Tis the season... Projects and Programs

With the kids only having 17'ish days of school left this year, we are in the middle of Project & Program Hell. Everyone has projects due and programs to attend. This keeps us very busy as we try to get as much done on the weekend as we can - during the week is regular homework, activities, and programs.

We started off with Jake's 5th grade music program. Followed by MaKenna's 3rd Grade program, Kyler's Sharing the Earth's Resources project presentation and MaKenna's Globalization project/presentation. We have a couple weeks before Jake's big 5th Grade project is due. He has several smaller assignments that go with it due along the way. I suppose this keeps them on track instead of rushing the night before (that comes later in high school).

Here is Jake's 5th grade music program...

MaKenna also had a music program. They do music programs for 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades.

Before the program

MaKenna playing the drums

Kyler had to do something around "Sharing the Planets Resources". He chose to recycle plastic bags, use re-usable shopping bags, and plant A LOT of trees. We even took "dirt" cups for snack.

Recycling Bags

at the store

Watering the trees (61 pine, 4 apple, 4 pear, 2 cherry)

Presenting to the class!

Dirt Cups with special "Oregon" worms

I'll have to post MaKenna's music part on a different post. Stay tune... (get it "tune").

Easter

Better late then never...

Another holiday that was here before I knew it. I had been collecting things for the kids for awhile and it was a good thing. After church they did a scavenger hunt to find other goodies. I realized afterwards the Easter candy was very limited this year (not a bad thing by any means).

Steve got the peanuts, Kyler the Legos, Jake and MaKenna each got a watch

Reading clues

More Clues

Family gift was the movie Hop and a bag of Jelly Beans

We tried something different this year and dyed eggs with silk ties. It didn't go as well as I had planned. We get colored eggs from the chickens (green, tan, yellow) and I thought at first that was the reason they didn't turn out as well. Then I bought white eggs at the store - that didn't work as great either.  I think this next year I will collect some brighter ties and give those a shot.

Ties Before

Ties around the eggs

Eggs After

Here is the kids' traditional Easter picture.

Have a wonderful Spring!

Puddles

These "puddles" may not seem like much - and definitively don't compare to the rivers over flowing that Oregon has and gets... but here in our bubble - we'll take it. It has been so dry here in Colorado this year, that any moisture is welcome. Severance - and more specifically - our house seems to be in a bubble. it can be dark and dreary all around but sunny at our house.

Yesterday we got several rounds of heavy rain / hail. There is some more in the forecast for this weekend. These pictures are from this morning - so about 18 hours or so after the rain...

Cake for dinner...

Why not!?  Cake for breakfast is OK according to Papa and bill Cosby.

OK, so it wasn't actually cake. It was some kind of Bisquick speg sauce and meat casserole thingy. Yes that is the technical name for the recipe - or at least Kyler thought so. It actually wasn't too bad. The kids are catching on to my April Fools Day meals and can't be fooled as easily as previous years. (2009 - grilled cheese, 2010 - meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato frosting, and 2011- Colored breakfast for dinner). Bummer I didn't post pics of those on the blog.

Spring Break

Well, we made it. Steve and I survived a week (and 2 days) at home with the kids; and the kids survived a week (and 2 days) at home with mom and dad. I think everyone will be happy to go to school and work tomorrow morning. The weather was wonderful and we were able to get a lot done outside. The kids even managed to get a little sun kissed. In preparation for the return to school and work - the weather changed today. We had about a 40 degree difference between Sunday (83) and Monday (43)... gotta love Colorado.

Here are some pictures of what we did...

We played on the farm for our vacation. We worked and worked at trying to break the cows. Papa says that in 3 days they can be broke. Well, it took us longer than that. Daisy (the calf) was probably the easiest, then Copper (the oldest), followed by Moon (the pain in the butt). We could probably put a string around Diesel and lead him. He's by far the gentlest bull I've ever seen. Kyler was crawling and running all over the fences, gates, logs in his pen and he just ignores him. We bought him that way - Diesel, not Kyler. He's an awesome bull. The cows are doing better, we just have to keep working with them. It's going to take us awhile to get them to the way diesel is - but that is our goal.

Daisy  

Jake combing Diesel 

MaKenna feeding Copper

MaKenna walking Daisy

Moon

The kids really wanted a road trip - but instead settled for staying on the Farm. They were really good and understood that we just had to get some things done. Steve decided to get them Zip Line to keep them occupied while we worked around the property and with the cows. They had a great time.

Zip Line

Pure Trouble

We had gotten some individual pizza pans, so we figured with it being Spring Break and the weather being so nice that we would start Spring off with a Pizza Party. These are a couple pictures of the pizza the kids made. We have gotten this pizza making and baking down to perfection. The key to the fire is to start the fire the night before and then just let it go - without adding wood for about 6 hours before we cook. The key to great pizza (easy to get out of the pan) is Olive Oil and Cornmeal. The key to baking it rotating often (every 5 min for a large pizza and every 2 min for a small).

Pizza Party

Pizza Party

Steve loves to be outside and takes any opportunity he can to play on some kind of big boy toy. He got the dozer out of the garage and hooked it up to the manure spreader. (I guess the "ya never know" day really came.) He heard we were in for some snow/rain Monday (Today) so he made sure he got the property seeded. He spent all day Friday and Saturday driving back and forth... I'm sure he wishes he had a bigger drill seed, but we'll make do with what we have. We also wish daddy was out here to help and tell us what we're doing wrong.

Steve spreading seed (borrowed the tractor)

Dozer pulling the manure spreader

Beijing, China

Ok, Where to start. I hate it when I get behind on my blogging. I never know where to start. Do I post the most recent events and get caught up later or do I post the "past" and then eventually get to the "now", which will be the "past" when I get to it. Better yet, I could just ramble and make no sense. I think those few folks that look at this really only want pictures anyways, so here it goes.

A few pics from China...



In the Hotel Closet...

Method of application

(1) Take out the fire fighting filter type self-saving breather

(2) Tear at the packing bag of fire fighting filter type self-saving breather

(3) Wear helmet and pull contractive belt fast;

(4) Choose way and flee for your life decidedly.



Forbidden City



 

Forbidden City



Tienanmen Square



Tienanmen Square



HP - Beijing

Cool idea: Plug in the bathroom drawer

Happy Spring and everything else...

After reading both Laurie and Joleane's blogs about Spring, I thought I better get in on it too.  We have had gorgeous weather the last week or so. Mid to high 70's! Yes, that is correct - Colorado in March is wonderful.  This weekend (the beginning of Spring Break) is suppose to be in the 80's. Don't be fooled though - just as the blossoms start blooming we;ll get some snow and all the buds will freeze and we'll have to start over. 

HAPPY SPRING everyone.

Happy Birthday Grandma

Happy Anniversary Grandma & Grandpa

Happy Anniversary Joleane and James

Happy Birthday Daddy