The Graduate

Saturday we attended the Graduation and Call Service at MLC. Michael was assigned to be the 4-8 grade teacher and principal at the WELS school in Hopkins, Michigan. He pointed out that although in the opposite direction (of us and Matthew and Kristi) it keeps Mom and Dad in the middle making it easier for everyone to come home for holidays. We figure we have a new vacation destination. Fun, fun, fun.

Over all the two days were GREAT! We stayed at the ever hospitable Heidtke Hotel (aka Kristi's parents' house) which is just few blocks from MLC. We were able to walk to campus for all the events there. The Heidtkes helped host a graduation luncheon for Michael for the whole family and a fun collection of friends too. The kids thrived on the constant attention and lived though "church" twice in one day. We didn't get around to leaving until about 7pm CST since we couldn't leave without a round of disc golf with the party goers.

Maybe it is crazy to spend 37 hours away from home and about 15 of them in the van but we wouldn't have missed it for anything. CONGRATULATIONS MIKE!!! :)

Passing Time

Friday after attending our school track meet we headed to New Ulm for Nathan's brother Michael's graduation. This is how Lydia kept from being bored during the 7+ hour trip. :)

Checking out Cowboy Hill

For those of you who haven't been to Rapid City, there is a giant hill that runs through town. Many of you who have visited have been on top of part of it at Dinosaur Park. Across the "gap" (where the road runs) there is M Hill and beyond that Cowboy Hill.

Next Wednesday Nathan is planning on taking his class hiking there as part of an end for the year field trip. Last night the five of us did some scoping out of those hills. They are remarkably green right now and there are flowers in bloom all over the hike.

The first picture is facing east over looking town. Hans: "Oh, there is Rapid City!"

The second is over looking part of Cowboy Hill. One of the caches is located in the upper left hand corner of the picture.

In the third there was an old rusty barrel sitting in a patch of flowers that the boys needed to investigate. It made a pretty springtime picture.

Have a fabulous day! :)

peek-a-boo America

We fly our flag everyday and it must have been damp when Nathan brought it in the other evening because he didn't roll it up but hung it from our row of coat hooks. Lydia discovered that while sitting on the bench below the coat hooks she could play a great game of peek-a-boo. From us to you, peek-a-boo! :)

Springtime Fun

We have had a beautiful spring with enough rain to make everything green, green, green and enough sun to let us be outside almost everyday. There is a $5 hammock hanging from the clothesline posts at kid height. The kids love to climb in and push each other like it's another swing. Earlier this week all three of them were in the hammock and I was doing the pushing. Silly kids were laughing away. Can you see a family resemblance?

Then there is Lydia who is always trying to keep up with the boys. She can climb up onto the tricycle but her legs are about a foot to short to actually use it correctly. It certainly doesn't stop her from trying though. :)

Choo-Choo

Technically this is a train set but it's lacking the train so the kids use it to make a "city". Many of our matchbox cars fit the track so we have roads in stead of rainroad tracks. We also have a few matchbox airplanes which were causing a problem: we were lacking an airport. A small piece of cardboard with a runway drawn on solved the problem. This occupied the kids for hours last week when we had a few dreary days in a row and they were stuck inside.

Centennial Trail Cache

The last weekend in April we headed to the Centennial Trail for the first time. Nathan had (of course) found a geocache along the trail. After we located the cache Evan was thrilled to get to be the one to uncover it and pull it out of the crevice in the rocks. Lydia's favorite part was when she was out of the backpack and discovered she can climb up cattle gates. She thinks she's BIG stuff. It was a lovely foretaste of summer with clear blue skies and temps in the mid 80s. Ah, are we looking forward to that! :)

Wagon Walking

We received a wagon for Christmas from a certain Kristi and Matthew Smith that we've been putting miles on already. Sunday late afternoon we headed over to Canyon Lake Park for a supper picnic, some duck/goose/swan feeding, playground time, and a walk along the bike path leading to a geocache. Lydia spent the most time in the wagon and found some fun ways to entertain herself and us all. The boys ran around most of the time but did eventually tucker out and appreciate the ride. (The pulling did get considerably harder though!) Hopefully you and yours have been cruisin' through spring just as easily.

Things that may be...

~Oreo cookies may be on sale buy-one-get-one-free.

~This may be proof of Lydia's first Oreo (NOT her first cookie, just first Oreo.)

~Big trouble may be coming since the girl already has a serious sweet tooth.

~Oreo's just might be milk's favorite cookie. :)

Lydia's silly brothers at Mt. Rushmore

...And a few of the silly antics from the boys on Sunday afternoon. The one that looks like Hans is sitting on Evan's head cracks us up. I guess we spend too much time with them because we find them funnier all the time. I hope your day was just as laughable. (And I'll try not to get so far behind posting next time.) Hugs :)

Lydia's First Trip to Mt. Rushmore

It's funny that we were to Mt. Rushmore often enough the first few years to have favorite parts of the informative movie or the lighting ceremony presentation but now, after living here a six years, we hadn't been there since Lydia was born.

After a busy Saturday we were talking to the kid about what to do on Sunday and they requested visiting Mt. Rushmore. It was a bit disappointing at first that there would be no Aunt Kristi and Uncle Matthew or fireworks (which there were the last time we were near Mt. Rushmore) but once there they quickly recovered. There were only about 10 cars in the parking lot so we had a lot of room for them to run around and explore. Lydia proved she can climb the stairs after the boys without resorting to crawling, that's baby stuff now. She also also waved to everyone and everything from her perch on Dad which was funny to me behind them since she looked a lot like the Elmo on her diaper peeking out of her shorts. She thoroughly seemed to appreciate Mt. Rushmore as much as any other 16 month old would. :)

Saying Good Bye

While we were home we said good bye to two people dear to our hearts.

Andrea ( the older of Nathan's two younger sisters) has accepted a position with the Peace Corps and it leaving in May for Paraguay for two years. She will be working there to help educate the people as to what a democracy means since they have been under a dictatorship for so long they have no idea what self-governing even means. We should see her once during that time when she comes home on furlough next summer. We had to snap some fun pictures of her with her god-son Hans. As you can see he was his usual goofy little self.

We also said good bye to Jordan's girl friend Katie. Katie is in the MN National Guard and will be serving in Kuwait. She left MN the week after Easter for Ft. Sill in TX for training and heads over sometime in August. Katie and Jordan have been dating long enough that she has become part of our family and will be missed much.

May God watch over them both and bless the work that they do. Andrea and Katie, you are in our hearts and prayers. :)

Sandbox

Even though it was winter jacket weather the boys couldn't resist the lure of a sandbox twice as big as ours. The size and the number of "construction trucks" makes it a HUGE hit. Hopefully you find things just as delightful. :)

With the Smith Side

We spent time at Smiths on Maundy Thursday and then again on Saturday and Sunday. Evan and Hans have heard us talk about "going home" enough that they were calling this home. They certainly make it that while we're there. They have a habit of commandeering laps for their own purposes.

The second picture is further proof of Evan's new found appreciation for dogs. He and Freckles are now friends. He's like it even more if Freckles would fetch the ball more than twice before deciding he's too old (or lazy) for that. :)

Pin-YAAAH-tah

My Grandparents spend from November to April every year in Texas. This year one of the souvenirs they brought back was a pinata filled with candy. Each of the great grand kids and the youngest two of the grand kids got to take a whacks at it. When it finally popped there was candy everywhere and kids scurrying for it(Hans definately had the biggest pile-candy lover). It was more fun than peeps so this may be a new Easter tradition for them. :)