10 Years Old

We do a lot of celebrating over here in March!  This year Luke and Lana had their birthday on Easter!  How exciting to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the birth of our two sweet miracles.  We had a lot of fun on their birthday, and it totally helped that it was an absolutely beautiful day!!  Here are a few pictures.....

Pretty in pink...

 They really do love each other......  

Lana is into dogs, pink (literally everything in her life is pink), and gymnastics.  You will see her doing cartwheels and handstands wherever she goes.  

Luke is into basketball, Parkour**, jumping & flipping, and technology. He is trying to teach his friends Parkour moves....I'm thinking he will be a personal trainer when he grows up.  

After a beautiful Easter service at church we came home and opened up presents, and then had an Easter Egg Hunt.  This year I put some yummy chocolates in each egg.  

 Please share your chocolates with me, Jeffrey?? 

 After our Easter Egg Hunt we headed to the beach for a picnic and some more birthday celebrating!  

It was a wonderful day!!! 

 There is Luke jumping again!  Just can't keep that boy on the ground!!  

I love my Luke and Lana!!! Happy 10th Birthday! 

**Parkour is a training discipline of movement. The simplest way to visualize parkour is as street gymnastics. 

12 Years Old

My sweet Asha turned 12 this past month.  I'm still in shock that I have a 12 year old.  "Please don't grow up too fast," I say to her often, but there is no stopping this girl!  She is becoming a beautiful, creative and fun young lady!!  Right before my eyes!  So thankful that I can be her mom!

What is Asha into at 12 years old??  Well....

mustaches, lions, having her own room, decorating, reading, and FRIENDS.....

....so for her birthday she took a few of her friends to hang out at the mall.  What fun they had (I even let her use my camera).  Below are the pics they took. 

I think all that shopping finally tired them out!  

Lastly...she didn't want a cake for her birthday...just ice cream (easy for me).  So...here is her big bowl of ice cream.  Yummy!

Happy Birthday, my sweet one!  

The Golden Eagles

This was my son's first year playing basketball with a team.  What a great group of 4th grade boys! He had a wonderful coach and assistant coach, and their team won every single game.  It was really quite amazing! We will all miss those fun games!!  

WAY TO GO GOLDEN EAGLES! 

A Day at the Beach

It was a beautiful (almost) Spring day in Seattle, so we spontaneously decided to head to the beach.  I love that we live close enough to the beach that we can make these spontaneous trips.  It was good for my soul to have a little sunshine, some sand in my toes, and feel the cool ocean air!!!  

 Jeffrey and I had fun searching for sea glass....here he is trying to be silly! I just couldn't get him to smile and look at the camera.  

 Luke and Lana spent most of their time digging holes.  

Love that they have each other and enjoy some of the same things.  

 By the time they were done their whole lower bodies fit in their holes. 

Asha's friend came with us too....they enjoyed chatting in the sunshine.  

Excursion to Chinatown

I was feeling like we needed a break from our school books and was wanting to adventure somewhere we have never been.  So.... I took the kids to Seattle's Chinatown-International District.  Once we finally found a place to park, we walked around and did some window shopping.  We saw some great Asian art, specialty shops, and bakeries. Then, we stopped at a little cafe for some Bubble Tea.  Bubble Tea is a tea-based drink that was invented in Taiwan in the 1980's. It has small chewy tapioca balls in it! What a fun drink!! Interesting name for the cafe though- "Gossip".  Hmmm??  

Happy New Year!

Another year has left us....onto something new!  

On New Years Eve I took the kids to Cupcake Royale in Ballard.  This might have to be a new tradition! It's an adorable cafe...that sells amazing and beautiful cupcakes (and espresso).  We had a blast and even took pictures! 

 Lana got an eggnog cupcake. 

Jeffrey and Luke got a "Dance Party" cupcake (basically vanilla with blue frosting). 

 Asha got a Lavender Cupcake. 

I got a Peppermint Chocolate Cupcake (of course...it had to be chocolate). 

Happy New Years! 

2012 Christmas Memories

Christmas this year consisted of lots of family time, traditions, gift giving, cookie making & decorating, and celebrating & remembering the real reason for Christmas - Jesus!  It is one of my favorite times of the year!  Sadly, I didn't take very many pictures.  I guess I was just too busy enjoying the moment!  =)  

 One of our traditions is to make cookies for our neighbors.  It was a chocolate theme this year!  

 The gifts are under the tree....waiting for eager hands to open them. Matt and Asha helped me wrap presents this year...what a blessing as it's not one of my strengths.  

 Pillow pets for the girls from Opa K. 

 A new sweatshirt for Luke!  Much needed!! 

 Luke also got fancy new basketball shoes - thanks to Grandpa & Grandma H. 

Shiny and ready for the court! 

Everyone gathering around as Jeffrey opened a new Wii (ours broke several months ago...so the boys were super excited to use the Wii again). 

On Christmas day we traveled to Oregon to be with my sister, her family, my Dad, Joyce, and Joyce's family.  It was great to get to know Joyce's family better!  14 children in all!  

Thank you Jesus for coming to earth!  We love celebrating You!!  

Merry Christmas!