Our week with the Strands!

***EDIT: Video added***

This post is waaaaayyyy over due, but better late than never! :-) And I figure that if I don't do it now, I never will!

Back at the beginning of April the Strand kids spent a week at our house because their parents were out of town. I can't even begin to tell you what a fun time we had! So many card games were played, tons of golf balls were found and so much laughter rang in our home! :-)

So instead of trying to tell you all about the week (because that could end up being a novel-length post), I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves!

They arrived Monday night...

"Rent-A-Brother" begins with cleaning up all the willow sticks in the yard!

Mrs. C was giving a talk on Liberty at the retirement home we visit, so we all dressed up in our costumes. The folks loved it!

Dad broke out his bow and arrow since there were actually some people who could pull it (none of us girls can use it) and they had a fun time sighting it in. Still haven't found one of the arrows in the yard though...

Love ya, Lauren!!!

:-) Thanks, Stuart.

Maggie and Eleanor using flowers to decorate their hair

Awww! Two lovely ladies!

Artsy arrow shot

Mmmmmm, breakfast!

Erik making something neat with the legos

We got a balloon making kit and managed to make a couple knives and swords..... oh, and a bow and arrow that popped!

Dad and Maggie right before church (yes, Dad is using a cane in this picture - he hurt his ankle)

Hey!

So, is this a picture of Grant, or of Stuart?

Off we go to the hymn sing at Orchard Church!

"VICTORY!!!!"

(inside joke)

Photo Credit: Grant

Sittin' in the truck with Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings blaring and eatin' grilled chicken

-you can't get much better than that!

Photo Credit: Grant

Here is a picture for the O.P.A!!! The organist was AMAZING!

Photo Credit: Grant

Emily was asked last year to sing at the Orchard Church's annual hymn sing and they found out that she sings in a trio. So this year we were asked to come and sing with her. It was the biggest thing we've done yet, but, surprisingly, we weren't very nervous and it came off really nicely!

Here we are waiting to go on stage.

Photo Credit: Grant

Our trio, 3/4Hymn, singing "The Power of the Cross"

Photo Credit: Grant

Here's a video of our performance. Perfect? No... but we hope you enjoy it anyway... we enjoyed singing it!

Emily singing her solo - "Fill My Cup, Lord/The Wonder of it All"

Great job, Em!!!

Photo Credit: Grant

PHEW! It's over!!

Photo Credit: Grant

Yes, I know this photo is blurry, but you can see that we're just a little happy to be finished and maybe slightly hyper!

Photo Credit: Grant

As I said before, the boys found a TON of golf balls in our backyard as well as two clubs! (someone must have been really mad or something to throw their golf club into our yard!) Here Stuart is trying to hit a ball across the pond

Photo Credit: ?

Make that ball fly!!

Photo Credit: ?

We all sat down to do a little art

Photo Credit: Mom

Loo and Kay!

Photo Credit: Stuart

LOL! Love Erik's face!

Photo Credit: Stuart

Having fun?

Photo Credit: Stuart

Let's go for a row on the boat!

Photo Credit: Stuart

And here's where it all started... we began having a little too much fun!

Photo Credit: Stuart

We got SOAKED! And no, we didn't fall in the pond, we splashed the pond into the boat! Look at Erik's face in this photo! HAHA!

Photo Credit: Stuart

Here we all look a little guilty and a little wet.

Photo Credit: Stuart

An artsy shot of the white birch tree

Photo Credit: Stuart

"VICTORY!!!"

We miss you all and enjoyed our week with you soooo much!

Come back soon, adopted sisters and brothers! :-)