A Day to Love

Valentine's Day was fun.  I went to Liam's party at school.  There sure are lots of little sweethearts in his class.  We had breakfast for supper...pink, heart-shaped pancakes, eggs, and turkey bacon.  Nana came over, and the kids opened up presents.  Lots sugar was flowing when all three finally surrendered to sleep.  It was another great day full of lots of love.

Jon loves breakfast for supper.

Ellery loves pink pancakes.

Marin loves big smiles.

Liam loves gifts from Grandma and Grandpa.



Marin loves teddy bears.



All the kids love visits from Nana.

Jon loves peanut butter cookie cakes.



Mama loves homemade cards from Daddy.



Mama loves hugs from Liam at his party.

Happy Valentine's Day!

We PICK you to be our Valentine!

Lots of Love on Valentine's Day,

 Liam, Ellery, and Marin

Boys, Gadgits, and Change

It starts young, this obsession with electronics.  At first, it's just books enhanced with sounds, then it's a LeapPad, next it's begging to play games on the computer, and now it's a plea to fiddle with his parents' iPhones. 

I think he'll have one of his own before we know it.  Jon and I originally said that kids DO NOT need cell phones, let alone smart phones.  We may end up changing our tune.  It wouldn't be the first time.  In fact, there have been quite a few things we thought we'd never do when we became parents that we do regularly, but that was back when we knew it all, though, so it doesn't count.

Kitchens and Dolls

In the past month or so, Marin and Ellery have been hard at play.  They're starting that transformation from babies into little girls.  And it's so sweet to watch.  Marin loves her baby doll, and lately, she carries it around the house, crying when she has to put her down to eat.  Ellery likes to play in her little kitchen.  She is constantly offering her Mama and Daddy invisible treats and cups of tea. 

Ellery in the kitchen:

Little Mama, Marin:

Crabbing 101

Grandpa took Liam fishing for the very first time last summer, and when we were in Bolivar over the weekend, Debby and Jeff took him crabbing for the first time.  Jeff managed to reel them in with the allure of chicken necks.  Liam had a blast...No, I mean it, he had so much fun that he's still talking about it and asking when he can go again.  The amount of crabs caught were slim (two, to be precise), but to a three-year-old, it mattered not.  And just so you know, he named the "big" crab Alice. 

A Bucket and Sand

Galveston Weekending

Right now I'm staring at a pair of shoes still covered in sand and mud from our weekend adventure.  Early Saturday morning, Jon and I loaded up the kids and headed south and east and landed in Galveston.  My parents, uncle, Dad's cousin and family, and Debby, Jeff, and Avonlea started the party earlier that morning, and we were happy to join the fun.  Some stayed at the Galvez, but our (Bushwar) clan stayed with the Crains at the beach house in Bolivar.  The kids loved playing in the sand, shopping on the Strand with Grandma and Grandpa, the ferry ride back and forth to Bolivar, and being with their cousin.  We were only there for a day, but we packed in as much activity as you possibly can with three little ones in those twenty four (and a half) hours.

Gettin' Ready to Go to Church

The Red Sunglasses

Everyone loves the red sunglasses, but I think Marin loves them the most.