Joe took some pictures

Here are some pictures from the last few weekends taken with Joe's camera (all but the picture of Joe were also taken by Joe).

Dinosaur World (aka the boys' conceptualization of heaven)


digging for fossils:


Joe's cousin's college graduation:




Today at the waterpark:


wave pool:


(Though I don't think he wears the shirt ironically, it always cracks me up)


and passed out on our kitchen floor after the waterpark:

our weekend

Saturday we went to a festival at the local arboretum. The kids had a great time partaking in the fairy parade, making fairy houses in the forest, and having a treat of ice cream (complete with lots of food coloring. sigh.)




We were able to see this beauty:


Find a toad:


And hike a bit (this was a very cool overlook):


Today we went to the state sheep and fiber festival, where we saw some adorable fleecy animals:


I learned that there is a Wensleydale sheep farm local to me!! This is a very rare sheep breed, and the fleece is wonderful (long fibers, and it has a luster almost like silk). I hope to take the kids out there to visit her sheep soon. I came home with this beauty:


On the way home we stopped by the mill where our grain/flour comes from. We like to see where our food comes from, and try to always buy local, so this was very cool.


It was also fun to find crayfish in the water:


When we came home we harvested from our garden. This year we have not had any rabbit troubles, though we have had a little strawberry usurper. It's a good thing Maddie is so cute!

May Day

Here is a covert picture from May Day this year, given to me by an anonymous source. Apparently as this was taken James was telling the taker that his eyes WERE open.

Mother's Day 20(ish) questions

Here is year 2! James is in bold, E is in italics

1) What is something that your Mom always says to you? You say to not pick the strawberries when they are green um, nothing
2) What makes your Mom happy? blowing you kisses kisses!
3) What makes your Mom sad? when I hit you or step on your toes or hip mean, I like to hit you (laughs maniacally)
4) How does your Mom make you laugh? by tickling me! a see-saw (your guess is as good as mine)
5) What was your Mom like as a child? a sheep a ladybug (he was really cracking himself up)
6) How old is your Mom? 30 a sheep (hahahahahahaha)
7) How tall is your Mom? (taps my head) this tall I little. You bigger than I am.
8) What is her favorite thing to do? knit play
9) What does your Mom do when your not around? you miss me you feel sad
10) If your Mom becomes famous what will it be for? knitting making yum food
11) What is your Mom really good at? making things I don't know
12) What is your Mom not good at? dying dying (sing song repeat of James' answer)
13) What does your Mom do for a job? helps people's brains you don't work! daddy work!
14) What is your Moms favorite food? eggs and pancakes that daddy makes lemon curd
15) What makes you proud of your Mom? when you hug me what is proud mean?
16) If your Mom was a Cartoon Character who would she be? a cowboy one TOTORO! can we watch it?
17) What do you and your Mom do together? we go on trips and just, like, do lots of stuff we like to play with animals
18) How are you and your Mom the same? we hug and kiss eachother the same, and we like our ketchup on the side we have blue eyes!
19) How are you and your Mom different? all people are different, we are all unique nothing, we the same
20) How do you know your Mom loves you? you say it like a million, billion times I WILL EAT YOU! I AM A TROLL!
21) What does your Mom like most about your Dad? well, you love him because he loves you. That is how that works. (he was crying, he had tripped and fell)
22) Where's your Moms favorite place go? camping dinosaur stores, where is there one? we don't have a brachiasaurus