More splishing and splashing

Baths before bedtime are wonderful.

How we wake up in the Big Girl Bed

It took way too long to get her a Big Girl Bed.  But now she has it.  And likes it.  And sleeps upside down on it.  Or sideways.  Or just right.  Or on the floor next to it.  Isn’t she sweet?

(Don’t worry… she’ll go cold turkey on the “Beah” (a/k/a pacifier) on June 1st.)

Splish. Splash.

And thankfully, no one got wet.

A few years ago, God saw fit to move two cool families a few miles from one another.  We enjoy a lot of play-around-in-the-yard days with one another… and we REALLY enjoy our outings.

Today was an outing.  WE headed out as early as these two particular groups can GET out… 8:30A.M. to go to the Aquarium of Niagara.  It was a great time.  The trainer even came out to meet us personally and answer a barrage of questions. 

We enjoyed a few sea lion shows…

Watched them feed sharks.

Check out a tidal pool.

Poison Dart Frogs? 

Watched them feed harbor seals, and had a ton of our questions answered.
 

Are YOU as tall as an Emperor penguin?  Or a shark?

Lunch.

We walked over toward the Niagara Gorge, but construction kept us from seeing much. 
So instead we drove over to the American Falls. 
Wow. 
I am so glad we did.
Did I mention, WOW?

I haven’t been to the American Falls since I was a BABY.  I have, for most of my life, regarded the Falls from the Canadian side.  I had no idea how close you could get on the U.S. side.  Sure, it cost us $10 just to park our car… but that worked out to $1 a person, and we surely got our money’s worth.

I’m thanking God for SUCH a good day.  And some fun friends to share it with!! 

Here is a link to our trip in 2009!
Stewart has the same coat on… FOUR summers later!  ‘09, ‘10, ‘11, ‘12!  Get out!

Daddy’s birthday… & a Day at Co-Op.

 

 

For John, this was not really a WOW kind of birthday.  To “celebrate” he didn’t go into work at 5:30 A.M. like he had been doing much of the month.  Instead he stayed home so the kids could watch him open gifts at 6:55 A.M.  Johanna helped him unwrap them all.   Good practice for her upcoming birthday, I guess. 

 

 

 

He got a cool new Crown of Thorns tie, two shirts, and two books.  One was by Dr. David Jeremiah on the upcoming economic Armageddon, and the other was a Focus on the Family book on Raising Knights.   The kids were a little dubious about his spoil.  It seemed to be a little lacking. 

He sped off to work and we celebrated with waffles FOR him.    It was the least we could do.

 

 

 

 

 

We then headed off to our second-to-last-day at co-op.  Nigel made, um, something or other, in his science class.  It looked pretty cool. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marie studied Indians in her Little House on the Prairie Class. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tabitha made a tree in her Art Class.  A/K/A “Mommy class.”  Then we were home and fixed a not-so-amazing dinner of Zweigle’s, potato salad, and cole slaw for Daddy’s dinner before he took the big four to their first night of HIS Baseball.  Hanny and I ran errands.  Not so wow… huh?

 

Birthday Beauty

Around here birthdays are not one day events.   We spread them out and enjoy them in different ways.  The actual birthday… the friend party… the family party… not necessarily in any certain order…

For Tab her friend party came first this year. 

Testing out the frosting…

A couch full of friends…

Lunch of pancakes, fruit, sausage, and birthday punch…

A fruit rainbow (thank you Mrs. M.)

Musical chairs and Tape-the-Ladybug-on-the-Flower…

An Easter-egg hunt… (um, thanks Mrs. M.)

Running for eggs!

A few lovely gifts!  (This is the one she dug into first.)

A pinata in the yard on a GORGEOUS day…

Cupcakes in her favorite colors…

Then came the real birthday…

Blueberry Strata for breakfast… (See outfit #1?)

A moment with Mom (we were just heading out to American Heritage girls.  She’s wearing outfit number two and then changed into her uniform making it outfit #3)…

Hugging her new bear after an outing to Build-A-Bear with Nan as her gift…

Home from American Heritage Girls and back into outfit #2… 

Flowers from DADDY! 

A few gifts from the family… with a little sister learning the ropes.  She got a VeggieTales girls’ devotional…

A “Laura Ingalls dress” with bonnet and pinafore…

Which immediately became outfit #4.  HOWEVER, I predict we will be in outfit number four until I wrestle it off of her…

Some Texas sheet cake with writing (a new presentation around here…)…

I could look at this photo all day.

I got some shots of Tab and Marie (sister buddies) then started to cry because Johanna wasn’t going to have a buddy like all the other kids.  Everyone quickly offered up that Johanna is their sister buddy.  There was no shot to be had… this was the best one.  Oy.

And now off to bed.  Tired… six… happy.

Thank you, God, for my Easter-baby.  She’s the biggest challenge, but boy, she is smart, beautiful, and tenacious.  I pray she uses it all for God’s glory.