Rachael

There are not very many childhood memories that I have that don't include Rachael Gassman. The Gassman family moved down the street from us when I was two. They had three girls, we had three girls. Rachael and I were 3 months apart and best buds. 

Our families grew up spending weekends together, seeing each other on Christmas day, some Thanksgivings, playing on traveling soccer teams together, traveling to gymnastic meets, going to their cabin, going to church on Easter day and brunch and then flying kites together every year. We have yearly pictures of the 6 of us little girls in our Easter bonnets and gloves together. So many memories.

Rachael and I rode the bus together every day, and then got rides with her Dad to school and then drove to school together. Although college took us our separate ways, Rachael to Montana and myself to Iowa we still would call each other on our birthdays to catch up. November 28th will not pass without me remember Rach. And although life has caused us to talk less and less she is still someone who I am truly thankful for and feel so blessed to have so many memories with. 

When I heard Rachael was getting married I knew it was going to be one wedding I couldn't miss!

I had never met Phil until the wedding but the smile on Rachael's face makes it apparent that he's quite a guy!

It was a beautiful outdoor wedding right on the lake. Perfect for us Minnesotans, something people in Iowa just can't understand.

And here are the Gassman/Miller Girls!

Rebecca, Jessie, Dana, Rachael, Meg and Kelly

So thankful that I got to go and celebrate a beautiful day with a beautiful friend! I hope that someday my kids have as many good memories with their friends that I have with Rachael and the Gassman girls. Old friends, sweet memories!

Fashion

I pick my battles.

Before I was a mother I always imagined my children dressed just as cute as can be. And although I do believe that my children are just as cute as can be, and quite often they are dressed as cute as can be, clothing is one of the battles I choose not to fight most days.

I live with three little boys (one day Jett will care too) who love to wear basketball shorts EVERY day, all year round. They like to pair up black basketball shorts with navy jerseys, and tall socks.

There are times throughout the week that I pick their outfits and there is no arguing with momma, but as soon as they are allowed, they change back into basketball shorts.  

My daughter is pretty funny when it comes to clothing. Some days she is, "Fancy Nancy," and the next days she's in basketball shorts with pearls. 

And then there are some days that are just "Pink Cowboy Boot" kind of days!

And some days are "pink cowboy boot, band-aid in the middle of your head, and tons of beaded bracelets and necklace," kind of days. 

Don't you ever have days like that? Where you just need a band-aid in the middle of your forehead?

And then there are days in the middle of summer where your daughter puts on sweatpants and no shirt and your boys put on winter hats and gloves and they dance around the house. Do you ever have those days?

And I know that we all have days that we wish we could just put on rain boots and a diaper and run around like crazy.... or that could just be Titan. He has lots of rain boots and diaper kind of days. But when you're this cute in rain boots and a diaper you should wear them as much as possible.

My kids might not always have matching clothes on (except on Sundays) but they are usually ready to play any sport, splash in any puddle or wrangle any horse.

Sweetest kids in the world.

I love being their momma!

Like Father, Like Son

Quinton just did his first organized t-ball league. If there was one sport that Dan just loved playing it was baseball.

Like father, like son.

 

Quinton did a two week t-ball team through the parks and rec and has seemed to enjoy it. The heat has made a game or two a little long (like where five year olds decide to sit down and draw in the sand on the field). It was a fun and very casual way to introduce him to a few more ideas of the game than just hitting and catching. And he thinks that he is just the coolest kid around because he's on an official t-ball team.

As I checked him in the first day I teared up. He has done several other activities but for some reason t-ball just makes me think he is so old. I also came to the realization that over the next 18 years I am going to spend hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours sitting in bleachers cheering on my children. I can't even wrap my mind around five kids all doing sports at the same time, going five different directions, having five different games and five different teams. The future holds lots of fun times for this Rude family. Two weeks of t-ball was a good prep for starting soccer in the fall. 

I remember some of the first times going to Dan's parents house when we were dating and his mom would pull out articles from high school when he was in the paper for sports. I think she was trying to impress me! Totally worked! I'm a sucker for a guy in a jersey! 

Here was some of Quinton's cheering section.

Rex looking for bugs while watching.

Check out this stud!

I was so proud of Quinton and his attitude and how hard he tried.

Maybe next year he will get a full uniform and look like his daddy.

What a guy I married!

And someday if Quinton decides that he likes baseball he could again look like his daddy, like father, like son.

Or maybe this will be one of my other children. Excited to see what the future holds, but today I'm content cheering my children on in my front yard. I'm in no rush for tomorrow!