Bikes

Tori can ride a 2 wheeler without any trainning wheels!!!  She is so thrilled.  It just took a several days of practicing and she got it.  She can even get herself started.  James and Ellie love to sit on the driveway and watch her ride.  James counts off for Tori to start and then he sits and cheers her on.

After walking Tori home from school they all love to play outside and ride their bikes.  I love living someplace where they can still do that in the winter.  Even Ellie loves to ride her little bike.  She swings her little legs and tries to get herself going pretty fast.  She is desperate to keep up with the big kids.  Ellie is turning out to be our little dare-devil.

Fun Stuff and Outfits

 Tori woke up this Saturday morning and really wanted to make a volcano.  Not a bad idea for a rainy Oregon day, so we tried it out.  Tori and James had a lot of fun making the dough and building it and were pretty impressed when we made it erupt.   I think our bottle was a little large so the eruption wasn't super impressive, but they still got a kick out of it.

 Below the kids really wanted to show dad the new Easter outfits they picked out.

 

Lately, James insists on being like Dad and wearing a white shirt and tie to church.  I thought it was really cute so I wanted to get a picture.  I think he looks like a mini missionary. :) 

Super Tori & Super James

When Grandma was visiting she saw how much Tori and James loved playing super-heros, so she sent them some capes and masks.  They loved them!  It's so fun seeing them pretend together.

Ellie didn't get to be a super-hero, but she's super cute. ;)

Fun School Stuff with Tori

Tori's first grade class gave everyone a turn to be student of the week.  They got to make these 3 fun posters about themselves and pick pictures they wanted to share with te class.  Tori loved it and I thought it was a really cute way for the kids to get to know each other.  I love the things she wrote and the pictures she chose to share. 

They also had a daddy-daughter barnyard boogie at her school.  Tori and John had a blast dancing.  They handed out raffle tickets at the beginning of the evening and kept calling out numbers for kids to come and get a small prize.  Tori listened anxiously everytime they called a number and John kept telling her that he never wins raffles and that they weren't going to call her number.  Well, the very last number they called that night was the number on Tori's ticket - she was thrilled!!  She won a cute little bead kit that made a neckless - it was a very fun evening. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 I tried to get a picture of the kids for Valentine's Day - some days are better than others at getting them to all look at the camera and smile. :)  Tori had a blast at her school Valentine's party and loved making Valentines for all her classmates.  James loved making and getting Valentines from his sisters.  It was a fun, low key, Valentine's Day.

 

 Tori liked putting together the little Valentine house below that Grandma sent.

Cousins and Tae Kwon Do

 Aunt Ann, Uncle Trip and their kids - Rocky, Mary and Danny came to Portland for another Tae Kwon Do tournament.  This time all the kids came and competed.  We were thrilled to get to see them all and have a fun dinner together!  They all did great during the competition the next day - John and Tori loved watching them.  I stayed home with the little ones since we didn't think they would last the whole tournament (plus we don't what James getting any ideas ;)). 

Mary & Ellie - so cute together. :)

Grandma & Grandpa Visit

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit and we had a bunch of fun with them.  So much fun, that I forgot to take pictures.  I'm so glad I took this picture of them with all the kids.  We loved eating good food, having fun playing and riding the tram with them.  Tori was thrilled to get to go inside their hotel - we would always drive by it (it's called the "Grand Hotel") and she would say she wanted to inside and see what it was like, so now she got to.  The kids liked the beautiful Christmas tree it had in the lobby and eating the free breakfast.  Thanks for visiting! We love you!