March Miscellaneous

March has been a dream this year - in fact, it may have become my new favorite month.  Luckily, Spring arrived early and we have had unseasonably warm days with plenty of sunshine.  After a long and bleak winter, it has been such a blessing and nearly everything has seemed brighter and better.  

The kids were clearly excited about their lunch...

Or maybe it was just the rootbeer

Carrots dipped in ranch is a new favorite.  

Crazy hair in the bath has reached a new height for Rapunzel (Ruby)

Warm weather means running outdoors and for me, that means the river trail.  I often seen bird watchers and wonder exactly what they are there to see.  I've been told they are often looking for eagles.  I got lucky and for two Saturdays in a row I didn't need binoculars or anything to do my own observing.  The first week I saw a very large eagle, he was kind enough to sit still for a long time so I had plenty of time to observe.  The next week I saw a different eagle, smaller and in flight.  There wasn't much time to observe him flying, but about 1/2 mile later I found him perched in a tree as well.  They are so majestic, I have seen lots of nests over the year, but never an eagle so I felt lucky.

Even without the eagles, the views are pretty amazing.

Tim and Taylor have enjoyed plenty of quality bonding

Soaking up the sun

The kids decided that they wanted to go "camping" and have a "sleepover" in the living room.  They practiced on the futon, then convinced Tim to bring up a full mattress and make a bed for everyone. They were so excited about their big adventure.  Within about a half hour of settling down for bed, Ruby decided that she wanted to go back and sleep in her own bed.  Tim and Luke actually stayed all night and said that they slept great.  

Park days are the best day!

She dressed herself and said that she was ready to go shopping

This time her plans were first, sledding, and then shopping.

Erika started working at Brooks (the shoe company) and loves it.  We especially love all of the swag that she sent our way.  The sunglasses have been a total favorite of the kids. 

Remember those outdoor runs....one Saturday morning Tim and the kids decided to join me.  Luke really wanted to ride his bike and to be honest I thought he would get tired too quickly, but he was amazing.  Tim ran along side of Luke and I pushed Ruby.  Tim and kids headed home a few miles before I did, but Luke ended up riding a total of 5 miles which I thought was fantastic for his little legs.  Ruby was the perfect companion and cheerleader for me.  As I ran, I noticed how slow I was (pushing the jogger is tough), and thought how much my training has changed over the years.  My running may have suffered, but I realized how blessed I was to have Tim, Luke and Ruby and to bring my little slice of heaven along with me on my morning run.  

Watching them sleep is one of my favorites

Happy Birthday Dad/Grandpa

We are so lucky to have him, we loved celebrating with dinner.

The Fast and the Furious

Springtime means that we can go back to Thanksgiving Point farms.  The kids were so excited to ride the horses and spent the entire time in line picking out the perfect pony.  After a wagon ride, we had a great time visiting all the rest of the animals and seeing how they fared over the winter. 

Luke loved the turkeys.

I begged them for one good photo for St. Patrick's Day,

Sadly, most looked something like this.

The trampoline and Ruby's hair are always a great combination.

There is no way to explain this one.....

Best buddies after their St. Patrick's Day party at pre-school.  Nearly every day Luke wakes up and wants to know if he can play with Drake.  Sometimes they have a few bumps - and have to work to negotiate who is the boss - but overall they are such good little friends and it is fun to watch them together.

The snow is melting quickly, but Tim and Brycen still got one last shot at spring skiing.

Fort building at its finest.

Ruby and I had a "girls date" and got to celebrate the upcoming birth of Lacey's baby boy.  She doesn't look particularly happy in this shot, but she loved being a part of the party.

The "biggest tower ever".

Sunday style with a healthy side of attitude.  

This little one adores her big brother.

After days of preparations, we had a birthday party for Blankie and Panda

Seriously, these babies are growing up before my very eyes.  It has become nearly impossible to keep them in clothes and pajamas that fit.  They thought this was the perfect solution to jammers that are too short.  They now love to wear their slippers and their "protectors" arm bands.

We spent the afternoon with Kristina and her new babies.  Luke was fascinated by how small they both were and wanted to help hold and feed Miss Tilley.  Both he and Ruby kept peeking in on the babies and wanted to know all about how they ate and where they slept.  

Regina Spektor in concert....she was amazing!