Lately

I inherited some clothes from my sister, Sarah.  I've been sorting and sorting bins of clothes and really don't enjoy it.  I turned around and saw that E & S had gotten into some 2T pajamas.  Silly kids.

I spent some time at my parents house watching Dave and Chelsea's boys while they moved into their home closeby.  They just moved here from Arizona.  We're so excited to have them close!  I was worried that my brother wouldn't speak to me again when he saw his oldest boy in a Cinderella dress.  Ethan has great influence upon other kids to get into dresses…always.

I officially listed my sister-in-law's home several weeks ago, but managed to get a sign up at her house. I felt so proud to post a photo after the work it took to get it all put together!

Doug and I have been trying to save money by not going on dates as much.  We got a babysitter tonight and went for a rollerblade ride on the path down the street.  He laughed at me but I had to remind him that I've been pregnant or post-pregnant and hadn't been on my rollerblades in almost 2 years. I some seriously wobbly legs!

I frequently am holding all 3 kids on my lap.  If I'm holding one, I get a request from another and then, sure enough, the last one wants in on the 'holding time'.  I had to snap a photo to remember these days in my life.  Filled with so much love, so much stress, and not a lot of personal space!

Gardens

Thanksgiving Point has some spectacular gardens.  They're a bit pricey, so we don't go regularly.  We do make a point to go to the Tulip Festival every year through.  It's stunning.  Bob and Marie Groenstein were still in town from Australia (they don't like their photo taken though I discovered) and it was Dutch days (Bob is Dutch) and we thought it would be fun to take them.  If you dressed up, you got a discount on admission.  Although these aren't truly Dutch costumes, their Halloween costumes of Kurt and Gretyl (Sound of Music) from last year fit the bill.  

I love teaching Sydney to smile for a photo.  It's taken a LOT of work and I still get some seriously amazing (yet scary) photos regularly.  Love this girl!  My friend Kayla and her daughter Bryn joined us for the outing.

There was a new garden with statues of Christ that were literally breathtaking. Photos don't do it justice.  The bronze statues were massive and I could've stayed there for hours.  They are commissioning more to be built and had small 'samples' of what the large statues will look like when they're built.  Amazing. I would've paid admission just to see these!!

Lyla was patient and content the entire time.  She's such a happy girl.

Easter Eggs!!

I have a saying in our house, "Treats aren't 'treats' if you have them all the time."  I LOVE that any treat is a big deal.  I love that they get excited when we go to the bank because they'll give us Smarties to play "name that tune" if they're ever falling asleep in the car.  They get 1 Smartie for every song they guess and we listen to the entire song.  

Easter egg hunts are a little difficult for me.  Because of my background in growing up obese, I am very committed to my kids understanding healthy food choices.  I try to let them enjoy treats, but I feel I have to do some deep breathing or something while they eat them.  It's a little embarrassing, but it's true.  I had planned to take them to the city easter egg hunt and we arrived right as it started.  I had NO idea how huge this was going to be!  There was a ton of candy and a TON of people.  By the time they were out of the car, they 'scored' with 4 Tootsie Rolls each and were THRILLED!  

I think they each had 2 eggs.  Look at those smiles.  Setting expectations low--it pays off.

They were all smiles on the way home.

Later that day, we went to my parent's house for the annual Beckstrand egg hunt. My sister, Tiffany, and I had brought our own eggs and my mom had some as well.  There was a TON of eggs to hunt.  It went on forever.  I had hidden some money and toys and things as well as a little candy.

I loved watching Ethan sprint from egg to egg.  He was in heaven.  Sydney would prefer salty foods all day long (which is why I put her favorite, Annie's Cheesy Bunnies in eggs) but Ethan always wants her leftover dessert that she doesn't finish.  What a good pair!

I was snapping photos constantly.

Lyla was playing with Dad on the trampoline while the hunting went on…and on.

These kids had a ton of loot!!

Sydney's first experience with candy jewelry…it was eaten right away.

Happy hunting

I've been on an ice cream spree.  I asked Marie to make lots of cookie dough bites for me to make cookie dough ice cream  They were so yummy!  

Our finished product was so good that I was concerned I would be eating way too much cookie dough.

Marie went with me to take Ethan and Sydney to a local easter egg hunt.  We got there just as it was supposed to start (it was farther than I thought) and it was PACKED with people.  It had already started and I shoved the kids out of the car with the kids and parked the car, hoping they'd get at least one egg!

They were thrilled with their 3 tootsie rolls!  :-)

The drive home was filled with tootsie rolls.

Hogle Zoo

While Bob and Marie Groenstein were in Utah, we took Marie with us to Hogle Zoo and met up with Tiffany and her kids (Quentin and Bentley).  We had a great time.

Sydney got a little friendly with the gorilla statue.

Tiffany and I were laughing so hard watching Ethan and Quentin try to climb the rhino statue without success while Syd sat on top wondering what was so hard.  :-)

Movin' around

Seems like lately someone has 'flipped a switch' and Lyla is growing up so fast!  She pulled herself to standing while I was reading books with Ethan and Sydney.  It was adorable.

She is fascinated by the water.  She managed to go on her tiptoes enough to fall into the tub!  She LOVES bath time.

She lets Sydney feed her.  Sydney is wanting to be a mom 'so bad'!  She is quite the helper with Lyla…most of the time.

Hogle Zoo

While Bob and Marie Groenstein were in Utah, we took Marie with us to Hogle Zoo and met up with Tiffany and her kids (Quentin and Bentley).  We had a great time.

I missed how she did it, but Sydney managed to climb up this bronze rhino while the boys were scrambling at the bottom.  I eventually helped them get up after (painfully) watching the struggle.  

Sydney was so excited by this gorilla.  They had quite the immediate connection.

All the kids (minus Lyla) in the eagle's nest.

Latest

There has been quite a bit going on in our world these days.  I enrolled Ethan and Sydney in a Children's Theatre for a few months.  They love music, dance, and acting, so I thought it might be good fit for them.  Ethan had a bit of anxiety the first few weeks and refused to go in the second week.  I was stunned!  I worked with him for 30 minutes (the class is 45 minutes weekly!) and he finally was brave enough to go in.  He hasn't looked back since.  Not thinking to re-enroll them, but it has been fun regardless.

Scissors.  Oh scissors.  I find TINY pieces of paper all over the house these days.  Too big to vacuum and too small to pick up easily…the joys of being a mom of twin 4-year olds.

We discovered an awesome park about 15 minutes away in Daybreak.  A good friend, Rachel, lives right by the park. We had a great time.

I invited Tiff to join us.  Our families have been friends for years.  She is so great.  So fun to see her.

Sydney and I had a brief mom-daughter date to the store (in-other-words, we happened to be alone go somewhere and I called it a date!)  She grabbed this hat and was so cute.  I had to take a moment and remember how adorable and fun this girl truly is.

Ethan and Sydney were so surprised to hear that they used to share a crib.  And not just any crib--Lyla's crib.  They have been begging me to go in it ever since.

Sydney is quite the helper in the kitchen.  She pulls chairs around the room like  pro--even lifting them over computer cords and everything!  She is one strong girl.  She begs to help me do anything culinary.