Slowing Back Down

 This week was a much needed slow-down. We had easy dinners, check ups at doctors and car dealerships, book clubs, Stake Easter celebrations, a date night to Come From Away with friends (we had three couples in our van for the drive down to Denver and it was so much fun), music night at the middle school to help Westin feel out what instrument he might choose to play next year, and then Saturday the Findlays visited us for the day before they started their ski week for their Spring Break. They came to Camden's soccer game with us and we hung out at the house and played basketball. Camden scored again and it was so fun to cheer him on! Danny had big dreams for our garage so that Michael can fit a truck in there someday. He's such a doer.

Sunday we went to a baptism for a mom and her three kids who are joining our ward. It was really special and the way so many people came out to support and love them was really sweet.

This was a good week, but a lot of these pictures are of sleeping children or cats. 

Last week wore us out :)

I just love this little buddy of mine. 

Haha this kid -- always in our business all through our workouts and we love it.

Kitty lately: Extra snoozy, extra chatty, extra cuddly, extra hungry for real food.

Shining star for integrity! Sounds about right for our cute Westin guy.

Kitty recently started getting onto the top bunk and we think it's so funny.
She goes by way of the bottom bunk, to the dresser, to the top bunk.

Come from Away with the Schmidts, Allemans, and Gregorys.
We LOVED this play.

Easter egg hunt haul!

Soccer High Fives

One day of North Carolina cousins!
We're so glad they came up before their ski week.

Not long after cousins left we found this cute guy.
Hard to be the youngest when life moves this fast.

"Rise of Clark"
I think Clark was over during my Sunday downtime :)

Palm Sunday!

Sweet preschool guy

Monthly FHE with the Miners

The boys love when they get Kitty to park it on their bed at night.

Spring Break: Springs & Skiing

 Our first couple days of actual Spring Break were so fun in Colorado Springs with the Baileys. Games, exploring, cave tours, Garden of the Gods, and just fun being together!

Plus setting up St. Patrick's Day was so funny -- my favorite thing was trying to put green mustaches on our sleeping children with Jamie. Everyone tolerated it (too well?) except Asher, who was not going to allow such a thing, even in his sleep. Green milk, rainbow fruit, Lucky Charms, coins in shoes, and green pee in the toilet (!) plus some leprechaun traps that might have better luck next year!

Garden of the Gods is such a gorgeous place. Seeing an emu there was unexpected. I'll probably never trust one again after being chased last time I met one. But this one was well-behaved.

We made it home Tuesday night and then spent Wednesday skiing with the Schmidts. The older boys had so much fun skiing together all day! Their lesson went well again and Camden is totally a natural. Truly he's better than I am, which is not hard to be, but still impressive after just a couple trips. He got bored with me and wanted Michael to take him on some more exciting runs :) I'll probably never keep up super well with my family on the ski slopes but we'll always have the lift rides! And I did fine on all those slushy blues today so it's all good.

After skiing we were BEAT. We went from one trip to the next to the next, and we were ready for a couple down days of Spring Break. We had one pretty empty day and one day full of make up tennis lessons before our last lessons on Saturday. Jamie took my kids to the Greeley Library (which is a total destination, I never knew!) one day and I got some much needed work done, so I was grateful for that.

In the end I just laugh at our "empty" spring break -- it quickly filled up with friends and fun even though we had planned on not traveling anywhere since our year has been busy with family plans and our Florida trip. This break was so fun! We all loved it.

Sleeping Queens, classic.

Cave of the Winds tour

That time Joseph was chased by a goose.

Setting up St. Patrick's Day

These pictures will forever make us giggle.
They just accepted this, 
but no one woke up with it still on :)

Asher was NOT having it. He's just rub it off instantly every time.

Walking her Emu. ?????

Meeting the Emu!
Wild.

What a warm winter.
This was a slushy ski day but still so fun!

We love the Schmidts!

Greeley Library.
I had no idea it was such a happening spot.