Acadia Nat'l Park

We went on a quick 2-day trip to Acadia National Park.  It is supposed to be a crazy-crowded park, but at the end of April, not much is going on (which is just how we like it).

The Lorax

We hiked back in the woods behind the house to see that they are building. :(

Timmy was really sad to see that they were cutting down "perfectly good trees"

He's up on the stump like the Lorax "I speak for the trees!"

We're hoping that the construction won't get too close to our house, but they might eventually build a driveway right through our property, since they have an easement for driveway.  We hope not. 

This sweet little dude is keeping us busy, and we love him

Is it a Vampire?

Is it a vampire?! 

Nope!  Just Popsicle season!

We enjoyed opening Easter baskets...er.....buckets.

Having a little easter egg hunt on our wooded trail....

....and Easter dinner at the Bergs home.

They have such a fun yard to play in!  There were lots of tears when we had to go home.

Springtime

Aaron had his Spring Concert yesterday.  

His class sang "Sommertime, please come soon" the Beatles "Yellow Submarine."

The concert was amazing!  His music teacher Mr. Grath is super-enthusiastic and fun!

Even though Aaron's class was first, and a lot of parents left after their kid sang, 

I wanted to stay until the end, because it was so much fun!

Monster Smoothy Mustache

"Mom!  Is it going to be warm enough for us to play outside without our shirts again?!"

We love playing on the deck now that the weather is warm

Seeing some of our Acton Avalon friends, Amaya and Landon

'Shieka and Allayah

Walking at the Rail Trail

We've been taking the kids to a German Saturday School for a couple of months.  

A German baker offered to sell German baked goods last week, so this was our dinner. :)

This little girl started preschool on Monday!  

This was her first day.  

This darling school in our neighboring town happened to have a spot and 

let her start just for the last 6 weeks of the year.

More Wildlife

The kids were playing on the driveway yesterday and start screaming at me "TURTLE!"  It was just right next to the driveway in the brush.  He was so colorful!  Beautiful and bright yellow and reds.

We kind of wanted to keep him, but I was afraid to scare him, 

so we let him go in our pond, hoping to see him again.

The small bridge

Scott made two bridges in the woods behind our house.  Timmy and Aaron have helped with them as well.  This little bridge was Aaron's idea.  He created his own trail down to them and wanted it by these rocks and his "island."  It's a place in our woods that he feels some ownership and pride about.

So, I took this picture of Aaron by his bridge while we were hiking around last week and shot off an email to his teacher with it, since she and I had just been talking.  

Aaron has been learning about bridge building at school during a STEM segment, and she was excited to share what he had applied with the principal, and asked right away if she could share the photo.

Well, the very next day, Aaron got called down to the principals office.  (They let Aaron know he wasn't in trouble)  The principal asked if he could share his photo at the assembly that day.  So, Aaron came home super-excited and told me all about it, and how the principal had shown his photo, and asked him some questions about his bridge "in front of the whole school!"

At the assembly he told them that he made it 

1. In the woods behind the house, 

2. with his dad 

and 

3. out of wood.

*Timmy was quick to add that he had helped too, and wanted his due credit.  I'll note that here.  

Credit.  Given.

So....here you are Scotty....a proud dad moment!

Conference Weekend

Our church has their semi-annual General Conference in April and October.  We loved Conference this weekend. It's 2 days of watching uplifting messages and just being together.  It's also the only time in the year that I sit and watch, and encourage my kids to sit and watch TV for 4 hours each day and I feel good about it. 

We took notes or drew pictures about what the speakers shared.  Many great messages about serving others, reading the scriptures, inviting the Holy Spirit into our lives and our family, etc.  Very inspiring.  www.lds.org

The kids also got to celebrate a birthday with their friend W. at the bowling lanes.

It was a fun party with about 25 kids, and the kids had a great time!

Little Ollie in his "blue leisure suit."  This was one of Timmy's outfits when he was a newborn, and Melissa and I always joked that it was like Eddie on Christmas Vacation in his blue leisure suit. :)

This is also one of the outfits I had for Timmy.  Looks so cute on little Ollie-bear!

Timmy's photography. :)

Oh, and by the way, we got an April snowstorm on Saturday that left us a good 6-8 inches of snow, and the next day, it was 51 degrees!   Warm weather is coming!  We can't wait.