Kids and the camera

The kids enjoy taking pictures, and it's always fun for me to see them.

Happy Birthday, Lincoln!!!

Happy Birthday to you!  How fun it is to turn 5 years old!!  Lincoln has been checking off the days until his birthday, and now it is here!  How could 5 years have already passed since the doctor had to tell me 3 times that you were a boy before I would believe him?!?  We love you Little Man!!!

4 No More

Lincoln will be 5 tomorrow!!  We are so happy he is part of our family. What would we do without him?!?
I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday.  His answer:  "For one cake I would like pumpkin pie.  For the other cake I would like cheesecake."  Hmmmm... I wasn't thinking of having 2 cakes...  A cake on my birthday and 2 cakes on his birthday???....  So we're having pumpkin pie cheesecake.  And for his meal --- Tomato soup.

We try to take a picture of the kids right before they go to bed the night before their birthday.  Just so we have one more picture of them before they hit the next age.  Charlotte took some of Lincoln for me tonight.

Happy Birthday Mom!!

All out with one blow - but no need to make a wish - I have everything I want or need.  

Pictures

 A very long funeral procession

 Let's just say we have an overabundance of cats and kittens!!

 Meatbirds

 Heather

 Got Milk?

 Pile of Monkeys

 Fun day at the park with Rensners

 Around and around and around

 And around

 And around some more

 Aww... I think Garrett likes Hayden :)

 My Mother's Day and Birthday Wild Yellow Roses

 Heather's Calf

Mama and Baby

Calving time!

We're waiting on a new calf!  One of our Jersey cows, Heather, looks like she is ready to burst.  Buttercup should calve in the next couple of weeks and then Lilac a couple of weeks after that.  New calves are so cute and fun.  Update later...

End of the School Year!!!!

One by one the kids are running outside and yelling "NO MORE SCHOOL FOR THE YEAR!!!" - I think they're happy!  By tomorrow, they should all be done!  They have all done such a great job sticking with school and working hard.

Next year, Laura will be doing mostly high school work - 8th-9th, Abigail 6th-7th, Charlotte 5th-6th, Emily 3rd-4th, Heidi 2nd & Lincoln 1st, and Garrett will be hanging around having fun and distracting us.  I can't believe we have been formally homeschooling for 9 years.  It has gone by so quickly and been so rewarding and (mostly) fun. I am so thankful for the opportunity I've had to spend so much time with our munchkins.  The older they (and I) get, the more I realize how quickly the time they will live with us goes by.  OK, enough of my sappy end of the school year reflections.  It's time to enjoy our Summer vacation.

Now, I'm getting excited about cleaning this house, organizing the basement and figuring out the order for next year's school books! - I'm a nice mom like that...

May 1, 2011 Recital

Heidi singing and playing "Would a Bear Wear a Bow in Her Hair?"

Heidi singing "Would a Bear" taken from a better angle.

Emily and Heidi Playing "Hometown Celebration"

Emily Playing "The Millennium Bean Bag Zoo"

Charlotte Playing "Elegant Elephant" and "Spanish Fiesta"

Abigail and Charlotte playing "Dueling Fingers"

Abigail playing "Moonlight Nocturne" and "Caprice"

Laura playing "Mozart's Piano Sonate No 15 1st Movement" and "Rhapsody Brillante"

Laura and Abigail Playing "Maple Leaf Rag"

Laura, Abigail, Charlotte, Emily, and Heidi singing:

"Edelweiss/May the Lord"

"My Favorite Things"

"Oh What a Beautiful Morning"

Fun with Grandpa & Grandma F.