Hoppin' to

This year's Easter was particulary special - Elena was taking communion, Alex figured out the egg hunt (and the candy inside), and we had friends join us at church and for Easter lunch.
The kids with Mama Janie at church

Kathryn flowers the cross

Alex is looking for eggs - and better yet chocolate!

Elena hunts eggs. For our first hunt at the new house, we divided the back yard into 3 zones: Easy (Alex), Medium (Elena), and Hard (Kathryn).

Nearly Wordless Wednesday

Go Western Day 2011

First Communion

To say Laney is precocious is an understatement at times. Early in the spring she approached our priest, Father D about taking communion. He told her she could take the classes that were starting soon. He held to that even after they announced that the class was for age 6 and up. She made it through the class - learned what intinction is and the importance of the eucharist. And on Palm Sunday during the longest service in history (ok that was an overstatement, but it was puritan length) she took her first communion.

Momma Janie & Daddy Ronn gave her a new wall cross.


With Bishop Andy and Father D.

18 Months

Our little guy turned 18 months old today. He celebrated with his first trip to the pool of the season and by playing along with the Wii. (He holds a nunchuk and pretends he is playing)

In other news, Kathryn took the SAT today and now that it is over, she is officially on summer break.

And tomorrow makes year number twelve of wedded bliss. We've never done much to celebrate. In tomorrow's case we're planning a steak dinner at home for us (hot dogs for the shorties) and hopefully we won't get any macaroni & cheese thrown at us.

Hello again strangers

It's been weird checking my blog roll and seeing pictures of my kids all bundled up. It's not cold here anymore! It's hot and dry. We never got that ice I posted about and we have only had rain once since then. April was in the 80's. May was in the 90's. Today hit 100. This does not bode well for July and August.

A few updates:

Today was the last day of school. The end of Junior year for Kathryn and the end of Pre-k for Elena. Not much will change for Elena come Monday. Same classroom, same teacher, just in Summer mode. Kathryn has a busy summer including a mission trip, counseling at church camp, our family vacation, band leadership camp and a month of band camp. Alex will just keep trucking along as per usual.

Kathryn made Drill Instructor for the flute section of the marching band next year. She also received an award for most improved in her band level.

Elena won an award for Best Handwriting. She performed in her first gymnastics demo a few weeks ago. She's really excited about starting kindergarten in August.

Alex of course has made the most changes since February. He's walking very well. He talks, not a lot, but he can say "Dada", "Mama", "Kitty", "Sissy" (those two sound about the same), "ball", "book", "Bobo" (his blanket bear) and "thank you" (pronounced "dankdu"). He's a climber - stairs, chairs, slides . . . He turns 18 months old on Saturday. Wow.

I am also posting some photo updates soon!

Baby It's Cold Outside

23 Degrees to be exact. Now I'll admit, if you live in the Rockies or up North or Alaska, this is nothing! But people I live on the Gulf Coast. The song by Branded is not untrue:

"I’ve heard of winter carnivals in Aspen.
It looks just like a winter wonderland.
But remember while you’re freezin’ throughout this Christmas season
We’ll be down here with Christmas cheer and flip-flops in the sand."

And coming home to several hours of black out also not fun. We do admit we are much better off this year than we would have been in the old house. We have a gas stove, gas water heater and a gas log fire place. The old house was all electric with a cruddy wood burning fire place and tile floors. Our heater doesn't work with out electricity though! So it was down right chilly during our canned chili dinner. Kat did a little homework Laura Ingalls-Wilder style tonight - well . . . if Laura had had a fluorescent camping lantern.

The good news is no precipitation is predicted, so no icy roads tomorrow. School may be delayed and my office doesn't open until 10.

I haven't posted pictures in a while, so some pictures of different cold day (nowhere near the current extreme). Elena on her Christmas bike wearing her new helmet & pads:
Alex going for a ride in the wagon:

Old man winter is a bit confused

We had 70 + degree temps on the weekend and yesterday. It was 60+ at 6 AM and then came the Norther. It was 40 degree when I went to work at 7 AM and 33 degrees when I pulled out of my office parking garage at 4:30. Wow. That's cold for this joint and the HIGH for tomorrow is expected to barely get above freezing. Snow is possible on Friday! I am pathetic, I sooooo want a snow day. Hanging out around the house without the possibility of being able to run an errand sounds great. Sounds like Christmas! Which is actually true, since that was the last Saturday we had in which we didn't do laundry or go shopping or play taxi driver . . .