Our Driveway & Sidewalk Concrete Work...

Here is a video of the birth of our sidewalk & driveway.  Our builder, Jeff Rahe, installed the base stone & original gravel driveway.  Chris designed & poured our sidewalk.  Roger Kearney of Quality Concrete here in Dubuque, Iowa, formed & poured our driveway!  What a transformation!  Enjoy!!!

 

It's Spring...FINALLY!!!

There is green grass outside...and it is warm enough to play without coats!  That can only mean one thing...after a long, LONG winter...it. is. SPRING!!!!

 

The kids have NOT wasted these days!  As SOON as school is finished for the day they rocket outside to play.  Since yesterday was Arbor Day and Tuesday was Earth Day, Libby really wanted to go to the Arboretum and pick up trash and enjoy the nature there.  We ran into a few problems while we were there, though.  First, the volunteers that work at the Arboretum are spectacular...we only found three pieces of trash.  Secondly, they haven't turned their water on for the season.  So, no water for the waterfall or pond...and no water for the water fountains and potties.  Third, as any "green thumb" can tell you...it is a little early to be planting ANYTHING in the Midwest.  So, most areas were pretty barren.  The magnolia trees looked magnificent though!  We overcame our problems and enjoyed ourselves anyway.  We will be back in a month or two to check it out again.  Then the kids can see how the seasons affect planting too.  ;)

 

Here are a few fun pictures of our trip to leave you with. 

 

Cutie Patooties

 

Oh, how I love these children!

He Arose a Victor from the Dark Domain!

We decided that one simple activity we wanted to do with our kids this year was to make resurrection rolls.  It is so easy so do and such a lovely picture of the ultimate promise.  So momma told them the story while we rolled our marshmallows in our crescent rolls and 13 minutes later we had empty tombs.  Indeed, He did arise so that we could have new life!

 

Egg-cellent Egg-scavators!

We had a quiet Easter this year...and honestly, that was fine.  Although it didn't feel like Easter.  Honestly, we didn't even plan on doing Easter baskets, but the girls went to a party on Friday night where they got LOTS of chocolate, so they took matters into their own hands and packed our plastic Easter eggs with their candy by themselves and then asked daddy and mommy to hide them.  Such innovators!!!  :)

 

 

Aren't they such cute little Easter bunnies?

Fabulous Faberge

This week we studied Russia.  One of many of the beautiful things that come out of Russia is the Faberge egg.  This tradition began when Tsar Alexander III had Peter Faberge create a beautiful egg for Alexander's wife, Maria Fedorovna.  This was just the beginning as they had Faberge back annually to create his masterpieces. 

 

Therefore, with Easter this week as well, we decided to create our own Faberge eggs...2D style.  ;)  We also took time to watch a fabulous episode of "Reading Rainbow" which featured the story Rechenka's Eggs by Patricia Polacco. 

 

 If you have not checked Patricia Polacco out...you simply MUST!!!  She is a delightful children's author who is worth studying! 

 

 

Haiku

We have been studying Japan for a few weeks and decided to wrap it up today with Haiku.

Here are some of the Haiku poems we wrote.

Drip, drop, falling down
It is raining all around
Pitter patter drop.

Rittle, rattle, ssss-
Slithery, slathery snake
Coming to get you!

Kitty kitty cat
Lions and tigers and bears
Oh my!  How 'bout that?

Hope you enjoyed my little poets!

Boogers...It's What's For Breakfast

This morning Grace came into our bedroom and said quite sincerely, "My boogers don't taste like anything." 

I looked at her kind of puzzled and asked, "Do they usually taste like something?"

Once again, not a drop of guile anywhere, she answered, "Yes."

I quizzed her further, "What do they usually taste like?"

"Boogers."

Now, let me tell you, I try to make it a habit to not laugh at my children when they are serious about something, but I couldn't keep a straight face through this one.  I was trying not to die laughing!

Prayer Interrupted

Mom: Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for my girls. Thank you for their personalities, both the good and the bad.

Grace: I'm the bad!

Innovation

Yep...he came up with this one on his own!  He was even ok with dragging it around on the ground once the helium was gone.  :)