This past week has been preparation for the Annual Garage Sale at camp.  Matt has been going in early every day in order to accomplish what needs to be done, and still be home with his family in the evening. (we appreciate it!)  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were spent hauling loads from the barns where we store the items donated throughout the year, down to the Rec. Building where the sale takes place. Each staff memeber is asked to put in at least three hours helping with the sale.  So most of the men help with the hauling. Then Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday boxes are unpacked, items sorted, cleaned, organized, and priced.  This is where most of the women find their niche. Overall there are several hundred man hours that go into the sale to make it a success.  Here are a few pictures of the process.

One of the loads

Boxes, boxes, boxes

What will be the check out counter

Our friend Sarah discovering lots of treasures while unpacking boxes.

Julies Grandma Pearl Schneider has been visiting us here in Rib Lake since Thursday afternoon.  Julie picked her up on Thursday and brought her back after visiting her sister in Montello, Wisconsin.  They have been playing Scrabble since she got here so tonight they invited Heather over for a family reunion Scrabble tournament.

So as you can see by the board they are doing good.  I tried to tell them that the brand name is Joe Boxer but they won’t listen to me.

Today as I was folding laundry Simon was running circles in and out of our closet as usual when he found one of my shoes.  Not just any shoe mind you, a M&M sandle that I got from Matt’s parents for Christmas.  He instantly was convinced that there really were M&Ms inside that shoe and if he could only figure out how to get it open the treasure would be his!  So he pulled and pulled on it.  He turned it around and looked at it and pulled at it some more, all the while saying “um um, um um, um um” (translation: M&Ms).  Finally he got so frustrated the he threw it across the room with on final “UM UM!” And no matter what I did I could not convince him that it was just a picture and they were not real. I guess it’s true what they say, seeing must be believing.

Each day I come home and hear about the new first’s with Hudson.  Grabbing a toy, new sound or new action.  He is getting good at grabbing for things and now loves to talk back and forth with Simon.  Scares me that they might actually understand each other (but not very likely). 

Hudson really just likes to hang out without his brother swinging the toys away from him.

Dangling toys are a lot more fun when you can reach them and make them make the noise on your own, rather than your brother constantly bothering you and pushing the buttons. 

Sorry folks, I didn’t say Hudson was growing weed so quit misreading what isn’t there.  But Hudson continues to grow and we are convinced he will be the tall one in the family.  Yesterday was doctor’s appointments for both boys which included shots for each of them.  Hudson did better than Simon but we will see how long that one last’s.  In Simon’s protest yesterday, he shut off the computer of the doctor as she was entering information on the boys. 

Here is Hudson holding his first toy. As you can see he dropped it as Julie snapped the picture, but he really was holding it.  They grow quick and before we know it, he too will be trying to keep up with his big brother.