the egg drop

Noah and Isaac were excited about a special egg hunt that happened in our neighborhood this year. A new church plant that is meeting at the elementary school nearby hosted a helicopter egg drop for kids on the day before Easter. The turnout was pretty impressive. There were hundreds of people who showed up, and it was like a giant block party. There were all kinds of things going on such as face painting, a comedy show, music and more.

The helicopter arrived to begin dropping eggs.

There they go!

Another pass or two for the helicopter.

And they're off!

We definitely had a great time, and hope and pray that many people visited the new church for Easter!

making easter eggs

Today we had fun coloring easter eggs with things we already had around the house.

Coffee, spices, teas, cocoa, grape jelly, and cookie sprinkles

(Not sure why my picture won't rotate...)

We dissolved the powders with some hot water in individual mugs and added a splash of vinegar to each mug.

We added boiled eggs carefully.....and waited.

Gotta have cute helpers to do this!

I thought the eggs turned out pretty well for trying this out on the fly.

We got a few speckled eggs (because mommy didn't dissolve the spices enough??). We got a nice variety though. The gray/purple (grape jelly) one on the farthest right says "Noah" that I wrote in white crayon before dipping. Most of the greens are from the cookie sprinkles.

Isaac had fun counting the eggs. He says, "Two, Three, Two, Three...."

The best part was the eggs were on sale and I had a coupon. So a good little 85-cent activity. =)

hiking trip with Jill and Mark

Jason loves to be outdoors.

He enjoys being in God's creation---hiking, biking, running, swimming, or just taking walks through the woods. He has always been a naturalist at heart, whether or not our yard speaks to that. :)

We bought the season pass for the Indiana state parks to enjoy many more hiking trips and camping trips this summer and fall.

I grew up hiking as a family. It's a great way to shut down the noise of the world and spend time talking together and enjoying each other's comany.

Noah enjoys the company of his cousins on this muddy hiking trip.

But he did not enjoy the company of this snake we found on our path!

The boys!

Mark and Jill with not-so-little Joshua

Jason is the responsible one for letting the boys in closed areas....

Noah's News & Swimming in March

Noah has big news, and we are so excited for him....

This is Noah at age 4 years old, taken yesterday 3/21/12 on the day he prayed to ask Jesus to come live in his heart! He asked to pray with mommy and is very excited about his growing faith. He loves going to Bible study and learning verses and true stories about Jesus. He knows that one day he will be in heaven with Jesus.

Mommy and Daddy are very happy to see him follow on this faith journey and begin to make it his own. Hurrah Noah!

Who needs a pool anyway?

Yesterday we spent the day outside playing in the back yard. I tried to blow up our baby pool but all the air leaked back out. So, rather than waste a good 86-degree day (yes, in March!), I filled up a storage tote with water in the back yard and let them have at it.

The boys ate their dinner outside. Meatballs, mashed potatoes, corn and edamame! A very unusual meal for us, actually! But it felt like a summer day, so we acted like it was a summer day and ate some summer foods outside!

April

What a busy month it has been for us around here!!! Noah is in a big boy bed and working on potty training (hooray!). Isaac is done nursing and got a real crib, and he is turning one year old! We celebrated Isaac's first birthday and Easter this past weekend with our families, and Jason and I are continuing to train for the mini marathon that is taking place in less than two weeks. This past month we finished up our marriage class at church (wonderful!) and have increased our service involvement with The O'Connor House. Jason continues to tutor one of the moms in math for her GED test. Next weekend it will be time for Jason's youth group retreat. We have a list of house and yard projects we're chipping away at (slowly!), and honestly, I'd love to post more about each one of these things.

But right now I am behind on just posting pictures of the boys. And taking pictures, for that matter!! April is nearly over and I have yet to post even once! But alas, the laundry buzzer beckons me once again...

To be continued. Someday! :)

Playing at the Park

As the weather has been getting a little warmer each week, we have been taking advantage of the opportunities to be outside more. Last week we had a picnic at the park for my birthday, and Noah enjoyed the playground. :)

I love this picture! Noah is heading down a tube slide.



We enjoyed the sunshine, but it was still a bit breezy out.

Climbing up a pole is harder than it looks when the steps are half of your height.

Bouncing on the little bouncer thing with daddy.

The swings!!