Speedy's Not - anymore...

Yesterday we noticed that our favorite chicken Speedy was not feeling well.  She is the lone survivor from our original batch of chicks that we got in May of 2010.  She is the most tame and friendly of the four chickens that we own.  This morning we awoke to discover that our little Speedy has passed.  Here are some of our sweet memories of our fine feathered friend.

Tree Trimming Fun

We had a great evening decorating our Christmas tree. We always give the kids a new pair of jammies and a new ornament on the night we decorate the tree. Tonight they had a great time squishing Steve. Aren't they cute?

Beaver Believers

Happy Halloween!

Monsters

Three of them. Yep. Two Lakeweed Monsters and one bona fide Sand Monster. These rare species were discovered in Central Oregon at East Lake.

Say Cheese!

I sure do love these guys!

The Kids at East Lake

Here are some photos of our annual trip to East Lake. Yes, I'm a little late in posting! We actually left a month ago! Well, they are just too fun not to share - even late. We've been going since Joel was 15 months old, and each year we get a picture of the kids on the truck. It is a permanent fixture there.







Each morning Steve took the kids out fishing. By himself. So fun for them! (So good for me!) They caught a lot of fish this year.







Kaylee had the pleasure of catching the first fish for the kids. That equaled one big smile!
Jacob got to real in a fish for the first time. Joel is quite a fisherman. He just loves being out there with Steve! He loves to catch fish, but just the adventure of going is satisfying for him too.

This was from the kids' last trip out fishing. Several fish were too injured to throw back so the got to bring them home. They were very proud.






On our final night we allowed the kids to re-kindle an old tradition called "fireworks." This game consists, basically, of throwing dirt in the air. Well, they had a lovely time - but were barely recognizable at the end. I'm sure they will tell you that it was the perfect way to end the week. :-)

Easter Sunday

Mommy and Kaylee
It was a great pleasure making this darling cherry dress for Kaylee. I selected the pattern and we chose the fabric together to go with some darling red patent leather sandals that we had fallen in love with. My sewing skills are improving and there wasn't anything I would have changed about how the dress turned out!
Jacob, Kaylee & Joel
What great kiddles we have! They all looked so cute in their red Easter clothes. I am thrilled that Joel takes such pride in dressing up and that he still enjoys it when he and Jacob match. This may be the last year where that is possible. I thoroughly enjoyed it!




Joel, Daddy & Jacob
Look at those three handsome boys!

Coloring Eggs

St. Patrick's Day!

Joel made several leprechaun traps this year. We all made at least one. It was so much fun planning how we might catch one of those crafty little creatures! Unfortunately, they sprung our traps and escaped. However, they definitely caused some mischief while they were here.




We found tiny green footprints on the counter, on my mixer, on the traps, and most hilariously, on the toilet lid and flusher!
They left some candies for the kids and a few pieces of gold, which turned out to be painted rocks. Joel hammered them to be certain. He had learned on Ruff Ruffman that in order to be real gold the rock must be opaque (his word) and able to be flattened with a hammer.


I had so much fun making Kaylee a Valentine's Day dress that I had to make her one for St. Patrick's Day too! The boys had t-shirts that we stamped with shamrocks.

Top o' the mornin' to you!!!

Harvest Party

This is a picture of the kids at our church's annual Harvest Party.
Buzz Lightyear, I mean Jacob, was not at all excited to be sitting on
the lap of the youth pastor's scarecrow. Our little sheep, Kaylee,
was enjoying the humor of the moment. She and I were both
enjoying the cool sheep costume that I made for her. Joel looked
great in his Army Guy costume that God blessed us with. The bonus
for him is that he gained a new pair of school pants out of the deal!

Hood River Fruit Loop

Apples! This represents something special to us, because this is the year that Joel decided that he likes apples! He was so excited to go get some apples fresh from the orchard, and we were excited to watch him eat one. We brought home green Gravensteins and Honey Crisp apples. Have you ever tasted one? They are absolutely amazing!





Here's my sweet husband! Thanks, Steve, for a wonderful day.




Joel was coerced to pose for this picture. :-) He and Kaylee enjoyed hand selecting the perfect Honey Crisp apple for their teachers. It was really fun that they had recently studied apples in school. Kaylee's teacher, a long time professional, reported that in all her years of teaching this was the first apple she'd ever received from a student!

Kaylee and Jacob enjoying the flowers. Kaylee thoroughly enjoyed posing for many pictures in the fields of flowers. She has a real interest in correctly identifying the flowers that she sees. I enjoyed pointing out the zinnias and dahlias. Of course the sunflowers were readily identifiable!

Hiking Together on "Mountain Hood"

On a recent weekend we gathered up the kids and Steve took us on a fun adventure. We began the morning with Kaylee's soccer game at Kelso School in Sandy. Following the game we drove to Joe's Donuts, a favorite spot of ours. We all consumed incalculable calories and are better people for doing so! Then we drove to a hiking spot just past the Kiwanis Camp on Highway 26. The air was cool and the sky was cloudy, but it was a great day for a hike. The kids were absolutely adorable along the way. They shouted out exclamations of joy and amazement at every turn. It made my heart smile to hear credit given to the Creator for his marvelous handiwork. The halfway mark was this beautiful waterfall where, as you can see, we got a glorious photo of three smiling (at the same time!) faces.