Photo shoot

My sister and her kids are on spring vacation this week, so they decided to come visit "beautiful, sunny" Oregon. We have been wanting to get a good picture of all of the kids together for awhile. About three years ago we got one done at Picture People, so it's time for a new one. We had talked about going to a studio, but given how uncooperative Rowan is with these things, I didn't really want to waste time and money on that venture. So we decided that my sister would bring her fancy new camera, and we'd see what we ended up with doing it ourselves. Here are a few of my favorites. Some of them I like because they look so nice, and others because they capture so well who these kids are. It was kind of frustrating trying to get a "normal" look out of Rowan, but now that I see the pictures it totally cracks me up!

O Canada!

Paul and Fuller made it home safe and sound from their father/son spring break trip. They had such a wonderful time together that they were both obviously sad that it had to come to an end. The only thing that they didn't really enjoy about their trip was the weather. It was pretty cold, wet and sometimes snowy during their trip. I think they had some good bonding time, and definitely some good laughs. I'm sure they'll both really treasure those memories for years to come. They left Tuesday morning after Fuller's dentist appointment. Their first sightseeing stop was Pike Place Market in Seattle. They ate some yummy fresh dough nuts and had fun looking at all the neat seafood and other market offerings.



Then they drove a little further North to have a quick visit with the cousins. They got to go out for dinner and spend the night with my sister and her family. I had asked Paul to be sure to take a picture of the kids. I always think of Fuller as being fairly good sized, until I see him next to Noah. Noah is exactly 10 months older than Fuller, but he looks much older. He's really caught up to his sister Alyssa who is 16.


Their first stop in Canada was the beautiful Capilano Suspension Bridge. Fuller said it wasn't scary at all, but I still don't think I'd like it. Paul took some video of Fuller walking across the bridge and it seems like it sways quite a bit when you get to the middle section. It would totally have made me sick. Paul still says it was neat, but not worth the money.




At the Capilano suspension bridge they have a fantastic collection of totem poles.





Fuller's favorite place that they went on their trip was the Vancouver Aquarium. They saw an impressive dolphin show, sea turtles, sharks and these beautiful belugas.

They also got to see these beautiful jellyfish.



One of Paul's favorite parts of the trip was the BC Mining Museum. They were the only people at the museum the morning they went there so they got a private tour of the mine. They got to ride down into the mine in a little mining car, and go to see lots of old mining equipment. This is a picture of Fuller in front of a toilet car that they use in the mine. ( My boys would of course choose this to take a picture of!)


At the mining museum tour they got to pan for real gold. Fuller is pretty proud of his little baggie of gold, but said it wasn't very fun panning for it since it was freezing cold and he thought his fingers were going to fall off.


Fuller with the big countdown clock for the 2010 Winter Olympics.


Here are some of Fuller's parting thoughts on his vacation.



This impressive sign lets you know you're back in the good old USA! Paul said the border guards going both directions were pretty stern and unfriendly. They held him up quite awhile on his way back into the country. I guess he and Fuller must have been looking pretty suspicious, (must have been the illegal candy they were bringing back for Grayson and Rowan.)


The souvenirs that Paul brought back were a big hit! The little boys had been excited about what presents he would bring them the entire time he was gone.


I was so happy to see them when they got home. That was the longest that I have ever been away from Fuller, and I never sleep well when Paul is gone. I'm glad that they got to have this time together though, I think it meant a lot to both of them.

What's going on here?

I woke up this morning to an unbelievable sight- SNOW! Lots and lots of snow! It's too warm for it to stick, but there sure is a lot of beautiful white stuff falling from the sky. Over the years I've come to accept that spring vacation in Oregon is just not going to be warm and sunny. I've spent my share of spring vacations watching it rain and hail, but NEVER snow. Yesterday as I was driving home from my parents house I got caught in the worst, and most amazing hail storm of my life. Darn el nino!

Trip Update

Paul called around dinner time to say that they had a good first day in Canada, and that they were tired and ready to settle in for the night. They spent their first day at the Capilano Suspension Bridge, which Paul said was neat, but not really worth the money. (It was over $35 for them to get in.)

Adventures

This year our family is having 2 very different adventures for spring break. Paul and Fuller are on a father/son trip to Vancouver BC, while the little kids and I are staying home. When Paul was growing up his dad took he and his brothers on individual spring break trips once they were old enough to really appreciate the experience, and be fun to travel with. Paul has always planned on continuing this tradition with our kids once he felt they were ready. We decided that this is Fuller's year, and he has been beyond excited to get to go on a trip with just Paul. They have been planning and researching things to see for weeks. They left yesterday morning and stopped and did a little sightseeing in Seattle and then went and spent the night with my sister's family, who live about an hour north of Seattle. This morning they called to let me know that they had made it across the border, under the scrutiny of a very serious border guard, and were seeing bald eagles and snow. Hopefully the weather won't be too cold and miserable while they're there, many of the things they want to do are outdoors.

Meanwhile the little boys and I are making the most of our time at home. They decided right away that they want to sleep somewhere different every night. Last night they camped out on air mattresses and sleeping bags in my room. Tonight they want to set up Grayson's play tent and camp in the living room, and tomorrow we're going to go see "Horton hears a who" and then they want to spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house. They haven't made a definite decision about where they want to sleep Friday night, probably either the garage or Fuller's room. We've been doing art projects, eating pizza, watching movies and pretty much turning the house into a disaster. Grayson has also been busy asking me questions about California, he's thinking he might want to go there when it's his turn for a father/son trip. He doesn't even really seem to mind that that trip is still 3-4 years away.

A very happy Easter

We started our Easter weekend off with a fabulous time at the community Easter egg hunt. The weather was fantastic this year so it was a little more crowded than usual. But at least we weren't soaked and muddy by the time it was over like we have been in previous years. This year Grayson and Rowan were in the same age bracket, so I got to stay and watch them while Paul went with Fuller to the big kids section. I was a little concerned about Grayson and Rowan being in the same section, since they tend to battle with each other, but there were so many other kids that once the hunt started I don't think they even saw one another.


Even with the big crowds the kids made a really good haul. Fuller only has one more year left before he's too old, so I think he was trying to make the most of it.


After the hunt we had to start the search for a golden ticket!


Some of the eggs have a ticket that you can redeem for a prize, instead of just having candy in them. Grayson got one a few years ago and has been determined ever since to get another one. This year was just not our year, we only came away with candy.



Later in the afternoon we got to work on our eggs. It just wouldn't be right not to color a whole bunch of eggs.














Rowan kept dropping and cracking his eggs. So we're going to have some really colorful egg salad one of these days.


Everyone went to bed excited for the next day.
The Easter Bunny came of course. I heard the pitter patter of little feet before 6AM running through the dining room and checking out what he brought. I think a fair amount of chocolate was eaten before breakfast!


Before we left for church I tried to get a good picture of the boys, most of them turned out like the one on the right.











Then after church we loaded up and drove into town to spend the afternoon with my parents and Jim and Enid. My mom made a super delicious feast, and we ate and visited the afternoon away.

I have really been wanting to get a decent picture of the five of us, so I thought this might be a good time to try. This is the best we could do. Someday I'll have to post the out takes of this attempt, the other 10 tries.


We're always glad when we get to spend time with Uncle Jim and Aunt Enid,


And of course snuggling up with Grandma and Grandpa.

What a wonderful day!

Progress in the garden

Paul and I have been so motivated to get a really great garden going this year, partially spurred on by our current reading choices. He's reading "Square Foot Gardening" and I'm deeply engrossed in "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. This book has really changed the way I look at food, and makes me want to provide as much homegrown organic food for our family as possible. Luckily the kids are really excited about the garden also, and like to eat what they grow.

Paul has really outdone himself on the garden planning. He's constructed a beautiful, Buster proof fence, built plank walkways between the beds and is putting up 6 foot vertical stringers for beans and peas and such. Plus he's brought in two truck loads of manure, and added vermiculite, peat moss and organic fertilizer. This week he bought seed spuds and onion sets, so we're in pretty good shape for this part of March.


The kids have been interested in helping every step of the way.



Look at that beautiful fence!


I don't know quite what happened to these two, I think maybe they breathed in too deeply when Paul was unloading that second load of manure.

A motherhood moment I just wasn't prepared for

When Paul dropped Fuller off at school yesterday things seemed a little odd. They weren't letting the students in the building like they normally do, they were having them wait outside. I found out when I picked him up that afternoon that the teachers were in a special meeting that morning, a meeting to tell them that they needed to tell their classes that a student from their school had died. Unfortunately the student killed was someone Fuller knew fairly well, they have been in scouts together for the last couple years. This sweet boy died in a tragic murder/suicide situation at the hands of his father. Fortunately the school did not share any of the details of his death with the students, just the fact that he had died. I have always tried to protect my children from the harsh realities of the world, but that job is becoming increasingly difficult. Fuller didn't really want to talk about it, or how he was feeling. He did share how strongly it had affected others in his class who had known him. Now Paul and I are faced with a quandary, on the one hand I don't want him to know any more than he already does. I don't want him to have to think about the fact that a parent could do something so terrible. However, if we don't tell him and he hears it from someone else, that might be worse. Because who knows how they would handle the information. We have a little bit of a buffer period right now since there's no school for the next week and a half. At least Fuller won't be around a lot of kids who might be talking about it. What's a mother to do?

Preschool Easter Party

We were relieved that Rowan got over his cold in time to go to the preschool Easter party. He had so much fun! He has been a little leery of Easter this year. I think he's finally old enough this year to be catching on to the lessons about Easter at church and preschool, and so he's been talking and worrying about death way too much. So I was extra thankful that the party was so fun. Right now he just needs to be thinking about candy and fluffy bunnies, nothing too heavy.

Any party that begins with cupcakes like these is bound to be a success.



They played fun games like carry the egg on the spoon, and hop like a bunny with an egg between your legs.


They made the cutest milk jug bunny buckets for the egg hunt!
























Rowan's favorite part of the party was the egg hunt. Now he's all warmed up for the big one this weekend.


Rowan surprisingly had no problem with only getting to get 6 eggs. He quickly found his six and came to show them to me.

Now he just has to wait for his brothers to get home so he can show them his loot, and rub it in just a little bit. After all, what are brothers for?