Laina Dancing With Style

Laina just started dancing one night. We're not sure where she picked up the moves. Oh yeah, and she picked out her stunning outfit all by herself. She's awesome!

Boston Common and Public Gardens

Well, we finally got into downtown Boston to see what there is to see. There is so much, so we'll just take it in a bit at a time.

Keira and Allyse with the statue of Washingtion
On the way into downtown, we read Make Way For Ducklings and then while in the gardens found the statue of Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings and took a ride on the swan boats.

Laina enjoying her first carousel ride

Allyse

Keira

With it being the fourth of July weekend we ended up being able to see some revolutionary war reenactments. I'm glad I wasn't wearing those costumes.

Highlights of the Last Month...or two

Keira taking a turn with the quill pen
Allyse dipping a candle

Laina says she's ready to eat.

Yesterday (May 28) we explored a bit of Lexington and Concord. It's where the Revolutionary war began and is just about a 20 minute drive from us. We were lucky to be there the one day of the year, at the Hartwell Tavern atleast, when they had people dressed in period clothing and demonstrating some of the culture of the day. There's more to see, so I'm sure we'll be back.

Keira and Allyse at our Fancy Nancy Easter outing. (Allyse left, Keira right)

Their hair just didn't make it too long with the rain we had that day.

On Patriots Day (April 19th) we went to check out the infamous Boston marathon. We didn't know exactly where to go, but ended up finding a great spot at the mile 18 mark. The girls had a good time cheering and watching many goofy runners go by. We saw men wearing tutus, bikini tops, funny wigs, a gorilla costume, and one guy wasn't wearing any shoes! I don't know what he was thinking. Randy would like to train for the marathon, so maybe one day we'll be cheeing him on.

Keira...so focused

Allyse

We are so fortunate to live just down the street from a bike trail entrance. These were pictures taken on one of the first Spring days. Now the trail is covered overhead by a canopy of green. Can't wait to see it in the fall.

We have quite a few critters that make their appearance in our back yard; squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, birds of bright red, blue and yellow, but we were quite surprised to look out one day to find these three wild turkeys on a stroll. And just yesterday we had another visitor that we haven't decided what it was exactly...a beaver maybe. We didn't get a good look at the tail.

Random fact: Squirrels can and will bite through a Hefty brand garbage can. They cannot, for whatever reason, get through Rubbermaid.

Randy turned the big 40! To celebrate we went out to eat with some friends at a Brazilian restaurant. It was April Fools Day so he was surprised with a Chocolate "Sponge" Cake.

Family Portrait

(Posted by Randy) I wanted a funny caricature of our family portrait so had a talented friend draw one up for us. Some of you may know Matt Easterbrook. Great guy and great talent. I think he nailed the personalities of the girls, especially Laina! You can see how I consider myself the luckiest man alive, with 4 beautiful girls in my life!

You can see more great art work from this artist at his website: http://www.matteasterbrook.com/. Check it out!

Lake Tahoe

Keira striking a pose

Allyse blazing a new trail

Laina's first encounter with snow


We went to Lake Tahoe the first week in January, so it was our last, and much loved vacation in California. (If you haven't been to Tahoe, I'd highly suggest going. It's beautiful!) We didn't get around to seeing Yosemite, the Redwoods and a bunch of other California sights and getting back to the west coast will take a bit more traveling time, but we might to get back to see those places...some day. We're excited to be able to explore the east coast...once we thaw out, and if all goes well we'll probably be here for a good long time...so my list begins.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not one to have my cell phone with me all the time. Now that we've moved it's become the main line. I had a hard enough time finding the cordless phones around the house (and we had four), now I'm looking for something about half size. Even when I know where it is I usually can't get to it before it goes to voicemail. Luckily, I guess, we don't have many calls coming in right now.

Well the other day I was getting dinner ready and called Randy to see if he did indeed use the last of the chicken. I put down the phone and awhile later had to make another call, but couldn't find my phone. I thought I had put it on the counter...did one of the girls take it? Randy was home by then so I had him call my number so I could hunt it down. I could hear it coming from...the pantry? It stops. Randy calls again. I can see the blue lights coming now from...my three ring binder cookbook. I had put my phone down on top of my open book in my "what am I going to make for dinner now?" scramble and it got closed up inside.

Okay, it's your turn. Where's the craziest place you've found your phone, be it your or your kids doing.

All Dressed Up...

...and nowhere to go. Okay, we were still in our pajamas, but otherwise I was completely ready for church and getting breakfast when Randy, after hearing my cell phone going off three times, relates that church has been CANCELED!! It's a good thing Randy found my phone, which was upstairs in my purse, before he went outside to shovel snow or we would have shown up to an empty building. In all my years growing up in Utah I've never known church to be canceled because of snow. I don't know, maybe it's because in Utah we could all walk to the church building.

This was a comment made by Allyse while looking out the window watching another layer of snow fall from the sky: "Mom, (big sigh) the snow is never going to melt!"

Our new home

Our new home!

The girls being silly outside our front door.

Even in this snow the mailman never fails to deliver the mail.

What fun to get to shovel the whole driveway!