Easter Fun!

We were so lucky to be invited to an Easter Egg Hunt at the home of some great people in our ward. What a fun way for a lot of young families "away from family" to get to make memories together! After the egg hunt we did a lot of playing outside and then decorated eggs. We brought rubber bands, a glue gun, rhinestones to "Be-Dazzle", etc. to kick it up a notch. I think our kids are such fun ages to do a day like this and have it just feel magical!

Hello Again!

Since my last blog post, our family has bought a home, moved into the home, had Spring Break, and yesterday was Elizabeth's 2nd birthday!  What a time for us!  But, such a happy time!

Two cute pictures to get us going again...
Nathan made Elizabeth a present for her birthday.  A bracelet our of elastic cording and "pony beads".  Then, he spent a long time wrapping it himself.  (We found out during the unwrapping that was in part because he'd decided to help it be sturdy for the wrapping he'd cover the whole bracelet in masking tape before applying the wrapping paper.)  =)   

Joshua has been sad for days that Elizabeth is turning 2.  When I asked him why, he said he just doesn't want her to change.  =)  I think we all share the sentiment.  So grateful she's our girl.  (And that we've got such tender-hearted boys!) 

Joshua's Field Trip to the Fire Station

Joshua's preschool went on a trip to the Fire Station.  This is Joshua with his best preschool friend, Drew.

 

Holding the hose...

 

Sitting in the fire truck...

They even had a "smoke house" where, when it got smokey, you practiced crawling to the window and climbing out by ladder.  

Play Date Spring Break

Spring Break followed right on the heels of our move.  We called it our "Play Date Spring Break".  I treasure the years when this kind of Spring Break still counts as "totally awesome"!  =)


We did projects...

And, had friends come to play. 

 

I just love this picture of Joshua helping his friend Addison take his shoes and socks off. 

Plenty of Nerf Gun Wars...

And playing at the park (even though you can tell it still required mittens)!

 

Even some friends came to visit from "out of town"! 

 

Just kind of fun to have a week to settle in and enjoy our new space!

Our New Home

The last week of January, we were looking at homes in the area and saw one on a street we had never considered before.  When we saw the neighborhood and the inside we loved it!  But, by 5 p.m. that evening the owners had already accepted an offer.  On February 3rd, Greg saw a posting for another home on the same street go up.  There was only an exterior picture and virtually no other information given, but we knew from our experience with the last house that this one was we wanted to see soon!  That night we went and saw it...and made an offer.  We were amazed at how this home had the things on our "need" list, and even a few of our "wants" too.  Now we're excited to...little by little...make the home our own.   

We're still living in the same town and ward.  But, Nathan and Joshua will transfer to a different elementary school (just down the sidewalk from us) this fall.

We closed on the home on March 10th, cleaned the carpets, purchased and had a fridge delivered, etc. later that day and the next, and moved in on Saturday, March 12th.  My mom arrived on Monday, March 14th to help us unpack and recover! 

My mom and I cleaned and even removed some wallpaper.  Unpacking could have taken weeks, but with my Mom here we were out of boxes in a week!  I always say that a home doesn't feel like a home until your parents have come to visit.  Meant a lot to have a Mom here to share our new excitement!

 

One of the greatest perks of the house in Nathan and Joshua's eyes' is the tree out front.  Nathan on his own, and Joshua with a step stool and hang on and swing from the lowest branch.  The simple joys!  We've got plans for building a "spy perch" inside the branches, because it is next to the sidewalk coming up to the front door.

One day the week of moving in we had a "drive-in movie" where the kids decorated their own box "cars" and then sat in them to watch the show.

Walking through our new neighborhood.

Big perk #2...a much larger canvas for sidewalk chalk! 

Snow Days

Watching the snow.  (Yes...in her Halloween costume dress.  She has gone for days wearing it until we peel it off her crying body to wash and put it back on again.  It's pretty fun to have a girl that likes to be girly.)

Playing together

A Geo-Trax track (train set we play with almost daily...still after having it for 5 years!), Imaginext guys as passengers, snack food as freight, and the latest excitement from Nathan's birthday--Ninjago lego spinners going on the plate in the middle for the passengers to watch.  I just love when these three get imagining together!

Nathan's Birthday

We can hardly believe we've got a boy that's 7 years old!  We've decided to try doing a bigger "friend" party every other year.  So...this is our first attempt at doing a more "low key" birthday occasion.  (Please note "low key" in parenthesis.)  Nathan is our great anticipator, and for many days before his birthday he woke up at 5 or 5:30 a.m. with excitement and ideas and questions.  What a long wait for all of us for the day to finally come!

Nathan's birthday landed on a day with no school (term had just ended).  So, we decided to have a "play date".  Two friends and some younger siblings and a new set of Nerf guns made for a great time for everyone!

Daddy even dropped by with some Little Ceasar's for lunch!

Even the "little sister" got in on the Nerf action.

Greg also pulled off another amazing cake!  Nathan has totally locked on to "U of M" in the last few months.  So, his cake, napkins, and even crepe paper had to "represent".

That evening we had a dinner with our family.  Since Chinese New Year was only a few days away, Nathan wanted to "do Chinese" for his birthday dinner.

I didn't do a very good job of picture-taking.  But, for the occasion we:

• made Chinese lanterns,
• made placemats from black posterboard...and glued onto them the Chinese Zodiac Animals and their descriptions.  (My favorite part of Chinese restaurants where you find out what animal you are based on what year you were born.)
• Nathan worked very hard to create a Chinese dragon using this idea/pattern from Family Fun.
• Each child got a "Red Envelope" with $1.06 inside to spend at the Dollar Store.
• We made some of the dinner...and splurged a little on our favorite Honey-Seared Chicken from Pei-Wei.
• With a few decorations my parents brought home from their mission in Malaysia, some chopsticks, and fortune cookies from the grocery store...it felt like a real celebration!

Last year we played a really cute game at our friend's house for a birthday.  It's simple, with homemade cards, but a cute way to focus on the "birthday child" by guessing their "favorites" of various things, or other important facts about them.  We borrowed the game this year and had a great time playing it after dinner.  I'm in the process of creating our own set...hopefully I'll share it when it's done!  Thanks Cindy! 

Fire and Ice Festival

A favorite of ours...a free annual event in our downtown.

Had a great time strolling the streets...

Checking out the ice sculptures.  (Each store in town sponsors one.)  

Joshua with Buzz Lightyear

Nathan with Super Mario.

Stopped at the "warming station" for hot chocolate...

And making s'mores! 

Love Notes

One fun Valentine tradition we have involves the little mailboxes you can find at Target in the dollar section.  With one for each family member, a stack of 3 X 5 cards and some Valentine stickers, the Nathan and Joshua have a great time writing and sending notes.  And, especially love finding their own mailbox with the flag up!  This year at a party store in town I found a great variety of candy "open stock candy" 15 for $1 and other little "favors" 5 for $1.  (It's nice to be able to get a variety without having to buy a whole bag of something at the dollar store.)  So, I'm planning to have one little note or treat from me waiting in their mailboxes for them after school/nap time each day until Valentine's. 

A Sewing Attempt

I was totally inspired by a tutorial here.  And, by the fact that Elizabeth loves her "so pretty" Halloween costume dress so much she wears it most days right now.  It's finally been time to give sewing something "girly" a try!  (Elizabeth was too busy dancing to pose for the picture.)

This skirt has two layers.  One that is just a Valentines cotton print, and underneath a layer of tulle with black ribbon around the bottom.  Maybe next time I'll get more daring with more layers and more trims, but it's a fun start!  Mostly it's fun for me to take a little time to remember that I used to craft and sew!

(When Elizabeth wouldn't pose for the picture...Nathan and Joshua volunteered to show her how.)