Sherman - On his two Grandmas...

I just wanted to share a couple of things that Sherman has said lately. He has always been very observant and a pretty good communicator, but I'm still amazed at the things he notices.


The other day I was getting him some applesauce and I emptied the jar (It was a jar of Grandma Bernards' yummy homemade applesauce). He looked up at the empty jar with a very concerned look and said, "We better have Grandma make us some more applesauce!" Yes, he knows where the yummy food comes from. Thanks Grandma Bernards. Luckily it wasn't the last jar! :)

Last night for Family Home Evening we did some yard work for some friends who are out of town as a service project. Mark dressed in some old work pants for the project. Later as we were enjoying our FHE treat, Sherman looked at Mark's pants that are covered with patches and have a big (I should say huge) hole right above the knee and said, very seriously, "We better get Grandma to make you some new pants Daddy." Yep, he has seen Grandma Gibbs working on many sewing projects during her visits. Anyway, I thought it was great that Sherman has picked up on the talents of his two Grandmas and certainly appreciates them!

Utah Trip - May 2008

The last week in May we took a road trip to Utah for Mark's sister's Wedding and to visit his family. The wedding turned out beautiful and it was great to see Anna so happy. I think Kevin (or Heaven - as Sherman calls him) will be a great addition to the family!

Eliza looked great in her little pink dress!

I love this picture! Anna and her four handsome brothers!

Eliza loved her new little cousin Kate. She always wanted to see the "baby".

On Friday after the wedding we went camping with Mark's family. We had a great time cooking Dutch Oven, sitting around the fire pit visiting, and chasing children away from the hot coals. It was a first experience for Eliza, but she did great. She even slept through the night! Sherman of course had a great time - especially throwing rocks with Andrew and Grandpa down by the river. He still talks about it! :)

It was so fun to get these three girls together. I know they are going to have so much fun in the years to come!

Sherman and Eliza sure enjoyed all of the Bernards' cousins. Sherman still calls Andrew every once in a while on his little phone to see what he is doing.

On Saturday morning we went for a hike with everyone. It was just long enough for the kids to enjoy it and get a bit tired out. Overall it was a very successful and fun camping trip! Hopefully, there will be many more family campouts in the future.

We left Utah on June 2nd and took a detour through Colorado to visit some friends who had been in a car accident there. The drive through Colorado was beautiful but was a bit slower going. We ended up staying in Fort Collins that night, with some friends we knew from Michigan, the Weavers. We are so grateful for their willingness to let us stay at the last minute and it was great to see how their kids have grown and meet their little girl. We left Colorado early the next day and stopped at a couple of fields so Mark could look at some of his research. Sherman and Eliza had a great time inspecting the plants and flags. It was great to have a break from the long drive!

May 21, 2008 - Sherman's 3rd Birthday

Sherman was very excited for his birthday this year! The day before it, we celebrated by going to the Lincoln Children's Zoo. He chose one friend to bring along - Owen page - and Amy and Mason Frasure came with us too. The kids had a great time seeing the animals, going on pony rides, playing in the sand, riding on the Z O & O Railroad, and just being kids.

On his birthday, we had Pancakes and Ice Cream for breakfast (A Bernards Family Tradition) and Sherman was very excited about using the red "You are Special" plate.

After breakfast Sherman opened a present from Mom and Dad and Grandma Gibbs. He was very excited to find train cars from the Thomas the Train Set. After he pulled out the train cars, he looked up very concerned and said, "They don't have any tracks to go on." So, Mom and Dad said, "We think you better go look downstairs." He hurried down and found.....

... a whole set of tracks, tunnels, a bridge, and more. He was so excited! He played with it most of the day, only taking breaks for eating and potty.



That evening we had a special birthday dinner - hamburgers and french fries - and then had chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Sherman hasn't quite figured out the blowing thing yet, so Mom helped a little with the candles.

Overall, I'd say it was a pretty fun couple of days for Sherman. And, yes he did enjoy his cake and ice cream!

May 2008 - Yard Work

Hello Again! I'm back after a few weeks off - you know - vacation and recooperating from the vacation! Anyway, I thought I'd post some pictures of a day working in our yard. We are in the process of reshaping our yard a bit. The gentleman who owned the home before planted quite a few pretty and expensive plants, but they are getting a bit out of control. So this day we were moving some of the plants to different locations in order to create a garden spot for vegetables out back.

Sherman is a great worker and always loves to follow his Dad and help him with all the "big jobs".

Eliza, on the otherhand, is our little escapee and has to be tethered once in a while. Thank goodness she likes the wagon!

Sherman loves to dig!!!

Eliza - checking out a lily plant.

Sherman - loves his lawn mower and wheelbarrow.

Eliza - she's a natural!

Taking a break!