Before & After

Hannah and I had a great week together recently.  The kids played wonderfully, and we had a blast, talking and laughing and just having fun.  Nate and Hunter weren't really sure what to make of it.  It reminds me of when Mom and Auntie get together! 
   Well we did project after project inside and out.  Things that I'd been saving since I moved in.... saying to myself "Oh, I'll do that with Hannah when she comes" etc.  I'm so glad she finally came!!  (hopefully she is, too! )  We both love the blog Better After.  ... love looking through all the do it yourself projects they have... Very inspiring!  So here's my own.  Free on craigslist, with paint from the mis-tint section of Home Depot..... although it was the color I had wanted anyway-- (super excited about that blessing!!)  Help and encouragement from Hannah, and here it is!!!

BEFORE

AFTER

What do you think?!!  It was a lot of work, but I'm super excited to do more!

Scouts

I took the three big boys to the Army & Navy store in town on a snow day last week. 
They LOVED it!  Both Nathan and Hunter had money to spend, and so I thought this
might be the perfect place!  Hunter chose a "flint and steel" set.  He was thrilled to set some dryer lint on fire!

Hunter made himself a neckerchief slide from his metal collection.

Some of his collection!

busy busy busy

(I'm loving all the snow days we've been having!)
projects galore!

yet another slide.... this one he felt wasn't as girly.  He felt the last one looked a little too much
like a flower.  This one is an "H".

Pretty cool, huh?!!

Nathan chose this water pouch.  He's really good about letting the other kids
use it too.  It's a pretty big hit!

Hello, Cupcakes!!

Despite what this picture looks like, we had a ton of fun a couple weekends ago!  Tommy, my now 2yr old
nephew had his birthday party at our house.  We made cupcakes!  It was a blast!

We drew bug outlines on paper, and then with wax paper over the top we traced them
with melted chocolate in ziploc bags!

Then with every kind of MnM available, we decorated them!  Yummy!!

Nathan's busy melting some chocolate

some creepy crawlies drying....

Hunter's amazing scorpion!

Gary's creation

The parents had just as much fun (if not more) than all the kids doing this!

We did a few butterflys, too!

hard at work

Hunter melted frosting and then we dipped the cupcakes into it to make a smooth perfect top!

Then we just added our creations!

Lots and lots of yumminess!

Felicity was thrilled with her butterfly!
She couldn't eat it!

Creation complete!

Butterfly, caterpillar, scorpion
So addictive to make.... there's "so much scope for the imagination"!!!!

Zepherin just enjoying all the fun!
(in a very relaxed way)

We sent these ones home for Nana-lee who wasn't able to be there. 
A beautiful butterfly and a breakfast of buttered toast, eggs and sausage!
(Frosting, MnMs and tootsie rolls!