Easter Festivities

WOW!! We had a GREAT Easter week- make that Easter month!! I just love this time of year- everything is turning green, the kids can play outside after a long winter, and we get to celebrate the final week leading up to our Savior's Crucifixion and Resurrection. The gals were so excited about Easter they could hardly contain themselves. They loved talking and watching videos about our Savior and we really try to get it in their minds that that is the real reason we celebrate Easter.

We started Easter on Saturday- that is when the Easter Bunny visits our house so we can keep Sunday to focus of Jesus. The gals woke up EARLY, but I had put things to entertain them in their room and we made them wait! When they finally got to look for their baskets, they were so excited. The Easter Bunny brought them a new outfit and shoes for their Build-A-Bear friends. We waited for Ella to wake up and she found her basket and loved the bubbles and sidewalk chalk she got. I took the gals to Lee's to see the Easter Bunny, got Ella laid down for her nap and then we dyed the eggs. After that, my parents had their egg hunt for the kiddos. Paula, Kami, Kyle, and Marijka came out to watch. It was so much fun and the weather was perfect for hunting eggs outside. The next day on Easter Sunday, it was my turn to teach Sunday School. I am glad that I was able to teach that day and got to testify that I know that our Savior lives!

On Monday, since it was Spring Break week, the dads were able to take the day off and we headed out to Sean's grandparents house for the day. (We actually ended up going there on Friday to visit with Sean's uncle and his family from Vegas. So it was a bonus to get to go there twice in 3 days.) Sean's grandparents also spoil us and the gals! The weather was kinda yucky, but we did manage to get the hunt in outside in between raining spells. I am so grateful for them and everything they do for our little family! Sean's mom as been here for a couple weeks and the gals have had so much fun having her here too!

March

Our March was pretty mild this year. Nothing too exciting to report. Gracie was totally enthralled with Leprechaun's Day this year. She came up with all sorts of traps to try and catch the sneaky little guy. She was never able to, but loved the pieces of gold that he would leave. And was thrilled when he left some Lucky Charms to eat on the actual day.

Sean was called as the Cub Master in our Ward. (He hates scouts- he didn't like it as a boy and still doesn't. So he was less than thrilled with this calling. He has a HUGE target on his back since he has 3 daughters. :) But he had his first Pack Meeting. I have been teasing him about the call so I needed to get a picture to document it- and of course he wasn't cooperating. He was less than impressed when he had to hold up his 2 fingers to get the meeting started. He was having a hard time doing it and then looked down and saw me laughing at him and almost lost it.  But, he did a really good job and the counselor in Primary told me it was the best Pack meeting they have had in a long time. He was really excited when he didn't have to do any cheers. There is a guy on the committee that really likes to do that and Sean was more than happy to let him.

February in a Nutshell

I don't know how I managed to get 2 months behind on this blog, but since I print it, I am going to catch up. We had a great February. The gals loved getting all dressed for Valentine's Day. Brooklyn had a Valentine's Day Tea at school and had a blast. We had our traditional heart shaped pizza for Valentine's dinner.

 Gracie has been saving her money for a LONG time to go to Build-A-Bear, so we headed down to SLC and spent the night. Brooklyn finally got to have a sleepover at Brian and Sher's. We decided that we were going to go to the Aquarium in the morning and then hit Build-A-Bear. I don't know if I just stress my self out so much about staying in a hotel, but I woke up with a migraine. Not as bad as the one I got home in Boise, but enough that I knew I wasn't going to be able to do what we had planned. I told Sean that I thought we should just hurry and go to Build-A-Bear and then head home. But he wasn't keen on that- he decided that he would take the gals to the Aquarium by himself. He is such a great daddy- I don't think I would've taken them by myself. I hope they realize how great their daddy is. I stayed at Brian and Sher's and slept while they went. After the Aquarium, we made it to Build-A-Bear- it was all Gracie had hoped it would be. As we walked out, the snow started and we dealt with that the whole way home. I have never driven through Sardine Canyon in that bad of snow. There were whiteouts and icy roads. I have never been so glad to see come around that bend and see the valley as I was that day!!

Brooklyn named her bear Ella

Gracie named her bunny Sparkles

 We also celebrated my mom's birthday before they headed to China

Brooklyn

Brooklyn started taking gymnastics about a year and a half ago. When she started she couldn't even do a cartwheel. She has been working really hard to start competing- she participated in an intrasquad competition at her gym. She has been nervous to do this because she feels she needs to be perfect. We were so proud of her for trying and look forward to when she starts to compete!

She also had her 3rd Grade program- they did "Take Your Hat Off When the Flag Goes By" I used to listen to the songs of this program everyday when we would drive to school with my mom so it was fun to hear them again.

Random Pictures

I was looking through some pictures and found some that made me smile.

Gracie came in one day in this get-up. She had raided the bow drawer and was quite impressed with her efforts. I love that she even has bows attached to her shirt.

Ella discovered that the little step leading from the kitchen to the TV room makes a perfect pillow. She loves her babies and binki- we need to get rid of it soon.

Gracie discovered a carrot that looked like a V and wanted a picture- she likes to make silly face every time I take her picture.

Brooklyn and Gracie love to color- so does Ella.

Ella found Sean's hat and put it on by herself. I love how cute she looks!

Poor Gracie

Let me preface this post by saying that we jinxed Gracie when we named her Gracie. She is anything but Graceful and quite frankly clutzy- but we sure do love her. If there is ever an accident going to happen, a drink to be spilled, or someone to get hurt, Gracie is the gal.

On this particular day, I was in doing the laundry and heard Gracie start to cry, nothing unusual. She came into where I was dancing around and crying saying she had hurt her side. I say the typical things to her that I usually would, "Darn it" "That's too bad" "I bet that it hurts" etc. She lifts up her shirt and I realize that we are dealing with more than a little scratch. I pick her up and start looking at it- the light isn't great so I go into the big family room and look and to my dismay there was a piece of wood sticking out of her side. I try to pull it out, but it was not moving and I was worried not knowing how big it was. I call the doctor's office to see if we can bring her in there to avoid the emergency room, they say yes and I get her ready to go. At this point, I call Sean and tell him to get home immediately and call Nat and ask her to get in her car right that second to come and get Brooklyn from school and get Ella. The doctor's office calls back and says to take her to InstaCare or the ER- we opted for the ER. Sean gets home looks at it and tells Gracie he will give her 50 bucks if she will let him try and get it our. Bless her heart, she did, but it didn't work. So we load her up and head to the ER. The poor thing had to get shots inside of it to numb it so the doctor get could it out. When it came time, there was a doctor, 2 nurses, Sean, and I holding her down. The doctor had to make a little incision and dug around for what seemed like hours, although I am sure it was minutes and got several different pieces out. The nurse asked the doctor what the odds were that it would be so superficial and in horizontally. Which is very lucky because it could've pierced her abdominal wall creating other issues. The nurse made the comment to us that she works with a lot of kids now and over the years and could tell that Gracie has a very sweet disposition and what a sweet little girl she is. Which is very true, she may be a clutz, but she is super sweet. That made me tear up I must say. When the doctor was done, he said that the incision he had made could use a few stitches, but there is more risk for infection. We opted for a scar and not stitches. I was keeping my family up-to-date during the ordeal and my Aunt Paula and Marlee could not stand being at home while Gracie was going through this so they drove over and were in the waiting room when we came out. Gracie was sure glad to see them- as was I. We feel so very blessed that this incident wasn't any worse than it was. Good thing for her little lion and Sean's phone- she watched Angelina Ballerina the whole time taking her mind off of it, somewhat.

So you might wonder how exactly she got a piece of wood in her side. We have- or had- this little stool that was at my Grandma Ila's house and we have had it for 8 years. Well one of the spindles on it broke several years ago creating a jagged edge- Sean thought we should get rid of it, but it held a lot of sentimental value to me and I always planned on fixing it. So it never go thrown out. Gracie was standing on the stool trying to get something out of a cupboard and somehow fell and ended up with the wood. I don't think it would ever happen again in a million years. We won't have to wait and see because Sean took out the stool and it now resides in the landfill.