I promise to get back to regular posts soon, waiting on a video upload!
What would I do without my camera???
Pillow surfing while watching tv
The hat suits her, I think
5 of my 12 cupcake bags
Trinity’s Hello Kitty McD’s collection thanks to Gammie!
In her pretty pink sweater from Gammie
Snuggled down
SPRING in Mn???
Ready for rain
March 28-29
We got our Novak family fix over the last two days of the week. Thursday was a special day for our god son and his big brother… their first communion (Lutheran Style). Our whole family spent the evening with them. But first, our day back with Nana and Baba. I was grateful that I managed to get their spelling practice in (our test is delayed to the following week to accommodate our Easter schedule) and some reading… a little bit of this and that. But mostly… Nana and Baba time!
Looking at trip pictures
We did get in some paper airplanes time! What a great find those books on how to were for 1.00 at Christmas!
Gavin and Emanuel
Ken was in office so it was up to me to get all 5 kids and myself ready for our first church experience in a while. I think they cleaned up nicely! With the weather warming up there was a last minute scramble to find shoes that fit the boys… definitely going to have to get Zander a new pair as he is the biggest, no pass me downs!
Miss Echo got dressed first HOURS earlier… she was adamant… it was time to look pretty
All the pretty babies
Miss Trinity
The service was nice, the music lovely and our 9 kids… manageable though not perfect.
Andy and the children… well some of them
I am so proud of our god son… he is growing up so quickly! I remember being at his baptism and being just as proud!
Our boy!!!
Andrew’s godparents with their two little darlings also managed to make the special Maundy Thursday service. Their little girls and my little girls had some fun after service together. I wish I had gotten a picture of Echo’s good bye hug.
Andrew and his godparents
Post first Communion… together
After all that fun and with Friday being a holiday for all but Big Andy what was there to do but say good bye to Andrew’s godparents and their family and head back to the Novaks’ for cupcakes and play time. It is so great to see more of Andy with him no longer driving trucks… just fixing them.
Andrew and the cupcakes
The children descend
We have so much fun with this family!
Friday started our Novak experience all over again with a morning egg hunt at one of their local parks… in fine Minnesota tradition… in the snow. Not so much an egg hunt as an egg mad dash. Ken and Anthony took the girls to their age range, Darcy Aidan and Emanuel and then I made sure the twins and Alex made it to theirs while Andrew helped where he could.
Walking to the field
The little ones
Emanuel and Aidan
The twins and Alex
In the end everyone got candy but Alex and Gavin each got bigger prizes.
With the prizes
Easter Bunny
We all headed back to the house, less Andrew who came after lunch, and made hotdogs and KD.
Snoopy
Then it was play time for the kids, naptime for Ken and Echo and shopping for Darcy and I. We made the circuit of all the Walgreens, Walmarts and Targets and got Darcy as close to ready for Easter as we could.
CANDY
5.00 pizza for dinner and Ken hard at work on the household pc’s… we watched Disney together… hung out… played… had an AMAZING day! Oh, and I gave out the first of my cupcake bags!
My favourite one!
The guys working on the laptop
Anthony’s birthday is in April so it is time to plan out that first birthday gift where we are in the country. Exciting! But in the meantime… two action packed days more and Easter is over!!!
Again, Easter Egg Hunt in Minnesota!
February 13-14
A VERY Happy Valentine’s Day to you all! We celebrated at home with a special meal etc. But first our Wednesday…
I have to say, Ken having Sean here and wanting to show him some of the beauty of Minnesota (even in the winter) has worked in our educational favour. He decided he wanted to take him up to the Minnehaha falls, but to take all of us would require two chairs. So… Ken and Sean took the 4 kids and I stayed home with the napping Echo to clean up some of the messes that had been bothering me around the house. I always feel so much more in control after cleaning and Echo was kind enough to let me clean up a few problem spots (aka our room). Of course then she was up and demanding BUBBLE GUPPIES (I am soooo tired of that show!).
Informative plaque
So much beauty
With Uncle Sean
More pictures of the falls to follow in a companion post!
Before all the outside excitement we had worksheets (Activity Village and Education.com) to finish – Valentine themed of course, books to read, spelling to practice… the usual.
We made our paper heart chain… And the twins made some white roses to add to our red (and chopstick) display. I do love a pretty centerpiece!
Making the paper chain (Gavin left)
So pretty
I love the roses! Thanks Art for Kids!
We made chicken with the meat rub I actually made up with Ken to give people for Christmas. You can find instructions for how to make it HERE. We made the Tandoori rub for Chicken. (the guys had the weekly gaming night)
YUM
I made a themed lunch for the kids on Valentine’s Day- strawberry jello with cool whip, chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting, Fanta strawberry pop all with curried chicken on rice. Lots of pink and red on that table! Add in the kisses in the bowls (pink, red and white) and our festive decorations and I think we did good.
Festive!
Of course we took some pictures. Trinity had her pretty red dress thanks to Aunty Esther. Echo had TWO outfits, though her main was the new shirt I bought when out shopping with Bree on SALE! They both added in their dressy shoes and tap tap tapped their way around the house all smiles.
Dressed in pink and red
Showing some Valentine’s Day love
The second outfit
Watch for a future filler blog entry with the Valentines Day overflow!
Yours truly tried a new hairstyle – the milk maid braids thanks to the Lizzie Bennet Diaries… specifically the Jane Bennet Twitter feed. The instructions I used can be found HERE. Next time I need to wet down my hair more to facilitate easier braiding AND use some spray afterwards. BUT for a first try for someone who SUCKS at doing her OWN hair… not bad!!! I am just going to have to do it over and over again to perfect it!
Attempt 1
Together
I tried something different with one of the Easter cupcake bags… I am playing around with colours. After all Trinity AND Echo each already have a bag so a second bag has to be different. What do you think? I rather like the effect, almost like a vine around a flower.
I rather like these
I got my own little gift from Ken – a card and a container of chocolates. I gave Ken a card (made by me) and a little box of Jelly Bellys worth Valentine themed words on them.
Our dinner! And my gift!
We had a fun Valentine’s Day themed craft to do as well, we waited until Echo napped and brought out the paints to make Handprint Hearts. I love Activity Village and their easy to find themed areas.
In the paint
The hearts
So quite the enjoyable couple of days!
Echo obsessed with ATTEMPTING to remove Sean’s sock??