celebrating green!

St Patricks Day is celebrated at our house with corned beef and cabbage.  

Grandma brought the green fluff salad--total comfort food. 

 I went to wake Wilson on morning and found him sleeping on the floor tangled up in his sheets with the lovesack as his pillow.  Wilson's ability to sleep anytime anywhere will be helpful as a missionary.

Max, Marcos and I spent a nice afternoon with Wayne the Pain from Maine and his lovely wife Linda.  Wayne is a philatelist (he collects stamps) and showed us his amazing collection.    His wife is a master gardener.  They were lovely and kind people.  I was really proud of how polite Max and Marcos were, which earned them a ride on the tractor!

It was fun to have a St Patrick's day piano recital.  Marcos played his songs in "vos piano" but he played accurately.  He reported that the recital, "gave him a lot of anxiety."   Eliza played Edelwiess and Home on the Range.  Max played Star Wars and Amazing Grace.  Tony and I were chuckling when 3/4 of the way through the song Max stopped and turned his music right side up.  So much for his sight reading skills, but boy does he have a good ear!

Happy Birthday Grandma

Grandma celebrated her birthday by taking Eliza clothes shopping.  I think Eliza enjoyed Grandma's birthday more than she did.  We celebrated as Marcos says, "I yell, you yell, we all yell for ice cream!"

happy birthday Larry

Dear Larry,
Every year I try to write you a letter on your birthday to tell you how much I love you and what I love best about you.  It's a little hard this year, because you are really hitting the teenage years hard.  You have perfected eye rolling, sneering, back talking and sarcasm.  Your moods are volatile, your upper lip is darkening and your voice cracks at inopportune times.  You are also organized and an incredible leader.  All the girls vie for your attention because you are kind and adorable.  You are making good choices by reading your scriptures and attending church.  I've watched you be kind to kids who are really annoying and I'm so proud of you.  You have such a dynamic personality and are a natural in social settings.  I flatter myself by saying I taught you all you know, but the fact is you are a naturally likeable person.  I am so glad to have you as my son.  You are my beautiful boy Larry and I love you.

Silver Mountain

This is the 14th year we have taken a Lundberg family midwinter vacation.  We gravitate toward warm water:  Ainsworth hot Springs, Montana Hot Springs, Triple Play and our favorite, Silver Mountain.  

We  were scheduled to have Grandma and Grandpa with us, but when Grandma's knee made walking impossible, they had to bow out.  Instead, we were joined by the Stone family and we were so glad.  They did an awesome job of bringing delicious treats and keeping us entertained with their adorable children.  Plus, they brought Settler's of Catan for game night. 

 It was so fun to watch my kids be successful on the ski hill, snowboarding, or on the surfing wave.  Hearing my kids laugh and play together is the best payoff.  Everyone was happy, not perfect, just happy, especially Wilson.  The skiing was really crumby, but my kids  knew better than to complain and I was finally the one who cried "uncle."  We were sopping wet and wind blown but it made the hot tub feel especially lovely.

get away

 This year Stella and Ezra Stone joined our Valentines day Spaghetti dinner while their Mom and Dad went on a date.

 Happy Valentines Day!

 The Lundbergs prepare for the Valentine's Day Secret Cookie exchange tradition.  Who will the lucky recipient of Marco's 1/2 mile high frosting cookie be?  Cooper-- you lucky dog!

Tony and I had the most lovely get away to Dayton Washington for Valentines Day.  We stayed in a historic hotel and had a fantastic meal at a restaurant in town.  It was like escaping the lone and dreary world for the garden of Eden, except the food was not off a tree.  It was made by a very lovely gay couple from Honolulu.

proof in the fingerpaint

I can still be a good Mom.  Really.  See-- I made Marcos homemade fingerpaint and painted with him.  We really liked each today.

Eliza has a new hobby.  She designs fashions for Reggie the dog.  I don't think Reggie likes it as much as she does.