3.13.13 Celebrate with...bowling!

 So today is a day to celebrate...someone turned 40.  I'll let you guess who.  So after a hard day of work, we went bowling with the kids.  We had never gone before...but we definitely will go again!  We had bumpers up and this little ramp thing.  We tried without the ramp once.  Just once.  It took 5 minutes to make it to the pins, so we used the ramp the rest of the time.

 

 Leah did quite well!  Though all she really cared about was carrying the ball over and watching it go down the ramp.  She didn't quite get the whole goal of the process.  By the end of the game she was grabbing her ball and running to push it down the ramp all by herself.

 

Eli did really well too.  He wanted to carry the ball himself too :)  He loved it.  His Abuelo loves to go too, so I see a 'boys night' in their future.

 

 

 

I couldn't get a picture with Leah's score on it too...she had 92 I think.  I wanted to point out my score.  That's right, it was 160.  My best score ever.  We'll just ignore that 3 of my spares came from my ball bouncing off the bumper bars and knocking down remaining pins.  I'm holding on to that score for forever.

3.11.2013 Feeding Ducks

 It's Spring Break here, so getting out and going to the park is a top priority!  We headed to a nearby park, and when we got there we were surprised to see the ducks out and ready to play.

 

 Fortunately we had some leftover crusts from our lunch that we had eaten in the car, and the kids had a blast feeding them.

 

 The look on Leah's face makes me laugh.  That's how she was the whole time the ducks were around.  Eli was pretty excited too.  I couldn't stop thinking about the roast duck we ate a few weeks ago.  There's something wrong with me...

 

 We finally got around to playing at the park.

 

 This little musical park is another favorite of the kids'.

 

 This spinny seat 'thing' is pretty fun.  Leah got spinning really fast in it.  She giggled the whole time.  Then she walked around crooked for a while, and that made ME giggle.

 

Eli has been trying to climb a lot lately.  He was pretty proud of himself for making it to the top!

Another beautiful day!

3.10.2013 A walk in the woods

 Sunday we headed out to go for a little walk in the woods.  We're trying to enjoy this mild spring we've been having-we've loved every minute of it!  Sunday was a GORGEOUS day.  I told Edgar that I thought it was the nicest day I'd ever experienced since moving here-it really was that nice!

 

 Off on the trail! 

 

 The first part that we went on was a boardwalk.  For some reason Leah feels the need to lay down and look through the cracks...

 

 So pretty...

 

 Eli had a blast on the hike.  I think daddy has found an outdoor adventure buddy!

 

 We then walked on a trail for a long time.  It was completely beautiful.  There were all these root things coming up out of the ground.  Leah said they were monkeys.  I have no idea why.  Now I will always look at them and think of them as monkeys...

 

 Some of the beauty we saw...

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous!

 

 After a while Leah was lagging behind a bit, so she got a ride :)

 

Eli spent a lot of time throwing sticks into the river.  He discovered that they floated, so I think he threw 100 stick in on the hike.  He was so entertained by their floating.

It was a really fun walk.  We probably did just under 2 miles.  Eli didn't bat an eye at that distance-I think he could have kept going.  Leah was a little more...vocal about it, but after a snack and a ride on daddy's shoulders, she was good to go.

Can't wait to go again!!

3.9.2013 Abuelito's 90th Birthday Party

 On Saturday we celebrated Edgar's Grandfather's 90th Birthday.  Around here we call him Abuelito :)

 

 The kids all had a blast together.  Landon and Brayden were there too, so they had lots of little buddies to play with.  Katie caught this significantly injured butterfly, and that was the focus of much of the play.  She carried that thing around all day.  I couldn't believe it stayed alive for as long as it did with all of the handling done to it.  It entertained the kids though!

 

 Eli snugglin' up to Sean :)

 

 A special prayer time for Abuelito.

 

 This lady sang a beautiful song for Abuelito and then told about how he and Abuelita had helped her so much when she came to the States.  A beautiful testimony.

 

 Leah making new friends...

 

 Abuelito and his pastor.

 

Some of my favorite people.

 

 The whole family!

 

 Some close friends.

 

 Abuelo hanging out with his youngest grandson.

 

 Look at all those grandkids!

 

 Time to open presents!

 

Uncle David teaching the kids how to ride roller coasters :)  Leah has got it down!

 

All the cousins playing with David.

It was a gorgeous day.  Mom and Dad worked very hard and pulled off a wonderful party.  Abuelito had a very nice time as well.  What a priviledge to be there to celebrate 90 years with him!

3.8.2013 The Park

 There have been many, many posts about visits to this little park.  It's our favorite.  It's close.  Okay...maybe it's just close.  But we love going.  So enjoy some pictures of my kids being cute...and growing up way too fast!

 

 One evidence of them growing up is finally being done with baby swings...unless Leah decides to push an imaginary baby...which she did for a while...

 

 They are now all about the 'big swings'.  I actually am glad about this.  I hate those baby swings.  I cannot seem to get a child out of them without loosing a shoe, or killing myself trying to get them out.  These are much easier.  Now they just need to learn to pump, and I'll be able to take a book to the park and relax while they swing.  Cuz they would swing the entire time if I let them.

 

 Eli also really enjoys the monkey bars.  He makes me SO nervous, but I no longer help him up.  I figure if he wants to play on them, he needs to figure out how to do it himself.  I am always very close by, though...in case he plummets to the ground.  Leah, on the other hand, is not allowed up there.  Yet...

 

 The sea saw.  Don't you miss the good 'ol days of teeter totters?  When you could get someone way high in the air, jump off and watch them crash to the ground?  Good times.  Everything is so safe now...For entertainment, click on the picture to see a close-up of Eli's face.  He looks like the sea saw is serious business!

 

We went over to climb trees.  I couldn't decide which picture of Eli I liked better...so I posted them all.  Cuz he's so cute.

 

 

 

 See what I mean?  The kid rarely smiles for pictures anymore, but shots of him are still amazing.  Such a cutie :)

 

A few trips down the slide...

 

 A little exercise...

 

 And last but not least, the tire swing.  I always save this until last.  Otherwise we will never leave.  The kids love it.

Good times at the park!