Easter

We seem to have pretty low-key and steady Easter traditions around here.

We start with a family night lesson about the real reasons for Easter then we have our own Easter hunt on Saturday morning.

 The kids were pretty good at taking turns finding Easter bunny goodies and sharing them out with their siblings.

 The Reedster was more than eager to try to figure out what those crinkly wrapped color things were.

 The kids started in on their baskets pretty much right away.  Yeah...we may have had chocolate bunnies for breakfast that morning...

 Later in the day we went to the Hiatts' neighborhood hunt.  I have no idea what was going on in Eli's head at this point but...he wouldn't pose any other way for pictures.  Haha.

 Isn't Isabel pretty much the cutest thing ever?!  I tell her so every time I see her.

 Sweet little Reed was patient throughout the festivities.

 We finally dyed eggs on Sunday afternoon.  I don't like to do worldly Easter things on Easter Sunday but...it's the way it happened this year.

It's been raining a lot lately.  We went out and enjoyed it one evening.

 They absolutely love their umbrellas, that they each have bought with their own money.  I think they got the whole idea wrong but...whatev. :)

Zoo

Man alive, I'm behind!!  We ordered an SD card reader to try to retrieve the photos from our camera and Staples "lost" the shipment - supposedly the second one will be here tomorrow!  In the meantime, I've been snapping a few pictures with my old camera and a new card in the new camera.  

We hit the zoo with our friends the Hiatts over spring break! 

 Reed's favorite animals were the Canadian geese roaming the walkways.  Haha, thank goodness I didn't have to pay for him! ;)

 The kids got to pet a skunk at a "close encounters" show. I don't know how it wasn't spraying everybody!!

Fun little prairie dog exhibit.

 The boys both said their favorite animal was this komodo dragon.

 Buncha cute chicks if I've ever seen any!!

 We probably spent as much time at the zoo park as we did actually looking at animals, haha.

 Alden was pretty sure that they were the first ones to discover this dinosaur. :)

Fun day!

Chuck E. Cheese

Chuck E. Cheese is the worst place on earth.  If I never set foot in one again, I'll be happy.

But I cleaned out an old purse that I hadn't used since Kansas (the strap had broken) and I found a bunch of Chuck E. Cheese coins in there.  I figured we'd better use them since we may never live by a Chuck E. Cheese again.  We went on a Saturday so that Alden could come.  YIKES.  Whatever those employees are getting paid, it's not enough!!

How many kids can YOU stick on one Chuck E. Cheese ride?!

 Gracen loved this little horse and almost wouldn't get off it so anyone else could have a turn.  She rode it over and over again.

Little funny side story.  One day during the awfulness that is after school pick up (there has to be a better way!!!!), the kids started talking about getting a monster truck so we could just climb over the other cars and not have to wait in line up after line up.  The next day, Alden (who was out of school for two weeks being pretty sick - story and pics to come later) and I went to Walmart and saw this little pretty sitting out front.  Alden was SO disappointed that we couldn't buy it.  Haha.  

Gymnastics Fun

I don't think I've ever been so behind on the good ole' blog since I started blogging.  It's a combination of things: I'm struggling to be able to get pictures off my new camera, I'm never on the computer anymore because I don't have school anymore, and, well, life is busy. :)

But foreva ago the kids had a day off school and we made a playdate with a bunch of neighborhood friends.  The sad part is, I NEVER think to take pictures of the people we're with.  It makes me SO SAD. :(

So I had to include this picture.  That's Gracen and her best bud Chloe is at the back.  Then my great friend Melisa (who's husband is a resident and who is also moving to Twin :) ) is the one walking with her head chopped out of the pic.  That's just going to have to count because it's the only picture with friends in it that I got. :)

 This little girl is so fun.  She would LOVE gymnastics.

There was plenty for the boys to do too.  

Eli gained a love for flips after a big kid showed him how.

I thought this huge foam pit looked fun and I actually jumped in at one point.  BIG. MISTAKE.  Turns out it's actually really deep.  I seriously almost couldn't get out.  This sweet little 80 pound stranger mom was trying to help me out.   Hahaha.  She didn't help.  But I did eventually manage to lift my bod out of the foam pit.  Embarrassing? Yep.  How DO those little bodies get themselves in and out so easily?!

And this sweet little boy wants to be big SO BAD.  He kept trying to crawl into the foam pit but after my little lesson as described above, I knew I could NOT go in after him so I was diligent in keeping him out of trouble. :)