a few favorites

This was a post I could manage...look through and choose a few of my favorite photo's of Van.

He is still pretty much a perfect baby in every way!

kids pictures

A friend of ours so graciously took a few pictures of the kids this Spring....here are a few of my favorites.


Rye Beach

a day at the Chappell Farm

While we were in Utah we drove down to Lyman Utah to visit some friends who grew up on this very fun to visit farm. They moved to NY just a month after we did and after I messed up the dates on an activity and invited them to join a big group of families at the playground (but as it was the wrong day only we showed up), we got pretty tight! Clearly they forgave me.

We collected eggs (and Todd made sure each of the kids took home the exact egg they collected)

Fed the cows--tractor style

Taste tested the fresh milk--it was surprisingly very yummy. I was apprehensive for sure

Visited the Sheep

Tried to catch my own lamb--I actually broke my crocs in the process. I lost a little black circular piece...and there was no finding it in that pen....too many black circular objects conceiling it!!

Visited the calves

Jumped in the Cotton Seed

And rode 4 Wheelers all around--only getting stuck once :)

It was all so enjoyable. I especially lovedpicturing Todd growing up on the farm, meeting his parents (learning from their examples, even in the span of one day you can feel of their goodness) and enjoying the peace and beauty of that place.

The problem with iphones

Kurt finally decided that an iphone was the best way to go when our last plan expired and since then we've gotten even more lazy about bringing a camera along. Our pictures have never been anything special but it is getting worse not better. Maybe it's time to take some photo lessons from some of you talented bloggers out there! I'm sure the number one lesson would be iphone camera's will not cut it!

Random pictures will follow

The kids parade

Kurt's b-day cake this year...german chocolate made from scratch, my first try.



The birthday cake my cousin and her children made for me...the blowpop has a story to it.

I let the kids choose whichever peice they wanted...it was awesome

Owen's pants are put on backwards most days (at least the days that I can get him to wear them.) Do all children love to hang out in their underwear? Mine do.

Lucy dressing up her brothers...



and herself

Owen got into the lip liner again and said..."I just wanted to be like the boys on peter pan." the indian part.


A 3D movie with some friends. We saw TRON which made me laugh so hard when I realized what a "boy" movie it was...I kind of looked at Kurt like really? But we had some fun!


3D movie aftermath...

We had a visit from Flat Sally...this is a view from Kurt's office building.


a cute girl

a cute baby

and.....the "picnic" we had planned with our cousins at Kent Falls in CT. The weather was in the 60's that day but we clearly didn't expect that much snow still :) We hiked the icy snow packed trail anyways and I was in my crocks...