Happy Easter and Merry Sripingtime!

Kids were out all day enjoying the last or what we thought might be the last snowtime. Easter egg hunts were canceled, but who needs them if you have a Snowman in your backyard!

I had to dig out the clean and ready-for-storage snow clothes--I haven't readied them for storage again, just in case (well, it's an excuse anyway)! Today we woke up to snow, though so my excuse was legitimate.

Left to Right- Quincy, Mosiah, Isaiah, Truman, Cannon, Emma, and Halli.

Caleb WAS having fun. He was cold, although his feet were warm, surprisingly enough. He wouldn't put on his snow boots, but insisted on his blue "gators", so I put baggies over his socks first. Whatever works!

The New Mary

This is for you, sisters! :) Halli was the photographer. :) So... it looks a bit more red than I thought last night when I came home. Very different for me! Nina and I went and did our hair together for her birthday. She was planning on going a bit darker, and I, just a touch up on my highlights and perhaps a cut. But last minute the girls all encouraged my idea of going dark, and this is what I came home with! I actually am having fun with it.

In asking Cannon how he liked my hair, he said, "You look like Camille... only your clothes are different!" Brennan hasn't said he Doesn't like it :) He is just "processing" the change. I think it weirded him out a couple times when I would turn around or he would round the corner.

"Make a funny face, Mom!" says my photographer. It wasn't hard. This is my post spinning hair. Boy, aint I attractive! (really I think I am a blonde through and through).

At a glance I think I look a bit like Katie--especially when she went dark. Oh, Women and the need for change.... :) Well, like it or not, here it is for at least a couple months until it fades a bit and I am able to highlight again-- or if worse comes to worse, I can alway cut it short! :) :) ("anything just as long as it is not SHorter than HAlli's (which he LOves on her, by the way!" declared Brennan.) Okay. Dark'll do, and really I like the change for now!!

The New Halli

We did it! We chopped it off. We had been talking about it for several months, but Halli wasn't ready which was totally fine. We showed her the Locks of Love websight and showed her what they do with the hair people donate. She was touched, but not interested. The thought simmered for a couple months, until she realized it would really be a neat thing, plus a change and less hair to have to brush through might be nice! So she started talking to me about it! Last week I took out the old scissors, and went for it! We LOVE it!

Long beautiful hair!! Hard to cut, but... it's just hair, and it'll grow back! The Grandma's and such figures had a hard time with the idea :) but have found they love the little bob on her. I didn't realize just How thick her hair really was!

As you can see, she is very pleased with it. She loves how quick and easy it is to fix. She even fixed it herself most days, :) And does a great job!

It was almost like holding her arm or something, when I picked it up and placed it in the zip lock bag. It was so much a part of her. Funny how as beautiful at it is, it can almost weird you out looking at it--detatched from her head! :/ Didn't seem to bother her! She is excited to share her hair with a little girl who can really use it!

Spring at our Cute little Yellow House

So, although this picture was taken last month around Easter Sunday, I figured it would work for today as well, as we woke to a small blizzard outside! I went to the gym early and had to scrape windshields when I came out. (If you can notice, we do have a small garage under our Master Room on the far right, so I didn't have to scrape them on the way out! Yes, I am spoiled! Brennan has given me the Garage that he has wanted for a LONG Long time!)

Anyway, we love our home. It is nice and warm in the ever changing Idaho Weather, and it even has a foundation, to our children's wonder and relief. As you know, the wind blows here. Well, one particularly blustery day, I entered the children's room to find they were packing their favorite belongings and clothing and hauling them downstair. They were preparing for a Tornado! :) I thankfully assured them that we do not have tornado's in Idaho (usually, but I didn't mention that) and that this house has a foundation and won't blow over if the wind blows hard! I did praise their good planning, though, and we thanked the Lord for a good home in our Morning prayer. :)

Out our back window.
We have had several nice and warm days... or have had, enough to have the grass turn real green, the trees begin to bud, adn the tulips to show their pretty faces before they had to hide them again. Poor farmers. It has been a couple weeks since the kids have been able to play outdoors without jackets or coats on. Really kind of a weird Spring. Although an occational snow fall is not uncommon. Brennan has been asking me frequently lately why we moved to Idaho? :) Sometimes I even wonder! And Halli with great passion declared this morning, "I hate snow!" :) Spring time! WE are ready! (But to tell you the truth, I don't mind it at all! :))

Cannon's 3rd... Yea, last year.

I thought since I hadn't ever blogged his last year's birthday, that I should throw in a couple pictures. Lightning McQueen still plays a pretty significant roll in Cannon's life... ;) Had he a shirt then, he probably would've only exchanged it for his year's model.

Excited about a new blanket from Grandma Willvie. But it is amazing what a year will do. He has grown more than I realized, looking back at these photos from last year.

And now 4! The year has brought a whole bunch of fun and change.

It's My Party....

It's My Party and I'll grump if I want to! He felt a little too much Birthday power, or rather he was feeling the lack of it for a moment. Is this normal for 4 year olds? It was hilarious, although I don't think he would agree. He really did love all the gifts he recieved... especially the next morning!

Cannon fills our lives with all sorts of energy! We are so glad he made it to our house and that we were here in Idaho to share his birthday with the family. But we did miss all of our wonderful "family" in Missouri for his special day. He especially missed his "brothers," Sky and Cache!

Cannon's 4th Birthday.

Cannon is 4 years old! And is he ever! He is one who oozes with expression! He runs around the house with his "lightning Speed Bommer McQeen" (I haven't uploaded the picture, yet of this amazing gun made from toilet paper rolls), with all the moves of a real super hero. He loves to make us laugh, and we never wonder what he is thinking or feeling! :) He is ALL Boy, for sure. Oh, we love our little big-boy Cannon.

He has been talking for months about having a "Bat" cake for his birthday, so this was my quick and sorry attempt... it did the job.

Cannon in his two favorite outfits. His Batman PJ's, and none other than his Lightning McQueen shirt and jeans (which I almost literally have to sneak and wash while he is sleeping, for he will snatch them from the dirty clothes baskets and yes, even the washer before I had a chance to put water in it!)! Auntie Camille and Cousin Quincy gave him the shirt for Christmas and he has been wearing it ever since. He does have enough sense, however, to not wear it to Church (though he did ask the first Sunday).

Anticipation of the next gift... what could it be?!

Halloween

Since the kids had all had the flu, we stayed home for Halloween night-- that night there was a small break, however, and we all felt mostly well! But, even still, we didnt' want to spread it, and just as crucial, we didn't want to gather loads of sugar just to throw away! So, we made our own healthy treats and Fun. We carved pumpkins (or at least cleaned them all out ready to be carved), we had a colorful and yummy dinner, honey-butter popcorn in fancy bowls, and giggled our heads off while watching an old childhood favorite (and now one of my children's favorites), the Chipmunk Adventures! "Woolly-Bully!... Watch-it-Now; Watch-it, Watch-it!" :)

Brennan fit the part all too well! :) I wish I had fit mine...!

Perfect for their parts-- and a small ganter down the hall at the Ward trunk-or-treat (it had been pouring out)!

Reveling in his good fortune!

Happy Halloween

Our Crowd of Friends...

Some of our dearest friends whom we will miss dearly! We just caught them on a regular old night--They didn't even dress up for the occation! :) The Furniss' and Gonthiers (kinda mingled in the picture).

The Ortons (with Tinker Bell and Mr. Smee).

The Brodericks

And the Chapmans (from Preston...?)

Off to "Netherland!"

Mr. and Mrs. Darling and their little family. Tiger Lilly, Wendy, Peter Pan, and Nanna.

Aspen just HAD to be Tiger Lily, an Indian Princess, and insisted upon me being Mrs. Darling (I was going to be Cap'n Hook). :) A true little Princess.

Halli wanted to be Wendy from Moment one... I have such darling girly Girls! And CAnnon... Being Cannon. :)

Halli and Cannon Singin' in the Rain

I love these shots Halli and Cannon. They really play together very well.

Another rainy day in Missouri. It was an "abnormally" rainy year this year, particularly fall! We were looking forward to being here for the Beautiful long fall of which we have enjoyed the past few years, but have been graced with very few days dry enough to exit the doors without an umbrella and rain coats and boots! Our grass is even green still, and we have not watered it once! Weird. But we will miss the rain storms here. It is a darn good thing we live in this beautiful Nation, America, for if it were not for the drain systems they have here, we and everyone around would be paddling around in our homes!

Aren't they too cute!? Halli 5, Cannon 3.