Dessert

I borrowed my Mom's Pampered Chef tart pan yesterday and made a Raspberry Almond Tart. Yum! You have to really enjoy amaretto to enjoy this, because the recipe calls for a tube of almond paste.

A Tale of Two Sweeties

It's hard to imagine these sweet faces doing anything wrong, right? Well, I have a little story to tell.
This morning I made French toast for breakfast. The bottle of syrup was on the table, so Grace reached for it and placed it beside her. Lily screamed, because now she wanted the syrup beside her. We had her sign "please," and then passed it over to her. This didn't go over well with Grace, so she let out a scream, as well. After passing the syrup back and forth a few times, Phil decided it was time to put away the syrup. They protested, but Lily stopped fussing as soon as she saw Phil place it in the cupboard. "If I can't have it, nobody can," I'm sure was the thought going through her head at that moment!

Cuties at the Pond

We took a walk down to the pond yesterday to feed the ducks. The boys were more interested in eating the bread themselves, than sharing it with any ducks! As you can see in the picture, there were no ducks, anyway. As soon as we arrived at the pond, they made a quick exit. Scroll down and look at my new feature, please!

Proud Mommy

Some children can name all of the Earth's layers, but mine can name the layers in a Starbucks Macchiato! We actually had this conversation during lunch yesterday. They were intrigued as I poured the espresso through the foam, wondering if it would make its way through the steamed milk to the bottom. "Wow! Steamed milk, espresso and foam," my boys said. They make me so proud!

Colors

Caleb's favorite song is called "Colors." He loves to color and paint. The boys painted outside in the backyard this morning on the easel that their Daddy made for them. When I asked him about his painting, he stood back, looked at it and said, "It's called Beautiful Night." He's my little artist.

Puddles

We had a day of rain, which means...puddles! I couldn't find the girls' boots, so their toes got cold. Jared is ready to perform, Caleb is ready to take off his coat and the girls are ready to swim.

Ordinary Days

It's hard to imagine that in a house full of activity, I can't find anything to write about. I'm stumped! For the past two days, the kids have been doing "the usual." I could write something about my feet again, since many of you enjoyed that the other day. :-) Fortunately, Jared reminded me that something exciting did happen today. We now have four new PEZ dispensers (pictured in the front row)! Our friend Amanda brought them over for the kids today. I love his perspective on life. The joy he finds in ordinary things gives him joy on ordinary days.

Got Twins?

They say that imitation is the truest form of flattery. Here's Grace with twins in tow. Look! She's still in her pajamas, too! She's learned from the best. This may be inappropriate to publish, but I observed a couple of things while in the bathroom this morning. You know you're a mother when the toilet paper is wadded up and stuffed in the holder on the wall. We waste nothing in our house! That trail of t.p. in the hallway is gathered up and reused (we'll offer a new roll if you visit). Another thing that amused me, was that when Grace heard the toilet flush, she extended her arm as an airline stewardess would, pointed to the sink, and motioned for me to wash my hands. As soon as I turned on the water, she nodded and smiled. Sorry about the blurry picture, but Grace was on-the-go...just like her mommy.

Something French

I'm not one who should be giving out beauty advice, but here goes...I found this French manicure/pedicure kit at Wal*Mart today for $4.oo, complete with fool-proof sticker tabs so you can paint clean, straight lines with the white nail polish. Another bit of advice, wait until your kids go to bed before you do this.

Daffodils

This picture was taken last week when the daffodils behind our house were in full bloom. I looked outside today, and the flowers seemed dull and lifeless--a good reminder for me to enjoy each season of life as it comes. I'm amazed at how quickly my children "bloom," too. As I watched them play outside this morning, they were full of life, their smiles brighter than the daffodils.

A Night at the Races

Jared competed in his first AWANA Grand Prix. He was very excited when he won the first heat! Caleb was excited that we ate hot dogs and Twinkies for dinner.

Sweet Dreams

My boys call anything we do out-of-the-ordinary a "special treat." This is what they would call "special treat: naptime together." This doesn't happen often, because it usually turns into "special treat: play on mommy's bed together."

Not Home Yet

As most of you know, our family will be moving up to Spokane, WA this summer. Having seen pictures of our new house in Washington, I find myself decorating the rooms and walls in my mind. I know where I'm going to put our espresso maker and my collection of pitchers. I'm eagerly awaiting the move, excited to be in our new home! Yesterday in church our pastor read portions of Revelation 21 and 22. Wow! Our little house in Spokane pales in comparison to the home awaiting us in Heaven. It was a good reminder for me. No matter how cozy we may be here, Heaven offers so much more. We're not home yet.

Aloha

These dresses are from my friend Madeleine, who lives in Hawaii. The kids like to play in the back of Grampa's truck after church.

Flying Kites

We've had beautiful weather this month! Phil has been able to fly kites with the kids.

Jared and Caleb

The boys spent the morning at Gramma's house watching Curious George. Each boy came home with a bowl of oatmeal.

Grace and Lily

The girls enjoy their ice cream cones from Aunt Corinne.