Yes...we're still alive

I haven't posted anything for well over a year, I'm just cool like that. So in case anyone out there ever looks at our blog here is a superfast update of what we've been up to this past year.

Eve turned nine years old.

We took the kids to see the Atlanta temple. And the Lego store. Clark was in heaven.

Eve started 4th grade!

Clark started a mom co-op preschool.

We had lots of work done on the house. The process of getting estimates for work needed started in August and work finished in early March. Wheww! But now I don't worry so much about our house falling apart... so it was worth it!

It wasn't our best year for Halloween costumes. We just couldn't quite pull it together last year. We'll blame that on the house.

Dean turned 3, then Clark turned 5!

Christmas

Matt started graduate school to earn his Masters in Business Administration. The homework takes alot of time...hang in there!

Eve took a gymnastics class. Our camera was broken for a while, so no pictures of this.

Clark started soccer.

And never fear...one thing always remains the same around our house from year to year... folding laundry. This may be why I never post anything.

The Higdon Biker Gang

Boys

I wonder what these two guys are thinking about?

Little boys...never a dull moment.

Eve

Another school year is over! Eve had a good year in 3rd grade. She had a great teacher and made good grades. Her only weakness is math...but we're working on it. Eve is awesome at science. She was even on the Apison Elementary Science Olympiad team. She was one of ten third graders chosen and one of two girls on the science team. We are very proud of her!

Eve has just about read the first two Harry Potter books in less than a month, will turn 9 in a few weeks, and will be in the 4th grade in the fall (and middle school in 2 years...yikes!!!). How did my little baby girl grow up so fast!

Thinking about this has made me strive to enjoy her more, to build a strong relationship with her, and to take advantage of every teaching moment I have...because before I know it she really will be all grown up.

All Aboard

Our family visited the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum during spring break. I've lived in Chattanooga, the Choo-Choo capital, for 11 years and have been a mother for almost 9 of those years and I can't believe our family hasn't been here before. Craziness...I know. It was an amazing local adventure.

We began our adventure by buying our tickets at the depot. The kids loved to waiting in the back of the depot for the train to pull in. It was so exciting. Then it was "All Aboard" for a train ride through the Missionary Ridge Tunnel.

The train took us to the East Chattanooga depot where we watched how a train engine is turned around and looked at the shop where they restore the trains. Then we jumped back on and headed back to the main depot. This was the first time any of us had ridden on a train. We loved it!

Side note: Did you know one of the museum's restored steam engines was used in the movie "Leather heads" with George Clooney and Jim (from the office). They came and filmed in Chattanooga for a day. Who knew!? I'm going to have to watch the train ride scene in that movie again.

There is also a small museum in one of the stationary train cars. This sign made me laugh, but I guess it was a big enough problem that they had to make a sign about it.

This was such a fun place to visit. The kids loved it and Matt and I loved it too.

Happy Easter!

Oma!

My mom recently paid us a week long visit. She is from Germany, so we call her Oma. The kids had a great time with her. The weather wasn't the greatest during her visit so they had lots of inside fun ...like lightsaber battles. She also bought them bunches of candy. The kids thought Oma was very cool for getting them so much sweet stuff. She also helped me a lot around the house. We had a fun visit with her.

I especially miss my mom when she goes home and I have to unload my own dishwasher :)

Family Nature Adventure

Matt received a free family membership to the Chattanooga Nature Center from work. When Oma was here we took a family adventure to check it out. Our kids like taking walks so they loved it. The nature center has trails, boardwalks, a giant tree house, and also some animals like hawks, snakes, and red wolves. The kids liked the animals and posed for a picture in a life size bald eagle nest (that thing was huge!). Dean's favorite part was the tractor he found along one of the trails. We took our lunches and ate on a picnic table by a pond with turtles. It was a fun adventure.

I think receiving a package on your doorstep is one of the greatest childhood joys.

Thanks Oma & Opa!

The package also contained the best chocolate ever from my extended family in Germany.

I'm so excited...I love packages too!

Say What?

Kids say some funny things. Here are some funny things our three kids have said lately.

We were eating bacon for breakfast one morning. Clark is a very picky eater so we were trying to convince him that he has eaten bacon before and he actually liked it. Eve tried to remind him of his love of bacon by saying, "You know bacon, little strips of pig". Very true, but not so appetizing.

Clark and Dean were playing in their room one morning. I left them alone because I thought they were having a wonderful time playing. When I checked on them I discovered that my two quiet little boys had dumped every toy in the closet on the floor (I should have known, right?). Clark told me, "Don't worry Mom. I can still walk in here. Its like the garbage shoot in Star Wars". Maybe that was the plan all along.

Dean does whatever he can to get a laugh from his sister and brother. His latest stunt to get a laugh is hiding, taking off his pants, and running around the house. Eve and Clark hoot and holler every time, so he does it a few times a day. I have started putting Clark's underwear over his diaper to prevent him from taking it off and running around naked, which gets the most laughs of all.