BEST THREE DOLLARS I'VE EVER SPENT

At Menard's that is.

Snow block makers

Audra will now demonstrate the best way to make a snow fort.  First you pack the snow in the maker.

Stomp  on it.

                                                                               Beat on it.

and lay on it.

When none of this is going well, mommy will take pity on you.  (Or when she is finished taking pics of your brother, dog, whatever else she can find to get out of this.)

TADA!  Snow fort.  A big shout out to the house for providing the extra walls!

BORED

The kids want to go out and play in all of the snow.  Mike is downstairs taking a class, and I am waaay to busy with pinterest!  So anyways.  I am on pinterest and come across a snow icecream recipe.  Time to bring the snow inside.  Way better than taking myself outside to the snow. 

You need one cup of sweetened condensed milk.

1/2 cup of sugar

Teaspoon of vanilla

Stir it all together until the sugar melts. 

Add 5 cups of snow.

I think I added about 20 cups of snow.  It was like soup.  I wanted icecream!

And icecream we got!

The kids loved it.  This took about 10 minutes, the icecream is gone, and now they want to go outside and play.  *sigh*

LUNCH AT GRANNY'S

Most weeks my sisters, and I all get together for lunch at my parent's house.  This is what organized chaos look like.  Six kids six and under.  With another on the way in the next few weeks.  (which will give Lori 3 kids 3 and under.  YIKES!)

NEW YEARS EVE

This year we rang in the New Year in Holland.  With 10 other families.  We stayed at the Double Tree.  Our rooms all opened onto the pool area.  The kids swam, and we had pizza, etc.

This is the only picture I have of the whole night.  I can't even tell you who took it! 

FREDERICK MEIJER GARDENS

I purchased a season pass to the Frederick Meijer Garden's this year.  I took Lori and her kids to see the butterflies.

Perhaps he is sick of posed shots!?

Perhaps Lydia is sick of being stuck in the stroller all the time?

We were trying to get a nice photo of all the kids together.  The boys refused to sit down.

After the butterflies we went outside to the children's garden.

Eli LOVED running down the big hill.

Not even sure what to think about this!

UNDER THE SEA

Audra had her spring musical at church Sunday night.  It was called Under the Sea.

It was very cute and everyone did a good job singing.  Mike had taken her to the rehearsal the day before.  Apparently they were told to wear blue jeans and a colorful shirt.  I felt so bad.  Out of all these kids she was the ONLY one who wasn't in blue jeans.  Thankfully she had no idea!

NEW ROAD

They have started on the new road that they are putting through our backyard.  Yeah!  Not so much.  We are going to need a fence and some pines.

We love taking walks down there to throw stuff in the river.

Audra loved climbing on all the big equipment.  I'm sure that is completely legal!

Look forward to this being done!