Down on the Farm

This is actually from last week. The boys school had a night for first graders called "Down on the Farm." It was a night for families to see the first graders Encore programs (PE, Music, Art and Technology).

In music, we got to play the alto xylophone (I think) along to a play about Farmer brown. We played whenever the teacher said "grow". Mac's music teacher does an after-school program with guitar classes. Mac can start when he's in 3rd grade and he can't wait!


We also danced in music.


Dose Doe! (I have no idea how to spell that!)


Give it a whirl Elly!


PE was also a big hit...this is an obstacle course through the food pyramid. There was also some rope-swinging. I was hoping for a dodgeball game, but not today.

In art, we made a bracelet with colored beads symbolizing the amounts of serving from each of the food groups you should eat in a day, as well as minutes of exercise. We drew a picture on the computers for technology. A lot different from the Oregon Trail computer games I remember when I was kid!

Oh yeah...

and Elly's super-excited...


to take up longboarding!


By the way...I think it was 3o degrees this day. Daddy, where are her shoes?!

As you can see, our snow is gone. We got a skiff today, but no big snow falls in our forecast right now. Just cold.

Our First Snow!

Yesterday we got our first day of snow


We started a family tradition last year of going out to breakfast on the first day of snow. The kids and I hit McDonalds for some McGriddles! I thought they would be super excited to go...and they were, but still not being adjusted to the time change, they were up way too early and a bit grouchy by this point. Ah well, I'm sure as they get older, breakfast will be easier!


the boys got some wrestling in on the trampoline


Elly loved the snow too, but I had to bring her in earlier than she wanted since she's not fully geared up for the snow yet!


The boys could have seriously played in the snow all night. Couldn't even entice them with hot apple cider.


Still enjoying it today, but it doesn't look like it's going to last through the weekend. That'll give us some time to get them all geared up!

Sam's in Costa Rica!

Sam left for Costa Rica this past Saturday. He is a volunteer for Engineering Ministries International (EMI) and will help with designing drainage and grading for a pastors camp in Orosi, Costa Rica. Hopefully I can add some of his pictures to my blog when he gets back. Meantime, the boys and I are doing some learning on our own...

We made a "Costa Rica" bulletin board with maps of where Sam is, and are searching magazines for native animals and other charateristics of Costa Rica.


Sam explained to the boys what he was doing and what the country is like, so it's fun to see them find pictures in magazines that they think fit.

He's got a busy schedule (7am -past 8pm) and the internet is spotty, so I don't get to hear much from him...had my first short message from him this morning. He's doing great, although he hasn't seen any monkeys yet! :) Pray for his safety and that all goes well at the homefront. He gets back on Sunday night.

Has it really been 7 years?! Happy Birthday Mac!

I can't even believe that this was 7 years ago... We had no idea of who this baby boy was going to be.


And here he is now! A kid who can't have enough friends and just loves them all. Always up to something with a sparkle in his eye (the creative juices are always flowing). He is growing up and we're so proud of our 7 year old!


Mac, a little shell-shocked, woke up to a bed of balloons on his birthday


He wanted a guitar-pumpkin birthday with apple bobbing. So we made a guitar cake and had discounted Halloween orange plates and napkins...


and apple-bobbing...in a non-germy way.


It's tough to blow out 7 candles!


Mac's birthday present and new friend "Fluffy Eliason." Mac has wanted to be a veternarian for some time now, unlike his brother who would rather be a "people doctor" because he doesn't want a lion to eat him (side story). Mac has also wanted a dog for some time now...but we're going to start with a gerbil.


Hopefully we can all be friends... Happy Birthday Mac!!!

Twick or Tweet!

Can you guess what we are?


Does that help?!


It's the Great Pumpkin, Incredible Hulk and an owl... We started off the night trick-or-treating to our neighbors


We then went to a Fall Festival at our church


Played some games...




...and more games




Oh yeah, and candy. Elly managed to suck all the chocolate out of this wrapper by the time we left.


We then headed to Maryanne and Dave's house, our good friend's Claire's parents. They do this cool thing on Halloween where they open up their garage and have chili and cider for anyone who cares to stop by and hang out...which a lot do. Such a great idea. We've gone there for 4 years now and always have a good time. We eat some chili and chat, take the kids around the neighborhood, then back for more visiting at the "chili house" as they are affectionately known. It's great.


At the beginning, the kids sprinted from house to house...we had to ask them to wait up multiple times...


Elly tried her best to keep up


The kids would always add, "There's one more coming!" Elly made quite the trick-or-treater...She'd say "Twick or Tweet...Hap halloween...dank you!"


Thanks Madzie! I think she'll be the one to make sure Elly's taken care of in the midst of all the boys!


Made it back with lots of candy. Save some chocolate for mommy!