Easter Weekend

Friday: Our family met up with Opa and Oma for lunch and the kids got goodies from them. Neal attends Fear Factory concert and got home at 2 a.m. just to get up at 6 a.m.m and take someone to the airport. Also learns that he will bring ear protection in the future.

Saturday: Easter bunny visits while we were gone to the library and shopping. He left goodies and an egg hunt out back. Sophie and I attend the General Women's Meeting and get ice cream afterwards while Neal and Rhys enjoy games and company at the Garvins.

Sunday: Church, family games, egg dying, and discussion about Christ's last week of life, death, and resurrection. Great weekend!

Ward Campout

Good morning!  Sunrise at Lake Lavon and hilly kids ready for the day.  I did not stay overnight as I had a 12 mile run in the morning.

Miffed

Yep, when a child is overly zealous to parent, they get more parental responsibilities.  Miffed.

St. Patrick's Day

We were hoping they'd forget but 5 minutes before bed time they remembered and made a leprechaun trap. The light blue, opened plastic Easter egg held paper "gold" coins. They hoped he'd jump to get the coins and fall into the pot. Inside the pot is a pencil and questionnaire to indicate if the leprechaun was a boy or girl.

 Pretty shabby work, if you ask me, but given the time constraints, not bad. I was already prepared with to turn it down a few notches this year no matter if they remembered or not and had easy thing prepared.

We acted as if the leprechaun, Troy, seemingly overlooked their trap, leaving a note about how nice they were to not attempt trapping and left some gifts--shirt, scarf, and a jar of huge pickles.

In our master bedroom. Coincidentally, my favorite wall too.

 Sophie actually started to pout and cry at the breakfast table because the leprechaun had not messed up the house as in previous years. Really?! With some sharp input from her mother she turned it around pretty quick. They had a good day at school and Rhys even pinched me before he got out of the car for school.  I made sure I was wearing a bit of green after that.

Pinch-proof perfect!

Spring, Yet Not

The week before the kids' spring break from school (neither of which were actually in spring, but winter) was the most beautiful weather! The trees started bursting with blossoms! I felt inspired to put up a few spring/Easter decorations.

 The Saturday before spring break, I ran my best 10K ever, beating my personal record set 3 years prior by 2 full minutes! I cried like a beauty pageant winner!

Then the kids had a week off and the weather was such a jerk! It rained the whole week. We stayed inside, baking, reading books to the kids, doing crafts and experiments, etc. until Sophie, in her dismay, expressed that this week just wasn't turning out like she had wanted at all.  I thought the rain and being stuck inside so I was taken back when she said all she wanted to do was watch TV all day.  I was actually relieved and said for her to have at it! She's a great kid and deserves all the down time she needs during a vacation. Everyone was happier.

I learned how to make my own organic yogurt!

I nagged an acquaintance at the park after school for weeks until she gave me this recipe of her grandpa's. It is so good but came with a warning to pace myself because of all the bran in it. I named it this as to not confuse it with my other pumpkin bread in the freezer.

The Saturday of spring break week, the rain let up enough that we were able to go on a family outing.  We headed out to Athens, TX to visit the fishery there. Learned some, had fun trying it out, and enjoyed eating out. Didn't catch a fish but had a good time just being together and being outside.  Great cure for cabin fever!