Hello Again!

One morning Jen brought the kids over in jammies to share breakfast together.

Ben went through a passionate train phase.....what am I saying....ALL Ben's phases are passionate!  It is on hold right now as firefighters and fire engines have taken over as his love, but I am sure it will return.

This is a train clock just like Pops has, a train whistle and conductors hat-all from Gran and Pops, so VERY special!

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The cousins love playing together.  Meggie loves to be like the "big boys" and do whatever they are doing.  Wes will follow Megan around saying "Meggie!  Meggie!" and give her hugs. 

It wouldn't be a normal day in our house without a little hat action.  These two have so much fun being silly together, and it is quite contagious!

Ben fell in love with firefighters and fire trucks after going to his friend Jack's birthday party which was at a fire station.  Ever since then it has been nothing but fire trucks in our house.  Gran and Pops found this costume and I think he has worn it every day since.  We OFTEN go outside to spray water like a "real" firefighter and play out stories of rescuing people.

Our makeshift fire engine.  Ben would have us sit in it with him and he would make the siren sound and then we would have to jump out and "climb up a ladder" and then spray down the fire with our pretend hoses.  Since this photo he has gotten very creative with random items throughout the house and made his own hose (out of a broom stick), air tank (out of an old water bottle), mask (swim goggles), and ax (wood stir stick).  Quite the imagination!

John and I had the incredible opportunity to go to Whistler, B.C. for a marriage retreat.  It was GORGEOUS!  Snow capped mountains, bright sunny days, forests and beautiful villages and streams and trails and we got to stay at the Four Seasons!!  It was amazing and thoroughly refreshing for our marriage. 

view from the gondola we rode in that crosses between Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb mountain.  It is the highest gondola in the world--over 1400 feet above the ground and the most amazing views!

And we got to ride with some pretty awesome friends!  (Ben and Alison Potter)

Couldn't get more amazing than this--poolside with a mountain view and people waiting on us hand and foot.  Surreal!

One of the many parts of Whistler Village.

Meggie loves to climb into this shopping cart and "read".  Makes me smile every time!

Saturday morning reading session.

Love the face.  Getting yummy ice cream bites from Grandpa.  Best spot in the world!

Father's Day--best dads ever!

Ben got the thrill of his life the other day when we discovered that the local fire department were out at our grocery store doing a campaign and had their trucks open to view and climb on for kids.  He lit up like a Christmas tree!  My normally shy and reserved little guy went right up to those firemen and asked all kinds of questions (with polite and clear communication, looking them in the eye and being very respectful--made this momma so proud!!) about all their equipment.  They were quite impressed with such a little guy being so passionate about firefighting and I was having so much fun learning along with him.  It was such an incredible thing to enter into his passion with him and get excited about it alongside him.

Couldn't get more happy than this--holding a REAL firehose with a REAL firefighter by a REAL firetruck.  Wow.

 Ben pretty much just loves to dress up, period.  This is "Brave Knight" costume, complete with mask (a new addition to our costumes).

Batman has become a new interest too, and thanks to Gran and Pops, we have the attire to make it happen!

Winter

These two have so much fun together at bath-time.  Usually John and I are both wet by the end of it but there is lots of laughing and giggling and splashing and squirty fun.

Megan loves this little chair that is in her room.  Everytime we go into her room she wants to rock and sit in it....well, stand in it, but we are working on that.  Pretty special little chair--was mine when I was a little girl!

Typical evening activities

My Grandma Phyllis came for a very special visit and we had so much fun introducing her to the little girls and spending lots of quality time with her as a family.  Wish so much that she was closer but it was a gift to have time with her.

Megan was really frustrated at dinner until I let her hold the fork.  Oh my, the instant look of pleasure and independence!

"Wow!  Look at what I did!!"

"Learning this whole purse thing is a little tricky...."

"How do you DO this?!"

"Eh, whatever, it's fun!"

We got this tunnel at a garage sale--best $2 I have ever spent!  It comes out on a daily basis and all four of us have fun playing with it!

The Incredible Giant Ben!

We got some snow this February and had a fun morning playing in it.  Megan wasn't too sure about it all.....could have been that we wrapped her feet/shoes in plastic bags with rubberbands since we didn't have good snow shoes.  I know, parents of the year.  She wasn't very impressed either.

And that face says it all.

Megan LOVES to climb, especially on stools.  If there is ANY stool out in the house, she has a homing beacon for it and is up on it in a flash.

Valentine Cookie making with the kids....

One of Ben's latest passions--being a "Brave Knight".  He read about it in one of his books and wanted a sword just like the story's character.  So he asked me if Grandpa could help him make one.  They worked on it together and for the next several days EVERYTHING was about being a brave knight.  I was "Brave Knight Mommy", John was "Brave Knight Daddy", Megan was the princess that we had to save from the fire-breathing dragon (actually, at first Megan was dubbed the fire-breathing dragon and we had to save her from that role and request she be upgraded to princess....he complied).  He would say "Megan, let me show you how to be a brave knight", and "OK brave knights, let's fight!" or "OK brave knights, it's time to eat dinner!"  And we even had family jousting--even Megan joined in!  I love his imagination!

Yes, the shield is a tupperware lid, and the helmet is a tupperware container.....complete with soccer jammies for a suit of armor.

Valentine science experiment: baking soda and vinegar volcanos

love the reaction---both of them :)

Oh yeah, and chocolate pudding finger painting....tasty!

Some of these videos are a little old, but I just was able to get my blog to download videos again, so I thought I would put them on anyways.