family pic

I was looking through the pictures we took this year and found this gem from last spring.  It makes me smile. :)

christmas card 2012

We finally got snow today!  It is gorgeous outside.  I threw together some outfits after church and snapped a few pictures of the kids then put together our Christmas card at Shutterfly.com.  I think it turned out pretty cute! 
 

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Look at how much they've grown since last year!  At least Thomas's sweater still fits!  :)

 

hey girl....homeschooling

 

My hubby could've came up with these over the past couple of weeks as I've been planning our upcoming school year.  Need a good laugh as a homeschooling mom?  Check out Homeschooling Ryan Gosling.  It is hilarious! 

it doesn't get much better than summer in minnesota

Surprise!  An update!  We have had such a great summer.  We couldn't have asked for better weather in July.  We spent so much time on the lake.  I love Minnesota in the summer. I was looking through pictures on the computer tonight and there are so many good ones.  I hardly know where to start sharing so I'll start with Ava and her best friend Hannah.  They are just too cute -

paddleboating adventures

This week we had a couple of sunny and warm, gorgeous days so the kids and I took the paddle boat out and took it through a channel they have wanted to explore for a long time. 

It goes under the highway into another lake. 

They wanted to swim even though the water is still super cold. Well, really just the girls wanted to swim.  Thomas just posed for the picture to make his mother happy.  :)

This girl is the adventurous one in the family!

And swim, they did!

She even found a flower to pick for me.  She's keeping me in a steady supply of flower bouquets this spring.  Love it!  Did you see Elle in the background of that picture?  :)

 Eventually, we talked Thomas into getting in.

 The lake is so clear.

Heading home.  This channel leads to the little lake we live on.  It was a good day.

a little update

Just checking in here quick to let you know that I added an instagram badge to the right side of my blog.  It will give you a peek into what is going on in our days through the lens of my camera phone and hopefully make up a little for slacking on my blog. 

I was planning to do a quick update with birthday pictures from Ava's big day a couple of weeks ago but wouldn't you know I can't find the camera memory card and blogger has undergone some big changes since I was here and apparently I have to update my browser.  ???  Will have to check with my computer guy about that. 

Hope to be back here soon!

bragging rights for-ev-er

Elle jumped in the lake tonight....on March 31st!  Crazy!  It just thawed this week but usually is still frozen at this time of year so the chance to set the record for jumping in this early was just something she couldn't pass up.  Ava was quick to want to join in as soon as she saw her sister do it.  They can now share the family record together and be pretty confident that it will never be broken!

notice anything different?

Braces!!  We had to do a little photoshoot!

broken

First broken bone in the family goes to Thomas.  He broke his wrist snowboarding last Friday.  Broken was hard news since it means no snowboarding, hockey or guitar for 6 weeks.  His three favorite things.  There is most definitely a cast off countdown happening here!

record setting

I took this picture tonight while waiting to pick Thomas up from hockey practice.  52 degrees in January! 

i love this 10 year old

She's fun and silly, sweet and unselfish, generous and an absolute joy to have as a daughter!

first snow

This morning we woke up to a dusting of snow.  The girls were so excited that they threw a coat over their pajamas, slipped on a pair of shoes and went out to play in it for a bit.  Before we started school the sun came out and everything started melting.  It was a gorgeous, foggy haze with the water drops shimmering in the sun.  I grabbed the camera quick but just couldn't capture it. 

You can see their snow angels there in the grass. 

Our end of the lake has a super thin layer of ice.  Winter is coming. 

the week through the lense of my phone

I love the instagram app for my iphone. It takes all my blurry pictures and turns them into cool shots!  Here are a few glimpses from our week -

Swimming lessons for the girls are every Monday afternoon.  At a hotel pool, 5 minutes from our house.  It is perfect!  I'm so glad a friend let me know about this program.

We couldn't have asked for better weather on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week.  We took the boat out for a little while on Tuesday evening after Scott got home from work and Elle braved jumping in one last time.  The water is cold! 

She can now proudly claim the family record for the earliest to jump in the lake in the spring and the one to jump in the latest in the fall.  :)

School outside on the porch.  I love it. 

A friend of mine had a precious little baby girl this month.  So fun to get to hold a newborn.