Blasts from the Past

My computer screen saver plays random pictures and videos (without sound) from the enormous library on the computer...some of which I'd just love to have sound for. So I decided to dig up a few of the oldies but goodies and upload them to YouTube.

To start, a few videos of Bear from 2006, in honor of his birthday week...

Two music videos from the kids

Man, it's been a long time since we posted anything...I've been plowing every single spare minute into writing (for money), building (shelves and other things to make this small house big enough for seven people), and rearranging bedrooms and storage (ditto), and sleeping (no more late nights posting blog posts!).

But, in the too-good-to-resist category, here are a couple of videos the kids made this evening with the help of Mouse's good friend, who owns an iPad with a nifty music video app simple enough for kids to use:

First Communion

Photos from Jaybird's First Communion:

Jaybird in the backyard, before heading off to Mass!

Note the leaves barely budding on the apple tree.  It's been a long winter.

The first communion children get to be hospitality ministers.  J's passing out programs.

Second row from bottom, far right!

Jaybird and her good friend shared a first communion day!

There were more children receiving first communion--this is just from the 8:30am mass.

Jaybird and Fr. Jim, our pastor at Saint Mary's Parish.

A rare picture of the family, beside the church parking lot.  Thanks Mary F!

J made the cake, Mom made the icing.

We had a picnic that afternoon with pizza and watermelon (J's choice).  Grandma, Laurie, and Mary were there too.

It's always exciting when Grandma can visit!

Happy day! Or: How can I keep from swinging?  (cue groan)

It was a lovely day for Jaybird and those who love her.

The Big Talent Show

One of the highlights of our family gathering over the weekend was the talent show the girls pulled together (instigated by Helen, I think). It went on for about an hour...poetry, singing, gymnastics, bubble-blowing, a comic skit...here are some highlights:

An Easter egg hunt in the snow

Two weeks after Easter, and we still can't hold a proper Easter egg hunt in actual green grass...but that didn't stop the kids from having fun with their cousins this past Saturday:

New pictures of Dominic

Over the weekend, we got to see little Dominic, who seems to be fully recovered from his surgery...he was as busy and inquisitive as any eight-month-old!

Happy birthday to Mouse and Jubilee Girl!

Our wonderful girls are officially another year older! We're celebrating their "birthday week" around here, starting with some special dinners last week. They had a cake and small celebration with their seventeen Minnesota-Wisconsin cousins over the weekend, and then another family celebration Sunday evening. We still have some celebrating to do...specifically, some ice cream treats and some star gazing...if it ever warms up!

Here are the highlights: