Spring seems to require adorable moments… so of course they MUST be recorded!

Gaming with the Novaks

All these game options

Darling sleeping Lily

Mommy snuggles

Working on up to breastfeeding

Adorableness

Art by Echo

I love this dress mainly for the hat!

And then the pictures keep on going…

This reminds me of a portrait I studied in school

These two are so cute together

Hanging out with Baba

I am trying new settings… this church came out all golden… I rather like it!

Shhhh almost time to start

Aidan and Echo

The boys of the hour

During the stripping of the alter

I love the many faces of Anthony

Proud parents

With our boy!

With glasses on boo

Andrew all in white

Snoopy!

For all of our Easter resources please refer to the blog entry titled “Easter Resources“.

April 3-4

I am pleased to report that we have COMPLETED our Easter lapbook… all it took was a little time Wednesday afternoon and a good glue stick. I hate how when you run out of one key supply things can grind to an absolute halt! I am quite pleased with the end result. Ken picked up some of those soft binders to put our platypus (and later penguin) books in and another for the Easter one. Job well done!!!

A couple of our pages

We have jumped in with both feet on our penguins and have already amassed some lovely links to share in the end (or contact me for them in the meantime of course). Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a lot of fun already. One chapter a day, with as much of the suggested activities the lapbook we found online that meet our age range plus additional links… I see the purchasing of a blue paper pack (varying shades of course) in my future!

Our National Geographic cover pages!

Our second book of the day was Penguin Says Please by Michael Dahl. Very cute lesson on being polite!

Poor runny nosed baby

Of course we crammed as much as we can in for a reason – tonight the cousins (Gabriella and Zachary) are here for a 2 day overnighter (this week is their Spring break). So effectively no school Thursday. Which gives me a day to tidy, organize and maybe hide a little?

Enjoying the penguin book together

We also recorded our Easter song: Jesus Christ is Risen Today! words by Charles Wesley. We are having some issues getting the video up so I will have to link it later!!!

We finally got our practice chopsticks in the mail. Sadly all the instructions on the back are in Chinese so I am not sure if I can alter them for a left handed person…

Chopsticks

Supper was special… all 7 kids out at a favourite Chinese restaurant. We survived but it was by no means a LEISURELY meal.

SEVEN kids

YUM

The 4th was not only Thursday BUT also our God Son Anthony’s 11th birthday! Where has the time gone??? I am waiting to hear on the birthday plans but in the meantime was able to wish him a happy day over IM on the iPad (the joys of modern technology!).

I squeezed in spelling practice and writing for Zander but otherwise, it was kids and grandparents’ rule and lots of gaming… after the girls (less Echo) made a run out to JoAnn’s.

Trinity’s wand, self decorated

We had Minecraft and PS3 games going on.

Gamers galore

With homemade chicken noodle soup for dinner…

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

And ice cream floats for desert…

Floats

Add in a movie and the day was complete.

Princess Bride

 Definitely a kid filled two days!

Mini E

March 30-31

This was a rather busy weekend for our family… first off… HAPPY EASTER everyone! And in the same breath – Happy Birthday Uncle James! The 30th was my brother’s birthday… so of course yours truly had to get in a call to him and his wife Holly that night… but first… the day of the 30th…

Dressed in their Easter gifts from Gammie

With Nana and Baba settled in for the morning it was finally time to do the yearly dying of the eggs. This year was amazingly… brief. But the results were colourful and pretty.

Getting at it

So pretty on our Easter table

Even Echo got in on the dying… once we took all her clothes off of course!

Busy baby

Ken and Emanuel had some special Daddy/Son time playing PS3.

Gaming together

The evening was the main source of excitement – Grandma and Grandpa Mike were in town for an over nighter on their way to Route 66 and 3 weeks of travels.

Grandma!

So there were presents to check out… And the pool to swim in (they really DO need those lessons this summer!)…

Thank you Tammy and family for the belated Christmas present!

Pool time

Venturing out

With Mommy… in need of a new suit I think

And then back to the room for snacks…

Noms

We were there well past 10… our 3rd late night of the week. Ouch!

In their dresses with their new teddies… one is white, the other off white

Boys and their toys… mini Fat Sheep

I have a series of her in the mirror… they will be in an overflow entry!

Sunday the 31st was Easter Sunday. Another jam packed day of course. First though, with all that tulle and matching dresses and the boys all in plaid it was time for PICTURES!!!

Pretty Baby

All my babies in a row

Just my girls

With the traditional Easter Hats

And then, back to Grandma and Grandpa Mike’s hotel room for some more cuddle time while we watched tv, visited and played around until 11 am and check out.

All in their Easter duds

Playing with Grandpa Mike’s watch

After check out we went to the nearby McDonalds for lunch. And then it was time to say good bye and see them off on their first leg of their journey – Mall of America.

At McDonalds

Yum!

Two tables of course

Me and my Mommy

We returned home in time for the Johnson family festivities… so pictures with the cousin first…

Proud grandparents

Then baskets and a wardrobe change for Echo (and eventually Trinity)! The Easter Bunny was generous this year.

Bunny related chaos

Outfit #2

With lots to eat there was plenty of room around the table.

DINNER

And lots of time to play.

Playing in the 3 seasons porch

Our first Easter in Minnesota was a BUSY weekend..,. but an amazing one all the same!

…and best of all we were all together