Tax Season

All of us were very happy to see April 15th come and go--especially Aaron. What better way to celebrate the end of tax season than to go out to dinner at our family's favorite restaurant (La Comida) and then to enjoy a delicious homemade cheescake with fresh strawberries (Grandma Ruth's special recipe) There's nothing better than food, family, and the comforts of home.

Easter

It's that time again to pull out the easter baskets and color eggs for the Easter bunny to hide. The kids had a great time coloring eggs. This year Andrea actually painted the eggs with my craft paint. She enjoyed that much more than just dipping them in colors. (click on collages to view a bigger image)



We had two Easter egg hunts this year. One on Saturday at Grandma Leila's with the cousins and then another one Sunday morning in our backyard.



Of course we had to get the annual Easter pictures of everyone in their new Sunday best.




The joys of being a kid!

Table Top Mountain

We took our annual trip to Table Top Mountain with the family. The weather was beautiful and the wind was just right for flying kites. The wildflowers were everywhere! We were able to enjoy our picnic, go on a hike, and of course "The Dad" had to take a nap on the blanket.



Here are some cute pictures of Andrea and her cousin Remi enjoying a sunny hillside.

Spring

Andrea got a hold of my camera and look what she found--SPRING!!!



Our yard was blooming with color and Andrea tried to capture every little piece. I never knew I had so many different varieties of flowers.

Thank you Andrea for the beautiful flower collage!

Ice Fishing

Seth went ice fishing!!!








Grandpa Rick took Seth ice fishing a few weekends ago. Even though it was cold, Seth enjoyed sitting out on the lake waiting for the fish to bite. They then ventured closer to the shore--that is where they found the fish. Seth was able to catch SIX! He had a great time fishing despite the cold & frezzing temperature.

Lovely Lilacs

Around the middle of March I have three lilac bushes that bloom. It is my favorite time of year! Not only are they beautiful but everytime you walk outside the scent of lilac fills the air. Here are several pictures I took so I could share my love of these amazing flowers with you.

Saint Patty's Day

This Saint Patrick's Day we all woke up to fun leprechaun Surprises! Messy rooms, gold coins, and special green treats were all left by the leprechauns.We also had lucky charms for a traditional Saint Patty's Breakfast! Dinnertime is always fun on Saint Patrick's day because almost all the food we eat is green! Green jello,chicken-pot-pie,green kool-aid, and even green grapes! We had a great time celebrating Saint Patrick's Day!












(Didn't Andrea do a great job on this post?! I'm glad I taught her how to blog--it will help me out in the future when I'm too busy to update. --gina)

Bidwell Park

What better way to celebrate daylight savings time than to enjoy the extra hour in the park.



After dinner this past Sunday, we took the kids for a walk through 5 mile park. The weather was great and the kids even posed for a couple of pictures. We all enjoyed being out in the fresh air and the kids especially liked skipping rocks in the creek.

The time we spent together in the park was very simple, but very powerful for me at the same time. I love my little family. I am so blessed to have them in my life. When the week seems long and the quarreling between the kids seem like too much to handle, I'm going to pull up these pictures to remind myself of the fun memories we have shared together.

Basketball Season

It is basketball season at the Chatfield home. Both Aaron and Seth are enjoying and playing in some great games.

























Seth is playing in a league called "Upward Bound" sponsored by Grace Community Church here in Chico. He's getting a lot of playing time and learning some new plays. He's a great defensive player and he sometimes even gets in a fast break. I think our basketball days with Seth are just beginning.

Aaron is involved in several basketball leagues. He plays on a CARD (Chico Area Recreation District) team with guys from Matson & Isom during the week and then he plays with the Chico 3rd ward team for church ball on Saturdays. He loves the game and it's great exercise. We've only had one twisted ankle so far. Last weekend Aaron played in the PV Alumni game. He was able to see several old friends and have a great time!

(Aaron with a good friend from High School, Brad Voth.)


(Chris Fife, Aaron, Matt McLaughlin, Tommy Irvine)



Here is a video that Seth took at the Alumni game. It's not very long since he was just trying out the new video camera option on my camera, but he was able to get Aaron rebounding and passing off the ball in which Brad Voth was then able to make a shot. GO TEAM!!!

Family Night

For Family Night Kiana was given the assignment of choosing the game. She chose "Hide and Go Seek"--but with a twist. She wanted us to play it in the dark and the seeker could use a flashlight to go and find everyone. The last one found was it.

Since it was raining outside we had to play the game inside. We only had 5 rooms that we could use, so some of us got quite creative. The best hiding spot goes to Aaron who hid on top of the refrigerator. Now remember, the house is completely dark and the seeker was only able to use a flashlight to find the hider. Aaron was actually the last person found when he was hiding in this spot.

Hmm, I wonder who is hiding under the tablecloth?

Haircut

Every six weeks or so Seth needs a haircut. I decided to document it this time because he was having such a fun time. Yes, he asked for another buzz cut. He feels it's easier to take care of--no combing required. Who knew haircuts could be so much fun. Now this kid is enjoying life!

7 Stitches

We took a trip to Enloe Outpatient Care this past Wednesday.


Kiana was enjoying a bike ride with Andrea, when Andrea stopped suddenly in front of her. Kiana then crashed into the back of Andrea's bike, throwing Kiana off of her bike and landing her VERY HARD on the pavement. I think Kiana was in shock. When she came into the house to tell me she had fallen she wasn't even crying. After looking at the deep cut on her chin I knew that stitches were in order.We had gone through stiches before with my son, Seth, TWICE! However, Aaron was the one to take him to have the stitches done--this time it was my turn--I still took Aaron with me for moral support.

Our timing at the outpatient care was perfect--they took us right in and prepared Kiana for the procedure. For those of you who don't know Kiana very well, she is soooo interested in anything medical. She loves seeing people's injuries and helping them when they are hurt. She is always asking questions about various health/body issues. I think we have a nurse or doctor in the making. Despite her injury she was wide-eyed and curious--enjoying the experience of being in a medical facility. After the 7 stitches were completed she was able to have her wrist x-rayed, which just added to her thrilling medical experience. The technician was great with her; allowing her to see her x-rays when they were finished. Kiana continues to tell us that it hardly hurt at all, although she squeezed my hand during the whole procedure.

We now have to clean, dry, and cover the wound for 7 days until the stitches are removed. Kiana does fuss a bit when it is happening but she still insists that it be done. She often wants to do it all herself. She continues to tell people that she has a "Starburst" on her chin since that is how the doctor described her cut due to the way it had split open.

When we came home that night from getting the stiches we walked into the kitchen and found Andrea & Seth making dinner for everyone. After going through this experience with Kiana, I felt so blessed to have such two thoughtful kids! Andrea even made Kiana some yummy valentine cupcakes to put a smile on her face--looks like it worked!

New Bike

Andrea is our saver. She rarely ever spends her money and is competing with us to see how much she can save in her savings account. She has been thinking of getting a new bike since she has out grown her old one--her legs just keep on growing.

A couple of weeks ago we took her downtown to look for bikes and she found "The One". She did have to think about it for a while because she would have to spend some of her own money to buy it. (We told her we would go in on half of the cost)

Well, we went and bought the bike on Saturday--it is beautiful! It's brown with pink and white flowers. It's called a cruiser bike with a VERY comfortable seat. Andrea is thinking of buying a basket for the front. It even has reversible pedals so she can ride it without shoes--very fancy!

Kings Game

Aaron and Seth were able to attend a Kings game this past Friday night. Even though the Kings lost by 20 points (defeated by the Bulls) they had a great time. They Munched on treats (served by their own waitress) and were able to view the game from row two. Yes, ROW 2! It's great to have friends who invite you along on such a sweet deal! Thanks Dave and Hunter for an amazing basketball night!

Speeding Ticket!

O.K. I admit it. I was finally pulled over last week and issued my first speeding ticket. UGH! After all these years of speeding I guess I deserved it! No, I did not cry to try and get out of it. I took the ticket graciously, despite the humiliation I felt.

I am not telling this story to brag. I am hoping by sharing I will make myself more aware of my "need for speed" and SLOW DOWN! So, go ahead and give me a bad time about my ticket--I'm hoping the harassment will help me ease up on the gas pedal.