floor bed

On Monday we had another snow day, getting dumped with about 10 more inches in addition to what we got last week and the week before. It's been the snowiest April ever with totals of nearly 40 inches!

So Evie thought she's make a bed in the living room for the snow day. Samuel joined her since he's been quite into imitating his brother and sister lately. He's even trying to talk more. Evie had to bring her babies along. The lamb next to her has become my baby, somehow, and I have to take care of it as well as the rest of my real kids.

popcorn sink

No Samuel. The leftover Target popcorn I gave you does not go in your play toy sink. Thanks for showing me where you put it though. I was wondering what happened to it.

pile on daddy

Last week during snowmaggedon, Daddy had some extra time at home. We all loved that. Can't you tell?

science: water drinking plants

Our school year is nearly done. This pregnant mama is glad of that. I'll have all of May to prepare for the new baby boy's arrival. Anyway, we have done well this year on time, owing perhaps to the "gentler" curriculum we tried this year. It's gone well, but I think I am ready to try something different next year. 

A couple weeks ago, we had some gorgeous weather (as opposed to the foot of snow we have on the ground currently), perfect for the celery to pull up some blue food coloring water and for Evie's spring grass to show us how plants expel some water through their "leaves." I forgot to take an after photo, but you can imagine. The celery leaves were tinted blue and the "veins" were also blue. The bag over the grass was all wet.

Also, Noah looks so big to me here! He will be eight years old in just two days but his stance and build in this photo just really reminded me of his Daddy. Can't believe Noah is so big! And Evie too. She will be starting Kindergarten next year! Geesh.

Easter 2013

This year Easter fell on Evie's fifth birthday, which made for a super busy and fun day. After Easter lunch with both sets of grandparents, cake, ice cream and presents, we all headed outside for an egg hunt.

The grandparents enjoyed themselves during the hunt, perhaps talking about our neighbor's huge pit.

A common sight: Evie following Noah around.

Shari, Jesse and Grace were able to come for most of the festivities. They were helping Noah find some of his harder eggs. The kids could only pick up eggs with their names on them. But the 12 resurrection eggs were game for anyone to pick up. 

Samuel tromping around. Daddy helped him.

The last egg to be found was hidden amidst this vine plant thing I need to take down. Noah knocked it out with a bat and Daddy caught it. 

All done! Then we headed inside to open the eggs. 

Evie's 5th birthday

Our sweet little Evangeline turned a big five years old on the last day of March, the 31st. It seems unreal that she is five now. In my mind, she'll always be two or three for some reason. We sure love this little girl and are so thankful that we have at least one daughter! We couldn't ask for a better one either. She is sweet and friendly and sociable, a little mommy to her little brother Samuel, and attempting to boss her big brother Noah too. There's more push back from him though. Samuel is perfectly happy imitating her however.

I took Evie on a trip to Target a week or so before her birthday to get an Easter/birthday dress since both fell on her birthday this year. After we found out we were having another boy, I realized I had to enjoy this girl thing to it's maximum potential. Enjoying her freedom of choice, she picked the girliest dress possible... She received very many compliments at church that morning.

I love this photo of her amongst her fluff.

After an Easter lunch with both sets of grandparents, we had cake and ice creak once Samuel was up from his nap (which took forever for the poor birthday girl). She "helped" me the day before to make her choice of rainbow cake.

I first made this cake last year and it's probably all she and Noah are ever going to want. All that food coloring is okay once or twice a year right?

Terry's folks bought all three kids a combined birthday gift this year, as they are wont to do, similar to birthday time two years ago.

 Evie also received a crocheted "denim" jacket from my mom. She is way more talented than me. My sister got those same creative genes, where as I received my dad's ability to sit and read. 

Mommy and daddy gave her a baby to care for since she will soon have another baby brother. I figured since she was already babying her stuffed animals, perhaps she'd like a proper baby doll with a feeding apparatus. However, since Gramma gave her a new Easter bunny toy, she said baby "Jessica" is dead. Yeah. Had to laugh at that one. And be a little disturbed as well.

After gifts, we had an Easter egg hunt, pizza and a family movie night. Talk about a busy day. With the perfect spinning dress.

2013 spring blizzard

The snow began this last Monday night and we had to cancel our high school bible study.

The snow continued Tuesday, yesterday, and they cancelled school. Except our kids are homeschooled so they didn't get out of anything. They did play outside in the snow with daddy a couple times though. I think this was the first shoveling of the back deck for the day. 

The snow blew off the roof, making it drift onto the back deck.

We got 16 inches that first day but this picture makes it look like so small an amount compared to what we ended with today.

This pile was much bigger the next day. Evie is a snow playing fool. She does better out there than both of her brothers.

Noah and Evie chillin on the back deck drift. Samuel was not allowed out since it was too cold and pregnant mama didn't want to have to deal with the crying.

Daddy even shoveled the trampoline. He also shoveled the driveway and sidewalk twice.

 Day 2 snow day! It continued to snow throughout the night putting our total up to 25 inches! They cancelled school again but still our kiddies had to do school at home because their teacher is totally mean. But it always help to have the option to play in snow for recess and the kids were so excited to go out again. Daddy had to dig out a path for them to walk in (mostly for Samuel and Snap's benefit).

Samuel was a little afraid in the snow channels. He got a face pull of snow when he fell and didn't last long outside.

Daddy shoveled the slide shut and the kids had fun wriggling through it as if they were being born. Noah liked to come out breech.

Evie came out headfirst.

The sun came out just before breakfast, then clouded up and snowed lightly for part of the afternoon and then finally cleared up again. Since it was so nice, I sent the kids out again. Samuel handled it much better this time around.

Here's the pile off the back deck. Noah and Evie packed it down so well that Samuel could climb up it and slide or walk back down the other side. It's gotta be as tall as Evie.

Poor Evie is always forced to wrestle.

welcome spring

Here is Snap enjoying last week's 70 degree spring weather 

Here is Snap enjoying our spring blizzard of 25 inches of snow. Poor dog. He goes out under the deck and then under the trampoline to do his business and when he comes back in he has to lick all the matted snow off his legs.