After reading a really amazing book called "Javier Builds a Bridge." We got together with friends to try out building bridges.

The kids constructed a couple of different kinds and tested them out with dinosaurs and aliens. Because if a bridge can't hold dinos and aliens, it isn't a sturdy enough bridge.

We went to our nieces birthday party. Here's Sophie with cousin Lucas.

And Leah, too.

And the birthday girls. It was a princess party.

As a kid, I loved Spaghetti-Os. However, I am unlikely to serve them these days. I decided to create my own version. In place of the carrots and onions, you could put in anything. I just wanted to make sure it was orange in color as not to change the shade of my spaghetti-Os at the end. I was thinking winter squash would be really good in it, but I didn't have any on hand.

Homemade Spaghetti-Os

2 can tomato sauce

1 quart veggie broth

1-2 cans water

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp onion powder

2 med carrots

1 small onion

salt

1/2 box alphabet pasta

olive oil

raw mini-meatballs (I used beef, bread crumbs, shaker Parmesan cheese, eggs)

Finely mince carrots and onions in food processor. Add olive oil to large pot and saute the carrots/onion and garlic for a short time. Then add in the broth, sauce, water, onion powder and salt. Bring to simmer. Drop in about 30 mini meatballs, or more. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add in alphabet pasta. Bring to simmer again and cook for 10 minutes until pasta is done. Add water as needed if it gets too think.

Picture coming...

Here Jason is giving Sophie a ride across the ocean.

And the whole family playing dress up with silks.

Sophie was very proud of her giraffe LEGO tower.

Sophie and Jason have been enjoying this unseasonably warm spell. They immediately got out their wheelbarrows and started moving wood chips and dirt around the yard!

Jason had his spring music concert. He's in the second row on the far right.

He's second from the left holding up a note.

Reading stories in bed with daddy!

Sophie and her babies (Lucas and Leah) are going grocery shopping. She is wearing Leah in her Beco, but Lucas wanted to sit in the cart.

Sophie wrote a story and read it to Daddy, Lucas, Leah and their big sister (all dolls).

We have worms and ants already. The kids decided that wasn't enough and resurrected our old ladybug house, too. This is all in our dining room.

It's game night!

Grandma and Jason playing Wildcraft!

Grandpa and Sophie playing Connect-Four!

Indy's just watching everyone play.

Grandma trying out her new sling with Sophie. Now she's ready to watch cousins Lucas and Leah!

Here's my first meal cooked from all those veggies I prepared the other day. I used the sweet potato bag and my pork tenderloin. Dumped them in my slow cooker for 4 hours on low along with some red wine vinegar, a dash of maple syrup, and a few raisins. Sprinkled the pork with paprika and thyme, too. The whole family enjoyed it! And the veggies were not mushy!

Thanks to Uncle Mark and Aunt Nicole for the indoor table top sand box. I think they agreed to vacuum my floor too, right?

I had to try another pin, and regrew my green onions after cutting them off.

I tried out a pin and made worms!! It was fairly easy and fairly life like. I did change the recipe and subbed out the standard prepackaged Jello mix for gelatin and juice concentrate to get rid of the sugar for us.

Here's my version of the ingredients:

• 4 (¼ ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups frozen juice concentrate (I used apple-raspberry) plus 1 cup water, bring to boil
• 100 flexible plastic straws
• 1 tall slender 4 cup container (I used an empty OJ carton)
• ¾ cup whipping cream

We went to the Rochester Ice Festival with our friends. Jason and Warren like the R2D2.

Sophie and Jason both enjoyed the festival.

We finally got a picture of all four kids. I didn't say we got them all to look though.

There was even a man carving a Kermit and Miss Piggie sculpture while we watched.

Jason had the idea to make a stuffed animal owl. They each picked out their colored felt and traced it.

I found the template browsing around and pinned it.

The kids with their new homemade owls and Hoot, our old owl.

More snow! Finally, enough to make a full snowman! Daddy and the kids made this one, complete with carrot nose!

It's time to start thinking about the spring garden. We cut up our seed catalogs and made paper garden wish lists of things we want to grow in the spring. The kids especially liked things like purple potatoes, dragon carrots, and multi-color corn. We are going to have a colorful bounty this year at harvest!

Daddy and Jason setting up the earth worm nursery. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa L!

I found a really amazing looking pin on Pinterest for make ahead slow cooker meals. I had to try it. I read up on it a bit and decided to blanch my veggies to keep them from getting too mushy.

I made: two bags of potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and onions to go with just about anything, a bag of sweet potatoes, carrots and onions to go with a frozen pork tenderloin, a bag of peppers, onions, mushrooms and bussel sprouts to go with beef, a bag of seasoned potatoes, and a bag of seasoned potatoes and carrots. And I had extra cut onions, so I froze those, too.

We did balloon races with our new balloon science kit! On your mark, get set, go!

Jason has a new coat!