April in Pictures

Will winter ever relent?  We'll soon find out.  Here are a few from April so far.

Want to see more pictures?  Click the link below!

March in Pictures

This month I celebrated my birthday surrounded by snow.  Winter just wouldn't relent, and spring would have to wait a while longer to make its entrance.  Jesse and I also celebrated our 15th anniversary.  I continued editing my manuscript, both on my own and following the suggested edits of two friends who read the story and made their adjustments.  The kids ... well, the kids were ready for a break, so we took a week-long spring break, and then hit the books after with great gusto.  Gusto to get through the end of the year and get it over and done!

Want to see more pictures?  Click the link below.

February in Pictures

February was miserably cold and snowy.  We had more snow than I've ever seen in my life, and most of the "natives" up here ... born in Minnesota and not transplanted ... said it was one of the harshest they've seen as well.  Cabin fever set in, but we made the best of it.  All the time inside helped me complete the first draft of my very first novel, and I couldn't be more scared or excited about the prospects.

Want to see more pictures?  Click the link below.

January in Pictures

Pretty much the only "resolution" I made this year was to take at least one photo of the daily goings-on around the house, to keep a photographic record of our family for a year.  Life in Pictures, if you will.  

Here is January's album.  If you click on the pictures, you can see a larger slide show.  Enjoy!

Want to see more pictures?  Click the link below.

A Conversation with Isaac

This evening we went to the bowling alley.  At one point, Isaac had to go to the bathroom.  This was the conversation we had while he was using the facilities:

Isaac:  "Mom, this is the ladies room.  You're not a lady.  You can't come in here."
Me:  "Yes, I can.  I'm a lady."
Isaac:  "No, you're not.  Ladies wear glasses. You don't have glasses."
Me:  "Sometimes I wear glasses to drive.  Does that count?"
Isaac:  "Um, y-eah.  Maybe.  But you don't drive, Mom."
Me:  "Yes, I do."
Isaac:  "You don't drive Daddy's Buick."
Me:  "I know.  I drive the Suburban."
Isaac:  "Does it have a name?"
Me:  "Yep.  The Beast."

(At this point it's good to know that Isaac is convinced the Buick Rendezvous is a Transformer.  We play mind games with the four-year old.  It's fun.)

Isaac:  "He's not a Transformer like Rendezvous."
Me:  "Yes, he is.  He transforms every night."
Isaac:  "Into what?"
Me:  "The Abominable Snowman."
Isaac:  "That's not real, Mom."
Me:  "Yes, he is."
Isaac:  "What do they do?"
Me:  "They transform and have snowball fights every night."
Isaac:  "Hmph.  I'm done.  You can wipe my butt now."

Belated Birthdays

Yeah ... just a little delinquent here on two birthday posts.  Doh!

Riley turned 12 on October 28th.  I can't believe our oldest is twelve already!  One more year to go before we enter TeenHood.

And Isaac turned four on December 1st.  Where has the time gone?!

Favorite Holiday Guessing Game

This was a conversation I just had with my Brookie:

Brooke:  "Mom, Mom?!  Guess which holiday is my favorite."

Me:  "Ok.  Hmmm.  Your birthday?"

Brooke:  "Nope.  Try again."

Me:  "Christmas?"

Brooke:  "No."

Me:  "St. Patrick's Day?"

Brooke:  [Blank stare.  Thinking face.]  "What's that?"

Me:  "Never mind.  How about April Fool's Day?"

Brooke:  "No, no, no."

Me:  [Sighing.]  "Uh, Halloween?"

Brooke:  "Mom, no.  Listen.  You know that time we went to Grandma's house and got cookies?  That holiday."

Me:  "You're going to have to give me a little more detail."

Brooke:  [Throws her hands up in the air.]  "Ok, it's something like ... it has to do with Jesus.  Rooster? or something like that?"

Me:  "You mean Easter?  The day we celebrate Jesus coming back to life?"

Brooke:  "Yep!  That's it!"

Me:  "Ok, what about Easter?"

Brooke:  "Oh, nothing.  I just like it."