May 12, 2013 I'm not going to "leave"

Do pine needles count as "leaves"?

I will probably "leave" before our trees do! :-)

You "May" check the date!

Note the greenish color in the background!

Meltdown: April 2013

Sunday--still a yard full of snow.

Note the height of the Juniper and the flowers in the "snowbed."

Dad trimmed the Juniper on Monday; I did the spreaders.

Wednesday--can you tell the difference?  Check the clothesline and pool!

Our most recent jaunt: April 2013

First, we headed to Ana's and swam with the girls. The after-swim "tubbie."

Then, Claire gave us a ballet "show." Claire and part of her audience

From Buffalo, we headed to Jimmy's to take him a tractor, so he could pretend to be a farmer.    Andrew examines the roll of quarters we took him while Matthew wonders what it's all about.

We were early for Andrew's birthday, so we had a "pretend" party

From Jimmy's we headed south!

Tom, Caiden, Annika, Jett, and Ariana are ready to get their pics taken for the church directory. Trina and kids in "normal" clothes below.

Caiden's "pretend" birthday party--a week early

Caiden opened the gifts from his cousins and us

Well, we got rid of one red tractor at Jimmy's 

and brought another one home from Buffalo.

Upsy daisy

Got 'er done and brought it home....and I thought we were getting rid of things. Silly me :-)

Winter Wonderland

"Blue skies...nothing but blue skies can I see" 

Frosty trees--half buried!

Welcome home? March 2013

The footprints on the roof are Bob's--not Santa's

Cody opened the trail to the barn

Can you find the garden and swimming pool?

Is that sign really necessary?

Skiing the Big Mountain March 7-11, 2013



From Miami to Montana--a bit of weather shock!





Yeah, Diane did ski--sort of



Chad, Tom, Larry, and Bob really enjoying their lunch



Larry and Nate, Tom and Jett, Bob and Chad before hitting the slopes



Hudson, Nate, and Jett ready for lessons



Hudson, Jett, and Nate--after-dinner action



Mountain scenery



Kyle and his son Hudson (talking to Bob), and Larry and his son Nate,
came with Tom and Jett from Cedar Rapids; Chad met them in Minneapolis



Dad took this pic of me on the mountain--it doesn't look real,
 but it is! The Stube is in the background.

 

Buffalo, MN, Jan. 13-14, 2013




This IS Cecelia wearing Lydia's lilac!

 


Lydia was wearing Cecilia's traditional pink!

 

Guess Who?

 


I had a picture of Claire giving the piano lesson, but somehow lost it.
 If you haven't guessed "who" is--that's Claire at one year old.
She looks like one of her sisters--with fewer curls!



Galveston and South TX, Jan. 14-28, 2013



The tin man is holding our "oil well"

Yeah!

The gang enjoying seafood--again!

On the beach at Galveston

"Daisy, Daisy....."

Rock sculptures

 CHS tour of the urea complex--it smelled like diapers

Cathedral in Galveston

At NASA control in Houston

Texas has oil, too

Stilt houses

In our condo at Galveston

Ready for Mardi Gras



Galveston Opera House

Brownsville Cathedral

Shine!

The mermaid is reading! Diane is ready for ice cream.



Cowboys



At the top of the lighthouse in Port Isabel

Harlingen airport



Edna is everywhere--even in Texas

Helping granny pick grapefruits

Iwo Jima Memorial

Mural at Edna, Texas

Jerry and Wendy's winter home

Kathy and Jerry's winter home

Hooked

Fritel II at Saturn V

The oyster bar

Heading South of the Border

Right after we returned from our Moon landing

"This little piggy....."

Grin and bear it