Birthdays, an Anniversary, Babysitting, Oh, my!

We've had quite the busy week- what with cleaning jobs, birthdays, an anniversary, babysitting, shopping, a broken drier, and getting ready for Youth Bible School next week. Wow!

Like Mom always tells us when we're tired out, "Don't worry, we'll rest in heaven."

When we got home last Friday afternoon from cleaning, we found Ryan and Katelyn at our house. Since it was Valentine's day, Kels was preparing a special supper for them. Ry decided to take Buggy and himself out of her way.

She likes black beans with salt on them. :)

Notice her propeller?

Mm... Water from a straw...

The boys were out shooting at this tin can from 200 yrds (as KK informed me).

 Last Friday, Aunt Carol got sick with the cold that's been going around. The girls and Ben came over to spend the evening so that Aunt Carol could get a good rest.

Ready to go home to Mommy's special supper!

Militant car seat gang... Not!

He looks like a British soldier from the Revolutionary War. :)

I'd forgotten about some left over mocha frosting in the fridge from KK's birthday. We got it out Sunday afternoon and spread it on crackers. Side Note: Have you ever had frosting on crackers? It's really yummy! Anyway, KK decided to try mocha frosting on a Dorito. He said it tasted weird.

We were going to celebrate Kelsey, KK and my birthday that Sunday evening. Abi is making the frosting for the cake here.

Sam decided to try a mocha Dorito too.

Getting supper ready

Frosting the cake

A sleepy little girlie

We often tuck Buggy's dress into her bloomers so that she can crawl better.

Playing Uno

Ah! That's disturbing!

Nate's hand

Reading on the iPad Kindle

Happy birthday Kelsey, Emily & KK

We'd actually never celebrated my birthday, so that's why we did it then.

We had potato soup and taco salad for supper. Eclectic Grice style, but a good supper, nonetheless!

The Uno game started drawing a crowd of spectators.

Katers loved the iPad!

Everybody usually ends up watching Katelyn when we get together. It's almost impossible not to watch her!

She really liked air hockey!

Sam filled the van tire for us one day. We've been having an awful time this week with flat tires! I think that our tires must be jinxed... Just kidding. :)

Ryan and  Kelsey's 2nd anniversary was February 25. Avery had asked us if we could make a special supper and serve it to them. Dad is decorating the cake here.

Making red frosting for the roses...

We got them a dozen roses with baby's breath for a center piece.

Dad made oriental chicken marinated in a peach sauce and vegetable stuffed egg rolls.

:)

Almost done...

We watched Buggy for them that evening. After Abi put my gloves on her, she just laid there, not trying to move. :)

She tried to crawl, but kept slipping... What we do to babies to get a laugh! Hey, at least they don't care!

Katelyn was in rare form that night. She was so goofy! When the boys started throwing things over her head, she just lost it (I think we lost it too!). I've never head her giggle so much! Oh, my, it was so cute!

Our dryer broke the beginning of this week. We ordered new parts for it, so hopefully we can get the laundry done before we leave for YBC this coming Sunday!

I don't know when I'll get to post next. We'll be gone for a week in Kalona, IA for a Youth Bible Conference, then Mom, Gram, Abi and I might be taking a small trip to Kansas City the Tuesday after YBC. The week after YBC is also packed with cleaning jobs... so, it might be awhile before you hear from us! :)

A Tantalizing Taste of Spring

For two days in a row, we had the tantalizing proverbial carrot of spring hanging before our noses. Can you imagine having near 60* weather in February?! It was hard to believe that in a few days we'd be having snow and ice again. Oh, well, such is the erratic Iowa weather.

I've been working on our flag for the international night. It's mostly done except for the Haitian coat of arms in the middle.

That first nice day we all just had to get outside! These are apple buds.

The boys had so much fun splashing around in the puddles and slopping through the mud.

Well, I think the garden needs to wait a little to be tilled...

Someone found this owl pellet in the pasture. We couldn't find a skull in it to tell what poor critter lost his life, just small bones.

Abi told the boys to come running through here.

This is why. :)

Abi, kicking snow at the boys. Naughty girl!

KK, threatening to kick it back, but he remained the gentleman and didn't do it to a lady. A little brother on the other hand...

They were throwing snowballs up and quick drawing with their cap pistols to see who could do it the fastest.

Sam called this his creek.

Magnolia buds

The photographer... with no coat!

KK went plummeting into this ditch, not realizing it was full of about four inches of water and slush. He made a pretty big splash. :)

Sam, having a go at it.

Abi challenged the boys to run up the slippery muddy ditch.

Our poor house looks abandoned. I can't wait till summer when the trees will cover it up. :)

Here, Sam is taking a run at the ditch while KK is scooping up a handful of slush...

"Oops! Sorry, Sam, I didn't mean to hit you!"

"Ah! It's really wet and cold!"

"Yuck!"

This is not the end of the gun that I like to be at.

"Hold it, Pardner!"

The foursome

A man has his horses in the field around our house. The boys have had lots of fun getting to know the horses and petting them.

Going down with a bang!

"Help!"

I found this gruesome sight by the shed.

Josh at work in the shed.

This little flower is making a brave spring debut underneath its blanket of leaves.

Mom was washing windows.

I decided to try force blooming some lilacs and forsythia.

Baby pumpkin and lettuce plants. Abi wanted to get a head start on the squash borers this year by having a fairly mature pumpkin plant to set out before them. We've had success with this other years, so hopefully it'll work this time too. 

Chicken soup for the soul

Cinnamon Vanilla Nut Cappuccino

Kels had given us several squash last fall and we just never got to them. Mom kept commenting that she thought she could smell a dead mouse and wondered if it was those squash. Sure enough, a couple of them were yucky! But Abi made a really yummy 200 pan full of "pumpkin" pie with a graham cracker crust with the cooked down squash.

Throwing snowballs at the chicken coop

For supper that night, Abi made a spicy creamy broccoli soup and cheesy bacon french fries. Yum!

Yesterday, Grandma Grice and Aunt Nancy were coming over for lunch. We invited Kels, of course. :)

Getting tough love from Uncle KK

Look at those cute teeth!

Wow! Is this Smith, or what?

Nice intelectual forehead...

The lunch table

grandma brought along some Christmas presents that she'd gotten awhile back for us all.

Katelyn had so much fun picking at the wrapping paper on their present!

She loved it!

Kels started to help her after Buggy's feeble attempts to open it. Here, she slipped off and almost went "boom."

Later, we enjoyed the squash desert that Abi made.

Katelyn loved it!

"Helping" Grandma load the dishwasher.