If it looks like a kite...

...doesn't mean it will behave like a kite. Last Saturday we were planning to have a lemonade stand in our front yard. Our neighbors down the street were having garage sales and so we thought we might have a bit more traffic. However, the day turned out chilly and VERY windy. Since our other alternative was a hot chocolate stand (that's May in Minnesota for you!) and we didn't have hot chocolate or styrofoam cups, we decided (ok, I decided) it would be a good idea to make a kite and attempt to fly it. I thought, "How hard could it be to build a kite?" Really, the question SHOULD have been, "How hard is it to build a kite that actually FLIES?" The answer...well, see for yourself...
























Since the kite didn't fly very well (this was probably our most successful attempt!)...













...the girls found other more interesting uses for my little creation!

























Oh well, it was better than chasing plastic cups all over the front yard!

4 of my favorites...

Here are four of my favorite pictures of the kids in action, taken at various times over the past year...(Bethany, Katherine, Anna, Micah)

Like Father, Like Son

Micah likes to read. He really likes to read. He especially likes to read "The Big Red Barn". He will sit for 15-20 minutes and look at a book. Did I mention that he's 15 months old? Yeah, it's dreamy. Ah, but lest some of you out there with extremely wiggly 2 year-olds start to feel jealous, just remember, this won't last. Which is why I'm reveling in it now and snapping every picture I can get of this cutie in a stationary position.





























































(this is my favorite.)

Easter Celebration

The weekend after we returned from England was Easter. That Saturday our church had an Easter Eggstravaganza, a huge Easter egg hunt. Basically, you go eat cookies, see the Easter story acted out and then let your kids loose on 6000 candy-filled eggs scattered all over the church inside and out! Our kids think it's the bomb so we brave the crowds every year. I mean, what's better than getting to eat a sugar cookie at 10 in the morning?







































































Bethany headed outside with the big kids to hunt eggs (hence, no pictures of her in action), Joel took Anna and Katherine on their adventure and I got to catch Micah scavenging high, okay, mostly low, to get as many eggs as he could pick up and throw at his bag.




































































































So, then there was the ubiquitous "photo spot" where you could gather with bunny ears and flowers and make a futile attempt to get a shot of all the children smiling. Well, believe it or not, we sort of succeeded.















Until a friend said, "Why don't you two get in there and let me get a shot of the whole family!" Yeah right.



In a few weeks, we have to have a portrait taken for our church's directory (yeah, I guess it would be good for the teaching pastor's family to be included), so wish us luck. I figure it will either be the perfect portrait or stinking hilarious, either of which will be okay with me.