Day Trip To Salina

In February, we met Dan's mom and two of his brothers in Salina.  We met at the famous Cozy Inn Hamburgers. 

Some of the kids and I in front of the Cozy Inn.

This place has been around for a long time.  Dan's father used to eat here while growing up in Salina.

Only two workers can fit in here to make the famous hamburgers.

Sitting at the counter, while our order is prepared.

See how small it is?  There are only six stools. 

 I did not get a picture of the actual burgers, as we were too busy eating. The kids loved them because they were little. You order them by the dozen.

After lunch, we all went over to the Salina Mall.

After walking through the mall, we got to the play area. 

Anthony had a great time, as did all the kids.

We finished off with a round of ice cream. 

We had a nice little trip, visiting with Grandma, Uncle Joe, and Uncle Chuck.  And Dan got his Cozy burgers.  (They were tasty!)

The Circus!

A few weeks ago, we got the opportunity to go to a circus.  It was the kids' first time to go to a real, 3-ring circus. 

We saw clowns!  Anthony wanted nothing to do with this clown.

The four big kids all got a pony ride.

Cotton candy!

Anthony had never had cotton candy before.  He liked it.  Let's just say, we all got a little sticky.

Joseph was ready for the circus to start.

The flying trapeze was awesome!

The tigers performed tricks.

A family of unicyclists.

This performer did tricks on and off the back of the horse.

Clown comedy act.

Intermission and time for a little lunch.

Dominic made a funny face for the camera.

The kids all loved watching the dogs do tricks.

And the elephants!

This huge elephant balanced on this ball and rolled it a little ways.  It was very amazing, yet looked so ridiculous!

We had a fabulous time at the circus and it will definitely be a great memory for us all!

A Bigger Winter Project

Dan built some more shelves, even bigger than the ones in the girls' room.

Then the boys' room got a fresh coat of paint, 3 walls green, 1 wall blue.

Then one day when all was ready, Dan loaded up the shelves to bring them to the house.

I helped carry them in and thank goodness, we did not have to go downstairs!

The kids tested out how high they could reach.

Anthony shows off the shelves, which now house all of the boys' toys, except for one big flat tub under the bed for Trios.  

Oh, the boys' room looks so much better.  Even when it gets messy, it is so much easier for them to pick it up because there is a place for everything and they know where things go.  No more piles of stuff kicked into a corner of the room!

Our Date

On Saturday evening, we dropped the kids off at Dan's brother's house (thanks Al and Brenda!), and went out on a date!

We went to Chester's Chophouse and Wine Bar, somewhere new to us.  It was wonderful, but not cheap.

Neither one of us could remember when exactly we went on a date last.  For sure, we know it was sometime before Anthony, and he is almost two! 

Here we are, looking like newlyweds!

The menu:  Appetizer:  Raw Oysters - Dan
                                      Mussels - Janet
                   Wine:  Merlot for Dan and Pinot Noir for Janet
                   Entree: New York Strip Steak with Lobster Tail - Dan
                                Filet Mignon - Janet
                   Sides:   Brussel Sprout Slaw and Ginger Snow Peas
                   Dessert: Chocolate Bread Pudding and Chester's Irish Coffee - Dan
                                 Creme Brulee Trio - Janet

Wow, what a meal!  It reminded us of some of the meals we ate on our honeymoon in Italy, not necessarily the food, but the attentive service and the leisurely meal.  We never felt rushed and the whole meal lasted over an hour and a half.   It was expensive, just like our honeymoon meals, but we've been waiting a few years for this one!

Not quite the Amalfi Coast, but we'll take it!

A wonderful Anniversary celebration!

A Clean Soul!

On Monday afternoon, Catherine made her First Confession!  Daddy met us at the church and our whole family was there for this important event.

I'm ready!

Her first confession is done.

Praying her first penance.

A happy girl with a clean soul!

Afterwards we went to celebrate with ice cream.  Even though it was Lent, this was a special occasion. 

Catherine got to open a special First Confession/Communion gift from Grandma Brungardt.

A rosary that once belonged to Catherine's great-grandmother.  Now she'll be able to use it to help prepare for her First Holy Communion.

And a new book from Mommy and Daddy, also to help Catherine prepare for her First Communion.

Happy Anniversary To Us!

It is nine years today!  Since it is Ash Wednesday today, we did some celebrating yesterday.  I made Pad Thai for dinner and Creme Brulee for dessert, and Dan brought home a box of candy, which we all shared.  It was Fat Tuesday!  Saturday we are going to go out on a date, thanks to Dan's brother and his wife.  So we get to celebrate twice!

This picture is from our honeymoon in Italy.  We began our trip in Rome, where we were able to receive the newlywed blessing from Pope John Paul II.  You can see the actual picture of him blessing us in the sidebar.  The picture above was taken after that, in front of St. Peter's Cathedral.  I felt like a princess walking around the streets of Rome in my wedding dress.

Exploring Our Little Woods

January was unseasonably warm and dry and the kids and I got into the habit of taking a walk almost every day.  Anthony would ride in the wagon and it became a routine to walk down by our two neighbors' houses and turn around and then whoosh down a little hill into our yard close to the pond.  We would then walk along the pond and the dry creek bed to the little woodsy area shared by us and one of our neighbors.  Then we would set off to explore the woods.  Sometimes all the kids came, but more often it was just the boys and I.

Dominic is ready for an adventure.

Anthony still loves the cat.

Joseph, looking for more bones.  We found what we think are cat bones back in the woods.  They now reside in a box on my desk.

The dry creek bed winds back and forth through the whole area. 

Anthony is a fearless jumper, but sometimes he needs a little help getting back out.

Okay, Mommy, I'm ready to be pulled back to the house!

We Ate The Earth

One of Catherine's science projects this year was making a representation of the layers of the earth out of ice cream.  Well, half the earth anyway. 

Catherine with her model of the earth.  Obviously, it is not an exact replica. 

One slice of the earth showing the inner core, the middle layer of mantle, and the outer layer (the chocolate shell!) of the crust.  The blue frosting represents the oceans and the chocolate chips represent mountain ranges.

At any rate, the kids learned the layers of the earth in a memorable and tasty way!