Seriously? It's Monday already?

A poem to start out the week:

April's nearly over, May is nearly here

Time just keeps flying by I fear

I like the warmer weather, the flowers too

the trees with all their buds and the sky so blue

There's just one thing that scares me, just one small thing I fear

the end of the school year is quickly drawing near.

Sorry folks.  I know that's a very poor excuse for a poem and not up to my usual high standards.  There is something wrong with the timing and I just noticed that I used the word "fear" twice.  Oh well. 

Here's some pictures for you...

This is Sam at his school's creative arts open house.  He is posing next to his Indian (remember the one we made out of a clothespin?) in his group's Navajo village.  He named his Indian "Bright Hawk".  Cool name huh?  I personally love Native American names.  I think they were on to something when they named their children.  The only thing is, I would want to figure out my child's personality before I gave them a name.  Since, to be honest here, most Caucasian newborns look like large lizards, perhaps we could just call them "Cute Reptile" until we got to know them better?  Just a thought.

This is Sam posing with his class turtle.  I forgot his name.

Here he is demonstrating how the turtle likes to bite.  He assured us that it doesn't hurt because the turtle has no teeth (yet another way newborns are like reptiles).  

Lynden Christian's pop concert was this weekend.  Each section of the choir needs to dress up as something.  The mixed choir sopranos were minions from "Despicable Me".  I've never seen this movie so I don't know what they are but Holly and her friend Jenah were really cute anyway.

The concert choir sopranos were Mario Kart characters.  Sam really, really, liked that. 

Katie made a kite in Sunday School yesterday.  She spent a long time "flying it" in the yard when we got home from church.

I got her to stop for a minute and pose for a quick picture.  

I love, love, love springtime!  Everything is so pretty right now.  My azalea bush is so close to blooming and the Japanese Maple I bought last fall finally doesn't look like a stick stuck in the ground anymore. 

Speaking of my Dad, it was his birthday on Friday.  Happy Birthday Dad!  I love you and would you come and lay down mulch for me?

A post because I am procrastinating

I have to iron.  I hate to iron.  The only other person I know who irons is John's mom.  I feel so alone. 

Thus, I am writing a blog instead of ironing.  I could also sit in my favorite chair with my coffee and read this really good book that I started last night ("Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand in case you're wondering) but this is more productive and makes me feel less guilty. 

The aunts made it safely back home.  It really hasn't stopped raining since they left.  I don't really mind the rain so much most of the time.  It makes everything green and beautiful and you don't have to shovel it but some days I really miss that enormous ball of light in the sky.

Today I will:

1. Get my first mammogram.  I am very excited.  Not.

2. Take a walk on my treadmill because (as mentioned above) it is raining...again.

3. Watch the "Survivor" episode I missed last night.

4. Make supper.  We've had leftovers the last two nights and I think everyone is tired of leftovers, I know I am.

5. Go to creative arts night at Sam's school and ooh and aah over his classes Native American village.  

6. Call my mother and reassure her that I'm okay despite the break-down I had on the phone with her yesterday.

7. Encourage my husband in a very loving way to get some jobs on my honey list done.  He's going to be crabby because it is raining on his golf day.

8. Iron.  I almost forgot this one.

I will leave you with some pictures because my mom doesn't like blog posts without pictures.

A picture of Sam and Katie on the tailspinner.  They were quite proud that they figured out a way to ride it together.

Another picture of your highness...she likes us to call her that sometimes.

A pictures of my honey and me in the tulips.

And a picture of Holly because otherwise she might feel left out.

I have to go iron now.  Either that or maybe I'll just read one chapter...

Wordless Wednesday

The aunts have left

It was a sad morning.  Here are the aunts looking really sad...

We had a great time while they were here.  We had wonderful weather and the aunts are very easy guests - they are up for almost anything and they like to go out to eat! 
Sunday we took them for a drive up Mount Baker. 

 Katie misses Aunt Jan.  She had no one to play Polly Pockets with today.

 The next series of pictures is Katie's new trick. 

Amazing huh?!

p.s. The slight blog change-up is because Aunt Jan couldn't read it with the black background.  Since she is one of my biggest fans, it had to be done.

What me and the aunts have been up to

We went to see the tulips in Mount Vernon.

We made Aunt Jan cross the Deception Pass bridge...in the rain.  By the way, this was the only time it has rained the whole time they've been here.  Hallelujah!

I held a very large fish.  We made Aunt Jen eat fish too...but not this one.

We went to the John Deere store.  No, we did not leave empty handed.

We showed off our beautiful flowers.

We had Aunt Jan stand in two different countries at the same time.  Cool.

 We went to the ocean...

and got crabs.  He he he.

The aunts are here!

They made it!  It didn't take too long for a certain little girl to warm up to these two.   Lucky there are two of them because she is constantly hanging on one or the other. 

 Can you believe that Aunt Jan had never even heard of Polly Pockets?  By the end of this trip she may wish she never had. 

 Thanks for the presents Auntie Ev!  They were quite the hit!

Tomorrow we are heading to the tulip fields.  I'm praying for sunny skies! 

The aunts are coming!!

In less than 50 hours, two of my most favorite aunts will be here!  I have a big list of things to do before they come so real fast...

That Sam I am.  What am I going to do with that boy?  Apparently, he made a trade with Katie...her chocolate Easter bunny for a couple of wheat thins.  Yeah right.  Katie obviously didn't quite understand the deal because when she noticed her chocolate Easter bunny had been eaten she was quite devastated.  This isn't the first time something like this has happened.  So, I punished Sam by taking away his eggs from last Sunday's egg hunt.  This is Sam's calendar he keeps in his room.  The night of the punishment, it was on my bed with a message for me.  It starts on day 13 and continues with the arrows.  I will translate: Rily (really) mom pleas ------>ground me from video games-------->but do not stel (steal) me eggs.  I love the message and I love my boy but he did not get his eggs back.

 Katie (otherwise known as "your highness") loves to play outside.  On nice days, she will spend all day outside by herself.  Her legs are always bruised and scratched and she already has some impressive callouses on the bottom of her feet.  The other day I when I looked outside I didn't see her so I started calling for her.  I heard her say, "I'm right here mom!" but I could not see her.  Finally, she yelled, "I's right here in dis tree!"  My other two children were not climbers so this is new territory for me. 

Our neighbor Becky's sweet mama from Texas made our whole family these cute stocking hats.  I got a John Deere one which should make my uncles insanely jealous.  Thank you Mrs. Sutton - we love them!

 Sam wanted to take a silly picture too. 

That's all I got folks.  Gotta go tackle my list now.

Spring break is over

Wow.  That went really fast. 
John's big test is done.  Yeah hoo-ray.  I am very glad to have my hubby back.  He'll find out in about a month if he passed or not.
We had a wonderful Easter.  Pastor John has been doing an excellent series on the last words of Christ on the cross.  Good Friday's sermon on "It is finished" really hit home for me how much we have to celebrate on Easter.  Jesus defeated sin, death and the devil and it's not my job to "make this world right", it's His.  And He's coming back someday to do just that.  What a blessing that I am free and that this world is not my home!
Here's a little Spring Break photo dump for you...

Guess who mowed the backyard all by himself?

He was very proud of himself!

A little princess did not want to be left out of the action!

Holly went up on the roof to retrieve Sam's shoe (don't ask) and I told her that while she was up there she could paint the chimney.

 She did a great job!

 My handsome hubby was very happy to be pruning hedges instead of sitting in a chair studying!

 These two can play so nicely together!  They were giggling away while they were swinging.

 Easter mornng.  I was a good mom and hid Easter baskets this year.

 All ready for church.  Sam insisted that Katie sit on his lap however you can't see him so we had to take another one.

And of course, in this one she's not smiling.  In fact, she looks like someone just took away her last chocolate egg.

Me and my handome boy!