A Very Splitty Family

Back In The Saddle

2011-06-09T14:02:00.011-05:00

I could open this post with a profuse apology for our year-and-a-half absence from the blogosphere, but to be quite honest, I think we can all agree that the Splitty Family has had a lot going on around here and blogging just wasn't at the forefront of my mind. :O) Combine that with an usually frequent amount of computer and internet problems and you have a formula for "blog blackout". But at the behest of several family and friends, I have decided to give it another go and make the attempt to blog semi-regularly again.

It seems so long ago that I last blogged (well, actually, it really WAS long ago...) and there seems to be so much to catch up on, I feel like I will have to get back in the saddle again, so to speak. I have lots of great pictures I want to post, and I have a calendar I would like to get onto the sidebar again so that extended family members can keep track of the goings-on around here. This is another busy month for us, but perhaps not quite as crazy as May! As most of you know that are close to us, May was a bit over the top, what with soccer games and practices for two, Kindergarten graduation, Spring plays, Mother's Day Tea, softball practices, sports camps, hatching baby chicks, painting the house, etc. Now June finds us all at the ball field on many evenings, watching Maddie play softball and enjoying Kavan embark on his first year of T-Ball. We also have VBS this week, and swimming lessons right around the corner, not to mention Father's Day to celebrate and the garden to finish planting. Those are all posts that I will try to write separately so that I can include some pictures for each. For now I would like to make this a "welcome back" post, with a recap of our year and a half in pictures. I think I have them chronologically ordered, but truth be told I can get a little mixed up! These are starting from where we left off back in October of 2009!! I hope you enjoy the look back, and here's hoping that we will be visiting together regularly in this space for at least a little while!

Carving the Halloween Pumpkins '09

Pretty Renaissance Princess '09

Dashing Dino '09

Brave Batman! '09

A Gymnastics Birthday for Maddie and Kavan. November '09

Christmas Cookie helpers! '09

Snowed in for Christmas!! '09

A delayed and much awaited Christmas at Grandma's!

Emma's first crack at our Birthday Tradition of the breakfast candle! Jan 2010

Maddie's 2nd Valentine Adventure. Feb 2010

Bathtime Buddies April 2010

Memorial Day with the cousins, May 2010. Back when Lisa and I only had 7 kids!

Maddie's first year of Softball. Summer 2010

Brody's first time heading to school, preschool that is! Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!

Emma helping with the Fall chores. September 2010

Audrianna Jean joins our family! October 2010

Trying to get the basement bedrooms done, glad we have good help!

Happy Halloween 2010! And yes, we did grow those pumpkins!

Happy birthday again! Kavan turns 6 and Maddie 8. Nov 2010

Smiling already! Audri's growing fast, Winter 2010.

Christmas 2010. I know it's not the best picture, but I couldn't them all to stay still at the same time!! I have great separate pictures that I will add later in a holiday post.

Kavan's first Valentine Adventure, Maddie's 3rd and final time. Feb 2011.

Hammin' it up in the winter gear! Brody winter 2011.

Maddie as Mother Owl for her Spring Play. April 2011.

Best soccer goal celebration ever! Kavan and Maddie both tried soccer for the first time this Spring and they BOTH really enjoyed it! May 2011.

Audri pulling up to stand already! May 2011.

Grandpa Dave comes to visit with belated Easter Baskets which held great new swimsuits! Oh, and bubbles! May 2011.

Kavan graduates from Kindergarten!! May 2011.

Grandpa also brought an incubator and a dozen eggs, so exciting!! (Little did he know he'd be here to see them hatch!! Pictures of our freshly painted house coming soon!)

Thanks so much for stopping by, God's blessings on your week!
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The Splitty Family

Summer on the Green

2009-10-27T14:24:00.002-05:00

One of the childrens' favorite summer activities was having a picnic on our very own lawn. We packed up whatever portable lunch we had on hand and would hit the green. These cute little quilts have come in really handy, we found them at a thrift shop in York. This way they each have their own space for their picnic items, and no one is knocking over anyone else's food. Now I need to find one more for Emma!

Oh great, here comes mom with the camera again...

I don't know what this face is...but I like it.

Sweet summertime!!
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Cassandra

Summer Cousins

2009-10-27T14:01:00.003-05:00

This summer we had lots of special visitors, and amongst our favorites was our newest extended Splitty family member, sweet Asher Aaron. He's just about 8 weeks Emma's junior, but she looks like she could clobber him...to put it gently...

Oh my word, I just want to EAT those CHEEKS!

Where you think you're goin'?

So, what shall we do? Lay on the floor? Drool? I can try to eat your nose, the big ones get a real kick out of that trick.

What? I'm not hurting him! He likes it!Would you just look at the rolls on that girl, someone get that boy a bottle of whole milk!

The Spoils of Summer

2009-10-27T13:53:00.002-05:00

My children LOVE watermelon. I really can't quite express it in words, so the following pictures are submitted for your viewing pleasure as evidence of this summertime passion. You can almost feel the juice running down your chin can't you?
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Cassandra

A Sweet Splitty Summer

2009-10-16T20:26:00.004-05:00

The summer of 2009 is now behind us, and for the Splitty Family it seemed to have simply flown right by! It was such a lovely, mild summer and we thank the Good Lord for such beautiful weather for so many months. The temperatures have now turned cooler (and snow has even fallen, gasp!) and it seems appropriate to reflect back upon this last season spent as a family enjoying the lazy days and long evenings. Here are some of the sweeter moments and memories created these last few months, spending the summer as a family of 6 for the very first time! This is the first in a series of summer posts to touch base with all of you whom we haven't seen in too long! (And just a little hello to those of you we get to see a bit more frequently!)

Sweet flowers from my littlest loves

One year of preschool done, one year to go!

Kindergarten conquered!!

So proud, so adorable, so very Maddie. I'll keep her.

Til Next Time
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Cassandra

Baptisms and Birthdays! (And Bye Bye Winter...)

2009-04-08T09:12:00.007-05:00

These are a long time coming I realize, but better late than never, right?? Here's the whole fam at Emma's baptism waaaaaay back in January. Jami and OJ are close family friends of ours and were very excited about being Emma's sponsors. Oh, and we won't go into details about how the baptism went....will we Brody? Ahem. (If you want to you can click on the photos to enlarge them.)

And my Big Man Brody turned 2! We celebrated both occasions together with family and friends at our home, enjoying some of dad's favorite Jello Poke Cake. Yummm! (Brody just has the greatest smile, doesn't he?! It's so contagious! Which does NOT come in handy whilst trying to discipline...)

Would you check out those cheeks?!? I'm pretty sure he'll play a mean trumpet when the time comes...

Now you can't tell it from this photo, because he was skooching his feet away from the wall and slumping down, but he actually measured almost a good inch taller than Kavan at this age! You can see the writing on the poster where the two names are at the left of his head. Must be that huge noggin of his!

And yes, we did manage to get some snowmen built this year. Of course Emma wasn't much help, she was too busy sleeping, eating and growing! This particular masterpiece here was one of the kids' better snow"people". This is the red hat version...which Kavan insisted was a boy....

Unfortunately it was a cross-dresser...and Kavan would have none of that! He opted out of this photo due to strong emotional distress over the placing of a crown on his snow"man"!

Maddie and her Snow"princess". All girl, that one is. And in case you're wondering: Yes, she did plan the purple scarf to match her coat, that was all part of the creative process. Indeed.

So good bye winter, on to spring, and summer will be here next weekend! Father's day is around the corner! I do apologize for the lag in posting, I'll try to get those pictures of Morrill hall up today or tomorrow as time allows. And we have ever so much else to share as well!! Hope to see you around here soon!
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Cassandra

I Love My Boys

2009-04-07T21:26:00.005-05:00

It was brought to my attention that my last post was a little "female focused" if you will. :O) So I thought it appropriate to do a little "ode to my boys" here at the blog. These boys make me smile daily, always keeping me on my toes, and always good for a laugh! Here are just a few of the many, MANY reasons I do so LOVE my boys!!

They still fight over who gets to sit next to Emma

They adore jumping off of furniture...

and acting like homeless harmonica players... Don't you just want to give him your loose change??

Because it's ALWAYS Tool Time! And what's Tool Time without safety goggles??

Because This one likes Goggles. They help him navigate the rough waters of the tub. Can we get a close up of this please?

Thank you. I needed that.

I love that the firemen in my home always have their power drills at the ready...

Even in their pajamas...

And I especially love that THEY love to help daddy with the outside work...so I don't have to!

This is Brody's version of delegating...

And my Biggest Boy even gives me flowers. I love that boy the most!

I'm so very thankful that God has blessed us with both sons and daughters. It truly is a wonder to see how very different they are. Even though I am still getting used to the ways of little boys (really loud, aggressive, excited, fast, rough, and crazy!) I love them to pieces and am always excited to see what the next day will bring. They may play rough and tough, but they sure can melt your heart and warm you down to your toes. They do EVERYTHING big, and that includes loving! Kavan is always the first to give Emma her kisses and hugs, and tell everyone good morning! And even though sometimes I'm a little scared he may just squeeze her to death, I just relish the fact that he wants to love on her so much! And Brody is such a great snuggler. If you're sittin' in the living room, you better scootch on over and make room for him, because he's a comin'! Sometimes they're a little rough, and tend to pinch, poke, prod and pounce all over me. But you know what? I'll take it, because I know that's how God made them, and God made them for me to love, and I can't think of a better way than to pounce right back!

P.S. - As I was sifting through pictures on my computer I realized that I hadn't posted about Emmalynne's baptism and Broderick's birthday. That shall be the next post. And after that we have a nicely documented trip to Morrill Hall. Just wait until you see some of the boys' expressions! They love them some dinosaurs!! Until next time...
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Cassandra

March: In like a lamb....out like a lion?

2009-04-06T13:14:00.005-05:00

March came in so nicely: springy weather, temps in the 70's, grasses greening, tulips poking up through the soil, leaves budding, kids playing the day away OUTSIDE, oh so lovely!! Then the snow came.... And out March went like a lion, turning that age old saying on its head. So, while the wind howls out my window, and the temperatures stay in the 30's this 6th day of April, I am stuck indoors and have decided to post a small update here on the bloggy. Emma is still growing like a weed, a chubby adorable little weed with lots of cute rolls, smiles, coos and drool. :O) She is now tipping the scales at over 14 pounds. She likes to nurse. A lot.

Maddie had her first instrumental music concert. She played three different instruments and did some "creative movement" set to music. It was really great to watch and she even sang a solo! She did a wonderful job and we are so proud of her!!

Here she is "being a firefly" :O)

Emma is "talking" our ears of nowadays, and the sisterly girl chat just warms my heart!

We will be out of town this coming weekend celebrating Christ's victory over the grave and also Grandpa Splittgerber's 80th birthday in Norfolk. Hopefully we can catch some great pictures of everyone in their spiffy Easter digs! :O) Bring on the Easter egg hunts! Hope your Easter is lovely and remember: He is RISEN! He is RISEN INDEED!
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Cassandra

Two Months...

2009-03-10T21:38:00.005-05:00

The Bestest Spot To Rest
Peek-a-boo, I see you Daddy

Still begs to hold her daily...

The Stare Down

Also still begs to hold her Daily...

His new favorite way to watch TV. His Blankie, his thumb, his Emma. :O)

Well Hello there Maddie...er, Emma. That chin looks so familiar, hmmm

The past two months have literally flown by! These are just a few snapshots of the little one as she has grown...in length and girth, lol. Notice the chin, if you will, by the last photo. We like it. A lot. :O) I will be posting again this week with other pictures from the last two months, just a few of my favorite things. God's Blessings on your week!
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Cassandra

Emmalynne Michelle

2009-01-12T11:37:00.004-06:00

Welcome to the world baby girl. :O) We will post the story soon, but I knew you all were chomping at the bit for some baby pics.

Emmalynne Michelle : 7lbs 14oz 19.5 inches

Proudest Sister on the Planet. She's so in love it's not even funny.

Brody is quite the Doting Brother. He wants to hold her constantly, and I'm glad that he has taken to her so well. :O)

Kavan is just enthralled with how "cute her is!"

And he insists on giving her lots of kisses. Last night it was 4. One for each cheek and then forehead and chin. That's apparently the new bedtime routine.

Sweetness comes wearing pink flowers.

Welcome 2009

2009-01-02T19:19:00.002-06:00

Well here we are in 2009 already! I feel as though this season of celebrating, merriment, programs, feasting, traveling and visiting not only crept up on us, but then stole away before we knew we were amongst it. Since it seems there have been other things occupying our thoughts, I'm not convinced that we gave this holiday season all the time and consideration that we could have. We will have to make a more concerted effort next year to make the time which spans from November through January carry a bit more meaning and tradition. We actually did lots of really fun and wonderful things together this year, many documented here on the blog even, but perhaps we were a bit distracted with preparations for a new arrival. ;O)

But we are now indeed presented with a new year, and there are many new rich opportunities quietly awaiting us to spend time together as family and as friends, in service and in celebration, in gladness and sorrow, in tough times and times of triumph, as brothers and sisters in Christ and as members of humanity. Moments given to us to build each other up, and moments also to be carried by others. How blessed are we that we have each other to love and cherish, and that God has woven all of our paths together in His perfect way. We begin this year in thankfulness for the blessings He has given to us all, and those He sees fit yet to give. We hope your holiday season was full of joy and laughter, and that your New Year is started off upon the right foot - one firmly standing upon the Rock of Salvation.

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The Splitty Family

Snow Men

2008-12-21T12:22:00.003-06:00

The kids had been patiently waiting, for quite some time now. Snow was in the forecast, how much would it be? Could we play in it? Would it cover the grass? All the very important details of the winter weather that was headed our way. We awoke the next morning to a couple of inches, and you would have thought Christmas had come early the kids were so excited!! They promptly ran into our room yelling about "ALL the SNOW outside!!" Even Brody took to yelling "No! No!" - his version of the "snow" chant.

Maddingly had to head off to school that day, so she was unable to partake in the snow festivities of that day :o( But we have had more snow and she has since led many an expedition of snow-suit clad children through the frozen tundra that is our back yard, and even over to the church parking lot, where there are snow "mountains" to be conquered. Her and Kavan make quite a pair when they are out walking together. I haven't gotten any shots of that yet, as it was too cold for this momma outside, but I will try to get some soon. For now I leave you with the joys of that first snow: bundling up in our freshly unpacked snow gear, brand new snow boots, cozy hats and mittens, the first taste of snow, the rosy cheeks, the first snow angel of the year, the red noses, the unwrapping and unlayering...and of course: warming up with a nice mug of hot cocoa!!

My Precious Snow Baby. Brody truly has a new love affair going with this fluffy white stuff. He adores eating it and would stay out in it all day if I were inclined to let him. ;-)

This little trooper wanted to ride his bike in it...seriously.

The staging of this picture can be credited to the elated young man on the right. He instisted on cheering for the hot cocoa for all of the pictures I took, and his little brother was only too happy to oblige him.

The new poster child for Swiss Miss. He'll be on boxes nationwide soon...

Hope you and your family are enjoying the weather as much as we are. Of course now it's a bit TOO cold out, lol. We are supposed to have a high of exactly 4 degrees today, and a low of -6. Wind chill advisory at -30, so we're leaving the snow to the squirrels for a while. :O)

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Cassandra

I'm in way over my head already...

2008-12-20T08:47:00.002-06:00

I'm in BIG trouble. Yup. Big trouble. Today Maddie (6 years old) asked me, whilst I was reading her a book from school, "Why did Jesus choose to die for us on the cross if he could have chosen NOT to do it? I mean, why would he do that? I know God wanted Him to, but Jesus didn't have to, but He did anyway. Why did He do that?" Okay, not too tough right? So we start talking. Then she brings out the big guns. "Mom, how was Jesus down here with us, but He was God, but God was still in heaven? How is there 1 God, but Jesus was here and God was up there?" Um, right. Note to self: Come up with good ways to teach the Trinity to a 6 year old. The apple analogy (peel, fruit, core - 3 parts, one apple) did alright, but I think she's still confused. But hey, that's a right of passage for all good Lutheran's right? If this is her at 6, I shudder to think what we'll be talking about at 12. Better go brush up on my catechism.

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Cassandra

The Sweetest Home

2008-12-16T09:50:00.005-06:00

Hmmm, what could we be working on today Brody??

The Gingerbread Project: 3 small children and 2 adults tackle the building of a Gingerbread House, candy pieces and all. Let's observe.

Initial building of the structure begins. Mom makes the frosting and Dad handles the construction. Children act as the laborers, dutifully keeping pieces of the house at the ready.

Here we have a picture taken by Kavan of the bare bones gingerbread house. Time to get the candy bling on there. Piping courtesy of Mom.

Frosting of the roof and "yard" courtesy of Dad. Time to dive on in kids! Brody took his job VERY seriously.

These two were more detailed in their decorating, and Maddingly was set on creating patterns on each part she worked on. I must say, she did a lovely patterned grass yard. :O)

Worker bees still going at it. Carefully assessing the needs of each side of the house, windows, doors, etc.

Proud of their work. :O)

Maddie made Gingerbread people at Kindergarten, and kindly donated them to our project. She informed us all that SHE was the large girl, and the two little men were Kavan and Brody. Kavan is pictured here at the front door, waiting to be let in apparently.

Whilst Brody and Maddie are enjoying the weather out in the back garden. Some one should really let Kavan know that he needs to walk around to the back of the house, otherwise he ain't gettin' in.

Well, there you have it, our very first family Gingerbread Project. It was certainly interesting, and I do believe more candy made in onto the house than into the children, but who can know for sure? Broderick gave up on decorating about half way through and just fell to eating whatever remnants were falling on the floor. These kids act like they never get any sweets in this house! Oh wait, they don't. :O) Oh well, it's Christmas right? It's snowing here again today, so we will have snow pictures for you all soon! We had a snow a couple of weeks ago that the boys enjoyed, so hopefully this one sticks around long enough for Maddie to play in as well. God's blessings on your week, and may your home be as sweet as this one, put together by the family members that make it so very special!

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Cassandra

Two Birthdays Down...

2008-12-13T20:48:00.004-06:00

Okay, this should finally be the last of the "catch-up" posts. I promise. :O) As many of you know, November is quite the month around here, with two birthdays and Thanksgiving we keep pretty busy! We were blessed to be able to celebrate Kavanaugh and Maddingly's birthdays with MANY friends and family this year. Grandma Sally and Grandpa Paul were there, along with those "Crazy" grandparents from Kansas, and we even had Grandma and Grandpa McMurray here for the weekend from Missouri!! To top it all off, we were able to visit with my brother and sister, whom we haven't seen in QUITE a while. It was so nice to see Travis now that he is safely home from Afghanistan! He is now stationed back in North Carolina, and we miss him already.

We are so grateful for all of the generous gifts given to the children, it was amazing and SO FUN! But most of all we are so thankful for the time spent in sweet fellowship with our family, thanks so much to all of you for coming down to our neck of the woods for our little celebration. Here are some pictures from our day! (Unfortunately, I recorded most of the weekend with my camcorder, which I love dearly, but I have not yet mastered the art of posting videos on this blog just yet. I will work on that so you all can see the family gathering and the opening of the presents!)

The Best Part Of Baking A Cake...

Thanks so much MOM for decorating the cakes, AGAIN! :O)

I baked two round cakes for Kavan's Race Track, and then cut out the middles to make Maddie's own personal "Princess Cake". Two for the price of one and everyone was happy!

Once again, time to measure up. This is the first year we were able to compare the kids' heights, since we didn't start until Maddie was 4. And yes, Kavan is a bit taller than she was at his age. It will be fun to see how Brody measures up to Kavan's 2-year mark this January.

Yes, she actually grew!! A whole 2 and a half inches! ;) She's gonna be a tall one like her mother, I'm just sure of it...

I'm always so amazed at how quickly a year can go by. To think that my baby girl is now 6 completely blows my mind!! She's a big Kindergartener now, and we sure are proud of and thankful for her. She brings a lot of life and spunk into our home, and we couldn't imagine it without her. And Kavan has now left his toddler years behind and is an official "school kid", hitting that 4 year mark before we knew what was happening! His face has changed so much in the last year, no traces of that little baby anymore, just a handsome young man with a big heart. He keeps us on our toes, but he also rewards us with the sweetest cuddles and hugs. It's amazing to think that a year ago his language was still hard to understand, now a days he catches me off guard all the time with the funny grown-up things he says. It's such a marvelous wonder to watch them grow, learn and love with each other. God is so good.

Thanks for stopping by the blog again, it's nice to share the blessings of our home with our friends and family. We are now looking forward to another birthday in January, and hopefully a "birth" day, sometime in between! Up next we'll be posting about some more "seasonal" activities, so check back soon!

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The Splitty Family

A Side Note

2008-12-06T11:02:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to explain some of the new little features we have placed on the blog for those of you who don't frequent the bloggy world very often. On our sidebar down the right side of the screen there is a music player. You can pause this player, or you can pick which song you want to listen to by clicking on it. The first song that plays each time right now is a song by Faith Hill from her latest Christmas Album, the lyrics are fabulous and the melody is almost haunting, I hope you enjoy it. And yes, it's about Baby Jesus...not my baby. :O) Further down the sidebar we have been keeping a fmaily calendar for anyone needing to know birthdays, events or dr. appointments. Let us know if we need to add anything! At the VERY BOTTOM of the blog is a "baby ticker". This is a little bar calendar that counts down the days to this next baby's due date, telling you how many days are left and how baby is developing. It's pretty neat! I think that just about covers all the new bells and whistles around here for now. Drop us a line sometime to let us know how you are doing!

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The Splitty Family

A Cut Above

2008-12-06T10:36:00.003-06:00

Ahhh, The First Hair Cut. Truly a right of passage for any young toddler. Broderick did a wonderful job of sitting still and enduring the tickle of the clippers. He didn't even move when he had finally had enough and began to cry. (Hey, a 22-month old only has SO much patience for safari aprons and strange ladies touching his head...) The silent tears streamed down his face, the pouty lips quivered, but he never flinched. What a warrior. In the end he looked oh so dapper! We'll update you in two more years when he gets his second hair cut...Gotta love red-heads.

The highlight of the trip was pretending to be a spaceman...in the hair dryers of course. :O)

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Cassandra

Tricks and Treats

2008-11-26T09:34:00.007-06:00

Dinosaurs, Fairies and Dogs, oh my!! This year was a fun one for trick-or-treating, as ALL the children were able to participate! Broderick started the night in the stroller...but that didn't last too long, once he realized "something was rotten in Denmark" if you know what I mean. Kavan wasn't afraid of his own costume this year, so that was also a bonus, haha. We once again give our heartfelt thanks to Grandma Mona, who craftily constructed all of these lovely costumes. Maddingly was actually the puppy way back when I was pregnant with Kavan, so that one's been around the block a few times and worn by all three of the kids now, and it STILL looks great! Brody had a fun time barking at us all for the entirety of the evening, and Kavan likewise with the roaring. :O) Here are a few pictures of the night spent out, walking up and down our very own street, one of the best trick-or-treating spots in town! We had over 100 people stop again this year, we were out of candy by the time we got back to our house. We actually dipped into the kids' loot for a few late-comers. Not that we were said to see the extra sugar leave the house...

Sweetest Dinosaur in Town

Maddie and Kiley, together again.

No mom, we CAN'T look at the camera...we're too busy dreaming of all the goodies we're about to snag!

Here we have Brody in starting position...

Shoes on, Bag in tow...looks like he's ready to take off...

Yup. "Uh, hey guys, wait for me!!!!"

I think he's got it down now. He even remembered to say "Taynt-choo" :O)

"Huh? What? No, this isn't for me! I was just seeing if YOU would like one."

And this is the result of too much sugar for a mighty little pup. They get a little loopy. Or...floppy. "I'm feelin' pretty good mom!!" - Yeah, you're lookin' pretty good there little man. :O)

We ended the evening with a sugar crash of course...but we'll try to erase those memories in favor of the sweet ones that came before. Next year we'll hopefully have another Panda Bear to add to the mix, God does great things, doesn't He? Hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween as well. We're almost caught up here on the blog. I have two more "back-posts" I would like to tackle before moving forward, one of the family fall activities and another about Broderick's first "formal" hair cut - which has been about 2 years in the making. I don't think he'll need another one for probably about 2 MORE years. That child has no hair! :O) God's blessings on your Thanksgiving holiday! May your travels be safe, your families be near and your tummies be full!

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Cassandra

To Train a Child...

2008-11-24T08:21:00.006-06:00

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
Proverbs 22:6

This August brought with it the joy of the all-anticipated "first day of school" for not one, but TWO of our children! Kavanaugh embarked upon his educational career through St. Paul Preschool, and Maddingly continued her journey by adding the new experience of ALL DAY school, here known as Kindergarten. :O) Both were extremely excited and completely over the moon about starting the new school year. New book bags in tow, freshly purchased supplies and snacks packed away therein, they were off to conquer new learning horizons and make new friends to start tucking away school memories with. They both "insisted" on walking to school "on their own" for that first test of the waters. Mommy happily abliged....from the comfort of her van...Hey, SOMEONE had to cart all of those kleenex boxes to the classrom!! The first day was a smashing success, and here are some photographs that captured the day. (I just wanted to add that Kavan's afternoon preschool begins at 12:30 - so the 4 hours that elapsed from the time that Maddingly left for school and the time for him to leave were, well, let's just say we had to cover topics like patience, clock reading, and deep breathing for mommies. He was just a TAD excited to get going...)

Can You Tell??

I told you...he instisted on walking all by himself. What a big guy!!

Finally! His Very OWN Locker!!
This is about the time that he pretty much forgot about me...It's still his favorite thing to play at preschool.

Daddy was still there in the morning to see Maddie off.

Oh yeah, got the big girl locker this year. ;O)

Maddie loved her new Kindergarten room, and her new teacher!

We also attended the opening worship at school that morning, where all the Kindergarteners stood up front and introduced themselves and their families. Maddingly did very well, we all know how shy she is and all... It has been so fun to see how much they have both changed since starting school this year. Maddingly seems to have grown up over night and Kavan's language skills have exploded! Time certainly has run away with us all, and we keep reminding ourselves to cherish these moments they are in now, for they will be gone far too soon. We feel very blessed that we have such a wonderful Lutheran school, quite literally next to our back yard. We pray that God continues to guide and bless the teachers and staff at St. Paul Lutheran, and that He continues to guide US here at home, as we take up the call of training our children in the way they should go. God's blessings on your week, and we hope that your week-END was enjoyable as well!

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The Splitty Family

A Time For Everything

2008-11-21T10:48:00.006-06:00

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." - Ecclesiastes 3:1

Summer has indeed come and gone, but there were many memories made and good times had by the Splitty family. It is the family tradition, or so it seems, to spend many of our heat and humidity-filled days at the village swimming pool. Maddingly had her first year of swim lessons this summer, and retaines the title of "family fish". Here she is at her crowning glory moment of the summer, learning to dive....by herself....into the deep end....off the board.

And here's Kavanaugh, preferring to keep it low key with the floaties. He's NOT my risk taker, and this momma is NOT complaining. Considering the fact that at the beginning of the summer he didn't even want to go into the "big pool", even with his mom holding him, he's certainly come a long way. By the end of the season he was jumping in all by himself....well, floaties in use of course!

And the littlest man of the family?? Well, let's just say he gave his mother multiple cardiac arrest episodes this summer. He has absolutely no fear of the water, and was always trying to jump into the big pool when I wasn't looking. He even tried his hand at the diving board.....and he loved it. Of course, momma was in the water to catch him, but something tells me that wouldn't have mattered much to him either way. I do wish I had some photos of those moments, but I was either in the pool, treading water in the deep end waiting for him to jump, or I was chasing him away from the big pool's edge. The Lord has certainly blessed that one with courage, let's just hope he's also been provided the gift of Wisdom, shall we? So, more often than not, this was the scene at the baby pool gate when I went to tend Kavanaugh at the "big kids pool", as he referred to it.

Uh, mom? I think you forgot someone???

But don't feel too bad for him, he had much of mommy's time in the big pool as well. He loved floating along with his older siblings and friends. I think he's going to be giving big sis a run for her title... Only time will tell.

I am continually in awe of our Heavenly Father who has blessed us with such amazing and different children. It is so neat to see each of their personalities develop over the seasons. Learning together as a family what each child prefers to do on their own, and which things they do better with a helping hand and a loving smile. Discovering through experience who likes to jump into things head first, and who likes to take it all in and proceed at their own pace. Families are such a blessing and treasure, I hope yours is sharing the changing of seasons together with all the activities under Heaven!

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Cassandra

P.S. - Up next: First Day of School!!

God Is So Good

2008-11-18T09:25:00.003-06:00

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Welcome back!! It seems that quite a few days have passed since the last time I was able to post here at the family blog, but alas here we are, at it again. August and September have long since flown, and now October has faded into the year past as well. So many blessings have filled our lives through those many weeks, we hope to share them all with you in time. This week will be a journey through those last lazy days of summer, the much-anticipated first days of school, the Halloween of THREE trick-or-treaters, the family moments enjoyed together throughout the changing of seasons, and the birthdays celebrated with family not seen in far too long!

God truly is So Good. We have been so very blessed to know and love each of you, and to count you among our family and friends. We hope that all is well with you and yours, and that your families are enjoying this season of color and crispness. Admittedly, Autumn is my favorite time of year - the cooling weather and the warm scents that fill my home, cozy quilts and hot cocoa quietly making their ways back into the daily routine, days shortening and fluffy coats for bundling, all a part of the year coming to a sleepy close. Every night we give thanks to a God who has seen fit to grant us a warm home, healthy children, generous loved ones, daily bread and a growing family. We pray God holds you in His Hands, and keeps you close. Until next time -

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Cassandra

Heritage Days

2008-07-31T11:28:00.003-05:00

Well, it's that time again!! Our village held their annual heritage days this past weekend and it was lots of fun....even if we did lose half our body weight in sweat. Here is the slideshow of the days spent at the horse rides, the petting zoo and the train rides!! We got to ride in the parade on the school float and the kids were allowed to throw treats, so they had a blast. We ended the weekend with a bang, literally, with a really great fireworks show!! I was quite impressed by what the little village did with the weekend. Hope you enjoy the slideshow!!

Beany Bounty

2008-07-15T13:00:00.002-05:00

Well, the garden did get put in, and looked so lovely, really it did. I planted Kale, lots of different lettuces, broccoli, cabbage, corn, beans, and some other trial ideas. Everything was going fairly well....and then the nausea set in. Oh did it ever. Going outside and bending over to pick weeds was about the farthest thing from my mind for the last couple of months. Kelly has been a champ about weeding for me on and off when he has a spare moment. The rain has been amazing and we've only had to water sporadically. (Except when we first planted the seeds, then I watered twice a day for 2 weeks. Yeah, that was BEFORE I got sick.) Anywho, everything has grown amazingly well considering the terrible neglect they've all suffered! Here are a few pictures of the bountiful harvest.

So the corn got REALLY TALL! The corn in the fields is so deceiving! I never knew it was 6 feet tall!! These rows were actually planted a week apart to "stagger the harvest".

This one has three ears growing!

This is some "salad bowl" lettuce

And this is "Green Leaf" lettuce. We can all see the difference right??

This is our apricot tree in the far back of the yard, heavy laden with teeny apricots.

Unfortunately it is now our LONE apricot tree because the storm last week split the other one in half! I will have pictures up of all the damage the straight wind did here in our town sometime soon.

Lots of Yellow Lillies

These are the bush beans I planted. I only did two "squares" of them, which means a 1'x1' space. We have quite a harvest from only these 18 plants! I will definitely plant these again.

Kavan and I picked the first round of the beans just last night. He loves to help in the kitchen.

He washed them all up for me!
Here's Maddie holding the first beany bounty in a gallon ziploc. Can't you see how excited she is to get to eat those later?!

Well, that's it for this Splitty Yard update. I do hope that I am feeling better soon, because I would like to try a fall garden. A lot of people prefer it because of the more comfortable temps and the lower amount of weeds! Both sound good to me!

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Cassandra

P.S. Edited to add: I would be remiss not to mention that Kelly has been working super hard to get our huge pile of branches and such taken care of from the very back of the yard. He has reached his goal and the whole pile has been burned! Thanks for your help Tony! Kelly also took on the herculean task of mowing the entire yard with the push mower this weekend, since our rider has a broken part which is apparently difficult to find. Let's just have a moment of silence for the hours spent toiling behind that lovely push mower in the balmy sun all over 3/4 of an acre, shall we? Thanks, I think Kelly would appreciate it. We raise our tall, icy cold glasses of lemonade to you hon! LOVE YOU!!

Music and Mozzarella

2008-07-14T13:29:00.008-05:00

Thursday we went to a great event at the Children's Museum of Lincoln called Music and Mozzarella. They offer live music and entertainment from 5-7 and then include some yummy pizza and breadsticks!! The music is free and the mozzarella is pretty cheap, so it was a great way to spend the evening with the kiddos. Since it's outside at the Children's Museum, we HAD to check out the inside as well! We went ahead and purchased a family pass for the year, which is a really great deal for a family our size! It will be paid for in only three visits, and the kids absolutely love it! Kavan has woken up everyday since with "We go to the museum today?" being the first thing coming from his mouth! Here are a few highlight photos of the day, we will hopefully be going again soon! (I was going to do another slide show, but a few family members are having a hard time getting them to load, so here they are all laid out for ya!)

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Cassandra

The Prairie Dog Tunnels

Peek!

Brody the dancer...Always performing!That's her motorcycle mamma face...her Grandpa Dave would be so proud :O)

Even away from home, Thomas the Train is his favorite thing!

Brody liked the little girl just as much as the trains... That's my boy!

This was a big hit with Maddie and Kavan, a space shuttle with working lights and sounds that had a launch sequence that they could activate as well. Pretty cool.

Cutest fireman ever!
We met up with lots of our friends for the music and mozzarella part of the evening. Yummy!
See, we took up the whole side of the lot! Utica was representin'!

Seriously Mom, do I have to wear this thing, it is SO embarrasing! Hard at play...
She painted her OWN face this time, and she did a great job! :O)

A Family Fourth

2008-07-09T20:15:00.005-05:00

Well, we had a great day with friends and family on Friday the Fourth! (Wow, that's a lot of F's....) We had Kelly's parents and brothers and their families over to our home after we had done a tour of the goings on at Seward. The kids and Lisa and I took in the free movie for a large chunk of the time, which was great for us pregnant types! We like our air conditioning thank you very much! :O) The movie was great as well, it was the new Veggie Tales full length film, The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything. Meanwhile the other non-child members of our party checked out the cars and the food on the square. After the movie we took in some of the dancing at the bandshell and bought a few souvenirs for home.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we all hung out for the day having some great fellowship whilst watching our little ones play outside. Everyone headed home early in the evening since there were long drives awaiting them. Later that night Maddie, Kavan and I went over to a friend's house to watch fireworks with lots of our favorite people. It was a late night, and mommy was WAY TIRED, but it was a fun day and worth the long hours. Here are some fun photos from our day. Hope you had a grand Fourth and a Happy Independence Day!!

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Cassandra

New Blog Title

2008-07-05T13:17:00.003-05:00

As many of you NOW know, we are excited to be expecting another addition to our family! So, we have changed the sub-title of the blog accordingly and have added a baby calendar to the sidebar so we can all keep track together. We'll keep you posted as things "develop". :O) In RELATED news, Tony and Lisa (Kelly's brother and sister-in-law) are also expecting!! So Paul and Sally (Kelly's parents) had quite the announcement given to them by Maddie and Alexandra this weekend! God is so good and we thank Him for showering our families with blessings. Here's to growing fat together Lisa!
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Cassandra

How to PROPERLY eat a Cupcake

2008-07-05T13:07:00.002-05:00

Broderick thoroughly enjoyed celebrating Addison's Birthday last month. Thoroughly.
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Cassandra

May and June - Getting Caught Up

2008-07-05T12:25:00.006-05:00

May and June were such busy months for the Splitty Family! Lots of fun was had and fellowship with friends and family shared. Here are a few snapshots of what made these last two months fly by!

Memorial Day Weekend spent with Kelly's parents and his Brother's family. Grandma provided the entertainment!

I think she wants me to move...Alexandra likes to catch the bubbles with her tongue! Check out Kavan's face in this one, lol! What is that?

Look! She does smile!! Yay!

Grandpa Dave and Grandma Mona came to visit....

And they brought with them the Christmas presents that had been waiting patiently in their garage in Missouri.
A red Jeep for Kavan and a yellow Corvette for Maddie.
We were all a little jealous of the Corvette...seriously, the thing even has a working radio and headlights! What's the weight limit on that again?

Maddie went roller skating for the first time! This was her school's annual end of the year skate party. She had LOTS of fun! (Yes, yes, I had to roller skate too...I couldn't let her hang on to everyone else all night...No no, it was much more fun to let her hang off of me and pull ME down whenever she took a dive.)

We just spent a wonderful Fourth of July with family and friends, and I will be posting those pictures this week. Thanks for all of you who helped kick our summer off to a great start!

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Cassandra

Announcements: Cause for Celebration!

2008-06-28T09:54:00.004-05:00

We have had lots of grand developments between family and friends and we just wanted to share the news with everyone here on the blog! Kelly's best friend Eric and his wife Melissa are expecting a baby boy in November!! Yahoo!! Welcome to parenthood you two! And on the academic front, Ryan will be graduating with a doctorate this summer and has landed an AWESOME position at Vanderbilt University in Nashville! We are SO happy for him and his family, and now they will at least be 3 hours closer....thanks guys. :O) We just wanted to congratulate both families on their exciting news and we pray God blesses you all bountifully!
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The Splitty Family

Catch of the day!

2008-06-28T08:24:00.003-05:00

Daddy took Kavanaugh and Maddingly fishing a few weekends ago, and needless to say they had a VERY fun time! Plus they caught lots of huge fish...ahem. They each had their own fishing poles, Kavan had Lightning McQueen and Maddie had Disney Princess, my children are so original. :O) Of course once Kavan caught sight of Dad's "real"reel, that was all he had eyes for.

I think the hand on the hip implies the impatience of the 5-year old when fishing...

True fisherman never leave the rod unattended! Even when eating lunch! :O)

Maddie gets a whopper! Kavan is so proud. Oh, and by the way, this is Maddie's official "fishing dress." It has dragonflies and flowers on it, which is obviously what fishing is all about. ;O)

Here's to the catch of the day...it's a good thing we don't have to rely on them to provide our meals!

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Cassandra

Cheesy Splittys

2008-05-09T21:16:00.004-05:00

So we have a major HAM on our hands. MAJOR. Every time we get the camera out, he matriculates from wherever in the house he is and drops whatever he's doing and comes RUNNING to the lens! Then he makes the silliest face I've ever seen on a 16-month old and says, "sheeeeeeze". I can't resist. He crinkles his nose up and shows all six of his teeth, it's enough to make me want more kids. Maybe. Anywho, we had to take a picture of Maddingly and her daddy for a school project and, of course, here comes Brody with the smile painted on as he rounded the kitchen corner. Gotta love those cheesy Splittys. I know I sure do.
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Cassandra

This is his sun-kissed look. I think it's working for him, don't you? We all got quite a bit of sun this week, as mommy was intent on getting the transplants into the garden! Pictures of that victory to come soon.

Daddy kisses. :O)

Now THAT is a BIG smile! She sure loves her papa!

Simple Gifts

2008-05-06T13:47:00.007-05:00

The children spotted the tulips today. Spring is in full bloom, and now my windowsill is too! Simple gifts that warm my heart. We've been working like crazy getting the garden and yard ready, I'll try to post pictures later this week. Happy spring to you all!

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Cassandra

A Big Boy Bike!

2008-05-06T13:38:00.002-05:00

Kavanaugh had his first taste of biker life today. Here he is with his new set of wheels.

He's been doing a great job. A few scuffs here and there, but he's tough!
To the open road!

Now we're all set to travel to the pool and back all summer long! Except now mommy needs a bike.....we'll keep you updated on that front, as it should be pretty interesting, lol!
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Cassandra

Let's go fly a Kite!

2008-04-17T09:10:00.004-05:00

Well, it is with a heavy heart that I post here today. I had such a great line-up of pictures to show you all of our day of kite flying! I even had the great fortune of getting some really awesome shots of the kites from the ground and some really fun ones of the kids wrangling their kites against the wind. But alas, it was not meant to be. For today I have turned on my camera only to find 60 pictures of random stuffed animals and other inanimate objects from around my home, and NO KITE PICTURES. I love my children, seriously, I do. But, it's in these moments that a woman wants to pull her hair so hard that it makes her cry and then stomp around the house in a blind tantrum of frustration. But she doesn't, and that's what makes her a mother. We quelch it. We take a deep breath and move on. So here I am, telling instead of showing, which is fine. :O)
It was the second day we had gotten the kites out and it was SO windy. Nebraska windy. Nebraska Spring windy. Blow a toddler over windy. And so, being the stunningly brilliant mind that I am, I thought, "Sure, let's fly the kites!" It actually wasn't a complete disaster, the kids got the kites all the way up, using all the string. (Insert groan of disappointment here for lack of photographic evidence.) But then it got even more gusty and Kavan's poor little Thomas kite just wasn't up for the challenge. Tears flowing, hopes dashing...What's a mother to do?? Improvise of course. This next would-be picture was of his kite flying bravely in the air with a strange object attached to it's tail. I knew what his kite needed was a bit more weight to stay steady, so I looked around for the perfect item. And lo and behold, what lay behind my home? But a corn field of course! So I grabbed an old cob and tied it to the tail of the kite and off if soared into the heavenly realm of blue sky! And that, my friends, is how you fly a kite in Nebraska. Windy Nebraska.
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Cassandra

Payback...It Ain't Purdy

2008-04-15T21:37:00.003-05:00

Perhaps you remember this POST from last summer. Ahhh yes, the joys of siblings. Well, I warned you that he DOES get her back, whether intentional or not. This particular incident was a mere head-to-face contact injury sustained during rough-housing on the couch. Yes, mommy DID warn them numerous times that someone would get hurt. As you can see by the following photograph, they were undaunted and undeterred.

When asked later that evening what had happened, she reported to her daddy that "Kavan is just so clumsy!" I believe his response was something along the lines of, "Yeah, I know, he get's that from his mother." God love him. I know I sure do. And yes indeed, I'm sure my children will be more than ecstatic about all the lovely genetic gifts I've passed along to them! Here's to rearing another generation of clumsy, short, allergic, asthmatic, stubborn, impatient, and CRAZY SMART individuals. (Well, I had to take credit for SOMETHING good, right? Might as well be the brains...We'll see how that works out. On second thought, perhaps I should've gone for eye color?)

This was taken yesterday. Believe it or not, it actually looks worse today. Don't worry too much, the pout was mommy induced. ;O)

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Cassandra

How Do You Get It All Done?

2008-04-15T21:06:00.003-05:00

I have people ask me all the time, "How do you get everything done with three kids at home?" Well that's simple...

I have a Personal Assistant of course!

We pay him in goldfish crackers and chocolate ice cream...Not too sure how that fits in with the whole "child labor law" thing, of course. He doesn't seem to mind thus far. :O)

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Cassandra

Spring is Finally Here

2008-04-12T11:14:00.008-05:00

Well, spring has officially sprung, at least according to the calendar. The 6-12 inches of snow that fell here in Nebraska really tells a slightly different story. Lucky for us the storm was mostly west and north of us, we really squeaked by with a little cold, windy weather and a few flurries.

Of course, along with the eventual warmer weather comes the joys of taking care of your very own land. The family worked together last weekend to clean out the garage and breezeway, and did some clearing out of leaves from the shrubs and bushes. Kelly finished it all up by hauling off the last of some lingering "gifts" the last owner left us that were still matriculating in the backyard.

Soon it will be time to mow once again, so Kelly has gotten all of the proper equipment in running order. Kavanaugh had lots of fun being his assistant mechanic. We had such nice weather last weekend that we even grilled out for the first time this year, and it was DELICIOUS!

Now we have some decisions to make regarding what to do with the yard as a whole. We would like to do some landscaping around the house, and I would like to finally have a garden, being as we have the perfect spot and perfect soil and all....Let's just hope we can have the perfect amount of time to get it done. :O) Are any of you putting in gardens this year? What are you planning to grow? There is a plant sale being sponsored by Tony and Lisa's school, and another one here in our village being put on by the local high school's FFA chapter. I guess I had better get to making up my mind soon!

Fort making is always a fun way to spend the afternoon inside when it's a blustery day outdoors.

In other news, Maddingly is getting super excited about starting Kindergarten next year. She has already had her "round-up" day and next month there is a "step-up" day for all those who are registered to attend St. Paul. She is getting so big! She has actually been walking to and from school every day now, which has been fun to watch. I can see her big pink back-pack swinging madly as she runs all the way! (We can witness the whole journey from the comfort of our large back window, so it's very mommy friendly.) She and Kelly just had a "Dad's science night" at preschool, and they had a pretty fun time together. Tie dye was involved, so that's always a sure thing, right?

Kavanaugh is also getting excited about preschool. He has his open house/registration night on the 18th of April. He loves the preschool room and always wants to stay there when we do take Maddie to school or pick her up (in the case of inclement weather). I will be taking all three children to the York children's museum in a few weeks with the preschool as a field trip driver. I'll be sure to take some pictures of that, it's a really nice little place that has just been remodeled and updated.

Here is Broderick at his first birthday party in January.

The cake is supposed to be baby blocks.

Broderick is still growing like a weed, though he isn't growing any hair! :O) He has given up the bear walk altogether, and has since been running at full speed to keep up with the big'uns. He is working on getting four molars right now, so he's a bit cranky and drooly at the moment. Other than that he really is a very happy child. He has a great time playing with Maddingly, and an equally dramatic time going tit for tat with his older brother. They do occasionally smile at each other and impart a hug, but then it's back to the screaming, pulling, pushing, taking, throwing, wrestling, yelling, running, chasing, and "playing". They are fun to watch though....free entertainment and all that.

He was a little anxious to get into the tub.

Couldn't be bothered with taking his pajamas off or any such nonsense.

I'm always so amazed at the things the children will pick up without my knowing it. Recently Broderick has surprised me on more than one occasion by helping me without my asking him to do so. When I was loading the dishwasher, he proceeded to grab the dishwashing detergent out of the cabinet and start "filling up" the little cup! Then later that week when the oven timer went off, he went to the drawer and pulled out my hot pads, brought them to me and led me to the oven! I started laughing because I really never showed him those things intentionally, he's just very observant. And cute. Seriously cute.

I also had a vacation to Las Vegas recently, the first since I've had children. It was nice, but even nicer to get back home. If you want to see the regaling of the trip, head on over to Colleen's blog, she has been posting pictures and a narrative. Kelly is currently on his way home from KC, his annual trip to see our friends Eric and Melissa....oh, and the Yankees. :O) So we both had a break of sorts this season and now I'm sure we're refreshed and ready to take on the summer! We may be joining Tony's family and class at Camp Luther in a few weeks for his annual spring trip. I'll keep you posted.

On the extended home front, I thought I would give those of you who don't know an update on Travis, aka " My Brother The Marine". He just had his 20th birthday!! He is currently deployed in Afghanistan right now, so please keep him in your prayers. He will be there for 7-9 months, if all goes according to plan. My sister Lindsey is now graduated from high school and currently taking classes at the local community college. I feel soooo old. Really.

That's the "Marine Face" there in the middle.

I like this smile a little better. :O)

Well, that's all for now. There's lots of great things going on, and things that already went on that we need to catch up on, so I'll do my best. God's blessings on your spring!!

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Cassandra

Fall was FUN!!!!

2007-12-22T20:43:00.000-06:00

Ahhh Fall, my favorite time of year. It was busy and bountiful, full of friends, family, fun and any other wonderful "f" things we can think of. But alas, to quote a cliche', all good things must come to an end, and today is the first day of winter! So happy winter to all of you out there, the shortest day of the year, let's celebrate with a recap of all our "f"estivities, "f"easting and "f"abulous times, shaaaaaallll we? Roll film!

We feasted with our family and gave thanks for all of our blessings!

We also saved room for pie!!

This is my favorite Thanksgiving picture this year!
He looks like he just doesn't know what to think about all that fried turkey!

We deep fried a turkey for the first time this year. And I use the term "we" very loosely here...

Thanks to Brother Tony for the great outdoor shots!

We enjoyed our new toys!

We made nice with prehistoric creatures that move when you push their buttons...

We longed after cake...Sheesh Grandma, give a guy a break!

We blew out candles

We baked birthday cakes!

We made birthday blankets!

We grew!

Kelly does this every year with the kids on their birthdays.

We baked cupcakes for our friends at school

And licked the beaters too!

Wow, words escape me....

We showed off our dimples any chance we could...

We scored major amount of Halloween goodies.

We made our 3rd annual first pot of chili on Halloween night.

We trick-or-treated with our friends....from Oz.

We dressed up!

We decorated....

inside and out.

We found out that Maddie has superpowers....she can create wind and swirl leaves without even touching them! She looks like the "firestarter" girl...only we'll call her "Leafblower",HA!

Kavan is her apprentice, his skills are developing nicely don't you think?

We played in the HUGE leaf pile!

She flies too!!

Thanks for joining us this season! We're off to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ with our friends and family. We hope to see you all soon and we'll be back after the New Year! Please pray for our safe travels as we are doing much of that in the coming weeks. God's Blessings on your Christmas!!
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The Splittgerbers

psssssssssst, if you would like to see more pictures, visit our family flickr page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/splittyfamily

Rub-a-dub-dub

2007-11-20T21:40:00.000-06:00

Today we see Broderick in action again, as he takes his first "big boy bath" without the help of the tub chair. He has very discreet hand-placement, wouldn't you agree? I'm sure you all appreciate his graceful modesty...that is until he stands up...And seriously, what could be cuter than a baby in a bathrobe?!
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Cassandra

I think (HOPE) he's smiling because he just LOVES bath time!

Now THAT is good product placement!!

Is it just me, or does he look like he's either really surprised that there's a spout coming out of the wall, or asking it "You talkin' to me like that? Because I don't appreciate your tone Mr. Water Spout."

Nice leg action baby! I love me some Brody thunder thighs, they match mine. We're definitely related. I'm sure he'll thank me for that later.

Cutest. Robe. Shot. Ever. :O)

Brody vs. the Bathroom

2007-11-20T17:09:00.000-06:00

Note: The following posts are a "spin-off", if you will, from the bathroom saga began at the "Attack of the Splits" blog. I guess I'm a sucker for any cute commentaries regarding children and the bathroom, the two seem to be an unbeatable combination.

As you can see in the accompanying pictures, Broderick has taken an extreme liking to destroying the Splitty Home Bathroom, particularly the toilet area. Twice, recently, I've noticed that he's a bit quiet and have gone looking for him, only to discover that he has indulged the deepest desires of his 10-month old heart and completely "trashed" this current area of interest. Come along with me, won't you, as we see him in action! :O)

Huh, what? Me? Caught you Red-handed, little red...

Toilet Paper on the floor, magazines and Kleenex spilled, potty chair taken apart, Clorox jug overturned...Signs of a struggle....(Clearly, he thinks he's soooooooo very funny)

My Toilet!

This was day number two, evidence suggests that the contents of the trash can somehow jumped into the toilet bowl....let's investigate further, shall we??

This young man was found at the scene but was staring inside the toilet just as surprised and shocked as his mother...

Haaaaaahahaha, it was ME mom! Stop looking at me like that, I can't keep a straight face! No more pictures!!

Broderick: 2
Bathroom: 0
Here's to the wars yet to be waged on the porcelain frontier. Bring it on.
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Cassandra

Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program

2007-11-18T12:41:00.000-06:00

Okay, so in celebration of my (totally unplanned and accidental) one month blogging hiatus, I thought I would actually post (you lucky reader you), YIPEE! And to all of my adoring fans......um, yeah, all 3 of you, lol.... I apologize from the depths of my soul and promise to go into complete and utter self loathing for at least, say, 8 minutes to compensate for the agony my procrastination may have caused. Sound fair?? Fabulous. There has, alas, been much activity around the Splitty household in the last month, so I will try to do a series of posts this week to get us all caught up, deal? Deal. No lashings required, right? Thanks. I appreciate your compassion and understanding, really I do. I so enjoy these little one-sided conversations we have, me and you. It makes me feel like all is good and well with the world, being as you're so agreeable when I do the talking for you and all. Let's do this more often, shall we? Riiiiight, anywho....

Let's start with the St. Paul School's Family Fall Festival. Wow, now say that out loud five times fast and see how much spit you can get on your screen. Nice. This event took place one week before Halloween and Maddie got to make the public debut of her Pink Princess Fairy costume, she was all a-twitter. There was a great turnout and lots of fun activities for us to enjoy. First was the Hay Rack ride, next off to make a pumpkin craft, then a few times through a fun maze that the 5th-8th graders constructed in their classrooms, (which Kavan kept mysteriously disappearing to run through over and over and over and over again, because there was a black light area at the end and it made his shoes light up really bright white, and that's super cool when you're two years old, or 28, whichever) and lastly the Trunk-or-Treating! What is Trunk-or-Treating you say? Allow me. This is a really neat idea that involves having each family park their vehicle with its trunk facing the sidewalk. Next, fill it with cool decorations and delightful candy. Then position a lawn chair nearby or enjoy the comfy repose of a chilly bumper. And finally, receive an enormous line of excited and candy hungry school children to partake in the bounty of your vehicular confections. It's pretty cool, if I do say so myself. It's like speed-dating (you know, with the timed sessions and the score cards, bells ringing in the background) ...only applied to trick-or-treating and children. A whole evening's worth of "houses" visited in a matter of mere minutes. Nobody gets tired, nobody gets ran over, lots of candy ends up in the bucket/bag and everyone goes home happy! More things in life should create such tremendous results, don't you think?? Here's the pictures to satisfy the masses...um right, again, all THREE of you. Later I will post about the REAL Halloween, so stay tuned and don't touch that dial. Wait, my computer doesn't have dials, does yours? Anyone? Hmmm. There I go with the one-sided conversations again, maybe I should get out of the house more.

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Cassandra

Ain't She Purdy? And what's with those dimples?? Hello Kelly!!

My hand, young prince. Kavan kept kissing it, and no one really knows where he got that from, but Maddie seemed to think it was well deserved.

We met up with all of our friends from school. Maddie was the cutest one there, and I can say that because I'm her mother. You can think that, but you can't say it, because you're not her mom, and that would be rude. Really rude for Pete's sake, I mean who would be so judgmental like that??

The hay-rack ride was pretty fun. They all had big smiles the whole time.

Okay, now that's a cute kid. He's giving that other girl a run for her money. If only he had worn his costume, but he was afraid of it. Yeah, that's right, you heard me.

Future Martha Stewart Craft editor.

Future Martha Stewart Cr...wait, What? No, I meant future Pro Baseball player, yeah, that's what I meant. That's our 3rd and 4th grade teacher Mrs. Luce, she's my fav. She's a really great teacher! :O)

Visit To KC!!

2007-10-17T19:48:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the pictures from our September trip to Kansas City to visit my family. We were there for four days and Kelly also got to visit with Eric and take in a Yankees game. It was a really nice time and we will hopefully see them again soon. To see the notes with these pictures you can go to our Flickr Page and click on the "details" tab. Now we're gearing up for fall and Halloween! Grandma Mona has made us some amazing costumes....but you'll just have to wait for the grand reveal on October 31st!! Happy Fall everyone!!
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Cassandra

Cinderella does Nebraska

2007-10-16T09:45:00.000-05:00

Recently one of Maddingly's best friends had a "Princess Birthday Tea Party" and the invitation instructed the attendees to wear their favorite dress-up outfits. Maddingly flew to her closet and out came the Cinderella dress Grandma Mona made for her last year. After DAYS and DAYS of grueling anticipation, the party date arrived and so did Cinderella. She did look pretty cute, if I do say so myself. ;O) So off to the ball she went, and home she came before midnight, slippers and all. (Plus all the party loot in her princess bag!) Happy 5th Birthday Kiley!!
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Cassandra

The Princess Before

The "Up Do"

The Tea "Spread"

The Princess After

Brody Vs. the Straw

2007-10-16T09:19:00.000-05:00

While we were in KC visiting my parents, we visited Independence Center and the kids enjoyed the big play area in the middle of the mall there. They have a huge carousel, so naturally Grandma Mona took Maddingly for a spin. I took some pictures but they didn't come out very well, due to the lighting. Maddie had a lovely time....Grandma, on the other hand, looked as though she could have used some fresh air...too much spinning, lol.
While they were on the ride, Broderick and I enjoyed a nice treat from Orange Julius. Turns out he LOVES to drink from a straw! Here's the event in photos, it was quite a scene. He had the whole group of people sitting around us in stitches. Mmmm, baby love.
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Cassandra

Yummy Drink

Hey, can I get this out of here?

Aha!

Hmmm, now what to do with this straw....

Yes, in my mouth!! That's where it goes! Sweet Victory!!

Labor Day Splitty Style

2007-09-24T10:25:00.001-05:00

Yes yes, I know, Labor day has long since passed, but alas we have been busy as usual! (We just went to KC last week and I will post the pictures from that trip soon!) Paul and Sally, Tony and Lisa, and all the Splitty grandchildren (Minus Carter!! Where art thou oh Carter!!??) came on down to the homestead for a day of fun family fellowship. So, let the brat grilling, beer drinking, face stuffing, clothes swapping, and park playing commence!

Grill Magnet

Looks Yummy! My mouth is watering again!

Like Father Like Son (The real question is, which one IS better? The green onion Brat or Ted's??)

Maddingly's all about the desserts....

Whilst the other Splitty grandchildren seem to REALLY like Watermelon!

Off to the Park! (Yes, we DID call each other and coordinate all the green dresses!)

Clothes for Alexandra...That oughta do it!

The bat is as big as HE is!

Juice Break!!

Addison REALLY gets a kick out of a juice box!

When all was said and done, the kids were all tuckered out and full of fun times spent with each other. We adults managed to have a bit of fun as well, thanks so much for coming over everybody!!
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Cassandra

P.S. Of course, the most IMPORTANT part of the day was drawing names for Christmas. But unfortunately I didn't get pictures of that. And the FUNNIEST part of the day was when everyone was in the kitchen watching Sally cut paper into squares and writing names on them for us to draw and Tony says, "Hey, we should draw names for Christmas since we're all here!" Tony, that IS a novel idea. Love you Tony!!

Edited To Add: The funniest moment AFTER everyone left was when Kelly and I had leftovers that night for supper and realized that the burgers were WAY too peppery. I can't believe Lisa and Sally managed to eat one without saying something about it, that was very polite of you. MY BAD!!

A Visit with the Splitty Grandparents

2007-09-14T21:33:00.000-05:00

That's a Nice Watch....

I'll take that...

Sweet Splittgerber Generations

Yeah Grandma, I'll play with the Barbie...but just for you.

Hmmmm, what are THESE??

Wait a minute...where'd they go??
Awww, sweet smiles all around.

I think these pictures speak for themselves. We had a lovely visit. Hope to see you again soon.
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Cassandra

Happy Splitty Anniversary!

2007-09-14T21:15:00.001-05:00

Kelly and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary earlier this month, as did Sally and Paul, since it is on the same day as ours! Kelly had heard me talking about how much I like Willow Tree Angels when we put up a new shelf in our living room (a garage sale find!) to display the ones I already had. He then gave me this absolutely lovely piece for our anniversary, it's called "Together". And the caption says "For those who have found their true partner in love and life." Well, I couldn't have put it better myself.

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Cassandra

What do you get?

2007-09-13T20:08:00.000-05:00

When you have one HUGE zucchini and a craving for chocolate?? Why, chocolate chip zucchini cake of course. I got this recipe from a friend and it was oh. so. tasty. Hey, I figure the serving of healthy vegetables offsets the load of chocolate yumminess, right? It also gave me the perfect excuse to use my new mixer and food processor, I was feeling so very chef-like. We enjoyed this cake all week and it stayed really moist. So, the next time your neighbor wants to know if you could use their extra zucchini, you will have a good mind to say yes!
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Cassandra

Giant Zucchini (free from church)

Fabulous New Yellow Mixer (I likey yellow)

Mmmmmmm, CAKE! (It also has frosting that you put on later, but I had to wait for it to cool and decided to go ahead and take the picture)

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 c. margarine, softened
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 c. flour
4 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 c. finely chopped zucchini
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Cream margarine, oil and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add vanilla and milk. Mix together next five ingredients, add to creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in zucchini. Pour into greased and floured 9 x 13 baking pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 45 min. or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool.

Fudgy Frosting

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. butter (real butter only)
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil. (it's easier to use a microwave- takes about 3 min. on high in glass bowl.) Add 1/2 c. chocolate chips and stir until melted. Pour over brownies or cake and spread. Will be thin but will thicken quickly.

Box o' Frogs

2007-09-06T09:48:00.000-05:00

Hey, what 'cha got in the box Maddie??

Ohhhh, about 20 frogs...

Now isn't that just so sweet... A Princess and her toad!

Nice Froggy

Edited to add: Kelly wants to be clear that these are toads, not frogs. His wife just likes to call them by the wrong name on a consistent basis, which in turn drives him batty, biologist that he is.
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Cassandra

Day at the Zoo

2007-08-23T16:20:00.000-05:00

Here's a photographic presentation of our day at the zoo this summer. We were blessed to have a whole day to spend at the Omaha Zoo with Kelly's parents and brother and sister-in-law. Thanks so much Paul, Sally, Aaron and Natalia, for joining us for a wonderful day of family fun! (And thanks be to God for the amazing weather we had that day! It wasn't too hot or too cold, and there was a lovely breeze that kept us nice and cool all afternoon!) To view all of the pictures, just click on the miniature at the bottom and the photo will enlarge in the main screen. There are 4 pages of pictures, so I thought this would be a more efficient way to post them for you to enjoy. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of Kavanaugh on the zoo train, but it was by far the highlight of his day, perhaps his summer! He and daddy enjoyed watching it stop at the station to pick up its new passengers for quite some time, it was a really sweet moment for them. Next year we expect it will be even better, with even MORE family to share it with!
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Cassandra
P.S. I love the pictures of Kelly and that goat, it wouldn't let him out of it's sight. I was crackin' up, lol.

School Days

2007-08-23T13:09:00.001-05:00

This was Maddingly's first week back to preschool, and she was SO delighted! She is now in the 3-a-week (MWF) program and is loving going to school more frequently. Part of her excitement stemmed from the fact that we went to the open house last week and received her first ever "homework" assignment. She set to work immediately and enjoyed diligently attending to it all weekend. It was an "All About Me" poster, and she did ALL the work herself! (Including the cutting, with mommy supervision of course!) She's growing up so quickly! My baby girl will be 5 YEARS OLD in only a few short months! YIKES! Where does the time go? All I can say is, really enjoy and cherish those childhood years, they certainly don't stay small for long.
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Cassandra

The new HOT pink folder

The Homework Project

The Locker

Bye Mom, I got it from here...

Poolside

2007-08-23T11:33:00.000-05:00

Well, the village pool officially closed this last week. (Just in time for the HOTTEST week of the summer on record!) The kids and I will miss being poolside to cool off from the Nebraska heat and humidity. Maddie was such a fish again this year, diving and swimming under water already! Looks like Brody can't wait to be big enough to join her. The kids always had friends to swim with, so that was nice too. Bye Bye Poolside!
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Cassandra

The Double A's

2007-08-22T20:52:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back we had the pleasure of having Tony, Alexandra and Addison here to visit for the day while Lisa was at a conference at Concordia. The "menfolk" mainly relaxed outside with some beverages and baseball. The children enjoyed playing the day away inside in the nice A/C! In the end, lots of fun (and berry buckle cake) were had by all! Lisa came by later (No thanks to Tony....ahem) and had supper with us all. Thanks for coming to visit guys, hope to see you again soon!
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Cassandra

Alexandra and Kavan likey the cakey

Maybe Kavan likes it a little more....

Ummm, are you HUGGING me?? I'll have to think about that....

Now THAT is Tony all over!!!!

A Daddy Nap Disturbed

2007-08-18T20:55:00.000-05:00

Hey Mom, look! Dad's trying to take a nap!

Do you think he'd mind if I just climbed up here...?

Hehee, GOT 'em! No sleepy for you today, Daddy!

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Cassandra

The Butterfly Whisperer

2007-08-18T20:50:00.000-05:00

Maddingly is in love with catching anything and everything that crawls, creeps and flies in the great outdoors. A few weeks back, Kelly bought each of them a "bug box" for them to keep their amazing creatures contained (instead of using mommy's jars!) and they have been happily filling them on a daily basis. At any particular time you will find these cages full of praying mantises, crickets, ladybugs, roly polies, grasshoppers, toads or moths. Maddie is forever on the hunt for that ever elusive Butterfly, and today she finally caught one! She was absolutely thrilled! She came in screaming so much that I thought she was injured! Of course they spent the rest of the day fighting over whose turn it was to hold the cage. The butterfly ate supper with us in the middle of the table, and slept with the kids last night on their dresser. She is currently outside helping Kavanaugh and Daddy with the yard work. :O)

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Cassandra

Anatomy of a Jump

2007-08-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

Kavanaugh has really taken to swimming this summer, which was a great relief to me as he was so pool shy last year. Here he is doing one of his "big boy jumps". Splash it up!

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Cassandra

Our Village Heritage Days

2007-08-13T21:51:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back our little village here in Nebraska held its annual Heritage Days Festival. There was lots to do and see for the whole family the entire weekend, and plenty of fun to be had with our friends! The weekend started off with a pancake feed on the main street with the "Pancake Man" and entertainment provided by the Ultimate Dance Force Cloggers. (Clogging is big here....I'm not sure why, it just is...) So we ate up and enjoyed the dancing (Kavanaugh the eating and Maddingly the dancing, lol.)

Next there was a craft show, antique/old tractor show and a car show. We stopped in to see all the happenings and then headed over to the "Party Bounce". Maddingly was having so much fun bouncing that I could barely get her to leave for lunch! Kavanaugh, on the other hand, very much wanted to try but then freaked out when we actually put him in there. (Note: We later figured out that it was because there were too many kids in there who were a bit bigger than he, and that's what caused the fright. We had another chance to attend the bouncing house the next day at the park, and the nice man let Kavan have a jump all to himself. He was elated! I unfortunately didn't have the camera, but needless to say, he was as hard to pry away as Maddie had been! I'm so glad he was able to enjoy it after all!)

After that we headed to lunch out in the park with our friends! There was a parade that afternoon, at which the children collected FAR too much candy, and then horse rides (Maddingly's personal highlight of the day) and train rides on the square! I couldn't take pictures of the train rides because I was ON the train, lol! After the rides there was a tractor pull for the kids, which I had never seen in my life, it was very "small town Nebraska", and Maddingly WON her division, ha!! As you can see in the next picture, she's one of the smallest in her class (only two girls are shorter than her) and yet she's as strong as a little ox! We can actually go to the State Fair now and have her compete there if we want, but I doubt we will. That night there were fireworks at the park, and it was a pretty good display. We could see them from our backyard, which was nice because the mosquitos were pretty thick! The next day was a little more relaxed, with a few kid games at the tennis courts and a stick horse rodeo at the park. We ate supper at the park and that was the end of celebration! We really appreciate that the village puts on such a nice weekend! Come visit us next year and we'll take you around with us!
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Cassandra

A Baby Brody Blog

2007-08-03T21:22:00.001-05:00

Here's a few more pictures of Brody's latest antics that forever amuse his mother. I think he's pretty happy....ummm, yeah, I think so.

Brody and Kelly have a nightly ritual of listening to the Yankees game out in the garage, Brody sees Kelly get the Bjorn (the baby carrier) out and starts flapping his arms about in excitement! They really enjoy that time together, and Brody often falls asleep there on papa's chest. True contentment and comfort in the safety of daddy's presence. Too cute.

Brody takes his baths in the Big Boy Tub now that he sits up so well. He's crawling all over the place these days trying to keep up with big brother! He has a very interesting technique, let's just say that we call him "frogger". He's also pulling up and standing. We found him standing in his crib last week and I about fell over! We had to lower the mattress before the acrobat took flight!

We also stumbled upon a great new teething "toy", the wonderful Cantaloupe! I have the most adorable video of him eating this piece, but I haven't quite figured out how to get that on the blog just yet. More on that later....

Chew on my littlest dear, chew on.
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Cassandra

A Hair Affair Revisited

2007-08-03T21:16:00.000-05:00

Maddingly recently attended our church's VBS week and we attempted the "double braid" for the singing service on Sunday. Here she is wearing her "Quest for Truth" T-shirt that they made. She did a lovely job singing that morning, she loves her some Jesus music!
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Cassandra

Brother Blogger

2007-07-15T13:28:00.001-05:00

Alas! We are not alone here in the Splitty family blogosphere! Another set of brave souls have come forth into the great bloggy unknown. This is Kelly's older brother's family's new blog. (And YES, that is how all of those apostrophes are supposed to be! Trust me, I checked!! LOL!)

www.attackofthesplits.blogspot.com

And this is Kelly's younger brother's family's new blog:

www.splittgerber.blogspot.com

There are also links in our nifty sidebar there on your right, under "The Blogroll". Hope to see you there!
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Cassandra

Edited to add: My dear friend Colleen also has a LOVELY blog that chronicles the adventures of being an event florist. She runs her own business and she is SO SO SO SO talented! If you love gorgeous flowers then you must go check it out! It's some of the best I have ever seen...if I do say so myself...and I am SO not biased! :O)

An Accidental Nap

2007-07-15T07:11:00.000-05:00

Kavanaugh has recently given up his afternoon naps, but accidents do happen. :O)

Celebrating Our Independence!

2007-07-14T20:38:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been quite some time since I've been able to post here at the blog, thus I give my apologies. Life has been busy but wonderful here at the Splitty home, and we hope that the same holds true for you! We've got lots of catching up to do, so we'll start by recapping our Fourth of July celebrations!

We spent the day with Kelly's parents touring downtown Seward, after all, it IS the Fourth of July City!! And of course, Maddingly wore her new dress from Auntie Colleen! Then it was back home to get prepped for the full evening that lay ahead.

My mom and step-dad came up from Kansas to finish some electrical work in the kitchen and just happened to bring some fireworks along....oh my. They also took Dixie to her new home when they left later that weekend: my grandmother's house. After doing some "warm ups" with grandma and grandpa, the real fun arrived by way of LOTS of FRIENDS!! The Lord has truly blessed us with such sweet fellowship here in Utica. We completely took over the church alley next to our home, it was quite a site!

Our thanks to all who came and shared in the celebration of our independence! (And an extra special thank-you to the Rathjen's for the S'MORES supplies, and you too Kelly, for letting us roast the marshmallows over your grill!) Here's the day via pictures, hope you enjoy!

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Cassandra

The Dress and Daughter BEFORE doing the snakes....

Gramma Sally!

Maddingly having a nice moment with her ice cream at Seward's Food Alley. The kids also enjoyed cotton candy and funnel cakes. What a lunch! :O)

The dress and daughter AFTER doing the snakes...Hmmmm, where's my stain stick?

Yes, you can have some too, Kelly.

Now that's how you throw a popper!! Nice wind up Kavan!

Kavan and Crazy Gramma watching the show

A Bit of History: The Declaration of Independence was written and accepted on the Fourth of July in the year 1776. Of the 13 colonies, 9 voted in favor of the Declaration, 2 (Pennsylvania and South Carolina) voted No, Delaware undecided and New York abstained.The signing continued to take place through the month of August, but the 4th of July remained the accepted date of America's independence from Great Britain. The current president of the Continental Congress was John Hancock, and his signature made the document official. He is said to have signed with "a great flourish" , so that King George could read it without spectacles! And yes, this is where the phrase, "give this your John Hancock" comes from. ;O) The first newspaper to print the Declaration in its entirety was the Pennsylvania Evening Post on July 6th, 1776. And the first public reading was heard at Philadelphia's Independence square, amidst cheering and bell ringing, on the 8th. The "Province Bell" there in Independence Hall was later renamed as we know it, "The Liberty Bell", which bears this inscription to this day:

Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof

Benchmarks

2007-07-02T20:38:00.001-05:00

Well, Broderick is quickly coming upon his 6 month birthday, and we thought that an update on his latest achievements was in order! He has been busy keeping up with big brother and sister, and exploring anything he can get his hands on by promptly popping it into his mouth. In the meantime he has also decided that sitting up is much more interesting than rolling around on the floor! So, he started "officially" sitting up without the "Mommy Net" to catch him about three weeks ago. Once he had that mastered, he noted that being mobile was much more intriguing than staying put! As an added bonus he can now try to get into anything that his lovely siblings have left lying around on the floor, let the baby-proofing begin!! He has just started to really get the hang of it this week.

Bring it on UNICORN!

And on a final note, as you can see in this lovely picture, the drool has really begun to flow around the Splitty home lately. This picture was taken last week, and as of yesterday he has two bottom teeth! Go Chompers!

Along with those teeth, a much wider culinary horizon has dawned! To date he has now eaten avocado, banana, sweet potatoes and brown rice porridge. All of which have been lovingly homemade by momma Splitty. Yum. His favorite style of eating thus far is "self-fed"...also known as, try to grab the spoon out of mom's hand while she is trying to put it into my mouth, leave half of the bite on my nose and chin, then suck on said spoon for a few seconds and drop it on the floor or tray as a clear sign that I am now ready for more...Gotta love those independent types, what a man. ;O)
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Cassandra

Best of the Best

2007-07-02T20:33:00.001-05:00

We received a lovely package this week from my best friend Colleen! Auntie Colleen hooked up the kiddos with a new outfit each and gave this momma a lovely card to boot. Best friends are the best. ;O) And when it rains it seems it pours. Our lovely neighbors rang the doorbell the other day, and to Maddingly's utter delight they bore in their arms a new horse stable set complete with 20 accessories ranging from the horse to it's poop!! LOL!! Needless to say we haven't heard from Maddie in quite some time, but if we need her, we know where to look. ;O) Great neighbors are the best! Thanks to you all!
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Cassandra

A Healthy Obsession

2007-06-21T21:34:00.001-05:00

Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, THOMAS!
Kavan has officially found his calling in his little two year old life: Thomas the Train. He loves it all! He already knows all of the engines by name AND their numbers! Well...I suppose he had to learn those anyways, might as well be from a train set. His first prized set was from his ever-generous grandparents (Thanks Gammaw Sally and Peepaw Paul!) and the other two sets were found on Ebay. He can now take over the entire living room floor. We're happy the new carpet is being enjoyed so much!
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Cassandra

A Man and His Grill

2007-06-21T21:20:00.001-05:00

So the story begins like this: Kelly's good friend Eric has a NCAA tournament bracket every year. Out of the 40 who tried their hand at predicting how the tournament would play out, Kelly got lucky and won it all! Hmmm, what to do with the winnings?? GRILL TIME. It started out as a Sears Kenmore with a wood grain cabinet, but after being back-ordered and damaged, it turned into this lovely stainless steel Charbroil with the extra burner on the left. Needless to say, we've had lots of grilled food lately, and we're all very happy about the development. :O)

For Father's Day we decided to supplement our new grill with the appropriate accessories and such! This manifested itself as a five piece Pampered Chef grill set, complete with matching carrying case, grilling glove/mit and skewers (in the center zippered pouch). Yay for Ebay!

Ah, a man and his grill. Bring on the summertime!

By the way, we expect all of you to stop by some time for the grilled main course of your choice!
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Cassandra

Daddy Love

2007-06-21T20:45:00.000-05:00

Three Generations of Very Splitty Pappas!

A Photo Tribute to the Best Daddy we know!

We hope ALL of the special men in our lives had a very happy Father's Day!!
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Cassandra

Anything Toes

2007-06-15T16:01:00.001-05:00

Here at the Splitty Home, anything toes....ahem, goes that is. Especially when it makes you deliriously happy.

Who needs a thumb anyways??

The Strawberry Patch

2007-06-15T15:47:00.001-05:00

We have the best neighbors! They have a HUGE strawberry patch in their side yard and they have so graciously invited us to frequent it as often as we like. This was our THIRD time going over there, and there are still lots of berries to be had. Kavanaugh is our fruit and veggie boy, so he was in heaven, especially after Mommy added the fresh cream! The last two times we also had old-fashioned homemade pound cake to accompany the strawberries and whipped cream. The recipe makes two loaves, so we gave our neighbors a loaf out of thanks! Mmmm, Strawberry Delight!

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Cassandra

A Hair Affair

2007-06-15T15:25:00.000-05:00

We've decided to try and grow Maddingly's hair out, including her bangs. These were our first attempts at the French braid....Mommy still needs some more practice. :O)

We tried again the next day. Doesn't she look so excited? ;O) She can hardly contain herself.

Hopefully this will keep her cooler this summer, being able to pull it up and out of her face all day. The bangs took a while to get going, but they are almost able to tuck behind her ears now. She's very proud. :O) We'll have to keep posting some updated pictures.
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Cassandra

Brotherly Love

2007-06-15T10:04:00.001-05:00

It's Just Me and You, Kid.

And a very special thank you to Uncle Tony and Aunt Lisa for the Spiderman pj's. :O)
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Cassandra

Worms Rock

2007-06-15T09:48:00.001-05:00

'Nuff said.

What Are Sister's For?

2007-06-14T21:24:00.000-05:00

Like a predator stalking it's prey. And don't let the pigtails fool ya!

And the TAKE DOWN!

Don't worry...he got her back, many MANY times. I just didn't have the camera out. Ah, siblings!

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Cassandra

Project: Dishwasher

2007-06-14T20:46:00.000-05:00

Things started out easily enough. I cleaned through our hutch and pared down on our dishes to keep things looking tidy and clean.

Then we had the idea of recovering our kitchen chairs because they were looking so dreadfully dirty. And hey, doesn't Mona still have some leftover fabric from when she made our kitchen curtains? Maybe they can bring that up with them when they visit for Easter! Thus ensued the next project: Thank you to MONA (for cutting out all the pieces just right and finding more of the same fabric at JoAnns!) and DAD (for so masterfully manning the staple gun of course! And for pulling out all those nasty staples!) The chairs look really great and it gave the kitchen a whole new look! Very cozy and warm...now, where's that can of Scotch Guard??

Then my mom and Butch called and said they were coming up to put in a dishwasher as a surprise for the fam! It should only take us a long weekend. Riiiiiiiiight. Well.....Four trips and two months later....drum roll please...

This is the "Finished" Product!

I use that term loosely because we still need to "finish" some electrical odds and ends and then put up a tile back-splash. But the big stuff is done and we couldn't be happier! Not only did we get the dishwasher, but since we had to raise the counter tops two inches, he put on new laminate. (He can now give you the name of the glue that doesn't work so hot for putting on new laminate... unless you have lots of heavy rocks to hold it down for the night!) And while he had the saw out and all his tools at the ready...he figured he'd put in an over the range microwave hood as well. WOOHOO! (Not to mention we had to completely overhaul the old electrical system and run a new line to the house...fuses to breakers, 100 to 220...something like that...) I think we can all agree it was well worth the wait, and my dishes and hands thank you!

Thank you BUTCH and MOM!

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Cassandra

Walky Walky

2007-06-14T20:32:00.000-05:00

Walk Anyone? The "mommies" and their babies are ready for the after-supper stroll.

Our neighborhood is so great for walking, we get to chat with everyone as we stroll along because most of them are out as well, tending to yards, riding their bikes, walking dogs, and catching toads...the usual. :O)

Guy Smiley

2007-06-14T20:09:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is! A collage of the best smiles you can grab at our house currently. They belong to the toothless 5 month old who fills our days with delight! He's about the most smiley baby we have ever seen!

This hat is TOO cute! He always looks like he's laughing and it makes me want to laugh right along with him! What a joy giver he is!

This is his golfing outfit...because everyone needs a golfing outfit, even the young 'uns. :O) We have some great pictures of him eating his toes...and smiling all the while. I'll have to put those up soon!

A "Rosy" Welcome

2007-06-14T16:49:00.000-05:00

This is the current scene as you enter our front door. This climbing rose has been in bloom for some time and each day it seems it has more blossoms! It's even fuller now than when I took these photos. It gives our white house a nice splash of color, and it makes me smile when I have to let Dixie outside 18 times a day to go sniff the wind...
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Cassandra

More Good "Clean" Fun

2007-06-14T15:19:00.000-05:00

It started innocently enough... This puddle looks so simple and unassuming.

Hey Maddie! Look what I did!! Wanna join me??

After many warnings from mommy to stay clean,
a flower (instead of Maddingly) meets its mud bath

The joys of childhood are such as these.

Yard Days

2007-06-14T12:51:00.001-05:00

Things here never seem to slow down, but in a good way! The homestead has been the focus of most of our recent projects, and things are really looking great! Kelly has been putting some major sweat equity into the yard, and here's the pictures to prove it!

This is the garden area at the south end of the back yard, and as most of you know, it had been completely taken over by weeds...well, some asparagus and lilac bushes were holding there own, but mainly weeds. Kelly got all of these lovely rocks from different job sites through his work. He spent an entire weekend arranging them just so, and he did an amazing job! (Kavan and Maddie helped, of course, because nothing's cooler than helping dad in the yard.)

This last weekend Kelly did even more work out there! He's a man on a mission this summer! Those lilacs that you see in the back are all chopped down now. They needed to be, they were so very old! Now they can grow back nice and healthy, as the ones in the front of the garden patch did. Those stepping stones are from Kelly's parents' home, and are now placed in an orderly fashion throughout the cleared patch. Kelly also cleared out the flower beds that are along the south side of our house, so I will put before and after pictures of those on the blog sometime this week. My contribution was weeding out the center island in the back yard and then setting up the sprinkler for the children to run through. (I think Kelly had all the "help" he could handle, so it was time to find something else for them to do!)

You can almost hear the sizzle! Good Clean Fun!
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Cassandra

Welcome To Our Family Blog

2007-06-14T12:45:00.000-05:00

You're probably here because you received an email from us alerting you to the fact that we now have a family blog! We've decided to undertake this endeavor as a means to keep in touch with you, our family and friends. Since most of you are a fair distance from us, this will hopefully be a way for you to keep up with our daily "goings ons" and such. We're new to this technology, so bear with us as we try to keep things organized and tidy here at the blog, and feel free to leave us LOTS of comments! We'll be reading them to the kids and letting them respond! These first few posts will be a game of catch up since we haven't seen some of you in quite some time. We hope you enjoy your time here and that you will visit often.
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Cassandra