Spring Break 2016

Originally we had planned to go to the lake house over spring break this year. Then I realized that I wanted to do a few things with the boys in town that we don't get to do as often now that they are both in school full-time...like the Arboretum, the zoo, hiking Arbor Hills, etc. So, Mimi took them to the lake house for the first weekend of spring break and then brought them back into town. And then it rained. And rained. And rained. For the whole stinking week. So, there went all my awesome outdoor plans for the week. Blah.

So, we made a plan B. And started at the library on Monday morning right after dentist appointments for both boys. 

There was a lot of browsing...

...and indecision. And then Ethan wanted to go to the computers to look up dog books. So we did. 

Some more browsing...

We left with 10 books. A respectable amount for the week, although we could have gotten more. 

That afternoon/evening, the boys picked another Disney movie off our watch list (in preparation for our Disney Trip) to watch. They picked Monsters University. 

Tuesday was project day since some shelves I had ordered for the garage arrived the night before. I had started the garage project just before spring break and the shelves were the last piece to finish it off. The boys really wanted to help, so I put them to work. 

I underestimated how much help they would be. In fact, because of the way the shelves went together, they were crucial to getting it done! Six hands were definitely better than two, in this case. 

Sometime during our assembly, the rain came down...hard. Ethan does not like thunderstorms and asked if we could close the garage. Honestly, it was a good idea because it was lightning and the rain was coming in sideways into the garage. 

As I was putting the final touches on the shelves and getting them filled in and organized, the boys found the pool noodles. What else could they do with them but pretend they were swords? 

Then they found the bubbles too...and I sent them onto the back porch for those. It was still raining, but just fine on the porch. 

They had forgotten how cool the bubble guns were. This activity lasted a long time!

On Wednesday Casey was able to take the day off. I was planning to take the boys to the mall on Friday to redeem their Build-A-Bear gift cards and have lunch with Casey, but Wednesday worked better for him. The boys each chose Dachunds to make at Build-A-Bear and then we went to eat lunch in the food court. 

After lunch we carried our new friends in their carriers up to the movie theater where we saw Zootopia. It was a fun indoor outing for the middle of our week...especially since daddy was with us!

On Thursday the boys went to a day camp at DBat baseball batting cages. They worked on batting, of course, and also fielding a little bit. They were there from 9am - 2pm. Their best friends, Ashton and Brennan also went and were in their groups that day. They had a blast and I think even learned some things!

On Friday, I did something I've been meaning to do for ages. I got out my wireless shutter release remote that I'd gotten years before (yes, really) and read the instructions on how to use it. For some reason I thought it would be a little more complicated to set up than it actually was. It was about a 3 second set up. I can't believe I hadn't looked into it before. 

Anyway, I set up my camera on the tripod in our bedroom and had the kids get on the bed. Then, we fired away. Ethan went first with this pose...

Then all three of us got up there for a few. 

Logan didn't bother to hide the remote in this next photo, but I love it anyway! They had the best time firing that thing. Who knew? We'll definitely have to try it again some more in the future. 

Logan got a turn by himself. I wonder where he stuck the remote? Haha!

And they even took some of the both of them without much prompting. It was still rainy, so we stayed in our PJs all day and relaxed around the house. 

All in all, the week ended up being a great combination of activity and rest despite the fact that it was rainy and gray the whole time. Unfortunately, the Sunday right before school started again (yesterday), was the daylight savings time change. So, we lost an hour of sleep the day before we had to come back from spring break. Not cool. It was actually kind of brutal this morning. We will survive, but we lost all the rest we had accumulated over spring break. Whose idea was this?

Shades of Green

Happy is the man who learns from nature the lesson of worship.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Have you ever noticed that right after it rains the range of green (and other colors) is so much more pronounced? I don't know if it's the still-grey skies or the damp and almost-black bark of the trees or what, but I love the kaleidoscope of colors that pops out after a rain storm. And I also love all the rain we've been blessed with this spring (minus the flooding incidents - don't love that).

Casey puts on a noise-maker at night to help him fall asleep - either the ocean or a rain storm or something like that. I'm usually asleep way before he puts it on and I need little assistance falling asleep anyway. But lately, with all the nighttime storms, we've just been listening to that instead. I love a good thunderstorm. The lightning and thunder has never made me fearful - it's actually soothing to me. Of course, I suppose those that have experienced negative effects of a storm have reason to count those sounds as less than soothing. Let's hope that never happens to me because I really like to enjoy the storms.

A Spring Storm and Rainbow

Right in the middle of March (and right after we moved into our new house), a huge thunderstorm came through our area as is usual for spring time. And of course, the boys wanted to watch it. I have several photos of them doing this through the years. It's almost a spring tradition. (See 2009, 2011, 2013).

This year they were kind of scared of the storm. It was a big one. It rained so hard and so fast that a river formed in our street and literally carried our big trash bin all the way down the street in its current.

After most of the rain died down the boys took a shower. While they were in there I went to let Duke out at the back door. I just happened to glance up and see this magnificent rainbow. And then I noticed that it was a double rainbow. So, I grabbed my camera and went outside in the very soggy grass to get a couple of photos.

As I went out into the yard I noticed that it was also a full double rainbow. I honestly can't remember the last time I've seen a double, full arc rainbow that was this bright. I was in a hurry with the photos because the boys were in the shower, so this one (the only shot I took of the full arc) is out of focus.

And here's the left side of it. Amazing. Of course, after the boys got out of the shower I carried them out there to see the rainbow. You can't miss something like that.

Stormy Spring

We have had such a rainy spring this year. So much rain, in fact, that the lakes are beginning to fill up...and overflow. So this year, I did not have any trouble getting my almost yearly shot of the boys watching a spring thunder storm. (2009, 2011, 2013, 2014)

This was another one of those storms that just happened to be on a Friday...trash day. So all the huge trash and recycling bins were floating down the street. Literally. We had to go find ours down the street after the storm. It was kind of funny with all the neighbors out there trying to sort out whose bins were whose!

We still don't have a house directly across from us. It looks like it will be the last house built on our street. One day, that view will change...

Spring Storms

This makes the third time (1 &2) I've taken this same shot at our front door of one or both of the boys watching a thunderstorm. But I just can't resist it. I love their silhouettes and the fact that they are so excited about rain. When it's really coming down, they still love to watch it. This time, they didn't stay there very long because it was pretty cold outside for the beginning of April. Maybe all this rain will make the bluebonnets really bloom in full force!

Barefoot Boys in Bluebonnets | 2015

Ok, they weren't barefoot the whole time. They somewhat carefully trapsed all around the fields and had the best time. And occasionally indulged me with a few photos...you know, basically the entire reason we were out there. AND we did it twice this year. Yep. Which is crazy if you have any idea how hard it is to photograph your own children in the evening (or anytime).

The reason for our two trips was basically weather. This has been a soggy spring in our area. Once I noticed the bluebonnets blooming, I started looking at the forecast, which was showing little to no sunshine over the next week or so and a lot of rain. One evening, I spontaneously decided to take advantage of a lull in the rain and head out to the fields because I was afraid I wouldn't have time between the weather and our schedule to get any photos otherwise. The bluebonnets don't last forever. It was completely overcast, but not raining, when we got there and the field was not too wet. 

Here are some of the shots from our first trip to the field last week:

Once I get this one smiling...

...it's pretty hard to get him to stop. 

This field (our normal one, that didn't bloom at all last year) was not as thick as it usually is, and the grasses were already overtaking the bluebonnets a little. But hopefully it will continue to get back to where it was. It's still the closest (nice) bluebonnet field (that I know of) to us. 

They can't help being silly. I keep shooting, because I love shots like these. 

Ethan loved the poppies. At least that's what I think they are...the red flowers. 

Toward the end of our visit, it started sprinkling (you can kind of see it in the last two photos above). Not a lot, really, but it was grey, and blah, and sprinkling. And when I looked at my photos later on the computer, they were fine, but the lighting was bothering me. I started getting the feeling that I'd like to go again with a little sun...if possible.

So, a couple of days ago, on an actually sunny day, we went back out and got these:

Looking at them back to back, they are a little repetitive of the photos from last week. BUT the light is just so much better! And no sprinkling is good too. 

This time Ethan found a lady bug and coaxed it onto his finger from one of the bluebonnets. 

Being goofy means you sometimes fall over. And again, I kept shooting. His expression is one of my favorites. 

Although I wish I had positioned myself differently for this photo (without their heads in the horizon/trees), I love how this shows them having fun together. They are crazy. 

Another great thing about taking a second trip out to the bluebonnet fields is that Mimi was able to join us this time. She usually goes, but since my last trip was so spontaneous, she was out of town and missed it. 

Again...Ethan with the poppies. He was fascinated. 

This last one ended up being my favorite from both of the sessions. It's such a crazy Texas tradition...taking photos in the bluebonnets, but I really love doing it! Well, actually, let's say that I really love the resulting photos. Most of the time, the process is one part fun with three parts frustration. Ha!