Baseball Diehards

Todd and the boys went to 2 OSU baseball games over Spring Break...one in Corvallis and one in Portland. Natalie and I did not join them because we do not believe baseball should be played in Oregon until the sun comes out in May.

You know it is a bad day for baseball when the spectators all bring books to read during the moments of rain delay. (Look in Ethan's hand.)

Some scenes from Spring Break

Freezing at an OSU Beaver baseball game.

Preparing a gourmet meal for Grandpa and Grandma.
Watching the NCAA tournament with Todd.

We planted peas today!

Sweet Baby

Cente is in his room alone and Nan and I are in the living room listening to him. He is singing "Jesus Loves Me" and and turning the pages in his Bible and occasionally saying loudly "Jesus" when he sees Jesus' picture.

Now he is reading to his doll and we now hear him arguing with the doll "My puppy! No!...It's my puppy." Very funny.

He keeps us entertained. My kids keep asking "Did I do those things when I was his age?" And I am able to regale them with all sorts of stories.

Oregon Spring Break

I think we will be staying inside today and doing spring cleaning.

Spring Break Swimming Lessons

The boys are taking swimming lessons this week at the new East Portland Community Center Pool. They are the only two in their class so they are getting a lot of instruction.

My New Coffee Grinder

Essential Homeschooling Equipment. Thanks Dad and Mom!

Piggyback Ride with Todd

Reading Books Together

Hey kids, time to be immunized

I figured out the kids' immunization records this weekend, and I now know which shots they need to get. ...only one of our many Spring Break activities.

Our High School Graduation

More in the family tree

Great great grandfather Arthur Denning
Great Great Grandpa (Arthur) and Great Great Grandma Denning (Anne)

More ancestors

Great great great grandmother Snyder

Great Great Granddad

Robert Russell

The Great Grandparents

Irene and Billie
Jean and Gene

7th Grade

Ethan,
Here I am in 7th grade...the same age as you.

Grandpa is getting better

My dad is beginning to recover from Guillian Barre Syndrome (GBS). I read somewhere that GBS stands for Get Better Slowly. I think it seems to him that things are moving along slowly, but we have seen a lot of improvement this week, so I think he is doing very well.

My Girl

Natalie takes on huge responsibilities when I am not around. She does all the cooking and she manages her brothers and our family's schedule when I am not there. She is amazingly capable. I do not know what I would do without her. She is dependable and sensible and organized. And she is very good at making sure everyone is doing okay. She is going to make a great wife and mother someday.

I have been especially impressed with how disciplined she has been in her Bible reading this year. I think she is the only one in our family who is diligent in following the read through the Bible in a year schedule.

She keeps short accounts with people and is quick to apologize if she has done something wrong. Her attitude toward me and her dad is sweet and she responds well to instruction. Since her grandpa has been sick, she has gathered her two brothers several times and prayed for him with them.

I am extremely proud of her and could not have picked a better daughter. She is one in a million. I am a blessed mom.

Homer Price

I think I must be a little dense, but I never realized that the characters in the book Homer Price are taken from Homer's Odyssey. Levi pointed that out to me last week.

Missing My Babies

Whenever I am not with my kids, I tend to think of them as they were when they were younger. My sweet babies.

The Not-Totalled Vehicle

Last week, while my dad was in the hospital, my mom and I decided to go grab dinner. Unfortunately, we were in an accident and never got that dinner. At the time we thought the vehicle was totaled. Both airbags deployed and the hood and front grill were smashed in while the radiator sprayed fluid over the road. But today, my parents got the good news that their vehicle is not totaled and will be repaired. My dad had me drive to the auto shop today to take a picture.

Rained Out

The boys were supposed to have their first baseball practice tonight but it was rained/hailed out. I think it is much too cold and wet to begin baseball season in Oregon. We need a spring training camp in Arizona.

Rough Past Week

Guillain-Barré Syndrome

I had never heard of Guillain-Barre Syndrome until Monday, March 9, 2009. Unfortunately, now I have not only heard of it but have seen its effects in my dad. Guillain-Barré (pronounced: ghee-yan bah-ray) syndrome is a rare medical condition that affects the nerves outside a person's brain and spinal cord. It is scary because it often causes people to have some type of paralysis, but the doctors say Guillain-Barré syndrome is very rare. It is believed to be an autoimmune disease -- one in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue...the nerves.

My dad spent the past week in the hospital. He is home now but still with a lot of recovering to do. I was with him and mom most of the week so schooling has come to a screeching halt around here. I think Spring Break might not be much of a break after all.

A Belated Happy Birthday Wish to My Sister

Happy 41st Anne.

Fun with our two year old

At McDs on Cente's birthday.
Cente could not believe I took the scissors away from him with which he was trying to cut his hair.

Getting in on the planting action

Cente is going crazy not being able to touch the plants we have started, so tonight we let him start his own pumpkin plants.

One of my raised garden beds...

While the boys were building me new raised garden beds, I rolled several railroad ties in place and prepared the soil to plant peas after the threat of snow passes.

AAAGHHHHH

I cannot believe we already have dandelions in our lawn. The boys want to try them...(as in eat them.) Ethan read in his herb book that they are edible...only we are not sure which part. All I know is they drive me crazy in our lawn.

My Carpenters

The boys are constructing raised garden beds for me using the tools the received from Grandpa at Christmas.

Ethan the Apothocary

I checked out a number of books on gardening and herbs as we are getting in gear for spring. Ethan began reading the herb book out of boredom on our car ride Monday and discovered the world of medicinal herbs. He now has another long list of plants and herbs he wants to grow because he wants to experiment with making teas, poultices, and other concoctions that are supposed to improve eye sight, build muscle, treat colds, etc...etc. He also informed me that some herbs have horrible side affects and can be used maliciously. Oh, great! I have forbidden him from eating anything we grow without permission or from serving it up to anyone else as well.

One then there was one..

The cats are obsessed with the remaining frog. Today we are going to buy a goldfish to keep him company. Levi, after mourning the death of his other two frogs, dissected them...yep, he's home schooled. Everything can be turned into a learning experience.

Birthday Pictures

Turning Two Tomorrow

Vicente feels like part of our family. I think it is going to break our hearts when he leaves.

Great Wolf Lodge

We enjoyed a night at Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mounds, Washington this weekend.

Froggy Deaths

Levi received some aquatic frogs for his birthday from his grandparents. Unfortunately, one appeared to be dying when we left for the weekend and we returned home to find 2 dead and one on its last legs. I think one was sick and the other two did not survive the cold temperatures in our house. There is one sad boy here. We'll clean out the fish tank and try again later this week.

Green Thumbs

We are starting our garden in doors. The boys are going to build some raised garden beds when it warms up a little to plant our vegetables in this year.