Daddy's Birthday

I taught Kevin to play my favorite game this week -- "3 to 13."  He is very good and beat me each time we played the first few times!  And I wasn't "letting" him win; he had better cards.  After playing this morning, he was creative with the cards.

 Then he got creative with photography.

Today was Daddy's birthday!  We spent the afternoon shopping for a cake and birthday cards. We were looking for cards at Target.  The card writers of their cards are just gross/crass.  But we eventually found satisfactory ones.  Kinga finally called the bakery in her subdivsion and they had what she wanted!

Kevin and I taught Mommy and Daddy to play "3 to 13" last night, and they liked it too.  Mommy was the big winner last night.  So tonight all of us taught Stefan to play and he WON!  Not fair! 

End of the Easter Eggs

Today, we wanted to clean up the rest of the Easter Eggs.  Mommy was unfamiliar with Deviled Eggs.  Kevin helped me make them.  Kevin is shaking Parsley Flakes on them. 

Daddy LOVED eating Kevin's eggs.  After dinner, he gobbled the remaining ones making all of us laugh. 

Adventures at the NC Botanical Garden

I took Kevin to the local botanical garden with my membership+one card.  We looked at the displays around the main building and spotted a birdwatching area.  Kevin saw a Cardinal and I saw a Downy Woodpecker.  Then we spied a gate into a forested area with trails, so we left the garden and went "hiking."  We heard an Eastern Towhee (drink your ~tea~), Chickadees and saw a Turkey Vulture.

We saw this flower in the woods.  It looked like a Trillium to me, so I Googled "trillum red," and that is what it is!  Later we saw a section of the garden with hundreds of them.  We also saw a Pitcher plant.

We came across a bridge and you can't keep boys out of water!!!

I sat for a LONG time while he waded.  He even saw some little fish. 
We finally went back into the garden to see the treasures there.  They have a section of carnivorous plants, so we went looking for that.  Next we ran across this amazing chess set.  The pieces were all in disarray.  Kevin put them all in order, then played a game against himself until he was stuck in checkmate on one side and won on the other!  He reset the chessmen.  As we were walking away a family came along and started playing.

We were privileged to find an anole eating a fly!!!  A garden worker told us what kind of lizard he was. 

She told us about other things in that area including a Bloodroot plant, showing us the roots which have a red liquid looking like blood!

We stopped at Karin's grave to leave an Easter lily! 

(The marker has been sent away for repair)

 After church, there was an Egg Hunt for the kids!

The big boys had never hunted for their baskets before, so this was a fun adventure for everyone.

I spotted Kevin snuggled on Stefan's lap.  Sweet!

The Day Before Easter

 Grandma came with an Easter craft for the boy to do which I found on Today's Christian Women e-zine (I think).  I printed out the butterfly designs for Kevin to glue to backing paper.  He cut out the butterflies, bent the wings, then hot glued mini clothespins to the back.

Easter Eve and time to color eggs!!!

Kevin asked me today why my hands are crinkled.   LOL  

Two years ago, Kevin, in silliness, called everything "Mr. Potato Head."  Last summer everything was "chicken-butt." This year, "banana" is the word to describe everything.  Oh, my . . .   Crazy kid. . .  But adorable.  :) 

Grandma Arrives!

The boy is being his silly self.  :)  That is Grandma's hair pick in his hair. 

 Step Grandson Stefan is loving Pebbles. 

Great Uncle Gary & Great Aunt Ruth Come to Visit

My brother, Gary, and his wife, Ruth, came to visit for 10 days.  We took them to Texas Roadhouse.  The boys liked meeting their Great Uncle!!