Sun, Swimming & Happy Birthday Nate!

We've had a few sunny days lately, and Henry has been antsy to enjoy every bit of the sunshine. Grandma Debbie came over and they had fun blowing bubbles & drawing on the sidewalk. . .



And today was Nate's birthday! He had another sunny day, lunch at Chipotle, swimming with Owen (his 1st lesson!!) and of course cake. Considering his birthday is in tax season (and often overlooked for fun activities), I think he had a pretty good birthday celebration. Happy Birthday Nate!

Owen really loved his swimming lessons and did such a wonderful job. Henry's 1st lesson (in almost a year) is on Sunday and he can't wait. He was quite jealous of Owen's lessons tonight, but enjoyed his alone time with Grandma Connie & Grandpa Gary. They are here this week to watch the boys during Spring Break, and the boys have been having a ton of fun with them. Apparently we've been too busy to take pictures, so I'll have to get on that!

Owen's swimming lessons . . .















And Nate's birthday celebration . . .


Henry picked out the Muppet Movie for Daddy's present







After cake was served, Henry took a big bite and said, "Daddy, thank you for your birthday!" Well said, Henry, well said.

Snow . . . again . . .

After scraping the snow off my car yesterday morning, I wondered if that was the last snow for the season. The heavy snow falling that evening and the 4 inches of snow I woke up to this morning, told me winter wasn't quite done yet. Now, while outwardly, I might be saying, "No! Stop snowing! It's spring!!", the little girl inside me can't help but feel giddy anytime I see snow. It is just so beautiful and bright and puts an instant smile on my face. So, needless to say, pictures were taken this morning. (And for those sick of seeing the same view of the snow from my back deck, please send your complaints to Mother Nature, care of: It's Springtime Already!).






I wonder if those daffodils will manage to bloom after all these frosty mornings?




Most of the snow had melted by the time we got home, but that didn't stop Henry from playing in what little was left.



Then it was back inside for a gourmet meal of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. And for the record, Owen loved his, but really this was just a chance for me to play with my camera in low light situations.

Weekend Fun

I had quite a busy and fun weekend and Nate was nice enough to support all my kid-free activities. I spent Friday night assembling Dream Dinners for our freezer (do I know how to party or what?), I was able to have a Girl's Night on Saturday (we made it all the way until 10pm!), and on Sunday I had another photography workshop. And in between all these activities, I made sure to fit in as much time with the boys (and Nate) as possible.

I was super excited for Girl's Night Out at the Spaghetti Factory. I met up with Deanna, Ty & Heidi (who was in Portland for a quick trip). Needless to say, our conversation drifted many times to our kids, but it was still nice to have some adult conversation without mopping up spills, keeping 2 year-olds in their seats and entertaining babies. (Not that I wasn't looking forward to some morning snuggles from Henry & Owen after they woke up!)



On Sunday morning, we headed out to the Tapp's house to visit and check out all their chickens, pheasants & quail. Henry loved it, although he kept saying, "Mommy, I don't want the chickens to bite me" as he kept a safe distance from the coups. Owen seemed to be enjoying himself and taking it all in, until a rooster's crow (who was appropriately named Hercules - that thing was huge!) scared him into tears. With lots of snuggles and a bit of distance, he was much happier.





Henry even helped Uncle James gather a few eggs from one of the pens.



On Sunday evening, I learned a ton at the manual mode workshop and now I just need to take the time to practice with my camera. Unfortunately by the time we made it out duing the workshop, it was getting pretty dark, but I snapped a few pictures and played with the different settings. I still have a long way to go, but I'm determined to stick with it!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Snow Day

As I watched it snow last night, I soaked it all in because I figured it would be gone by morning. I was shocked when I woke up and looked out the window to about 4 inches of snow and it was still coming down.



The roads were clear, so the boys headed to school and we headed to work. I was again surprised when we came home and there was still quite a bit of snow left. Henry stomped in snow piles and made snowballs with his bare hands in the driveway. It took quite a bit of convincing to get him to dress a bit warmer and head out to the back deck. Henry dug in the snow and built a snowman with Daddy while Tilly rolled around in all the wet snow.























Eventually as the sun was going down we bribed Henry back inside with a warm cup of hot chocolate.





Even though I am still looking forward to spring flowers and sunnier days, the snow and memories were a very pleasant surprise.