planes and cleats.

 Zeb was selected as a winner for the 'Presidential Aircraft' coloring contest at his school and his artwork was displayed at the Air Force Museum the last four weeks!  there was artwork from schools in three surrounding counties and grades k-12.

Zeb always works hard at what he does and is pretty competitive!  I am proud of his accomplishment :)

                                                              Here is his piece of Art.

 Air Force One.

Doesn't he look cute in his cleats and soccer shirt? we went over to see his artwork one Saturday after a soccer game.  The boys LOVE soccer and every spring they are able to play on the same team because of their birthdays! for four months they fall into the same age category and it makes it SO MUCH EASIER for me!   I knew with Kent being on nights and ER these 2 months- his schedule would be skeewompus so I signed them up but didn't volunteer to coach because I'd be chasing metta.   Apparently nobody else volunteered either. So I am the coach.
Oh my goodness.  Chasing and corralling and trying to teach children something I know NOTHING about is NOT my thing.  Especially with a 2-yr old either on my hip or trying to escape to the playground near the fields! ahhhhhhhhh.  it's a lesson in patience and sacrifice. I know my kids love this so I will endure.  even though I really don't love other peoples' children.  Kent made it to one practice and afterwards said to me: "I think you are supposed to be nice to them".  Ha! that is NOT in the coach description.  Only a few more weeks to go.  Wish me luck.

eek.

yikes.  I've never felt this chaotic. 

 prepping for this ginormous move (on top of living our already busy lives) has drained my time and energy!!  we are SO BUSY right now.

doctor appointments x5, dentist appointments x5, dejunking, visas and passportsx5, packing, prepping.  and SO MUCH military paperwork (for all the medical clearance and overseas stuff)!!  we are infinitely busy.

I need to catch up on blogging.

I pulled my most recent phone and camera pics for a blog smorgasbord.

The pictures have made me laugh.  and realize just how wonderful my life is.  even in the chaos of it all- being this busy makes me realize just how much I have to be grateful for!  good health. great adventures. awesome friends. stability. strong faith. and the best family.

Metta continues to be my cat lady. in toddler version.  She wears weird things.  hoards.  licks food off floors.  She is really cool.

 last week we made our inaugural spring trip to Hot Dogs Plus.  We wanted to hit the taco truck- but it isn't open yet.  the kiddos were happy with their funny faced ice cream cones at Hot Dogs Plus. I was pretty happy with my chocolate soft serve in a waffle cone, too.

breakfast of champions. cheetos.  at least 2 out of the 3 are dressed for the day.

 easter was wonderful this year!! Kent seemed to work almost EVERY holiday the first two years of residency- but this year I think we have had almost every holiday off.  it has been fabulous.
On easter eve- we realized we'd forgotten a few items for dinner so Kent went to pick them up and returned home with THIS. a SIX POUND bag of hash browns.

we had the sister missionaries over for dinner.  I love them.  I remember holidays when I was a full-time missionary in Russia and sometimes they were tough days!  I missed my family and the good food :)  so hopefully the sisters had a good day at our place for Easter!  My baby sis is a full time missionary in brazil right now- and I hope people are taking good care of her, too :)

Kent with the toddlers.  he genuinely enjoys kiddos.  and I am ever so grateful for that.

and  just a few last pictures of our Easter weekend.

the neighborhood/friend hunt!  metta found a special egg and got a big prize much to her brothers' dismay :)

Easter morning :)  

I'm not a big fan of the 'Easter Bunny'- but they got some new socks, a pack of gum, and some candy from mom and dad!

2 out of the 3 kiddos are giving me a good true smile here - so it's the best pic we got all day :)  

Church was wonderful and we had fabulous ham, rolls, and plenty of cheesy potatoes for dinner!

I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ- and the glorious doctrine of the Resurrection! He Lives!

I vow to blog better over the next few weeks since they are the LAST weeks we have in Ohio.  Oh my goodness!  all of this is happening way too fast!!

CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been AGES.

we went on vacation- and now we are recovering from our vacation!  that one hour time difference killed us :)

We spent last week partying it up in Chicago.  way too much food, lots of games and laughing, and not nearly enough sleep.

we met up with my sister to visit two cousins and their families in the Windy City.   I don't know how we all lucked out with such amazing husbands- but one day we spent the afternoon out shopping and eating french chocolate- while the husbands took ten kids to the movies. we did take the three babies with us.

I tried my first ever macaroon.  I liked the fruity ones better than the chocolate.

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we stopped by Penzy's spice shop.  I'd never heard of the place- but it was pretty amazing and pretty 'spicy'.

we spent almost every night up too late, laughing, playing games, and eating.  I have the most amazing network of cousins who are like great friends!  we can get together after years apart- and it's as though we've been next door neighbors the entire time.  I really wish we could all live closer and see each other more often!  but I'm so glad that just a few of them live on this side of the country!! family is the best.

One day we hit Cantigny Park.  An AMAZING war museum with the coolest tanks to play on and some pretty cool war exhibits.

All of the cousins' kiddos playing together. Are they 2nd cousins? or first cousins once removed? I can't ever figure that out.

we took up five rows at the Normandy display!!

these old tanks are such a hazard for little kids to play on!!!   but pure heaven, too.  good thing we had a pediatrician with us :)  We had no injuries- but I can only imagine the number of stitches that have come from this place!

we loved it.  hanging on howitzer cannons.

We hit the 'ball factory' one morning for the kids.  and we got to play as much as they did.  This place would be so much fun to rent out for an adult party!  

a ball blaster room? giant slides?  it was all wonderful.  metta found a swing that spins AROUND AND AROUND AND AROUND. she would NOT get off. Even though it was obvious that her head was SPINNING out of control. She definitely has my sense of motion.  Kent almost vomited watching her spin!!  the video of her is on my facebook page! (click on that link). it's funny stuff.

And finally- The stupendous field museum!  this place is unreal. so great.  so full of science and facts and greatness.  it made me remember why I love bugs and evolution and animal life!  plus- my cousin (inlaw)- steve-is one of the scientists here!  he got us in free :)  and showed us the ropes.  He's a lichenologist!  you can check out his work here: http://fieldmuseum.org/explore/multimedia/video-leavitts-lichens.   He's pretty cool.

It was cold, wet, and pretty windy on our museum day! Zeb was not happy about posing for this picture,

our Metta has to be the happiest most exuberant and easily excitable child of all time.  She ran around with her hands in the air ALL DAY! shouting for joy and hip hip hooraying about every exhibit.  it was really fun,

she was a little afraid of the giant soil grub.  in her defense- it's creepy.

Baby Milo and the baby dinos.

toddler metta with the toddler dinos!

the heat camera exhibit was neato.

and yoda with a head- dress was a hit with the star wars fans.

hopefully little Zeb grow up to love DNA as much as his parents :)  I sometimes sing him the songs I taught to my high school students when I taught bio :)

Here we are catching orbs.  I'm not sure the purpose.  but it was fun!

Our final big event in Chicago was the food.  Isn't that the best part of vacations? besides being with loved ones, of course!  EATING!!! new and exciting foods.  eating more than is healthy.  Buying foods far more expensive than you'd normally buy :)  We had mediterranean, mexican, chinese, and all American Chicago deep dish from Giordannos.  After a long day at the museum- we were staring- and it tasted DIVINE.

the kiddos went for traditional.

we splurged on fat, calories, and money and went for deep dish.  I want more. right now.

The whole trip was perfect!  thanks for the fun Hailey, Steve, Robert, and Laura :)

we are quickly checking things off our bucket list before the big move!  it's coming SO SOON!  

any last ideas on stuff we NEED to do before we leave Ohio??!?!