Carving Tutorial

Ok, we've waited long enough, I've now got the preliminary carving tutorial up and running.

It currently only has text, I will add pictures in the coming week or two (even a little at a time).

Please click the link to the right titled, "Carving Tutorial" or go to http://hartx6carving.blogspot.com/

From the tutorial you will see a new list of links to the left including a tutorial by ScoutDogs on carving with a gouge tool.

Have fun carving, can't wait to see your creativity!

hx6

Happy Birthday, Grammy

Happy Birthday to our wonderful Grammy and Mom. We love you! Hope that you are having a wonderful day and enjoying your time in Wisconsin. Here is Grammy with Kayla at Christmas.

Laura, Mary & Carrie

Here are my Little House girls in their outfits made by Grammy. I had a worker at Target ask me yesterday if the outfits were handmade (yes...they both wore their outfits to Target & Kohl's...I will comment on that later!). I told her that my mom had made them and the worker than asked me if Mom could be hired to make re-enactment outfits for her and her family. I chuckled and said that Mom would appreciate that, but I don't think that she is interested. The dresses all look beautiful. Mom, you did wonderful work and the girls will have memories of this forever. Thank you.

I get a lot of looks while shopping when both girls are wearing their outfits. Most know that they are "dressed up"...but I do feel like they are my adopted amish children. However, yesterday would have shown that NOT to be the case since most amish children are quiet and obedient!

Picture to the right is of Alex reading "Daily Life in a Covered Wagon".

Easter Egg Hunt with snow!

It was freezing yesterday, but that didn't stop the Easter egg hunt! It didn't seem to phase the kids, but us adults were ready to head back in within minutes.

Alex's Birthday

Alex turned 4 yesterday! We celebrated by having an Easter Ham (cooked to perfection by Grammy!), an Easter Egg Hunt and of course, yummy ice cream, Barbie cookie & pizza. She loved opening her many presents and Katie has announced that she loved all of Alex's presents and would like the same things for her birthday...

Our Sunday Best...on Saturday???

Our church continues to grow and this past weekend we held our first Saturday night service. We have agreed to be a part of the Saturday night service so we dressed all of the kids in their Easter outfits Saturday afternoon. It was cold - WHERE IS SPRING??? I really wanted to get some pictures of the kids, but didn't want them all inside the house. Matt was very understanding and went along with my idea. So we drove to Butterworth Center (an estate of a daughter of John Deere) where there is a beautiful garden...when it isn't winter! Here are a few pictures from that trip.

The Olsen's Merchantile

The Lincoln Logs have become a part of the dollhouse stuff in our house. Katie & Alex have been building homes for their dolls. Here is a creation of Katie's - it is the Olsen Merchantile (from Little House on the Prairie).

We received these shirts and hats from a dear friend of ours. Karen bought an Easter bonnet for each of the girls and the shirts are for Alex & Katie. I had to run and grab the camera when I saw Maddie & WILL both wearing the shirts & hats! Twins to the core, I guess!

We had Brad & Kari and baby Amy over last Sunday. It was a nice afternoon together. It is pretty cute when baby Amy is around...Alex & Katie disappear, come back a few minutes later and announce that they are ready to hold Amy. They know that the rule is that they have to have clean hands, so they run to the bathroom to wash their hands...so excited to hold Amy! Here is Alex holding her last weekend.

The ongoing family debate

We have an ongoing debate in our family...Coke or Pepsi. Of course, Pepsi is the better of the two. The other day Katie & Alex were playing hide & seek with a handful of rubberbands. One of them got creative and put them on the pop cans in the fridge. Eventually the cans came out and the twins ended up playing with them. So...here's to you, Uncle Brad!

The Fear of God...or at least bad teeth

I had bible study last night, so Matt was on his own with the kids. I guess Katie ended up hitting Alex on the face because, heaven forbid...Alex was trying to help Katie clean up the basement! Matt tried to talk with Katie and she wanted nothing to do with talking, so she was ordered to her bed for bedtime. Matt ended up picking her up and placing her on the bed. She quickly settled down only to realize that this meant she couldn't brush her teeth! Now a new level of hysteria settled in. You see, I am the perfect example of what happens when you don't take care of your teeth growing up and I have told my kids about this from day one. I have told them that they need to brush, floss, no candy, etc so that they don't have cavities or have to lose their teeth. So, back to Katie's dilemma...she quickly started saying "I need to brush my teeth! I don't want cavities! I don't want to be like Mommy! I don't want to be like Mommy!" I guess placing some fear in them isn't all bad!

Sooner or Later

I've told many of you that I would have a carving tutorial on our blog by weeks end.

I have written several paragraphs so far and it *is* coming along, however, either I'm long winded or there is more to it than I thought and its turning into quite the editorial.

I will continue, and *will* have the tutorial as promised. Just as soon as I can get it done.

Alex - 4 years old

Alex is so excited to share her birthday with Easter this year. Everytime Easter is mentioned, she says "and my birthday too!". Mom finished Alex's Laura dress last weekend and we went to get her 4 year pictures taken. She loved dressing up and getting her picture taken. She did a great job too! She kept her outfit on after the photoshoot and everyone was commenting on her outfit and saying how cute she was. Alex looked up at me and said (as a table of 4 grandmas were "oohing and aahing") "they think I am really cute in my new dress". My little Alex's eyes shown bright with pride.

Bye Bye RJ Boars

Matt's favorite restaurant in the Quad Cities closed this past month. It was a sad day for Matt. We went down and took this picture last weekend before the pig is auctioned off. It was cold and Maddie & Will didn't care to be there. It's all about the memories right?

Notice that the girls have their coats on backwards - that is their latest "funny" thing to do.

An apology from Katie

I received this letter on Friday evening. I had a VERY rough day with the kids so when Matt got home, he pushed me out the door to go have "Becki time". I arrived home and all the kids were sleeping. Katie had written a letter to me (at Matt's request...but Matt didn't tell her what to write). I asked her if we could share it on the blog and she was very excited to do that.

"Dear Mom. I am sorry for wyning for the larry bobs (fruit snacks). I wanted the crazy bananas (a treat that she & Alex picked at the mall that day). The best I liked was the crazy bananas. I was so hungry I was about to eat the twins! (she put the exclamation point it herself!). I loved them so much I was about to say Im sorry. Love Katie."

God Is Good!

We have had a wonderful day! Matt & I were able to go on a date this afternoon and run some errands while Mom, Dad & Fran watched the kids. We picked up a "new" dryer through CraigsList - ours is on its last leg. We got a great deal and we are so excited because it is loaded with extras - something we couldn't afford if we bought brand new! The really big news for us is that we have a new tenant - moving in tomorrow!!! We have been praying for this person since December and God has finally placed her in our lives - her name is Daya and she is a Western Illinois Graduate and we are so excited to have her and get to know her!

On a side note...our church is starting a Saturday evening service on Easter weekend. God is so awesome and we know that He will work mightly through this too! God Bless you!