Easter

Easter week brought a new word to our vocabulary CANDY. Luke pretty much wakes up asking for candy. We participated in 4 Easter Egg hunts. The first on he got three eggs. He was just enjoying the outdoors etc and then once he realized that there were eggs filled with candy he would take the egg dump the candy in his basket and re hide the egg. It can't help that I got him the worst basket, it has two handles, so every time he reached to put something in, he would dump everything he already found. (rookie mom mistake) But by the time actual Easter came around he was making some pretty serious maneuvers to get the eggs, jumping up and down each time he found one and getting his grandmas to open each egg for his and tell of his spoils. What a difference a week ( and a whole lot of practice makes)






We also dyed eggs a couple of times, on for FHE, and once with Bry's fam. I learned the best tip from some magazine I get. Use wisks...sorry I realize this is a little late to be helpful for anyone, but store it in your brains for next year, it was really easy for Luke to be able to dip by himself. It didn't eliminate the mess mind you, but that's what makes it fun, right.

Saturday was bliss and Sunday...only slightly amiss

This weekend we decided we would go on a weekend getaway to Zion. Best decision ever! We had so much fun! This is the first time we have ever taken Luke to a National Park or family trip with just our little family...so we were super excited and a little anxious to see how it would all work out.

The drive down went really well except I have never seen such a long expanse with out a McDonalds (and where else would we eat breakfast...I needed my Sausage biscuit and Luke needed his big fry i.e. hashbrown) But finally we found our breakfast and made it to the park. I was reading the pamphlet as we drove in and apparently I really emphasized that there were a lot of birds, cause the whole time we were there look would find the highest point he could get to and yell bird...bird. It was hilarious. I guess he thinks they are like dogs and come when you call. He loved our little hike, loved marching and walking backwards, picking up sticks and dirt clods, daddy dunking him in waterfalls, and having treats. We are so excited to go back.

We made it to the hotel and went swimming, went out to eat and then realized how truly exhausted we were.

Sunday morning we woke up (in the 4 o'clock hour...yikes) Bryan was sick and Luke was teething with his 2 year old molars. Then somehow we visited the most reverent ward in the church...it was awful... I don't think there was another toddler in the bunch. So even when I take him out to the hallways, everyone is reverent and quiet and we made quite the scene. I have never been so grateful for my rambunctious ward!

Anyway we had so much fun and are so grateful that Luke shares our love for the outdoors and fun family vacations.

St Patty's Day

We made some Loverly green breadsticks.

Why these sticks are bringing me joy

It may be crazy but I am seriously getting buckets of joy out of this arrangement of sticks. And these is my best guess at why:

. it reminds me of family
My Mom does a similar version in her home
Bryan's Mom is the one who helped pruned our trees to come up with these lovelies

.it reminds me of a book I just read and LOVED (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn). She is dirt poor, and every day goes to her library in Brooklyn to check out a book. There is a small brown bowl that seasonally changes to have things like holly berries and flowering twigs. This makes me want to notice and get joy from these little things, but also create things like this. Not maybe worry about big extravagances.

.i felt a little artsy putting it together...and fun to know that it came from my yard

.bringing the outdoors in ... knowing that spring is coming ... I never realized how much I loved spring until this year.

Weekend

Bryan had Friday off, so we were pretty pumped to have some family fun and adventures. Since spring ended up being quite short lived, we decided to go sledding on Friday. I don't have the greatest balance and when Luke and I went for a spill he decided that sledding wasn't his sport so we had some fun playing in the snow, Luke loves to have snow thrown at him and is learning to get into the action of a full fledged snowball fight.



Saturday we thought we would take our first real family four wheeling trip. So we loaded up and headed down to the sand dunes. Luke loves to pretend ride with Bryan so we thought that this would be sooo much fun! What can I say we are still pretty naive as parents :) We got down there and told Luke that he had to get his helmet on. He was still excited. Then started going and o boy... it was a no go. It lasted about 10 seconds. So we packed back up had our picnic in the car and figured we will try again later, maybe with a camping trip when it's a little warmer so it's not a total failure. He sure looked cute in his helmet though :)

Side note: I finished one of my crafts that has been haunting me, it only took me 10 years, but hey its done.