Hunt vacation 2013

Hunt Vacation/Race

Phil signed up for a Olympic distance triathlon in Winona, Minnesota.  He raced on Sunday morning but packet pickup was Saturday.  We left Saturday and returned on Monday. Splurging and going to a hotel 'with a pool'.

I asked Wendell what was one thing

he wanted to do for vacation? 

Go to a pool

I asked Harlie what was one thing

she wanted to do for vacation?

Go to a park

Well, that was pretty easy.

Wendell has been fascinated with the camera - pictures, video, and audio recordings.  20 Years from now I'll watch/listen to some of these and be in shock.  heck, I could be naked, breast feeding, or on the phone gossiping and not know I was being taped.  

Well, isn't that family cute...

 The largest playground I've EVER seen. 

This slide was three stories high! 

Harlie hit the jackpot on that one!

 Daddy's race

 It would not be a vacation if I did

 not take a picture of Phil driving. 

I'm starting to collect, should make

a photo album of what I have.

 Woops.. but I must say I think the

picture (above) is quite artistic.

 And I have to have some goofy picture of me somewhere..

I think I look better goofy than serious.  Seriously.

The kids and I got the pool mostly to ourselves. 

Unfortunately, or fortunately, the hot tub was broken

so we got our own little pool for the three of us.

Well, that's all. 

There wasn't much to our vacation other than

 the race, a hotel, park, and eating at a local pizza place. 

Next time,  I want a vacation I think I'll go alone : )

It does make me think,

if I went on vacation,

just what would I do?

Robbie

Robbie has become a friend of ours.  Sadly last year when we cut the tree down we're pretty sure we cut down her nest as well, as she came back to visit often.  We were pretty happy to see her again this spring and then super excited when she chose our gutter (right outside our back door) to put her nest.  I think Phil and I delighted in them more than the kids!

Here it took her about 3 days to build her nest.  

Here she sits.   (see the blue ribbon she used for her nest)

1 egg.. eventually turned to 4 eggs

4 naked babies

here they have a little hair/feathers but big mouths to feed!

Phil and I would read on the internet about 

robins and actually learned a lot about birds.

 We did not video tape them but we could 

hear them callin' they're mommy.

 They are all gone now and the nest is abandoned.  Of course, they left the weekend we had vacation so we were not able to watch them fly away for the first and last time.  They were simply gone when we returned.

What a simple but wonderful gift from God! 

Happy 1st Birthday Alveda!

Ali turned one on May 4th and so 

Grandpa Jim came to visit, bearing gifts!

Then on May 25th we had the official party (at our church), a bit late but that was so Grandma Charla (from Florida) could join us.

 Phil's mom, made the cake.  Isn't it cute!

This is what Ali did while we ate lunch....

This is what she did when she woke up..

But the candle got her attention.. as well as everyone singing and looking at her : )

So nice to have all our family together to celebrate!

Happy Birthday Ali!

random end of the year life

It's the end of the school year for 2012/2013 and honestly I am so excited to sleep, rest, and just be at our house.  I am not signing up for anything in the morning unless it's after 10am 11am.  My goal this summer was 10am (not one minute before) but the past two weeks my kids have not left their pjs until well after we eat breakfast, on the days we eat.  Well, most of us eat, Wendell has days he insists he's not hungry and yep, I don't make him eat.  I figure we're home and he can eat whenever he wants.  Yes, this might kick me in the butt some day.  Oh back to 11am.. yep, it seems my kids just want to hang out at home and I will not complain.  I had a goal of getting caught up the first week, in fact I said I was grounded.  I didn't get it all done but I'm plucking a long.  I hope I caught up soon but really, I may, I may not.  I will NOT let this 'to do list' control  my life.  So thank you's may be late, my walls might not get wiped from greasy hands, and my floors may never get scrubbed again.  Maybe if I let it go, I will think I live in a cabin. You know if you give a cat a cupcake.....  But Wendell and I are reading Little House on the Prairie and it seems that cabin life would be so simple yet I know the work those people did.  Some days cabin life seems great, then my computer seems great and I can't have both.  Two worlds crashing.  Back to Wendell and I reading, it's the first time  I've read chapter books to him and I got this at Goodwill.  I will have to actually try harder next time to find something that a boy might like a little more.  He does great and enjoys it but I bet I can find something a little more exciting for him.  I love to read so this is a great way for me to 'read' and to spend good quality time with my son.  Back to Goodwill, my new favorite store.  Reasons why:  1. it's close 2. it's cheap  3. it's not a large store/easy to navigate/easy to browse 4. they have books, clothes, and games (my hearts desire). 

enough.. enough...  

Daddy time.....

did I put this in my last blog post?  Sorry if I did.  

creamy peanut butter + peanuts + marshmallows

 = 

Heather's nut roll sandwich

every kid has to have a picture with food on their face!

                                             

                 guilty? wasn't me, nope, didn't touch it.....  guilty.

tradition in the Hunt family: rides in the laundry basket 

traditions in the Hunt family: starting the garden (this time with our friend Thomas) 

 I actually am posting this for the smile on dads face.  

Genuinely happy.. not that he's NOT happy.. but I love a great smile. 

 A few weeks ago I got a hankerin' to watch Star Wars... yep, me.  I don't remember ever watching the old/original first 3 (or last three of the series).  So our family watched the first two (still need to watch the third).  It was really fun watching these movies, no offense, they're better than I thought.  Once we watched them we had to pull out Phil's toys.  He's a Star Wars fan so he has a lot of old toys from when he was a kid, and some new ones from when the new movies came out.





School is out!  Here Wendell got to hand out programs for the end of the year program.  Had  I known I might have spiffed him up a bit.

first day of school (fall 2012)

last day of school (spring 2013)

Last day of school was May 31, 2013.  Sadly I was on beeper for work, got called, so was not able to see him get off the bus for the last day.  I missed saying goodbye to all the kids we got to know from the bus stop.  Here is his picture though, a little different than last fall!  Missing teeth, shaggy hair, and clothes are a bit faded.  We now have a first grader!

Summer break is here!!!