A Christmas Story House

One of the things that Cleveland is famous for is that it's where (a part of) the movie "A Christmas Story" was filmed, and where there now is "A Christmas Story" house and museum.
Rachel & I decided that this was a Cleveland landmark that just couldn't be missed, so today we got the families together and took ourselves a tour.
We started the tour in the museum, where they had all sorts of memorabilia from the movie (clothes, antique toys, pictures, etc.), as well as a gift shop full of all things "A Christmas Story." There, we also met and talked for a while with a man who had played a small part in the movie (and become friends with the "dad"), and heard some of his memories from making the movie.


Some pictures and clothes from the filming of the movie:


After the museum, we headed over to the house where many of the scenes were filmed:






The famous leg lamp:


The living room:




The kitchen (I always love seeing old furniture and appliances in places like this; it's so neat to get a glimpse of the past!):


Some of the upstairs rooms:




Also in the house were some costumes/hats from the movie that they let tourists try on.
Here are Grace and I trying out Ralphie's ridiculous bunny costume:


(I'm trying to display how Ralphie felt wearing it)


It was a neat experience, and made us wish we had watched the movie again before going. Definitely something that big fans of "A Christmas Story" shouldn't miss!

Happy Easter!

Doesn't the smell of blooming flowers just outside your door say "Spring" somehow?
I just love their fragrance--and especially how the scents remind me of springs back home in Issaquah--and the sense of "rebirth" that the blooms bring.





Speaking of rebirth...
The day before Easter, Grace and her cousins (Jenna, Kaden, and Spencer) took part in a little Easter egg hunt (or two) in our backyard.
Since it was Grace's first real egg hunt, we gave her a little head start :).
And she's off!


Success!


A happy hunter:


Grace learned pretty quickly that there was candy inside (and that this egg hunting thing was about the greatest thing ever).


She loved L.O.V.E.D hunting for Easter eggs, and could literally do it everyday, several times a day (which we've done some days since)!

A tradition of ours has always been to dye Easter eggs, which we did again this year (sans Grace) on Easter eve.
The dye spread:


My eggy creations:


Travis' works of art:


After we finished dying eggs, we put out Grace's Easter basket. It was SO fun to put it together (like Christmas Eve all over again)!


But even MORE fun to see her reaction on Easter morning! :)
"Ooh! Wow!"


"Yum! More candy-filled eggs!"


We made Rachel's Resurrection rolls for Easter breakfast for the first time this year, and loved them! They'll definitely be a part of our Easter traditions from now on!


Grace and I in our "Easter dresses":




After Church we had a yummy Easter dinner with Rachel and Brandon and some friends (another Easter tradition that Rachel helped us start last year that we'll also be continuing).
It was a very happy Easter for us, and we hope yours was too!