Purdue Spring Fest (Bug Bowl 2016)

This past weekend we took the kids up for their second trip to Purdue's Bug Bowl (Lainey's 1st visit). The weather was perfect, which meant a big crowd, but the day was so perfect. Lainey, who is quite terrified of even the most harmless of bugs (ladybugs in particular as they seem to enjoy our house quite a bit), got out one adorable brave finger to pet a caterpillar, a cockroach, and many other awesome creepy-crawlies. Canaan held a tarantula, and both boys got a chance to milk a cow. They got their sweet little faces painted. They climbed a tree. They got gelato from Greyhouse Coffee. They played in Memorial Fountain. It was a pretty epic day.

Baby Goats

Our super sweet neighbors are rocking a little farm with chickens, rabbits, and the most adorable only-weeks-old baby goats. One of my favorite parts about living in the country is enjoying all the country life benefits without all the work. ;) We told the kids last week about the new goats, and Lainey has been begging ever since to go visit them. And so we did. We cut through the back path and made our way to the neighbor's place.

These sweet little guys are bottle-fed, and so they were a little nippy. And they almost knocked her down a couple of times, but she didn't mind.

I think we have a little farm girl!

As I took this shot she was saying "Bock bock" and giggling.

Check out our visit to see baby goats last year. 

Therapy

A 70 degree day in the middle of February. After three months inside our hearts needed this. We needed this time to be in nature and together - to explore and breathe and be messy and SEE the details of earth and life and beauty. And we SOAKED it up like little sponges.

Life Lately & Chinese New Year

Life lately has been so full!

Canaan wrapped up ski lessons this week (his 3rd year - the first was a wash so it's more like year 2) and has been taking on the slopes with Daddy. This is the part of the story where I shut my eyes and close up my ears and sing "The Sun will Come out Tomorrow" to drown out the sound of my husband talking about my 6lb 2oz baby boy on a chair lift or barreling down the hill. Just gonna pretend like that's not happening. But also, it's pretty awesome and I love that they get to do this together.

We also celebrated Chinese New Year this week. It was just us this year, hanging out in our Chinese silks, dancing to Chinese tunes, and eating some very not-authentic Chinese food. But hey, the thought. Canaan did start to master chop-sticks, even taking off the little panda helpers. Lainey opened her fortune cookie (also not Chinese), and declared that it said, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!".

The Christmas Uke

Once of Canaan's Christmas presents this year was a ukulele and lessons with his teacher Mr. Titus to go with it. He's been practicing a bit every day and getting familiar with it, but yesterday he had his first real lesson. He picked up so much so quickly (Mr. Titus is awesome)!

Because we (human beings, that is) learn so much through teaching, I try to encourage Canaan to teach (me or someone else) what he learns whenever possible. So he was quick to want to give me a little uke 101. He asked me to record his lesson "so that other people could learn too".  

There is so much of his sweet personality in these videos, and as I watch them I just keep thinking about how much he's changing and growing. It's such a blessing to witness every little transformation. :)

The Christmas One

Slowly we are starting to go back to normal after the holidays, but it all went by so quickly it's hard to believe we're a week into January already.

It seems there is no way around things getting busy over the holidays, especially with two kid birthdays and two kids in school. But it's all so fun, and the kids of course had a blast. We had two birthday parties, a Christmas banquet / show for Canaan, a Christmas program for Ezra, spent a weekend away in Brown County with my side of the family (so fun!), Christmas Eve with BJ's family, and then a quieter Christmas at home together.

And there is more fun ahead! Canaan's ski lessons start back up again on Monday, Lainey's birthday is next weekend (or as she calls it, her "pink birthday"), and with February comes Chinese New Year (get ready for the year of the monkey!) and Valentine's Day.