Annisia sings "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"

Really, my kids do other things than sing...but they are so stinkin' cute when they sing these songs. I can't help it...I have to video them! Do you think I need therapy?!

Annisia sang this song for my parents when they were visiting a month ago. I think they told my sis about it, so last night when she and I were talking, I put Annisia on the speaker phone and told her to say something to Aunty Janice. So she did, and then Janice asked her to sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game". My kids are born performers..



This was a little later, actually. She sang it again for Daddy so I could get a video.

Happy Birthday,Mandi!

So, we do a lot of singing around here...

Last Tuesday, we were playing outside. The kids were playing in the sandbox and had filled one of the sand castle pieces with sand, put a few dried grasses in it and sang me "Happy Birthday!" (despite the fact my b'day was several months ago! That's OK, it's sweet every time they sing it to me!) Then, they sang it to their cousin Mandi! Little did they know, but it really was her birthday! So I ran to the house for the camera and asked them so sing it again so I could video it. Happily, they obliged. Here's the song for Mandi!

Sweet & Coy Annisia!

We got a boxful of "new" clothes from a little friend, Kiera. Annisia got so excited when she saw this pretty little dress and bonnet! She had to wear it, right now! So I grabbed the camera and asked her to pose for a picture. (I know, encouraging her vanity and all!!)
But check out this pose! (heehee)

"And here's the pretty hat, Mommy!"

And here's the coy look...

Jonathan rides a two wheeler!

Jonathan saw his good friend Dawson ride his bike without training wheels a couple of weeks ago. He was SO impressed! On Sunday evening, May 17th, he said, "Mommy, I am 4 years old and big enough to ride a two wheeler. May I please have my training wheels off?" So Daddy obliged, gave him a few pointers, rode a bike with him a little, and voila! off he went!

The Good Samaritan, a cool car, and the park!

At MOPS, Jonathan and his classroom learned about the Good Samaritan. So we reviewed it at home, I read the story to them, we talked about it, and the day went on. Over a week later, the kids were playing. All of the couch cushions were off the couch. Annisia was laying on the couch and Jonathan was putting a string on her foot. I asked what they were doing. Jonathan said, "I am the Good Samaritan, and I am fixing her hurt foot."

One day, Michael came home in the 1958 Thunderbird Papa gave to the three boys. He said it needed to be driven a little! So he took us to lunch in it. At first I was kind of freaked out because it has no seat belts...at all! But then I chilled and just had fun. The kids thought it was so cool to not have to buckle in. We went to a sandwich restaurant drive thru. When we got to the pick-up window, Annisia stuck her head out and said, "Hi! We're in the T-bird!"

We headed up to the job site, and, while we were going down Main, we saw a couple of police vehicles headed our way, so we snuck off on a side street! Why tempt fate?!

Another day at the park...ahhh! This time Ralna and baby Brody joined us. What fun!

Brody, almost asleep at the swing!

Mommy, take a picture of me!

And here's our Bella. She's a good girl too. She doesn't really like to get her picture taken, so she looks away. We figure she's about 12 years old.

French Toast Saturdays!

French Toast Saturdays are a favorite tradition. Michael and the kids work together to make us a fabulous breakfast! Jonathan figures out how many eggs to use, they count them out for Daddy to crack. Then they move over to the mixer where they add milk, honey, and the spices. One morning, Michael was gone when we needed to get going on it. Jonathan knew everything to put into the mixer! I was so proud of him...especially since I didn't know what Michael uses! ;-)

One little imp, n0?!

The proud chefs!

Ranch Babies!

This time of year is always exciting at Gramma and Papa's ranch (well, if you ask the kids, every time of year is exciting out there!) because the mare's are having their babies. Gramma and Papa are exhausted from all the normal spring work like fencing, gardening, etc, and then add in the nights of checking up on the mares. But they love it! Every baby born receives so much love and attention from them. Here are the kids meeting Beauty's filly born April 27, 2009.

Then Brady's mare, whose name I don't know, had a little stud as did Mira!

Look at this fine buckskin!

and this little guy will likely be a black stallion!

more odds and ends...

This was April 25, a Saturday I was trying to get some transplanting done. Michael and Jonathan had run to town for something and Annisia was really crabby! Which makes me crabby as I don't seem to be able to accomplish anything when she's like that. So! I turned the music on in my car in the garage...kids songs. They really enjoy listening to that CD, so I wasn't too surprised when she went quiet. However, I didn't expect to see this...

...sound asleep on the dirty dog bed...made me smile!

The next afternoon, I took a nap with Annisia and when I came out from her room, I was treated with this sight! Jonathan asleep in Daddy's...legs!

Two days later, the kids were playing nicely (or so I thought!) while I was working on something. I later went into Annisia's room and discovered this! I do not know how they moved this mattress as I have trouble with it myself! But, kids bent on mischief manage a lot, don't they?!

Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Both of the kids like to sing, and they both sing well! It pleases me to no end to listen to them. Here, Jonathan entertained me with a medley of songs sung into his new microphone from Mollie's birthday party.

If you remember, last November we went home to my parents and Jonathan got to ride in a combine with a young man named Dean. The first song is about combining with Dean. "He combines corn. He combines soybeans and wheat. And Grandma O grinds up the wheat in her grinding machine." Then he segues into "We have party whistles for doing this..." And, finally, a pretty rocking version of "Tell Me the Story of Jesus"! {Ahem}, this is not how we sing it in meeting!

A Trip to the Park...with Chet!

Renee and I planned a trip to the park...a month ago. I know, I know, I really need to get better about posting more currently...blah, blah, blah!!

So, anyways, we met at the park. It was chilly at home so I had the kids dressed in long sleeves and pants. We got there and it warmed up quickly. You can tell in the later pics by the kids red cheeks!

Chet is on a mission!

Jonathan thinks Chet is pretty cool...and I think Chet feels the same way!

We are ALL having fun here. Even beautiful Renee in the background!

Then some other mommies came with their kids and they all played together.

Jonathan was busy showing the girls some ants...doesn't he look so grown up in this pose? I am not sure how I feel about that...:-?

Then they all piled in the fish/plane thingy.

And a good time was had by all...

Jonathan's gymnastics class

While Mom and Dad were here, we brought them to Jonathan's gymnastics class. He has a 45 minute class every Friday. He really likes it. Enjoy the video.

Odds and Ends...

Jonathan and Annisia like to sing. Here's another song...This one's Sing a Song of Sixpence.



One Saturday, Uncle Bret showed up on his motorcycle. You ought to have seen how quickly Jonathan moved to get a jacket and his helmet on! He was ready to ride!



My Mom and Dad came to visit in April. We did a lot of relaxing and the kids got positively spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa O reading to them! Annisia got to take a nap with Grandma O every afternoon! And they brought their wheat grinding machine and some wheat from their farm with them. So we ground wheat one afternoon. The kids thought that was cool! I did too...now I have some wheat flour from my parents farm!

Then we get yet another cheesy grin from Jonathan!

Back to Red Lodge for more skiing

My husband and son, the skiing junkies! They went back up to Red Lodge again on April 4th. We had a snowstorm come through here on the 3rd. It was a doozy! The roads were nasty. As of that night, they weren't sure about going. But we got on Accuweather.com and looked all around us. Michael knew Red Lodge was getting some good snow and he was so excited! But the I-90 corridor was nasty. I reminded Michael about the alternate route thru Basin (which I have never been on, but he mentioned recently). And that's what they ended up taking. At 4:30am Saturday, April 4, Michael roused Jonathan, got him into the truck, went and picked up Uncle Bret, and they headed west over Hwy 16 up the pass and over to the other side. It was a blustery drive going up the pass...they were making fresh tracks most of the way, then hit a big snowdrift and poof! They were covered in snow. Michael slammed on the brakes and they thought they were done for...in the ditch. But, when the snow cleared, they saw they were in the middle of the road having blasted through a big drift. After that, things progressively got better and soon they were on dry roads for the rest of the drive. Once they turned north again to go up to Red Lodge, they hit the snow again, but only for about 50 miles. The road up to the mountain was packed, with snow and cars; and when they got to the parking lot there was about 4 feet of snow all around. They were salivating! Lift lines couldn't open until about 10am because of all the snow. This is what they saw riding the lifts...compare it to the last trip there and you'll see the change in snow.

Jonathan is ready!

This is the north side of the mountain...the Palisades. This side hasn't been open the past 3 years due to lack of snow. Well, this year it was open, I think, the last 3 weekends. It has all expert slopes except for one intermediate slope. Jonathan still talks about skiing in the Palisades!

Powder hound busily skiiing...

Did I happen to mention Red Lodge got a bit of snow?! This is the midway lodge...The snow is nearly up to the top of the doorway.

One excited boy at the end of a good weekend!