Meet Berry!

 Claire has a new pet bunny!  She is calling him Berry.  He's very sweet tempered.

 And just because it's stinkin' adorable.  Fiona carrying around our bantam, London.

Crazy, Fun Filled Week!

We had a lot to do this week!

On Tuesday we had friends over.  A friend of mine is moving and I had her younger kids for a few hours so she could clean.  I had a 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 year old running around and having a ball!

On Wednesday we went to see the Aristocats with our homeschool co-op.  Declan and Fiona stayed with my mom and I just took the big kids.  Claire and Chandler loved it!  And Chandler loved that his friend Henry was one of the alley cats. 

Thursday was our regular co-op day.  I was in charge of the baby room (infant to 2 years old) this week.  Fiona and Declan were good and Fiona was happy to get to play with her friends.  

Snacks always make the toddlers happy! 

Friday was our big day!   We started off with Homeschool P.E. in the morning - it was the first week and it looks like she will try to do it weekly for the rest of the school year.  My kids loved it and it was so cute to see Fiona trying to do all the stretches and exercises with the big kids. 

She did a good job!

After P.E. was over we had one hour to grab lunch and get to their "Grade Your Stream" class!  This has been scheduled for months and of course after all the beautiful days we have been having the day that they were going to climb in the creek is the day it was 50 degrees and windy.  It was a class of misadventures.  A lot of great information about what makes a healthy vs unhealthy waterway.  But Fiona fell in the water and I ended up calling my mom to pick her up because she was so chilled.  By the time the class was over Claire was soaked to the waist!  We came straight home and had hot chocolate snuggled under blankets on the couch.  

Pre falling in.

Discussing attributes of the creek. 

Giving it a final grading.

 All in all it was a fun and educational week, but I am ready for a quiet week now!

Those Moments

I snapped this picture of Fiona and Declan and it immediately made me stop.  This is one I know I will treasure when Fiona is a grown woman with children and Declan is a big, strong man with a beard. 

My two babies. 

Who will always be my two babies. 

Someday they will be gone and living their lives, but I want to be able to look back at this picture and remember those blue eyes, blonde hair and happy grins.  Just a moment of real life.  A moment of Fiona trying to love and mother on her baby brother and Declan looking at me like, "Dude.  Can you do something about this?" 

Waterfalls and Park

Well, it wasn't what we planned but we had fun this weekend.  We wanted to take the kids for a little hike around Cliffside Lake, but when we got up there we found out it was still closed for the winter.  So we ended up going to Dry Falls (always a favorite) and went to the playground in Highlands.  The kids enjoyed it.

Warm Days = Park Days

 It is finally warming up!  One evening we went to the park as a family and everyone loved it.

Declan's first time on the swings!  He loved it!

Spring Fever and Renovations

March is moving right along.  We are ready for winter to be over!  We had some lovely warm days last week and everyone was quick to break out the short sleeves and sandals.  Today it is in the 40s and rainy and feels so cold!

We are moving along with our schoolwork and only have a few more weeks in our co-op class!  Isn't it crazy that the school year is almost done?  I am feeling restless in the house and need to get some good spring cleaning done and Daddy feels the same way because he keeps talking about some of the many remodeling jobs that he needs to get done in the house.  We have so much to do!  Our hopeful list -

1.  Mom and I are setting up a couple raised beds for a veggie garden this year.

2.  We want to enlarge the chicken run.  It is 20x20 now and I want to make it 20x40.

3.  Daddy needs to finish building the cabinets for the kitchen (don't I have a talented husband?) and then we get to knock the wall out between the kitchen and dining room.

4.  Daddy is going to build drawers into the eaves in Claire's room.

And the one that I may be look forward to the most after a finished kitchen (oh, to have real countertops and not just plywood) ....

I want a bedroom door!  And walls!  When we moved in upstairs was a finished 400 sf (or so) room.  We built a wall on one side to give Claire a bedroom of her own and she has a curtain for her door.  You walk up the stairs straight into our bedroom.  I made a little diagram. 

We plan on making a small hallway, a closet and maybe even a half bath!  I am desperate for some privacy.  My goal is to make our bedroom a refuge.  Somewhere that will not have toys and piles of papers and is just for us.  Kind of like this. 

I think it will be wonderful!  Now to just get it done ....

Chandler's Birthday and Snow Part Two!

Chandler woke up on his birthday to six inches of snow!  We went outside and played all morning and he said it was the best birthday ever.  He told me that God gave him an awesome birthday present.

Heading out to play with the kids.  Declan hung out in the house with my mom.

Silly Birthday Boy!

That is his "Best Birthday Ever" grin!

Fiona doesn't quite have the hang of snow angels yet.

Hot cocoa and marshmallows! 

Chandler's favorite meal and the "You Are Awesome" plate.

Cupcakes!

 On Sunday we had family over for cake and coffee to celebrate his birthday. 

Excited Guy!

The set up.  Cake, brownies, coffee and hot tea.

Power Rangers Cake!

The super awesome singing birthday candles my grandma brought.

He had a lot of fun.  I just can't believe he is already 6 years old!