Our three...and looking forward to our California trip

Merit... have I already posted this picture? Oh yes I did, but I love it, it's a fave right now.My dutch boy tulip trimmer. He makes me smile!

Hazel Jane loves stroller rides and I love pushing a stroller. Works out great.

We are looking so forward to our California trip.

We look very forward to time spent with Natasha, Reese and Lane!!

Loews Bay Resort in Coronado! It looks like such a neat place to stay. Hopefully Lane will come and swim with us! :) We are excited to stay there and it is super close to Natasha, Reese and Lane's home.

And in Aneheim we are staying at the Aneheim Hilton. It is beautiful! We got it on Priceline -- $60 a night baby!!

The kids look forward to Legoland and Disneyland -- we all do! :)

awwwww the sweetness, little babe in pink

This BABY GIRL is soooo cute in pink.

WEEKEND

We are ready for the weekend! Hope yours is wonderful!!

And I think this weekend calls for a little Hazel photo shoot. It has been a week or so :)

Thankful for these Blessings

Hazel is a jumping bean and loving every second of it!

Willem is the outdoor kid... chasing butterflies and rock climbing are two of his favorites!

Will and his sweet friend Addi

Merit!! I love this toothless grin! He is reading like CRAZY! He is great at soccer and basketball.

Sweet Hazel and Vance

Uncle Matt visits

Sweetie in pink

Crab Creek

I am smiling as I pull up these pictures and feel thankful for these blessings.

The past couple of days I have felt sort of lonely and have been so aware of some of the

sadness of this world. We will go to Lynden for Vance's aunt Mary's funeral. I feel

sad when I talk to Natasha and hear the longing in her voice for easier days and for that sweet baby Case. But I also feel inspired when I talk with her. Thankful for her FAITH and her strength.

Merit wants to play a quick game of basketball while we still have some daylight.

Hug those close to you and be kind to all... there are so many struggles, but we are

all capable of making someone elses day a bit brighter.

Happy Easter Friends

This thing called LIFE.
This morning, I was burning tumble weeds and Will decided he would help me empty the remainder of my clippings and tumble weeds onto our burn pit. He sort of left the wheel barrow half in the pit and then ran to the house with me so we could check on Hazel. Meanwhile, it caught fire... it was scary... the wind had picked up... anyway, I am so thankful no one was injured and I think we all learned some lessons. ugh.
Vance's Aunt Mary passed away suddenly yesterday morning. What a sweet, fun lady she was!! She leaves behind a son, a daughter and a son in law and two sweet grandbabies ages 4 and 2. She will be missed by many. I am sad also that Vance's mom doesn't have her sweet sister Mary anymore.
Spring Break is almost over. It was good. I truly enjoyed having a more relaxed schedule and appreciated the time with these three kids at home, but the weather wasn't real nice so we didn't get as much outdoor time as I would have liked. Our boys fought quite a bit -- yikes! And then the news of Vance's aunt yesterday just sort of got us all feeling down again.
There were some highlights to our week, thankfully. Merit and I played lots and lots of basketball and he is getting good!
We enjoyed lunch out a couple of days. Merit and Will went to see a movie with their aunts Carly and Kelcy and Gramma Kris. We had a FUN Easter Egg Hunt here this morning! It was cold and windy but a good time! Sweet Hazel napped during the whole hunt. I was glad because it was really too cold for her outside. Now my brother Matt is here. And Easter is tomorrow. What a blessed holiday! And a reason to rejoice!!

READY    SET     GO

Friends! So thankful for them!

 a sweet Easter blessing... Hazel Jane

HAPPY EASTER FRIENDS!

Tree climbing, Spring beauty, Sweet Baby Hazel

Spring break is just starting - yay!

Spring Break...
I am not sure this will be a week of fun in the sun, but I certainly hope it is a week of fun.
Merit and Willem have been laughing, pretending and playing ball all day. Dodge ball, basketball, acting silly and running wild. I have giggled while watching them several times today.
Hazel has been a sweet angel. Willem is so good with her! Both boys are and I so appreciate their help.
Vance BBQ'd at the creek today. Yum! Chicken and veggies.

Yesterday while the boys had a fun day out at Grandpa Vic's, Hazel and I had a quiet day at home. I did get some yard work done, but the tumble weeds are everywhere.

Lots of loads like THIS were gathered off our yard, flower beds and fence line.

We've got daffodils blooming, so I brought some inside.

I've been "thriftin" again! Look at these cute pants I got for Hazel Jane. The fringe is very cute. She has been so happy and fun.

I bought a fun, spring outfit for myself at Goodwill.

Will's been fishing and this four year old boy already tells the classic "fish stories" ... He talks

about a fish that he caught at the Ketchikan, AK cabin that was ------------------ big. Merit corrects him

and says it wasn't THAT big... I love Willem's fish stories!

I am working at finding JOY in little things.

This week:

I'll enjoy my family.

I'll play basketball with Merit -- he is so into the final four too.

I will appreciate the present.

I will write letters.

We'll hit DQ for lunch one day.

I'll take "prayer walks" and especially remember Natasha, Reese and Lane.

We want to go to some fun parks, rent a couple of movies and PLAY.

I'll be back!