March 2016

Once we got back from Hawaii Spring was in the air! The temps were warm and everything was green. It is beautiful! Normally I would say that summer to fall is my favorite season change but since Texas literally does not have a fall season I had to pick a new one one I moved here. So now its winer to spring. I love how green everything is and how warm it is, not hot yet, just warm. It is so nice to spend time outside. 

I like to take Roxy on a walk/jog and this is one of the trails we go on. 

 I really wanted to go to the arboretum since it was so nice outside but Austin had hurt his ankle and didn't want to walk that much. So Jaren and Austin went to a movie and Caleb and I went to the arboretum. Caleb absolutely LOVED all the pretty flowers. He took my phone and snapped photo after photo of pictures. I finally had to take the phone away from him. Most of them were just okay and I ended up deleting most of them but some of them were really good! I added my four favorite!

This is my top pick of all the pictures he took! I love it!!!

Caleb's Favorite! 

March means Pinewood Derby month!

Both boys waiting to watch the cars race.

All the cars weighed and waiting. 

Austin's car is in the middle. It did WAY better then last years car but not as good as he would have liked. 

Happy after coming in first pace on that particular race. 

On this particular Saturday we hopped in the car to get the boys donuts and we decided that we would go out for breakfast instead and so instead of turning right into the donut shop we turned left in the Denny's parking lot. It was so fun, we never go out for breakfast!

After our meal at Denny's we grabbed Roxy and decided to explore one of the local parks we have never been to. Park is a rather loose term here. It was mostly just open grass without very well marked hiking trails. I am sure it would be beautiful when the bluebonnets are out and we had a great little three mile hike with Roxy. 

Caleb once again used my phone to take pictures nature. 

Easter Egg Hunt. Thank you Fishies for inviting us! The boys had a blast. 

Julia, Hallie, Austin, Caleb, and Audrey is holding Julia. We missed Claire that day. She was at a friends house. 

Zeb taking a minute to teach Caleb some wakeboard tricks. Caleb was all ears. He LOVES to wakeboard! 

Hallie and Caleb tied for first place. 

All the kids waiting to burst through the doors and hunt for those eggs. 

12 eggs each? I think they have more then 12 eggs! 

After the Easter Egg Hunt we came to Sunnyvale to help celebrate with Dalton Rapattoni. In case you don't know who he is (I didn't either until about a month ago) then allow me to fill you in. He is an American Idol contestant who has made it to the top four (three now). If you're on American Idol and you make it to the top four they send you home for the weekend. But American Idol and their camera crews come with and film the weekend. Dalton just happens to be from our little town and Sunnyvale had a little parade and concert in the park. All the kids at school are having the time of their lives with all of this. Every Thursday you can go to the school and attend the American Idol watch party where the PTA and local businesses have food and treats and all the kids get to hang out and watch together. I think there may be actual tears spilled if he doesn't win first place and I'm not just talking about from his mamma either, this city is proud!

The only semi decent photo I got of Dalton. He's the one wth the Sunnyvale letter jacket on, not that cute girl in front. 

Playing on the playground while he sang. 

Okay so Caleb didn't have the best day! Earlier in the day he fell off the swings in the back yard and got the rash in the middle of his forehead. Then while we were at the park for the concert her tripped on the stairs and hit his head HARD! I took him over to the first aid station and they had him stay there for a while just to make sure he didn't have a concussion. WE had to wake him up a few times that night. The paramedics told me that it was a good thing that the bump was coming out away from his head because that meant he wasn't bleeding internally. They told me if someone ever hits their head really hard and there is no bump then you should be concerned because that means that the instead of the blood coming out and forming a bump it's going inside and causing internal bleeding! I never knew! 

Riding our bikes home. WE had to adjust Caleb's helmet a little so he could still wear it without it sitting on his forehead. 

After last year I decided to do Easter morning a little differently this year. We spent the week before Easter really focusing our scripture reading on the Savior and I wanted to carry that over to Easter morning. Last year the boys had torn into their Easter baskets and were already eating candy by the time Jaren and were out of bed. I did not like that!!! So I changed it this year and adopted something I remember my mom doing when we were little. Where their Easter baskets were supposed to be sitting was note from the Easter Bunny with a scripture. 

It was a scripture scavenger hunt. I kept it very easy and simple but made sure that we did it together as a family and made sure that all the scriptures focused on the Savior. The first one they read talked about Jesus breaking bread for the first sacrament. The boys knew then that they should check the bread. 

Once they found the bread they got their next scripture. This one talked about how the water for the sacrament signifies his blood. They went straight to the cups. The third scripture talked about Jesus dying on the cross for us. We only have one cross and it is the one that Laney Kearney made for us so they knew exactly where to go for that! On the cross was their last scripture. It talked about how Jesus was resurrected from the place where he lay. Austin understood immediately! He said they should check the place where they wake up every day. Sure enough on Austin's top bunk, hanging out with all his stuffed animals were their Easter baskets.

That Day after church we headed over to Zac and Andrea's to have Easter dinner with their family and Ron and Lisa. Zac totally lived up to his reputation and made an amazing cake! Austin has told Zac more then once that he should open a cake shop and I have to say, I would them! 

Austin on the top, Nolan, Caleb, and Addie. They play really well together and usually when we get together it's quite loud since they're all running around playing. 

Our Carrot Cake! It tasted better then it looked which is saying something! 

We finished out the month with a fun visit with some new friends. Austin met Brad on the swim team and since he is not swimming right now he doesn't get to see Brad all that often. I promised him that I would make an effort to get the two of them together. Works out well for me since I like Bsad's mom! I'd say it's a win/win!

We decided to go bowling and Austin won!