Boats and Dough

This week our trip to the park was rained out (we have had so much rain here this week) so we took a trip to the Bass Pro Shop for a "boat ride" and a peek at the huge fish and even bigger fish tank.

The boys are discussing how they will raise money to buy us a boat for some summer fun!

We also made a homemade pizza for lunch earlier in the week. The boys loved sprinkling the cheese on it and then watching it cook. Though, before the pizza was done, both boys were on the floor crying -- it was not cooking fast enough!

The finished product --- they each has two pieces!


After the pizza making experience, the boys are considering making pizzas to make money for a boat!

Yes, I am still here....

After painting the outside of the house we decided to embark on a simple home renovation (it was a simple project because we were paying someone to do the hard stuff (framing, drywall, electrical). But we decided to save some money and be our own contractor. Due to the down time in the construction industry, everyone showed up as promised and we got a good deal on our project. Here is a little something to whet you whistle. The project grew from putting up a wall in our front room and creating an office (now we have a guest bedroom upstairs), to so much more. I kinda thought that the whole project would be over in a month. We are on three and 1/2 weeks and there is still a lot work to do -- on our part, not any skilled people!

The front room before. It was combined with the dining room and made one huge room.

During:

Still during:

So daddy is on a business trip right now -- he won't be home soon enough. The boys and I really miss him. We have had a little of this since daddy has been gone:

Fortunately, we have had more of this:

And this:

The boys are really becoming buddies now. Benjamin always wants to kiss Ethan and is working very hard on sharing.

Sorry it has been so long -- I will make up for it in the next few days. Stay tuned for my adventures with the boy!

Enjoying the Spring

In honor of Earth Day today, we appreciated spring and spent a good bit of time outside. (As a side note, Brian and I cleaned out our closets and have a bunch of wire hangers that I am taking back to the dry cleaners to re-cycle.)

Ok -- back to Spring -- There is a really big rock by our house, known as what else -- "The Big Rock." The boys love going there and today we took a few books with us.

Guess which one of daddy's buddies just said his first word??? Yep, that would be Ethan.

Again, at the big rock.

In the spring, I love buying new shoes. The last two springs I was busy caring for a few babies. But, this spring, I am back -- here are a pair of my new shoes getting a second test drive. Funny, Benjamin doesn't want to try on his own new shoes, but mine are a different story!

Books at the big rock.

In case you have not guessed, Benjamin loves books. Ethan is fast following in his big brother's footsteps. Ethan said his first word yesterday. He brought me a book and said "book." Today he has already tried to say several other words. I am thinking that he will talk as much as the rest of the family!

Ethan's Fisrt Birthday

A celebration fit for a King (I am referring to Ethan, not Evan)......... We celebrated Ethan's First Birthday on Easter Sunday. We had a fun time playing with all the new toys Ethan got. Ethan was far more interested in the wrapping and packaging then the presents themselves -- this is until, Benjamin started playing with Ethan's new toys. Then, Ethan was fascinated by all the new goodies.

Ethan loves his new helicopter.

On to the fun stuff:

Ethan loves making a mess and really enjoyed the icing.

Let's wash all that down with a little milk.....

Easter Eve

Earlier in the week, we colored Easter eggs. Benjamin really had fun and it was neat to see his face when the eggs came out with color on them. I was a little worried that he was going to knock over the bowl of food colored water and we would have a rainbow kitchen. If Benjamin had his way all the eggs would have been blue! He loves blue.

This morning was the annual Easter Egg hunt in our neighborhood. Benjamin and Ethan have been "playing Easter eggs" at home to get the hang of what you do at an egg hunt. They loved putting eggs in their baskets. As Benjamin was going through his eggs to check out his goodies, we realized that he had a grand prize egg and won an Easter basket filled with cool toys and coloring books.

Daddy and Ethan scoping out the sweet spots for the egg hunt.

We are "playing Easter eggs" tomorrow afternoon with the family. We are also celebrating Ethan's Birthday tomorrow. Look for many more entertaining pictures in the next few days! We hope you have a wonderful Easter!

Extreme Home Makeover Part One

We have been doing a few things around the house now that we have a little free time, at the boys have gotten bigger and a little more independent. (I don't want to mislead anyone -- we did not do this ourselves.) We had some wood rot that had to be fixed and re-painted. The house also needed to be painted. So, thanks to our tax return, we were able to get the house painted. We never really liked the original color and love our new color.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Doesn't it look like a brand new house???

Stay tuned for Easter festivities and more extreme home makeover.........

The One

Today I celebrate my anniversary with my sole mate. I am so grateful to have met such a perfect man to take the adventures of my life with. What an amazing adventure it has already been! I love you Brian!