Meeting up in Cleveland

Several months ago, our thoughtful friend, Jean, invited us to join in a fun birthday surprise for Steve's 40th!  She surprised him with a trip to the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame, and we surprised him by meeting them in Cleveland for a weekend of birthday fun!  We're grateful for the years of friendship with the Swisher family.  And we loved our Chinese meal on the first night together, complete with many true-to-life-in-China moments during the evening =)

While the guys were at the Hall of Fame, Jean and I took all the kids to the Science Center and had a blast!  It happened to be opening day for the tape tunnel, which meant there were big school groups playing in the morning.  But by the afternoon, we had the place to ourselves.

Clothes made out of duct tape!

In keeping with the tape theme, the girls both made duct tape shoes, that they have actually worn around the house at home! 

Since our rooms were next to each other, after putting kids to bed, both nights we were able to meet up in one of our rooms for some games and fun conversation - just the adults.  

Jacob and Bridgette are the same age and enjoyed playing together and riding in the same car around town

After spending our first day inside, we spent the second day exploring Cleveland's very own national park: Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  We did a few short walks to some waterfalls, enjoyed a picnic, then stopped for local ice cream, and later found a local mexican spot for some tacos on Cinco de Mayo.

Sometimes it's good to just get away and enjoy a change of scenery with good friends.  Thank you, Swishers, for a fun weekend together!

Jamestown Getaway

We took a few days in April to enjoy a change of scenery.  We'd visited Colonial Williamsburg, but headed back that direction to check out a military base vacation lodging place (we recommend it for those who have access!), and to visit Jamestown.  The weather was absolutely perfect, which is always a huge ingredient for the making of a wonderful family getaway! 

Exploring the grounds near our cottage on the first night:

Checking out a trail that ended up being much longer than we realized!

This kind gentleman was a fun source of stories about what life would had been like when Jamestown was being established.

The replica boats were fun to explore.

On the grounds of the actual Jamestown settlement . . .

 After checking out of the cottage, before heading home, we decided to rent a fishing boat with a small motor.  It was the best money we spent all weekend!  $8 for a great memory of trolling around the little lake we had all to ourselves, chasing a crane (sort of!), letting the kids take turns steering, and soaking up some Vitamin D!

Dacing Sisters

The girls participated in dance this Spring and loved it!  We carpooled with two friends, and every Monday they went with five other girl friends to their ballet and ballet/tap classes - so much fun!  Then came the dress rehearsal for the recital, and the recital day, which included two performances.

Sweet sisters reading together:

Bridgette found some creatures on a nature walk field trip with friends from our co-op

Gretchen has always been one to find the sunny spot

Beginning of April

Happy Easter morning!

Christ is Risen! 

This is the first time I've ever purchased matching dresses for the girls.  How have I missed out on the magic for so many years?!  

We hosted three other families for Easter lunch . . . the kids table had a lot of fun! 

And a little egg hunt after lunch was fun for all.  Please, Bridgette, stop looking so grown up!

These are the faces of a Mommy Teacher and three excellent students who just finished their last co-op meeting!  School continues, but are grateful to slow the pace down a bit. 

Field trip to a Science Expo downtown . . . we opted for the Metro, which always adds a fun element of adventure to any outing!

building their own race cars . . . 

lots of opportunities to try out virtual reality . . .

Don't underestimate this six-year-old.  She'll take you down. 

Jessie and I are doing a monthly cookbook recipe share.  This month we're the Pioneer Woman's newest cookbook.  Flipping through the pages, the girls found a recipe for Cake in a Mug, and we just HAD to try it out!

Beautiful cherry blossoms downtown . . . we enjoyed a walk around the Tidal Basin with friends this year, taking in the pink blooms and trying to stay warm on an unusually cold Spring day.