Yummy!

One of the things Stephanie and I did was take pictures of the food we ate together.

Here's the Tiramisu we enjoyed eating all week long,

and our yummy grilled chicken and vegetables.

Before and After

I've been wanting to make a chalkboard out of an old window for my kitchen. Old windows cost between $50-$100 in antique stores, but Phil and I found this window at Habitat for Humanity for only $5!

Before...After...

Thanks, Phil! Didn't he do a great job?

T-T-F-N

Ta Ta For Now! I'll be in Tennessee this week visiting a friend from college...

Happy Mother's Day!

Little Mommies

Happy Saturday to all! We've had a relaxing day so far. We took the kids to Jamba Juice and found several good deals at yard sales. After lunch I looked out the window and spotted the girls pushing their dolls on the swings. I took this picture from the kitchen window.


When I went outside to check on them, I noticed that each doll had a rock on top of her. I wonder if they did this to keep the dolls from falling off the swings.

Gracie's Pretty Pink Tree

My sweet Gracie loves the color pink! She wears it every day. She talks about it constantly. No matter what the item is, she'll call it "my pretty pink." This is her favorite part of our walk around the neighborhood.


Since I had my camera with me tonight, I thought I'd take a few pictures of her and the pretty pink tree. I love this picture! She's absolutely smitten with this thing. Look at her arms reaching upward as Phil pushes the stroller beneath the tree. Can you just hear her? "Oh! My pretty pink! I love it!"

Lovin' the Weather!

We've finally been able to enjoy Spring weather up here in Spokane and we're loving it!


Now that all of our snow has melted, the kids can take popsicles outside and play or ride their bikes after dinner.



Tonight we decided to walk the boys to AWANA.

Family Traditions

As our kids get older, we've been able to create family traditions with them. One thing we've enjoyed doing recently--which has become sort of a tradition for us--is ordering pizza on Tuesday night and eating it in the living room while watching a movie. The pizza parlor around the corner from our house has a great Tuesday night family special.

It has become very difficult for us to take all four kids out to eat now that the girls are no longer in high chairs. This is the perfect solution for us! We always have a special treat with our pizza. Tonight we had popcorn. I found these adorable boxes at Cost Plus.

Jared the Photographer

Jared's been having so much fun with his new blog. He takes pictures every day and then dictates to me one or two sentences about each picture. Here's a sweet picture he took of Gracie this afternoon.

Welcome Home, Little Red Jeep!

After 7 1/2 very long weeks, we finally got the call to pick up our Jeep at the auto body repair shop! The kids were very excited to see their Jeep again. Gracie was one of the first to get in and repeat over and over, "Oh, I LOVE this Jeep! I LOVE it!"

Phil and Jared needed to remove our snow tires. We've been awaiting this event, as well.

The Cutest Thing EVER...

Jared offered to eat with his siblings in the living room tonight so that Phil and I could have some quiet time. It was his idea! "Don't worry, I'll watch the kids for you," he said. So we were able to enjoy a nice candlelight dinner of soup and bruschetta.

Humiliated

We've discovered a new (to us) library here in Spokane. We frequent the one by our house, which is the city library, but we've recently discovered one near Jared's school, which is the county library. What this really means for us is that there's a whole new data base of videos and DVDs to be discovered!

We took the kids to the new library this morning. Every time we take all of them at once I tell myself not to do it again, but for some reason I thought it would be o.k.

It wasn't too bad until we approached the circulation desk and I took the books from the kids' hands to place them on the counter. One of my girls (who is VERY good at being 2) screamed out, "No, I do it mySELF!" for all to hear. I'm sure everyone turned to look, but all I noticed was the librarian who gave me a what-are-you-going-to-about-it kind of look. My answer? Absolutely nothing. Not because I didn't care, but because I know my daughter, and insisting that she let me put her books on the counter would have only caused a bigger scene.

I had to let her march up to the counter, pony tail bobbing, place her 2 books on the counter and then look back at me to flash a smile. It's something she wouldn't get away with at home, but we weren't at home. I know I looked like a terrible mother. I felt helpless and humiliated. I'm sure this won't be the last time my children humiliate me in public--not fun at all!

Penguin Patrol

Jared and Caleb have a blog now. I've already invited Grandmas and Aunties, but if you would like an invitation, please leave a comment and let me know.

New Picnic Table

Phil made this picnic table last weekend. It's big enough for lots of company, so stop by if you're in the neighborhood and we'll have a little BBQ!

Batter Up!

Lily played baseball with the boy next door after dinner tonight. As you can see, she dressed up for the occasion.