw these geese and goslings everywhere! Cambry, Noah, Riley, Aida (Riley's sister), and Jaicee around the lion statue Most of the class around the water fountain - it felt great! Cambry really enjoyed "painting" with water There is a great treehouse in part of the garden.  This was a favorite spot! Cambry, Tina, and Noah crossing the water The entrance to the Children's Garden - everything was bright, colorful, and just gene...

Enjoy these random pictures from the last few days! I made this layered mocha cheesecake for our spring salad supper at church last week!  It was beautiful, but when I cut into it, it was a little gooey inside.  I should have baked it longer.  It didn't affect the taste, though.  Delicious!!  The crust is Oreo cookies, followed by a layer of chocolate cheesecake, followed by a layer of mocha cheesecake, and finished off with a chocolate glaze. Our girls are super flexible!  I used to be, but as you can see, not so much anymore!  Don't ask me how this happened at supper - it just did! Well, if my foot is already up here, why not take a taste? Caiden came running into the house the other day to say he almost stepped on a huge snake!  He actually said he let out a "girl scream" and that Dad did, too!  He snatched the camera and took this picture of a black rat snake.  I've been seeing so many snakes on the road lately. ...