Solo Swimmer

Guess who passed the swim test at our neighborhood pool today??!! We are so proud of him! He was quite proud of himself, too, before he fell sound asleep on the couch right after dinner.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Love our little Cindi Lauper in her self-styled getup. Her 80s throw-back look was quite the rage when we walked Osten to his classroom last week. Don't her fingerless gloves just make the outfit? Thank you, Gramma Sue!

Pirate Party

The kids had a great time on a treasure hunt at Wells' party. Here they are with all their loot!

Aaaargh!

Marci and August Emily had a great time playing together.

Lily went for a ride in the Hummer!

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem!

Wells had his third birthday party today. Luckily, shirts and shoes were optional! All it took was for one boy to discard his shirt, and the others were quick to follow. Marci, an apparent equal-opportunity kind of gal, insisted that she be allowed to join in the bare-chested revelry.

It sure will be fun to show this picture to Marci and Wells when they're in high school! I think I'll use it as proof that we allowed her to sow her wild oats at a young age. Heck, if she doesn't run around without a shirt from time to time now, when will she ever get the chance??!!

The Thrill of the Hunt

The Easter Bunny did a little something different this year and left a scavenger hunt for the kids to find their baskets. We weren't sure what their reactions were going to be when they woke up and found a lone note in place of their baskets, but they were great sports. And they seemed to have a good time following the clues all over the house until they finally found their Easter baskets on the table in the bonus room.

They just knew the Easter Bunny was going to hide Easter eggs in the front yard, and sure enough, he delivered (on the sly while going out to collect the morning paper)! It was also the maiden voyage in their new Crocs that were tucked in their baskets.

Of course, they had to compare their hauls, and Osten even made an adjustment or two to even things out!

Happy Easter!!

Got Strawberries?

It was a strawberry feast for Marci after church this morning. This picture doesn't quite represent the puree of strawberry that is spotted all over her Easter dress. It does, however, give you a good idea of exactly how she was hamming it up this morning during a baptism that took place during the service. She kept looking back at Daddy and me and giving us this face. I think she was relishing in the power of being out of our reach. If this morning is any indication, the teenage years are going to be off the chain with this one!

Easter Surprises

Easter hasn't officially arrived, and it's already been full of surprises.

Marci found the golden egg at our neighborhood Easter egg hunt this morning!

And she got to hold a bunny.

And Osten . . . rode his bike this afternoon with no training wheels and no crash landings!!