Though the weather doesn’t always seem like it, Spring Season at Millcreek has arrived and longer days at work are in full motion. While I don’t like being away from the boys as much as I am, I do love getting updates from Haya throughout the day, including pictures and videos. They are having lots of fun! The collage of Reid was put together by Google and I thought it was a good one to share. It captures his many faces and moods. 
I’ve been home at good times here and there and on this particular night it was nice enough to go on an adventure through the neighborhood. Griffin really wanted to drive his car, so I traveled behind while he drove himself and Reid on a large loop down the street and back. 
While Griffin seems to have moved on from his interest in arts and crafts, Haya has tried to do some fun crafts from time to time. They made a model of the solar system out of foam balls on sticks and they drew the solar system on paper. We seem to have legos everywhere these days. Griffin sometimes puts the kits together but then takes the creation and eventually makes his own. He currently has an army of his own creations. It’s fun to see how he uses the parts he has and his imagination to build different vehicles. And then to hear him play with his vehicles in his room is fun too!
I’ve taken both Lily and Brutus to Millcreek this spring on my Saturday’s so far. It’s been fairly “quiet” and Lily is a piece of cake and happily greets everyone. I’m working on getting Brutus used to strange and new situations. He was so funny when he walked from the car across the parking lot to the shipping warehouse. He hovered close to the ground and smelled everything! When we walked in to the office he didn’t make a noise at anyone, but as new people would enter he was more skeptical. Still trying to persuade him to happily welcome people!!
Griffin is enjoying flag football (when the weather has permitted the games to be played). I basically spend 50 minutes chasing Reid and trying to keep him off the field. He’s a little pistol and when he decides to take off – he’s gone in a flash and there I go after him on to the playing field. 
Griffin loves gardening with me and working in the yard. He’s also been in to climbing trees and cutting flowers. He loves to go greet Reid in the morning and one particular morning I watched the video of him going in and talking to Reid. Reid wanted out and it was kind of cute to see Griffin get him, lol. Gonna have to watch these two together!
We went to Powell’s Village Green Park for the Easter Egg hunt again this year. We met up with neighbors and friends and the older boys had a blast. Reid had his own kind of blast, by getting to his first egg, opening it, and eating the chocolate. Then he’d move on to the next. He didn’t have a care in the world about getting many eggs, just the one before him with the treat was good enough for him. After the egg hunt I went to work, Reid was home with a sitter, and Kevin and Finn headed to the OSU Football Spring Game. It was a nice day!
Later that evening we headed to the Bethune’s to celebrate Greta’s 6th birthday! I don’t have many photos from our time together but the kids had fun and Reid enjoyed the dessert, lol. 
On Palm Sunday at church Griffin joined the processional of kids waving palm branches and standing up on the stage for the first song of the service. We love this tradition at church. 
Griffin definitely has a love for animals. He’s told me he wishes we could have a cat. Sorry buddy, that one’s not gonna happen! But this week Haya took the boys to the pet store where he got to play with several animals, including holding hamsters. As it turns out, about a week or two later Haya got a hamster for herself and her hubby (a compromise from a puppy) and has since brought it to our house for fun. Griffin loves holding them, Reid isn’t quite sure yet. 
We are loving having new windows that open! I love it when the weather is perfect to open up the house and enjoy the breeze and all the sounds of nature. This week Kevin installed window clings in our garage windows. They have a “blinds” pattern and really look nice from the street. No more dirty yucky garage blinds anymore and no new ones that will need to be cleaned!
New windows are now mounted in the porch, just one to go and then the framing of them, etc. There’s still lots of finishing details, lighting, and painting to do on the inside. We’re excited to be able to use it at some point this summer….
I love this throw back of Reid. I remember this picture at Kingwood Center when Reid was a baby. He was so smiley! Maybe it’s the orange that ties the pictures together. I’m struggling with the fact that this sweet little boy is about to turn 2!
And here is some video of the week, including Finn scoring a touchdown!
We had our first ever kid-free vacation! Kevin was in San Francisco for the week for work, speaking at the IBM Think! Conference. He flew out super early Monday morning and I flew out on Thursday (Valentine’s Day) to join him for a long weekend sans the kids. Jim and Pat were gracious to watch the boys for us for those five (!) days. We are really grateful and the boys had a fun time with Grandma and Grandpa!
The boys have been enjoying outside play time with Cole, Cooper, and Abbie lately. One day I arrived home to a front yard game of football with Griffin, Georgia, Ella, and Abbie. 
o