Easter

We decorated eggs. It took the girls a bit to get the hang of it and they got bored really fast so we'll have to try a different way to decorate next year. Maybe just painting. (Notice Jake's beard. He was growing it for another Tough Mudder even though he absolutely hated the last one he grew.)

We went to Grandma Connie and Grandpa Steve's for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. Always a big, fun production that Grandma puts together.

All the little kids after finding eggs.

Everyone, broken down into age groups, searches for eggs then prizes are given based on the number on the eggs you found. So fun. Obviously the older kids have harder eggs to find, especially when Jake "hid" one on the beehives (his brothers keep bees). That was interesting.

On Sunday, the girls get to wear their new dresses. They loved it. Can you tell they love posing?

Wearing the $1 store hats.

Their baskets had a book, a movie, a fan, and sunglasses: plus candy of course. They got "Frozen" and "The Pirate Fairy" movies. Luckily they like playing outside so much that they don't think of watching movies everyday. Later we read some Easter stories from the Friend magazine and combined it with the Egg Easter story that has been a tradition in my family for years. 

Sammi turned 2.

I hate being behind because then I can't remember everything. Sammi turned 2. We just had a small party at home for her. She didn't mind; as long as she had cake, ice cream and presents. 

Cheese. I love cupcakes.

New bike.

She loves Frozen, if you can't tell by her reactions to the dolls. She carried them around everywhere for almost 3 weeks straight. she wouldn't even share with Ellie. Luckily, she finally decided to share and trade with some of the dolls that Ellie has.

She is almost 30 lbs and almost 3 feet tall. At her check-up, I found out that she had been fighting an ear infection. I never knew. She hadn't been acting any different. She talks a lot, although sometimes I wasn't sure if she really understood what she was saying but more just repeating words and phrases she heard us use. Her favorite tv show is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with Sophia the First a close second. I think we finally have a good schedule and she is sleeping through the night. (She struggled with night terrors for a bit.)

Sammi loves her family. She loves playing with her sister and visiting both "Fra-mas" and "Fra-pas". Many things in her life are "awe-thome", "bleautiful", and "amazing". She loves wearing skirts and dresses. When she decides she's tired, she tells you and expects to be placed somewhere to sleep, as long as she has "mink", and "bear".

She's a little picky about what food she likes. She'll eat a bunch of food she likes, but absolutely refuses to eat if she doesn't like the look, smell, or taste of something. Only recently has she learned to bargain when it comes to eating: 3 bites of chicken for a helping of blueberries.

Frozen Mania

Just like just about every other little girl, my girls are obsessed with Frozen. We listen to the songs all the time. Can you tell?

Becoming Organized

I wanted to organize myself so I looked online and found a few helps. I printed off a few sheets, laminated, them, put them on the fridge and voila. 

I use this as a cleaning schedule, found here. This way, I don't have to find an entire day to clean the house. I only spend an hour or 2 (unless its laundry day) to do the choir. Although my entire house my not be clean all at the same time, it's all cleaned at least once a week and easily put back together at a moment's notice. 

Next I use a meal planner so I know what I am making, which day and what items I will need in order to make it. I have been using the planner found on this web page.

I have made a calendar so that I can see what we plan on doing each day and I even have dry erase note paper so I can create mini daily to do lists. 

These, along with the simple budget I created, I have never felt so organized and it helps keep the stress level down. I feel like I have almost everything under control. 

Yum, butter.

Oh, to be a child. The things Ellie has been up to lately. She likes posing for the camera.

She has also been into tasting things. She really likes the taste of butter. We've caught her several times sticking her fingers into the butter tub.

One day she decided that the sweet smelling oil should taste good. She climbed on the couch. I couldn't see her from where I was but I knew she was there. When I asked what she was doing, I saw her jump down then she told me she wasn't doing anything. Then the look on her face started to sour and she wouldn't put her tongue in her mouth. As I let her stew, she finally jumped and asked for a drink. At that point, I knew she had stuck her tongue in the scented oil. It was hard to get mad at her for lying and for standing on the couch because she had already punished herself. If only all bad choices had quick punishments as these.

So...it's been a while. We've moved.

Yes, it has been a bit. Life just kinda happens. First off back in October, Jake started a job in Logan. He had been commuting at least 4 days a week between Sandy and Logan. Finally with things settled, the holidays over, and what not, we found a place close to Logan and moved. It was one of the easiest moves I have ever done. More than half our stuff was still packed from our move back from Denver. Besides that, almost all of the family was available to help move stuff into the new place. 

Since then, we have been trying to organize ourselves and have fun.

View from our back door.

The view from our back door is beautiful, especially in the morning as the sun rises. The mountains are painted pink. There was a small herd of deer living out in the field. Look close and you can see them. Or just wait for them to come into the yard. 

I also had a few projects to finish up. Finally after 4 years, I finished this one. We were given this dresser before Ellie was born. I think it turned out pretty good. 

There are plenty of more stories to come. I just have to take the time to write them down.

Ice Castles in Midway

I really missed the snow sculptures in Breckenridge, but luckily the Ice Castle people decided to come to Utah this year. We wanted to make sure we got to see them, so we went up one night with Rob and Kristine. Unfortunately, it was a holiday, Monday night during Sundance so it was probably more crowded then usual. It was still fun and gorgeous. It's hard to decide which pictures are better, with or without flash. You can see so many different things in them. 

Tunnel entrance.

 Sometimes you could look up and it was really a tunnel with an enclosed roof and others were opened walkway. So fun.

It was a long line to take a picture with Olaf.

It was a chilly night. Luckily the girls and I had prepared and the cold doesn't bother Jake too much. It is definitely something worth seeing if you have the chance.