Mother's Day ... can I super size that?

Mother's day this year was without a doubt one to remember!
Home early in the morning from a long night at work.
Showered with hugs, kisses, home-made jewelry and cards.
A nice relaxing nap before church.
Exciting new callings for me and Steve.
Choir practice with one of my favorite songs.
Didn't have to go out once during sacrament meeting (miracle).
Giant chocolate candy leis for each sister (yummy!).
Ike stayed in Nursery the whole time (almost tear free too).
A "Mother's appreciation" dinner in the cultural hall after the block.
Set up, food prep, & clean up provided by the Priesthood.
Children's tables and distraction games provided by the youth.
Home for some quiet time after putting the kids to bed.
Ahhh, what a fabulous day of spoiling!!

Biker Gang ...

"Biker Gang"

Gage, Steve, and Sunny tearing up the streets.

Ike is our trike man restricted to the driveway.
It's tough to be little!

A bike can open the world for a kid.

THANK YOU SPRING!
YOU CAME JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME!!

Rain Coats

Welcome to the rainy season in Michigan.

(I say that ... and yet, I seem to remember hearing about "the rainy season" last fall.

Hmmm ... I think someone's trying to pull a fast one on us!)

I will admit,

I don't miss hearing about drought conditions,

appropriate times to run sprinklers,

resivoir levels,

and other desert-y Idaho type things.


Michigan rain means green grass,

luscious foliage,

puddles to splash,

and adorable rain coats.

Duckling Fever

The University's Ag department hosted a "small animals day" last Saturday.

Newborn chicks, pigletts, calfs, colts, ducklings ...

This face says it all!!

Duck ... Pond?

Duck ... pond?

Was NOT expecting to see this as I looked out my kitchen window this morning!

These two guys hung around for several hours

soaking up the sun ...

bobbing for food ...

taking a nap ...

posing for pics ...

Loved this exciting spring suprise.

Fredrick Meijer Gardens

Fredrick Meijer Gardens

(featuring the annual butterfly exhibit)

We kept hearing about the spectacular butterfly exhibit in a nearby town here in Michigan. We took advantage of this georgous spring break day to check it out.

Behind us is the glass house full of plants and swarms of butterflys ...

Loads of blossoms and butterflys ...

Gage and Sunny were entranced ...

The butterflys swarmed over, under, around and through us!

There are two here ...

hard to get them to sit still for a pic ...

This is the station set up for hatching ...

The cocoons are shipped in from all over the world for the exhibit!

A beautiful swallow tail that has just emmerged ...

The orange ones were sooo vibrant ...

Sitting on a bench by the waterfall and pond ...

Wishing he were outside??

Trust me little guy ... springtime in Michigan

is better spent indoors (when you're a butterfly).

Outside in the children's garden ... sculptures EVERYWHERE!

Gage liked these people made out of letters ...

We were all mega impressed at the GIANT stallion weighing in at 7.5 tons!

Loved this hands on park ...

loved the smiles ...

loved this spring Michigan day!

Cardinals and Leprechauns ...

Cardinals and Leprechauns

(and a little bit of reincarnation)

Gage recently told me that if he gets to choose to
come back to life as an animal he's going to be a bird ...

.... to live in a tree
in Michigan.

Perhaps he'll choose to be a cardinal ...

who flies from our fence ...

to drink from our pool ...


Good choice Gage.

**********************************************************

When you see red cardinals its time to look for green leprechauns.

Gage built the elaborate trap this year

(way advanced over last year's bucket/stick/string model).

The unsuspecting little man is to enter the trap through the "entrance to houes" hole ... look around inside at all the fancy rooms and then ...

... get stuck in the sticky "tape trap" back door. Ooh, Gage, good plan ... but it didn't account for a potential pocket knife in the little guy's green overalls. Must have been a leprechaun with some "be prepared" type boy scout training.

Maybe next year?