How I Spent My Quiet Day...

If you are wondering how I spent my day with Esther when Derek, Meghan, and Evan went to watch the Penn State game...you can read about it at This Simple Home.

Spring Penn State Football Game

*Please note that this post is written by Annette.  She was not at the game, nor did Derek tell her what to write.  I'm sure he could add to this.

Derek finally took the Big Kids to a Penn State game!  He had been looking forward to this for a long time!  

Each spring the Penn State football team has a Blue and White game.  It is a free game and also has a family friendly carnival, too.

They left at 7:15 in the morning, pretty much right on schedule.  I had loaded them up with snacks and sandwiches.  I think he said the trip took about three hours.

They arrived with plenty of time to enjoy the carnival before the game.

Apparently they don't get motion sickness on roller coasters!

With the stadium only half full, the children could see in front of them easily.  Notice the winter coats below.  The day before they left I had washed all of our winter coats thinking I would put them away for the spring...before I looked at the most recent weather report that predicted State College's temperature of low 40's with a lot of wind.

Plenty of room to play, too.

 The meteorologists failed to predict sleet during the game!

 They didn't watch the entire game.  (Derek did not expect to have the kids sit for the entire game, but it sounds like they did really well.)

Then they had time for more fun.

Before the left campus, they drove (much too far to have them walk on such a full, tiring day) to see the Nittany Lion and have the proper pictures taken.  Of course.

(Meghan's hood has a Nittany Lion on it, in case you are wondering.)

Derek showed Meghan and Evan where he had lived on campus.  He also took them by Nimitz Avenue where I used to live in my basement apartment.  (In case you didn't know us then...I moved to State College while we were dating instead of dating long distance.  I was never a Penn State student...)

The fun didn't stop in State College.  They stopped on the way home  in Strasburg (near Lancaster) for dinner at the ICE CREAM shop we like to visit.  For dinner.  (Just emphasizing, not complaining.)  Yep...memories were made that day!

The kids came home super excited.  They ALL had a lot of fun.  (What a joy to have kids old enough to skip rest time without drastic consequences...at least some of the time!)  It was definitely a successful Daddy Day!

It's Been a While...

It really has been a while since I wrote on this blog.  Life is rather busy these days...though mostly just tired.  Not only have I not been blogging here much, but I've had to cut down over at This Simple Home, my outlet for writing.  I noticed that I have also been taking a lot less pictures of the family.  Hopefully with spring on it's way (though officially here), that will all change soon.   (Though if we are so busy outside, I guess that doesn't leave much time on the computer.

Derek.  Just because I love him.

 I made Fudge Nut Bars (without the nuts, of course) this week.  Evan really liked licking the chocolate spoon.  That evening Meghan, Evan, and I delivered them as a little welcome gift to our new neighbors in our development.

 Over Easter, Derek's brother and family came to visit.  They brought for Derek a bunch of video games...and the Nintendo from years ago.  Derek introduced Evan to the world of video game baseball.  (I mostly just was amazed at how far video games have come...even if I have never used a Wii.)

 Today Esther went for her first ride on the lawn tractor.  No, Derek is not mowing yet, but he is servicing the tractor and such.

 This week Meghan and her kindergarten class had "Curriculum Night" at school.  Her class sung a song for us and then we had a scavenger hunt in her room.  The projects were very, very cool, especially the rain forest.  (Her charter school's theme is "discovery learning" so they do many projects.)  Below you can see her leafy hands!  She is dressed as a discoverer!

 Meghan helped wash the dishes one day...until her hands became too itchy.  Esther could not miss out on the action!

In other family news, Grandma and Grandpa J. are doing well.  Grandpa has been cleared to return to the wood shop, and Grandma comes home today from her rehab center after her ankle surgery.