April was a busy month as I look back. Sometimes it amazes me how we get it all done. Miss Avery Girl was baptized. It was a spectacular day! The spirit was so strong. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. We went to lunch after her baptism and we filled the banquet room with 40 plus family members....we are so extremely blessed. Baseball season started for Rowdy and we went to Hawaii at the end of the month.
1. To say Avery was excited for her big day is a HUGE understatement. 2. Dada and Evie 3. Characters 4. The five of us 5. Over to Auntie Jac's house for an easter egg hunt after the baptism 6. Avery showing Ron one of her treasures 7. Little guys go first during the hunt 8. Examining their loot. 9. Out to our place to shoot. Rowdy and Ron lining up Rowdy's shot. 10. Bo and Deacon staying safe in the truck. 11. You'll shoot your eye out kid! 12. Bo and Deacon talking about who know what? but it is super important stuff.
13. Dying Easter Eggs. I think we didn't get around to it until Easter morning before church. 14. The set up. 15. Love this boy! 16. Avery starting with PINK, of course. 17. Before school picture. 18. Tie Guy Tuesday. Rowdy and one of his friends at school wear ties on Tuesdays. I love this! 19. Baseball game. Texas Rangers this year. Minor League means really pitching! No more pitching machine! 20. #2 Rowdy Shinkle at bat for the Rangers! 21. HAWAII: Bodie played in the water much more this time. 22. Avery was sick at the start of the trip and didn't feel 100% until about half way through the trip. : ( 24. Surfer Dude! 25. Fish!
March was the strangest month in the weather department. It snowed the first day of Spring Break....what the?
On with the 12 of 12:
1. Flowers a bloomin' although it was cold 2. Avery at the starting line of her jog a thon 3. Run Avery Run! 4. Bodie collecting Gold that the Leprechan's left at his preschool 5. See, snowy clothes 6. Hot Chocolate 7. Chubby bunny with the marshmallows 8. Rowdy always with the goof face
9. Avery exploring our forest 10. Bodie and Deacon, his cousin 11. Rowdy with one of the chicken 12. Girly Girl cousins
13. Baseball tryouts 14. Playground swinging high after tryouts 15. I love this photo! 16. Signs of spring 17.
Vist to the Polk Co. Museum 18. The typewriter was the highlight 19. Playing school in the school house 20. B-O-D-I-E 21. Bodie at the Aquatic Center 22. Avery loved the slide! She wasn't sure about it at first but then wouldn't get off. 23. Do we have to go Mom 24. We had a great spring break and did a bunch of fun things together to keep busy.
February 12 of 12. So I have made an adjustment to my 12 of 12 assignment for 2012. The pictures are from the entire month instead of just the 12th of the month. I like this better. Plus, when I forget to take pictures on the 12th it works out better.
Here is a flashback to February.
1. Our cats are outside kitties. But they come and visit sometimes. 2. Rowdy jetskiing in our pond in the back field....in February. 3. Avery posing for me. One of the last shots I got of her with her baby front teeth. 4. I took her Subway at school for her 8th birthday. 5. The Rainbow cake I made her for her birthday party! So worth the time to make it. 6. The birthday girl. 7. Pretty! 8. Avery going through her loot from Valentine's day at school. 9. Bodie drivin' his John Deere. If you look close it is missing the front wheel. 10. Showing me an owie. I very big deal these days. 11. Rowdy entertaining himself at Avery's dance class. 12. Avery's place setting at our Valentine's dinner as a family.
13.
Avery came home super excited 14. She lost her tooth. 15. Rowdy has always been super talented on his bike 16. Handsome boy. 17. Riding horses at Uncle Roger and Auntie Maryanne's house. 18. Kit and Bodie 19. BEST Buds. 20. Goofy Boys 21. Raya, our cousin from Hawaii. Such a sweetie! 22. Jacob, Raya's little brother. 23. Avery LOVES to read. 24.Bodie helping Dada cut and stack wood.
Remember how two years ago I started a 12 of 12. Twelve pictures on the 12th day of the month. Well I went back a read a few of them...I only made it through May, by the way. I have issues with follow through. I loved all the journaling that went along with them and how it forced me to take pictures that I normally wouldn't. I got a few treasures this month that I wouldn't have captured otherwise. All so because I like to include lots of pictures of the kids I am doing 16 squares twice. I really want to put it into a book. I have my files all set up on my computer to hold each month. So here goes:
It is Bodie's Birthday today! I remember when I was close to my due date with him and I had a doctor's appointment. During the appointment I was having contractions that weren't too painful but were about 5 minutes apart. The doctor said, "You need to go to the hospital, now!" So off we went. My Mom happened to be with me, we had plans to go to lunch after the appointment. I drove myself, in labor, to Portland (I was having him V-Bac, blah, blah, blah, had to deliver in Portland in order to attemp V-Bac, a post for another time). My Mom followed me up there and Ron was close behind!
My labor was pretty painful once we got checked in and thankfully I was able to get some pain medications before he arrived! When I saw him the first time Ron's Grandpa Don and my Dad instantly came to mind. He has Grandpa Don's nose and my Dad's hands!
Bodie Verle Shinkle! Mama can't believe you are four! When you came into our family, things were pretty busy right off the bat. Your big brother was starting Kindergarten and your sister was starting preschool. So much of the time you were along for the ride. But you handled it so well! I was even able to take you to preschool with me on the days I volunteered.
Here are some things about Mr. Bo-man that we love:
He likes to share: He is always very concerned about everyone getting "some" if he has crackers he always shares. We were recently playing a game of Go Fish and Avery asked me if I had a King and I told her, "Go Fish." Bodie, very sweetly and so enthusiastically said, "I do!" and handed his sister the King! Love you Bo!
Avery turned 7 years old in February. I shared some photos of her party but I haven't really talked about what she is up to lately. So here goes:
Last week was silly week for Bodie at preschool. The teacher always pairs this week with April fools. Basically, the kids get to come to school with silly hats (no photos for that one), silly hair and one day they get to wear pj's to school. Since Bo only goes tuesday and thursday he got to wear a silly hat and wear pj's. So just for fun I did some rockin', silly hair for him too! I didn't tell him to do anything when I brought the camera out onto the porch when we were leaving...he just gave me all of these. Love this very silly boy!
Avery has become quite the gymnast. She is super flexible and as you can see she can do a pretty mean cartwheel. She is constantly in motion and does random cartwheels all over the place. One day we were in a store and she had to stop herself from cartwheeling right there in the middle of the store. One day she was heating up her lunch in the microwave and I told her it would take about a minute and a half and she said, "That's ok Mom, I'll go do 100 cartwheels in the living room!" And she did. If only adults did that with their spare time they would all be fit and trim!
Rowdy has one chore that we count on him to do. Feed the chickens! He is also responsible for building their nests when the hay gets low. He doesn't have an allowance yet but is always asking me what he can do to earn a dollar.
Our chickens took a little break this winter from laying and now they are back in business. Store bought eggs are hard to go back to after you have been spoiled with fresh ones. We have chickens that lay green eggs. We also have an over acheiver in the bunch that lays these HUGE eggs. I of course took a photo the other day...will post if time allows.