I have been wanting to photograph this old barn and this field of flowers for a while now but I wanted to wait for a stormy day. I love the contrast of the dark sky with the yellow flowers. I so happened to have my camera in the car this morning and noticed the dark sky, so after I dropped Connor off at school Chance and I took a short detour on our way home. It turned out just how I had hoped.

Splish Splash

The boys have been cooped up all weekend because of the rainy weather. So today there was a break in the clouds for about and hour so I took them outside for some puddle splashing and fresh air. They had a blast, splashing in puddle is one of their favorite things to do. They were considerably good all weekend, considering the lack of outside play.

We were supposed to head up to the cabin but with the stormy weather we have been having we thought it would be safer to stay home. We were total homebodies this weekend and it felt nice. We are usually always going somewhere so it was nice to go nowhere for a couple of days and have some family time. The boys and I made cookies and banana nut bread ,and on Saturday I made a nice dinner for Valetines Day for desert we had cheescake and chocolate dipped strawberries. It was a nice relaxing weekend.

Double rainbows

Double rainbows
Originally uploaded by boots782

No, you are not seeing things shortly after shooting the single rainbow this double rainbow showed up .Double the blessings so beautiful.

Beauty after the storm

beauty after the storm
Originally uploaded by boots782

This is what I saw today standing in the back yard when I took the boys outside for a few minutes between storms to get some fresh air. Connor wanted to go find the end of it and look for gold and Leprechauns. It was a beautiful site to see after being cooped up all weekend.

Worries

I am starting to worry about the size of Connor's kindergarten class and him getting lost in the shuffle. They got a new student yesterday and if I am not mistaken that makes 21 kids in all day kindergarten. He is blessed to have a wonderful teacher, whom I have know for a few years. I volunteer in the class one day a week and it can be hectic to say the least one person can only do so much. There was four day a week that parents came in to help during reading groups, but now there are only two of us helping two days a week. I can't imagine what it is like without parents to help, maybe I will go in one more day a week to help when Chance is in school. I really wish they would quit taking transfer students into the school that would help class size , but they would loose money so I know that won't happened. I know the school is facing budget cuts so I hope we don't loose any teachers.

I love that he goes to the same elementary school that his father went to, it is in a small town, and we know a lot of the staff it is so nice. I just hoped the class size would be smaller. I am really getting concerned about Connor's education. Now I am starting to think about transfer if it gets any worse. There is a small town outside of Lincoln that has small class sizes the drive would kill me but I think I am going to have to do what is necessary. I may be prejudice because he is my child but he is a very bright child. I am his mother so of course I think he is brilliant, but I have had several other comment on how smart he is, and they weren't just being nice they were serious. Sometimes I feel that he is a wise old soul trapped in a five year olds body. I just want him to be challenged enough to keep him from being bored and maybe by the time Chance starts school I will have this figured out for him, but man this is hard. I am having to be so involved and think about things I didn't think I would have to worry about for a few years.

I can't believe Chance is 4!!!!

Little Jedis
The asteroid hunt
The Star wars cake

Chuck E. Cheese

Chance turned 4 last week on the 3rd and I really can't believe he is 4. Since his birthday fell on a week day we took him to Chuck E. Cheese that night and then had his party that Saturday. I am so glad they sell alcohol at Chuck's place!!!! It wasn't too crazy since it was a Tuesday evening but I do everything I can to avoid that place on the weekend. The boys had a good time and we met their cousins there so they were very excited. The following Saturday we had his party, it of course was a Star Wars party. I made a Jedi "training" (obstacle)course for the kids and they had a blast. After the Jedi training course we did and asteroid hunt(similar to and Easter egg hunt) I wrapped toys in aluminum foil and then hid them and the kids had to hunt for them. It was a lot of fun and Chance had a good time. I am glad it is over birthday parties stress me out. It was nice to have Chance's party down at Bob's shop so it was not as stressful.

Jam Session

Tonight the boys did a jam session for Rob and I. They like me to flip the camera view
finder around so they can see themselves perform. They are pure comedy. We
have been calling them the Monkey Brother Band since we call them our little monkeys. I hope they grow up and have some of Rob's musical talent

. If you want to listen to this without the background music scroll to the bottom of the blog to my music player and push pause.

Oh deer

This past friday I went roping out in town called Sheridan not far from us. They have an indoor arena and host ropings during the winter months on fridays. It was nice to get out. Rob's parents had the kids for the night so Rob came out and took some pictures for me. Which did not turn out so well it was low light and I think my camera needs to be repaired. The funniest things though that night is that the people that run the cook shack have this pet deer now. He is a yearling buck and he is so cute. Thier son found him while was duck hunting he came to camp and would not leave. He hangs out by the wood stove inside the cook shack and just mills around. You can pet him like a dog he was adorable I couldn't get over it, so of course I took pictures. I wanted to take him home.

Pictures

I have posted a few random photos below that I have edited with a new program I found on my Flikr site that is hosted by Nikon. They have some great editing tools on that site and I can print prints for only 15 cents.

DSC_4149

DSC_4149
Originally uploaded by boots782

DSC_0089

DSC_0089
Originally uploaded by boots782

Photography

DSC_0085

DSC_0085
Originally uploaded by boots782

More pictures from Lake Almanor

Riding Lessons

Today I took the boys up the road to Rob's uncle's barn to let them ride their horse Buck. He has a nice indoor arena that is just the right size to let the boys ride by themselves. They needed to get out of the house and burn some energy. While one was riding the other would run around and climb on the hay stacks it was nice to get out I was also getting cabin fever. They both did so well riding I was a proud mama, they had no fear. Connor even commented "Mom don't worry the ground is nice and soft so if we fall it won't hurt that bad." Ok tough cowboy I thought. Connor was really conifent and trotted a lot I thought he was going to bounce out of the saddle onto the ground(good thing it was soft), but he did great I was trying to explain to him how to keep his butt from bouncing but he wasn't quit getting it, oh well more practice. There were some barrels I had them maneuver Buck around to help them learn how to control and direct him., luckily Buck is a great kids horse, more like a giant dog and he takes good care of those boys. He is worth his weight in gold, and has a place with us until the day he dies.

Dr. Van Dyke

Loosing a tooth

This past Sunday night Connor lost his first tooth. I can't believe it. He had been complaing about his tooth hurting and I just thought he had a cavity and I was going to make a dentist appointment for him. Then when they were staing at my parents place the days following Christmas my mom discovered he had a loose tooth. He will probably be loosing his other front tooth soon as it is also loose. The tooth fairy left him two dollars and he was very excited. He is growing up so fast.

New Years at Lake Almanor

For New Years we came up to Rob's grandma's cabin at Lake Almanor with his parents. We brought the quads and have been having fun playing in the snow. We found a good sledding hill, but if you go to fast you sled into the lake. I had to stand at the bottom to keep the boys from going in the lake, luckily it was shallow about 2 inches deep for about 4 feet out so not life threatening. Chance slid down when we weren't watching and slid half of his sled into the lake, but luckily it is was only about three inches deep where he landed. Rob was at the top helping the boys and pushing them off a couple of times he shoved a little to hard and when they got to me to stop them it knocked me off my feet it was pretty funny.

Christmas Train

Last year we found a train that runs out of Woodland that is called the Christmas train we went on a week night so it would be less crowded and we had so much fun. The boys really love the movie Polar Express and it reminds them of the movie they get hot chocolate and a cookie, there are elves that tell stories,carolers, and Santa visits and they can take thier picture with him and tell him what they want for Christmas. I wasn't sure if they would want to go this year, but they were very excited when I told them I had bought the tickets. We went the thursday before Christmas with Rob's parents and his sister and our niece and nephews. They had so much fun it is becoming an annual thing. I think I will miss it when they grow out of it.

Happy New year

Christmas

WE are finally recoved form Christmas we had a wonderful Christmas. We were spoiled and had four Christmases with all the family. It started the Sunday before Christmas we had Christmas with Rob's grandpa Rich and Grandma Ethel and all the family. Grandma and Grandpa said no presets for them, so the great grand kids put on a play as their gift. Connor was the innkeeper, my niece and nephew were Mary and Joseph, and Chance was a wise man it was really cute and they really enjoyed it. Tuesday was the Van Dyke side Christmas. We had king crab and fondue for dinner it was better that eating at a restaurant. Why is food so much better when other people fix it? Christmas eve was spent with Rob's parents and his sister and her family it was very nice and the cousins got to play. Christmas day we drove down to my parents house and spent time with them and my moms side of the family. It has been a whirlwind of Christmases but we feel very blessed and thankful to have such great family around us.