What didn't make the blog

This is a picture heavy post, so consider yourself warned!  Occasionally, I will take pictures with a blog post in mind, but it just doesn't work out.  Also, sometimes I will just take a good picture, but it doesn't fit in with a blog post.  I recently went though a lot of my stored pictures and found some I wanted to share.  Without a theme.  I know, I am one CRAZY girl!

I am going to start out two years ago with James's 4th bday party.  Why didn't I do a post about his bday party?  I don' t know.  I think it was because I didn't really take many good pictures and I was probably also busy.  I am sure it was a good party!  The theme was super heros which James liked for only about a month before he discovered Star Wars.  Here was his cake:



Since James liked to dress up, I got masks and caps for the kids.



I'm sure I had a scavenger hunt and games, but the kids just like running around:



This was also a couple of year ago, Mark took James to the local car show.  I think he got a coupon online. Well, Mark was a little disappointed that James's favorite car was the "Lime Green Ford Festiva"  To this day, James says this is his favorite car.



Don't remember when this was, but Ft. Ruteledge is actually nearby.  I think it is by the dikes?  Again, Mark took the kids for a little hike there.  This is actually a replica of the actual fort, but the kids had fun.



This summer Andy got really into drawing, coloring, and crafts.  He came home from camp one say saying he wanted to decorate a shirt.  And this was ALL him.  He drew a picture on paper, and then taped it to his shirt.  Ta-Da!  Shirt decorated.  I don't remember why he was upset, he was really proud of his shirt.



This is actually a picture of me, when Beth and I cheered on Jenny for her first marathon.  Hmmm, I just said first.  Jenny, were you planning on doing another one?



At the local Fly In.  I hate that backpack.  I need to burn it.



Oh, Andy used to LOVE babies.  We got him a little doll and a stroller and he just had a ball.



We were getting into the car one day to go to church and we see this BIG snake in the carport.  Surprisingly, this is really the only snake we have seen.  Knock on wood.



I think we went to visit Papa one time and had nothing to do, but we found these clips and put them on Andy.  It was a good time:



The boys in Papa's tub:



I am a sucker for these cardboard play things that you assemble, then color, and then you can play IN.  My kids never like them as much as I do, and I am pretty sure Mark hates them.  But look, it was a MATER one.  Couldn't resist.



Got these reusable silicon molds that I tried to make healthy Popsicles with this summer.  Didn't work.  Who are these kids that fall for it?  This one was just frozen applesauce.



This one from this summer.  James get that lego magazine and does not understand why his picture is not in there.  He says, "I want to be a model!"  The second best thing is to try to win those photocontests.  However, after seeing the winners, their parents have got to be helping, right?



I had to go to DC this summer and Ms. Juliet came with me!  Here is us on the mall!



I know they make a mess, but I love it when the boys play together.  I think here they were making a train.  Sometimes they use the chairs to make a bridge which is more dangerous.



Mark and I took the kids on "dates".  For my date with Andy, we went to 3 spoons.  He was a happy boy.



So, I had an idea.  Some of the grad students were working on bio engineering simulation modules for educational purposes for school aged kids.  I made up one on my own "Seeding osteocytes on a simulated scaffold."  The grad students poo-poo-ed at me, but my boss liked it.  It is also known as borax crystals.  This was my first attempt, which didn't work, but I did do it for James's class and it was a big hit.  Did you know that there are things like legos in your body?  We just call them cells.



That is all for now.