Trip to Utah

 My friend, Mer, was getting married in May and I was grateful for the opportunity I had to travel to Utah to be there for the occasion.  Geoff took care of the kids and I took my first solo trip since Girl's Camp!  I, admittedly, was feeling a little guilty about the whole thing because Geoff had to take some time off work, the airline price was what could be expected for an airline price, and it felt like one big splurge for me.  My nerves calmed down during the plane ride as I enjoyed a few hours of uninterrupted time reading and then when I got to hold little Wes and visit with Grandma Nelson, I was extremely and overwhelmingly grateful for the time I had--and I hadn't even attended the wedding yet!

Eric and Morgan were beyond wonderful to host me while in Utah.  Spending time with them was fantastic and made me want so badly to get Cal and Kyron together soon!

Holding Wes was so delightful!

I had a few hours with Grandma and it was a perfect visit.  I'm so thankful for this time--it truly was sacred to be with her, even if it was for a short time.

Mer had a "Hocus Pocus" themed wedding and the decor and ambiance was impeccable!

Jeremy and Mer!

Being together with Karen and Mer was a special treat!

Seeing Mer so happy was an even sweeter treat!

FHE

I have many memories of Family Home Evening from my childhood.  I loved looking at our rotating chart to see what assignment I'd have, I loved playing games like 'Run, Mouse, Run', Who Has the Button, and our homemade of Mousetrap.  And when I was older, I even enjoyed preparing lessons.  Being able to carry on the tradition of Family Home Evening in my own family has been such a blessing.  I hope the excitement and involvement the kids have for it now remains with them throughout their time together in our home.

Special treats are always a delight for these guys.

One of the current favorites for activity is playing with the parachute.

Easter Sunday

 For Easter, I enjoyed sewing new dresses for the girls and squeaked out a bowtie in the nick of time for Kyron.

We are so thankful for the joy and peace that is possible because of our Savior Jesus Christ.  As I strive to come to know Jesus Christ, I am always humbled by the amount of love and mercy He has for us.  It is my prayer to learn how to love like Him and serve as He needs us to serve.  Happy Easter to all.  He Lives, He is Risen!

Easter Eggs 2022

 

The kids enjoyed Easter festivities on Saturday morning.  Kyron was cracking us up because if he found an egg, he would shake it and if it didn't rattle (because the prize inside was too large to rattle) he would put it back and move on.  We had to show him a few times that all the eggs had something fun inside, even if he didn't hear it shaking around.

The week before Easter, we took the time to dye some eggs.  The kids enjoyed the 'volcano' and bug kits with their eggs.

Kyron's been phasing out his naps...but anytime he's asked, he insists he's NOT tired.  Ha ha!

Spring Break

 For Spring Break, we did a stay-cation.  Each day we planned activities to do and even had some friends over for a little 'party'.  The big event was camping out in the basement.  The girls helped me set up the tent, we had a picnic dinner (complete with s'mores!), and the girls spent the night in sleeping bags.

Olaf!

 

We finally got some 'snowman' snow in March and tried our hand at creating an authentic Olaf.

I think it's safe to say that we do a better job at creating snowmen than at taking selfies....

Activity Days

This year, Eliana joined the Activity Day Girls for the bi-monthly activities.  At first, Hylie acted like she wasn't too excited about having her little sister tag along, but it sure seems like these two have fun together!  Here they are sporting some hats they created with Sister Anderson.