The Big Five

Yesterday my son turned 5!!!!!!! It's true what they say about time flying by soooo fast. Not only did we celebrate his 5th this year, but in August he starts kindergarten. As excited as I am it still blows my mind. Sunday we had a party with his cousin Will who turned 6 on Saturday. It was a overall ocean theme, slightly focusing on pirates as the boys weren't crazy about leis and grass skirts. There was a slip 'n' slide, you could get your picture taken with a ferocious shark and the surf board he bit into, as well as receive a complimentary eye patch or lei. The kids seem to have a blast and there was only one injury, J's lip colided with Will's little brother's forehead. Rowen walked away with a tooth imprint on his forehead, J a fat lower lip. It's not the first time, I'm sure it won't be the last.



There is a ship wrecked on the rocks near a deserted island. (in case you couldn't tell:)


Monday we sang to him and E helped blow out candles on the actual birthday. Then we went and bought his present, a bike (with helmet and training wheels). He was ecstatic.

Raystown '06

I've been trying to share these pics for a while but well, here they are now. Soon after J was born we started a tradition with D's fam of going to the mountains where there is a lake nearby. We've kept it up as an annual event since then. The kids LOVE it and ask about it literally all year long. We were there the last week of June.

On the trip up we made our pit stop and Daddy came out with 4 large ice cream cones, and as if to scoff at my doubts in her ice ceram eating capablitites, E ate every last bite, while J couldn't finish his.



It was the first day, before dinner and the boys had already found a muddy hill which they thought was perfect for sliding down.


"I'm a cowgirl" (her words, by the way)


Even though it rained every day, we still made it to the lake almost everyday.


Smore's


J, in front of rainbow falls



E, stopping to take a sniff


good times........

warming up...........

Earlier in May, there was a new addition to our famliy. D's brother and his wife had a baby girl. Ava Evangeline. Our E loved holding her.















A week ago the weather turned sticky and hot. It was time for the kiddie pool. (though, the weather is beautiful now :)


fun with the neighbor kids

Happy Easter and other stuff.......

feeding ducks at the park


Goofy playing in the sandbox

Saturday we went to a local Easter egg hunt, more of a scramble really. The kids had a blast and scored lots of chocolate for mommy. (notice above, j near the large pile of hershey bars, that's my boy!)

I had this vision of a picture in the Easter outfits near the tulips, but no one wanted to stand still, and then brother grabbed sister, sister started to cry and then when they got into place mommy tripped and fell (gracefully if you believe it) dropped the camera and thought it was broken only to realize the battery compartment had fell open (i didn't drop it until after i hit the ground and it was on the grass, phew!) So this (above) was my best tulip shot and we did the rest at D's mom's house where we spent the afternoon, and I had time to reflct on the fact that Easter is not about pictures in outfits by the tulips but about our risen Lord. He is Risen Indeed! Hope that you all had a wonderful and blessed Easter.

Lipstick?
















Weekend in Poconos

Modeling an apron that mommy made for cousin Elliot.

Crawling through the snow tunnel that Daddy made (late Feb)