Wow! What a difference!

 




before...
(towel dried and messy before the cut-
scroll to previous blog to see the real before)

after....

Should make it a lot cooler

under his football helmet!

An Attempt

After watching a video my sister-in-law sent me Food, Inc. ,I'm thinking we need to plant some more and get a cow! I made a compost bin today with chicken wire and planted a few more onions in the center of the mini-garden where I hadn't planted anything yet.  Will need to till up more dirt and make a place for some cucumber seeds (organic ones!)  Maybe I'll save some seeds and plant them next year or will I get sued? (*see film for explanation...haha)

  

Tomatoes and Green Pepper

   

Chives

Onions

Squash

Green Beans

Mini-Garden

   

Easter Sunday

Each year like many families, we take pictures on Easter. This year it seemed a bit odd to only have 3 kids in pictures!  Everyone is growing up!  Time really does have a way of seeming to fly.  Reminds me to try to treasure each day and not wish "this week would end", but live each day, making memories along the way. 

  

We even had an Easter egg hunt with the cousins! We had to come up with something to get the big kids involved so that the 5 year old cousin wouldn't have to hunt alone. ;)

Conversations with Ryan

We have been studying bones in Health. Ryan is starting to add these new words to his vocabulary. The week before Easter when we were shopping for shoes, Ryan tried on a pair of shoes. He told me, "The tongue of this shoe is bothering my metatarsals." A few days later his first molar was getting loose, he commented that his tooth was making his "masseter sore".

Grammy's Treasure

The other day my daughter was telling me a story about her two year old. As her husband was going to the car to go to work, carrying Jackson, his laptop, diaper bag, and cookies for Jackson's birthday party at school, he noticed a car had parked too close to him to get in on the carseat side. Like many of us, the word that came out of his mouth, ("crap" in this case) was not one you'd want your two year old repeating. He glanced at Jackson, hoping he hadn't noticed. As he got everything in the car and finally clicked the seatbelt onto Jackson, Jackson said, "crap". So much for not noticing! He didn't react and just hoped he'd forget that word. That evening he was telling my daughter what had happened as Jackson stood at the refrigerator playing with his magnetic letters. She slapped his arm, playfully as they laughed about it. Jackson looked over at them and said, "No hitting, Mommy." Ooops again! Then he casually walked over to her and hit her on the leg and then hit his dad and walked off.

We all had a good laugh at this story, but I was reminded again how important it is to set good examples for our kids. Sure, it's so obvious when they are two and repeat everything we say and do. How often do we see other maybe more hidden traits or characteristics that have been because of the examples we have set? Do they complain? Do they procrastinate? Do they show love and respect to older people? Sure we try to teach them with all the right words, but what examples are we SHOWING them? If we are not forgiving, if we hold a grudge, how can we expect our children to forgive each other or their friends when evil is done towards them? The list goes on and on. Praying that today I will be a godly example to my children, so they can see Him and not my failures!

Just for Kicks

My son. He decided since he didn't actually get to go anywhere for spring break that he'd have a little fun on facebook anyway (with the help of some software).










New Zealand













African Savanna















Some tropical place
to scuba dive.










Swiss Alps

















Phillies game

Advent

One of my older daughters and I came up with an idea for an advent project, while looking through a magazine on Christmas crafts. We used green and red bags numbered with gold numbers cut from my Crickut and then put a ribbon through a whole punched in the folded over top. I tied them to the garland on the banister. In them we put little things for Ryan and 3 of his cousins to open everyday before school. So far, the gifts have been as follows: Day 1-- a cute deck of cards that they could play with together; Day 2--A box of jelly beans. They each got 5; Day 3--little erasers in the shape of soccer balls, happy faces, etc.-enough for 2 each. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it hasn't really been received with much excitement. The jellybeans were ok, but besides that...not so much. I guess if they were toddlers they might find it fun. Thinking of putting only Bible verses in the rest of them! :) A friend of mine told me that's why she doesn't try to be a fun mom. No disappointments! haha. (btw...there will be candy in the rest of the bags.)

It's Decorating Time!

S'MORES!

The "fixin's".


The fire. Plenty of boys to keep wood on the pile.

Perfect! :)

Nice job.

Kaitlin posing.


Ryan trying not to get too close and still cook his marshmallow.

Wednesday Night Youth

Wednesday night at the ROC where the youth hang out. The band is practicing a little before the service starts while others are playing ping-pong or facebooking and of course, eating.

I don't know why Kaitlin is hiding her face.

Kaitlin

Jonathan playing ping pong