Sure, we went to the beach on spring break...

There was water, sand, blue sky and 75 sunny degrees.

There was even a man stretched out in nothing but a Speedo. I tried to divert their attention when I first saw him but it was too late and too much of a shock. When one of the brothers started to laugh, little sister scolded him and said "stop laughin', he's takin' a tan!"

More importantly, I think winter is over.

Actually, I did hear on the radio this afternoon that it is the first time in one hundred years that Minnesota has not had snow in March.

Well then aren't we blessed; being that it's our first March in Minnesota.

So Daddy told us about this park he passed the other day. You should take the kids, he said.

So we went,



and for a few balmy hours felt like we were at the beach.

That is, until you looked straight across the lake
{there were people still skiing down that mountain}

We were giddy

And we were serious..about playin' some ball

Feast your eyes on these moments of sibling love

Their choice of beach activity certainly fit their personalities. This one spent most of the time throwing rocks as far as he could

And this one decided these could be taken home to "make something". I tried to talk her out of it, saying that they would stink but she didn't believe me. They are currently drying out on the deck.

This one also shared some personal thoughts with me that I'll treasure forever.

Most importantly, a certain posthumous catfish recieved a burial and funeral fit for a king.

It was quite the process. They kept taking him back into the water to wash the sand off so they could bury him "clean"....in the sand.

It was a bit frustrating since everytime they dropped him he looked like he was lightly breaded and ready for the grill.

There was a moment of silence and then it was back to the fun

It was a good day for all, and God is good

Six?

No way. I mean, I just had her! If I thought eleven years went fast than our baby girl went from zero to six in 60 seconds it seems. .

{Don't forget to pause the music to the lower left!}

In the video she's learning that she's getting her first bike today. Daddy's actually putting it together right now.

So, just like with our boy who turned eleven two days ago, let me share a little update on our little lady now that she's six.
The following are just a few of her art pieces. It seems every day she sees something in her ordinary surroundings that she's believes can be art if she just tinkers with it a little.

This was a bottle cap she found in the field while walking the dog. It later became a leprechaun's pot when she colored and cut out tiny pieces of gold.
She came up with these "robot legs' during the Superbowl

Meatball Snowman

Can you tell what she made here?

I thought it was a deer when she showed me, but she said- "no mom, it's a mouse"
She surprised us with this on Valentine's Day out of things in her "make-over" box.

I have to confess I wasn't so crazy about this one, especially since it was after her bath.

And this was what she made for herself one day without asking first. These are the kind of sundaes I should be eating.

And this? Well, sometimes I'm her palette.

She even takes her own pictures. Her dolls are mostly her models.Happy 6th birthday baby girl, we love you and are so proud of you!

Sit back, relax and check out some great

Sunday Snapshots at Ni Hao Y'all!

He's 11 Years Old Now.......

Be sure to pause the music on the lower left before playing the video!

....and I just can't believe it. It's not just that his feet are gettin' bigger and his appetite is gettin' bigger; it's just that he's so grown up. I know you've heard the phrase - where did the time go - well I know where it went. Warp Speed I'm tellin' ya.

This kid amazes us and frustrates us everyday. When I was telling his teacher what school district he'd be in next year he said that they had an outstanding debate program. Well now that's convenient considering debating his parents is what he does best.

Above he's reciting the Gettysburg Address. His teacher offered to give anybody extra credit if they memorized it; he was the only one. Of course that was two weeks ago. Momma was a little late getting it on video.

So now on his eleventh birthday here's a little update on our oldest-

Loves the Civil War, Jesus, mashed potatoes and the color blue.

Hates getting a shower, getting up in the morning and Miley Cyrus.

Has a fear of heights and getting fired.

Wants to be a 5 star general , a historian or a 5 star historian.

Can't get enough cheese.

His favorite season is fall and his best friend is Zak.

Happy 11th birthday baby. Mom and dad love you more than anything.

Last Weekend...

...my 10 year old and I traveled many miles to see this lady, his Great Great Aunt going on 97. It was a crazy trip. We flew in to Cleveland and drove an hour and a half to the nursing home.

It was totally worth it.

This is Steve. She calls him "her boy" and according to the other nurses, she will only walk for Steve.

He has the patience of Job, I tell ya- a very compassionate young man. She is to try to walk once a day, but if it's Steve's day off- there ain't gonna be no walkin'.

She may be very old, but she still has her preferences. Especially when I offered to paint her nails.

Four bottles later we found the right shade and she was very pleased. As the visit wore on she offered for me to paint the nails of her roommate and several other residents.

We organized her area for her. She had a lot of stuff packed in a very little space. It was difficult for her to find what she needed and even reach it. This just happens to be her second drawer of favorites that she shares with another resident that wheels down to visit every once in awhile.


A cheap little desk organizer from WalMart now keeps all her treasures handy


And yet her phone and knitting are what she keeps the closest.


My son amazed me with his patience and compassion. He drew pictures for resident's doors, played his trumpet and sat for hours just talking and telling stories.



He made quick friends with Alverta. Having Alzheimer's, she walks the hallway looking for her room and he would escort her back a few times. The night we left she told him she was cold so he walked her back and covered her up with a blanket.


Wow, where'd that come from??

In all we were able to spend about 15 hours together......

....and even though we were bumped off 5 flights and ended up renting a car and driving 13 hours to get home in time for work and school......

It was totally worth it.