Spring Break

We had some big plans for our two whole days of spring break.  First of all, we were going to get the yard completely ready for grass! (Boy am I ready to get rid of the muddy mess around here!) This would entail, among other things, getting a tractor to level and contour everything.  Second of all, we intended to take the kids swimming one day and bowling the next so that their vacation wouldn't be all work and no play.

Well, let me tell you, circumstances beyond our control popped up-

See the snow on the other side of the pond? It was sticking to the grass, but making our muddy mud muddier around the house.

(or fell down as was the case with the snow and rain that we woke up to the first morning of spring break.) Our ideas of yard work were then dashed. Nolan, looking dismally out the window, stated matter-of-factly, "It's a soggy day."  I didn't think I heard right, so I asked him to repeat himself.  He said, "Soggy days means that the clouds are down around us." I think he was thinking of foggy days.

Meanwhile, our suburban began to make some strange noises, so we took it to the mechanic.
As we waited for the extended warranty people to ante up, (they're just like an insurance company, trying to find ways they don't have to pay) Shawn's dad was nice enough to let us drive his pick-up with an extended cab around. (Shawn's little red commuter car was just too small for all of us.) You may be thinking that a pick-up would also be too small for all of us, and you would be right.  But it wasn't as small as Shawn's car. There must be a little bit of red- neck in the two of us, because when we really needed to go somewhere all together, like to take Kami and Caden to their group piano recital, we threw a couple of kids in the back.  So it wasn't big enough for us to feel good about driving a long distance to a fun swimming pool, but it was big enough to drive, say, ten minutes from where we live. 

I had to laugh when we pulled up to the piano teacher's house and Caden and Maddie came tumbling out of the shell on the  back of the pick-up.  I walked around to close it, and Caden, with his head lowered and looking rather abashed mumbled, "How embarrassing can it get?!!!" - as he imagined all the piano students watching from the windows as the Gees unloaded their sardine tin.

So there we were, our plans dashed and unable to REALLY go anywhere.  But do you know, we had such a wonderful time!  Shawn took the days off of work and we were forced to relax and we got to hang out and enjoy each others company.

Just so you know, Shawn is NOT going to thank me for posting this picture of him -not a good picture-  But just look at that cute little head leaning on him.  This little guy insists on being right beside his dad everywhere he goes.

In our family, one of our favorite things is to find a really great book and have Shawn read it out loud to us.  He is a really great read-alouder, we have gone through so many good books!! Shawn's traveling schedule hasn't been really conductive to this activity, however, because when we're into a really suspenseful part of a book, who wants to wait anywhere from two days to one week before you get to see what happens? So,we did some reading while we could.

Abram's new play-place until we got the shelves put in.

We inherited an old entertainment center from Shawn's parents and loaded it up and watched movies several evenings and then had family slumber parties both nights in the bonus room. Well, to be more exact, Shawn and I participated in every part of the family party EXCEPT for the slumber parties in the bonus room.

Then on Saturday the weather got a little nicer, so the kids helped Shawn set up the trampoline, which never got set up last year because we were so busy with finishing our house.  So let me tell you, this was a very happy, exciting day for the kids.  And let me also tell you that today was a very happy, exciting day for ME because those kids jumped on the trampoline for about two hours straight!  Do you know how much you can get done in two straight hours?!

Shawn also decided to attack our jungle of trees.

I wasn't exaggerating about Shawn ATTACKING our jungle of trees.

Here are some after pictures  of some of the trees after they were all spruced up. Still a little more work to go.

And some cute pictures of Isabelle and Nolan as Shawn was working.: