Birthday Time

Jill had a birthday... just about a month ago.  Life has a way of throwing surprises that sometimes make you loose track of time.  And that is my excuse for being so far behind.  It's always fun for me to ask my kids what kind of cake they want me to make and then try to create that.  Jill's request this year was a chocolate cake with crazy colors and peace signs.  That is what led to this death by chocolate cake in the shape of a peace sign with crazy tye dyed colors.  With layers of chocolate cake, brownie, frosting, chocolate chips, and candy bar it really was to die for.

 

 

We had a small gathering of family and a friend.

 

 

Jill loved all of the presents she got. 

 

 

Here Dawntae is giving Jill pointers on how to use the balloon tying kit she and her family gave.

 

 

After present time we sang happy birthday to Jill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this point in her life Jill is still the bubbly, happy, full of life girl that she's been since birth.  With her contagious laugh, smile that lights up my days, and larger than life heart I can't begin to imagine life without her.  She's creative, courageous, and full of life.  She's blessed our lives in so many ways, and adds so much to our family.

 

Happy birthday Jill!! 

Easter Time

Easter has also come and gone.  We had our annual egg hunt/brunch at our house with our family. This years brunch consisted of carrot cake pancakes, Easter resurrection rolls, and several yummy potluck dishes.  Every year the "kid" egg hunt gets smaller and smaller as these little guys keep growing up. 

 

Miki and Dawntae scouting the yard for more eggs

Jolyn helping Kyler, Miki, Jill, Dawntae and Kenzie

Jill and Kenzie

Miki

After the hunt was over all of the kids gathered on the tramp to inspect their find.  Anthony tried to get what he could from them, and Hubert watched from a distance.

 



 

 Samantha happened to come down with the stomach flu this year for Easter.  So she chilled on the chair while the festivities went on around her.

 

 

This year (thanks to pinterest) we tried something new.  With a few of the eggs we made "dinosaur eggs".  They require staying in the fridge overnight, and this is what they looked like when we took them out to the fridge.

 

 

Then we started to peel them and this is what they looked like. 

 

 

Still feeling sick (you can see her legs in the background) Sam didn't help color Easter eggs this year. 

 

Miki and Jill

 

Miki and Me

Easter morning Sunday dresses.

 



 

Our dogs scared the Easter bunny again!  So, while we were at church he finally made it to our house.  After emptying their Easter baskets the girls  searched high and low until they had found all of the Easter eggs. 

 

Royal Review

It feels like we were just here, but the Royal Review has once again come and gone.  This year they did a few things a bit different, one of which was a coed dance.  Sam asked her friend since childhood to be her partner, and she had a lot of fun with this dance. 

 

 

Miki and Jill had to be part of the action too.  (there is an extra set of hands, and the belong to one of Jill's friends)

 

 

While watching this years review I had a sort of review of my own.  Sam is just about done with half of  her high school life, and it feels like it has just started. 

 

 

As I watched Jill's little dance class perform their dance I couldn't help but remember when Sam was her age and how that doesn't feel like that long ago.

 

 

Time goes by way too fast!  When my kids were all younger and people would tell me to enjoy them because they really do grow up too fast, I honestly didn't believe them.  It felt like they were never going to grow up.  Now I'm seeing the wisdom in their advice.  Sam will be grown up and on her own before I know it, and her little sisters aren't too far behind.

 

 

I know that's the plan for life, and watching them learn and grow is definitely a joy.  I just wish it were a little longer than the blink of an eye.

 

Heck of a Hike

Our Spring Break came and went without anything too eventful taking place.  We enjoyed no schedules, sleeping in, and hanging out.  We couldn't let Spring Break end without doing something fun, so Friday Kay took the day off work and we all went hiking.  We took a hiking trail by the goose necks that lead down to the San Juan River.  Scout leaders take scouts on it all the time, and that is how Kay learned about the trail. 

 

 

 If they take scouts on it, how hard could it be... right?

 

That was my line of thinking until about half way down the trail when my knees and ankles were killing me and I couldn't stop thinking about the return trip.  Unlike me, the kids were great.  They were ahead of Kay and I the whole time. 

 



 

An hour and a half after we'd started we finally made it too the bottom.  To my pleasant surprise, it was actually pretty down by the river.  Sam brought a friend with us, and all the kids had a lot of fun by the river.

 

 

The sand was great for playing in.

 

 The water was fun to wade in.

 

 

                      

 

 And they had a blast finding all the "sinking sand" spots.

 

 

Kay had other motives for this particular hike.  Gold panning is a hobby of his, and this area is an old time gold panning spot.  The trail was built decades ago by the miners themselves.

 

 

He's also a bit of a rock hound.

 

 It was peaceful and relaxing by the river.

 

 

 After a bit of time we faced the inevitable and started our hike back to the top. 

 

 

This family picture marked the half way point.

 

 

Kay and Jill stopping to catch their breath.

 



 

I love Kay's official "gold panning" hat.

 

Another rest stop.  Notice Kay resting on the rock... it really was that tiring.

 

Two hours later we reached the top.

 

 This is the pile of rocks marking the trail.  I'd never been so happy to see a pile of rocks in all my life.