We had a wonderful SPRING BREAK!
Here are a few photos of our family fun. I am not very good at putting them in order, but you'll figure it out. My goal with nine free days was to spend them wisely with a little hard work, a lot of family fun, and some relaxation thrown in there a little. I think we accomplished this very well.
Conference Saturday was spent cleaning out our basement getting ready to make our storage room a family room later this summer. We listened to conference as we worked, and got a lot done that day. A whole trailer full of goods went to the DI!
Sunday was spent listening to conference as we drove to a park to have a picnic and drove up to Sid's parents house for a great visit. Grandma brought out the basket full of Easter eggs for Brooklyn to play with. She was itching to fill them up and hide them for her "boys". The brothers were helping grandpa in the shed. Grandma graciously found a handful of coins and som m&m's. Brooklyn excitedly filled all the eggs and hid them for her brothers. They came in to an impromptu surprise! They were thrilled, but Brooklyn was even more excited to watch them find their good deed from her under couches and behind throw pillows. She was absolutely giddy while she watched Jaxon and Canyon find all of the goodies. Hmmm....something about "It's better to give than to receive" came to mind. Thanks for the help grandma!
Monday we went to Hogle Zoo with the Bangerters, our friends. Had picnic and a blast on a beautiful day.
Tuesday we hooked up with the Bangerters again and went on a hike up past their house in Centerville. We found a great little waterfall with lots of ladybugs and butterflies. We had fun wading in the water and climbing rocks.
Wednesday we flew kites! I had forgotton how fun that is. I recommend it to everyone, especially with a 4 year old girl and a 7 year old boy! (Jaxon was playing with his friend.)
Thursday Sid took a couple of days off of work and we went up to Cache Valley and shared some Maddox Raspberry Cream Pie with my parents and sister. The kids also made Easter sugar cookies.
On Friday we kidnapped grandma Ivie and took all the kids to Baby Animal Day in Wellsville at the Jenson Historical Farm. What a fun day! To watch little kids hold baby animals is a hoot! They had baby chicks and ducks and goats and piglets and bunnies, baby horses and cows and goat kids. We even held baby snakes, frogs, and turtles. And the cutest little puppies you ever did see. What a wonderful experience. A special treat was to get a personal autograph from Mark Walton, the voice of "Rhino" on the movie Bolt. He was their special guest. Jaxon thought that was the highlight of the day.
On Saturday colored 4 dozen easter eggs, and then we met my brother and two sisters and their families, and my mom and dad at Fredrico's Pizza for a ham and cheese salad... Sid's favorite thing on the planet. Then the kids had to have a bubble bath in grandma's jacuzzi tub....tradition!
On Easter Sunday we woke up to Easter Bunny fun, then got all dressed up in our Sunday best and went to sacrament meeting with my parents. What a neat day. It was a beatiful Easter Sunday. I love Easter, for all of its fun, but especially for the real reason we celebrate it.
When we got back from Cache Valley, we had a message on our answering machine from our local Dick's Grocery Store. A couple of weeks ago the kids entered a coloring contest. The winner won a year's worth of ice cream. They picked Brooklyn's picture. She won! Today we went to the store and got her picture taken and picked up her certificates. She picked her first month's flavors, chocolate moose tracks and mint chocoloate chip. Good choice, sweetie! We had to come home and have some right then, of course!
All in all, it was a perfect holiday from the routine of our daily lives. We got some work done, had some serious family bonding, and did a little relaxation. SCORE! We did what we set out to do. Now back to that blessed routine so we can get a good night's rest!
