Pomp and Circumstance

It's that time of year...caps, gowns, celebrating the past and looking to the future. We had our first taste of the celebration of the season as Little Miss completed her first year of preschool...complete with all the pomp and circumstance a 5-year-old can handle.

The last day of preschool was a fun time of celebration as parents and siblings were invited to come share the day and participate in games that were set up in the halls and gymnasium. Of course the highlight of the day was snack time...cake and juice served in her classroom, followed by a presentation of certificates by her teacher. A fun way to end a wonderful preschool experience.

Little Miss and Little Man at the Lego table

Who doesn't love a good game of bounce the ball on the parachute?

Mmmm...snack time

Our future's so bright, we gotta wear shades!

The class of 2010

Little Miss reached another big milestone as she "graduated" from the preschool area at church...complete with a ceremony, graduation cap, and diploma!

They were so cute in their graduation caps!

Receiving her diploma

That's one happy kindergartner!

Congratulations to ALL the 2010 graduates!

Fun on the Farm

I have begun a recent journey in search of more natural and healthy foods for my family. What began has a desperate search for non-allergenic food options has led me to become more open-minded of the idea of living organically. I have never been a big proponent of organic living. As a matter of fact, a few years ago I would have claimed that "organic" products were simply a marketing ploy for food manufacturers to get you to spend more of your hard-earned money on their products.

Boy, was I in for a serious education! I am only just beginning on this journey, and as a self-proclaimed processed-food lover, I have a long way to go! I am loving the education I am getting, however. The books, the articles, the research, and certainly the conversations with others who know so much more than I.

For example, I had a conversation last week with a friend who is much farther on the "organic journey" than I am. (When I found out she grinds her own wheat I told her I didn't know if we could actually be friends! ....Love you, Linds! :)) In the course of the conversation I learned that she and her family drink mostly raw milk and have done so for almost two years now. I had heard of raw milk, but didn't really know what it was or why it is considered (by some) to be better for you.

My curiosity was piqued and so last Friday the kids and I set off with my friend and her kids on their weekly milk run. I was interested in trying this phenomenon called raw milk, but honestly, I was mostly excited about taking the kids to a farm where they could feed and pet goats, see the cows from which the milk actually comes, climb a few fruit trees, and visit some bunnies and chicks. I was not disappointed. Here are some pics from our little field trip:

Feeding Mama Goat

Checking out the peach trees

Stopping to study a roly-poly

Looking for the cows

Little Man wasn't sure he liked the goats at first,
but he eventually warmed up

As for the raw milk...I bought a gallon for my family to try. As one friend put it, "Surprisingly, it tastes like...milk!" I thought it had a bit of a "buttery" aftertaste, but after my second glass or so I didn't even notice the aftertaste anymore. I'm not saying we're ready to "convert" to raw milk. But I can say, I LOVE the idea of knowing where my food (and milk) comes from.

I know there are some large controversies surrounding the issue of raw milk, and I haven't sufficiently done my own research. I'll have to get back to you on our final verdict. If you're as curious as I am, do your own research. (And if you have researched it, let me know your thoughts and share your resources...I'm always interested in learning more.) If nothing else, it's interesting to learn where your milk comes from, what happens to it before it gets to you, and decide for yourself what you think about it.

For more information on raw milk, see:
Raw Milk Facts
RealMilk.com
RawMilk.org
The FDA
US News
University of Minn Food Safety

The Next American Idol

In case you missed it, the lyrics were...

You is my sunshine,
You is my moon,
You is my star,
Yeah Yeah...Woo Woo
You is my police car!

A Road Trip, A Train Ride, and a Birthday

Things have been a little hectic here lately, and I've not had the chance to update you on some very big events in our lives. So, here are some highlights of what we've been up to:

In April we took a road trip to visit Nanee and Papa in Alabama. They had a special surprise for the kiddos....Thomas the Train was visiting a train station about 45 minutes from their house. So of course we all loaded in the van and hit the road again!

A Day Out with Thomas the Train

A life-size Thomas the Train...that we actually got to ride on!

Nanee and PaPa with Little Miss and Little Man

I'm not sure who had more fun...the kids or Papa!

Also in April was Little Miss's 5th birthday! We, of course had a celebration with Nanee and Papa...complete with a pink cake!

Then a pottery painting party at home with some friends.

And of course, we had to take the new wheels out for a spin!

Whew! Biking is hard work! Time for a breather.

Mother's Day

Easter at Our House

First order of business...Easter baskets

The bunny ears are a hit

With everyone.

Then ready for church

And posing for a few pics

It's a beautiful morning...

...for a bit of playing before church.

My little Easter bunnies...

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter...we sure did!!!

A Fun Day at Easter Express

Today our church hosted its annual Easter Express. It's one of the highlights for our kids each year, and this year was no exception. We had so much fun...the weather was gorgeous and there was plenty of fun and excitement for everyone!

Our first stop was the fire truck

Little Man even got to sit inside (He LOVED it!)

And they got to go inside a real ambulance.

Then on to the egg hunting.

Little Man was starting to get the hang of it
(once he realized there is candy inside the eggs!)

He was pretty proud of his accomplishment.

Inspecting the bounty

Then on to the face painting station.

There were baby chicks to pet
(but neither of them were too sure about that)

The highlight for Little Miss was her visit with the Easter Bunny.

For Little Man it was the train ride--hands down.

Hope you find time this Easter weekend to spend time with family and friends, and most importantly, remember the reason we celebrate. He is Risen!!

"He has risen, just as he said." (Matthew 28:6)