Lately...

We were loving the nice weather and enjoying the great outdoors...trucks anyone?

The tee-pee at Bauman Farms.  All of us plus cousin Ella (2nd cousin counts, right?)

Who'd have known that playing in a tube could be SO much fun!

Big overgrown trikes, but we love 'em.

Who'd have known that pushing the tube would be just as much fun?  Mason and Ethan could have done that all day, seriously!

Ryan got a remote controlled helicopter for his birthday and let me tell you, IT IS A HUGE HIT.  Ryan and the kids play with it EVERY single night.  What a great gift Nana and Papa!

Is that cute or what? I think Mason likes it!

Lent

This year for lent I wanted to give up something meaningful that could be a constant reminder of the Easter season and all that it entails (that is the general idea, right?).  In order for this whole 'lent thing' to work, I would have to give up something I love and do often.  Hmmm...I thought about giving up exercise, but then I remembered I don't do that anyways.  Then I thought about giving up coffee, but in all honesty I could do that pretty easily.  Then I thought about giving up vegetables.  Now that would be really noble, right? Ahhh, bummer...not really.  So this lead me to the insane notion to give up diet soda (all soda really but I only drink diet coke).  You are probably thinking, "What!?!?! That is crazy????".  I know, I know...this is HUGE!   For those of you who spend any time with me at all know that I am a diet coke junkie.  I pretend that I'm not but I totally am.  About 6 hours in I knew this was going to be SO TOUGH on me.   So far I find myself drinking a lot of water and doing a lot of dreaming about soda.  It sort of reminds me of being pregnant the first time when I followed all the rules of pregnancy explicitly.  So, that is where I'm at.  Craving soda but thankful for the CONSTANT reminder of Easter and what Jesus did on the cross. 

Choo-Choo!!

Logan's 5th birthday was yesterday! Happy Birthday Logan James Bennett...March 10th 2006 feels like it was just yesterday in a lot of ways. I threw in this hospital picture for nostalgic effect.  Did it work?


Brings back the memories!  Our first photo op as a family of three!



Thomas the train party!

Usually I 'decorate' the food/buffet table, but since the kids are getting old enough to actually sit and eat I figured I would make their table the 'fun part'.  A motorized Thomas went around and around the track all through dinner.   

I made each of the kiddos special cups with their names on them. 

Our cupcake picks didn't show up until Monday (and the party was on Suday) so last minute I had to make homemade cupcake picks.  Thank the Lord for the scrapbooking program that I use for everything.

Why I threw in a pic of the party favors...who knows?



A group shot of Logan opening presents!In pictures like this one I always look like I am telling people what to do or yelling at somebody (haha), but I just talk with my hands, I sware.  I can't help it  Noboby is in trouble here... At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it!



Jessica and I always have to get one of our famous 'sister pictures'

Logan is blowing out 5 birthday candles on the yummiest ice cream cake ever.  Nana (Ryan's mom) makes this ice cream cake that is fabulous...they call it the bomb.  She presses soft cooked brownies into a bowl, freezes it, adds ice cream, freezes it again, flips it out of the bowl, and drizzles chocolate syrup on it.  Mmmmm......!