"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:7-8

Friday, March 30, 2012

Troopers

I have to say that these 5 kiddos (my three boys and two nieces) have been such troopers. Every day after we complete school, we've been getting them set up playing and then focusing our attention on unpacking and setting up house at Grammy and Poppy's. They have been cheerful and creative. There has certainly been the usual sibling bickering and conflict from my three, but overall they've held up well under the circumstances. We have some fun outings planned for next week when we take our spring break. Yippee!!! 

A diaper change on the packing paper. Pretty in pink!

They made some homes from the empty boxes and kept busy for a LONG time!

So thankful for great weather.

Enjoying Grammy and Poppy's stash of legos from when my brothers and I were kids. 

Love her quick smiles!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Irish Festival

We took a day of rest from working with Grammy and Poppy last Sunday and attended the Irish Festival. It was terrible weather (cold and rainy) for such an outing, but we made the best of it. 

I LOVE bagpipes music!

 
The kids were mesmerized watching the Irish dancing. 


There was a bounce play area that was fun for the kids. 


And they even got to climb up in a fire truck. 

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Oh Canada!

Last Thursday, we welcomed my brother, sister-in-law and their two girls from Canada. 
They came to visit and help get Grammy and Poppy settled. 
We are so excited to have them here and staying with us. 


This seven month old is such a sweet heart! I'm getting my baby fix. :)


 We continue to spend a lot of time at Grammy and Poppy's after we 
complete our school work helping them to get unpacked and settled. 
Here are some happy boys entertaining themselves on the front porch.
My niece is four years old and loves to make flower (weed) bouquets. 
We are loving having two little girls to add to all the boy craziness around here. 

These two are becoming such buddies!

 comparing foot sizes
 tickling toes
playing house under the coffee table

Little Girl?

I think it's safe to post this photo since Aaron is still only 3. :) In anticipation of his girl cousins arrival last week, he decided to dress up as a little girl. Doesn't he make a cute one?

Monday, March 26, 2012

Moving Week for Grammy & Poppy!

We've been busy around here! Last Tuesday, Grammy and Poppy arrived with almost all their belongings at their new house. It's only 20 minutes away from us and we are so excited. 
 We had the keys to the house, so I surprised them with some welcoming flowers. 
The boys and I got there first and had a picnic on the 
front porch while we watched for the moving trucks. 

I was glad I brought the boys bikes to keep them busy while we waited. 
They LOVED riding down the quiet street to the culdesac. 

Here comes the first of two moving trucks. The boys were jumping up and down and waving. 

I cannot say enough how awesome these movers were. 
So friendly, happy and such good team work. 

First dinner in the new house. (We had greek meatloaf, roasted potatoes, asparagus and tossed salad.) We were surrounded by boxes, but it was so nice to sit and enjoy a nice meal together. 

View from my parents deck. I love the privacy. 
We were back again to help on Wednesday afternoon. 

The boys found this funny decoration and decided to wear it as a costume. So funny!

I was so pleased and thankful for the boys being so cooperative while I helped unpack. 
They rode bikes, read books, played with legos and helped as best they could. 


Praise be to God for all the wonderful little blessings for my parents as they are getting settled. Their neighbors have been so friendly and helpful. How perfect that the neighbor across the street is a similar age as my mom and plays bridge?! (My mom loves to play bridge.) How perfect that the man next door is a similar age as my dad and loves to go biking?! (My dad loves to bike.) I think this is no accident, but God's encouragement that this is where they are supposed to be. 
Makes my heart so happy!

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Volcano Explosion

For Ethan's My Father's World Kindergarten curriculum we recently finished our letter "Rr" week. The theme was rocks and the Bible theme was "I listen and obey. I build my life on the Rock." It was a great week! At the conclusion of the week we did a science project with volcanoes. After reading several books on the topic, Ethan made a volcano.
We used brown play dough and a recycled jar. 


So cute!! Even though we've done this experiment before they were super excited!
(And yes, that is our tacky tarp covering the huge sandbox.)
Put some baking soda and red food coloring in the volcano, add vinegar and watch it blow. 

You can't do it just once, right?

Friday, March 16, 2012

Flashback Friday

I loved finding that old picture last Friday so I think I might make it a habit. 
Check out this spirited little guy!
Luke 2 1/2 months

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Exercise

Okay... so I've been told that I'm obsessed with exercise. However, I have learned that the three little boys in my charge do SO MUCH BETTER if I am intentional in providing them opportunities to get exercise. They sleep better. They are less wild inside and they are generally more happy. Just sending them outside does not guarantee they'll get exercise, unfortunately. I usually need to take them for a hike, bike ride, plan outdoor games, play tag with them or something of that nature. Otherwise, they'll just sit and dig in the dirt or sandbox. (I'm not discounting the importance of digging time... but I try to make time for both. One of the huge benefits of homeschooling.)

The other day after having running races in the back yard, Aaron remarked, "We got really good exercise today Mommy." Oh boy... I need to get a jar going to save for the counseling they'll need some day. :)

A recent trip to a nearby park. Luke on his bike and Aaron running to catch him.

Because of the terrain of the trail, I had to convince Aaron to leave his bike home. 
The gravel would be too hard with his training wheels. He was such a trooper and 
ran almost the entire way to keep up, or as seen in this picture take the lead.

We are loving these beautiful spring/summer like days in March!

Notice the little brown football in Aaron's right hand?
He MUST have a ball with him at all times. :)

See the orange and blue/red in the distance? That's Luke and Ethan up ahead on their bikes. Aaron and I ran like crazy to catch up. Thankfully I could see them in their bright colors. 

I love these three little guys! (maybe not so little any more??) 
And yes, keeping the helmet on while climbing 
on the tall structures helps this momma breathe a little easier.