Important Event

We left our two little ones to play in the country with Gram and Gramps, 

Uncle Sam (who has the coolest star war toys)

And Cousin Claire who was visiting from Mesa.

Aaand a few other people in the house too.

And Devin and I headed off to St. Louis so he could

!!!~GRADUATE~!!!

As much as Devin and I crrrave alone time, you never would 

know it, if you would have seen me crying all the way to Hermiston.

But this post is not about me. 

It's about:

(being hooded by the president above}

Just a few of Devin's awesome friends, that made his 3 plus years bearable.

Such great guys (who all had awesome wives!)

Aaaaw.

They really are great boys,guys I guess I mean men. 

Can you have your doctorate and still be just a boy or just a guy?

Lori and Dan and Drake. 

Came to graduation just to see me. Well and the food.

One of those families I'de put in my "dream team town."

You know if you could ever really just create your own town.

You don't make a list like that in your head?

wierd.

Thanks for all the advice etc. Lori and Dan.

HEY, I didn't get to say goodbye...

Funnest girl ever.

Now a little letter.

Dear Devin, 

You took my cell phone on accident to work today.

You probably did it automatically because you're so use to be my

second hand and mind.  

but back to graduation,

Sorry my camera went on the fritz RIGHT when you went on stage thus the reason I have a million clear pictures of the bagpipe players and only two blurry ones of you.  

I don't love bagpipes.  

Or kilts. 

Maybe if you wore a kilt... anyway.

Sorry I didn't cheer when you went on stage, as I was trying to video and take 

pictures at the same time AND since no one would let the giant pregnant lady have one of the reserved seats for pictures I had to elbow my way in to even see your face then awkwardly squat in heels (ever tried that?) all the while both cameras kept shutting off. 

Sorry I didn't bring an air horn like the other fans of graduates.  

You deserved an air horn. 

Sorry that after one year on honor roll, red badge and all those other awards they gave out, I quickly put an end to all the "extras that won't matter."  I really am sorry.  Instead you came home for dinner and helped rock crying babies in the night, and put on super hero birthday parties and let me go to young women's and MADE dinner most nights and quit your soccer team to coach Cache's soccer teams and on and on.

You deserve a plaque. Probably the biggest one they make.

I deserve a swift kick in the pants. 

Sorry we saw Trevor at graduation meaning you have to go back in December to 

receive your Master's degree...

Sorry I won't be going with you.

Sorry I had to drink so much 7-up AND your ginger ale on the air plane to keep from throwing up.

Sorry all that sugar I'm not use to made me all swollen and looking like a goober in these pictures. I should've taken all of them with just you. You looked so handsome.  Even if you didn't like the robes and hood.  I did.

Sorry I made you stare at the sun until I had my fill of self timer pictures, where you weren't squinting and I looked descent. Your still squinting Devin.

Enough with the sorry's I am so stinkin proud of you and all you accomplished. You know a better word than proud? Impressed. I'm seriously impressed by you Devin. How you did and continue to do it all with the attitude that you have.  I know I'm not the only one that has made this observation.  Sometimes you seem super human, and I am truly impressed even astonished by you. I am so lucky and I promise you I don't forget it. You're da best!

Good Job Devin.

                  

{To our mom's and dad's: you can click on any of these pictures,
they will open into a new page and be much bigger. THEN save them to your computer. I think.
I have ones of JUST Devin too if you would like.}

We're back from all our travels(St. Louis and the Oregon Coast) and I refuse to go anywhere in a car more than 5 minutes long for the next 3 months.

I'm on orders to take a nap every day...

Not too hard. 

I'm pooped.

So if anyone wants to find me.  I'm here in my home. In my "comfy cozies"(according to Cache)

Cleaning, cleaning... I'm one of those nesters for sure. Instead of 9 months though, this babe is getting ONE. And so the life trend of the 3rd child begins.

I'm wishing that I could order in all groceries. 

Maybe the Schwann man?

Pictures to come of Devin's graduation. I'm so proud of him.

But before I forget to record:

Cache's daily funnies (funny to me at least)

We just finished a quiet bowl of tomato soup. Quiet because Naomi is napping, and lets face it, she is the source of most chaos in this house.  

So we aren't saying much.  Until...

Cache: "Mom do you know what it's called when the Whale shakes around a lot like dis?" (shaking his hand up and down.)

Me: "What whale?"

Cache:" Dus a whale dat Shakes up and down like dis."

Me: "hmmm I have no idea."

Cache: "Oh I know what it's called.  It's just called indigestion."

:) caught me off guard.

Before lunch we went to my now weekly doc appt. for this pregnancy of mine.In the car Cache always insists on me finding the "Chinese station." 

I've had no idea what he was talking about until today I paused on the Mexican station. 

Cache: "Yesss. I love when you play the Chinese station!"

I corrected him, telling him that it was the Mexican station. And he accepted it.

We finished listening to that song and then when the next song came on he yells again:

 "Now THIS is a good Chinese song."

Me: "You mean Mexican song."

Cache: "Noooo mom this is definitely a Chinese song."

Then looking out the window he  kinda sighs: "I love Chinese songs."

I. love. Cache.

I'm excited to have another boy.

Well just one picture because posts are no fun with out pics and because it's the only 

picture that doesn't need editing.

I would now love a sound machines that has waves.

 Then I could go to sleep thinking of this place every night. 

That would be wonderful.

Finally home for Harvest.

I can't remember the last time I've been home for harvest. It is a very busy/exciting time at home, Plus my sister was in town making a wedding cake all week, so I thought I would just plant myself in the middle of all the chaos and get in the way.  :)  It was fun.

Brother Joey brushing his teeth.  They are long days out there in the field and you never know when a lady visitor is gonna come ride along :)

Joey was Cache's favorite person to ride with.

And that's my dad talking on the CB.

Baby brother Sammy asleep on the job. 

 Just waitin for someone to need a road stubble busted.

Let me just tell you about what happened right as I took this picture below:  I'm in the grain truck riding with Joey on the nice stubble busted road, when suddenly he sees my dad's auger is out on his combine(that means I'm super SUPER full get here NOW.)  So see those nice lines in the field?  Well if you drive WITH them it's pretty smooth.  If you drive straight ACROSS THEM you have to literally push against the ceiling to keep yourself in your seat and to keep your head from hitting the ceiling.  Well  when the auger is out You get there the fastest way, WHO CARES if there's a 8 month pregnant girl in the passenger seat.(i'm referring to ME.)   She's can have the baby but don't let the combine spill any grain!  And that is exactly what my 17 year old brother did. 

as FAST as he could.

I was seriously afraid my water would break.

Seriously.

But it didn't.  

I sent Cache out to the field the following days WITHOUT me.

He loved going out and riding with the his uncles.

 Grandma would pack him a little lunch just like the guys.

Always he would get a pudding or twinkie with his lunch.

He thinks his Uncles are the so super cool. He even often refers to my parents

as his "uncle grandma and grampa."

Cache is a lucky boy.

The guys complain a lot about harvest, but I know they really actually feel so good at the end of a long days work.  I can tell.  Their days start at 5:30am and we would have dinner ready for them around 9:30pm.  My dad never complains.  But it's a long day for a junior high kid, so I'll give Sam a break.

My uncle Tim took this picture of my dad.  I don't ever stay out late enough to see the sun go down.

I'm a baby.

Sunday evening behind our house my dad did his version of family home evening:  Bottle rockets.

SUPER powered bottle rockets that is.

Here is the air compressor that fueled the rockets.

I didn't know they MADE air compressors that big.

Or even WHY you would need one that big.

 Evidently to shoot off bottle rockets. 

 (And occasionaly blow out the grain elevator)

 Cache was a little young (Or too light weight)to shoot a rocket, but he helped Uncle Nick and Uncle Joey look for a long lost rocket in the wheat field.

Below Ash is showing us how excited she is about Family Home evening Dad style.

We tried to think of a good moral/lesson to go along with the activity.

No one could think of one.

Except: Bottle rockets are fun!

And that's how we roll at the Spratling house.

The week ended in Weddings!

I love weddings. 

Below is my sis. Sarah's half done wedding cake.

She is getting Amazingly GOOD at making cakes.

Well I think so.

Devin and I took off for a quick trip to Gresham Oregon for my good high-school friend, 

Chelsie's wedding. This is why I love being close to home!

She was so beautiful. And I got to see about 20 friends from home.

So happy for her. And so happy for me to see how happy she was.

And while at home I took a few pictures of my sis Ashley to turn in
for her mission papers. She turns 21 in September and decided to go!
 Where in the world will this beauty go?
Where do they send pretty missionaries? 
Somewhere safe I hope.

I LOVE being close to home.

something I want to remember...

I had a bad day the other day. 

We all do. I know.

 Well the last straw was burning dinner.  The chicken breasts were SO burnt that they were the size of I don't know a large tootsie roll?  
And some of the pieces were even gone,  burnt to Ash.  This resulted in me sinking down onto the kitchen floor bawling. 

 I know, dramatic. 

Now my kids have seen me mad plenty and even maybe a bit teary, but this may have been a first for them to see me in such a bawling way and it bewildered them. 

Here's what happened:

Cache: Looked at me confused: "What is wrong?" 

 I just cried thinking of all the things that happened that day that I couldn't relay to a 4 year old and said: "I don't know, I guess I just burnt the chicken." And yes I kept bawling.  Then he began pacing back and forth, back and forth in front of me taping his chin. Finally he stopped and looked at me with big eyes and smile and said: "I know MOM! It's okay you burnt the chicken!" 
Me: "I Know"  (as I continue sobbing)

so then Cache repeats himself LOUDER and MORE excited.. trying to pull me out of it with his excitement. 

"MOM it's OKAAAY you burnt the CHICKEN!"

Naomi:  Assesses the situation and takes off.

 She returns with her blankie and puts it on my shoulder.   She then squats down as if I'm smaller  than her, raises her voice to an even higher pitch than normal and while patting my shoulder: "Okay mommy? ya? ya?" She is trying really hard not to cry herself. But as I keep crying she stands up trying to fight back tears, then she squats back down. And again in her high voice:  "A cheese mommy?  Ya cheese?"  

Between the two of them, I start laughing. 

Which  totally scares Naomi and really made her cry.

 So she snatched back her blankie. 

She had a good cry while I laughed and cradled her. 

 The offer of cheese was just too much for me to keep crying.

  I felt bad for scaring them so much.  But it taught a little bit about their personalities 
AND also US as parents since they were both mimicking in their own way things we do to get them to stop crying....  

Anyway here's some pics of our evening walk.

Nay of course picked out her outfit.  

Meh who needs pants anyway?

Nay ONLY likes to hold fingers, NOT hands... I'm not sure why.