newness.

there is something about the newness of life that must be celebrated. he is risen! he is risen indeed!
so let's party! in pine river, mn... ;)

so fun to see kj experiencing easter anew this year. with lovely enough weather for a trip to the lake (must throw rocks! and why not get your feet wet while you're at it??), courageous enough pastor to introduce live baby chicks at the children's message, lively enough nanna & poppa for dancing to the tennessee waltz, brave enough mommy for allowing a one year old to dye eggs, and patient enough uncle o & aunt c for waiting through kj's practice of opening every single egg on the spot as she hunted them (there was treasure inside, so why not?). may we always remember the beauty of new life.

rockrockrock.

can't you just hear kj's narration as you browse through these photos? rock rock rock... book! a..b..c.. aminal... all done! rock rock rock...

potty.

we have begun incorporating "the potty" into our normal everyday conversation with kj. it's now one of her many words that likely only her parents can understand. but it's more than just a word. she knows where this thing resides. she practices sitting on it. she talks about it more appropriately than you'd probably like to read about on this blog. and occasionally, she finds an uber-creative use for it. just one instance i caught on my camera-- it had become a pot for making tomato soup. yikes. guess we'll need to continue chatting and learning about the potty.

storage.

most people probably try not to show this part of their house, but as it's brand new, i'm still kinda proud of it. after replacing & relocating the furnace & hot-water heater a few months ago, nj designed & installed a more efficient use of the space in our utility room... increased storage (and it looks like we needed it, eh?)! aahh!

dada.

kj's loud pronouncement of dada: "daddy" or "doggie"? that is the question around the house right now, as gus graces our presence for a few weeks. well, both are welcome in her world! ;)

tot time.

this morning kj & i moseyed over to the community gym that hosts regular open play times for toddlers. (aka, "tot time") it's a generous & productive offering for those of us with kiddos who want to run but aren't skilled enough to run through the 6in of snow still covering the ground. this morning in particular, kj spent a fair amount of time on the slide. it gave me flashbacks to when she was crawling around that same gym floor at about 9mo, and i was watching the "big kids" waiting in line, climbing up the steps & sliding down all by themselves. i thought we'd never be there. and yet, there she was today, all smiles (& static-y hair) in all her climbing & sliding glory. it was a sight to behold. ;)

crowned.

king & queen?
i can't even remember which nursery rhyme song from music class prompted the making & wearing of these crowns, but crowns were donned nonetheless!
(and don't you just love the accidental scepter & the hand raised in acknowledgment of the crowd?)