Monday, April 22, 2013

Happy Birthday Daddy!


It's been a spring of birthdays at our house!

Yesterday, our dear hubby and daddy turned the big 30. :)
He enjoyed a simple, but he what he proclaimed a "delightful", birthday celebration.

Thank you, honey, for being such a fabulous husband and daddy.
You are a faithful provider, an exciting teacher, and endlessly patient "jungle gym."
We are so grateful you know how fix or make anything
and are willing to keep fixing and fixing, so that we can have fun and learn.
Thank you for your energy and creativity, your patience, and your affection...
we love you so much!
Happy 30th birthday!!

Saturday night he partied with his kiddos and pets :)

A new tie chain

Serving Daddy a fancy breakfast with candles in the toast :)



He said it was better than cake any day  :)

The kids gave him a monkey birthday card and he teased them that it was them on the card...

...so Miles served him a banana with candles.  ;)

Celene's Art


Some example of my talented little artist...
using sidewalk chalk as her medium of choice. :)
It's a "fancy caterpillar."
I'm so impressed by her creativity!



Happy Birthday Celene!


I can hardly believe my little girl has been 5 times around the sun!

Wow, has time flew by. 
As always, for me anyways, when one of my children celebrates another birthday,
I can't help but reflect on their lives. 
How much can I remember?
How (so very) much did I forget?

This one, especially, lives life to her own tune. 
She is strong-willed, determined, responsible, and self-motivated.
She's the one that starts and directs the imaginative games that all of the kids play.
She isn't very feminine...she's physically strong and still figuring out how to control herself so to not bully her way through life. :)
She's very artistic...coloring, cutting, painting, crafts, and all manner of original artistic ideas come easily to her.
She also loves animals. She seems to have a special communication with them...including her pet cats and chickens. 
She saves all bugs that find their way into our house...including box-elder bugs and ladybugs...and puts them into a jar with holes poked in the top. 
She faithfully serves them cereal and leaves and puts them in a windowsill, where they promptly bake in the sun.  ;)
She finds endless frogs and toads and carries them around all day. 
She would happily bring them into bed with her at night if Mama let her.
She loves the swings and sand and beaches. 
She loves pretty, bright-colored clothes, and is very careful that they "match." 
She loves sparkles and lights and bubbles and chalk. 
She loves picnics and bonfires and fishing with Daddy. 
She loves camping and visiting her cousins and playing with Sulli. 
Her favorite person in the whole world is Miles.

Happy Birthday my big girl! We love you so much!

We had fun making her birthday banner with fabric scraps, glue, and twine.


She enjoyed a party with her favorite peeps...Miles, Hannah, Erin, Alyssa, and Mitchell. :)


Receiving her favorite gifts...tackle box, fishing tackle, and fishing rod, while sitting in her new camp chair.  :)

Sewing


Last week I decided to challenge my natural aversions and try to make 
Celene a skirt with some abandoned fabric that's been laying around for a few years, lol!

I used the "circle skirt" directions that can be found anywhere on the Internet.

It turned out cute! She loves the "twirl factor" and the ladybugs, of course.

I'm so glad...it's success gave me a little self-confidence boost and I just might try another sewing project...soon. Maybe.  ;)




Thursday, April 4, 2013

Colored Eggs


Can you believe I've never colored eggs before?!

And that I've never even thought of doing it?

Nonetheless, I'm so grateful for my kids who came up with the idea AND told me how to do it.
And they wouldn't take my "I don't know how!" excuses.

So, without further ado, we promptly made little masterpieces in our kitchen this morning, before even getting out of our pajamas.

WHAT FUN IT WAS!!!

We are definitely not waiting until next Easter to do this again!








Monday, April 1, 2013

Family


Family...what a blessing!

We were privileged to spend a day enjoying the love, fun, and camaraderie
 that can only be found within the ties of familial love yesterday.


Our best attempt at the "Easter outfit picture"

Nothing like baby love




Celebrating Celene's birthday with cousin Elise a few weeks early