whatever

basketball on a sunday.

at least once a month....usually more....scott spends his weekends at basketball tournaments on various teams.
i can't always make it to his games because he is not the only kid in our family.
but sometimes it works out for all of us to go together.


 

 
the three youngest play their 3DS video games against each other for most of the time.
or run around the gym.
or draw.
or play angry birds.

i sit right next to craig and relax.
i really do enjoy our time together watching scott.  

and watching mr. duerksen watch scott.

 
we finally got to eat at a place craig had been talking about for months.
he gets to go there for lunch at work but we never have gotten to come along.

the Benton, Kansas Airport has a restaurant on the strip!
so you can watch the little planes take off and land while you eat.
it's really cool.

and it was a GORGEOUS day for it.



sometimes we let them play while we wait for food....if we are feeling nice (or tired)




i got a salad and sweet potatoe fries.


could be a new favorite photo of scott.


annie was sure she could reach the top....just sure. 

sometimes....big brothers are awesome.
:)


 
i loved this place.
i hope we go back...i bet at sunset it's amazing.

back to the gym.

just another nice family day.

he "graduates" from eighth grade tonight.
man.... growing up is just fast.
it feels so quick...he is not that old?!  
wasn't he just begging to look for tow trucks?
didn't he just learn to read?
doesn't he want to wrestle with dad?

ok....shutting down.
i don't have time to cry today so i am turning it off.

i showed a peek of my painted floor on instagram....it's pretty fun!!!
but i left my phone at home today on accident and i am at the craft house so i can't show you a picture here.
i guess that means you'll have to get on instagram.
:)
because you should be anyway because it's a very fun little place to be. 
i was worried it would be hard to figure out.....um...yeah...it's not.
super easy.
and addictive.....

 

 

 

hello weekend....

hello.... new table with rainbow legs that now lives at the farm.
we will eat all of our meals on you and you make me very happy.

hello beautiful package that was so pretty i did not want to open from 
sparrow mercentile.

hello.... world's cutest lunch bag at Joann's that inspired a craft project at our house.

hello.... scott and sean's choir and band concert.

hello.... little girlie who fell asleep during a movie on my bed.




hello.... very funny eighth grade boys devouring their food at HuHot for scott's birthday.




hello.... dairy cows that live across our road.

annie shouted on saturday morning "MOM COME QUICK I HAVE A BIG SURPRISE!!!"
i came into the dining room and said "what is it?"
"LOOK!! the cows are eating up close right HERE! Go get your camera!"  
:) 

hello....new favorite photo.

 

hello.... craft time.

my little girls were busy playing when i had it ready to go so i just started drawing on my own.
soon i was joined by two crafty girls.
when one of us is drawing usually several others follow.




hello toothy smile that tells funny jokes and makes me laugh.


hello.... beautiful water colors.
and smiley snails. 

inspired by the lunch bag and this print at twoems shop

hello ....most beautiful spring evening to have a campfire in the yard.

hello...smores with two marshmallows please.



 hello.... cowgirl boots and rainbow gloves.

hello....mother's day flowers and breakfast in bed made by talby and annie!

hello.... my favorite thing to wear is "saets"  (sweats :)

hello....getting her started early on making coffee!


hello.... daisies at the craft house...with a teeny baby bunny hiding underneath.






hello...super long bike ride over to Sonic for a mother's day treat.




hello....riding bikes on country roads making my heart overflow with happiness.

hello.... very sore rear end from long bike ride.

 


hello....chocolate milk drinking goofball.

 

i am saying hello with lisa leonard today.

how was your weekend?
do tell.

 

fourteen.

scott turned fourteen.
that is crazy.
he is almost done with middle school.
he is two inches taller than me.
he can almost drive?!!

my baby.
:(

sometimes it physically hurts to realize how fast they grow up.
like...my chest is burning right now and i have tears in my eyes.

he chose bbq chicken sandwiches....we used garlic bread like when we eat at Roys BBQ. 
(and this link to Roy's even has a video)
and velveeta mac n'cheese (the fancy kind we only buy for special occasions...not kidding)
and pineapple because he loves it.

after dinner he opened his gifts.
annie wrapped up two things....tokens from a movie theater in michigan and a pile of photos that she went through pulling out all the pictures with scott in it.
my little girls love to give gifts!
scott was very gracious and went through each picture.


 
and gave big hugs.
genuine real hugs.  :)

talby gave him some of her things she felt he would enjoy.  i love to watch them GIVE. 

 
he was pretty excited about his cards with money....his sweatshirt from Nana....and new shoes from us.

SIZE 12!!

he willingly played croquet with his siblings.



and let me hug on him and take pictures....

 

then my little girls jumped in....













they played blokus while i got out the cake.
 

 
talby showed me how she whips her hair back and forth...she whips her hair back and forth...

 

 
you can tell that everyone was quite happy and silly last night. 



scott chose angel food cake and cool whip....what a sweet boy.
i didn't even have to bake a cake!
:)

thank you target for having all the things i needed.
and thanks talby for cutting up all those strawberries!
and thanks Cool Whip....just taste it!  ha  

he is growing up to be a really cool kid.
i get to take a bunch of his friends out to dinner tonight.
i don't think i have ever had dinner with a table of 14 year old boys?
i may sit by myself....they may want me to.
it should be interesting.

he gives hugs.
he talks to me.
he is kind....he is courteous...he is funny.
he reminds me so much of his dad.
he loves playing basketball and watching basketball and talking about basketball.

i like him.

:)

happy birthday scott.

 

piano and blue lilies.

my girls had their piano recital last night.



we curled hair...painted toenails....and had annie's favorite dinner....noodles with red sauce.  :)

we drove the 10 minutes to the church and i thought "wow they are quiet"
as we turned into town annie said quietly "i am really nervous"  and talby said "I know! me too!"
oh....duh.
that's why they were quiet.
i reminded them that the other parents were there to watch their child and they were only really playing for me and dad and Nana.  and we certainly didn't care if they messed up on their songs.  we recalled the Arthur episode where he thought he'd messed up his entire song and no one else even noticed.  

they played a duet first of Yankee Doodle.

then annie was next to play solo.  
she couldn't find her page and she seemed about one second from a break down but her teacher hopped up to
help her out.  
you may remember annie's first recital experience.    
As long as there were no tears i was going to feel it was a success.



they each played their own songs.  
they did great!
i know they were SO nervous but they did a really good job.



i know they are glad it's over and they get a month off from practicing now.
Marissa was a wonderful teacher this year!
My girls never complained about piano once....that tells me a lot.

then off to Mcdonalds for recital Mcflurries.  :)

craig took the girls home to get them to bed and i came to the craft house waiting for some friends.
i sewed curtains while i waited.
and at 10:45 they finally rolled into town knocking on my door.

the blue lilies were coming through kansas and i begged them to stay overnight with me.
it was much to short.
but at least i sent them on their way with some Drubers donuts in their tummies.
i could have used at least another day to just talk and hang out.
at least.
it's just too short!

are you on their photo schedule?  
you should be?!!

wendy + tyler and their absolutely wonderful kiddos travel the entire world taking family photos.
SERIOUSLY.
and they will most likely come somewhere near you.
i mean come on....i am in NoWhere Kansas and they've been here!!!
:)

they were on their way to a GoPro workshop they are hosting in Washington DC!
i think they may have a spot left if you can make it there!
you should do it.
i have been and i thought it was THE BEST.  
i learned so much and it was a total blast!
i went to GoPro in San Diego and a reunion GoPro in Utah.  and pics here. and pics here too.
 
AND they took our pictures in chicago and here in kansas! 

how is that for a lot of links?!!!

thank you blue lilies for coming and buying my donut!  :) 

 

my hair appointment got rescheduled for today.
i bet i can actually make dinner in the the crock pot.
i am planning on doing yard work this afternoon.
and probably a little more spray painting.  

 

what about you...what are you up to today?

 

thanks mom.

when i was at my mom's house a few weeks ago she loaded up my trunk with stuff she was getting rid of.
she sent me home with a quilt, some art and this croquet set.
"we never use it" she said.

and it has been the farm family favorite ever since!

 


annie gets to start ahead because her skills are being perfected.
she's getting better though.

as with almost every game known to man....craig knows the rules and has taught them how to play.
how does his brain hold all that information?
rules to croquet? why is that in there???

and also with all games in the duerksen house....an extra challenge is thrown down.
"can you do this?"





trying to balance a croquet mallt is now more fun than croquet!

we looked like a family of circus performers.


 
this photo looks like annie is about to get whacked by sean...she didn't....thank goodness.



this bush/tree is in our yard.
there have got to be 5000 flowers on it...for reals.
maybe more.
it's so big and the awesome thing about it.....it's always COVERED in butterflies!!





you could say it provides privacy for our outdoor area....but that would indicate that we need privacy.
there is nothing out here to need privacy from.
unless you didn't want the cows to watch you eat dinner?

so instead of privacy i will say it is beautiful to enjoy while we spend time in the front yard.






 


i have no idea what it's called.
do you?

it's obviously been here a long time....it's gigantic.

um...have you noticed that i love living out here?
i have given a few hints haven't i?

:)

craig and i look at each other quite often and give a knowing smile.
we are both thinking it.
"this is an amazing place"

green acres is the place for me.

 

 

girls day

i brought my two littlest girls up to my parents for a short visit.
there was no school and it looked like it might rain again and after that LONG rainy spring break we just had i was done with that...so we packed up and left.

and today we had a girls day.

:)

breakfast at Wheatfields.
biggest french toast i have ever seen.
 


wheatfields has tiles all over in beautiful colors made into a mural...so so pretty!
 


trying on glasses.



pretty dress for mommy that did come home with me.


rainboots that i REALLY wanted to come home with me.....badly....the zig zag ones.
but they stayed.



i tried to convince my girls to pick these earrings and they went with milk and cookies earrings instead.



a little shopping at Gap...40% off shirts and leggings!!
score.



visited my MOST favorite fabric shop!!! 
sarah's fabrics has an unbelievible selection of all the beautiful fabrics you want to see in real life...not just online.
camera fabric?!  
adorable.





lunch was Sylas & Maddy's...local ice cream shop.





ice cream for lunch is perfectly acceptable for girls day.




pretties at urban outfitters....also loved their rugs.
did not love getting asked "can i help you with something SIR?"
excuse me?
what?
never happened to me before....we had quite a laugh about it all evening.
so many comebacks i could've had. 

my mom and i stopped by to see my grandmas.
one was doing great and one wasn't feeling too well.
my girls were quite entertained by the fish tank at the home.





home to my moms....my sister showed up with her girls....we sent the kids off to play and had grown up girls time.
my mom found this wine in south dakota...home of sturgis.....oh my.



yummy dinner and off to the park till it was dark.



so much better than stuck at the farm in the rain.

yep.

i hope you have a beautiful Easter weekend.
we'll probably dye eggs today.
then i will head back to the rest of my family today so we can have easter together.
with a starbucks midway home...there is ONE starbucks exactly middle of the road between me and my moms house.
we frequent it...every time.

happy easter.

HE IS RISEN.

remember this video?

i still love it.

sunday's coming.