------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A Wet & Green & Blue April May 2, 2013
Welcome again to Niednageland! Boy, what a gorgeous month this April was here in the Ozarks. Got plenty of rain which made everything so vividly green. Hence, you'll notice a lot of garden and other outdoor pictures. If that sounds boring to you feel free to leave now.
I put together a quick video on a whim as I was playing "Knights" with William a couple weeks ago. As you can see, things got pretty dramatic.
All right, on with the blog. Thanks again for stopping by!
And here we go ...
No, we're not all dressed in white just for kicks. We celebrated the passover on good Friday, a tradition we've been doing for a few years now (not because we're Jews, of course, but just as a remembrance).
Grandma and granddaughter (haven't been able to say that yet!).
Danielle and Mr. Beaver.
Remembering what Jesus celebrated with His disciples before His crucifixion.
I've got mad dove-calling skills. I can actually get them to fly to me, and even bring me olive branches (ok all except that last part).
The two cutest members of our family (arguably).
Evening falls as we glide around like angels.
Life ... is coming!
I'm no Indian, but hopefully these tepees will work.
Good morning, sunshine!
My wife, looking like a grape, carefully dresses the grapes.
Our rock garden, as some call it (makes sense).
Oh hi again sunshine! (I like just throwing in random pictures of Marian every so often)
Oh that's just me ... on a typical day ... carrying a tree uphill in my sandals for strength training.
Apple blossoms! This year our 'William's Pride' apple tree is doing well and may produce some fruit!
Anyone can purchase this stock photo for $89.95.
Let us bring forth the lettuce.
Ok, slightly cute.
Just a random happy picture of Locksley. Looking like a little man these days.
More random cuteness.
I don't think a single baby in the world can possibly smile larger than that.
One more random cuteness.
Enjoying breakfast outside on a beautiful spring day! (also makes cleanup a lot easier)
Locksley manor is slowly improving.
The results of Melissa's hard agricultural work.
Froggy friend.
Told you there would be a lot of outdoor pics.
Michael Thomas! Yay! Michael and Rebekah and the fam came down for a couple days of rest and relaxation.
"Let's go on an adventure!"
Jack Sparrow and Will Turner.
Terrorizing tadpoles.
Some R & R with my girlfriend.
Yeah! Another table shot! Can't go a blog entry without one!
Michael spits all over the birthday cake (and you wonder why kids always get sick after birthday parties).
Opening presents!
All right! It's the next day and we're at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home in Mansfield! All you home school girls who visit this blog should be jumping up and down! (c'mon, start jumping!)
Michael wasn't too keen on this idea.
The Thomas family (most common last name ever).
I don't really know how to describe this one.
Looking around we thought this fire hydrant would make for the best looking picture.
Give him a little more than ten years and I guarantee you William will be the taller one.
You can't take pictures inside Laura's home (where she wrote the books), so here's a nice one outside. I can just imagine Laura back in 1935 screaming, "No!!! Don't take a picture in my home!!!"
A step back.
It's cute at first until one of them brings the other down.
"I'm ok!"
Michael discovers his inner peace.
Sorry, here comes more cuteness.
Her face is the very definition of pudge.
This is the home Laura's daughter later built for her after she became famous. Laura and her husband only lived there for about 8 years and then went back to the white home (they liked it better).
This is where they stored their cold items. Pretty ingenious.
Incredible historical site. These plants, which aren't actually growing there, represent those plants that "might have been grown" there during the Wilder days. So, please imagine the representative plants growing there that aren't actually growing there that long ago might have actually been growing there.
The lovely drive home, with good conversation with Michael Thomas.
Back home now on a regular evening as Meliss reads to the boys. This is no ordinary children's book, however. In fact, Nathan, if you're reading this (and I know you are even though you pretend not to visit my blog), look at the picture of the author on the back. Can you guess who it is?
Yes, this is a medieval children's book written by none else than singing sensation Michael Bolton! That is such an epic picture of him next to the campfire! lol!
Ok, some of you think we do so much each month and have no problems and the world is just one big happy place. First of all, that's not true. If I posted pictures of me in a bad mood or William being disobedient or Melissa on a bad hair day what kind of blog would that be? So anyway, to bring some realism to the blog, here is a boring picture of Philip's high chair after finishing a meal. You'll notice there's crud everywhere, both on the chair and on the floor.
And here is a boring picture of me cleaning it up. Now, estimating an average of 30 days each month, I do this like once a day or every two days. So multiply this picture by like 15-20 and that gives you just a smidgen of an idea how much boring grunge work Melissa and I do each month with three kids. Life is fun, and life is tedious. "That is the way of it," as Kermit once said in A Muppet Christmas Carol.
Yeah, how about another table shot! We had the Christiansens over (from church) for a lovely evening together. Thanks for coming, you all!
And now we jump ahead to a day with the Alger family! They had been to our house for Thanksgiving awhile ago, but we had never been to their homestead. Wow! What a happening place and a wonderful time!
Melissa mimics Diana from Anne of Green Gables.
lol, William looks like a polo player with that vest. They really should have professional dog polo for kids.
Lots of animal petting.
"Ok, pet the sheep! I SAID PET THE SHEEP! NOW SMILE!!!"
I honestly don't know how the lambs know which one is their mother.
I used to LOVE pony rides as a kid. William isn't so presently venturous, but he will be.
Rebekah, our faithful Marian carrier.
Treading through the Ozark swamps.
Mr. Alger apparently likes trees.
"Dude, what is he doing?"
The lovely walk back. Everything was SOO green.
The lovely Alger ladies.
The studly, manly, heroic Alger and Niednagel men.
William was SOAKED. Thank you for sacrificing your dry shoulders!
Josh said I didn't look local. Now I look local.
So before we leave David comes out sporting his i-Pod and these totally funky shoes. I can't remember what they're called. Supposedly great for running and all that jazz. I don't know. I just really don't know.
And one last picture of Kalea and Marian. Kalea is a faithful blog reader, constantly asking me, "Is your blog done yet!?" Yes! It is now!!! :-)
Lord bless you all! Thanks for stopping by! Beware the no-comment virus!
