In Like A Tiger .... Out Like A Lamb

Does anyone else feel like March was a REALLY long month?  We got all moved and just spent our first weekend home together in our two-bedroom rental.  We are all grateful for the yard and the quiet street for bike riding.  We've met lots of neighbors and loved our new ward.  The kids have met lots of kids on our street.  There are an enormous number of girls on our road which makes Abbi very happy.  She's already been to Activity Days with them and raved about the "lovely church."

To end the month, we played all weekend.  Jake had FOUR days off so we made the most of it!  Thursday, was Grandma Tracy's birthday.  We had dinner with her and then went up the mountainside in Deweyville and shot guns.  This was Abbi's first time using her BB gun Jake gave her for her birthday.  It was my first time shooting anything other than a BB gun.  I have to say, it was really fun to shoot a handgun and I was a really good shot.  Those empty Diet Coke bottles had it coming {for being empty, you know}.

Abbi aced her big science test on Friday!  After school, we went to The Croods which easily became a new favorite, especially for Noah.  We ate movie junk food and loved it.  After the movie, we took them to pick out new scooters and a bike for Noah.  Abbi picked out a plain Razor {but then traded for the pink one at my mom's house}.  Noah originally picked out the Mickey Mouse scooter but after seeing the Buzz Lightyear scooter he changed his mind.  He says the Buzz one is "really fancy."  Unfortunately, we played outside until after dark and were eaten alive by mosquitoes.  Isn't it a little early for bugs?!

The Easter Bunny hopped by our house on Saturday.  Abbi and Noah loved their little surprises and hunting eggs in our front yard.  Jake and Abbi went on a date to golf nine holes.  Abbi loves to drive the cart but ran over a few things this round.  Jake tried to teach her his smooth technique of leaning out of the cart to pick up golf balls.  She tried it but for some reason Jake turned the cart at the same time.  The girl rolled right out of the cart.  They both came home laughing about that.  For our date, Noah and I went to the Kangaroo Zoo.  Elizabeth and Aunt Tiffani came with us.  Noah spent the majority of his time at the drinking fountain.  While getting into a bounce house he accidentally head-butted an already crying kid who returned the favor by biting him at the top of another slide.  Good times.  When we finished our dates, we met at Kneaders for lunch.

Coloring Easter Eggs was really fun.  We used 12 colors which seems like 10 more than I've ever seen.  While they love coloring them, they both complain about eating them.  I know I can't really hold it against them when they don't eat the yolk but on the other hand, they both LOVE "sloppy eggs," which is just an overeasy egg.  Daisy liked to play Easter Eggs, too.

My mom had a BIG egg hunt for all the grandkids.  The group has unofficially grown to 8 and they all had fun.  Plus, Gavin {a borrowed grandchild} hunted, too.  The younger ones are enjoying the attention and fun with the new teenaged grandkids.  We ate and hunted and played.

I had a hard time getting started on Easter Sunday.  I was so sad and worried about my little grandma who had to go to the hospital.  She's in surgery now but is much better than she was yesterday.  After I pulled myself together, we went to our new ward.  We all really enjoyed it.  And, I was happy to have Anne and Elizabeth there, too.  Jakey got sick during our combined meeting and had to leave.  Fortunately, he made it home without yacking on the old ladies he said he was stuck behind when he was walking out.

The kids and I had a yummy lunch with my family and Jake was really happy for the plate I brought home for his healing tummy.  I had a special Easter Family Home Evening prepared to teach the kids about the real meaning of Easter.  It went so well and they both had lots of comments.  Noah learned a lot about Easter during Sunbeams.  When we talked about Jesus going to the temple in Jeruselem, Abbi put it together that we were reading about Jeruselem in the Book of Mormon.  She remembered that in the Book of Mormon, Jeruselem was destroyed so she wanted to understand how Jesus was in Jeruselem.  After we talked about the week before the resurrection, we watched the video, He Is Risen.  I watched it the other night and loved it and was excited to see what the kids thought.  They wanted to watch it again and to find more Bible Videos.  It was so great.  I was so happy to have that experience in our home together.

Now, Spring Break begins and I'm all out of ideas.  Luckily, the kids really love to ride their scooters and bikes up and down the street.  Hopefully, the thunder and lightening will leave us alone for the rest of the week.  And now, a load of pictures.