It's Already Time

For Spring fever.

As grandma and grandpa raced back through Memphis on their way home from North Carolina to beat perhaps more than 15 inches of snow, we ambled outside to enjoy a beautiful weekend. Even daddy had to take a break from school to come out and enjoy the weather this past weekend. It was one of those days that you grab the camera, take a quick picture, and then put it down so you can just play.

We've had a little taste of Spring here and we've had enough snow now. So, it'll surely get cold again, dashing our hopes for more days like these in the near future.

Dining With Dad

When I forgot to put the roast in the crock pot before taking off out of town, I talked Patric through putting everything together himself.

Looks like he did a great job.

I'll never hear the end of how easy it is to cook though.

Expressive

Every Elaine photo shoot these days involves a series:

Mad

(psychotic?)

Sad

(spoiled?)

Happy
(Happy.)

While Parents Are Away

In an highly unusual turn of events, both Patric and I had to be away on an overlapping evening last week. This is the picture I found in my camera from daddy-on-duty. No idea. Make up your own story here.

And then grandma and grandpa filled-in-the-blanks for us, and they took no pictures. But I do have this quote, which I am writing down to remind us all of frequently:
"They were perfect."

Thanks mom and dad.
We're sure they weren't really perfect, but I think grandmas and grandpas get to say such things and believe them.

That Smile

Has been a bit lacking lately with the end of graduate school on the horizon.

I like capturing it every once-in-awhile.

The Stable

Because all horses need a torn-apart-media-cabinet-converted-to-a-stable kind of home.

Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

When you have a friend that works at a flooring supplier and is doing end-of-the-year inventory and reduction, you have to take advantage of the opportunity.

Like all great projects we started with optimism and gusto.

And then we ran into the part where we had to lift old hardwood, and we slowed down.

And we scraped for a week.

But in the end, we can say we finished well.

And we learned our lesson: when considering ripping out old hardwood, just don't.

Gone Now

But fun while it lasted.

Brothers

When someone gets a really bad report at school (Nicholas), he has to sit in the kitchen and watch me make dinner while the other kids do whatever. And then I start lecturing and lecturing and lecturing, and it is a truly miserable experience to have to listen to that.

This night, Ben couldn't take the pain of watching Nicholas, so he joined him there the entire time.

We totally let him.

To Infinity and Beyond!

And I'm sure you'll make it son.

This morning:

"Mom, can I be a race car driver when I get older?"

"Well, that would really scare me. But, you know what Nicholas? You can be anything you want to be when you grow up. You just have to work really hard."

"Okay mom. I will."

Much Like Christmas Morning

Pretty

Messy

Sisters

(Thank you Emily King for the pajamas that inspired this moment.)

Brothers

Happy New Year!

Time to put on your coat and sweep the living room carpet....