Promised Snippets of Life

Life is just so full every day.  I'm thankful in this season, that we are home.
The only thing that calls us out is our once a week swimming lessons,
and the instructors were so gracious to work 6 children into three classes
that overlap and we're only by the pool for an hour total.

I know that one day we're likely to be driving hither and yon, but I love
being at home, and I love the lack of strain on relationships in not herding
everyone out the door to be places on time!

This is Aloria trying out the new baby's new carseat.
Looks comfy?




























And what's going on here?
Three hoodlums are talking into the floor vent trying to get the attention
of big brothers and sisters downstairs :-)






















Zachary has had an interest in building model airplanes.
From scratch, this is no simple task, but we've been very proud of his legwork, industry,
and follow-through as he's built one already and is on to the next.
All these pieces have been hand cut with the scroll saw and glued together using plans
Zack found and modified.
Dad has offered some help and some instruction, but he's wanted Z to muddle through on
his own steam because dad knows that learning skills comes from the actual DOING of
these projects.  Imperfection and mishap is part of the education :-)  It's a humbling way to learn.

Well done Zachary!  Very well done.

His other venture I haven't posted pictures of yet, is the acquisition of 3 Cockatiels.
My young son is a bit of a visionary, and so when he set his sights on getting a bird,
the reason I was ready to entertain the idea was that he had originally studied up
on ordering a baby Alligator.
No joke.
From an Alligator he transitioned to an Iguana - which after his first fixation, was looking
strangly do-able to me.

This was last year in Idaho, so when moved into a spacious "normal" house for the
winter and he decided he wanted a bird... I was nothing but supportive.

From an Alligator to a bird is a big jump, and he was smart to start working on me
with such an impossible creature!

Why 3, you ask?
Zachary was searching for just the right thing on craigslist, when he came upon a
lady getting rid of 3 birds for an unknown price.  He called, went to check them
out, and discovered that she just wanted them to have a good home.
Apparently she was expecting #2, and wanted to give them a break from her two
year old who was "terrorizing" them.
I don't think anyone volunteered to her what our home would entail, which I find
humorous.  Poor birds.  Out of the frying pan into the fire! :-D

Even Dad has a soft spot for Myrtle, Barney, and Burt.

Here's my first attempt at a mixed media piece of art.  I definitely don't have the
hang of decoupage yet!

And the Absolutely FANTABULOUS little pillow that Susanna and Clay made
me for Valentines day.  Clayton stuffed it with sawdust from the shop.
I LOVE it.

Bryce assembling a nightstand for me.
This picture is dejavu of Zack when he was this age.  Hardly seen without a screwdriver in hand!

This is the face of one who slips through the cracks.
Beats me how she does it, because in this instance I was sitting at the same table
while she was not only embellishing her cute little cheeks but also her hair.

I asked the boys if they would come up with a wood shop creation we could send to
cousin Evan for his first birthday.  This is what Clayton came up with!
It is an Ant toy.
Absolutely wonderful in my opinion!
We sent it along to him with a pair of robot Quick Change Trousers I made.

Getting outside on a warm day.

A sign I made for our bedroom.

Mom gets spoiled with a foot rub!

Saturday morning being perfectly Saturday morning-ish with a bit of book reading
together with dad.

And just one last picture to wrap it up!

Living Proof.
His favor abounds here!