Picnic

On Friday, Nick was kind of puttering around the house. I didn't know what he was doing. He had decided that he was going to go outside & enjoy the yard. He made his own picnic (Turkey Sandwich, Chocolate Donut & Koolaid), found a basket to put it in, a blanket to sit on, and went outside and set up his spread, and to look at our grass...from the front porch.

4th Grade Rendezvous

I don't remember much about 4th grade, but I do know for sure that we did not have a Mountain Man Rendezvous. This was soo much fun! They do this every year, and the kids have a blast!!

Here is my own little "Lt. John Gunnison" panning for gold...

I don't know where they found this guy, but he was telling them stories, and when it was time to change "stations", he would shoot off his gun.

They had tepees set up with story tellers, crafts, etc. There was square dancing, a trading post where they could buy stuff with "bever pelts" that they had been earning all year. They ate their chili lunch out of pie tins, and no 4th grade activity is complete without a hatchet toss!!

Oh Happy Day!

Another thing I haven't seen in a while...

Yep, that's right, we finally have grass!! It has been a year an a half since we have had a green backyard. The kids are so excited! But, when I told them that they couldn't walk on it for at least 3 weeks, they were TICKED!! Now they have no where to run & play! Oh well, it will be so worth it!

It's been 14 years...

Not since our wedding have I seen Troy in a Tux - and last week I got to see him not once, but twice!! I kind of got the giggles, because it felt like we were going to Prom. Especially when they had us posing on the stairs for a group photo.

Easter Festivities...

The weekend started with an Easter Egg hunt out at my Aunts house. She lives on 13200 S. - so the time it takes to drive out there, is longer than the actual hunt. Jon was so excited, and he was in the first "heat" of kids to start the hunt.


The kids LOVE going out there, there are dogs, horses, chickens, and every spring there are baby chicks. They love to hold them, and watch them jump around in the barn. Nick has decided that he wants to live on a farm. My aunt told him that when he has a bad day, he can run away to her house & stay for a couple of hours - (note to self...buy bus passes for all of my children...)

Ashley felt like she was too "grown up" to do the hunt, but obviously not to grown up to eat some of the candy!!

We have asked the Easter Bunny to come on Saturday at our house, so On Saturday morning, we did the bunny thing at our house. The Easter bunny hid the eggs inside, which isn't as fun, and again, the hunt only lasts about 5 min., so I didn't even get any pictures of that.

Our neighborhood also does an egg hunt (I loved hosting it in the old neighborhood, but I LOVE being a guest!!). It was FREEZING! The poor kids could see their breath! It was fun to get together with everyone and chat, until the frost bite took over!

(This is the whole group, I just couldn't get back far enough to get them in one shot.)

Then of course Easter Morning, we take our annual picture. In the past few years, we were able to take their picture by my flower beds with HUNDREDS of tulips & daffodils...this year - we get to take a picture in front of a ROCK!!

They looked adorable...(check out Jon's shoes!!)

And let's not forget this Easter Outfit!! Isn't he cute!! Needless to say, it has been a great weekend, and it was nice to be able to enjoy Easter Sunday without the pressures of the Easter Bunny.

Who Needs Disneyland?

It's Spring Break, and we have no plans on going anywhere. AND why would we, when we have a magical wonderland in our very own backyard!! The first thing I heard my kids say, when they came in the door from school, is "We're digging a hole", and in came about 6 extra kids - generally, I think I would have put a stop to this kind of activity - but, with the current state of our yard, what can it hurt!?!

Not only is our backyard a kid magnet, (the first picture has a kid ratio of 1 Denning to 3 neighbor kids), but it keep them busy & outside for HOURS!!

And how can you not love watching a little boy play in a pile of dirt!

Hopefully I will have a REAL backyard here in the next month or so...keep your fingers crossed!

State of the Primary Address

Lucky me!! I get to speak in church on Sunday! Troy & I spoke in church 2 1/2 years ago, after we moved in. And, since we have no plans on moving, I kind of figured that I had YEARS until I would have to speak in sacrament meeting again! But NO! As a new Presidency, we get to speak - lucky us...

I do not love giving talks - don't get me wrong, I am a talker, but to try to organize my thoughts, and deliver them in a coherent format just stresses me out! I am sure that I will end up rambling, or forget half of what I wanted to say!

All I can say, is I hope the ward choir is going to do a medly of songs, and that the other chicks in primary with me have really LONG talks!