tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49859820288774669502012-01-25T13:37:21.961-08:00Karinoreply@blogger.comBlogger2391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-65989484525110754052012-01-25T13:37:00.000-08:002012-01-25T13:37:21.978-08:00

We finally ended up with some measurable snow last week.  We hadn't really had much since our surprise October storm, and the kids were so excited.  Nathan was eager to be Daddy's helper and clean off Daddy's truck.

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-79837044585426439812012-01-25T13:20:00.000-08:002012-01-25T13:20:57.743-08:00

It's that time of year again! My usually shy gal made great use of the phone to call family and friends to ask them to order cookies.  So proud of her!Trying to resist buying more boxes of Thin Mints......

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-44483714248111803342012-01-24T22:06:00.000-08:002012-01-24T22:10:30.321-08:00

Well, I guess I'm back from my long blog hiatus!  Today was a gorgeous Winter day!  The kids and I enjoyed an afternoon walk around the neighborhood.    Well, we walked, and Nathan rode his bike.Kids plus melting snow and puddles equals happiness! Trying to make a dam with the snow.Success! Making snowballs....Don't throw it at me please!Splish, splash.... Playing with the storm drain....Love my

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-14218674924976172102011-07-29T08:36:00.000-07:002011-07-29T08:37:50.133-07:00

The cousins all had a great time playing together.The weather in El Paso was unbelievably hot.A quick trip to Walmart for squirt guns turned into an afternoon of fun.Another cousin joined in the fun.Nathan has a new best friend.Water guns gave way to hoses.Soaking wet kids = happy kids.The kids can't wait to go back to El Paso - 110 degree temps and all!

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-78657841053202870452011-07-29T08:16:00.000-07:002011-07-29T08:18:35.217-07:00

Wow, too busy having fun traveling to update this blog.  Sorry to those of you waiting to see pictures!  :)  This cutie above belongs to my brother and his wife whom we visited in El Paso. It was the first time we had met these two (wife and baby) and we had a blast. I can't believe my little brother has a baby girl.  Well, actually, both of my little brothers have had little girls this year!  

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-23278126429408070102011-07-10T11:40:00.000-07:002011-07-10T11:41:27.553-07:00

 The pictures don't do it justice, but the River Walk in San Antonio was gorgeous! We enjoyed walking along the water. We took a boat tour. We found a boat named the "Kari".  :) Elizabeth was way too hot! We also saw a wedding on a boat on the water. I loved the light on the water.

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-54003018565238124172011-07-10T11:25:00.000-07:002011-07-10T11:46:26.568-07:00

One of the reasons we stopped in San Antonio was that Andrew was dying to go to the Alamo.It was interesting, but much smaller than we had imagined.It looked so strange nestled between all the tall buildings in San Antonio.It was also unbelievably hot!We were grateful for the little bits of shade.The kids were facinated by the cactus.  We don't have much of that in MA.Nathan kept asking if he

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-42809538913002314162011-07-09T11:10:00.000-07:002011-07-09T11:10:19.449-07:00

Hi!  It's me, Shepy.  We've been so many places in the past two weeks.One of our favorites was San Antonio.  The kids LOVED the hotel.It was right on the River Walk (pictures of that in another post) and had a view of the city.The kids LOVED the swimming pool that was on the ROOF of the hotel.We went swimming at night and enjoyed looking at all the lights on the buildings downtown.The kids have

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-84845507923173237182011-07-09T10:33:00.000-07:002011-07-09T10:35:20.640-07:00

Sunday we got the very sad news that my step-mother, Barb, died unexpectedly.  We were planning to visit Dad and Barb this week.  Instead, we will be attending Barb's memorial service.  I am grateful, in a way, that we were already out here when this happened and that we drove here.  We will now have more flexibility to stay and help out.We last saw Dad and Barb in September.We spent three days

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-53487100314053444352011-07-09T09:58:00.000-07:002011-07-09T09:58:10.041-07:00

After touring the oil rig we decided to go take a look at the Gulf Of Mexico.Beautiful beaches... though the pictures don't really show it!The kids were interested in the seaweedand the birds.  Alex loves birds!We walked on the rocks.And we all thought that this "beach for sale" sign was hilarious.  It appeared to be a public beach, so not sure what was for sale.

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-62056927432158222992011-07-03T12:46:00.001-07:002011-07-03T12:46:50.291-07:00

Someone needs to get some new shades!  He kind of likes wearing them this way though.

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-32534502280780129132011-07-03T12:43:00.000-07:002011-07-03T12:45:04.960-07:00

One of the reasons we decided to spend an extra day in Houston was to travel to Galveston. I had read on line that there was an off shore oil rig that you could tour, and we decided to give it a try. I'm so glad that we did!  It was informative and fun, and we had a great view of a cruise ship as it left the harbor. The kids enjoyed trying on costumes. They got to sit in the "pilot" seat and

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-77935592638581148902011-07-03T11:30:00.000-07:002011-07-03T11:40:48.859-07:00

We spent two nights in Houston.The kids really enjoyed the Johnson Space Center.There were all kinds of things to touch and to try on.There was a mock space shuttle that we got to climb in and on.Andrew, Alex and Grandma did a flight simulator and much to the boys delight spent much of their time flying upside down.  Mommy chickened out of riding, so Andrew went twice.We took a tram to the

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-45907783607238598612011-07-02T08:00:00.000-07:002011-07-02T08:00:22.026-07:00

One highlight of the trip so far....Butt Sliding!Kids had a blast!I can't believe how quickly they flew down the hill.Their pants will never be the same!But it is a lifetime memory!

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-18843491166372030362011-06-30T23:38:00.000-07:002011-06-30T23:42:48.329-07:00

Hi!  It's Sheppy again.  I'm loving this vacation!We went to Mud River Island in Memphis and had a great time.We rode a tram to an island in the middle of the Mississippi River.There we spent several hours walking the length of the to scale model of the Mississippi River.  The weather was amazingly hot and the kids (and adults) were thrilled to be able to wade in the river.The kids enjoyed

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-81674141897806987492011-06-29T08:30:00.000-07:002011-06-30T23:05:35.143-07:00

Hi!  My name is Sheppy and I am a new member of the H family.They are taking me on a cross country adventure and we are all so excited.We spent the first night of our adventure in Baltimore and saw Uncle Marc, Aunt Julia and their little girl Bella.The next day we got to see historic Harpers Ferry.Nathan was super excited because a train was going across the river at the same time that we were

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-26170636555741164152011-05-30T12:00:00.000-07:002011-05-30T12:00:04.299-07:00

This handsome guy usually HATES to wear button down shirts.In fact he usually refuses to wear them.And you would NEVER persuade him to wear a tie.Those things are too tight around the neck.But isn't he handsome?!Silly faces and all!

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-16845920230561804912011-05-30T10:03:00.000-07:002011-05-30T10:03:17.989-07:00

Our saxophone playing son and our clarinet playing daughterjust played in their first ever band concert.We are so proud of them!I wasn't sure what to expect from a fourth grade band.They actually sounded fairly good.Hopefully we will have many more years of band concerts ahead of us!

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-1280986303572411302011-05-23T22:57:00.000-07:002011-05-23T22:57:18.398-07:00

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-27944979172325897222011-03-25T22:31:00.000-07:002011-03-25T22:32:14.877-07:00

A couple of "humor in real life" stories.  I want to record these for my children to read some day.  I'm not sure that they would be funny to anyone else... or if anyone else even reads the blog.  LOL. OUCH! We recently took a quick weekend trip to PA, and on the way home we stopped to visit with my college roommate and her family.  Her youngest daughter is about 2 years younger than Nathan, and

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-11655840742074495412011-03-18T05:17:00.000-07:002011-03-18T05:17:27.895-07:00

Look what the kids discovered in our yard a few days ago!  The snow is melting and they found a patch of bare ground by the house.  My tulips are growing!  I love how observant my kids are.The twins turned ten on Tuesday (more about that soon) and requested a trip to the greenhouse.  I love, love, love, seeing all the beautiful flowers and had fun playing with my camera. I can't wait to see

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-89235960178505403072011-02-08T09:57:00.000-08:002011-02-08T09:57:00.484-08:00

Oh how I wish we had a mud room...I am tired of gloves and boots and scarves lying all over our living room floor.And oh so tired of the snow and ice and mud being tracked through the house.I am really not a fan of wet socks, and of chaos.Trying to figure out how to be thankful for the wet, cold, mess, noise and chaos of life at the moment.  If it were gone I'm sure I'd miss it.Trying to focus on

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-55733448464626675562011-02-07T17:44:00.000-08:002011-02-07T17:44:00.670-08:00

The snow has been beautiful, but there has been a lot of it!I read we had 40.5 inches of snow in January and that we have had 14.5 inches so far in February, with more snow forecast later in the week.The shrubs are pretty much completely covered.This is the view out our sliding glass door on the back porch.  Our grill is hiding somewhere under there!Snow piled up in front of the garage door (door

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-12570687856141873382011-02-07T07:36:00.000-08:002011-02-07T07:36:00.791-08:00

Our little monkey, Alex, has loved tree climbing in the snow.He's also been willing to pose for the camera.....Sort of!I love how happy he has been outside.He's been trying to persuade me to let them jump off the roof into the snow.... um, that's a definite no!

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-26587554690270323952011-02-06T15:23:00.000-08:002011-02-06T15:23:00.326-08:00

This little manabsolutely loves the snow!He likes going mountain climbing, as he calls it.He likes to go digging for ice with his shoveland this is what he thinks of my picture taking!The snow piles are nearly twice as tall as he is, but it doesn't slow him down much!You can see how high the snow piles are in comparison to Elizabeth.Such a serious face!

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-9705723318369977532011-02-06T07:18:00.000-08:002011-02-06T08:22:42.191-08:00

THIS piece of red plastic is what the kids have been so excited about lately.Daddy built them a platform and Meme gave them a snow board.God gave them plenty of snow.Actually, these pictures are from a couple of weeks ago, so there is much more snow on the ground now.  More about that in a future post!Wiping out doesn't seem to faze the boys.And I'm getting used to it... except for the tree at

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-85854031756160740662011-01-23T22:08:00.000-08:002011-01-23T22:09:09.699-08:00

The theme of this week's I Heart Faces photography challenge is Innocent Wonder.  This is a picture from last Spring, but I love it.  It was the first year Nathan really got it as far as an Easter egg hunt goes.  I love his enthusiasm for life.  It always makes me smile.  I also like the fact that Elizabeth is zooming by in the background. Head on over to I Heart Faces to check out the other

Karinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-23631955807247071222011-01-19T06:18:00.000-08:002011-01-19T06:18:54.406-08:00

Last week when I went to drop Nathan off at preschool he insisted on holding my hand.  I didn't mind that one bit.  Then he told me that I "had to" hold his hand.  I asked him why and he said, "Because... you are my snuggle".  How sweet is that?  I told him that I love being his snuggle...  I sure hope this stage of life lasts a long time.  I love my daytime and bedtime "snuggles" with my

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-29968790640754358322011-01-17T14:20:00.000-08:002011-01-17T14:20:38.689-08:00

I haven't joined in an I Heart Faces challenge in a long time.  The theme this week is Winter Wonderland.  I love the expression on Alex's face in this picture.  He was having a blast playing in the snow pile.  Check out the other entries here. We got 23 inches of snow last week and are predicted to get more tomorrow.... along with a thick coating of ice.  Nice!

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-87219801403216416552011-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:002011-01-13T10:00:03.433-08:00

You know you don't iron much when your 3 1/2 year old doesn't know what an ironing board looks like. I have been interviewing for a new job (my current job will be ending soon) and when I do, I have dressed up more than I usually do.  My husband knows how much I dislike ironing (I will go to great lengths to avoid it!) and offered to iron my clothes for me last week.  Nathan observed Daddy

Karinoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-52761302347466831782011-01-12T15:15:00.000-08:002011-01-12T15:15:30.496-08:00

We woke this morning to a Winter Wonderland and it is still snowing now.  The kids were and are thrilled... the parents... not as much.  The storm is set to wind down soon and snowfall totals are close to two feet.  We haven't had such a big storm in many years! This is the view out our front door (as seen from Nathan's height)Three older kids getting set for their "adventure"... off to dig a

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-59187203518409710732010-10-08T06:30:00.000-07:002010-10-08T06:30:29.531-07:00

I haven't participated in Macro Friday in a while.  We got back from vacation three weeks ago and life has been busy busy busy. I had lots of fun playing with my camera while on vacation.  We spent one of our days at Bent Fort in Colorado and the kids found some milkweed to play with.  You can see pictures of Alex "dancing" with the milkweed here. Here is my entry - a macro shot of the milkweed

Karinoreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-8034453300399550682010-09-22T20:30:00.000-07:002010-09-22T20:30:16.425-07:00

On our last day in Colorado we got to try our hand at panning for gold at a mining museum.The kids quickly learned that it was hard work.With no results other than the enjoyment of panning for gold!Even binky boy joined in.The museum also had a "pretend mine" that Nathan thoroughly enjoyed playing in.And Andrew got to try his hand at mining by hand!

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-22716050468936939662010-09-22T00:19:00.000-07:002010-09-22T00:19:21.551-07:00

While we were in Pueblo, my brother Mike drove up to visit for a few days.  It just so happened to be his 40th birthday, so we got to have some fun celebrating.  We went out to eat at Applebees and there was a man there who made balloon animals for the kids.  This is Nathan's snake.This is Alex's fish.This is Elizabeth's monkey in a tree.And here is Andrew's frog.The man truly was amazing.  He

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-76234132820296824052010-09-21T10:00:00.000-07:002010-09-21T10:00:04.780-07:00

Alex found milkweed along the path leaving Bent Fort and had a delightful time playing with it.It stuck to his hands and his clothes,but it didn't seem to bother him one bit!Off to search for more with Daddy.Getting ready to let it go.Dance of the Milkweed!Love how happy he was here... feeet in the air and all.  :)

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-75422346188412985212010-09-20T21:05:00.000-07:002010-09-20T21:06:30.400-07:00

On of the highlights of the trip for Andrew was going to see Bent Fort in Colorado.  It was used as a trading post in the mid 1800's.The fort had thick adobe walls.The kids liked walking along the second level of the fort and looking out over the top.The inhabitants of the fort used to trade for buffalo hides and the next picture is a picture of the press that they used to consolidate the furs

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-62822374278463800252010-09-17T21:55:00.000-07:002010-09-17T21:55:29.439-07:00

On Wednesday Hutch and the kids, my mom and my brother all went to the Royal Gorge and walked across the world's largest suspension bridge!I stayed behind and visited with my dad and his wife.  But I "swiped" these pictures that were taken by either my mom or my brother.The kids rode a special train up the side of the cliffs. They also walked across the bridge.I'm not sure I could have done it if

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-61478422534061165112010-09-17T10:04:00.000-07:002010-09-17T21:11:05.961-07:00

We've been in Pueblo, Colorado for the past few days and have made day trips to the Royal Gorge and to the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine.At the mine we donned our hard hats and jackets and waited for our "ride" to arrive.  Nathan is adorable in his oversized outfit!We were amazed that they managed to fit all 8 of us in this tiny 3 foot by 3 foot "cage"... that was an adventure in and of itself.  We

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-12815392122495109842010-09-15T20:00:00.000-07:002010-09-15T20:00:01.053-07:00

Finally... some pictures from Yellowstone!

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-49532374462641028452010-09-15T16:00:00.000-07:002010-09-15T16:00:00.869-07:00

The Buffalo Bill museum had a shooting gallery which the kids loved, especially Andrew.Andrew now fancies himself quite the sharp shooter!ElizabethAlexand binky boy Nathan enjoyed themselves as well.The kids got 15 shots to try to hit a variety of targets.Some were moving targets and some stationary.Andrew also thoroughly enjoyed the firearm's museum.  He informed me that there "was even a gun

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-10975160683481160682010-09-15T10:00:00.000-07:002010-09-15T10:00:03.585-07:00

After we left Yellowstone we traveled to Cody, WY and went to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.I arrived knowing very little about Buffalo Bill.I don't think that the kids knew much either....though they loved to play around his statue.The kids played in a teepee,ran around all over a huge map of the area (made up of thousands of tiles),and played dress up with a buffalo hide.They also tried

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-57568738591547167622010-09-15T00:44:00.000-07:002010-09-15T00:44:32.570-07:00

We've seen a lot of this on our trip....Lots of rain, and even some snow in Yellowstone.Last week we traveled from Laramie to Jackson, WY to the Teton's and Yellowstone.  I LOVE the Tetons... some of the most beautiful mountains in our country...But alas, we couldn't see the mountains due to all the rain.Thankfully, though, there was an amazing Visitor Center just outside the park.The kids were

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-56146447484776376052010-09-11T09:55:00.000-07:002010-09-11T09:55:23.012-07:00

We've been thoroughly enjoying our time in Yellowstone.  We've been in lots of traffic jams due to animals such as this bison, sauntering down the road.Quite impressive to see this out your car window!Also saw lots of antelop and elk.And the big excitement of the day.... seeing this Grizzly Bear!I'd never been so close to one before!

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-71646753237278512052010-09-10T07:16:00.000-07:002010-09-10T07:16:45.853-07:00

We're now on our trek across to the Northwest part of the state of Wyoming!Our first stop was Independence Rock.It's a huge rock that stands out on the plains.  Thousands of pioneers stopped here during their long trek on the Oregon Trail, including some of our relatives.Alex enjoyed looking at the model of a wagon.  We were all surprised by how small and narrow the wagons were.If you looked

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-23952437397888085432010-09-09T20:00:00.000-07:002010-09-09T20:00:01.869-07:00

Just some pictures to show you how amazingly beautiful it is here in Wyoming.

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-20473726010151091092010-09-09T12:00:00.000-07:002010-09-09T12:00:00.755-07:00

Another favorite activity....  having a cook out with Grandma and Grandpa in the mountains.What was the big attraction this year?The twins finally being old enough to have and use pocket knives to help cut branches to roast the hotdogs and the marshmallows.They were thrilled to use their new tools!Nathan was mostly interested in playing with the picnic basket,looking adorable, and trying to get

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-76300980466576861332010-09-09T00:33:00.000-07:002010-09-09T00:33:34.783-07:00

One of our children's favorite Wyoming activities is playing on the bales of hay on my parent's property.We figured since it's September, the hay would all be gone, but there were still several bales in the field.The kids woke up early the first day we were there and begged to go down to the fields.So off we went!Even the littlest guy.As you can see, it is MUCH colder in Wyoming than in

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-1941030666358660982010-09-09T00:05:00.000-07:002010-09-09T00:05:12.785-07:00

We're here in Wyoming thoroughly enjoying our time visiting with my folks.The kids love having space to run,climbing on the hay bales,rolling in the tall grasses,and climbing on the fences in their yard.They think it is hilariously funny to have your very own gas tank in your front yard.And this last picture is just me playing around with taking pictures at different angles.  It is a picture of

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-60154375743531821512010-09-05T07:41:00.000-07:002010-09-05T07:41:45.082-07:00

The day of our much anticipated trip finally arrived.  We packed up our bags.  What a trick I tell you!  So challenging to pack for six people for two weeks and to try to spend as little as possible on extra baggage fees.  I didn't do so well this time around!We headed to the airport late in the day.  Nathan was so excited to go on a plane.  The only thing he remembered from our trip last summer

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-61781133011817855042010-09-04T22:47:00.000-07:002010-09-04T22:49:11.870-07:00

Yes, It is that time of year againThree weeks ago we embarked on our second year of home schooling.Just like last year, the kids all put on their backpacks and headed out the door, eager to start the first day of school.They walked down the driveway, down the street a bit, and then came back to greet their teacher!They are lucky they don't have to wear shoes to school!As you can see, Nathan

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-78617144618569800722010-09-04T11:01:00.000-07:002010-09-04T11:02:34.204-07:00

Someone got a big boy haircut.  I can't believe how different he looks.I loved his long curly hair, but lately it has been straight and unruly.It was time!  Daddy was happy!These next photos are for all of you who think that Nathan is always smiling.  I keep telling you he can have tantrums with the best of them.  Here's the proof!

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-45005852748841317152010-08-26T20:43:00.000-07:002010-08-26T21:00:45.069-07:00

It's that time of week again.  Macro Friday on Blogging from Bolivia.  I took this picture at Storyland in New Hampshire.  The kids were having fun with the rides, and I was having fun playing with my camera.And, because I couldn't choose just one photo, I decided to share two others.  The top photo is my "entry" though.  :)

Karinoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-2114140656406524112010-08-21T06:44:00.000-07:002010-08-21T07:08:11.848-07:00

Dear Andrew, I went upstairs to make your bed tonight and saw your favorite blue blanket lying on the bed.  I sat and fingered it for quite a while.  I can't believe that you went away for the weekend and didn't take your lovey with you... that's a first.  Don't get me wrong, I knew that this day would come.  Grownups don't sleep with childhood security blankets, so just as with other childhood

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-66039666092693457952010-08-20T06:21:00.000-07:002010-08-20T06:21:11.900-07:00

It's that time of week again - Macro Friday.  We spent some time at Storyland last weekend and I had fun trying to take pictures of the flowers and the bees.  Thought I would share this picture.  I'll share pictures of my adorable kids in another post!  :) Head on over to Blogging From Bolivia to check out all the other neat macro entries!

Karinoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-15208030452511065792010-08-13T23:48:00.000-07:002010-08-13T23:53:06.100-07:00

It's that time again - Macro Friday! This week I tried to take pictures of the scrumptious fruit salad we had for supper earlier in the week.  One of my favorite things about summer is eating all the fresh fruit.  My favorite part of this salad - definitely the raspberries!Once again, I couldn't figure out which photo to pick.  I chose the photo above as my entry, but am sharing the others that I

Karinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-50909580954221980382010-08-07T14:23:00.000-07:002010-08-07T14:23:43.936-07:00

It's time for Macro Friday again.  Head on over to Blogging From Bolivia to check out all the amazing entries.  Makes me really want to get a macro lens.  LOL.  Kind of difficult to shoot macro without a macro lens, but it is still fun to try.  :) Every year we say we are going to plant a garden in the back yard and every year we end up with planter boxes with veggies and a few tomato plants

Karinoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-78289679387139918522010-08-01T20:20:00.000-07:002010-08-01T20:20:42.547-07:00

My sweet husband grew up in a home where the division of labor between men and women is very very traditional.  Men folk do the yard work and bring home the bacon.  Women, they pretty much take care of everything else, especially "indoor chores".  Me, I grew up in a home where roles were not traditional.  My mom mowed the lawn and my Dad made many a meal.  Hutch and I have been married for ten

Karinoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-81484009785159728282010-07-31T15:11:00.000-07:002010-07-31T15:11:22.323-07:00

It's time for Macro Friday again.  This week's entry is in honor of yesterday's events...and could alternately be titled, "Dumb Things People Do".  LOL.  Errrr, maybe that should be "one of the dumbest things I've done". It all started with this here epipen (my Macro Friday entry). Alex was diagnosed last year with a peanut allergy and we therefore have epipens in the house.  On Thursday, Alex

Karinoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-50263906577505155642010-07-25T12:47:00.000-07:002010-07-25T12:47:32.377-07:00

It's not the right time of year, but I've been singing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth".  Alex lost both of his upper front teeth last week.  I LOVE how kids look at this age... absolutely adorable... the toothless grin and the lisp.  I told Alex I had to have a picture of his missing teeth.  As you can tell from this first picture, he wasn't too happy to obligue.  :)  You can see

Karinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-86809765284317529322010-07-24T18:00:00.000-07:002010-07-24T18:01:35.611-07:00

It's time again for Macro Friday on Blogging From Bolivia.  We were at a birthday party last night for a two year old little boy, David.  David and Nathan had a blast playing with a wooden train set.  I took plenty of birthday pictures, but also decided to try my hand at some close up pictures of the trains.  The picture above is my entry for MACRO FRIDAY.  The other pictures are just for fun! :)

Karinoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-41838096351913700762010-07-17T13:45:00.000-07:002010-07-17T13:45:54.205-07:00

I don't blog much, but I do enjoy reading other blogs.  One of the blogs that I read somewhat regularly is Crayon Wrangler.  She posted something called Macro Friday and after one look I was quickly hooked.  I don't have a macro lense, but LOVE macro photography.  I think I'm going to really enjoy participating in Marco Friday at  Blogging From Bolivia. It was so hard to narrow down which

Karinoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-12188761681649531242010-07-13T09:00:00.000-07:002010-07-14T22:11:31.761-07:00

Elizabeth has been painting up a storm again.  This picture is a favorite of two of her brothers - a "Fourth of July Special" as she calls it.This is a favorite of both Mommy and Daddy.  We made prints for each of our office walls.Love the colors in this one.This is her "sunset" picture.  She says she made a mistake while painting, but it turned into "the best thing ever".  She likes how the sun

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-66917260270611168172010-07-12T09:00:00.000-07:002010-07-12T09:00:00.175-07:00

There once was a man named DaveWho thought his cat was oh so bravePitter patterUp the ladderListen to Uncle Dave raveElizabeth wrote this poem for her Uncle Dave on our recent trip to visit them in New York.  Uncle Dave loves his cat and has taught his cat tricks, including climbing up this ladder to the second story window.  The top picture was taken on this trip.  The picture of the cat on the

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-21070856220422546262010-07-11T13:00:00.000-07:002010-07-11T13:00:00.445-07:00

A couple more pictures from our "Family Date" night.A great place for an evening picnicA very nice viewHazy summer night

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-21828014422369862132010-07-10T20:00:00.000-07:002010-07-10T20:00:00.891-07:00

More pictures from our "Family Date" up on the mountain.  It was so much fun to see our four bambinos having such a good time together walking, climbing, playing games.The kids LOVE to climb rocks at this particular place.  I was fine with our little guy climbing on little rocks like this.I was fine with them laying down, taking a break.Or making beds to lie in on the rocks.I was fine with them

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-9709378353991031762010-07-10T09:52:00.000-07:002010-07-10T09:52:34.377-07:00

Last night we had a rare "Family Date" night.  We packed up a picnic supper and headed up to the top of a local mountain.  I was going to leave my camera behind, but my ever encouraging (regarding photography)husband insisted I bring it.  I'm so glad.  The light was perfect for practicing silhouettes.  Daddy and Nathan sharing some time on top of the rocks.  Me - my stomach was twisted in knots

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-75988524336339978602010-06-14T13:45:00.000-07:002010-06-14T13:45:00.143-07:00

Karinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-75168728111458730232010-06-13T19:21:00.000-07:002010-06-13T19:22:47.667-07:00

Thank you Aunt Linda, Uncle Dave, and Sarah! The mailman was laughing when she came to the house to deliver this package to me.She said that everyone at the post office was making bets on what was in the package.  They figured it couldn't be a pizza.I was very curious about what was in it and couldn't wait to open it.Mommy said I should look at the card, but I just ripped the package open. I love

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-40632660232083103522010-05-31T14:32:00.000-07:002010-05-31T14:34:01.679-07:00

Marshmallows...Big chunks of Hershey chocolateBackyard campfiresPerfectly roastedGreatly anticipatedScrumptious TreatsAs you can see, we've been enjoying the start of summer!

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-48583463178094753002010-05-19T10:58:00.000-07:002010-05-19T11:03:15.771-07:00

For the past three years Nathan has been involved with Early Intervention.  We've had a social worker, speech therapist, and physical therapist in our home each week for nearly three years.  Today we said THANK YOU and GOOD-BYE.  When the pediatrician called us when Nathan was three months old and told us that the visiting nurse felt that Nathan really needed Early Intervention we were,

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-10009743663867921302010-05-17T04:39:00.000-07:002010-05-17T04:58:35.049-07:00

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-3523574170431560332010-05-16T21:18:00.000-07:002010-05-16T21:25:59.151-07:00

This weeks theme for the I Heart Faces challenge is "faces and flowers".  While I have lots of "flower" pictures, I don't have very many pictures of flowers with faces  :) I took this picture of Nathan last week to use as a thank you note for Nathan's Early Intervention Providers. Nathan is turning three this week and "aging" out of the program. Nathan's workers have been in our home a

Karinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-60269945377763467512010-04-26T05:41:00.000-07:002010-04-26T05:42:20.604-07:00

This week's challenge at I Heart Faces is "Smiles".  It was so hard to choose just one picture.  I may have to create a separate post to share some other "smile" pictures as we are only allowed to pick one for the challenge. I took this picture yesterday at my daughter's rehearsal for the play Annie.  Love the smile on this young man's face. Head on over to I Heart Faces to check out the other

Karinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-82889621159856947562010-04-24T09:03:00.000-07:002010-04-24T09:08:19.267-07:00

You all are in trouble.  I figured out how to upload videos to this blog!  :)  Here's a video of the kid's playing with their "invention" - a bubble bike.  They put the bubble maker on the back of Elizabeth's bike.  They think it sounds like a motorcycle engine!  They've been having so much fun biking around the yard.

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-6426321476763284762010-04-23T16:17:00.000-07:002010-04-24T08:05:31.294-07:00

Nathan has taken a liking to singing for us. Here's his version of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-44456368595200530932010-04-17T09:14:00.000-07:002010-04-17T09:14:15.926-07:00

Where did my beautifulblond curly hairedboy go?He's now a beautifulblondshort-hairedadorableboyDaddy is thrilled.  I'm sure a host of others will be as well (you know who you are!!) Me...  not so much.  It was time.  His hair was long and snarly and he refused to let me touch it with a comb or brush.  He looks so different now though.  I keep doing a double take.  He looks identical to Andrew at

Karinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-33379174084578950322010-04-05T19:03:00.000-07:002010-04-05T19:06:03.185-07:00

This picture is my favorite of the hundreds I took yesterday.  I love how excited Nathan was to look for eggs, and love that Elizabeth was running by in the background.Hope everyone had a very blessed Easter.Sweet AlexOur beautiful girlAndrew dipping into his treat back from Uncle Tom and Aunt Jane AnnThe whole clan minus Mommy...Why is it so difficult to get a decent picture of everyone?  You

Karinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-23901046791912492812010-04-04T06:44:00.000-07:002010-04-04T06:47:38.222-07:00

HALLELUJAH!HE IS RISEN!HE HAS RISEN INDEED!Have a very blessed Easter!

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-64321894218419552782010-03-28T21:12:00.000-07:002010-03-28T21:12:05.763-07:00

It's "Dramatic B&W" photo challenge week at I Heart Faces. It was easy for me to choose this week. Andrew raced his car in the Pinewood Derby last weekend.  I didn't get a good picture of him, but really like this one of his friend showing his "medal" to his younger brother. Head on over to I Heart Faces to check out the other entries.

Karinoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-88088170619040788082010-03-28T06:56:00.000-07:002010-03-28T06:58:41.079-07:00

When I posted below, I forgot the reason why I had decided to post pictures of you, Nathan.  You have said a couple of incredibly cute things in the past few days.  When I came downstairs the other day you were busy sweeping the kitchen floor with a small broom.  I asked you what you were doing and you said, "I brooming".  :)  I asked if you were sweeping the floor and you said, "I broom my

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-1358009431988708672010-03-27T23:23:00.000-07:002010-03-27T23:23:48.815-07:00

This guyis waytoo cute!I love his curly hair, his long lashes, his infectious smile.  I love his curiosity about the world.I love the way he points his finger like in the picture below when he sees someone coming that he knows and loves.  (In this case, it was his speech therapist Emily.)I don't, however, love the lessons learned from his older siblings... spitting and sticking out his tongue...

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-11418383798779071182010-03-26T12:33:00.000-07:002010-03-26T12:33:02.824-07:00

This big guyAnd this little (but getting bigger way too quickly) guyAlong with the other two big "little people" in our family (who refused to be photographed)have been spending hours each day jumping on the trampoline... best present they've ever recieved, I tell you... hours and hours of entertainment, exercise, enjoying the sunlight and outdoors..Nathan's a serious ball player, I tell you.Got

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-43549674302370746452010-03-23T21:22:00.000-07:002010-03-23T21:23:09.746-07:00

This weeks photo challenge on I Heart Faces is "Focusing on Angles".  I didn't have much time to look through my photos, but love this picture of Nathan and his cousin.  Malia had a lady bug on her hand and Nathan thought it was hilarious.  He couldn't stop smiling and laughing.  The photo isn't technically very good, but I think it shows the emotion well.... oi... I really need to learn how to

Karinoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-40059863438291843672010-03-23T05:09:00.000-07:002010-03-23T05:12:36.635-07:00

Last Saturday was Andrew's first ever Pinewood Derby.... a family affair.  Andrew and Papa Bear worked a long time to create a "hot dog" car and Elizabeth helped pick out paint colors.  Andrew was so proud of this beauty!We were all happy that the hot dog not only looked good, but raced well.You can't tell from this picture, but Andrew really enjoyed the races.And this little car managed to break

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-44053247752235300152010-03-19T08:22:00.000-07:002010-03-19T09:18:13.795-07:00

I heart faces is hosting a constructive feedback Friday on it's blog. It's for amateur photographers to get help editing their photos. You all know that I take dozens of pictures, but don't have a clue how to edit beyond cropping and doing a couple easy things in picasa. I want to get MOTIVATED to learn lightroom and photoshop elements, which I own, but haven't ever used. So, here's the picture

Karinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-75324013249324890872010-03-13T19:19:00.000-08:002010-03-13T19:19:02.775-08:00

Elizabeth is performing in her first musical (Annie) in May and today I had the opportunity to spend the day "playing" with my camera and trying to take pictures of the cast members.  I can't post most of the pictures as I don't have permission, but I thought I'd share these of Elizabeth and her friend.  I have such a long way to go to get great shots, but I am slowly making progress (I think)...

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-62081836219233693342010-03-10T11:00:00.000-08:002010-03-10T11:00:02.477-08:00

This GuyAbsolutely ADORESThis GuyApparently they both like sticking their tongues out.BrothersBaseball BuddiesSo SeriousSo Much Laughter

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-32828780623744758472010-03-09T11:08:00.000-08:002010-03-09T11:08:00.387-08:00

Someone adorableThinks he ought to be playing t-ballHe carried around that glove and ballMost of the dayAnd insisted on wearing Andrew's old shirt and pantsLove this face he makes

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-49997084217881791822010-03-08T20:36:00.000-08:002010-03-08T20:39:34.089-08:00

Thisis gone for now. There are signs Spring is coming.The trampoline is up.Mama is glad to be able to send the kids out to play.Thrilled they're bouncing somewhere other than the couch...Lovin the bright smiles...

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-77583967036263298552010-03-07T07:06:00.000-08:002010-03-07T07:10:01.411-08:00

For the past several weeks Elizabeth and I have been enjoying mother daughter time by taking a colored pencil class together.  Elizabeth LOVES to draw and paint and really wanted to take this class.  I figured it would be a good thing for us to do together....  I'm not at all artistic, but am quite happily surprised by how my appled turned out!  We've decided to continue the class.  Elizabeth has

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-90945350903928177022010-03-06T14:26:00.000-08:002010-03-06T14:26:27.428-08:00

WaterPaintShampooBrotherSisterEqualsFunand mess!

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-9257389866994867222010-03-05T22:41:00.000-08:002010-03-05T22:41:11.723-08:00

Someone is glad that his sister made applesauce cookies and that his mom let him have one!

Karinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-44632889375612532952010-03-01T19:33:00.000-08:002010-03-01T19:40:27.354-08:00

The I Heart Faces challenge this week is hilarious outtakes.  Even though I delete a ton of them, I always seem to have plenty to choose from!  Andrew is a master at making silly faces, especially when I want to get nice pictures of him or his siblings!Not sure what happened here.  Nathan looks ready to vomit!Alex is D.O.N.E. having his picture taken!I find it near impossible to get a picture

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-6944287545232889652010-02-24T22:04:00.000-08:002010-02-24T22:07:20.347-08:00

Yes, I know the holiday has been over for nearly two weeks.  But, I am very behind in posting about our daily adventures.  I have the best of intentions to keep up with this blog.  I manage to update fairly frequently for a week or two, and then go weeks without posting anything... and it isn't for a lack of "material".  I have all kinds of posts written up in my head and hundreds of photos taken

Karinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-79000809402741469142010-02-17T04:13:00.000-08:002010-02-17T04:16:31.655-08:00

Karinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-85626342955475242792010-02-11T21:31:00.000-08:002010-02-14T06:48:30.398-08:00

This note is what greeted me when I came home from work last night. The tooth fairy has worked overtime this week. Elizabeth lost a tooth earlier in the week and then lost another one last night. She takes after her Mama.  She writes notes all the time... and makes lists... lots of them.  :)

Karinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-4693329064785035742010-02-10T10:06:00.000-08:002010-02-10T10:08:26.757-08:00

Posting our Christmas letter from 2003.  I love looking back and remembering fun times with the kids.  Hope you do too. You know that you are parents to three children under the age of 3 when… • You change six diapers before you leave the house for work at 8 AM • Your living room floor looks like a daycare center • Sleeping in means that the kids slept until 7 AM • You are up at midnight, 2

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-78794458353829809532010-02-09T07:18:00.000-08:002010-02-09T07:18:28.079-08:00

I was reading someone's blog lately (can't remember who) and they were sharing humorous things their kids had done.  It reminded me of our Christmas letters from years past and I went back and reread them.  Decided to post parts of our 2005 Christmas letter. Humor in Real Life – Snippets from Life With the H Kids • “Nice nap?” - Alex’s comment when I woke up after falling asleep reading books

Karinoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-24212040638330740582010-02-07T09:37:00.000-08:002010-02-07T09:37:47.677-08:00

Nathan, I wrote about how blessed you are to have your older siblings.  You are especially blessed to have an older sister who adores you.Elizabeth was in love with you before you were born. She asked about you all the time, and she loved to pat my belly. She was the only one of your siblings comfortable enough to visit you in the NICU. She made signs for your basinett and she came to hold you as

Karinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4985982028877466950.post-17780874779116503192010-02-05T04:36:00.000-08:002010-02-05T04:36:18.178-08:00

Alex, here you are holding Nathan for the first time.You were thrilled to be a big brother... and Nathan's tubes and wires didn't phase you one bit.

Karinoreply@blogger.com0