Spring Break on the Farm

We had such an amazing Spring Break at the farm in Missouri. It was a such a nice get-away for our family and a good opportunity to be together, away from our very busy life. The only bad thing...in all the hustle and bustle of leaving, I forgot my camera battery. I hate being without a camera, but especially at the farm where there are so many photo opportunities! Cindy let me borrow hers, so here are a bunch of pictures.

Things to remember about this trip:
-Ashton's total joy in getting a dog...well actually it is the farm's dog, but she has claimed it as her own. The girls went to run errands with Grandma, and when they showed up again, they had a new adorable dog named Oreo. (It was April Fools Day, and I thought they were kidding about the whole dog thing!) Ashton is in love with this dog...she is an animal lover and has such a gentle way with them.
-All the kids got to go horseback riding. The girls are getting really good at it- you can tell by the pics that they are starting to gallop- they are much braver than their mom! Cole loved his turn to ride!

-Feeding the horses, playing with the new chicks, swinging on the barn rope, and 4 wheel ride were all favorite activities.

-Tod and I worked on several projects around the farm which I really enjoy. I didn't get any pictures but Tod got 2 of the fields plowed and planted. Cole loved riding on the tractor with his dad.

-We went to a live animal auction- everyone brought their animals to auction off- it was a new experience for me and I liked seeing something I have never seen before. Cole liked the cages.

-Playing with cousins is always a high light of the trip- the kids adore Kayla and Leah and play non stop from sun up till sun down!-Check out the size of the bonfire we had on our last night. So much fun! We ate outside, the guys did some shooting and then we sat around the fire. I'm told this one was very small in comparison to other fires they have built at the farm.

We were all sad when it was time to leave...except for the fact that the well broke and we didn't have water for the last day! We loaded up some filthy kids and headed on back to Iowa. We are already looking forward to returning in the summer

St. Patrick's Day Race

It is one of my favorite Iowa traditions!

It is almost always COLD and WINDY.

It is something the girls' PE teacher has taught them is important- they even have after school practices!

It is something we look forward to every year.

The St. Patrick's Day Race!!!!

This year, Jordan ran the quarter mile

Check out her stride...we have never seen Beans run like this!

Ashton ran the one mile

See her in her orange jacket coming in the home stretch!
and I ran the 5K!

(No pictures of that...the family had retreated to the van, which was parked along the race route, to watch movies and Tod emerged from the van for just long enough to bark at me to "run faster!")

Did I mention it was COLD????

(Jordan huddling under a coat for warmth!)




Ahhh, traditions....they must live on at all costs!!!!

Cole's 2nd Birthday!

I wanted to include some more pictures from Cole's birthday celebration. We had a wonderful night together! For the most part, after almost 8 years, we are pretty used to being away from family, but there are those times when you just really miss them....holidays and birthdays...so it was really great to have our dear friends come and have such a fun party celebrating our "Cole-Man". The night before, Tod and I had gone out to do some birthday shopping at Toys R Us...you have never seen 2 adults having more fun. Finally, after all these years, we get to buy boy toys...trucks, cars, tools, trains, robots, etc....you name it, we looked at it! We had to do some serious selecting to figure out what of all the options we would finally settle on. Cole still ended up with quite a haul! We love this boy.

At the Mayor's Office

After my trip to San Antonio was already planned, Ashton received a big honor at school. Her artwork, along with one other student's, was chosen to be displayed at the Mayor's office for the next year, representing her school. You can imagine my dismay when I found out that the reception was on the same day I was leaving for my trip! I was sick about missing such a big event for my gal, but thanks to my willing neighbors and hubby, we were able to work it all out...I got dropped off at the airport, the little kids went to a friend's house, and Tod took Ashton to her thing. She was able to meet the mayor as well as be recognized at the City Council meeting. We are very proud of her! (According to her, her work is a "still life done in the style of pointilism).

Sisters in San Antonio

It all started back in January when my mother-in-law visited San Antonio. She and my sister-in-law, Kym, hatched a plan for a girls weekend in March to see the musical "Wicked" in San Antonio...I never thought it could really happen, but everything fell into place and we were all able to meet up and have some pretty amazing days together. My sister Katy lives in San Antonio (Tod's oldest brother and fam also live there), my sister Mel came from Utah, and Cindy and Megan came from Missouri. It was so neat to be able to be with my sisters and also my in-laws. We had so much fun!

I'll be honest, getting away was not easy...but thanks to a very willing husband (and lots of rescheduled piano lessons), I was able to do it...and it was heavenly!!!!

I have heard SO much about "Wicked" and I didn't want to be disappointed, so I set my expectations pretty low. Let's just say, it was INCREDIBLE...I was so impressed and loved it...definitely something I want to take the girls to see. The music is beyond amazing, and we have been listening to it non-stop ever since! After the muscial we ate at "Mi Tierra"...a delicious Mexican restuarant.

The rest of the trip included a day at the River Walk, lunch at County Line, shopping, touring HEB grocery store where Nick works, playing with Sutton, LOTS of talking and laughing, funny stories, amazing Texas weather, a BBQ with both families, and just an all around good time.

When I first arrived and was walking towards the baggage claim at the airport, I spotted my sisters chatting together. For just a moment, it took my breath away- these 2 girls are my best friends and I love them so much. The chance to spend time with them is rare and precious. I am so glad we took this trip.

It's Always Fun When Grandpa Comes...

We had a very special treat at the end of February...my dad came out to visit us for the weekend. The main reason for his visit was to work on the wiring and lights for our basement...he is an electrical engineer and so good at what he does. There was no doubt we wanted his help to "enlighten" our dark basement cave. He and Tod worked very hard and got almost everything done. It was so great to have Grandpa all to ourselves and we enjoyed every minute of it. When the guys weren't busy working we got to go to both of the older girls' basketball games, watch BYU basketball on TV and even squeeze in a few card games and bedtime stories. We also had a lasagna dinner using the same recipe that my mom always used. It was yummy and nostalgic. I love having my dad around. He is so kind and patient and such a good example. He is also an extremely hard worker. I am so glad that he took time out of his busy life to come and help us. It was a wonderful weekend together.

The girls were so excited to pick Grandpa up from the airport- His flight didn't come in until quite late, but they insisted on coming with me.

While at the airport, we saw the "American Pickers" and couldn't resist getting a picture with Mike. (American Pickers is a History channel TV show. It is based in Iowa)

Grandpa working hard while Tod "assists".

Reading stories and playing card games...

Watching B-ball...

Lasagna Dinner