(EVANGELINE, 23 months)

Just a friendly reminder to stay safe on the roads this summer. You never know who they'll let drive these days.

It is watermelon time. I think we've had more watermelon these past two weeks than we had all of last year. It's not necessarily in peak season but the delight is irresistible for all those that crave summer - and we crave summer! Watermelon snack, watermelon at picnics, watermelon for dessert, we even brought watermelon in to school this morning for watermelon day! The Rudnicks have taken a bite out of summer and it tastes great!!!

Today I was honored to be a guest in Rowan's classroom. Yes, we volunteer and join the children throughout the year but today we were the 3's guests. They made a special snack for us, set a place setting for us, and shared their homemade artwork gift for us. They also shared special music. It was a joy to be in a room filled with happiness and love.Rowan, you are my sweet dear son. I pray you always set a place for me so that I may share in your wonderful life!

Easter Day teased us with sun and brought us some rain. We celebrated from Sunrise through an evening Easter Dinner. Just like any other day there is always time to play away! I am not surprised in the least that there are bicycles in our Easter 2011 photos!

Although we are not able to live next door to our sisters, brother-in-laws, and the cousins, we find so many blessings in our time together visiting. Breakfast through after-bedtime are spent together with all of us stuck like glue to each other. This spring break we celebrated with a visit from the Pintos!

(Connor, Rowan, Tyler, Evangeline, Kyle)

Cool rainy days slowed us down a little but didn't put us out.

(Tyler, Evangeline, Aunt Robin)(Uncle Alan, Kyle)

Everyone was right there outside, riding scooters and bikes, playing at the parks and on playgrounds, to church, to an Easter event, dying Easter eggs, the gym, Saratoga Springs, the Children's Museum, and even a blast at the local fun center.

(Connor)

Crafts, games, and silly times around the house are still my most memorable moments, sincere and dear to the core!

(Tyler and Rowan)

(Rowan, Kyle, Evangeline, Tyler, Aunt Chrissy and Connor on the couch, playing Hullabaloo)

Photo Credits: Uncle Scott! Thanks!

It can never happen again. I went the whole year 2010 without ordering our digital photos to print. This translates into hours of editing, uploading, and ordering (with online code shopping). Digital photo management organization is a whole new ball game for everyone I'm sure. Once printed, I sort our photos in a photo box labeled by date, occasion, and location. Even though they don't make it to an album I have them ready if and when time allows. 436 photos later, with two photo books left to order, I'm at least caught up through this March.

So, after spending the last week reliving 2010 here are some memories from around this time last year,...

January 2010
March 2010

April 2010

Oh, we had big plans this past Saturday to visit the Boot Monument at the Saratoga National Historical Park with high hopes to show our Pops a good time. To our disappointment not only was the park road closed but the hiking path to the monument would have been anticlimatic too since the monument is still covered by a box for the winter. Only slightly discouraged we settle for the Visitors Center. In the end, the Visitors Centers turned out to be an educational, thought provoking, hands on experience enjoyed by all visiting ages.Lolly was teaching the children through dramatic role play and got a little overzealous with her approach (note the other lady's hand).Preparing the canon.
The reenactment portion of the center, a please play area for the children (and dress up for me).
Yes, wearing Rowan's fire-raincoat is always her idea.
Who couldn't end the day with ice cream? It just felt patriotic.

We had the pleasure of hosting my college girlfriends last weekend. In addition to hanging around the house, playing games, and chatting we also ventured around town. Fortunately for us it was still Maple sugaring season to visit Nightingale's Maple Farm. Learning about the tubes.and sampling the delicious sweets and treats.
Checking in at the lake house. Delightfully cold.Around the house,Sharing stories in the reading chair.Chillin' in the wagon on our breezy ride.Friends are awesome and journeying with them on adventures is a gift! Thanks friends!

Just playing cool as the weather starts to warm up.
Hope you are having a beautiful day!

The end of the winter season was fast for me and the first day of spring yesterday came just when we needed the lift and promise of new life!

Our photos are few and far between with our camera needing some repair but our memories are still in the making.

The first half of March we had:
-Another successful trip to Opera Saratoga for a performance of Jack and the Beanstalk.
-Our first playtime on the deck since it was one of the first things to clear in the backyard. (it is now snow covered again as the snow pours down as I write)
-Lots of workbooks, coloring, crafts, and play dough time.
-The start of Lent to usher in worship, prayer, and fellowship for our family.
-A tons of illness.
-Evangeline keeping up with Rowan, cutting some more teeth, and practicing her speaking.
-Rowan interested in what each day brings. He checks his calendar to see if he has Sunday school, nursery school, swim lessons, or the occasional haircut or special trip. He has an insatiable appetite for play and socializing!

How to attend the 2011 Winter Carnival at Lake George.

First, layer, bundle, line, and blanket the adults and children.
Second, plan for walking and sliding on all sorts of terrain such as dry pavement, wet roads, slushy sidewalks, ice slush, snow, and of course, the frozen lake.
Third, watch out below and above for scuba divers, animals, ATVs, snowmobiles, dog-sleds, helicopters, and parachuters on display.Fourth, after seeing all the sites (including the polar bear swimmers) and roasting s'mores be prepared that your son's favorite memory will be getting to go in the Water Rescue Unit of the Firetrucks.

Rowan's first swim lesson!Rowan's thoughts:
-my favorite part was: "the red frog" (a floating frog they use for encouragement)
-"I want one more swim class and then one more" (he wants to go every day and not just once a week)

Mommy's thoughts:
Good thing he's taking to formal training! We have 6 weeks of swim lessons to start. I'd love to go through till the summer when our lake swimming begins. He has no fear of the water and a couple of the other bleacher moms commented "is that your son? He has no hesitation about this! Yeah, no fear."
I love having the time with him and watching him succeed in learning and meeting new friends!