spring pictures

Our tulip tree is beginning to bloom. It is starting to be beautiful - but we had trimmed some branches off the tree so we could get more sunlight in the backyard, so now the blooms are not in the "right" place to be seen in our usual pictures.

Here are some of the pictures I took of the kids. Just imagine the pink blossoms behind them.

Easter Monday Cleaning

Today I spent time cleaning closets and cabinets. I purged cabinets o stale food, unwanted items, and boxes for items. It is a great feeling. Now I don't have to do that over Spring Break. Still need to purge the family room (will be a huge project - things multiply quickly) and hit Emily's closet. The kids rooms also need to be hit - but that will take a day when I am really motivated!!! OH well. I thank the Lord that I was motivated to do closets and cabinets today (actually I started last night).

Easter

Dying Easter Eggs with Grandma and Grandpa






Our Family Picture - Easter 2008



Emily and Michael's annual Easter kiss picture




Have a blessed Easter! Here it is 10:15 and Easter is almost over in Louisville. We had a great day to celebrate our Lord's resurrection. Doug and I went to 6:30 and 9:00 service. Mom, Dad, Emily and Michael worshipped at the 9:00 service. Before mom and dad brought the kids to Church - they found thier Easter baskets. That is one tradition that we carried on from our childhood. We played handbells and choir sang at both of those services. Then we came home and got lucnh going. We had honey ham, scallopped potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, jello eggs, green beans, rolls & cheese cake for dessert. Yummy!

After lunch mom and I hid 60 eggs in the backyard and had an Easter egg hunt. After counting them up - we came up with 56 eggs. So - it was time to go hunt for a final 4 eggs. They found them inn a few minutes with some help.

Then Michael and Emily both played carom against dad. Dad beat both of them - even left handed. They had a good time though.

We also had a little snow - about 6:00 it started snowing. We had a wet dusting of snow. It was crazy - as during our Easter egg hunt it was almost 50.

Slugger Field

Emily in the Bats locker room.


Michael in the Bats locker room.


Emily and Michael with Grandma and Grandpa at slugger field


Emily, Michael, Doug and Dana at slugger field.


Emily and Michale in the dug out.

On Saturday we went to Slugger Field to pick up the season tickets for Doug's work. They have an open house every on ticket pick up day. We were able to tour the stadium at our own pace.

last weekend

Last weekend Gene, Holly, Andrew, and Noah were here to celebrate Holly's birthday and my birthday. We had a good weekend complete with Pinewood Derby finals for Michael, an Easter Egg hunt, light saber battling (even for Noah), Canasta, and a dinner at Rocky's on the river.


Michael after the Pinewood Derby district finals. He had fun racing his car - but did not place in the finals.


Noah joining the light saber battle.


Michael, Andrew and Holly battling it out with light sabers


Andrew at the Easter Egg hunt.


Michael at the Easter Egg hunt.



Emily at the Easter Egg hunt


Andrew and Boo playing trains

new bed - old bed

Well - I hope the kids did not jump on the old bed too much. We still have it in our family room. I have been having headaches every night since we got the new bed. It is very firm - and I think it is too firm. Although it is nice that my side of the bed does not move when Doug rolls over - I think it is throwing my back out of whack. After I get up and get going I am ok - but I am waking up in the middle of the night with mild headaches. Not fun. So - we will sleep on the old bed this weekend when Holly and Gene are here and then decide what to do. I really think this 2 month old bed is going to find its 3rd home. Kind of crazy!

What kind of bed do you sleep on? Firm or soft?

where did all the snow go?

When you look outside today - it is difficult to belive that on Saturday it was snowing hard and we had 8 - 14 inches of snow on the ground. It was warm and sunny today so lots melted. This is what the front of our house looked like.

snow fun slide show

We went out today and helped the kids make two larger snowmen. They marveled at how large we could make a snowball. It was a great time to enjoy the winter wonderland that God created. The snow is melting fast - so it was great to make snowballs and snowmen. It is amazing how quickly 10 inches of snow can disappear.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

This time we are really getting snow! It started around 7:00 yesterday morning. Luckily we had a 1/2 day scheduled - and it was grandparents day - so we still have school (hate to make up a 1/2 with a whole day) and made it home early. The snow is still coming down at 9:00 Sat. morning. It did take a break from about 2 - 5 yesterday - but has been snowing since. It sure is pretty outside right now. The kids have not been out to play in it yet - they just needed some down time yesterday. They will play today.

Michael's pinewood derby was cancelled this morning. Will find out later when it is rescheduled for. The school auction is still on. Should be a good time - but hope people will still come out - espeicially the restraunt. I likely will eat a little something before I leave just in case. :)

new bed

We have a new bed - got it from a new gentleman at Doug's work. He had an issue with a cat allergy and had to get rid of it - so we inherited a 2 week old bed.

The kids have our old bed (only 2 years old - but having some odd issues) to jump on (Emily and her friend are sleeping on it tonight). They were not as impressed with the jumpability of this bed - as compared to our old bed (2 years ago)

friends over

This weekend both kids have friends over. They have been playing star wars, making sock puppets and playing. The girls are giving each other make-overs right now while the boys are using lightsabers to battle in the living room. Hopefully we can get them down at a decent hour - as we have Church tomorrow and will need to get them ready for Sunday School and Church.

Blue and Gold Banquet

Michael experienced his 1st Blue and Gold Banquet on Thursday evening. They had their Pinewood Derby that evening also. Michael won for his age level. That means he gets to go to district on next Saturday morning. He also got a bunch of belt loop metal things (like badges) to wear on his belt. He was very proud - as were we.

fun with boo

We decided to see if our dog would be a good sport to putting on a hat. He was surprisingly good spirited. I think it is because he is a Cardinal fan at heart :)

ice again

Well - we got more ice today. The public schools got out around 11:00 - and we had parents stream in to pick up kids beginning them. After lunch I had only 9 students remaining - and 4 of them were students of teachers or other school staff. It made for an intersting afternoon - doing puzzles, watching videos, drawing... Pretty much babysitting. The funny thing was once Michael was the only boy - he became a little "pain" to the girls. They were all coloring and he drove his lego car into the middle of their coloring. He was also really silly. He is all boy - but does not let it come out very much!

I made it home after defrosting the car. The ice scraper did no good - so I had to turn up the heat and on the defrost and wait for it to melt enough to scrape it off. AFter about 15 minutes I was good to go.

Now it is just a mess. The sleet, freezing rain, rain has stopped. It is very slick. Hopefully it warms up some or else the morning will be a mess.

Here is what the back of the van looks like

butchering slideshow

butchering 08

MMMM! Let's make some beef sausage
The red working crew (no this is not from last year - we wore the same uniform)
Emily and Michael trying out the antique sled with great grandpa
Andrew, Emily and Michael trying out a cardboard sled - WHEEE!
Great Grandma with Emily and Michael's meat art.

We just returned home from a weekend down on the farm. It was great to be there. To visit with Lynn, Bonnie, Grandma & Grandpa as well as do some family working. We arrived down on the farm around 9:40 central time on Friday night. We visited for a little while and then settled down for the night. We woke up on Saturdya morning in time to get started around 8:30. The guys did all the brats and the beef sausage. The girls wrapped the meat (chops,ribs, steaks.) Gene was the rotation guy - he did a little of everything. Grandma spent most of the time in the shop watching and visitng with us. I had the opportunity to talk to her about butchering with her family when she was a kid. Things have changed quite a bit :)



The kids enjoyed playing in snow. Emily and Michael watched Andrew and kept him occupied much of the time. They tried to sled on an old sled of Grandm and Grandpas - one that Grandpa had made when their kids were little - but it was too rusty. A large cardboard box served as a good sled too.



It was a quick day - as we finished wrapping the meat by lunch. it was shorter this time as we did not have to do the cooked meat sausage. It was too icy to be at the cooking pots safely.



We did enjoy a walk down to the creek (Michale and I had two walks down) as well as lots of visiting time with grandm and grandpa. I love listening to the stories that Grandm and Grandpa tell. They really have some great memories. I hope that I can be as good of a story teller when Emily and Michael have kids.



Grandpa and I made homemade ice cream. Mom mixed it up and then I helped Grandpa with the freezing part.



Today after Church we headed to a restraunt with mom & dad and Grandpa and Grandma. Gene, HOlly and the boys headed home before Church.



It was a great weekend 0f tradition and fun. I thank the LOrd for families and for all the traditions we have. God has blessed us with a family who is close to the Lord and close to one another.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! It is cold and yucky here (due to snow and ice previously) but they say it should melt today. I guess it is the warmth of love that will melt the snow ;) I hope you all feel an extra measure of God's love today. He is so great! He gives us so many things - and I contstantly have to remind myself of that one. I always would like more, and more, but that is not what is important. God already knows what we need and want and will provide for us in His way - not ours. What a great gift. If I really had all the things I wanted - what would I do with them? Nothing productive I am sure - and God knows that. He loves us and provides for us.

This year we got a family Valentine gift - a telescope. It was on clearance at walmart - and is highly technological. It will locate items in the sky with just the press of a button. You feed in your zip code and it knows where you are. It is awesome. What a great way to explore the world. We plan on taking it this weekend along to the farm (we are doing our butchering weekend) and really checking it out. Without the city lights we should have a great view (pray for no clouds).

Have a great Valentine's Day!

more snow fun

Michael loves to shovel. Doug told him about earning money when he got older by shoveling snow - and Michael said, "You mean I could charge them a dollar to shovel their driveway?" Doug and I just laughed and said you would charge more than that.
Yum!!! Just don't eat the yellow snow.
Look at the snow angel!
Building snowballs is so much fun.

The rain went down to a slow trickle - so the kids have been playing in the snow. It is very slushy and wet - so their gloves get wet quickly. It does make good snowballs though - good for throwing. They also made a small "snow angel". Notice it has wings and a halo. They also planted a tree next to it for shelter. Very creative!