Marching On

Since I don't have many snapshots stored up from March, I've concluded it was either too packed to take pictures or, more likely, I slept through the whole thing.

Sisters on the Couch

There's not much better than these two girls reading together on the couch.

Following Cadence's instructions, they ended their reading session with aerobic exercise. Books as weights-- why have I never thought of that?! Best exercise ever.

Spring Around the Corner

I remember this day. It was in the low forties! We celebrated by turning Skylark into a vision of frothy springtime pink.

Good Habits

Always brush your teeth twice a day-- once in the morning

AND once at night.

Big Blue Eyes

Tadhg and Debbie visited in March. I know this because of this evidence of Tadhg staring soberly at the ceiling fan.  And at me.

And at the ceiling fan some more.

Huh.

I'd forgotten we had a cousin sleepover in March.

Snapshots don't lie.

We're overdue for another! (Nag me, Reeves children...)

For the Bottomless Ravelry Vault

One Way to Grow Hair

She was only happy when we'd used up every barrette in the bag.

It would have been easier to just buy her a colorful wig.

Leftovers

Just so you know, clever and efficient homeschooling combines gym class with reading.

Here's a Sunday just-home-from-church picture to show those tights. A la Jael O., one of my girls asked, "What do you think you are, a teenager?!"  (Totally copycatting Jael's "Don't you know you're not 16 anymore?")

We make some gooood-lookin' babies!

This one likes to hide in small crevices.

She also doesn't know that some doughnuts are made of foam.

What a cruel world.

Best and First

For those who don't know me in "real" life and are wondering about my mom, she had her post-op appointment last week, and the doctor gave her the biopsy results. The cancer had invaded the ureter muscle but not the lymph nodes (thank the Lord!), so it's classified as stage 2. Of the 15 patients he's had with this cancer in the last year and a half, all fifteen had a recurrence within two months to a year, so she has to go for scans every 3 months. We are thankful that the lymph nodes were clear, and thankful that Mom is recovering so well from surgery.

She tires more easily than she'd like, but she is doing remarkably well. Thanks again for your prayers! We welcome any who would like to continue to pray as she recovers. :)

February Flying

 
                        (Zeke took this picture of our van's dirt-message from the car
                        as we went to unload stuff at Grandma and Grandpa's new house.)

February on Mt. Hunger is usually a square of quiet after all the holiday pomp and festivities. The decluttering bug that hits in January releases its chokehold, my children breathe a sigh of relief, and we all hunker down into the old rhythms again. And, if I wasn't successful in January, in February, I usually whip up all the Christmas gifts for which I never made time.

Not so this year. I did not declutter, I made no gifts, and no one hunkered into any rhythm because February was the whirliest gig yet. I didn't know which end was up until April! To be honest, I'm still waiting on that slower pace, and I still don't know which end is up. Maybe November will be the magic month. Counting down the days...

Sorry for all the crummy pictures. As everyone has moved with the times to Facebook and Instagram and whatever-is-that-new-let's-show-the-world-too-much place, this blog has become less a spot for attempts at artistic words and images and almost solely a family snapshot receptacle for when our computer crashes. I don't put forth much effort anymore, but my children still like it, and that's good for something, right, kiddos? I love you, my sweet ones.

Little Bandit

The biggest news in February is that someone literally pistol-whipped me and gave me a black eye.

Can't imagine who.

House Guesting for the Last Time

The month began with a welcome visit from our beloved Dude and Dudette-- another pit stop on their road to a new home-- only, this time, it was the LAST pit stop before their move to a nearby town. Hurrah!

Of course, I took more pictures of the children enjoying their coloring books from your care package, Molly, than I did of G-ma and G-pa Owen, but if you look closely, you'll see them peeking in the corners.

 And, since we just had a chimney liner installed, this guy couldn't resist firing up the old wood cookstove for her maiden voyage in our house.  If you give a mouse a cookie...