Mad Scientist

Lunch anyone???

Jon is loving school this year! His teacher brought in dead, slimy squids for the kids to dissect. Seriously, in 2nd grade!!! Check out his enjoyment of the assignment. He especially liked that the girl he had to work with wasn't afraid to use her hands and help! What a great experience.

Construction Zone

When you read that title, what do you think of? Dust? Yep! Tools everywhere? Yep! Life in disarray? Yep, again!

It all started when I was organizing the towels in the guest bathroom. As I pulled them out to fold them correctly, I noticed the ones shoved to the back were completely ruined with bleach stains. The caulk between the counter and back splash had slowly crumbled away over the years. Leaving a great escape for all the water and bleach used when cleaning the counters.

We had planned to change just the vanity. But the pergo flooring didn't continue under the vanity so we would have to change the flooring. But if we change the vanity, we'd also have to change the cupboard behind the door since the woods wouldn't match. And if we're doing the tile on the floor, we really should upgrade the tile in the shower. And, seriously, can you have a stained bath tub when the rest of the room is brand spankin' new???

Nice studs, huh?! So, this weekend we have company coming. The idea was to replace the tub and have the tiles done so they would be able to use the shower. Then Brian got hit with the same illness that has rocked our house for a month. We are a bit behind on the schedule (I can empathize with contractors now). The friends will have to use the kids' shower, and we will try to make the room seem a little more user friendly by the time they arrive. :)

Traditions: New & Old

I am CRAZY about holidays. Love to decorate the house. Love to cook special meals. Love to create the spirit of anticipation with my kids. So on Friday night we joined together to color eggs. Brandon was away at a sleep over, but the rest of us were eager to play.


In the middle of the project Jon turns to me and says, "This is the first time I've ever done this. This is fun!"

Can you believe that??? Make no mistake, the older two kids have colored eggs in their life time. It just appears that I lost interest around 8 years ago. (oops!) In my defense, we have made these eggs every year. And the ones we make are MUCH tastier!!!



Each year we do our family Easter egg hunt with the Drews at Poway Lake on Saturday. This was the first year we were rained out and had to move the hunt indoors. To make the picnic special we pick up KFC, it's the only time of the year we eat it and it makes everything REALLY easy!

This is one photogenic group of kids, eh?!

On Saturday night we wanted to bring the reality of the season into focus. We had a simple dinner and turned all the lights in the house off. We ate with only a few candles on the table. We talked about how the earth suffered during the crucifixion and the physical darkness the people expereinced. And what it really means for Christ to be the light of the world. The kids had a lot of insightful questions, and it was a good discussion. I love this season and what we really celebrate.

Double Digits

Yesterday Aubrey celebrated the big 1-0! I get so emotional thinking about how fast they grow up. How silly is that?! It is what I want, right?! I mean, I do want them to grow up, be independent, and get out. Still, there is something so sweet about her calling me in her room just for a talk and a hug. She's a great girl.

Check out her smile! She loves being with friends!

We did a double celebration for both Brandon's & Aubrey's birthday. (It's a long story about why we didn't celebrate Brandon's in February, but suffice it to say he's not being neglected or less loved!)

They each got to invite very few friends to a day at Boomers! It was AWESOME! They came to our house for cake and presents first. Then we drove them to play. Then we drove them home. No mess, no worries! They had a BLAST! Here are some highlights!

Bumper Boats - The girls thought they were wet until we saw the boys. They came off the boats dripping!

Go Carts - This was the first time Brandon hit the height to drive alone. He was in race car heaven!

Laser Tag - Check out Jon's fierce look!

Field Trip

I am a sucker for field trips. I love all the places that teachers find to take the kids and teach their lessons. Today, Aubrey's class went to the "Rancho Buena Vista Adobe" house. It was so much fun to see how the old ranchos worked and to see the old period pieces they've found to restore the place. Here are some of the highlights from the trip:

Branding Leather

Dipping Candles


Seeing the old time appliances. Check out this refrigerator!


I loved this piece. It's a SQUARE grand piano. I never knew grand pianos came square! Look at the legs. They are very sturdy!

While explaining about the piano, the docent asked if anyone was taking piano lessons. Aubrey raised her hand and she was invited to play for the class. She stirred the audience with a riveting rendition of "Pizzicato Polka". Very cool!