so, did ya know?

did ya know that if you stick your head in the dryer and squeal really loudly that it echoes?

when there's two of you, it's twice as loud...

and way more fun!

by the way, it was all her idea!

easter 2011

tonight i sit at the computer contemplating an easter-themed blog. i've been trying to come up with the right words to show honor and worship God for the sacrifice of His son. a sacrifice that Jesus so willingly made so that we can spend eternity with Him... but all i can think about is the little voice in the next room yelling at me. it starts out really softly... "mama... ma-ma... ma-ma-ma... mama... MAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and then, i am reminded... i don't need to have an eloquent speech. i don't need to know all the "right" words for someone else. what i need is to teach my babies that someday they won't yell for mama, but to call on Jesus! they not only need to learn it, but to see evidence of it every day. that's my job... to show them God, to teach them of His love, joy, peace, kindness, and to help them understand His mercy and grace. i mean, these are all things i know... and, i'm probably preachin' to the choir... but, sometimes i need a little reminder. this is one of those moments.

so now, let me show you how our easter morning picture taking went...

not so well...

apparently, bug didn't think it was as good of an idea as the rest of us did.

dang. those kids are so stinkin' cute.

awww... bug. ok, i'd better get her before she wakes up cale.

happy easter ~ anne

a couple of weeks ago, i found a groupon for horseback riding lessons. if you know me well, you'll know that it took me about a quarter of a second to jump on that one! i bought all i could... then kyle bought all he could... and then my mom bought all she could. some would call it "working the system". i call it completely worth it! gracie and i had our first lesson today. it was fantabulous (yes, i made that up)!

gracie leading prince in the arena. doesn't she look like she's been doing it her whole life? miss janel made her carry her own saddle to saddle up prince (ok, it was a whole 6 feet, but she seemed so big!).

here she is... first time on a horse. it was all fine and good until the horse flinched a little because of a fly... then she came undone. janel was wonderful... unbelievably patient. she talked gracie down from the rafters, talked her into letting prince take one little step, and finally to...

riding all by herself!

she l-o-v-e-d it! you know it makes my heart pitter-patter.

nice bull...

oh, and then there's blue... i'm in love.

ahhh... the pleasure of a good book!

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,
And all the sweet serenity of books.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

good morning!

good morning from "the ranch"!

i love the morning sunrise. when i see it, i see more than just the pretty colors. for me, it is my morning reminder of the power and awesomeness of God. the sunrise reminds me that God's mercy is new every morning, that His grace is unending, and that His love is unfailing.

have a blessed day!

~ anne ~

what the...

so... i was just cruising through the living room and glanced out the front window. this is what i saw... or see... see-saw...

it's a grass fire. i know it's not the best picture, but it was hard to get a good shot, without flash, in the dark, with a 3 year old tugging at my shorts and whining about being hungry. i feed my children. really, i do. back to the fire... it's a little creepy. kind of cool, but only as long as it stays far, far away.

but, i'm starving...

8:00 is bedtime at my house for the three little people. cale got up once to tell us that his forehead hurt. he wasn't sure what happened but whatever it was, it was an accident. daddy carried him back to bed, covered him back up, and told him good night... again. the second time cale got up was to tell me that he was "starving". now, i know better than that. there are children in third world countries who didn't have four (yes, 4) pancakes for dinner. they are starving. no, i didn't tell him all of that. he's only 3! that'd open up a whole can i'm not ready to tackle. i did tell him that it was bedtime and he needed to go back. then... i heard his tummy. ok, so maybe he was hungry. i'm beginning to think he has a tapeworm. it's all the time with the eating. i know he's a growing boy, but goodness. lucky for my starving boy, daddy came to the rescue... and i headed for my jammies...

daddy and cale had a little snackie-snackie before bed...

this has to be one of my new favorites... cale is the sweetest boy. ever.

at this very moment, that adoreable mug is snuggled with daddy in my bed, reading a book. bedtime? later.

standardized tests are this week, oh my!

gracie and jordan were riding in the backseat last night discussing the woes of kindergarten (because there are so many). i heard gracie tell jordan that this next week, her class would be having "bear tests". the bear tests are the standardized tests that are given each year... or every other year... whenever. you know, the tests that you had to fill in the gazillion bubbles. i don't think they were called "bear tests", and i'm sure the tests have slightly different requirements for kindergarteners than when i was little, but i do remember the "need" for a large number of very sharp #2 pencils. ok, back to gracie and jordan... so, gracie was explaining that there would be three, yes three, days of testing. as if that wasn't bad enough to her, she went on to tell jordan that they would have to draw all kinds of shapes, numbers, and letters... and all the drawings had to be perfect. but, according to gracie, the worst part of the bear tests... wait for it... wait for it... and i quote,

"i think they make you spell chicken... all by yourself!!!"