The kids have started holding hands and laughing in the car. It is unbearably cute and I am going to give myself a back condition turning around to try to photograph it. Which I only do when Dan is driving, for the record.

April has been a busy month around here. I don't have a lot of profound thoughts about it, but I do have some pictures and I think those are what most everyone wants anyway. You gotta give the people what they want.

We've had extended family in town this month including my brother Ryan and his wife Rebekah, of whom I managed to take exactly zero pictures. (My bad, Ryan Rices. Next time I will get out the camera.) I also didn't take a photo on our anniversary, but we celebrated eight years on the 19th with a nice night out at a restaurant where they took two hours to bring us our entrees. We didn't even care because we had appetizers and wine and we had a whole conversation where no one was interrupting us every four seconds to say "Mom! Mom! Mom! I need juice! Juice! Juice!" This is the kind of perspective that small children will bring to your life. Slow service? But I have a babysitter? Oh, no problem then. Take your time.

Around that same time, Dan's grandparents came down for a visit from Chicago to see this branch of their many great-grandchildren and meet Isaac and Baby Ezekiel. Dan's sister Hannah and her husband Josh drove up from Texas with their kids, Chi, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and Dan's other sister Dinah came from Ft. Hood with her daughter, Mercy. All together, there are six grandkids under four on this side of the family, and that number will grow to seven in July when Dinah and Chris welcome Baby Naomi. As you can imagine, it is loud around the family lately, but also very entertaining.

From left: Jeremiah; Nana, who has on her lap Ezekiel and Mercy; Kate, Isaac, Papa and Chi.

Last Thursday, we took all the kids to Sea World. I didn't get many pictures because I was busy pushing Isaac around in a stroller and wishing someone would push me around in a stroller by the end of the day, but here are Chi and Kate waiting for the Shamu show to start:

Isaac's first birthday was on Saturday the 23rd. He was not very enthusiastic about his cupcake once he realized we were not going to let him have the lit candle, but loved his new toys.

Here are some general shots of fun with cousins.

One last picture. On Easter, Dan stayed home with Isaac, who was a little sick. When Kate and I got home, the two of them were sacked out on the couch asleep in front of the TV. You have no idea how many times I told Kate to be quiet and not wake Isaac up so I could take this picture. Dan accommodatingly pretended to be asleep again so I could get this.