Easter 2014

Our Easter came rather quickly this year considering we get home from our big vacation at about 7:30 the night before.  Luckily the Easter Bunny still found us.

 

The kid's Easter baskets

The 4 kids showing their personalities. 
Sometimes I just resign myself to the fact it is impossible to get a great picture of all 4.

Our 3 beautiful daughters who still let
me buy them matching dresses :)
 

Cute little 6 year olds.

Looking together for eggs.

Lilly with some of her egg hunt treasures.
 You can see in the corner of the picture she got a box of jelly bean shaped bubble gum.
  She really LOVES  gum right now and would not let that box out of her sight all day.
If you look even closer you can tell she also has a piece in her mouth.

Lizzie off to find some eggs at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Two good looking boys. 
They didn't plan on the yellow striped matching look but it looks great.



Lucky kids to call this guy Grandpa.

 

This picture has nothing to do with Easter (besides the fact it was taken on Easter) but it reminds me that I will always have a special place in my heart for dandelions.  My girls love to pick them and give me bouquets of them.  Afton, Lilly and Lizzie made these for me on Easter while they were waiting for their dad to come home from some church meetings. 

Redwood Forest/ Oregon Coast/ Seattle

 

From April 11th to April 19th

we were able to take an amazing family vacation. 

 I am very grateful for the memories we made. 

 

 Here are some pictures in no particular order....

 

Top of the Seattle Space Needle. 
It was very cold, wet and rainy

 

 

Family photo at Chandelier Drive-Thru tree.

Near sunset at Harris State Beach. 
Just a short little walk from our campsite.
 Breathtaking

 

The kids in front of one of the huge fallen tree trunks. 
 Near the Chandelier Drive-Thru



One of my new favorite pictures.
Redwood Forest

I love hanging out at the beach.
  I also love watching my kids explore and play at the beach.
  They loved every minute of it.

This was one of the campsites we got to stay at. 
 It was so green and lush and gorgeous.
Prairie Creek Campground

 

A little blurry but a curious girl like Afton
was in heaven at the Seattle Aquarium.



Cute Afton.
Harris State Beach

This was one of our first mornings. 
Afton and Lilly heading out to see what awaits them for the day.
 I like it because it reminds me of all the different adventures we had each day.
Winnemucca, NV

 

Banana slugs
Prairie Creek Campground



Lizzie posing to show the enormous tree.
Redwood Forest



Family photo with  Chuckles the clown. 
Prairie Creek Campground

Jim and Alisha......  Ah, how sweet!
Trees of Mystery

Jim's cool picture he took at the Seattle Aquarium.

Ethan had a camera and took many photos also.
Trees of Mystery

Had to take a few selfies :)
Redwood Forest

Doing what kids do best.  Throwing rocks into any body of water.
This is a lake we found in the Redwood Forest.

Writing names in the sand. 
 I got a picture of each kid with their name. 
Hopefully I will get around to printing them out and hanging them up in their room.

It was funny because there were 4 of us with cameras
. LOTS of pictures were taken between all of us.
  Here is me taking a picture of the other three taking a picture of some white deer. 
Yes, WHITE!

A dose of 6 year old cuteness!
Prairie Creek Campground

Jim demonstrating Confusion Hill. 
 Somewhere you just have to go to believe.



Afton and I on the gondola ride that takes you
 UP and OVER some of the Redwood Trees.
Trees of Mystery



See what I mean?
 I just love beach pictures!
 

Our final picture before we left for home.

 We are dirty and probably smell a little but we survived
 and had a wonderful week together.
 

 

 

12

Ethan had a birthday! 

 

 Ethan is now 12 years old.  How is that possible? 

 

We were able to celebrate his birthday while on our vacation.  He woke up in Seattle for his Birthday.  I told him it will be a birthday he will probably always remember.   On his birthday we went to the Seattle aquarium, Pike Place market and started driving home.  We will have a party  tonight with family and a friend party hopefully this weekend.

 

12 facts about Ethan:

• On April 20th, 2014 he was ordained a Deacon and entered the world of Young Men's.  Here come plenty of  camp outs, service opportunities and lots of new experiences  He is taller than every single deacon by almost a head and  is already taller than most of the Teachers.
• Currently is 5'6".  Yes the same height as his mom.  It is hard to explain how weird it is to talk eye level with my child knowing very soon I will be looking up to him.
• We now have to go into adult size for clothes.
• Still loves onions and Tic Tacs.....?
•  In his spare time you can catch Ethan either building a Lego creation or reading a book.  I wouldn't be surprised if he has tried to do both at the same time :)
• Still is nice enough to let his sisters sleep in his room on non-school nights.  They think it is the best thing.  Ethan on the other hand has a lot of patience and tolerance.
• Is extremely knowledgeable in the gospel.  You can ask him a question about a scripture we just read, he sits silently for a minute and then pours out some remarkable answer. 
• Is doing very well in all of his classes in school  despite the messy organization he has in his backpack.
• Currently is eating me out of house and home.  He eats six tacos in a meal, 4 bowls of cereal for breakfast, a whole brick of graham crackers for an after school snack and basically anything he can get his hands on.  He always likes ANY meal I cook. He will make a very good missionary and husband later on.
• Has only 6 more years before he goes on a mission!!! How in the heck can that be!!!  I suddenly feel like I am on a time crunch to teach him so many things.
• Every night still tracks Jim and I down to give us a hug goodnight.  Sometimes he even comes back for second goodnights and second hugs :)  He is the only one of our children that hug us goodnight.
• Wears a size 10 1/2 shoe!

  

 

 

Bonding

Last Saturday I was able to have some good bonding time with Lizzie.  My friend had two extra tickets to the General Women's Meeting downtown.  I was very excited to go not only with Lizzie but with a good friend and her daughter.   First we went out to lunch at Johnny Rockets in City Creek.  It was awesome to see so many mothers with their daughters walking around downtown.

 

Lizzie hates her picture being taken and will make
 a total weird face whenever I pull my camera out :)
None the less, here are Lizzie and Savannah at Johnny Rockets. 
 Don't they look like they could be sisters?

Although blurry I love this picture. 
The girls were giggling so hard it was so cute!

 

Posing on a bridge at City Creek. 
 Once again my daughter shows her great photo taking skills.

Looking cute in front of the fountains!

 

My friend Stacey and I trying to take a picture of the two of us.

Group shot and an actual normal Lizzie smile.
- Alisha, Lizzie (10), Savannah (8) and Stacey

So lucky to call her my daughter (craziness and all)!!

It was an absolutely amazing meeting. 
I am very grateful to be a member of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.