Easter weekend

We had a fabulous easter weekend with a lot of fun activities with family and friends. Saturday the kids particpated in three hunts. They got lots of fun goodies and loved every minute of it.
Here's Taylor and Chase at our annual neighborhood easter egg hunt. We really live in the best neighborhood/street around.


Then here they all are after our little hunt at our house. They were all so into their goodies I could barely get them to look up.

Then over to Grandpa Bryce's for the money hunt. The great grands went first and then it was the "big kids" turn. It's always so funny to watch a bunch of adults run around collecting dollars. We take this hunt VERY seriously.
Here's Uncle Brycie helping Talan, cause Tally really wasn't that into the money hunt. See next pic.


And Bry was the bigger winner this year, just in case you can't tell.

Then on Sunday we spent the day thinking of the Savior and what he has done for each of us. It is so endearing as a parent to hear your children talk about the real reason for the holiday. Taylor and Chase really got into our Easter lesson for Family Home Evening that week. They were asking questions and already knew a lot of the story. It melted my heart. I know this a little late, but I found this clip on lds.org of Elder Holland's most recent talk at ccnference. So worth watching if you haven't already seen it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpFhS0dAduc&feature=email

I have spent a lot of time recently reflecting over my life. Over the past couple weeks I have been thinking a lot about past mistakes and things I which I could go back and change. Obiviously I can't do that, but thank goodness I can repent and be forgiven and move forward. The Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ is awesome! What a gift He has given to each of us. I know that He lives.

Here we all are on Easter Sunday after church of course, one of these days I'll get us all ready early enough so we have some time to kill. Maybe when we have 1:00 church again. Hope everyone had a wonderful easter.

Dreams do come true

Taylor has always had a love of horses. I'm not sure where this came from. I really don't know much about them and I'm not a real big animal lover. Although my mom was; so maybe she got that from her. When we were growing up you name it and we probably had it as a pet. Anyways, Taylor has always wanted to ride a horse and has asked several times when she could. Last Saturday, my brother who was taking care of some horses while the owners were out of town, asked if we wanted to bring the kids over with his kids, and ride one of the horses. Taylor was so excited!! She talked about it all morning long. Even Talan got a turn. Now Taylor can check this off her list of things to do. Although I have a feeling this won't be her last time on one!

Taylor and her cute cousin Rylee. These girls are so cute together.


The boys. Chasers and Tannon. They were so excited when they found this hat in the stalls. Chase kept saying "I have to have a cowboy hat to ride a horse."

Taylor riding all by herself

And our cute little Tally taking his turn with his dad

There's nothing like family

A couple weeks ago Cort's parents came for a visit, along with his sister and husband and VERY cute little boy. We had a lot of fun talking, playing, eating, and just being together. My dad asked me the other day (He's always asking us kids questions like this) "what is the most important organization in the church?" I didn't even hesitate...I immediately answered with "it's the Family." (I think he's asked me this one before.) He smiled and immediately replied with a "you have been taught well." How thankful I am to be blessed with such a WONDERFUL family. Thanks for coming Grandma and Grandpa and Tori, Ronnie, and Brewin too. We love you all and already miss you!!
We love cousins! Talan with his cousin Brewin who is only 6 months younger than him playing with Grandma.

And all the kids with their very loveable grandparents that they can never get enough of.

Taylor turns 6

Our little buggy wuggy is now 6 years old. CRAZY! I actually keep forgetting that she is now 6. Someone asked me the other day how old my kids where and when I told them she was 5....well, Taylor was very quick to correct me. Her birthday landed on a Monday this year, so when she got home from school, I told her that since she was the BIRTHDAY GIRL we were going to do whatever she wanted and that's what we did! (When I was little my mom use to do this for me on my birthday and it always made me feel so special. I always hated when my birthday was over. As a kid it's so fun to be able to call the shots!) We went on a scooter ride down to the big hill at the church, and then after that, Taylor decided she wanted to make cookies, so we made some yummy peanut butter cookies and almost ate them all before the day was done. Taylor then had her tumbling class that she loves and then we all went to the Jungle Jim for her little family party. She got lots of fun things and loved that most of our family that lives around here showed up for it. Her favorite part of the night must of been the "roller coaster" there. Which basicly was a ride that spins you around over and over and over again. (I got dizzy just watching her.) She seriously did that one like 15 times. Chase and Talan loved it too. It was a very fun day and night.
Taylor with some of her cute cousins on the "roller coaster."

And with some of her birthday goodies.

Taylor has been so excited to turn 6. She just loves life so much. She still is just as happy as ever. Always smiling and thinking of others and making our lives so enjoyable. Her brothers still adore her too pieces and she is still the second mom around here. I can't believe SIX years have come and gone since she entered our lives, I'm grateful for her everyday. She is so beautiful inside and out. I asked what some of her favorites things are recently and here's what she said: favorite place to go: Sea World, favorite color: orange, favorite memory: being a big sister, favorite food: Chicken salad, favorite part of school: recess, favorite thing to do: tumbling, favorite holiday: Valentines, cause it's all about love!
Happy Birthday to our very sweet Taylorbug.

This is what best friends look like

The weather here has been so nice recently. We have actually been in the 60's for the past couple of days. My personal favorite. However, the wind today was out of control, which means playing outside is not very fun. However, things aren't so bad, cause luckily, Taylor and Chase have each other, and they are making the best of it. This is how I found them this afternoon.
I swear, Taylor can talk Chase into just about anything.

Taylor looses a tooth

This has been a long time coming for us. Taylor has been talking about loosing a tooth for close to a year now. I kept telling her to enjoy her baby teeth because before long they will all be gone. (Why are we always in such a hurry to grow up!)Well, about three or four weeks ago we were out and about when Taylor said she needed a drink, so I got her a sprite out of the nearest vending machine. And that did it, she used her teeth to open the bottle and as a result her tooth FINALLY loosened up. She has been telling everyone she knows (including Chase) that that's how you make your teeth loose so that you can finally loose them. On that following Sunday Cort announced that he thought it was FINALLY loose enough for him to pull it out and that's exactly what he did. Taylor was so excited and couldn't wait for the tooth fairy to come. I just love her zest and love of life. She is such a peach and we are all so excited for her. Love ya Tay!

magical childhood

I came across this really cool website the other day. It seriously has some great ideas. I thought was too good not to post. Anyways, here’s the address and a little tid-bit of what I found. www.magicalchildhood.com.

20 Ways to Make Today Special

How many individual days do you remember from your childhood? How many were magical? Here's some things to try that your children will carry with them. And hopefully make you smile a little too...
Leave a secret "I love you" message hidden in a lunch box, painted on their pancakes or tucked into their shoes. Better yet, leave a dozen.

Fake a doctor's appointment. If you have kids in school, let them (and the school) think they have to get out of school for an appointment. Pick them up and take them to a picnic in the park instead (or whatever you'd both enjoy).

Have a tacky fashion show. Get together the loudest clothes you can find and give out awards for the worst entries. Eat supper in costume.

Write them a letter telling her how much you love them, and why. Be specific.

Square dance. In the living room. Grown ups too. Make it up if you don't know how.

Tell your kids their birth stories. Add the little details and tell them if you cried or daddy wouldn't let them go.

Serve meals out of order. Have lunch for breakfast, desert for lunch, etc.

Eat it with the wrong utensils and be artistic with it. Pipe tartar sauce haikus across the fish sticks and then scramble them to make new poems. You get the idea.

Crawl under the table with your little one. Do at least three different normal activities under there (reading books, brushing teeth, snack time...)

Get together a pile of your children's artwork and take the kids to a senior citizen center. Pass out the art and spend time with the residents. Let your kids know how happy they made people.

Give your child a disposable camera and tell her to record all her favorite parts of her life with the photos.

Go for a long walk and just talk.

Play truth or dare.

Have a campout in the living room. Roast marshmallows over candles and tell ghost stories by flashlight.

If you have access to a camcorder, record at least an hour of silliness. Add some sentiment too, having everybody tell things they're thankful for, what they've loved about this year, and things they love about each other. Close with more silliness.

Help them decorate their rooms with glow-in-the-dark stars, bugs or images. Better yet, get GITD paint and they can paint their own.

Go on a road trip for the day, anywhere you've never been.

Write a silly poem or story just for him. Make him the hero and fill it with stuff he loves.

After dark, go look at the stars together.

Spend the whole day saying "mommy loves you." Say it so much you're annoying and strange! At the end of the night, tiptoe in and whisper it to them as they sleep. Fill them up with how loved they are, and tiptoe out