Spring has Sprung

Mary has "outgrown" her high chair. She now sits at the table like a big girl. Very exciting.









The other exciting news is we have started eating dinner outside again. Love it! This was our first meal outside for the season. We took it a few weeks ago, but I haven't been very good about blogging. Hope you guys can make it out to enjoy the deck with us.

The big new truck...

Well here they are... the long waited for pictures of Josh's new truck!

Easter Egg Hunt

Today we had the pleasant surprise of going to the petting zoo and finding an Easter Egg Hunt! Was really a good time.

There was no one in there.








From the crowd, though, I guess other people knew there was an Easter Egg Hunt. 22,000 eggs were hidden. Some had prizes of bikes, wagons, tricycles, chocolate bunnies and such. We got Mardi Gras Necklaces, pencil sharpeners and whistles.

What's on My Pointy Sticks?

Well, it has been a long time since I posted anything about knitting. So here it is. This is in honor of Colleen who told me she has taken up knitting! I taught her!!!
This sweater if for Mary. It's going fast. I started it just last week. It's fun. I like cables (bubbles).








Next is Marco's sock. This is the famous Grumperina Jaywalker sock.

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Getting Ready for Easter

Katie and "Grab-i-elle" went and talked to the Easter Bunny the other day at the mall. From what I hear, he did not talk back. I am not sure where Mary was. Perhaps she would have been too scared.

Costa Rica Pfun

Saturday, we were off bright and early for the volcano. Just last week, it erupted, and we were among the first to be let into see it again. After a Costa Rican breakfast, we were off to LaPaz Waterfall.....


There was a butterfly pavillion, a hummingbird refuge, and a snake exhibit. There was also this typical cart and "oxen". They weren't really oxen.








We next hiked to the LaPaz Waterfall. It was beautiful.















The last part of the tour was a boat ride down the Sarapiqui
River, where we say monkeys in the trees, lots of interesting birds, a couple of iguanas, and other such things. It was really a nice tour.

Sunday, we went canopy leaping. You glide from tree to tree on cables......

Kinda SCAREY but definitely pfun!!

Unfortuanaely, we're rule followers and didn't take our cameras (I have the good camera!) on the first part of the tour.... the really pretty part through the trees.

KUBA!

Well Jay FINALLY had his dream come true of getting a male German Shepard... and here he is! He named him Kuba, and Jay can't wipe the smile off his face for anything. He is so excited.


He's just a little guy... and he's having a hard time since today is his first time away from his mom and brothers and sisters. He was in a litter with 8 puppies.





Gracie and Greta are really good with him - Gracie just kind of smells him and backs up, but Greta is a little more interested.















He likes Jay's feet...



and his new toy frog. :)

Office Remodel

Derek and Mary Kay decided to update the house, The couches in the den needed to be downstais. Once that was done, why not move the office? So that's what we did...



Don't think that getting those monster things out of there was easy!!! We then put them in the garage, which for me was maybe even more of an accomplishment than the office. (Pics coming soon)





This is Mary Kay's new music room. She's going to get a piano when she gets tenure. Wish her luck. Publish! Publish! Publish!!! She is in two minds if she should get the new digital baby grand, available at Costco, or the traditional string piano.


Finally, the new office!!!

You can see Derek's new Mac. It's fancy. You turn it on and it's ready to go. Virtually no boot time. Amazing. The walls look great. (Mary Kay is doing taxes.)

Christmas in March

Here is the long awaited photo of my new bike. I love it. I like to think it makes people smile when the see me riding it. On one of my rides, someone even told me, "Nice bike!" Probably the drivers who have to go around me in the morning on the way to work don't like me very much, but that's ok. I don't like cars much on my bike, either. So that works out well. I had to buy new lunch containers. The old ones' lids would pop off and when I got to work my lunch was in my bag. :( Now I have locking lids. :) But my basket is a bit too small for the new lunch containers. It's still a work in progress.

New furniture!

Here are some pictures of our new furniture! We got cherry, so it will darken over time... it's a pretty color now but will get quite a bit darker in the first year, then slowly darker for pretty much ever.

Cake decorating class

I forgot to take pictures of my cupcakes AND my last cake... but here are some pictures of Shandi and I finishing our cakes from our cake class. Unfortunately I have to wait until June to take part 2, so stay tuned...

The Pete cake is mine...

The star cake is Shandi's.