you got me.

Recently, Alyssa has asked Shann and I this question a few times."Why are you looking at me....

because I'm so cute?"

Big Red

Happy 6th birthday, Caden!

You're brought much joy and laughter to us!

Upturned face

This is one of the beautiful pictures that my good friend Sharon took last weekend. For now, I thought this one went with a recent song of Alyssa's. Jesus, you're my only best friend. I love you 180 times.
Thats how much I love you, God. You and I.

Mark and Mindy

My brother, Mark and his family visited a couple weeks ago. We went for a wee hike... Mark, Mindy, and Isaac in his cocoon.

Caden plays patticake with Isaac.

Its fun to be the Big cousin!

Is Lissy the big cousin? Hard to tell in this picture!

Aunt Mindy reads to my kids, but Isaac reads for himself!

Easter

I've seen several blogs recently that have said the writer is quite behind. So I am not alone!
Here are some Easter pics...luckily, He is still risen, so they can't be late, right? Before church...

And looking for baskets when we got home..

Found it!

Found mine!

New hat...phew, he likes it.

New headband...I knew she'd like it.

Starting in on the fun part.

If walls could talk...

Last week was the memorial service for my grandmother. After the services, where we all cryed and laughed ourselves almost dry, we drove by the farm where she grew up. We've all heard many stories of growing up on this beautiful farm on Kaskaskia Island, and had to go there and see it again. Here are my grandparents, Albert and Ruth, on their wedding day, May 20th, 1933. She was 25 years old, and they're standing in front of the old farmhouse!
And 77 years later, after at least one flood that reached to the 2nd floor, here it stands, still pretty.

2 generations later, here are her grandkids, minus David.

It would've been fun to take a tour, although there were 25 of us present - that might've been a bit much to ask of the current owner. That old house, presumably built sometime in the 1800's has seen a lot happen during its lifetime, just like Grandma. And I guess we felt like being there, we were a bit closer to her, although now its time to look ahead to the future when we will see her again.

One day he's coming, Oh glorious day, oh glorious day.

Longwood Gardens

On my mom's birthday during her visit, we went to Longwood Gardens...what a gorgeous day. Why do flowers so speak to the soul? Most of the tulips weren't blooming yet, but we found this cheery patch doing well!

Caden and Alyssa know that trees give off oxygen, so they decided to get a good lung-full.

Caden took this picture of my mom, and I love it. Eyes open, genuine smile...

One lone tulip...the first to open of its kind. I could be longwinded about this, but I'm sure each of you can come up with some deeper meaning. Please leave your version in the comments section.

What a pretty flower!

Hide and seek amongst the topiaries.

Here, we sighed a collective, "Aaaaaah!"

Our feet needed the feel of the grass after much walking.

In her element

While Grandma visited, we went out to a tea room in the afternoon. Alyssa's second time at a tea room, and Caden's first. He wasn't too sure, until the food started coming. A tea pot full of chocolate milk, scones with cream and jelly, marshmallow fluff sandwiches and desserts won him over quickly.
But She loved every single thing about it - loved the tea cups, the required manners, the fanciness. The girlyness...ok, and all the fun food too.
Not sure if you can tell.

In Polly's Garden

Grandma had hid about 35 eggs in the park behind our house, and we were about to begin the hunt, when a woman came up to us, and said "May I help you?" Turns out the "park" is her property, but she very nicely said we were welcome to it. She also introduced her huge black lab to us as "Polly".

Both counting to ensure fairness...

I think this went something like..."no, you already have 13, this is MY egg". The scene looks idyllic, but there was much nashing of teeth over who found how many.

I'm not sure what it is about these that makes them so desirable, since we promptly took them home for a dinner of Goldenrod Eggs. I guess its the thrill of the hunt.