The week in pictures

Our breezy cool January has turned into "Hotter Than Texas in August" February. The only difference is that in Texas people have air conditioners. I think it's like a State law or something. There is no such nonsense here, and thus we are struggling to get anything accomplished when really we just want to hide out in our bedroom (the only AC'd room in the house!) In the last 24 hours we have gone through SIX liters of juice... good thing our orange trees are producing like crazy right now and my friend loaned me her juicer! (The oranges here are like sweet limes, so the "orange juice" is like a cross between Tang and limeade - really refreshing on a hot day!)

Anyways... some of the scenes of the last week (minus the sweating!)

Ezra has been completely addicted to puzzles this week... he literally has spent all morning every morning putting together puzzles. Here he's dressed like a pirate...


Caleb has started writing like crazy! It's like something clicked in his little mind and he's always asking how to spell words and practicing writing every one's names...


Elijah... really cool science experiments this week for science co-op day. Getting ready to launch "rocket balloons."


Blowing on his windmill...


The highlight of my week was the Valentine's Banquet at the school.... Every year the seniors at the MK school do a big dinner for Valentine's. It's a fundraiser for their senior trip and gives the missionaries a "nice" place to have a Valentine's date... the other option being Pizza Hut. :) We've gone 3 years now and always have a blast.... they cook really nice food and bring in treats from America like decaf coffee (yes, with all the millions of coffee beans grown here, you can't get decaf!) and Hershey Kisses. :)

Valentine's Fun

So look how on the ball I am now... it's not even Valentine's in the States and I'm already blogging about our Valentine's day here. :):)

We had a really fun day. We set little Valentine's cards out this morning at the boys' spots with Kinder eggs that we found at the import store. I LOVE Kinder eggs and think it's stupid they're illegal in America. They're European... chocolate egg shell (kinda like an Easter egg) that you break open and has a small toy inside that you have to assemble yourself... kinda a puzzle. (Which is why they don't let them in the States - huge choking hazard I suppose). It was the boys' first Kinder eggs and they LOVED them. Was so much fun to see them so excited.

This evening we had some friends come over and we made heart shaped pizzas. The boys usually make their own little pizzas when I make pizza (which is often as I could eat pizza for every meal for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy) :) but their little friends had never made their own... they had a blast!




We finished the evening off with heart shaped cookie cake. Was such a fun night!

And yes, I get that it was totally not a romantic day in the slightest... but Brant and I are going out this weekend on a date. :) The seniors at the MK school always put on a big Valentine banquet every year - it's a fundraiser for their senior trip and a fun way for people in the community to have a nice spot for Valentine's. Just in the last year or two some decent restaurants have opened on our island, but the seniors' banquet is still the nicest meal you can get on island... and they decorate the school and set up little tables for two with candles and fancy linens so it is a lot of fun.

Catching up

Going to dump a whole bunch of photos on you... sorry. I know not everyone out there is concerned that I never posted pictures of Elijah's 7th birthday (or Caleb's, or Christmas, or Ezra's.... you get the point, I am really behind) but I know there are some grandma's out there who would rather see some pictures of my cute little boys than hear my thoughts on life. :)

So.... starting with the most distant.... Elijah's birthday (last October!) The Batman/Pool party....



The pinata was a bit hit (ha! literally!) BUT Brant had to teach the kids how to do it! None of them had ever done a pinata before! And the little ones were too scared to do it.... and you should have seen the kids getting the candy at the end... they would each get a handful and then say "that's enough, I don't need anymore" It was hilarious!





Caleb's 5th birthday.... the end of November. He had a "Water Party" in our backyard with his little friends from preschool.






Maybe out of laziness on my part, but the birthday's are a bit streamlined around here.... the boys have always gotten the same party theme at each age.... they all had "Dump Truck/Construction" first birthday parties.... 3 year olds get a "Race Car" birthday; 5 year olds get a "Water Party; I guess 7 year olds will get a "Super Hero's" birthday... but we'll see. :) It isn't pure lack of creativity on my part... kinda goes with what little boys are interested in at different ages.

And Ezra's 3rd birthday - the end of January. We had planned to have another family come over for dinner and games - a "Cars" party. :) They have a little boy Ezra's age and we figured that was enough "party" for a 3 year old; but Elijah and Caleb got colds and we didn't want to share, so we spent a quiet day at home. But the boys had a blast anyways. The middle picture is Elijah explaining a "treasure map" he made that explained where he had hid Ezra's present (a collection of pictures he had colored for Ezra). The day after Ezra's "real" birthday we went as a family to the video arcade and then the pizza restaurant. Was a blast.