Birthday party

Jack was the only child there that was NOT completely freaked by the fire house dog.

Cecilie was VERY excited about the cake...

...and helps blowing out the candles by proxy.

Firestation Visit

Cousin Jack's birthday was fire station themed and included a real fire house visit.

Nilsen folks in front of the hook and ladder...

Highlight of the visit was sliding down the pole after it was demoed by the real firemen.

New Cousin

Lars is ready to go home

Cousin Max, still spending most of his time asleep, or feeding...

Nilsen kids and front yard dogwood and late blooming cherry.

Here comes spring...

In mum's dressy dress from childhood.

Taking the use of an umbrella to the next level, capturing spreader spray and staying out of the sun...

Prima Ballerina

Cecilie Classic

Daddy at Sunday dinner: You guys know what? You are my favorite family in the world.
Cecilie [in a grumpy tone, under her breath]: Well I hope we're the only one.

At this, Mum & Dad look at each other to check that we really heard what we thought we heard. Then we bust a gut laughing incredulously. Torbjorn runs around the dinner table to hug Cecilie, and from the depths of his arms she smiles shyly and says "I knock your socks off, huh?"

Just when we thought she was turning into a regular four and a half year old...

You know...

...well I just love them! The kids put together a birthday breakfast in bed for super mum!

Easter

Doing some easter cleaning in Quantico.

Two cousins flusing down the sugar of easter with some Virginia water.

The bestest little easter bunny of them all...

Two dudes IN a tree

Training egg hunt and Easter morning

Hammell garden hunt, 160 eggs divided by 4 kids equals only marginal interest in finding the most.

Cecilie's bounty...

What the easter bunny brought...

Building up to Easter

Dig dig digging with daddy - Lars' new obsession. Next birthday will be a digging birthday, and we'll have a bu bu buch of boys do some la la landscaping.

Easter breakfast, the morning before - one a penny two a penny hot cross buns...

Easter egg decorations at the Hammells...

A few more...

Lars is doing his "entertaining the ladies" routine, Daddy doesn't know exactly what to think...

OK, not even a Diego umbrella beats chocolate cake...

Cecilie's very own routine with Kirsten at her very darkest (after three bouts of lo-lights, to search for "natural" the day before she hit the high-lights again).

Philadelphia and the "Please Touch Museum"

Larsie taking liberties in Freedom Hall (where the Declaration of Indpendence was signed)

Cecilie is proficient at retail therapy

Lars is VERY suspicious of that chicken

"And Max sailed in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the Wild Things are"

Patapsco State Park with grandparents

Pick up the pace Torbjorn, the geezers are outpacing you

The tribe on the rails, as it were

Miscellaneous Mix

My cheeky girl at the tire park

Lars has a future as a fashion model - this is his J Crew pose

And this shot shows his versatility!

Lars is 2 - The Full Monty

On the 17th, a Digger Birthday for Lars, with neighborhood kids & cousin Jack (who was afraid the cake might dump out of the truck before he got his piece)

What beats a dump truck full of chocolate cake...?

Only a Diego umbrella from your big sister! (She used all EIGHT of her coins to buy it)

Even Grandpa Schneid could easily see its uses

Lars is 2 - Low key...

Auditioning for Stand By Me III on America's first railroad tracks

Farfar and Cecilie practice the Nilsen Art of Balancing

Lars gets his first hit of SnoCone at the circus. Don't inhale!!

Turning 2 is a serious business: this is cake #1 on the 10th (his real birthday)

Did you miss us?

Jonah and the Nilsen kids hanging around, lookin' for trouble on the Trolley Trail

Our slightly insane angels all ready for Daddy's Angel Surprise birthday party

Blowing out the candles on the Angel Surprise cupcakes made by Cecilie & Lars

"Tinkle Tinkle ittle 'ar" - and Cecilie eyeing the celestial clouds of mashed potatoes