April is our big
birthday month. The
first birthday is Art's.  
He requested peach
cobbler.  The kids got
him a Nerf gun so he
can play Nerf guns
with the kids.  
Canaan and I cracking up.
What every father
wants for his
birthday -- big
bottles of bubbles.
... and bubble gum....
Another bleach shirt
creation... this time of
Penguins of
Madagascar, his favorite
show.
Here are a couple photos of the
creation of the shirt.  You find the
image you want online, and put it into
either black and white, or grayscale,
and cut out a piece of freezer paper to
fit the printer and just print the
image(s) onto the freezer paper.  Then
you take tiny scissors, or an xacto
knife (depending on how intricate the
design is) and cut out the areas you
want to be bleached.  Then the freezer
paper stencil is ironed onto the shirt.
Then you spray it
lightly with a
mixture of half
bleach, half water,
and blot it
immediately.  Wait
to see how light it
gets, and reapply
to desired
lightness.  Let dry,
and then peel off
the freezer paper,
and voila....
Here is a John Wayne one I did
for him too.  This one was a lot
more intricate design to cut out.
 
Spring is here, and very welcome,
however with it comes clouds of
pollen wafting through the air and
settling on everything. I tried to
capture in a photo how it settles all
over the cars, but it is still hard to
see.  
Art got out some pine derby car kits we had and the kids started making cars.  
After hand sawing a few of them, Daddy disappeared into the garage and
emerged with the power tools.
Power tools are noisy.
A brave Daddy letting them hammer
the chisel with his hand underneath.  
My porch full of
pots of herbs
makes me happy.
My scarecrow.  I need to
make a couple more.  
This year we are growing
berries and hopefully
corn too.  I am hoping the
scarecrows help us some
with the birds and the
squirrels.  We'll see....
I am explaining to Roy what he is
supposed to do out there.  He kept
misunderstanding me.  
Next big birthday was Eden's!  Here
she is licking the beater from her
banana cake with cream cheese
frosting....
A stuffed dragon from the
How To Train a Dragon
movie, from Canaan.  
Hannah got her a How
To Train a Dragon
skateboard.  She
loved it.  
And courtesy of some fine
ebay shopping, I was able
to give her a big box of
hundreds of Polly Pocket
outfits and accessories.  
Mr. Homer and Mrs. Cindy
got her an outfit that
matches the outfit they got
for Maggie for her birthday.  
Both girls were just
delighted to wear matching
outfits.  So cute!
Grandma and Grandpa come to visit!  My Mom and Dad from Florida
were able to stop by for a quick visit on their way to Michigan to see her
father.  It was not a long visit, but we had a great time.
They were here in the morning, so we had brunch.
My little skateboarder in the
new outfit Grandma and
Grandpa got her.
Hannah gets her
Black Belt!!!
Hannah tested this month for her Black Belt in Tae Kwon
Do.  It was a long afternoon (into evening) but she did
great, and is now officially a Black Belt.  Well, actually,
they have to send to Korea for the black belt with their
name on it in Korean and there is a special ceremony
when they give it to them.  Until then, they wear what is
called a "poom" belt, and it is half red and half black,
which signifies that they are new black belts, awaiting
their belt.  
Self defense...
You'll need Facebook to see the link.  
It is a clip of her doing self defense
and she is on the offense.  Notice the
falling into a splits, and the getting up
with a kip up.
Her adoring fans!!
Hannah with her
poom belt.  A job
well done!
Black belt cupcakes to celebrate.
Happy 6th Birthday Sweet Eden !

Some of you know all we've been through these past two years. Many days, I did not
want to wake up, but she made me smile. Abandoned, neglected, deemed "a bad
baby" she became the most affectionate, inspiring, delightful child. "You may be the
one I rescue, but I'll be the one you save."
Happy birthday Eden, my sun, my moon, my starlit sky....  
I thank God each day for the gift of you...