Easter 2020

We had a great Easter this year.  It was nice, not having to rush to get ready to go to church.  We did our sacrament meeting at home early in the morning and then the kids went to see if the Easter Bunny came in the backyard.  The collected eggs and then we had the sorting and evening out ceremony after.  :) Then Sadie and I made "resurrection rolls" to have with lunch.  They turned out yummy. 

 Sadie is getting good in the kitchen!

 I was worried when I saw what the pan looked like coming out of the oven.  I didn't think they worked, but they did!

 I eventually did my hair and makeup, which I hadn't done in WEEKS.  So I thought I better document it.  And this is the picture that I drew (following someone's instructions) that she colored for me.

 Opening all the eggs.

 Finley discovered this little nook that she likes to play in.

 Beautiful Sadie with her stash.

 Sorting and seeing what they got!

 They found everything!

 There was an egg up really high and I happen to time this picture perfectly when Sadie jumped up to get it!

 Finley was a good little finder!

 There is always something on the tramp!

 Riley's excitement is so fun to watch.  She is genuinely happy for everyone when they get something cool.  

Before the egg hunt.  

It was a great Easter this year.  All of this staying home has helped us all realize the important things in life.  We have had some amazing discussions with our kids about life and on this day in particular Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful for Him and that he lives.  And that we can strive to be like him and when we fall, He will lift us back up to keep going.  He will help us all through this strange time if we let Him.  

Chalk Art

 I had seen this project floating around on the internet but never really wanted to do it.  Then, the kids got this as an assignment from their art teacher for school.  It turned out to be a lot of fun.  And I love how it turned out!  We were really low on chalk, when we were done there was just a few tiny pieces left!

 Before we took the tape off...

 After.  These three and I were the ones who worked on this piece.  Zac wasn't very interested.  But he made his own picture on another part of the driveway...

It is 4 different habitats and things that live there.  He worked on this for a good long time getting everything on it that he wanted.  

Our friends moved across the country :(

 Our neighbors and really good friends moved away last week.  It's been really hard because this last month before they moved we couldn't even hang out with them because of Coronavirus.  It's been really hard.  Before this all happened, the kids would be together literally every day after school.  They would either be at my house or their house and they would go back and forth playing.  It was crazy, but also so fun for the kids.  But this last month has been so quiet (well as quiet as a house can get with 7 people in it!)  So we planned a little picnic lunch social distancing style. We met in a parking lot and sat across from each other and ate lunch. 

Here is Sadie and her very best friend Brytin giving each other a "hug".  

 Zac and his best friend Bryant.  They will miss each other so much!

 Here was our set up.  They brought pizza, we brought boring sandwiched and cookies.  

Tessa was someone who was so good at bringing people together.  I was really sad that we wouldn't be able to throw her a big going away party.  She really deserved one, but with what is going on with Covid-19 it was impossible.  So I put together a "drive by goodbye."  I was worried nobody would show up, but so many people did.  It was amazing.  They really will be missed.  We love them so much.  

This was the line of cars waiting to talk to them.  It was a tear fest in our car by the time we got up to them.  Finley was sitting in my lap and kept asking why I was so sad.  Sadie broke the rules (with our permission...and theirs) and gave Brytin a long hug.  They were both crying  by the end.  Those two will definitely miss each other.   

 Sadie was so nice and took pictures with her poleroid camera for all the kids to have. Each of the kids got to keep a picture.  I love it.

Then the day before they left, I was feeling really weepy and crying at everything and nothing.  We decided that we were going to break the rules again and let the kids play together all day.  They were in our house while everything was being packed up in their house.  It was so great to hear the chaotic noise that having 9 kids running around in the house brings.  I missed it so much.  

 Riley and Haidyn.

 Sadie and Brytin working on a 3D puzzle and the rest of the kids playing Mario Party in the background.  :)

 These kids....we will miss them so much!!

 Of course the crazy picture.

They have only been gone for 6 days and we have already video chatted with them a few times.  Ha ha.  We have been changed for the better by knowing the Lefler family.  We know that they will bring light and happiness to Pennsylvania.  Good luck you guys!

Life during lockdown

We've done lots of hanging around at the house lately...much like everyone else in the country.  The kids school was out for originally 2 weeks and now it is out until May 1st.  I wouldn't be surprised if they don't go  back at all before next year.  That will be sad because I love most of their teachers this year.  And this is Sadie's last year in elementary school!  I can only imagine how hard this is on those students who are seniors in high school! 

Our schedule usually consists of school work in the morning, and playing in the afternoon. 

Zac has been so good with his sisters.  He will snuggle with Finley, set up obstacle courses and other surprises with Sadie for the younger kids and he is working on being able to do 10 pull ups.  

I also introduced the kids to speed scrabble and they love it!  Especially the older two.  We play it almost every night when the younger kids are in bed.  

This girl's life has been turned upside down.  She got used to having mom all to herself for a few hours each day, but now with all the kids home and mom trying to run back and forth trying to help them all with their school work she finds ways to pass the time.  ha ha.  This is her masterpiece she drew on the wall in dry erase.  I thought it would just wipe right off, but nope.  It's still there.  I can't get it off!  

This picture is for one of Zac's assignments.  He had to use the word unimportant in a sentence and then submit a picture that went with his sentence.  He said something like "toilet paper is unimportant during an earthquake."  ha ha.  

Visit from Uncle Scott and Aunt Christi

 A month or so ago, my brother Scott and his wife Christie came up for a visit.  It was great to have them with us for a few days, although my kids were sad that they didn't have their kids with them!  She is pregnant with a baby boy due in April.  The kids just love any visitors but especially uncle Scott. 

They loved watching him play Zelda- Breath of the Wild and felt pretty important giving him pointers and tips since they had been playing the game longer than him.

 We went to a volleyball game with them one night down at BYU.  We really should bring our kids down there more often.  It was fun showing the kids the place we met and the BYU bookstore and other things from our college days.  Here they are with Cosmo in the Bookstore.

 You have to look really close, but you can see the Y on the mountain in the background.  It really blends in with the snow.

 At the game.  BYU won easily.  We also randomly saw my cousin and her husband (who live in California) in the crowded gym and ran over to say hello.  I told Rob we should go to more BYU sporting events.  It was a blast!

 We visited my grandparents on Sunday afternoon.  They are always fun to visit.  I'm glad I got a few visits in with them before the Covid-19 hit.  Now I would be nervous to visit them anytime soon.  I wouldn't want to pass along any germs we didn't know we had.  

Scott and Christi took the kids and I out to FIZZ drinks before they headed home.  The kids thought that was pretty great.  Thank you!

Outside fun

 Back before "social distancing" we had some friends stop by while we were playing 4 square in the driveway.  We stopped to chat and then started to roll the ball with the girls.  My friends baby was loving it!  It was adorable. 

Finley did an ok job sharing too.  :)

After 4 kids without one of these iconic play cars, we finally got one for Finley.  Actually a neighbor was getting rid of it so we inherited it.  But the other kids are enjoying playing with it too.  Emery barely could squeeze in there and drive Finley around a bit.  

Finley loved it I think...what do you think?

My Birthday- I'm 34

 A few weeks ago, I had my 34th birthday.  We didn't celebrate on my birthday because it was a really busy day, but Rob did have these flowers delivered to me:

I love Tulips!  

Then we celebrated my birthday on that Saturday.  Funny story, the Friday night before I was going to the movie "Emma" with some friends from my neighborhood.  I plugged my phone in so it was charged for my outing.  Not ten minutes later I went to get it and it was unplugged and gone!  I went out and asked the kids if they had moved it and they all said no.  I enlisted Sadie's help to find it.  She called it with the Alexa, and we listened for it.  I heard it buzzing and Sadie found it in Rob's backpack!  I went and asked him about it and he said "I knew I should have put it all the way on silent!"  ha ha.  He wouldn't tell me why he needed it, so I just left it at home and went to the movie.  Needless to say, the next day, I got a new phone for my birthday!  ha ha.  But it was just a phone.  No charger or box or anything.  I thought that was odd, but wasn't too worried about it.  Later Rob mentioned he payed for a screen protector but it didn't look like there was one. So we took it back to the Tmobile store and talked to the employee about it.  I mentioned I thought it was weird that it didn't come with a charger and then he was like "wait a minute!" and he ran to the back of the store and came back with my box and charger.  Rob mentioned that he had all 5 kids with him and he was just trying to keep them from breaking and touching everything so he left in a hurry.  The worker had left the box with a note in the back.  Pretty funny.  

I asked for a store bought cake but I forgot to specify that I wanted the whipped cream frosting.  This chocolate cake was yummy too though.  

 Rob wrote out "34" with the candles...He accidentally made the 3 backwards.  Haha!

 I'm so grateful for an amazing husband and wonderful children who I got to spend my birthday with.  They really are the best!