A monkey. A squirrel. One happy family.

It is the last day of our spring break together. We have hunted and eaten eggs, nibbled ears off of chocolate rabbits, and played with some of Annie's new toys. We have visited with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. We have seen great artwork. We have cast lines into the water with little hope of catching anything except the joy of being in the sun and with each other. We have seen pelicans and learned about their migration patterns and hunting habits. We have made new friends. We have rejoiced at hearing these words come out of Ella's mouth: "Annie, it doesn't matter what somebody looks like. It's the inside that counts - being smart and kind and funny." We have cooked together and shared meals with family. We have celebrated our sweet Annie turning four. She was showered with incredibly thoughtful gifts from friends and family far and near. We are so grateful for her, for each other, for you. Here are some of my favorite photos from Annie's bi

Spring break! The whole family is home for a week, with no work or school - plenty of time for yard work, projects, and fun, right? Then we got 10 inches of snow and Ella spent a day throwing up. In spite of these curve balls, we have managed to clear part of our back fence, take down baby gates and paint trim. And today we made a day trip to Kansas City to visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Crown Center, and grab a quick dinner with my brother Aaron, sister-in-law Cristi, and nephew Joshua. I'm just going to skip over the  nightmare that was the car ride home (let's just say Annie isn't the best car traveler) and focus on the fun of the day. Enjoy some pictures. Ella with an Eames chair (for Grandma Ann). This painting includes floating dice, an apple, and an olive. Ella contemplates. Ella after viewing some sculpture by Rodin, who believed in the "aesthetic self-sufficiency of fragments" like hands and faces. Lego people (and our regu