Easter Fun

We had perfect weather in New York for easter. Warm and sunny with spring in full bloom. The kids dyed eggs with Grammy and Papa.

Then went on a major egg hunt all over their property.

Todd and Ashley were there with their boys.

Grammy and Papa got some bonding time in with Maddie, who seemed to be on the mend. We packed up and drove home on Sunday. We stopped at Bryce and Cathi's in Baltimore for an amazing "authentic" Italian lunch. Yum!! The kids actually all feel asleep at the same time for a few moments. Then Colin woke up screaming and crying (not unusual) and woke up everyone else. We actually had to pull over to the side of the rode and pull him out of the car to get him to calm down. Oh well. After that, the kids did great. We pulled in to the driveway exhausted but had a great time!

Taking Off

We decided to drive to New York for the week leading up to Easter to hang out with Jason's parents. We left after work on Friday and drove to DC. I was ready to turn around within the first 10 minutes, but we made a quick stop, got everyone settled, and the kids did great after that. We pulled in to DC pretty late, and then waited over an hour for the hotel to send up a pack and play so we could put Madeline to bed. The kids were wired, and we ended up getting a call at 11:30 from the front desk that there had been complaints about how loud our children were. At this point, Jason was so over it, he told them the kids would stop being loud as soon as they got us a pack and play. We still had to wait another 20 minutes. We finally got everyone settled for the night. The next morning, Jason and I took turns working out, then we headed over to the new Air and Space Museum. It's a giant hanger near Dulles Airport full of amazing airplanes and a great history of aviation. All 3 boys were in heaven.

Ethan took the camera from me and snapped over 100 pictures. He thought it was very cool.

I think Maddie was just happy not to be in the car.

We spent so much time in the museum that we didn't have time to spend in the city. Ethan had just finished up a school lesson on DC, so we did a drive by of the White House and the mall, where there was a great kite flying day going on. He and I jumped out of the car and ran up to the Lincoln Memorial so he could see it close up. I wish we had had more time there. We need to go back!

We piled back in the car for the long drive north to Grammy and Papa's. Overall, the kids did great and it was much cheaper than flying.

Jason's 2nd TV appearance

This morning on a local morning show: http://www.mycarolinatoday.com/2010/03/alternative-to-hysterectomy/

March arrived and brought with it gorgeous spring weather. We spent several evenings outdoors. Colin vanquished a dragon at one of our favorite parks. But was unable to move this boulder, though he did try.

And was his usual silly self at school.

We spent time chilling in front of the TV.

And in the bath.

I think all the activity has worn Madeline out. This is how I found her when I went to get her up one morning. Sound asleep and apparently trying to block out the world.

Random shots from February

Colin gets cuter all the time.

As does Madeline, though her exploding diaper was not so cute.

I took Ethan to the circus. We both loved it.

Banjo

Jason's been taking banjo lessons for over a year now. On our anniversary, he got a chance to play with our very talented friend Matt, at a going away party for our good friends Ryan and Anna. (We miss them!)

You can check it out here: http://chezhalverson.blogspot.com/2010/02/drivin-and-cryin.html

Florida Take Two

Jason escaped to Andros Island in the Bahamas for a few days of bonefishing and scuba diving. He had a great time. Here's a moray eel he spotted.

These lionfish have become a huge problem in the Bahamas. They're native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew smashed a tank at an oceanfront aquarium outside Miami and 6 lionfish were washed into the ocean. They showed up in the Bahamas in 2005, had a huge population explosion in 2007, and have now taken over the bahamas and are wreaking havoc on the native fish populations.

He had a great day fishing. We love this picture because the bonefish looks so surprised.

I left the kids with my parents and met up with him outside Miami. We had a great long weekend of relaxation, gorgeous weather, and great food. We found a small Argentinian cafe that we ate at several times. Jason was able to find food that he hadn't eaten since his mission days. We rented bikes at a nearby state park and biked around, then climbed a lighthouse. It was fun to have a few days of alone time.