Such a Nice Day

"Moon! Momma, look, there's the moom!" (Elisabeth)

"Oh... I see it."(Momma)

"Sometimes, it is such a nice day that the moon comes out." (Elisabeth)

17 Years

We celebrated our 17th Anniversary yesterday.

We didn't have a babysitter so we decided to take the whole family to Lake Tahoe for some outside fun. It was wonderful. We enjoyed sunny, warm weather at King's Beach. The kids played for hours in the sand and water, while Seth and I relaxed on a blanket on the beach. I finished reading a book. Seth took a nap. And, the kids just kept playing. I had a low key water fight with David. Seth built sand castles with the kids. We both helped Jonathan, Thomas and Elsie bury themselves in the sand. It was a delightfully fun and relaxed afternoon.

After our beach fun, we went to a local restaurant for dinner. Our kids were well-behaved. We felt so blessed.

We walked outside after dinner and took in the sight of moon over the lake. Next to the restaurant where we ate, there was a wedding reception taking place. The music was playing, the moon was shining, the kids were talking animatedly and walking toward the car. We captured the moment- and kissed.

It was a very good day.
 ~~~~~~~~~

The kids did not argue all day. Not once.
We stayed a long time. They didn't complain when it was time to go.

"I didn't know anniversaries could be fun." David (age 8)

"Happy Anniversary" Thomas (age 7)  He said this to us numerous times throughout the day and it was as sweet as could be.

Jonathan was the first of the kids to bury himself. The pictures of him buried in the sand are cute but I love this photo of him best.

"I am the sandman." Jonathan (age 11)


David was not about to cover himself in sand. He did have a blast knocking down a castle that some other people left behind.

Elisabeth wasn't still long but I caught this picture of her deep in thought.

Seth and I took a self-portrait with my cell phone:

Jonathan took this picture of us before dinner:

Our family at the end of dinner:

The moon over Lake Tahoe:

Adrenaline Junkie

Thomas:  "Momma, do you know what my favorite feeling is?"
Momma: "What?"
Thomas: "Nervous. I love feeling nervous."


~ Now we know why we never know what to expect from Thomas. ~

Stayin' Alive

Last week one night we went out to eat as a family.

As we arrived at the restaurant, David said, "Momma, can we have some of that small food?"
(M) "Huh? What do you mean?"
(D) "The small food that keeps you alive."
(M) "... you mean, appetizers?"
(D) "YES! Can we have appetizers?"

Overheard after Dinner

"David, I had peanuts at school today and I didn't like them at all. You are not missing out on anything." Jonathan, 11

Jonathan's 5th grade class has been doing state presentations. One of the students brought in peanuts because their state presentation was on Georgia, "The Peanut State."

Eclipse Blessing

Tonight, we watched the solar eclispe.

At dinner, Jonathan prayed:

"Dear God, thank you for the food. Thank you for the solar eclispe. Please let Momma and Daddy be alive during the next one. Amen."

Day Hike to Skunk Harbor, Lake Tahoe

Mother's Day was beautiful in Nevada. We headed to Lake Tahoe for a family hike. The hike was fantastic. The kids enjoyed the scenery and loved getting in the frigid Lake Tahoe water. I loved every minute of the peaceful walk and beautiful surroundings.

I picked an "easy" hike for us. Easy for adults means still challenging for kids age 11, 8, 7, and 4. It was 1.5 miles down to the water at Skunk Harbor and, of course, 1.5 miles back up to the car. Elsie and Seth made an agreement on the way back- she'd walk some and then he'd carry her on his shoulders some. David said they came with a great pattern. Seth got extra exercise.

The hike we went on split in two. We went to Skunk Harbor. The other part of the hike goes to Prey Meadows. Here is a picture overlooking Prey Meadows.

Some pictures of us along the way on the hike. (Elsie insisted on wearing her skirt. After swimming she changed into shorts. But, she sure looked cute hiking in a skirt.)

Some pictures of the beautiful scenery on the hike to Skunk Harbor:

Skunk Harbor was serene and beautiful.

A perfect place to relax and play.

We set the timer for a family picture.

We also saw lots of insects and animals on our hike, including all sizes of ants, butterflies, chipmunks, lizards, birds and ducks. I only got pictures of a few.

A lizard (the boys were very excited about the lizards).

A woodpecker.

A beautiful blue bird that was flying in and out of the trees by the harbor.

A duck.

As you can tell, the whole trip was picturesque. This isn't even all of the pictures that I took! I am extremely excited about exploring the outdoors with the family this summer. I love how happy my kids were on this trip.

When we got to the top, back to the car, Thomas exclaimed, "I am SO proud of myself!"

 I had a special Mother's Day... and I am very thankful for my kids.

Getting older

Jonathan is 11 today.

One sure sign that he is getting older-

Every year since he was old enough to make a request, he requested pizza for his birthday dinner.
This year, he requested steak.

Turning Seven

Thomas is seven.
He insists that he was 6 on April 20th. He was "turning seven" on April 21 (his birthday) and he is seven today. He says he wasn't actually seven until midnight on his birthday.
We can't convince him otherwise.

Sigh

(Thomas) Momma, do you know what sighs the most?

(Momma) No... what?

(Thomas) A girl who likes a boy.

Easter Family Picture

We had a very relaxed at-home Easter this year. Jonathan was sick. He went to bed early on Saturday night with an achy body and high fever. His fever was gone in the morning but he struggled all day with a taxing cough and low energy.

I managed to get all of us in decent clothes for a family photo.
I am pretty happy with it. You cannot even tell Jonathan feels bad. He was determined to smile and get the picture over with, I think. It worked. It only took two shots to get this photo.
Never mind our bare feet!

Old MacDonald

Old MacDonald Had a Farm has been one of Elsie's favorite songs for a long time. I think it is mainly because she is such an animal lover.

Last night, she full of cuteness when talking about her song.


(E) Momma, do you know how to spell EIEIO?

(M) How?

(E) [proudly] E-I-E-I-O

big smile

The Owen Boys Rock

We are extremely proud of how our boys are doing in school this year.

This quarter-

Jonathan was one of 2 kids in his class to get straight A's.

He also had perfect attendance.

David received a character award for his class. (Two are chosen from each class during each quarter.) His teacher said that he is a great teacher, always willing to help other students. He does amazing work on classwork, especially his projects.

He also had perfect attendance.

Thomas received a character award for his class. His teacher said that he is a great friend in class and that he is always the first to help clean up, even when the mess isn't his responsibility. He is a hard worker and is excelling in reading.

We are super proud of our boys.