Wednesday, April 24, 2019

EASTER WEEKEND

Our Easter this year was pretty low-key all around. We have some traditions that we stick to, but we tend to keep things simple. The morning before Easter is spent with the mr.'s mother's family. We have a pancake breakfast every year, followed by an Easter egg hunt and dying eggs. The kids always make off with a nice stash of candy.

After the family gathering winds down, we generally return home and spend the afternoon dying eggs together. We have tried a variety of methods over the years. This year was the first time that we tried a store-bought egg dying kit. I was quite impressed with how vibrant the colors turned out!

Easter morning, the kids get their baskets. Nothing too over the top; they usually get a couple of treats, a little toy, bunny crackers, and a new book. This year, the big four got new scriptures with scripture cases and the girls got about a dozen Jojo bows to share (if you don't know what a Jojo bow is, consider yourself lucky. They are ridiculously overpriced ginormous bows. I beat the system and got mine from China for about $1 per bow. Easter miracle #1). After the excitement of opening Easter baskets, we attend church. We then spend the early afternoon with my family for an Easter dinner and egg hunt. We kept it really simple this year, which was perfect. Easter miracle #2? A dove decided to roost on top of my dad's ladder and there were two perfect, little eggs in the nest.
I hope each of you had a beautiful Easter, however you chose to celebrate the holiday. 

Monday, March 18, 2019

SPRING BREAK

The beginning of our spring break was pretty low key, but the end was quite an adventure. On Thursday, we loaded up and headed north to stay with my parents (and birthmother & her boyfriend) at a cabin in Flagstaff. We arrived shortly after a steady snowfall, so everything was covered in a fresh layer of white. The next three days were full of relaxing, exploring, and playing. Here are the highlights:

THURSDAY
arrive at the cabin just before dinner time
unpack and settle in for the night

FRIDAY
play on devices after breakfast
build bloco creatures together
family walk to play in the snow
draw and color pictures

SATURDAY
visit Walnut Canyon on a whim
hike through ancient cliff dwellings
drive up to Snow Bowl to see more snow
play games together at the cabin

SUNDAY
pack up and eat a quick breakfast
drive out to Williams
visit the deer farm to feed deer
drive home via Sedona and Cottonwood