168 Academy Awards

Youth group had an Academy Awards night based on some short films that the different small groups made. Here are the boys, dressed and ready to go!

The little ones got dressed and ready to go also....until the water heater broke and dad had to fix it :(

At church before the awards....with friends

At home after! Long, fun night!

Camp James

This was a super fun camping trip. We have only camped at the beach thus far and the kids were so excited to camp by a river, and fish and hike and explore! When all was said and done, they said it was one of their favorite camping trips! I have to agree!

Fishing was a little slow going (which I had warned them). However, kids do not have a ton of patience! Just their luck....the fish hatchery showed up and dumped 2500 lbs of trout right where they were fishing (then did it again the next day)!

Fishing got serious now. The kids were pacing back and forth on the rocks, watching the trout as they stared at the bait...yet not one would bite.

Finally, Julia grabbed a bucket, and scooped one out. Very creative! So, technically she caught the 1st fish...just not with a pole!

Once the fish started biting, they caught one after another after another. They decided to cook a few to try them but the rest were all thrown back. The kids couldn't wait to use their knives to cut the heads off! What in the world?

The campground was so beautiful and kept up nicely!

Jonah was very excited over the fish in Jake's hand!

All packed up and ready to head home after a good trip!

Dad's cake

One Sunday, after church, Daddy decided to make a layered cake...spontaneously. He got so "into" the pudding filling and frosting, etc. that I had to take pictures. Toward the end, I even made him put on a cute little apron! The kids loved it. I was very tasty, too, I might add!

Josh's 9th Birthday

Another birthday in our house! With 7 people in the family, it feels like we have birthdays quite often. We always try to make it a special day. I can't believe Josh is 9..where have these last 9 years gone?
For his birthday, Josh wanted to go to a glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course with some of his friends. Louie picked up him and his friends that were in his Thursday classes, in the RV, and brought them to the place. They were so excited!

This is a horrible picture but gives an idea of the "glow". They were all told to wear white for the black lights.
After golf, we picked up dinner and brought the kids to the park to eat and play. Then, back to our house for nerf gun wars....what a dream!

Lastly, cake and presents! Josh said it was one of his most favorite parties! I'm so glad! I think it was because some of his favorite people were there with him to do some of his favorite things!

Spring at our house

We LOVE spring at our house. We all love to garden and plant new things. However, we get most excited over all the new buds on our fruit trees (and then disappointed when wind blows at least half of them off!) Here are some of our trees this spring!...they make me smile!

Above: our Apricot tree!

Above: Our nectarine tree!

Above: Our Plum Tree!

Above: Our newer Peach Tree!

Above: Our Kumquats...which I think are so cute and quite a conversation starter on our front doorstep!

Easter-better late than never!

Just for documentation sake: Here are our Easter pictures from this year! It cracks me up because Julia was so excite to wear the hat and purse that she picked out with Grandma when getting a dress! She was so proud! Though, not what I would pick out, I think it is sweet that she isn't worried about looking "cool" yet and still loves being a little girl! I love that sweet girl!

There's a few extra of Jonah since it is his 1st Easter and he looked so cute!