Happy Belated Birthday Grandma Chris!

Sounds like it was the most fun one to date!!

Can't wait to see you soon!

Happy Belated Birthday Uncle Kirk!

We were super happy to spend it with you!

Home Again, Home Again....Jiggity Jig!

(I always have that rhyme in my head when we come home from vacations...)
We just got back from a wonderful week in Connecticut! ...and THIS time I brought my camera!  Pictures coming.....(I promise...not like last year)

Some Pictures From April(s)

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Easter Fun

The Easter Bunny left a trail of eggs to the "Easter Jars" (as Dan called them) again this year.  I hope this tradition doesn't get old anytime soon!

 (Apparently, that Bunny ran out of baskets and had to plummet our pantry for suitable containers)

 Although The Bunny left the children only a handful of edible treats, he left bagS of the left-overs in my cupboard!! (Ugh!...is it just me or are peanut M&M's getting better?!)

We are going to plant their new flowers today! 

After breakfast we headed off to church.  Amya's age group got to see a play with Jesus in it!....and according to Amya, He is very nice to children, because when you give Him a really hard high-5 He doesn't even get mad!  He thinks it is silly! (LOL)
Nelson got restless and spent the service in the "baby soothing" area with Dan.  Which left me.....all...by...myself...to listen to the best Easter service my 36year old ears have heard.  Very encouraging and inspiring.
I didn't take pictures of the Easter Egg Hunt we went on with friends....hoping to collect some pictures from them!  Hope you all had a wonderful Easter as well!

Look What I Found!

While cleaning out the camper, I found one of our cameras inside!  I downloaded the pictures and they spanned from Christmas 2010 to September 2011 (our San Juan camping trip)!

 Christmas 2010

 ...our candy cane hunt at Cathrine's Creek on Christmas Day...

...New Year's Eve at the Petersons'...

 Summer 2011

 (oh my, how I love this picture...baby, bike and chickens...it can't get better)

The rest of the pictures are from the camping trip to the San Juan Islands...

So happy to see all those!...the year I "didn't take pictures" is now semi-documented!

Handyman Needed...Pants Not Required

*before you get worried that this blog is going in a different direction, Dan has clothes on in all pictures!*

Dan decided to build himself a workbench!  We settled on the laundry room as the best location (I didn't want to share my sewing room!).  So, we unstacked the washer/dryer and got to work!

(beer is always required for "project" time!)
I'm not sure what Nelson was really thinking (the guy doesn't have very many words yet), but he has been interested in tools lately...his friend Leif is also a handyman!

Nelson got right to work!...copying everything Dan was doing...

...but in a more comfortable outfit...

They were pretty proud of themselves when it was all done! :)

Happy Birthday Grandma Lillian!

...this is only about half the people she can claim!  Good work, Grandma....not bad for your 100 years on this earth ;)

Happy Hump Day!

Lila Beau

It's That Time Of Year Again...

...when I have to buy eggs in the store (dyeing brown eggs is not as glamorous) and break out the food coloring and vinegar!

 We started early this year because little Nelson needed to replace a friend's decorated egg that he smashed open (super excited, thinking a hard boiled egg was hiding inside...our kids love hard boiled eggs...).
I decided to blow out the insides this year...haven't done it this was in a long time...but we are starting early this year, and Nelson has a knack for hiding things!!

Amya loves colors!...combining them, matching them, finding their "partners" (colors that look good together)...so it was super fun this year talking about how to make new colors for our dye baths.

 We even did some swatches! :) (which didn't really work, but it's pretty, isn't it?)

 It is easy coloring eggs and talking about the Easter bunny with kids.  Harder, is explaining the Christian reason for Easter Sunday celebrations.  But it is super important to us.  I struggle with what is appropriate at what age.  Jess has some great ideas and links this year.  So we might try some of these ideas.

 I have a feeling there is another dozen eggs at the store with our name on them!!....too much fun not to do it again.....

A Gentleman's Game

Amya has expressed an interest in playing games lately.

 So, we busted out Connect Four. 

 Nelson thought this was a fantastic idea!

He, however, has no need for "rules" or "turns", so the game turned into dropping checkers as fast as they could!...this made Nelson get a little frisky and competitive...

...until it was just Nelson playing Connect Four, all by himself...