BRRRR . . . just our luck

Red Sox vs. INDIANS, Cleveland, OH




We were excited and looking forward to our trip up north to the Cleveland Indians baseball game. Going to baseball games is one thing we enjoy, and can afford, doing as a family. We try to go to a couple of games throughout the season, but this season we won't be able to since we will be moving to North Dakota. So, once the Indians' 2009 season tickets went on sale, we selected a game early in the season so we could go to at least one game before our big move. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing what Mother Nature will bring for the game until the day of the game.





Typically we sit in those bleachers over there, but this time we decided to spend a little more since it is the only game we'll get to go to this year and we got these seats on the lower level. We like the idea of possibly catching a ball, so we like home run territory or this section of foul ball territory was a great location too. By the way, that big tall yellow foul pole played an important role in the game we were at. We also chose to go on Tues., April 28th because it was dollar dog night . . . between the five of us we only ate seven dogs. Cassie is not a huge hot dog fan, maybe because that is all we fed her when she was a toddler and as she's older now she knows what they are made of. But she did eat one and then she had a hamburger, which the usher in our section gave her a hard time about.



When we arrived it was NOT raining, but our seats were wet so the usher wiped them off. This was our view of the infield from our seats. When I got the tickets I was so excited because we would be in the right area to try and get autographs before the game. Well, due to the weather I'm not sure we really wanted to even be at the stadium so trying to get autographs was so far from any body's mind.



We were close enough we could see the players warm-up, and Mackenzie was excited when she saw Shin-Soo Choo on the field -- that's her favorite player.




Well, we were in for a long night. The game started at 7:05 and it took two hours to play three innings. It was cold and we were all layered up with shirts and gloves and then covered up with blankets. By the top of the 3rd inning the Indians were losing 7-3 and we were beyond freezing!! Mackenzie was chattering. The kids were whining about going to the hotel and just watching the game. Mackenzie had even stated loud and clear that we were leaving by 10:00 p.m. because by then we would have froze ourselves for three hours!! Well, remember that yellow foul pole . . . the Indians were losing 7-4 and Ben Francisco hit a three-run home run that bounced off that foul pole. YEAH!! We were back in the game tied 7-7. Now we couldn't leave; however, at 9:16 Mackenzie informed me we were leaving in 44 minutes!! By the time the 3rd inning was over, Jay pointed out that all the games that started at the same time as ours were already over or just finishing. We were definitely getting our moneys worth.



We hung in there as it got colder. It never really started raining, but this mist moved in from off the lake. We tried warming up with hot chocolate and coffee. As the mist got thicker and heavier you could feel the moisture in the air. So, it just got colder and the wind started to pick up.

This tells you how cold and desperate fans were . . . these fans were Red Sox fans and they broke down and bought an Indians fleece blanket.

Well, we finally gave in to the elements at the top of the 6th inning. We said farewell to those around us and headed out of the stadium at 10:00 p.m. On our way to the hotel, which was only about 15 minutes away, the Red Sox broke the tie in the 7th inning by scoring one run. At that point we were glad we had left. By the time we got checked in to our hotel and into our room the Indians had scored again and the game was tied 8-8.

So we made ourselves comfortable in the warmth of the hotel room and finished watching the game together. We ate our peanuts, cotton candy and other snacks without freezing. Have you ever tried eating nachos with gloves on? . . . . it's not that easy. We were excited that the game ended in the bottom of the 9th when the Indians scored on a Red Sox error.

GO TRIBE!! a 9-8 victory

I know it was cold and somewhat miserable, okay very miserable weather conditions. But I had a blast hanging out with the kids and watching the game with my husband, one of his favorite past times. We got to hoot and holler and cheer for the Tribe. Here's hoping the Clippers game we're going to May 12th is a little warmer and more enjoyable.

Our Favorite Visitor!!

We got to watch our favorite little guy, Odie, for about an hour one morning this week. He was wide awake and in such a good mood. He is soooo cute and adorable. The kids always fight over who is going to get to hold him. I'm always afraid when Mackenzie is walking around with him - he's so big, at least he looks huge in her arms.







Well, he came over again today for a few hours. Cassie and I went out at 7:30 this morning to deliver some of our routes so we could be back around 9:00 a.m. when he was to arrive. We love spending time with this little guy.

He is so much fun . . . he is so animated. It is always such a joy to be able to spend time with him. Cassie and Mackenzie took him for a walk around the block, so he got to enjoy some of this fresh air and great weather we had today. Jay loves playing with him and making him giggle. There is just something about a baby's giggle that is so refreshing. And they can laugh at the most peculiar things. Like last Saturday he came over for dinner with his mommy and daddy. Well, after dinner we were outside -- the kids were practicing their golf with their uncle, and this little guy would just giggle hysterically at them swinging their golf clubs. It was too cute.




















Chloe is never really too sure of him . . . he steals all the attention, but today he spent a little time with her, too.

We will definitely miss him (and his mommy and daddy, too) when we move. Thank you for letting us have an opportunity to spend some alone time with him. We truly love having him around -- the kids like helping and entertaining him.

A Chapter Ends

On May 23, 2009, Jay will graduate from Trinity Lutheran Seminary with his Masters in Divinity. He will join his classmates and cross the stage during the graduation ceremonies in Mees Auditorium at Capital University at 2:00 p.m.

We are excited about closing this chapter of this journey, but the journey is far from over, it's just the beginning. In the Lutheran denomination, this graduation is not the milestone that will make him a pastor. He has to be "called" by a Lutheran church and then when he accepts a "call" he will be ordained. He is glad to be graduating, but he is truly looking for that confirmation the he is called to serve the Lord, which inevitably lies in the hands of a congregation extending a "call" to him.

When a church "calls" him, there will be an Ordination that we will want all our friends and family to be a part of. Unfortunately, we can't plan an Ordination until he receives and accepts a "call". So, we can't tell you to mark a date on your calendar, yet. We'll keep you posted.

We do want to thank all our family and friends for their support during this journey, as one chapter comes to a close and another begins.

Headed North

Well, there hasn't been much going on with our upcoming move to North Dakota. Once Jay was assigned to the Western North Dakota Synod he spoke with the bishop to find out his information packet had been shared with three potential congregations in Crosby, Williston, and Minot.


After some serious Internet searching we shortly learned that Crosby is only six miles south of the Canadian border and the town has a population less than a thousand people. As a stay-home schooling mom, I quickly became concerned about the opportunities or lack there of in such an isolated area. All three potential congregations were provided with three candidates. So three congregations and three candidates; doesn't leave much room for flexibility or variety. I am very anxious about this whole process . . . I'm the "what if" or as my husband puts it "the worse case scenario" person. He keeps reminding me we have no control over this, that the Lord will lead us and we will get through this. A fellow home school mom said it best last week when she shared this statement:


If you want to hear God laugh . . . just tell him your plans.


Well, after a couple of weeks, Jay received a call from Crosby's contact and he was told we as a family are not a good fit, Jay's qualifications are excellent, but the community might be lacking things and resources we need as a family. Of course, Jay reminded me to just have faith in Him and in this process.


So then the waiting continues . . . another character flaw I need to work on - being patient. I was hoping by now we would have been out to North Dakota and would know more about when and where we are moving. But it's been over two months and I'm still as much in the dark as I was when we found out the assigned area.


On May 4, 2009, Jay and I will land at Minot International Airport in Minot, ND and the courting will begin. Our trip will be short, but enough time for him to interview with the congregation in Minot and the parish in Williston. From what I understand, this is also an opportunity for Jay to interview these potential congregations to see if he feels lead to either also. We should get to see a little of each community and get a better feel of the areas. We can only see so much on the Internet. I'm sure I'll take lots of pictures and try to gain as much knowledge about each community for future use.

Once we know more, you will too.

Good job, Honey!!

After the Clippers baseball game the other night, we stopped by our local Kroger to drop off papers to the recycle bin - - yes, in the rain. At first, I'm sure my husband was thinking to himself there was probably a better time to do this other than in the rain, but I wanted it done. Then after Jay and Zack were done unloading the four laundry baskets of newspapers, Zack kept trying to close the lid on the bin, but it was too wet and heavy for him. Jay kept teasing him, in a fun way, calling him a boy scout.

Well, as we were pulling a way, we noticed a guy pushing a car up a slight slant in the rain. Jay pulled up and got out to help him push the car up to the pump. As he got back in the car, we noticed the two people were standing looking at their gas tank on the opposite side of the car. Unfortunately, the pump's hose was not long enough to stretch across the back side of their car to the tank. So, Jay got back out and helped the guy push the car back down the slight slant and then they positioned themselves behind the car and pushed while the driver turned the wheel to get the car to the other side of the pump.

So the kids returned the favor . . . Who's the boy scout now???

Nice job, honey!!

Baseball fever!!

We were so excited when we found out that the Cleveland Indians' farm team was being moved to Columbus. We couldn't wait to get tickets. The last few summers we've enjoyed attending many Columbus Clippers baseball games. So, knowing we would be moving this summer meant we needed to try and attend a game in early in the season.


The new Huntington Park is gorgeous!!






When we first arrived there was a cloud cover in the sky, which made it very cold. We thought we were well prepared for the cold. We all had layered our clothes, having multiple shirts on under heavy sweatshirts, long pants, hats, and even scarves. Unfortunately, we were not prepared for the windy conditions which seemed to make it colder as we walked into the stadium. So, our first stop was the gift shop where we bought a sweatshirt blanket to keep us warm. Oh, we were in for a long night!!







Before the game started the clouds broke and the sun came out. YEAH!! It wasn't as chilly, but it wasn't blistering warm either. It did make it harder to see the game, but I'd rather have some heat and have to shield my eyes while watching than freeze and not enjoy the only Clippers' game we'll probably make it to before we move.







While Jay and Zack went to get our dime-a-dogs, the girls and I sat close to keep warm. The place wasn't packed, but there were a lot of people there. Especially, when we decided we needed more hot dogs, hot chocolate, coffee, and nachos. A couple of times Jay went to check on the food and beverage line to find them ridiculously long.




PLAY BALL!!






After a few short innings, the clouds decided to roll back in. Since I still can not stand for long periods of time on my foot, I sent Jay to get the hot beverages. My argument was if he never got in line the line would never get any shorter and we would never end up with any more hotdogs, hot beverages, or my nachos. So he ventured around the stadium with the girls to try and find food.


As the story goes, they found a line and stood there for quite some time, 25 minutes, before they realized the line they were in they could only get hot dogs and beer. The hot beverages and nachos were on the other side, visible but not accessible from the counter line they were waiting in. So, Cassie broke away and waited in the other line so when the hotdogs were purchased they could get the hot beverages and nachos. Great teamwork!






About the time they got back, I thought I felt a raindrop. Oh, was that another one? Cassie thought she felt something, too. Mackenzie decided she wanted to get her poncho out just in case. We sipped our hot beverages and ate our nachos and hotdogs and then all of the sudden those scattered droplets were coming down in a fury. Everyone in the bleachers picked up there belongings and headed up top to try and find shelter from the rain. By then, we were soaked through our layers of shirts. We were wet and colder now.





The grounds crew came out to cover the field. So, we ended up leaving in the middle of the 4th inning, but at least we got to be a part of the new era.




As we were making our way out, Zack noticed the rainbow. The shower didn't last long, matter of fact I think they were playing again by the time we got to our car. Who knows, if we can get tickets, maybe we'll try to catch one last game before we move.

Next week, we're headed to Cleveland to watch the Indians play.

Mackenzie was hard at work and play

I was so thankful that Margot was able to take my kids to co-op the last day of the semester because Mackenzie was soooo looking forward to making her fairy garden. Mackenzie took two classes this last semester. One was a writing class and she did NOT want to take it, but I thought it would be good for her. It turned out she LOVED it. But her favorite class was the fairy class taught by Mrs. Miller. They did some wonderful things and Mackenzie had such a great time. Check out some of their fun fairy things at Margot's blog. Mackenzie loves her fairy garden. Thank you Margot for sharing your time and talents with the kids.



Okay, for Easter Mackenzie got a frog/bug habitat. She is having so much fun with her African clawed frog tadpole, which has been very educational for us, including her uncle. We thought we knew everything about amphibians and reptiles from our science studies. Well, it turns out that this African claw frog is not you typical amphibian because it doesn't lead a double life. It is totally acquatic and even has claws.

So, that means the frog habitat needs a tenant that lives on both land and in the water. We got some Northern Leopard Frog tadpoles for her habitat. Unfortunately they only survived a few days. Now she has to wait till we move before we get any more. I'm not sure if it was because of the cool weather they didn't survive.

One of the other things she's been working on is completing try-its for her Brownie vest. She wants to earn as many as she can before we move. Here she shows off her box guitar she made for the sounds of music try-it.



Nice job, Mackenzie. Keep up all your hard work.

Thanks!!

Thank you, Mom and Dad. The flowers are beautiful and the thought and well wishes very much appreciated.

Mom, I'm glad your surgery was successful. Now we continue to pray for a quick and easy recovery. Dad, don't get ran too much!! Jay was at my beckon call for only a few days -- wish I was closer so I could help. Love you both - - see you in May.

PUT your things away

I'm sure we all have told our kids over and over and over and over and over to put their things away. I'm sure we have all said that someone is going to get hurt tripping on something that is where it is not suppose to be. Toys have homes, books have shelves, clothes have drawers or laundry hampers, and shoes have closets or shoe bins.


Well, last night Zack's shoes were not where they belonged. But seriously how much damage can a boy's shoe do . . .





This shoe, which still isn't where it should be, caused a ruckus last night. After we said our nightly prayers and started our bedtime routine with the kids, I walked out to our back porch, which use to be a three-season room but my father-in-law finished it so it could be used year round, anyway I went to sit before the kids actually went to bed. As I stepped down the lone step, I stepped directly on Zack's shoe and before I knew it I was on the floor. Okay, I have twisted my ankle before and I could get up and walk it off - not this time! There was groaning, screaming, crying and hyperventilating.


In pain and scared that I broke my ankle, Jay phoned his brother to see if he could come and stay with the kids while he took me to the emergency room. You see, our live-in roommates, Jay's parents, are in California. Anyway, Jay's brother and his wife have very early schedules and it was already late so he wanted to know if we could bring the kids to his house. Unfortunately, Cassie still isn't quite old enough to stay home late at night while we're going to be gone for an undetermined time. Luckily, the hospital is close to Jay's brother's house. So, I had Jay drop me off at the emergency room - he got me signed in, and then he took the kids to his brother's house.

I checked into the emergency room around 10:30 p.m. After waiting about an hour and a half, Jay had to find a nurse to wheel me to the restroom. Finally after waiting for three hours they took me back for x-rays, but they still didn't have a bed for me so I had to go back out to the waiting room. There we waited another hour before they took me back to a bed to see the doctor. I'm so glad I wasn't in excruciating pain - as long as I didn't move my toes or put weight on my foot it was just a dull throbbing pain.

Once we were in the room, the doctor came in to inform me the x-rays didn't show any breaks or fractures. YEAH!! However, probably the way I rolled my foot/ankle I sprained it. My foot never did swell, but there is a nice purple bruise near the ankle. While we were waiting, we got the opportunity to talk with a male nurse whose wife had done some youth ministries in Minot, North Dakota - for those of you following our journey that is one place Jay is scheduled to interview for a pastor position.

After the doctor shared the good news about my ankle he sent one nurse in with pain medicine and another in to wrap my foot, put a splint on it, and give me my new crutches. Of course, Jay wanted to know if we could return the crutches when I am done with them to get a refund. LOL A second doctor came in to go over my injury - I have to ask, WHY do they all have to touch the foot to verify where the pain is? Come on people!! Then this second doctor wanted to let me know that a break or fracture is better because it doesn't take as long to heal and with a sprain now my foot will be weak and more susceptible to sprains. When he walked out of the room Jay said he just wanted to tell him to shut up and to work on his bedside manner.

You know if you ever want to just watch people, go spend a few hours in the emergency room. We saw some interesting characters and events.

Well, we got home around 4:30 this morning, which was just enough time for me to get settled and Jay to have to go back to get the kids from his brother's house. Today I have spent quite a bit of time in bed resting or recovering from a sleepless night. I've been elevating my foot and icing it down. I have to say that trying to get around on the crutches is not the easiest thing. Of course the kids are looking forward to playing with those when I no longer need them.




So, this is my new footwear fashion.

I had to call in some favors today. I had to find a sub for our mid week walking paper route, which Jay normally walks, but with his school schedule tomorrow there's no way he can get that route done and then drive the other routes with Cassie. So when he gets home from school he and Cassie will go out and deliver our driving routes.

Then I had to put a call in to a fellow homeschooling co-op mom to see if there was any way to get the kids, especially Mackenzie to her fairy co-op class. She has offered to come pick up all the kids in the morning so they won't have to miss any of their final co-op classes or the pizza party. Thank you so much, Margot.







Jay and the kids have been taking good care of me. They laugh when I have to get down on all fours to get down that lone step on the back porch. I keep feeling out my foot - wiggling my toes, putting a little weight on my foot because I have things that are planned and things that need to get done, so I can't be put out too long.

THIEF

There is a THIEF at our feeder!! So much for that squirrel baffle, or whatever that thing is called that sits atop the feeder supposedly to keep the squirrels away.

Okay, after I snapped these photos from our kitchen window, the kids ran out the back door screaming and scared him away . . . only for him to return later.

Mackenzie is feeling GREAT!

It's hard to believe that Mackenzie had surgery 19 days ago. But I have to tell you Friday, April 10th, was a very big day for her. For two long weeks after her surgery she couldn't run, jump, climb, or do anything strenuous. She was an awesome trooper. She'd go outside with her siblings, but wouldn't be able to "play" with them and the neighbor kids - because of her restrictions. BUT Friday was a different day, it was the two week marker from the date of her surgery.

I caught a glimpse of her running by the front storm door when Cassie came in and told me to look out the kitchen window. There she was running all over the backyard with the biggest smile on her face. She finally made it back into the house and yelled with pure excitement, "I can run!!"

One of the other concerns we had was the fact that she lost 10% of her body weight. I'd love to lose 10% of my body weight, but on her little 60 pound frame it was a lot. If you recall she was sick a couple of weeks before her surgery, so when she went to pre-op we found out she had lost three pounds. Of course the days that followed surgery she didn't eat much at all. I stocked up on frozen treats, pudding, applesauce, ice cream, chicken noodle soup, and yogurt for her, but she's a finicky eater and none of that was very appetizing to her. She was great about drinking her fluids - - the apple juice, Sprite, and sweet tea, but wouldn't drink the Nutri Pals we got hoping to get some calories into her.

Well, after I talked with my dad and relayed the message from Grandpa Tom that she needed to eat lots of chocolate pudding or drink a few chocolate milkshakes, she decided to take an interest in eating. She's been checking her weight, and we are excited to say she has gained back those pesky six pounds, and she is eating just about anything, that is if she likes it, these days.

YEAH, Mackenzie! She made it through those two weeks of recovery and now she no longer has any restrictions. We take a peek at the back of her throat periodically, and it looks better and better everyday. She sees the ENT for her follow-up on May 12th, but I think I can honestly say - - She is back to her ornery self, I mean she is 100% healthy.

A week's growth

Last weekend Mackenzie brought home this cute and almost invisible tadpole -- it was soooo small.



Only a week has gone by . . .

I'm glad our kids don't grow this much in a week.

He has stripes on his tail, he's at least three times the size he was when he came home, and you can still see his heart beat (that red spot obviously is his heart).

Our Family Easter

I tell you what, the beginning of the week is pretty mellow for us; Mondays and Tuesdays that is. Come Wednesday, our week takes on a whole new meaning. One day it is Tuesday and I swear the next is Sunday afternoon - - what happens in between there is always such a blur.

Well, this past week wasn't any different. Monday and Tuesday were somewhat typical school days . . . we finished up our standardized testing and did a little work. Wednesday we had a relaxing school day and just touched on a few subjects. By Thursday, we were focused on co-op classes, delivering papers, and Jay had a church commitment in the evening. Then we gave the kids Friday off since the neighbor kids were on spring break. While the kids hung out with their friends, Jay and I bagged the weekend shoppers, watched movies, and he prepared for his Good Friday service.

Before I knew it, it was Saturday and Cassie and I were out delivering the weekend shoppers. We totally forgot about decorating Easter eggs. So I phoned Jay and asked him to do a couple of things. First we had discussed the fact that he was going to miss the kids' Easter morning finds as he had a sunrise service at 7:00 a.m. and he had to leave the house by 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. So, we decided maybe he could call the Easter Bunny and explain our situation and see if it was possible for him to visit our house early. The EB was so eager to oblige, we just had to make arrangements to be out of the house for a while.

So, before we could leave we had to make sure we had decorated eggs for the EB to hide. While Cassie and I finished delivering, Jay steamed the eggs, went to the store to buy egg coloring kits - everything seasonal we own is in storage -, and then Mackenzie decorated the eggs. Cassie and I were home briefly and got to decorate a couple of eggs ourselves.



After Cassie and I got home and had some down time, the girls and I decided to go buy some craft supplies, which I have to admit turned out to be more of a hassle and we didn't get a thing. When Jay and Zack were done taking care of a few things, we met them for dinner.

To our surprise when we got home that fabulous EB had visited our house. He left baskets full of goodies for the kids. Along with the traditional solid chocolate bunnies and plastic eggs filled with candies, they got movies, educational things, Webkinz trading cards, pink Wii wheels (the girls), and some other really cool things.

Mackenzie was really excited about her frog habitat. Of course the tadpole she got from COSI can't go into it because he's a water frog. So we ordered her two tadpoles for her new habitat. Cassie also got a butterfly pavilion, so we ordered her some larvae to watch them go through the whole metamorphosis. The kids love watching things change and grow. YEAH . . . so do I.

After they went through their baskets, Zack found a stray egg. Yeah the EB hid the decorated eggs, too. So Kenzie scoured the house to find them all. She had a really hard time finding the very last one, but thankfully, Zack came to the rescue and found it hidden in the most unlikely spot, one of Cassie's sweatshirts.

Sunday morning was very relaxed for four of us. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, Jay had to get up extremely early to preach at the Easter Sunrise Service in Adamsville. By the time we got to church, he had preached one service and baptized a 7 month old baby, had breakfast with the congregation, taught Sunday school, and was preparing for his second of three services of the day.

Once we were all home from church, the kids spent a lot of time outside while Jay and I played catch up with household chores . . . mostly the laundry. I guess you do what you have to do. Now our week starts over.

Cherished Moments

Family is truly a very valuable thing in life. I know I tend to get stressed when family events are planned. I can almost say that I dread the whole "get together" thing because then I start nit picking at everything. Is the house clean enough? Will the kids get too wound up? What food to fix? And the list of things goes on and on!!

But when it is said and done and I go back and think about the events of the day and look at the memories that were captured, I am so thankful that we had that cherished time together.



Jay is such a great father and he adores his niece and nephews as much as his children. He loves making all the kids laugh, but he enjoys sitting with them, too. Little Princess will be two soon and she has not been a big fan of Uncle Jay. So this visit was very special when she would talk to him, bring him things to show, and then finally sat with him. His youngest nephew, Odie, still loves hanging out with his Uncle Jay. Here they are both sitting watching one of those Baby Einstein DVDs with Uncle Jay.



Chloe was so sad that she wasn't getting the attention she normally gets. Everyone was oohhhing and awhhhing over the twins and Odie. So, Chloe decided to see if Grandpa would give her any love.



Princess decided to hang out with Grandpa for a while . . .



. . . then Cassie tried to steal some kisses, but Princess just played with her.

So, to my family . . . Thank you for the memories. I know the time we will have together will be harder to come by once we move to North Dakota, so I am truly thankful for the time we have together before we make our move.

Scavenger hunt . . . looking for their baskets

Okay, so it's not quite Easter yet, but with family that will be in California on Easter, we were all able to come together early and do our family Easter this past Sunday. Zack was so excited he got to hang out with his cousins who live just up the road in Dayton.





Once everyone arrived and got to visit briefly, Grandma Karen was ready to send them out looking for their Easter baskets. This was a family tradition for my husband and his siblings. The last time it was done was for Cassie's first Easter in 1995. Grandma color coded each kid to a single colored plastic egg and then she put their initials on the egg so they knew for sure it was their egg. Grandma Karen passed out everyone's initial eggs and the hunt began . . .





Cassie hanging out with her favorite chunky monkey, Odie.





Zack's first clue took him out to the tree by the "barn" in the backyard.




Mackenzie's second clue was found outside by a big tree in the side yard.




By the time I caught up to Cassie, she was going to Mackenzie's room to find her next clue egg.




All the kids hunted for their baskets. Here little "Princess" got help from her mommy.



Once Little Man found one of his clues outside with his dad, he decided it was time to play soccer.



Lightning found one of his clues outside and there was money inside. All the kids got money in their eggs, and the money totaled up to their age. Zack was excited because he got one whole extra dollar than his age. Poor Grandma when she did the math based on the year of Zack's birth she was right, but she forgot that his birthday is towards the end of the year so he hasn't had his birthday this year. It worked out for him because he one whole extra dollar.

At the end of the clues, they found their Easter baskets filled with all kinds of goodies. This will probably be the last time we are all able to get together for Easter, so it was nice to be with family. We did miss Auntie Heather and Wes, who couldn't make it all the way from California. Hopefully we'll get to see them soon, too.