Ahhhh....Spring!

I couldn't resist posting this one of Sam and his big grin (from March). These were some books he got for his birthday. Thanks Uncle Roj and Aunt Reena!

At GG and Gampy's for Easter; so excited no one could sit still! 

We had a yummy lunch on the grill and enjoyed a fire and great company (and a little bit of candy:).

We made a treasure hunt for the kids at Grandpa Jer and Grandma Lo's house. 

The kids did great finding their eggs, and got to choose some prizes from a treasure basket in the end.

Puzzles, stickers and candy, oh my!

Someone else picked these, but Leila didn't want to give them up. Stylin girl!

Lou loves anything she can accessorize with. These flip flops with pink bows were a huge hit.

Lickin the plate clean.

Can I have more please?!

Gretta spent a night in the hospital getting fluids after a bad case of the flu. 

The nurses were so nice, and Gretta even got to bring home that green pillow another child made.

A Movie-watching crew captivated by Madagascar (at least four out of five).

A bit out of order...Here are the boys at an easter egg hunt we went to which happened to have a fire truck parked in the lot. Smile :)

Gretta gave this to me just after I was wondering if the kids were retaining anything 

 I had been teaching them on the piano. The Lord's timing is perfect!

Here is Amy modeling Great Grandma's wedding dress (that Grandma made for her own wedding!) at a fund raising event earlier this month. So pretty!

Dancing the day away.

An evening at a fundraising event for an area Christian School proved to be probably one of our top five most unique dates, not to mention it was held at a former Packer player's home :)

Tri County Gym offers open gym where the kids can run around, jump on trampolines and try out the uneven bars. Afterwards, we're all tired out and enjoying lunch with friends! The boys look pretty out numbered here.

And finally...a family bike ride to the park with four littles, three water bottles, two burlees, and one very sad girl who wants to get off of the teeter-totter. 

"Just smile for the camera on three....one...two...." - Mom

Happy (almost) Easter!

Happy Birthday Sammy!! He is FIVE today. I can hardly believe it. Sammy LOVES sports and Star Wars. What a combo! He is fun-loving and adventurous, & always offering a helping hand.

We love you Sam and are so thankful for how God made you!!

The three stooges at swimming lessons. We have quite the routine down for Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Leila and I sit and watch, eat a snack, and draw, while these little fish learn the front crawl.

"Mom! Watch how I can swim under water!"

My mom and the girls and I brought Granny to the airport in Chicago, and stopped at Granny's favorite mall along the way, Gurnee Mills. She used to live just a couple of miles from this mall, and has made lots of friends while she and her sister walked laps. We had a blast!

These two are both first-borns and good friends. They are a lot alike :) 

Silas was a bit nervous  excited for his first dentist appointment; hence, the towel. He did really well! He has twenty teeth and is proud of it. He also has a bite that will need correction in the future. Oye :)

Sweet dreams, little one!

The last couple of days have given me a glimpse of what the next couple of months will be like....bikes, balls and walks, oh my! These kids would play outside 24/7 if we let them. So thankful for spring!

Hee-Ya!

This is Leila's latest lesson from the boys on how to be a super hero. Hee-Ya!

"Mom, how do these look?!"

Getting ready to cut some hearts out...

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year I finally was able to join my mother in law along with other great relatives at the Ostoff Resort for the annual Women's Celebrate Retreat. We had a blast! The picture above is a collage of some clay pieces our class designed.

We have these candles that turn on, and no joke, every time I come into our room, I find them on. This time I found the culprit behind the candle :)

Making homemade pizza...yum!

We saw an episode of Cooks Country on tv and had to try this recipe for fried fish and chips. Besides the house smelling like fried fish for a few weeks after, we'd definitely make this one again. 

All three older kids have swim lessons together. It brings joy to my heart to see Silas holding on to the kickboard and not the teacher. He's never done that for me!

Leia drew a picture of Gretta, and Gretta drew a picture of Leia.

Do you have recipe burn-out? Just check the side of the saltine box. That's where we found this winner- italian sausage & tomato soup. It was delicious!

I found Silas fast asleep on the living room floor. Someone else found him too...

...and he didn't even wake up from her love taps!

I confess, I totally checked the bed for cray-pa marks before I looked in detail at Gretta's latest creation..our family! Next time, the fridge might be a better choice!

The kids have been sledding down this teeny tiny hill on that green saucer right outside of our kitchen window. They love playing in the snow!!

What is this, you might wonder. It is our first batch of home-made yogurt! I could hardly believe it turned out. We can add whatever ingredients we want; it's a big hit around here!

January 2013

January was a full month, the pictures hardly describe it! The kids had a really fun time with both grandparents one weekend, & Tim had a trip to Florence ice fishing another. Here are a few other odds and ends from the month...

 The kids were so excited Tim took these icicles off the roof...some icicles stood taller than they did!

 Before the seats are taken...

And the artists at work...

 One picture of a really fun weekend with my friend Ashley...a trip to Milwaukee, lots of shopping, rest, reading & chatting! One of my favorite Christmas gifts, thanks to our hubbys!

Gretta's outfit from our trip to Milwaukee. The whole outfit=less than $15! We found some bargains!

 We started doing mail ordering for Gretta's supplies. It is such a blessing to get 90 days worth of supplies right to our door!

Gretta's one year check up.

 Leila's hanging out on the steps just waiting to get her picture taken.

And finally, a sweet treat from some friends to cheer up Tim during a rough couple of days with a bad virus. The cookies were yummy!