Sam is Turning 3

Wow!  3 Years ago, I was giving birth to my second son.  I can't believe how quickly he has grown into a little boy.  Sam is such a special little guy.  We knew he was unique, even as a baby.  He has always been more laid back and content to take life as it comes.  He's bit of an independent, liking to do things on his own or at least his own way.  He has a sense of humor.  Already I can tell he thinks of different ways of saying things, just to be silly.  I love you Sam!  Thanks for the joy you bring us every day.  I look forward to many more wonderful times with you in the future.

Sam-Still in the Hospital

Sam-1st Birthday

Sam-2nd Birthday

Sam-3rd Birthday

Belated Easter Blog

We had a really nice Easter this year.  We celebrated all weekend long.  On Saturday we had an egghunt with our cousins at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  The boys colored eggs and we hid those along with some plastic filled eggs.  We had a yummy Easter Brunch.  Jeff had to work Sunday, so we wanted to celebrate on Saturday with him too.  On Sunday we went to Great-Grandma's house and had another Easter brunch with more family.

Simon, happy with his egg.

On the Hunt

The Family at Nan's House

Busy...Crazy!

Those Three Adorable Children I'm Taking Care Of

I thought when I started this blog that I would be so faithful and update it on a regular basis.  I can't believe how quickly even a week goes by and I realize I haven't updated my blog yet.  How will I have regular followers if my blog isn't updated?  So on my list of things to do is update my blog, but life is just so busy and crazy!  When do I have time?  I have a house to clean, pictures to download onto the computer, pictures to post on facebook, packages to get ready to mail, bills to pay, birthday parties to plan for, oh and yes, I have three adorable children to take care of.  Perhaps I should hire a personal assistant.  Needless to say, things are great and wonderful, but my blog might have to wait a few days.

Pretty Flowers

Last Friday, Daniel and Sam discovered the joy of dandelions.  At school, they picked a few along the sidewalk and brought them to me as if they had brought me a dozen roses.  It was so sweet.  When we got home and were eating lunch, Daniel looked out the back window and discovered that this beautiful flower was growing in our backyard.  How amazing is that?!?  Daniel and Sam marched out to the back where for the next 15 minutes, they picked all the dandelions they possibly could.  I couldn't help but notice the mud and dirt they were tracking into the house with each trip, but after seeing the joy on their faces, I did my best to ignore the dirt.  After they picked every last dandelion, they carefully placed each individual one in this bowl of water.  And here is a picture of the final product.  They were so proud of this, I just had to take a picture and share.  I hope your spring is as eventful as ours.

The Dandelion Bowl

A Second View

Our Week

This past week we've been in Coeur d'Alene visiting my family.  Daniel has had the week off from school for Spring Break.  (Is it Spring yet?, he asks).  We have been staying with my parents.  We have also been visiting my sister Cheryl, her husband Kent and her kids Justin and Emma.  It has been a nice week, although I have missed Jeff.  He was not able to come with us on this trip.  Maybe next time.  The boys have enjoyed spending time with Grandma and Grandpa.  It makes me thankful that we were able to move back to the northwest and be closer to family, not just Jeff's family, but also my family.

Our Visit to CDA 2 Years Ago

Figgy

I have owned a cat for as long as I can remember.  My first cat was Patches.  She was a calico, long-haired cat.  We got her before I can remember.  She had lots of kittens.  She was a very good mother and a good hunter.  She lived a full life and died of old age.  I can't remember exactly how many years she lived.  Then, we inherited an orange, short-haired male cat called Quimby.  He was one of Patches' kittens.  He was my sister's cat, but then she had to get rid of him, and she gave him back to us.  I adopted him.  We think he got hit by a car or died of unnatural causes, because one day he never came home.  He was probably around 7 years old when he died.  When I moved out on my own for the first time, I immediately got a cat.  His name was Drake.  He was a black and white, short-haired cat.  He went outdoors a lot and unfortunately was hit by a car.  He was only 4 years old.  After that, I swore I would never own an outdoor cat again.  Next, I was given a cat by one of my students.  Her name was Cleo.  She was a long-haired, all black cat.  She lived indoors with me, but died early, I think because of liver failure.  She just quit eating and lost so much weight.  We finally put her to sleep.  She was only about 5 years old.  Soon after that, we got Figgy.  She is a short-haired, calico.  We've had her since 2003.  She is a sweety and puts up with a lot of the boys' pestering.  Here are some of my favorite pics of her.

Checking Her Email

Doing The Dishes

Cat-Napping

Sisters

 Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the whole weekend with my sister.  It was great to just hang out, talk, and spend time together.  A few years ago, we started doing an annual sister's weekend.  Here are some of the pics from years past.  I love you sisters!  And I hope we continue our long tradition till we're taking bus tours together in our assisted living centers!

San Francisco 2003

Seattle 2004

San Francisco 2005

SoCal 2006

Morro Bay 2008

Victoria, BC 2009

Portland 2011