Heat wave

We had a few days of shorts and tee-shirt, bubble making, and outdoor laundry hanging weather.

Something is so homey about laundry drying outside in the sunshine with a mild breeze. Even soap bubble stains doesn't take away the warm fuzzy feeling of it!

Daniel is a little confused on how to blow bubbles

--not with a wooden spoon Daniel!
(I wish his mother would wipe his nose!)





Jennifer and I sat outside and watched.
(Meanwhile poor sick Nathan lay inside all tired out on the couch.)

I made sure I sat in the shade, and contemplated how incapacitated I would be in full summer heat if I didn't acclimatize by then!

What gorgeous days we had in March!
We enjoyed using the deck as an outside living room--a privilege we didn't have last spring.
We are blessed in such great abundance--what a marvel, for such sinners as we are!

Sunday

Sick days are rare here, even rarer on Sundays.

Nathan and Daniel are getting over their illnesses slowly but surely.
Jennifer seems mostly over hers too.

We are thankful for the good health that we have!
For the recoveries we can make.
For the good we can still do to eachother.

Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen".

"Thus we are to speak only what builds up and benefits others because our lives are not our own but are meant to show forth the One who indwells us.
(Brian Chapell on Ephesians 4:29)

How short we fall!

Holiday in the prairies!

Seems so long ago, and yet I still can vividly recollect the relaxed feeling of my 6 day vacation. Jennifer and I left the rest of the family behind, put our feet up, and graciously accepted all that our hosts had to offer.

We enjoyed lots of smiles and silliness from the younger members of the family. :) This served a double purpose, one to fill a few of the empty spaces we left behind, and also to make us eager to go back home to fill our spaces again.

Evan is as bad as some of my children, when it comes to posing seriously for the camera! I caught him inbetween faces as he prepared to leave for school one morning.

Someone studious.

I really enjoyed this walking trail that I didn't expect to find in such flat land. It was mildly hilly, but gorgeously surrounded by trees, and, unusually covered with snow on the branches.

Jennifer thrived off of the attention she received from the kids, since she did miss her siblings, especially when Evan was off to school! On the pillows you can see one of the 30 or more houses Emily built (she makes them out of everything imaginable!) and showed me.

Evan spent a lot of time with Lego, and great at demonstrating how to play with what he made too!

And there is me, totally relaxed and ready to dive back into the beehive back home!

Wishful thinking

What do you have over there?

Birthday cake! Chocolate!! Candies on top! Oh, wonderful!

I can't help drooling over chocolate!

It doesn't look like I'm getting any.
I guess I'll have to settle for old apple again.

If anybody has any leftovers, just let me know!

Fabulous Four!

Matthew's birthday has come and gone, and because of my holiday that took place very shortly after, I completely forgot to post these!

Matthew got to help with the cake. This year we used a cake mix (I'm not much of a baker) and Daddy made the icing. And most importantly, Matthew got to lick the whisk, and help with the measuring!

It is nice to see such enthusiastic responses to gifts

and it's always a better present when other people think so too!

This year the Melanie and Nathan made cards for Matthew and they both made them in orange since it's Matthews favorite colour.

Melanie made hers with so much white glue that it curls.

No real digger for his birthday

but Matthew DID get to stick the candies on the cake!


And another year is blown away.

Spring!

We've been having, I think, unseasonably warm weather. Daniel may be wearing a winter coat here--but that's only because he insisted on it! Sunny skies, mild breezes and warm air, it's all so lovely! Spring is here!





And we hope to enjoy it as much as we can!