Pretty Pics in Pink

Here are some new pics of Miss Elin. I think she liked getting her picture taken. They turned out better than I thought. The first outfit got peanut butter on it . . . .

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Breakfast in Bed

Nathaniel and Elin surprised us a few days ago with breakfast in bed. They get up early every morning, so I suppose they must find something to do with all their time. This isn't the first time we've been surprised with interesting concoctions in the morning.

It was a delicious slice of toast with just the right amount of peanut butter and honey spread "evenly" over the slice, and dotted with tasty salted almonds sprouting, points down, out of the middle. A slice of heaven! I did have a little difficulty prying my mouth open after a few bites and had to request something to drink, but that's a just a small matter. Thanks kiddos!

Fall Festival

Nate's school threw a Fall Festival for all the kids... everything from face painting to games, from auctions to lots of good food. Elin and Nate spent a lot of time just playing on the playground with some friends.

Napping in the sand?

We got to eat dinner in Nate's cafeteria. I found out that Nate and his class actually eat lunch in their classroom, except for "hot lunch" day. The cafeteria felt so small to me , but I'm sure it feels just as big to those kids as mine did when I was in 1st grade.

Nate and Elin, and friends Anna and Sophia. Elin was SOOOO excited to see Sophia from her own school, she couldn't stop smiling.

No festival would be complete without face painting, right? The painters were the "older" kids volunteering, and our kids were happy to be guinea pigs. Here's Nate with his basketball that got partially wiped.

And Elin with her flower...

...and hearts.

The Moon Is Stuck!

I was driving away from dropping Nate off the other day when from the back I heard the following:

Elin - "Oh, no! Mommy, oh no!"

Me - "What's wrong Elin?" (I am thinking Nate left his bag or coat.)

Elin - "The moon, mommy, the moon is in the sky, (struggling to find the words) Mommy the moon is STUCK! We have to help the moon!"

Me - "Oh no, what should we do?"

Elin talking to herself - "I go home get butterfly wings on and help the moon unstuck. No butterfly wings don't go high enough - they pretend. Oh yes, I have Nate build a rocket ship and fix the moon unstuck. Hmm . . ."

She thinks about it for a minute - and then says to me. "Mommy, I going to school. You and Daddy are going to have to fix the moon unstuck."

It was a miracle - but when she came out of school at 11:30 am - the moon was no longer stuck in the sky. Who knew I could "unstuck the moon" in a few short hours.

Sub-5 Century

Last weekend my Dad and a few of his friends put together a century bike ride (100 miles), with the goal of finishing under 5 hours. They put a lot of time into preparation (as did my Mom and other family members), and it turned out to be a huge success. There were 40 participants, and in all they raised over $12,000 for the Paul Ruby Foundation for Parkinson's disease. Also, many of the riders finished the century under the 5-hour goal. Way to go riders! Here are a few of the pics from the ride...

Here are a group of riders at their first rest stop, looking good.

Me and another rider from my group taking a break.

My Dad (blue jersey) coming in for a rest stop.

The kiddos came along for the fun. Here are the two inseparable ones... Sadie and Elin.

"What are those riders thinking? Let's just stay here and eat some goodies."

The Gang.

There was, of course, a huge food tent for the rest stops and lunch after the ride.

We had many helpers with the food prep and tent... thanks to all of you!

My Mom and Aunt Nancy.

My little sis Shawnta was a huge help as well...

...as was Mike my brother-in-law. We tried to pull him out on the bike, maybe next year.

Our helpers taking a break. My Aunt Nancy and Annette brought a whole crew of helpers to the event... thanks a ton!

It looks like Lexi really needed a break. This was a nice treat after 100 miles of riding.

Me riding into the finish line... too tired to smile.

My Dad, Grandpa, and the girls after the finish. Way to go, Dad!

My Dad seems to be a little-person magnet- here they are helping him bring in the machine.

My Dad and I at the finish. Can't wait for the next one, Dad!

And last but not least, I couldn't have done this without my lovely bride April. I don't have any pics because April was the one taking them. Two months of training with long hours on the bike doesn't come for free. She also helped out a ton the day of the ride, and that while our kids were running rampant. Thanks babe, I owe you!

Happy 40th Anniversary!

Last week we threw a surprise party for my parent's 40th wedding anniversary. Actually, my sister and her family threw the party, and we pretty much showed up for the fun. Because they were married in 1970, we made it a '70s bash and everyone was decked out in their best '70s dig. The surprise turned out great, and the party was a lot of fun. Thanks to my sister Shawnta and her family for such a groovy time!

SURPRISE!

You have to pull in the cool '70s pics for a '70s party.

Check out these hippies...

Kari and Mel... feelin' groovy.

Of course we had to get in on the fun, too. I think I like that shirt, I'm going to wear it more often.

So how do I whistle on a blog?

Peace, baby.

Deadhead?

Here are the inseparable two again.

Elin's first experience with face make-up. I guess we have some work to do.

My Grandpa and Great Uncle Tony, with my Uncle Tony in the middle.

Shawnta and Mike.

The gang.

Lexi is full of dancing and cheers, and does a great job!

My cousin Kristin and husband Andy.

Me and my little sis'

Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Mike.

Lots of good food, including this dessert table. Chocolate, of course, makes every dessert table better.

And, of course, the couple of 40 years.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. We all love you!