Connor's Wildlife Photography

One morning, Connor saw a squirrel outside and decided, as usual, to help himself to our expensive and very fragile camera.  Luckily, the camera survived, and we got these wonderful shots of the animals in our front yard!
   

I'm in the back window giving a practiced look of disapproval.

   

Volleyball Class

For the past few months we've been doing a homeschool sports class on Mondays at the park near our home.  The coach who does these classes does it full time, and travels around Southern California all week teaching fundamentals of sports to homeschool groups.  I was a little hesitant to sign up, since the age range is from 5 to 18, and I worried it would be too advanced for Connor, but I'm sooo glad we did it, because we've met some really great families.  This past session was Volleyball, so Connor (kinda) learned the basics of passing, setting, and hitting.  They paired everybody up by height, (and effectively by skill), so Connor and his friend spent a lot of time just trying to throw the ball anywhere near each other.  Coach stepped in from time to time to help them out.  
   

  
While the big kids were learning volleyball, the moms were talking, and the little sisters were finding sticks.  
   

     
By the end of the eight weeks of class, the kids were playing some real volleyball games.  Connor even scored some coach-assisted points, which he LOVED.  Something I've noticed about homeschoolers is that age differences aren't a big deal.  Different age groups are more willing to play together, and the older ones seem to want the little kids to succeed.  It's really cute.

Eagle Watching

Connor's class had a weekend field trip in February to go on the "bald eagle tour" at Silverwood Lake in Hesperia.  Unfortunately, babies weren't allowed on the boat, so I opted to stay home with Evan.  Ryan got some good pictures, though.  
    

When I asked the kids if they saw any eagles, Connor said, "We saw a black thing that Dad said was an eagle."  I think the main event for the kids was just riding on the boat.  
     

Dad says it's an eagle.

Evan Turns One!

My sweet little Bubber Boy turned one in February!  I can't believe it.  And, as though he knew what a big boy he had become, he greeted me that morning as I walked into the dining room with this:  
    

   
It was his first pull-to-stand!  He'd stood while holding on to things before, but that was his first time pulling up by himself.  
   

           
We were all a little sick that day, so things were pretty low-key.  By the time we got dinner over with, and were ready to do his brownie "cake", everybody was tired, especially Evan.  He cheered up some, but he still hadn't figured out the solid food thing, so he just broke his piece into crumbs and threw it on the floor.  Oh, well - we ate it without his help.  
  

     
After cake, he "opened" his presents, including lots of things to throw, and this battery-operated ball that rolls around by itself. 
     

     
What do I love most about Evan?  I love that his nose wrinkles up when he smiles.  I love his random little chin-dimple, and his emo hair.  I don't love it when he plays splashy-splashy in the toilet, but I do love the fact that he laughs hysterically when I catch him.  I love it when he pulls his hair while nursing, but not so much when he pulls mine.  I adore his little habits of scratching textured surfaces and flipping webbing straps (like seat belts) back and forth as if it's the most fascinating thing ever (he's doing it right now, actually.)  I love the noise his hands make when he pat-pat crawls all over the house, and the way he carefully wipes his mouth with his hand if there's any baby food on it.  Ahh, Evan.  I could pour you on pancakes.  Happy Birthday!
   

Kids' Stuff

We've really enjoyed the Joy School program - both with Connor when he was younger, and with Elise now.  I usually forget to take pictures when it's at our house, but this year I've been a little better.  First, I have to show off the Joy School house I took waaaay too much time making.  It's a little laminated house with a picture window for each kid.  When they come in to Joy School they "open" their window to show they're present that day.
    

   
Connor is at school on Wednesdays, but on Fridays when we have Joy School at our place, he gets to participate (which he loves, despite it being geared for four-year-olds.)  Here they are making a "group picture" on the wall with construction paper.  Little Charlie wasn't present because he broke his femur a few days previous and was laid up at home in a full body cast.  We visited the poor thing later that day.
    

  

  

    
I think I've mentioned that Connor's math curriculum has a lot of hands-on stuff.  Anyway, that usually means pictures, so here are some more.
    

Boy Genius

   
Some of our best friends.  That swing is definitely the coolest part of our front yard, though it's a source of constant contention since there's only one.  Connor (striped shirt) is in the background of the second picture, in time-out.  He was bouncing big rocks off the jogger trampoline (unintentionally) in the direction of his friends.
   

  

   
These are some of Connor's recent photos.  He really isn't allowed to touch our camera, but he forgets that rule frequently.
   

  

  

  
Elise has been in speech therapy for about five months.  Everybody we know has noticed how much improvement she has made.  I'd say that over 95% of what she says is understandable now, up from about 50% when we started.  She absolutely loves her therapist, Ms. Kathleen (we all do, really.)  The other kids and I used to sit in on sessions at the beginning, but it became more of a distraction than a help, so now we do schoolwork in the car while we wait.  Elise gets to play games, color, and eat lollipops, so she's a big fan of the whole deal.  Honestly, I don't think she really needs the therapy anymore, but since she likes it so much, we'll let insurance pick it up for a few more months.
   

  

   
And Evan is just Mister Happy Boy.  He loves crawling speedily around the house, spinning in his bounce-bounce, pulling Mama's hair (and eating it), and trying to find ways to either make a mess or hurt himself.  As Elise says, "He's the cutest pie I ever seen!"
   

  

  

Merrill Jay Brown 1917 - 2011

I will admit that I've been putting off doing this post.  It's intimidating to feel like you have to do credit to a person's life in something as trivial as a blog, but I know I have to say something, so hopefully the writers' block will subside.
    
Merrill passed away on Saturday, February 19th, in his home, as a result of advanced colon cancer.  His death was something of a shock to our family.  During our last visit, he seemed to have improved so much.  He had been holding off the cancer for years, and seemed (to us) prepared to do so for many more months.  Of course, in family prayers, we would always ask that Granddad not suffer.  In many ways, it's a blessing that he didn't have to linger.  That wouldn't have suited him.
    
I've known Ryan's dad for about ten years now.  To me, Merrill has always seemed a man whose every motivation, at it's core, was in giving to others.  He was certainly a workaholic - he never retired - and spent little time in leisure.  I think work was simply what made him happy, and he did it so he could provide for others.  He provided for his family, certainly, that was his first priority, but he seemed to always be giving things to friends, employees, or acquaintances at the doughnut shop.  Often these were items he acquired at job sites, that he knew (or assumed) people would enjoy.  He was very stubborn in doing things his own way, and nearly always carried with him a sort of unimpressed sense of humor.
    
The kids loved (and still do love) their granddad.  To my kids, Granddad was doughnuts.  He was trips to the wrecking yard to ride on forklifts, and hours spent playing on enormous castoff amusement park slides.  He had things that were both scary and wonderful, like the office skeleton toy, his dogs, and his bird.  Visiting Granddad was an adventure to them.  
    
For my husband. . .  well that would be presumptuous of me to try to sum up Ryan's relationship with his dad.  But I know he taught his son to work hard, and to care for his family.  So much of who Ryan is has been shaped by the influence and example of his father.
    
I combed through our pictures to find our favorite moments with Merrill.  I think they do a good job of expressing what he meant to us.
   

Connor's First (Unauthorized) Solid Food at 5 1/2 Months

     

   

     

     

     

     

     

       

Granddad Meets Baby Elise

     

  

  

  

     

  

  

  

  

    

  

  

    

    

  

   

   

  

Human beings are not temporary.  We are too complex and too conscious to be here by accident.  We are eternal, and children of a loving God.  That's what I believe.  And I take joy in that, even when sad things happen.