Whoo let the animals out?

Animals seemed to dominate this past week. Tim spent time turkey hunting on two separate occasions and was successful on his second hunt taking home a tom turkey. The girls and I had a fun time at school at Family Story Night where we celebrated owls. Toward the end of the week Leah and I had "tea" at Barnes & Noble and learned more about the newest American Girl Lanie Holland. Then to celebrate Earth Day the girls went for a walk in the woods to pick up trash.

Where's the party?

Spring Break was full of ups and downs. Leah and Elizabeth had a blast spending time in Illinois with their cousins and grandparents at a hotel. Shortly after they returned home we found out that Leah had strep throat again. Toward the end of the week the girls spent the night at their grandparents' house in Michigan. The next day they enjoyed being at our neighbor's birthday party which was celebrated at the local YMCA. There they participated in a gymnastics class which was followed by pizza, cake and ice cream, games, and presents. Finally we all traveled back to Illinois for my grandfather's memorial service. By the end of the week they were tired of driving and being away from home and ready to be separated from each other. Both girls were exhausted after their first day back to school and so am I, but we're all just glad to be back to a normal routine.

How was your Easter?

Spring has sprung and our break has been busy so far. On Good Friday Leah, Elizabeth, and I made our first trip to the beach this year. Although it was windy and a bit brisk we managed to stay long enough to make several trips up and down the sand dunes and even attempted to fill buckets with frigid Lake Michigan water. Saturday we tried to tye dye some eggs. It was quite a process and the colors weren't as vivid as I had hoped, but we still had fun. Easter Sunday was full of activity including reading clues left in eggs by the Easter Bunny, worshipping at church, and then driving to Illinois to celebrate with family.

How many years have you been married?

Extra school activities filled the end of this past week. The whole family spent Thursday night celebrating the learning process at my school. After Leah performed some songs in different languages, we toured classrooms and tried our luck at the Spanish cake walk. All 3 girls won! Toward the end of the week we visited the local art gallery where Leah's wild thing has been on display. Topping off the extracurricular activities was a Griffins game last night. It was entertaining to watch the area mascots play hockey during the 2nd intermission. While all of these activities were enjoyable, the highlight of the week was today when Tim and I celebrated 12 years of marriage.

Is it really spring?

It is hard to believe with a gentle covering of white on the ground that yesterday was the first day of spring. Despite the snow Leah and I attended a spring Girls Day Out at the church we have been attending. We had a great time going from craft station, to exercise station, to fashion station. The most important thing we learned, however, is that who a person is on the inside is what counts. What a fun mother/daughter event!

How is our child doing in school?

I wish that I could erase this week and start over, but unfortunately that is impossible. The last 7 days have consumed me with sickness and sadness and the only highlight of the week was when I attended Elizabeth's preschool conference. It was very uplifting to hear how well she is doing both socially and academically. Her teacher raved about her abilities and insisted that she enroll in kindergarten next year despite having a late birthday. I am so proud of her!

Would you consider yourself creative?

Parent-teacher conferences were held at school this week Tuesday and Thursday making it another busy 7 days for our family. Tim and I attended Leah's conference on Thursday afternoon. According to her teacher she is a true leader (his "saving grace") and is excelling academically. It was wonderful to hear that she is doing so well! While being stuck inside with a short stint of the flu, Leah put her creative mind to work concocting a bed for her doll out of scrapbook paper. This morning both girls got their hair trimmed and Leah decided to have some bangs cut. After that we did some spring clothes shopping before making another trip to the bowling alley in the afternoon. We all enjoyed being creative during a crazy bowl game with Tim's extended family.