Monthly Archives: July 2016

April 24, 2016

IMG_5823Pancake-maker-helper Mr. Finn here.  One personality trait about Finn that has been the same as long as he’s been able to express it – Finn always wants to help and do what Mommy and Daddy are doing.  I don’t know, perhaps most kids are this way, but I’m talking he’s like that down to what we are eating off our plates! If we make dinner and I put everything that Kevin and I are having, except perhaps one item (one time I didn’t give him any lasagne – why I’m not sure, because he does like it!) on his plate, he quickly sees what he is missing and asks for it. He’s the same way about helping in the kitchen. Anytime I bake (sadly, I do that more often than make full-on dinners) he is in the kitchen in an instant saying “I want to help!”.  So here he is helping Daddy make some mini pancakes. IMG_5825Spring is in full swing at Millcreek, which means I’m gone long days and also working Saturday’s for the next several weeks.  The pictures are few, but they are cute reminders of how blessed we are having Debbie care for Finn. She has been with our family for 2 1/2 years and we are grateful for that. Multiple times per week Finn goes on fun outings to the zoo, the local parks, the splash pad, pet store, library story time, book store, Franklin Park Conservatory, COSI, Culver’s, Handel’s (ice cream places, of course) and such. And when he’s home she has an educational plan for the week too with a letter, number, color and concept or skill she works on with him. He paints, colors, makes all kinds of fun art work, does science experiments and Debbie takes photos of their adventures and crafts and puts them in our app so we can see them while we’re away at work. I really love seeing his adventures and how happy he is – these photos are from Debbie this week! IMG_5675 IMG_5820 IMG_5817 IMG_5803 IMG_5802 IMG_5804 IMG_5797 IMG_5796We enjoyed a fun evening with the Howard’s this weekend. Kevin and other friends helped Chris build benches in their gazebo and at the end of the night there was a fun cookout with everyone. Finn was there throughout the afternoon with Kevin (I was working) and loved playing with the other kids. Jake, Nicole’s son, even made a short “basket” for Finn so he could shoot hoops with them in the driveway :). IMG_5827And this is always my favorite week of spring in the garden, when the blooms of our Korean Spice Viburnum open up.  They have the prettiest pink buds that open to the most wonderful smelling flowers.  I just love it.  Every year I go out in the morning that the first open and take a photo before I go to work. They don’t bloom for long, but their scent fills up our patio and porch and I’m in heaven!IMG_5811 IMG_5809

April 17, 2016

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To say I’m behind is an understatement! Today is July 1st and I am trying to catch up back to our April posts! Yikes!! But here goes at my attempt to recollect our weeks of spring.  It’s rather fitting, actually, as spring is often so busy with work and long days that all of a sudden it is summer.

This weekend we celebrated Greta’s 3rd birthday at Franklin Park Conservatory (well, the family did – I got stuck at work and arrived just before it was time to leave 🙁 ). It was a really warm afternoon and the kiddos had fun. Afterwards we headed back to the Bethune’s for dinner, cake, and presents. The theme this year was butterflies, can you tell? Kevin has a lot more photos on his phone, so I’ll have to add more here once I get them from him 🙂IMG_5709 IMG_5705IMG_5789 IMG_5714 IMG_5720 IMG_5721 IMG_5726 IMG_5787 IMG_5741 IMG_5753 IMG_5760 IMG_5762

Finn had fun during the week this week too with science experiments, a visit to Franklin Park Conservatory with Debbie, a trip to Graeter’s (with Lily!), and playing outside.  He’s an awesome helper in the garden. One afternoon he wanted to water the plants, so he grabbed his watering can, moved a chair over to the kitchen sink, filled it up, and went out to water the plants. Take note that he’s fully prepared with his gardening gloves and hat 🙂  He’s loving his “new” helmets from the Bethune’s!IMG_5670 IMG_5669

IMG_5784 IMG_5858 IMG_5859 IMG_5860 IMG_5856 IMG_5864 IMG_5792 Kevin and Finn devised a nice paper funnel to plant some bean seeds in our mason jar.  It worked really well – we will see how our little beans grow. Our other seedlings are off to a good start, just a week or so after planting. IMG_5831 IMG_5657 IMG_5682 IMG_5678 IMG_5679 Finn and Daddy also built a nice Lincoln Log house.IMG_5785 IMG_5875 Oh, and some fun with lip balm!IMG_5794 Bunny, Dog Dog, and Doggie blanket are staples around here 🙂 IMG_5786 And this week Sarah asked me to go to a fundraiser for an organization started by one of her friends. It was held at Dock580, where Kevin and I were married, so it was a bit nostalgic being there. I don’t think we’ve been back since our wedding. Sarah and I took a selfie of ourselves on the lawn where our wedding tent was. IMG_5694

 

And once again, Google put together a pretty good summary of our week!