Random Pics from the Last Few Months

I remember the many family portraits my mother took us to JCPenney or Sears for. The six Pike children lined up like bowling pins or the ever popular ladder formation. And we dreaded it. The photographer would take too long, one of the kids wouldn't be looking the right direction, and eventually we'd all be tired of the whole process. Well, I'm here to tell you that process is alive and well. We have featured here the Wheeler family portrait for the church directory. Look closely. You'll see why we didn't purchase any additional pictures. Sigh.

And here's an example of why Lauren doesn't always hear what her teacher is telling her. Lauren is very imaginative and definitely sees the world through her own rosy glasses. Someone mentioned she'd probably be great at improv. And I concur. She can think up stuff on the spot. This visual example is what Lauren did with poor Bigfoot. Please, fashion police, note the fashionably high heels, long blonde hair, and red bow. "She" also has a ring.

Just a cute pic of Meg participating intently in the songs for Sunday school.

Why our street is called Redwood...

A nice rainbow after some of the many downpours we've had this spring.

Some fun pics of the girls at nearby Lincoln Park

Emily doing ballet under the arbor thingy.

Lauren at the lower elementary's Field Daze. These pants will never be clean again.

Untitled (because I got tired of being creative tonight)

If I had written this post last week, it would have been much more fascinating. However, I didn't and now I can't remember all the wonderful things my kids said or did. Your loss. Here's what I got for ya.

Hangin' with Grimace. 

I was with my sister Becky as we drove by this McDonald's in Eden Prairie. Having never actually seen Grimace in real life, I made her pull over and we both got our pic with him. I can only imagine what this employee thought as "having pictures taken with odd passersby" was probably not included in the job description.

Meg in Sunday School

I have only my point and shoot camera right now as I destroyed our last remaining lens for our nice one and we haven't gotten a replacement for it. So, these pics aren't great enough for the church website, but this one of Meg turned out pretty stinkin' cute.

Meg and her new bicycle

The girls each moved up a bicycle so Meg got Emily's from last year. Again, too cute.

Lauren learning to ride a two-wheeler

I knew I had this video somewhere. I downloaded video from both my little cameras and still couldn't find the file. So I began watching some of them, one by one. Most were ones Lauren had created. Let's say her documentary style of "Life on Earth" rivals that of The Blair Witch Project. I'm slightly--okay, really--motion sick right now. But some of her insights are fascinating to a parent! I didn't load them here, but I will let you see her bike riding progress on day two of learning to ride (the same bike she had earlier rendered useless via multiple holes with a thumb tack into the tires).