Happy Independence Day!

We were so happy to spend our Independence day walking in the Waukee Parade with our friends, Governor Terry Branstad, Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds. State Senator Charles Schneider, State Representative Rob Taylor, County Recorder Chad Airhart, Congressional Candidate David Young, Senate Candidate Joni Ernst, Secretary of State Paul Pate, my wonderful mother in law, Diana Bowman...and others.

But enough with the name dropping. Here are some pictures.

 

The Bowman family with the Governor and Lt. Governor. Kim LOVED Harry in his oversized shirt.

 

 

 

Parade Ready! 

 

Congressional Candidate David Young, when I approached him, said, "Hey, when can I read to your boys?" (referencing this http://youtu.be/3iMDxEb6NCo)

 

I replied, "Whenever you're available, David!"

 

I hope someone from his campaign will contact me soon! :)

And then we saw a VERY large Uncle Sam...Sam I am.

Harry crashed in the wagon halfway through the parade...

that's what happens when parades start at 2 PM!

 

What a great group of walkers in Waukee! We are so blessed to be in such a Conservative town and to be able to draw so many Conservative Candidates!

 

Now, to wash the T-shirts. I'm sure the red, white and blue between all of the shirts we wore won't bleed within each other...because they're all Conservative shirts.

It's well known that Conservatives don't run.

 

 

Primary Election Eve...

Yep...I am an unpaid campaign staffer. I support those I believe in.

The back of my minivan on primary eve....it's almost 11 and the van is parked in the garage. I did what I could today.

Tomorrow, get out and vote.

Road Trip and Birthday Party!

Sunday was an excellent day! The boys have been asking about their cousin's birthday party for weeks! The day the invitation arrived, they were excited. A Superhero Birthday Party...we can wear our costumes in public? Yes. And yes.

We left Waukee and drove through God's country. AKA, Iowa.

We saw a hawk carrying a snake that had to be at least 3-4 feet long flying over us! So we stopped...and it flew off without the snake. The boys were so interested, we talked about it until we met Ma'am and Papa (my folks) at Hyde Park in Greene County, for lunch...and a bit of play time.

Harry decided to "swim" in the rocks. As any landlocked child in Iowa would do.



After lunch, we drove to St. Patrick's Church and Cemetery.

William A. found the gravesite of his Great Great Grand Uncle William J.

It's excellent to have your child have a family name. It's even better when he can visit one of his namesakes. There are Williams all over the Bolton and Bowman family tree. He was directly named after his Great Grandfather, Leander William as he is William aLExANDER. See what we did there?

It was in this cemetery that my mother decided to change into her clown costume for the birthday party. My boys scattered in fear. Because clowns are scary. I yelled to Harry, "Save yourself, son!"

Mom decided that she should change out of it...because she was scaring her grandsons and it was almost 90 degrees. I helped my mom change out of a clown suit in the middle of a cemetery. Yep. I can check that off of my bucket list.

We continued the road trip on to Asher's Birthday Party and it was SO much fun!

The male cousins were "Superheroes in training" (except Harry) and I managed to take a picture.
Liam is Superman, B is Batman, Sean is Thor, Harry is Baby Flash and the birthday boy, Asher, is Iron Man.

We thought we should get a group picture of ALL of the cousins together. How do you get 6 children aged 8 and under, dressed as superheroes in a line? Draw a chalk line on the floor and say it is the "Superhero line"!

Success!

Liam, Sean, B, Asher, Harry and Brynlee. AKA, Superman, Thor, Batman, Iron Man, Flash and Captain America.


The decorations were SUPER. The party games were EPIC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

But the love this family shared, is beyond words.

 

I LOVE my family. I love that we had such a great day together.

Making memories, as a family, is something that is beyond words.

After Mother Nature decided to end the party, we finished up our road trip.

It only seemed right to visit my Grandmother's grave site, the woman who gave birth to my Aunt, the grandmother of the birthday boy and my Dad.

Grandma Louise, you would have had so much fun with all of your children, to see what great parents your children have raised; your grandchildren and what great parents they are, and your great grand children.

To end this on a happy note, all of the Avenger balls that our boys won as party gifts, fell out when we stopped in Ames at Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner.

And yes, I did yell, "Boys! All of your balls fell out! Catch them!"

Thank you, Lindsey, for letting me hold Brynlee and "Papa" Mike for expressing, "Now, this is what it is like to hold a girl."

Thanks, Dad. Thanks. There's a reason my blog is called what it is.... :) But the next time we have silly string, you're my target.

My love/hate relationship with Pinterest....AKA, Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

My parents are having their 35th Anniversary this fall, so I thought I could start early by spray painting wine bottles "International Harvester Red". I had a bottle that was blue in color, so I thought I could spray it, putting painters tape over the areas I didn't want painted.

My house now looks like a murder scene. I had no idea that spray paint was so sticky.

My gift to my parents, the rest of this spray can.

And my promise to NOT spray paint anything for them....ever again.

A Glimpse of 10 Minutes in our House....

Your house must be busy!!! Friends, you have no idea.

Tonight we went out to eat. After we got home from Chili's, David decided he was going to go out and get some Oreo ice cream sandwiches. Sure, I'll watch the kids if you get ice cream and I can take my work clothes off...bad idea.

Liam was occupying one bathroom, Sean was in the other. Harry heard the door to the garage open and took off after Dave. I sprinted (keep in mind I was mid-clothed--pants/bra) after Harry. I grabbed him before he got too far in to the garage and carried him back in the house...only to hear B yelling that he had "to pee willy willy bad-wee" (keep in mind both bathrooms were busy).

So I did what any mom would do--grabbed him, raced him to the sink and told him he could pee in the bathroom sink. Honestly, I'd rather clean a sink than cleaning pee on the floor. I had to hold him up over the sink and B thought it was the funniest thing...so he laughed...and then he farted...right on my bare stomach.

I heard the other bathroom flush, so I told B to hold it and go pee in the other bathroom, only to look over and see Sean STANDING on the toilet seat. He wasn't done yet, he just felt like standing up. I got Sean to sit down, admit that he was done and I cleaned him up.

Once I finished that, Harry had gotten into a bag of popcorn, given it to B, who was apparently finished, and walking around wearing only his socks, eating popcorn.

Dave called to let me know he was on his way home because they didn't have the ice cream he wanted. He was gone for MAYBE 10 minutes, folks. And I still didn't get ice cream.

Back to work....

Tomorrow will be my first day working outside of the home since July 2, 2010 (my last full day at Principal before Brendan was born).

I have worked on many campaigns, for a National PAC, helped to Save a Barn, worked to save the weather beacon and Floppy, along with writing, consulting and being a mom of 4...all of that IS a full time job.

Thank you, Bill, I mean, Senator Anderson, for wanting me to be your clerk, and Jacob for thinking of me.

THANK YOU to Diana Bowman, my awesome mother-in-law, for watching the boys, we couldn't do it without you (I mean, really, 3 in daycare and after school care for Liam??) and my father-in-law, Edd, who will be picking Liam up from the bus. You guys are great.

THANK YOU to my parents, Mike and Sherry Bolton, who always, always, always believed in me and loved me. You guys are the best.

Last but not least, THANK YOU to my wonderful husband David, for supporting my dream to stay home and now to go back to work. I WILL finish the next great American Novel. We may be retired, but I will do it. :) I love you!

It's been 11 years since I worked at the Capitol. Since then, I met my husband, got married, had one child, my husband was deployed and came home, we had 3 more children...and now I'm back at the Capitol.

I kind of feel like "Billy Madison"...."Ohhh, back to school...." http://youtu.be/uMtkiS1SU_c