April Misc Kid Pics

Seth on his "motorcycle"

Noah in a face painting mood

That can't be comfortable


Macho Macho Man

Artist at work

Pretty in pink

Noah drops the training wheels

Noah Turns 7

Noah turned 7 on April 6th! He is definitely not Mommy's little boy anymore. It's awesome to see him grow up and let go of some things and grab hold of others. Of course, now that he is 7 his new phrase is, "that's for little kids".

Birthday Party Crafts

Last week we went to a birthday party for a friends daughter. The kids got to paint little pottery animals and they actually got more paint on the potter than themselves...for once.


  

More March Misc. Kid Pics

Noah and Seth playing PS2...Seth is convinced that he wins every game.


Young Mozart at work.


Anna's favorite spot...she practically lives in this cabinet.


Just another example of how attached Seth is to his hats.

Easter 2008

Here are some pics from our Easter weekend. The kids had a great time coloring and finding the eggs and an even better time eating the candy. Mom and Dad didn't have such a great time trying to get them to go to sleep that night! I also snowed on Easter! Noah was quick to point out that our seasons are all messed up because we had a green christmas and a white easter.




Anna looking cute in her Easter dress. O yea, She's walking now!


Anna and MawMaw Courtney


What a deal..Ella got an Easter basket and an Easter hat!


Our Easter snow!


Seth and his new Easter hat



Noah looking handsome in his Easter clothes.


Seth with his favorite hat.

March Miscellaneous Kid Pics

Noah is really into taking pictures and Seth usually has the privilege of being his test subject.

If you'll, notice nearly all of the pictures of Seth from the last few months are of him wearing a hat. He is obsessed with hats and shoes and as you can see from this picture, all other clothing items are optional.


If Noah is quiet you can bet he is probably building something. I came into his room the other day and found him making a hammock for his teddy bear.


Seth was pretty fascinated by the spot remover. Notice he is also wearing a scarf and cap indoors. That's pretty typical for him. That is when he decides to wear clothes.


Another of Noah's many constructions. Please don't get the wrong idea...we do require our children to wear clothes now and then.


Two cute sisters.


A happy little girl


Ella and her Austrian hat.

Valentine's Day Candy

Just some pictures of the kids devouring some Valentine's Day candy. I'm not sure that Anna actually got any in her mouth.

Anna's 1st Birthday

Anna turned 1 year old on February 25 and devoured her first cake. The pictures are a combination of the 2 parties that she had, one with Stacey's family and one with Aaron's. She's growing up so fast and I think she is just days from walking!

New Pictures Soon

Sorry we haven't had a chance to get any new pictures up this month. Check back for pictures in the next week of Anna's first birthday and our trip to Austria.

Magic House

I don't see how Stacey can take four little kids out in public at the same time, especially to a place like the magic house (and take pictures too!).  Our kids are blessed to have the greatest mom in the world!

The Best Gift Ever!

Stacey's brother got the kids a bounce house for Christmas and it has to be one of the greatest gifts ever. I think more for us than the kids. It is perfect for getting out excess energy (especially for Noah). If you have kids you should get one (or a nice uncle)


.

Ella Dance

Ella has been in dance class for the past few weeks and absolutely loves it. I don't think she will be on Dancing with the Stars anytime soon, but she is having lots of fun.

Making Christmas Cookies

We had a great time making Christmas cookies with the kids, although I think the cleanup was more work than the cookies. Seth isn't big enough to make the cookies but he sure enjoyed eating them!

Thiess Farm

We discovered a really cool farm to go to before Aaron leaves for Austria called Thiess Farm. It's a pretty normal farm but during the fall they construct a huge playland for kids all out of hay bails. There was a zipline, corn maze, pirate ship, castle, obstacle course and tractor ride just to name a few things. They also had a maze that was completely closed in, if you didn't have a flashlight it was pitch black! I think Mom and Dad had just as much fun as the kids. It was a great family day. Here are some pics...

Rid'em Cowboy!

Lots of pumpkins and tired kids

This is less than half of the playground

Ella zippin' down the line

I don't think Seth could be any happier

Food Fun

We do feed our kids vegetables occasionally too, but these are some good pics...

The best way to eat a carmel apple...in the bathtub!

Whipped Cream:
Calories: 15
Fat - 1g

Serving size: 1 Mouthful

Fall Festival Costumes

Aaron was in Austria during Halloween so Stacey took the kids to a fall festival at a local church. Stacey's parents were able to go as well and they all had a great time. Anna really didn't know what to think about her ladybug outfit and Seth refused to keep on his Giraffe head. Of course Noah and Ella felt right at home with their outfits. I think Ella would dress like Cinderella every day if we would let her!

Seth turns 2!

Seth turned 2 on November 6. He is getting so big. Aaron has been traveling so much over the past few months that he has really noticed how much he's growing up every time he comes home. It seems like his language skills almost doubled while Aaron was in Texas last month. His personality is getting more and more distinctive by the day and he is definitely all boy.

For his birthday we started out at his favorite train store that has tons of wooden tracks for kids to play on. Trains really keep his attention for a long time. Then we had lunch at McDonalds with a Playland and finished with a little party with Aaron's family.

Playing at the train store

Thrilled with his new puzzle

Taking Thomas for a spin

Blowing out the candles (well, trying anyway)

Aaron's Grandma Goes Home

You may remember our post just two months ago about Aaron's Grandma turning 100 and the great party we had. Well, at 10:30 on October 22, she started a much better party that will last for eternity. She lived a wonderful, full life and impacted countless numbers of people (she knows now how many). We will not be able to make the funeral because Aaron leaves for Germany on Thursday, but we were blessed to have made the party and say our goodbyes. This truly is a time to celebrate the homecoming of a saint.

Edna Drake 1907-2007

Welcome to the family, Warja!

Aaron's nephew, Mark, is serving in Iraq but was able to get a few days off to come back to the U.S. to get married! While stationed in Germany, Mark met a wonderful young lady from Russia and they were married this past Thursday. It was great to meet and welcome Warja to the family!

Ella turns 4!

Ella turned 4 on Oct. 20. We celebrated at the zoo.

Special birthday curls!

Sept/Oct Kid Pics

Anna 7 months

Misc. Kid Pics

Another tooth bites the dust

Branson Vacation

While in Branson, we took a few extra days for vacation. I would say for relaxation, but that would not be true. Vacation with 4 small children is anything but relaxing! But it was fun. The kids had a great time at Silver Dollar City and the small water park at our hotel.

Anna soakin' up some rays

Noah playing miniature golf

Ridin' the frog

How sweet

Noah with Curious George

Seth and Daddy

Ella and Mommy

Seth is up to something...

100th Birthday Celebration

We had the rare privilege to celebrate the 100th birthday of Aaron's great grandmother! The party was in Branson, Mo. where she lives and it was a great time to catch up with a lot of family that we have not seen in years. Edna Drake is a full blooded choctaw indian in great health, with only the faintest sign of slowing down. To best illustrate how active she is, on her 90th birthday she asked for a chainsaw. She had some trees that needed cutting back. She settled for a weedeater instead, but we made the mistake of telling her that we would get her the chainsaw for her 100th birthday. Fortunately, she did not hold us to that. Not many parents get the opportunity for their kids to meet their great great grandma and we treasure it. Here is a picture of grandma with the kids, representing 5 generations!

Who Needs a Dog?

MIsc. Kid Pics

New Anna Pictures - 4 months old

The Many Facets of Seth

Seth is going through a dress up phase. Here are just a few that we have captured.

Fishing Outing

Noah and I went fishing with some of the kids from church. He was learning to cast for the first time and picked it up quickly. He enjoyed casting more than catching fish!

Noah Finally Loses Front Tooth

After several weeks of wiggling, Noah was finally able to dislodge his front tooth.

Trying Out The New Swings

Aunt Amanda and her boyfriend, Aaron, got the kids swings. They were a big hit!

Anna and Bear - 3 Months

Anna and Bear - 2 Months

Noah Thinks He's Spiderman