Our Budding Musician

Winter 2012

Brahm asleep on his chair at the dinner table.

Snow falling.  The view from my loft window.

Brahm and Nicholas, watching cartoons on a cold winter's morning.

Ava posing on a mammoth set of tree trunks at Springs Preserve, Las Vegas.

Disneyland.

Simon and Brahm in a giant teacup at Disneyland.

A lazy Sunday afternoon.

Blondie

Better Late Than Never....

Pumpkin carving at the Warren house with friends and neighbors.

Our homegrown warty jack-o-lantern.

Simon, the plant-eating Megalon.

Brahm, the magician.

Ava, the ladybug.

Nicholas as Dracula.

Ms. Pier's 3rd grade class Halloween party.

Ava and her Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Connelly.

The view from our hotel room in Salt Lake City.
The whole family joined Jess on a work trip to Utah.  We took a tour of the LDS Museum of Church History and Art, attended a session at the SLC Temple, ate at the Lion House, and strolled around Temple Square.  We had a wonderful time visiting with the McDonald's, with Kala (who happened to be in town for his mother's surgery), and with Jess' Pappy.  Finally, we attended the baby blessing of Jess' 2nd cousin and enjoyed our time with the Maurer's.

Thanksgiving; buttered rosemary rolls with sea salt.

No short cuts were taken in preparing our yummy Thanksgiving meal!

Brahm's 4th birthday!

I made Brahm a doughnut hole croquembouche for his Polar Express party.

Make a wish!

Brahm sipping hot cocoa while watching The Polar Express.

Every year the kids mail off their Christmas lists to Mr. Claus, and our amazing mail carrier sends them a handwritten note from Santa.

Our New Year's Eve tradition- camping out in the front room by the light of the Christmas tree and the glow of the fire.

Mid Summer - Mid Fall 2011

Our Summer camping trip to Ponderosa State Park in McCall, Idaho.  The kids loved riding their scooters on the paved trails.

Ava playing at the beach on our camping trip.

Simon at Payette Lake.

We learned that Brahm is allergic to mosquito bites (notice the swelling of his eye).

Larger-than-life hay bales not far from our home.

Our homegrown blackberries.

Ava and her best friend, Nathan, cooling off in the summer heat.

Nicholas LOVES to play in the flour when we aren't looking.

My only picture of Brahm in his "cast."  He fell off the trampoline, displaced his humerus, and had his bone surgically pinned back into place.  After 3 weeks, his splint and pins were removed and he began 3 weeks of physical therapy.

The kids posing with our homegrown pumpkins and gourds.

Nicholas at the pool.  This child has absolutely no fear of water. :(

Ava eating some of our blackberries.

Simon's first day of the 3rd grade.

Ava missed the first day of school due to an upset stomach and a fever.  She attended the very next day.  She is posing with her best friend, Nathan.

Ava, Linden, and Abby- the kindergarten carpool girls.

Simon's soccer season.

Coach Warren giving the boys a pep talk.

Simon

Ava

Pajama Party!

Ava turned 6 on the 20th of September!  To celebrate her birthday, we invited her neighborhood, school, and church friends over for a pajama party.  The guests brought their own pillows and wore their favorite pair of jammies.  We served dinner, played games, munched on cookies, opened presents, and watched the movie, Ramona and Beezus.  I made each birthday guest their own sleeping mask fashioned out of felt, satin, and elastic.  The party was wonderfully simple and fun for all! 

Cookies and milk for dessert; Ava gearing up to blow out her candles.



Samantha sporting her sleeping mask.



Madison enjoing her dinner of pizza bites, pigs in a blanket, fruit and veggies, and cream soda.

The "G" rated version of spin the bottle.



More spin the bottle fun.



A masked Marco Polo game.

Pillow fights on the trampoline.

The girls prettily posing.

All of the party guests.