Diving into April

APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!

Royce and I had planned ahead for this one....

We got up early and set the clocks ahead about 40 minutes.  I know Chloe pretty well so I was thorough with the clocks!  Royce and I both made sure to hide the clocks on our cable boxes and keep our cell phones in our pockets.  We frantically woke the kids up at what looked like 7:45am.  We typically leave for school at 7:35am so this was late.  We told them we overslept, just had Chloe and Isaac throw uniforms on and brush their teeth, and we rushed out the door saying they could have some crackers in the car. 

APRIL FOOLS!!!

We really were out the door by 7:10am and surprised the kids with a trip to the donut shop before school.  They were shocked!  Chloe (despite this picture) was pretty entertained and Isaac was just happy for an excuse to get donuts.  Amelia and Caroline had afternoon preschool so they were cooperative and got to come back home. 

Chloe played volleyball in the spring and really grew to like it. 

Jessica and her kids Kaylin and Chase came to Hays to spend a weekend with us for Isaac's First Communion.  The Saturday before church we took them out the lodge and to the bluffs to explore.  Exploring the bluffs is ALWAYS a favorite by the kids.  It makes us happy to introduce our KC friends to this part of our lives. 

Finishing March 2016

Amelia and Caroline had an Easter program at school.  This is always my favorite because they recite their resurrection eggs.  It's a very powerful presentation from these little ones. 

Lucy proved that she can jump into the tree house!  No food is safe! 

And we rang in the horse show season with a horse show at Lyons.  It was the day before Easter and was a great way to kick off the season.   

The next day was Easter Sunday and we did something we've never done before.  Well, two things we've never done before. 

1.  We didn't take a family picture. 

2.  We went out to eat!  Yikes!  But everyone was gone the day before so we knew nobody was going to be around to cook.  And the club brunch sounded soooooo good.  So we threw in the towel and had our crew, both sets of our parents, and Robynn's family all together at the club.  It was very enjoyable and then we all went to Robynn's house after brunch/lunch for dessert. 

Six pack goes skiing!

Spring Break 2016

Royce broke free from work for a few days and we were able to go skiing with all four kids!  A friend had recommended Granby to us and oh my it was the best recommendation ever.  So family friendly and the best place on earth for these kids to build their confidence. 

Speaking of confidence.....this guy, Mr. Isaac, grew leaps and bounds on the ski slopes this year.  He didn't have any intentions of letting go of Granddad's hand while skiing but by the end of the first half-day he was taking the little lift on his own.  In true Isaac fashion, he did his best when nobody was watching (or so he thought...we could see his progress from a mile away).  But it was on his terms, just like he's learned to ride his bike, tie his shoes, etc. 

And the girls?  Our three girls are going to ROCK at skiing.   

One of my favorite pictures.  This sums up Royce and Amelia pretty well. 

She is a daddy's girl through to her core.   

No joke.  When the girls were tired they would lay down like this to rest.  Hey, skis are heavy! 

We were happy Granddad could join us for one night of our trip!  The extra set of eyes and hands were appreciated plus I know he loved seeing the kids progress as well.   

Amelia's turn to rest.  It was just the funniest thing!

And here's crash!

Not really.  Chloe is actually a pretty darn good skier and I love that she takes risks on the slopes with trying new turns and maneuvers.  She's going to be a force to be reckoned with one day! 

Amelia and Caroline did amazing for their first times.  Amelia was a little more hesitant than Caroline, but that's okay.  Once she got her groove she was able to let go as well.   

It would be physically impossible for Royce and I to be any more proud of these kids.

At the end of day two it was snowing and we decided to hit the pool at the lodge.  The kids had a blast swimming in the pool and catching snowflakes. 

Inn at Silver Creek....until we meet again! 

Here come's LUUUUUCCCCYYYYY!

So one bit of information before I get to the main event of this post.  Valentine's Day.  For a couple years now Royce and I have stayed home with the kids and made Valentine's Day special for all of us.  Royce usually cooks up something delicious.  Royce and I served the kids as if they were at a restaurant, then we reversed it and the kids served us like it was just Royce and I at a restaurant.  They get a kick out of it and I love that it's something the kids look forward to. 

Now...the main event. 

Royce and I, mainly I, had been looking for a second dog.  I wanted something mid-sized like Charlie and he wanted one with hunting capabilities.  He had really be interested in a Brittany so I had scoped Petfinder.com off and on to see what we could find.  Finding a rescue dog was really important to me.  I wasn't really up for a puppy anyway, but rescuing just fits the way we live in this home.  Low and behold, there were two Brittany Spaniels within a 500 mile radius and the one in Great Bend kept my attention. 

I mean...how can you NOT fill out an application for this pup?!? 

I filled out the application online and received an email from the Hands of Hope Rescue director the following day.  She said our application looked good and that she would have Apple's foster mom give me a call.  HoHR is not a shelter, they are a Rescue that fosters out the animals that are waiting for a home.  So the next day I received a call from the lovely Gina and we had a great conversation about Apple, who her family had re-named Lucy.  Gina was coming to Hays on Friday and said she would bring Lucy and do our home visit.  IF all went well then she would be allowed to leave Lucy with us at that time. 

Friday arrived.....and all of our front windows were filled with kids WAITING for Lucy.

This little pup just fit right into this crazy household.  Lucy and Charlie just went along as if they were lifelong friends.  I do think there was a point when Charlie was really wondering if she for sure had to stay, but he warmed up quickly.   

We were so happy to have this little gal join our family! 

Her eyes are so unique.  Each eye is part brown and part blue.  We are actually thinking she is part Brittany and part Australian Shepherd. 

The next day Isaac decided to chill out on the pack deck with Lucy just to make sure she got an afternoon nap.  She also made herself at home on his bed.  He tolerated it for a few nights then he decided his sleep was too valuable, lol. 

I love this dog.  I'm sure I love her more than Royce does, and I know for the first few weeks I was the only one loving her when she ripped the eyes out of all the kids favorite stuffed animals at record speed.  We just had to direct her energy on dog-appropriate activities and stock-up on Hobby Lobby's eyeballs and noses from their animal section.  But she got over the humps and fills a place in my heart that I guess I needed another little furry child. 

She likes to snuggle.  Like...she REALLY likes to snuggle.  Or sit on your lap.  Or get in your way.  Or whatever she chooses to do.  But I love her. 

Our rescue pups! 

Mid-summer I had a good summary of these two.  When we rescued Charlie almost six years ago he needed a family to show him how to love.  To show him that it's okay to snuggle and show affection.  With Lucy, she needed a family of six to give all of her love to!  She has so much affection she needed us to give it all to.  It's a perfect balance. 

This was a picture from the summer where it's as if Lucy is just waiting patiently for Amelia to wake up.  It's as if Lucy is saying "Come on, the sun is up!  Let's get going!" 

And here Chloe was trying to be sneaky while I was tucking her in.   

"You can't buy love.  But you can rescue it."

Summer Tutoring

I might jump around a little while getting caught up but I'll do my best to share as much as I can. 
That's the biggest bummer about blogging a few months delayed is that I feel I miss some of the stories.  So I'll try to get them down whether they are in order or not. 

Amelia and Caroline started tutoring in June to try to keep them in touch with some academics through the summer.  They LOVED tutoring with Gail and never felt like they were working on anything...because everything was activity based.  After learning about money and coins Gail had a story she shared with everyone she knew.  Here is how the conversation went:

Gail:  "See a penny pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck!  A penny is the only coin that is a different color.  Dimes are little like diamonds, and nickels are smooth.  These are some ways to tell the difference in coins."

Amelia & Caroline: "What are cents?  What does cents mean?"

Gail:  "If you have 25 pennies it is the same as 25 cents, which is the same as a quarter.  If you have 100 pennies, or 100 cents, it is the same as a dollar.  So which would you rather carry around with you?  100 pennies would be so full in your pocket and would be so heavy.  Could you drag 100 pennies around all day?  Or would you rather carry a $1 bill that is light and folds easy in your pocket? 

Amelia said she would of course like to carry the dollar, and Gail agreed that's what most people say.

But not Caroline.  Caroline wanted to carry the 100 pennies.  Gail asked, "Why on earth would you want to carry the 100 pennies instead of the dollar bill?"

Caroline's response?  "Think of all the good luck you would have." 

This girl thinks outside the box! 

Caroline had another time this summer where her creative thinking was apparent.  She asked me for a whole banana.  I told her that I didn't want to waste any so to please start by only eating half of a banana.  A few minutes later this is what she handed me:

I immediately burst out laughing and Caroline was so confused.  She looked at me and genuinely asked me why I was laughing.  She said, "Momma, you told me to only eat half, why are you laughing?  I listened to what you asked me"  At this point I realized she had no idea what was so cute about this.  "Nothing honey.  You didn't do anything wrong at all.  Thank you for following the rules."  Of course I asked her if she was still hungry for the rest of the banana and she replied, "Nope, half was enough!"  Oh I love this girl. 

Getting caught up?

A couple weeks ago I had a long post that told stories of summertime, had few pictures, and had personal information about each kiddo.  Unfortunately the post got lost before it was posted!  SO frustrating!  So I'm going to keep this short and sweet and see if it posts.  I'm promising myself, I will get caught up!  I'm motivated to do it....so I need the computer to back me up here! 

Lots to share....summer stories, trips, vacations, and now back to school starting. 

Here's to some binge blogging in the weeks ahead!

-Megan