More Mom Mom time! What to do today?Let's go to the Hutchinson Underground Salt Mine & Museum. Here are mom and the kids waiting for our tour watching Dirty Jobs when Mike Rowe came to this very mine to do some "dirty jobs".Getting ready to load the double decker elevator shaft to descend 650' below in total darkness (boy a cell phone offers a lot of light in utter darkness....when your 7 year old is squeezing your hand very tight!) SaltMany interesting vehicles are used to move the salt around... all things are preserved very well. All but 1 major movie company stores their original footage and some neat costumes down here... excellent environment for preserving things!

We have both hard hats and an oxygen case just in case... Here we go on the "dark ride" on carts through the mines. Kinda cool!
More mom mom time...blowing bubbles!

Lacey loves to chase bubbles! Out to dinner at Jillians Italian restaraunt...tasty!

Out to eat at Bill and Paulas... BBQ Ribs a la Bill...hmmmmm

More March happenings... my mother arrived the Monday of spring break to spend some QT with her grandkids. That could mean only one thing... Axis and Allies with the boys. They love hearing her memories of WWII and her knowledge of history and she lets them guide the game. Hans especially looks forward to this time. Collin too! There was all around silliness March 16th as Erin prepares for her 12th Birthday on St. Patrick's Day! She is decked out in shamrock pj's with all the family St. Patty's bears! And shamrock earrings in her newly pierced ears! This photo just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. How can this be my baby!!Since many friends were away for break, it was a family birthday party. Uncle Bill set the mood arriving in full leprachaun attire. Wow! Everyone had to wear the big hat...
Erin wanted Stromboli for dinner so we made stromboli and she insisted on serving everyone...completely her idea. Very sweet she is!She got some beautiful presents...earrings from Aunt Lugene, thank you! All the locals got their thanks in person!

Aunt Paula got a lap full of nephews delivering packages!

and the birthday girl blew out all the candles!
My mom was posing a photo of my brother the Lepruchaun and I...she told bill to stick out his chest so she could see the shirt, I stuck mine out too, but you can't really tell!

I have been a bad blogger lately. Seems more family members are on FB so I've been guilty of posting there first! However, this tells the story better, so, I want to keep it up too! Back on March 12 Erin and I went to Great Bend to take gymnastics photos for my friend Rene. We had a lovely mommy & daughter day. I also had some wonderful helpers!and a nice visit with NancyThat was the beginning of our spring break and it started kind of cranky! Erin was out of sorts being at home with "nothing" to do and the boys were so excited for free time they did not want to go anywhere. Having this day together was perfect!

Bathroom Renovations! Mid February Chris and Phil tear into the bathroom taking it down the studs...

Chris has been working hard on dry wall, flooring, new cabinet in the wall. He's amazing and has gotten a lot done, even though the farm season is underway. He got the toilet done just in time for my mother's visit...that very day! She got to use it first. None of the boys would pose for this photo for me, so I had too!

Happy Anniversary Baby!
Where does the time go? It seems like ages ago that 2 transplant Kansans made their way back to Hershey PA for a beautiful wedding! My Christoper sang me down the aisle to "Arise My Love" by Michael Card. He had a terrible cold and wiped his nose every time Pastor Leon had us bow to pray. (People who peaked thought he was crying!) We had a beautiful day and a wonderful time with family and friends that sadly, we just don't see anymore. That sadness aside, 15 years later and we still got it! Friends, JUST WAIT til all the kids are in school! It's a wonderful thing!

I have always adored my husband's sense of humor and I still do. He can make even posing for Valentine's Day photos fun! Thank you honey for 15 years, filled with tears, laughter, hard work, children, more tears, draught, floods, ice storms, tornadoes, thick, thin, richer, poorer, sickness, health, good, bad, ugly, stinky and very silly!

Love YOU up to the moon and back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Sterling 7-8th grade boy's ensemble. They did a 3 part piece, well 3 movements and I just took a quick snip of each to let you hear how nice their sound is. This was for the St. John Music Festival and they received an AP for their performance, which is the highest mark possible.

Collins piano piece that he performed at the St. John Music Festival last Friday.

The 6th Grade went to the Science Olympiad held at Fort Hayes State Univ in KS. The kids are in groups or pairs and have different assignments like Robotics, Ecology, Fossils, etc. Erin had a few categories but one of her biggest was Ornithology. She was very nervous the night before as she was to be able to identify bird calls… lots of them. The actual competition went better than she hoped. She placed 1st in Ornithology! Yeah Erin!!!

While Makenzie and Morgyn (and of course Phil and Denise) were here the “girls” went to the mall and we got Erin’s ears pierced. She has been wanting to for a while and we were waiting until her 12th Birthday, but since they were here we decided to do it a month early.

The South Africa Andersons

While Phil, Denise and the girls were here, they blessed our church by providing a Wednesday night service for us.  They shared their ministry in South Africa so far and the hopes and plans they have for the future.  It was so neat to have them here and to be able to share what they do with our Kansas friends.
 
Phil does communications and works sharing the gospel through radio, web communications and documenting missionaries work in their region.  Denise teaches seminary and works with compassionate ministries.  Chris and I hope to take the kids to South Africa this year to help in one of the Care Centers in J-burg and do some site seeing!  Pray for us as we plan and raise/ save money!

More frozen fog…

Just thought I’d share some more frozen fog!!!

  

Good friends!

Erin and her friend Jessica have been BFF’s since preschool.  Sure there have been months or years when they are busy with other friends or activities, but they remain great friends.  Jessica spent the day with us and they had some special outside fun with horses, kitties and wood chips!?!

 

Too cute!