Jan-Feb 2013: TMNT, Massachusetts, Simon's Fifth

The girls

These first few must be from a family dinner outing to Penguin Ed's, our favorite barbecue place in Fayetteville. We will definitely be eating here when we come to visit!

Kyle-man

Taylor, Patrick, and Simon waiting for food

When the kids found a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle dvd at Patrick's parents house, it was all over. Since then, we have been picking up old TMNT vhs's too.

Pretty snowflakes on our picnic table

Getting into Big Daddy's fudge

These are the even numbered kids. The "every others" seem to get along well most times.

We have started having the older three kids take turns helping us prepare Family Home Evening lessons. Kyle offered himself a photo model to teach repentance:

Doing wrong

Feeling sad

Praying to repent

Feeling happy!

Dressing up and missing teeth

Patrick and I flew to Massachusetts to interview for a PhD program

Driving in chilly MA

Mama Iguana made comida buena.

Our amazing friends responded to a last-minute invite to Simon's fifth birthday party. I hope their parents don't mind that they all came home with weapons (made of duct tape). Thanks to Brenna for helping me feed the clan!

The dress-up queen

Flat Aubree visited us from the Besich's in Bakersfield, CA.

Happy V-day, Aubree!

TMNT decor

What I woke up to find day after Valentine's (he had a gig that night)

Ducks on frozen water on campus

View out the 23rd floor of UMass library

A bike that struck my fancy at UMass campus

Old church construction date

Feeling whimsical outside an old church on campus

Emily Dickinson's home in Amherst

Dickinson gravestone

Handwritten (by Robert Frost) manuscript of "Stopping by Woods"

From the Amherst library room dedicated to local famous poets and authors. I was excited about Robert Frost since I really like him. Don't know much about Emily Dickinson.

My lunch at Wheatberry

Local seasonal cuisine was more the rule than the exception in Amherst

Yep. Got 'em.

A farm outside of Amherst

Neat buildings; photos do not do them justice

I love the white trim

Another old church

These are all cool hippy toys from an amazing toy store in Amherst. I was in there for like an hour.

Wooden AND magnetic? Yes!

A home of Robert Frost

Simon turned five!