Artichokes

I am sooooooo excited to show you our first artichokes of the season!

Yippee!!! 

We were just given some artichokes from our next door neighbor that we cooked tonight for dinner and then ventured out to our garden to the wonderful surprise that we have mini artichokes growing.  Looks like we are going to have a great crop this year (sooner than we thought).

Hooray for a home grown garden....love it!

Pool progress

Gunite was put in today 

(Shows slight lift in middle/ back that will have raised patio decking for table and chairs)

Large shelf to put a lounge chair and umbrella in and for kids to play on. 

Special step with foot rest on right side for future inserted table and umbrella.

Garden update

Our garden is growing well.

The carrots have begun sprouting too!

Swimming Lessons

The kids have still been going weekly, we have just been bad about taking pictures...

so here are some from today's lesson.

Mason kicking on the frog (literaly kickn' it)! 

She swims from instructor and pulls up everytime.  

Notice her instructor isn't holding her...one tough girl.

(just prior to this she saw me and fast monkey crawled toward me...then she had to go all the way back over to Jason...silly girl, she was crying a little today) 

Well...she cried everytime she saw me.....

but she still did everything Jason asked her to do!

Climbing out of the pool

Jumping in. 

Corben swimming to the edge 

Grabbing onto the edge

Looking cool in his goggles! 

Learning to swim

Kicking 

Corben climbing out of the water by himself!

Plans confirmed....

Our swimming pool plans... 

they started digging today.

Happy Easter...He is Risen!

Cousin Colby, Mason and Corben spending Easter together 

Our Family of Four 

Colby and Corben 

Jeff, Heather, and Colby 

The kids getting ready for the EGG Hunt 

Colby found one! 

Corben found one too! 

The boys filled their baskets... 

Mason did pretty good too 

Big smiles and lots of eggs! 

Coloring wood crosses that said Jesus. 

Colby and Corben were both really into the coloring with markers. 

Heather made cupcakes and the boys decorated them with bunny cut-outs that Meme gave! 

I made Resurrection Rolls...

there are hollow inside like Jesus' tomb

(pretty cool recipe, a dinner roll with a marshmellow in the middle, rises and then cooks and when you cut them open the insides are empty like the tomb!) 

We had a wonderful church service this morning and a wonderful day spent with Heather and her family.  So thankful and blessed on so many levels!

Dying Easter Eggs

I am trying to take as many pictures as I can...however, Caleb is at work and I am managing both the kids, the dye, the black sticker trick we are trying and the camera...haha...what fun! 

Sweet smiles, ready to help! 

Corben putting another egg into the dye 

Mason holding the egg with her name on it!  Cheese! 

Oh how she loves her big brother!

Corben still putting the cheese face on and Mason is now holding her egg securly, not sure if I am going to be able to get that egg back from her  (what a great football hold...huh Pop?)

Final product

Black electric tape squares on and off with two different colors

(turned out okay, but not really like MarthaStewart.com....oh well). 

Happy Easter to all!

Broccoli & Strawberries

Look how cute these growing broccoli plants are!! 

Love them! 

Our strawberries are doing great and producing more and more each day

Corben & Mason enjoying a swing and a strawberry!