Easter 2016

We had a gorgeous sunny day for Easter this year ... and it fell in March, so it was early! The kids are all about Star Wars right now, so they each got light sabers, and tons of candy of course!

The ultimate photo "bomber" LOL!

Dying Easter Eggs

Hats and Gloves

As Easter is in two days, the ladies of 1820 Niles, decided it was time to shop for hats and gloves ... with refreshments following, at the local "soda fountain" shop. We are now ready for our ladies' maids to coif our hair. (Actually, the hat isn't for Easter, but isn't it too too cute on her?!)

Cookin' with Rhylah

The sunlight streaming in through our kitchen windows was Ahhh-mazing tonight! I cut a lemon and just stared at it, watching it glisten in the sun. Rhylah decided she wanted to help me cook the chicken. So I tied my grandma Irene's apron around her bitty waist and we got to work. Of course, with this light, I had to snap some photos ... especially when she started smelling the lemons, "just like mama." :)

At Play

Okay, so I know these photos are very blurry, but I had to "sneak" them thru the screen window. I just LOVE how my kiddos still all play together, using their imaginations. I know it won't be long before Gabriel is off in a car, having fun with his buddies...but he still takes the time to play with them. SO SWEET. This was some kind of game where they each had homes and businesses, like a baker and such, and they would use the plastic pirate coins as money to buy things from each other. They built ovens out of bricks, and it was just so awesome. I love their clever imaginations!

Fairy Lights

Remember art projects in grade school, where you would wrap tissue paper around a pencil and then glue it down and it would look all fru-fru? Well, in my quest to use up an abundance of plastic bags (I figured there HAD to be SOMETHING I could do with them...) I found this project: DIY Fairy Lights (perfect for an outdoor, summer evening party!). First: Duct tape two short, clear plastic cups together, rim to rim, and cut a hole in one end. Wrap the whole enchilada in double-sided tape. Cut plastic shopping bags into squares (I found that using my rotary cutter, which I use for quilting, worked like a DREAM for this). Using a pencil, stick them all over the cups. Finally, drop an electric tea light into the hole at the top of the plastic cups. Hang. Enjoy! Looks rather like something from IKEA, and all it cost me was the tea light! Plus, if they get wet outside ... no big deal!

Musketeer

Rhylah dressed up as a Musketeer for "Dress like a literary character" day at school. Super cute!!

March Hike

March: Riding Lessons for Rhylah

Rhylah has been horse crazy for quite awhile now. This month, a dream came true for her as she had her FIRST EVER riding lesson! The teacher, Miss Roxy, has been doing it for 40+ years, and her lessons last hours! She's a great lady! Within two hours, Rhy was directing her horse in figure 8 patterns in the barn. You can see me running along side her at one point (Miss Roxy threw out her back, so I was helping today) .... I tried to help push her horse at one point, to help steer him around the corner, and she smiled down at me and whispered "I've got this, mom." Oh, my heart!! My little short stack is growing up so fast!!