Palm Sunday

I loved getting palm branches on Palm Sunday growing up.  The Wee Adventure classes at our church did a little parade in the atrium this past Sunday.  Lincoln didn't stop for a great picture, but there's a video in the April play list.  It was fun to see him jubilantly waving it during the "Hosanna" chorus in the church service.

Digging for worms

It was finally a beautiful day, and I was itching to get into the garden.  While I hand-tilled the soil with the garden claw, the kids (including my daycare kids) had a ball hunting for worms.  They collected them in the little wheelbarrow and then spread them out on the potatoes I planted. (I'm hoping the potatoes left over from last year's crop will grow.)

Meanwhile, Lincoln decided to dig a swimming pool.  But he got kind of lazy.

 

Tale of a photo bomb...

March 2014 videos

February 2014 videos

January 2014 videos

December 2013 videos

Thankful tree

Since completing the new kitchen, we have started a family devotion time that occurs after baths and right before bed.  We have molded and adapted things along the way.  The key ingredient, however, is a candle and a cool snuffer to put it out. :)  Every November, we try to do a thankfulness activity.  This year we added to a Thankful Tree during devotion time.  We did something similar two years ago using pressed real leaves.  This year we used leaves and pumpkins cut out with the Cricut.  Everyone wrote or drew a picture of something they were thankful for each night.  It was fun to see the board fill up!

Thanksgiving with family

We were lucky enough to see almost everyone on both sides of the family in NW Iowa over Thanksgiving.  We ate our Thanksgiving meal with my parents with my sisters joining us at night.  The cousins had a lot of fun being monkeys jumping on the bed.

We spent most of the day in LeMars on Friday visiting Austin's grandmas and other family members, including an aunt and cousin from Colorado we don't see very often.  We enjoyed a trip to the Wells Blue Bunny ice cream parlor!

One of the most special events for me was a gathering of almost everyone on my mom's side of the family with my Grandpa Vander Kooi at the nursing home.  I don't know the last time that many of us have been together.  My 93-year-old grandpa has been going downhill as of late, so this was a bittersweet time.

Our family

My mom's family

The extended Vander Kooi family minus two cousins with spouses and three great-grandchildren

Football slippers

This little guy is proud and cozy in his new football slippers!