Easter

Easter this year was really fun! Ainsley is old enough to know whats going on and really get excited.
Saturday we went to a couple Easter Egg Hunts :)

The first one we hit was just crazy! This tiny circle of way too many kids just grabbing as much candy off the ground as they could. Tom and one of our friends, Mark, could not stop talking about how this was NOT a 'hunt'. So we decided to make our way to a second hunt.

This one had a much bigger space, but still just had the eggs laid out where anyone could see. The men folk have decided to do their own egg hunt next year. Tho the kids enjoyed themselves!

that afternoon Aunt Roxanne came over to help us paint eggs!

One of the eggs was cracked so we gave it an appropriate face.

Sunday the Easter Bunny came!

Aunt Roxanne spent the night and so the bunny brought her a basket too.
Any Dr. Who fans out there might appreciate one of her eggs.

Spring Stuff

Wow, am I getting behind again... here's some of the things we've been up to this spring.

Caterpillars! Tom saw a commercial online for caterpillars you could order and take care of until they became butterflies. Ainsley has been obsessed with caterpillars for a while now, (I blame the very hungry caterpillar myself) so she was THRILLED to see them. It really was amazing to see how tiny they start and how big they grew each day.. almost doubling in size. You weren't supposed to get them out of the container, but Tom's wrapped around his little girl's finger.. so she talked him into it. :) We had a lot of fun setting them free after they became butterflies.. so much fun, we forgot to take pictures.. so, here's some caterpillar pics to keep you happy.

Swinging Sisters!

This is Nora's first time on a swing

She is definitely a fan!

And of course Ainsley needed a try.

and here's my fuzzy pink animal!
It was a little chilly outside.. that is my reasoning here.
The video of her crawling in that thing cracks me up!

Stealing away to St. George

Ainsley had spring break from preschool in April, so we decided to sneak away and go visit my Grandparents and Sister in St. George.

Love my Grandma Gae.
She's one of the coolest people I know.

and Candice is so much fun. One of my best friends AND my sister.
Now that's lucky :)

and of course we've already decided that our daughters (who are only one month apart) will be best friends too. :) And so far it looks like they agree with us.

It was promising to be a smashing weekend anyway, but then we talked my mom into coming to visit too, and it became a blast!

I always stay with my grandparents when I'm in St. George. They built their house with visitors in mind, and are always so welcoming. There are few places I like going as much as my Grandparents. I caught this picture of my grandpa and Ainsley that cracks me up.

The look of his face is classic Grandpa. (He was trying to teach Ains how to hug, and he didn't think she was squeezing tight enough, lol) He just turned 80 yesterday!
Happy Birthday Grandpa!
Nora and Ainsley love staying there too :)

It had not been warm enough in Utah to really play outside, and definitely not to get wet, so we had to take advantage of the awesome water play area.
Ainsley had a great time getting wet.

and Eleanor had a blast hanging out with Grandma Cinda in the shade. :)

I LOVE this picture. Grandma Cinda and Eleanor.. cracking each other up. :)

Feel so blessed to be able to spend this time with my wonderful family.
Love you guys! Hope to see you again soon!!

The San Fran Adventure

wow.. am I ever getting behind here... I'll spare you the excuses, or at least I'll wait and elaborate in future posts about what I have been up to instead of blogging. :) Anyway.. on to the post.

Girls Trip!

Having the most awesome Mother in Law in the world, and being totally spoiled, I got to go to San Francisco at the end of March.. just for fun. :)

(Yeah, that's me.. kickin' it in the San Fran)

I *LOVE* being in a city. There's nothing like the feel of a city beneath your feet. The people, the food, the little shops, the towering buildings, all the little eccentricities. San Francisco is Gorgeous.
I love exploring a new city. And boy, did we have a great time!

We stayed at the coolest house. It was on Nob Hill.. doesn't that just sound like it's where all the snooty people live?? lol. It was beautiful, cool old architecture and the prettiest little rooftop garden. I can totally forgive it for being up an amazing amount of stairs.

We saw the sights:
Golden Gate Bridge

Lombard Street, the Most Crooked Street in the worldGhiradelli Square
(yes, that is a chocolate dipped strawberry in my hand, man I want one of those right now)
Alcatraz (way cooler and more beautiful than I ever thought)

We checked out the local scene.

We did a little shopping...

Thought about bringing something back for Tom :)

We went to the spa! (sigh.. I feel relaxed just remembering)

and yes, I rode on a trolley car :)

(trying to take a picture of myself while riding the trolley...
which is harder than you'd think, you really have to hold on to those things!)
We had a lot of fun, our silly group of gals :) I'm very lucky to be in this family.

Our Fearless Leader.
Kathryn has got to be one of the nicest, most patient, genuinely sweet people I know. She lives life to the fullest and inspires me to chase my dreams.

The Documentarian

Anna, well known to be fabulously talented, decided to take the opportunity to catch each of us in a moment and take a portrait (which is what you see here). I love how she captures real life and showcases it beauty. A girls trip wouldn't be the same without her adventurous spirit and organizational skills. :)

I love this picture of Shana. She hates having her picture taken, and this is her grudgingly letting Anna snap another one. :) But she looks so great. Shana always looks beautiful. We've been sticking together for years as the crazies who willingly married those Christensen boys. ;)

And then there's Erika. Our newest sister in law. This was her inaugural girls trip, and I think we showed her a good time. ;) This is such a pretty picture, I love the rain on the window and the thoughtful girl in it too! Erika is both thoughtful and feisty. An awesome combination. :) We have some of the best intellectually stimulating conversations. I'm so glad she joined out group.

Thanks for all the laughs ladies. We must do it again sometime!