What's A Brother Good For...

A friend to play with in the snow...

Someone to tee off with...

...and splash in the waves with...

A fellow knight to help you conquer the castle...

...and eat popsicles with on a hot summer day...

A friend to help you make "Muddy Huddy" any chance you get...

Someone who will always be willing to push you on the swings...

...and throw rocks into the river...

Someone to run through the sprinklers with...

...and teaches you to share your Legos, no matter how much you'd rather have them to yourself...

And a brother is always there to help you water the trees.

Registered

Ethan is officially registered for Kindergarten this Fall...

He couldn't be more excited. I, on the other hand, am wondering how the last 5 years flew by so quickly.

Easter Weekend

Easter preparations started

Saturday with the coloring of eggs

& eating pizza at

Grandma & Grandpa Van Leuven's house...

There were only a few spills but it is still customary for the boys to dye Easter Eggs shirtless. I think more color ended up on Kamden than on the eggs...

even his feet were yellow.

Easter morning came bright & early when Ethan woke up & hurried to our room. Everyone got up & went downstairs to see if the Easter Bunny had visited...

Their baskets were filled with goodies & there was also a  note with a treasure map that led them to their very own Light Sabers. They've had them for an entire day & no injuries have been obtained...yet.

Then it was off to my parent's house for a yummy breakfast & to hunt down the Easter Eggs...

After spending some time relaxing, we enjoyed a delicious dinner with family. The day also included kite flying...

Charly's first time flying a kite:

Thanks to my parents for making the day special!

Several weeks ago we went on a Preschool Field Trip to the local Police Station. The kids learned about ways to become an officer, met the DRUG DOG, & even got to sit in a Police Car. I don't know if they enjoyed petting the dog more or pushing the siren button in the car...

Early Easter Surprises!

The boys got an early Easter surprise when Grandma Stoker came to stay the night. This morning she took them to choose an Easter treat & they came home with their treasures...Ethan has been wanting a kite & he was excited to find one with Optimus Prime. Kamden found 4 new friends that are squishy, sretchy, & keep him occupied for hours. They also came back with a set of bright balls for Owen to chase around on the floor. The only other thing they could have wanted was for Grandpa to be able to come too, but they are looking forward to being able to see him another time!

What could make a morning better than playing with your best friend in the mirror:

Or playing with your best friend, an air hockey table, & a bazillion matchbox cars:

A Rainy Day & A Trip To The Zoo...

This week my sister visted for Spring Break. All week the weather couldn't make a decision on what season it wanted to be & we ended up having rain, hail, sunshine, & wind all mixed together. We still decided to brave the wet, miserable morning & went to the zoo. The good thing about this was that we were some of the few people brave enough to attempt such a feat. The bad thing about it was that it was cold & raining. We were still able to see most of the animals & even the wart hogs that were certain it was spring because...well, one little girl put it this way: "Look! They're giving each other piggyback rides!"

As always, Kamden's favorite animal was the Zebra, though he also said he liked the monkeys. One of the monkeys was going crazy, swinging around & around that green pole that goes across the cage. He must've been thinking it's Spring, too.

This was Owen's very fist trip to the zoo, & he spent the entire time bundled up in the stroller. He even got in a nice, long nap.

Thanks for the fun, Aunt Kristen!

Accomplishments

There have been a lot of accomplishments around here the last few weeks. We finally got around to taking Ethan's training wheels off his bike (something he's been asking to do since last summer). As soon as Jeff took the training wheels off, he held the bike while Ethan jumped on & he took off without anyone beside him. He was ready! He is still working on getting on the bike & going without someone to steady the bike, but once he gets started he does great. He seems to be growing up so fast, I'm glad he still needs us to hold the bike before he pedals off into the great big world. Or at least to the other side of the next door neighbor's house before he has to turn around.

Several weeks ago in Primary, Kamden's class learned about seeds & they each got to bring home a bean seed that was buried beneath the soil. You just have to look at the picture to tell how much that boy cares about his little bean plant. I just told him to hold the cup & look at the camera so I could get a picture & this is what he did. Each day we check the bean plant & are amazed at how tall it is getting. I just have to say that this is the first thing that I have ever remembered to water & actually grew from a seed...not to take away Kamden's thunder, but I also feel some pride in the bean plant.

Mr. Owen has been sitting up for a few weeks now, though he does still do the occasional face plant when he tries to reach for something that is too far away. He rolls all over the place & if we set him down, he is never in the same spot for long! He has been saying "Mama" for awhile but recently started saying "Dada" & he still enjoys blowing raspberries & carrying on lengthy conversations. One of his favorite things to do is sit in front of my full length mirror & talk to his reflection. He was 8 months old earlier this week & the time just continues to fly by.  

Jeff has been playing on the ward basketball team, serves as the Young Men's President, works hard to support our family, & continues to be an amazing father & wonderful husband. We recently discovered where the 2 annoying birds are getting into our attic & are hoping that will be a successful accomplishment in keeping them out. They wake us up early every morning with their ruckus & if you know me, you know I appreciate my sleep. My recent accomplishments have been cleaning out every closet in the house along with the storeroom. I'm feeling much more organized with a less-cluttered home! We are enjoying the warmer weather when we get it & the boys are very excited for Easter. They are both hoping the Easter Bunny will bring them Light Sabers to appease their obsession with Star Wars, though I'm not sure if the Easter Bunny will be in his right mind giving those two weapons...

The Many Faces Of Owen...

The "Old Man Face"