Early spring phone pics

These two have discovered Nutella

Rocks and mud

With the water levels so low the kids are in heaven with all the mud and rocks on the rivers edge.  After all the yard work, we had a fun evening picnicking and playing by the water.

Outdoor Reno Phase 1

Spring is here and so are our projects: landscaping, irrigation, retaining walls.... and heating pump/furnace!!!  When we bough our house in late summer last year with it we also inherited randomly placed irrigation lines, spikets, 10 different hoses and sprinklers that the original owner probably loved operating for 34 years; we on the other hand, within a week, were tired of running around every evening turning on each hose and sprinkler to water the lawn.   So we knew this spring we would be digging trenches and starting fresh.  We also were planning to take down a very overgrown juniper hedge and build a retaining wall to extend the back yard lawn.  Little did we know that our heat pump and furnace would also choose to die (just last week), but at least it happened during our planning and bidding stages so we were easily able to put a halt on our retaining wall and lawn project.     

The past few weekends we have spent cleaning, pruning and prepping for "trench" digging day.  My dad had drawn a color coded schematic of the irrigation lines, styles of sprinkler heads and pumps and so on Saturday morning, Evan and my dad, were ready to go.   It was lots of hard work for these two and dad's help was tremendous.  They enjoyed some nice chardonay and the hot tub later than night to recovery their very sore muscles:)  Now the trenches are dug, some pipes are in place but there is still quite a bit of work to do.  In the mean time I am doing my best to keep the kids from getting stuck in the trenches as we enjoy the spring weather outside!

Fairy Wings

Elise has really been into Curious George and loves watching it on the phone, little monkey Finn, is also very curious in his fairy wings :)

Elise 3 years old

To our sweet little girl, 

You made us parents for the first time and gave us the greatest gift.  It has been amazing to watch you grow in size, spirit, and spunk.  You are so sweet and caring and truly have a heart of gold with so much empathy it amazes me that at 3 you care and know so much.  You counter that with equal amounts of rascal and trouble to balance you out and there are definitely days the scales may tip more to rascal.  You are too smart, beyond your three years, and know exactly how to work your magic.  You are such a happy little girl that is filled with an amazing vocabulary and these days such curiosity that  "why?" ends each sentence.  You absolutely love your little brother and are such a good sister to him, teaching hip to repeat words after you, showing him how to carefully step over curbs and bumps in the road, and constantly saying "Finny" or "buddy" be careful.  You are still will only eat macaroni and cheese, other pasta, cheese, yogurt, bread with cream cheese, corn and peas. You like to crawl into bed with mommy and daddy at midnight almost every night though time after time we carry you back into your own room, to find you to return to ours in a few short hours and only to wake up at 6:30, yell out "it's light outside time to get up"!   You are scared of kitty cats and foxes and think they are in your room and are constantly making forts with doors to hide from them.  You are one silly little monkey!

Weight: 29lbs 9oz (39th% - yay we went up)

Height: 37" (50th %)

BMI: 15.19 (33rd%)

Happy 3 years love!

Little brother love too.

a birthday celebration

We had a special family birthday celebration for Miss Elise who turned three last week.   Eli was spoiled with presents and love from her grandparents.   The most memorable moment though happened while grandma Connie, mom, and I were keeping Elise and Finn distracted in her room while dad, Evan, Lucie and Quinn carried the play house from the garage to our back yard.  This play house has been under construction in our garage by my dad and Evan for the past few weekends as it has taken 10 hours for 2 people to assemble.  My dad was so excited to see the expression on Elise's face when she saw it.  So anyhow, as we were distracting the kids in Eli's room, which faces the back yard, Elise happens to look out of her window at the exact moment they are carrying the house to its new location.  She yells out in the most memorable way "Ohhhhhh a house,  I LOVE it!"  She has never use the expression "I love it" before, and though it is hard to describe in words, her reaction to seeing the house was absolutely priceless.  What a special birthday for our big girl.

 Two love bugs, Finn and Owen

Elise's buddy, Finnegan F. 

Happy Valentine's Day

Lovely flowers from my sweetie and an evening making Valentine cards  for with the kiddos:)  Elise did sign with a big E and place stickers on each of hers.

 These two are peas and carrots already, in size that is.  

Owen almost 5 months and Finn 16 months: 

Finn vs. Owen

  Torso size - tie

Leg and arm length - Finn

Weight - Owen

Brown hair like auntie Petra - Owen

Blond hair like auntie Lucie - Finn       

Adorably cute - tie