Easter's Finest!

We have a tradition in our family that the kids get a brand-new Easter Outfit for Easter each year. The kids look forward to having something new to wear; especially something that is a little "lighter" and not so warm to wear to church. During the winter months in Northern Utah they wear heavy sweaters and tights, so I know they look forward to wearing the lighter fabrics. Kaleb and Karmindy weren't able to wear their New Easter Clothes for Easter since we were in Southern Utah that day but we let them wear their new duds the following week and I thought they looked darling! I am so proud of my kids and I think they are just so cute! Now if they would just stop growing.....

They are both growing up way too fast!!

More Easter Highlights!

 I couldn't fit all the pictures that I wanted in just one journal entry so I thought I would do two! The picture above is my kids with Grandma and Grandpa DeMille! Boy, they had a fun time spending the Easter Weekend with them. After all the kids went for an Easter Egg hunt in my Parents Orchard, we all came back into the house and my mom and dad gave them their Easter presents from them. My mom is such a fun Grandma and always tries to make the holidays fun for her Grand-kids. She takes great pride in going shopping for them and picking out special presents for each of her grandchildren whether it is for the holidays or their birthdays. She does a great job. For Easter this year, she made each one of her grand-kids their very own fleece blanket that matched a darling pillow. The blankets were a hit and my kids have really enjoying playing with their and cuddling up on the couch with their blankets and pillow that Grandma and Grandpa gave them!

My kids truly love visiting their Grandpa and Grandma DeMille. There is always plenty to do and cousins to play with. My kids love my mom's foam blocks and they love to build the biggest structures they can without the foam blocks crumbling. Kaleb went to work and built a structure that resembled the picture on the container. He was so proud!!! He had to hurry though, before cousin Karev knocked it down. Luckily, I was able to snap a  photo before the decimation began!

 My kids also love to go down to the Chicken Coup with Grandpa D and gather the eggs. Kaleb has enjoyed doing this with his Grandpa since he was a little boy. He loves it and I love seeing him bond with his Grandpa! I wish we lived closer so he could learn more about the Animals and outdoors. My dad really knows so much about gardening, and animals and I really wish that I knew more so I could pass the knowledge down to my kids!

It has been a tradition for me for the past two years to make Karmindy some sort of Easter/Spring Sun Dress. This year, while I was shopping at Hobby Lobby, I came across some darling fabric that already was smocked on top. I thought it would be so easy to whip Karmindy up a darling Sun Dress. She looks so cute in it and was proud to have something to wear to Grandma's House for the Family Picnic and Egg Hunt. I was really proud to be able to make something that my daughter enjoys wearing. I wish the picture was better quality because the print on the dress is more vibrant than the picture portrays!

The kids always get a little depressed when we have to leave Hurricane and return home. I love that they get to make good memories with their Grandparents for they truly enjoy visiting them and spending time with them. My parents always wonder if they have a good time but I don't have any doubt that they do. The Monday following the Easter Break, Kaleb came home with this Journal Entry that he wrote at school. It says, "I went to Saint George to see Grandma DeMille (Grandpa Too!). We went on the Four Wheelers to. We had an Easter Egg Hunt Too!!" 

I don't get Kaleb to reveal his feelings too often so it is a treat when he writes in his journal at school and brings the entries home for me to read. 

Our whole family enjoyed spending the weekend in Hurricane and I am so grateful to my parents and the parents and Grandparents they are to us! Thanks for a memorable Easter Holiday Mom and Dad!

Easter Weekend!!!

 I have fond memories of  Easter Weekend, when I was a child. A typical Easter was spent getting together with my dad's side of the family-Grandpa and Grandma DeMille and his siblings and cousins. We would all make yummy food to eat and then head to some place to enjoy the food and each others company. We would go to several places growing up but a few places that I remember was Kolob and Grafton, Utah. Grafton is one of the last remaining Ghost Towns in Southern Utah. We got permission to go on the property. I remember having a fun time exploring the old church and homes. I love anything to do with History!

As our family has grown, we have branched off and have done our own traditions. For the past two years we have gotten together with my parents and do a nice cookout (Friend Chicken, Baked Beans, Deviled Eggs, Pasta Salad, Potato Salad, Jello Salads, and Mom's awesome creme- filled Chocolate Cupcakes) and then an Easter Egg hunt for the kids in my parents Orchard. The kids, as well as, the adults all look forward to it. This year Kaleb and Amber, Kam and Tyler and us were the only ones able to make it to the get together. Karson had to work and Tiff wasn't able to come down. We missed them!

The kids and their stash. Grandma D puts money in some of the eggs. Kaleb announced/hinted at that he was going to find one with $50 in it! Hmmmm. I wonder if Grandma was in on that secret. I think not! Keep dreaming Kaleb! ;)

After lunch and egg hunts we all go for four wheeler rides either around the Church Farm property which is located just down the street from my parents home or in my dads pasture. This year we stayed close to home. The little/big kids look forward to going on Grandpas "Wheelers!" We all have a great time!

Easter Baskets

For the past two years, we have headed to Southern Utah to celebrate Easter. We look forward to getting away from the Snowy Northern Utah Weather and heading South to thaw out for a couple of days. I love going home and I always feel so rejuvenated when I get to go home and be around my family. Since we have made it an annual tradition to head south, the Easter Bunny comes on Thursday night and drops off the kids Easter Baskets so he doesn't have to make a special trip to Southern Utah. I am really glad that the Easter Bunny comes a little bit early because then when Easter Sunday rolls around we can focus a little more on what Easter is about- Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This year the kids have been super excited for the Easter bunny to visit; especially Karmindy. She would talk about the Easter bunny non- stop and what he was going bring her on a daily basis. On Friday morning, I could hear the kids scramble from their rooms and search around the living room to find their treasures. I love the holidays and I truly enjoy watching my kids get so excited about the holidays. I loved listening to them converse with excitement about what they had gotten. They were so excited. 

The Easter bunny this year was very, very gracious and brought the kids one big gift. Kaleb loves Star Wars Legos (they are not cheap) and the Easter Bunny knew just what he would enjoy so he brought him a large ship to build. Karmindy got her very first bike! She was so excited and spent the morning riding it around the kitchen. The kids got some candy, play-doh filled eggs, coloring books and crayons, some little Velcro catching mitts and brand new sandals for spring. We were truly spoiled. The Easter bunny also left a few trinkets for Mom and Dad (Movies, Candy and Banana-grams, a Scrabble Type Game.) 

It was a fun morning spent together!!

Spring Fever...

I don't know what it is about Spring Time, but usually when Spring rolls around I get the urge to craft or sew. Over the past two weeks I have done both! Since I have absolutely zero Easter decorations, I completed two projects over the past two weeks. The first one was a Egg Garland. You use Paint chip samples and cut out ovals to represent eggs and then string them together. My garland turned out great and I was so excited to display it along my fire place mantle.

I had quite the ordeal making my Egg Garland because I first cut out my ovals they were really crooked and I hated them. Luckily I had a friend who had a Coluzzle cutting pattern and I ended up going back and re-cutting them. It took a lot of time but the perfectionist in me wanted to do it right.

Also, when it came to picking out my paint sample chips, I headed to Home Depot with the kids. It is always an adventure when I take my kids out in public. While gathering a huge stack of paint samples and putting them in my purse, Kaleb in a very loud voice says to me, "MOM, WHY ARE YOU TAKING THOSE? WHY ARE YOU PUTTING THEM IN YOUR PURSE? YOU ARE STEALING THOSE MOM!"

I quickly told him that I wasn't stealing them because they were free!!! However, I had several other customers check out my stack of paint chips and give me a funny look. I felt extremely guilty the remainder of the time we were in the store!!!

I promise that I don't steal- PAINT CHIP SAMPLES ARE FREE!!! :)

(just in case you needed to be reminded)

Needless to say my Egg Garland was almost a free craft (thank you Home Depot paint department) minus the cost for the ribbon to string it up with!

The next project I completed was some cute Easter Wood Blocks. There are a couple of gals in my neighborhood that put together a craft night every month. For the month of March we did this craft.

I was really proud of how mine turned out and it is proudly being displayed on my Piano!

My last craft came about as I was looking for ribbon for my Egg Garland. I was at Hobby Lobby and they had their cute Easter Fabric for 30% off. I couldn't resist and bought a yard to make Karmindy a cute little Easter/Spring Sun Dress!

Here is my cute little spring chick modeling her new halter maxi dress. I think she may have a future in modeling! What do you think?

 Cheese-tastic!

 Work it Girl!

Attitude!

Easter Time in Sunny St. George

For Easter, Mark and I decided that we would make a quick trip down to St. George over the Easter break. We thought it would be nice to get out of Cold Northern Utah and thaw out a little in St. George for a couple of days. Also, my little sister Kamberee had her baby and I wanted to go down to see her and hold my little nephew.

We left Early Friday morning and headed down to Santa Clara, where Mark's parents live and spent some time with them for a few hours in the afternoon and evening. Bob and Laurie had some fun things planned for the kids- an Easter Egg Hunt, Coloring Eggs and a nice dinner.

Kaleb and Karmindy with Grandpa and Grandma Frisbey.

The kids looking for Eggs with Grandpa!

Kaleb and all the Eggs that he dyed.

Karmindy and her Tinkerbelle Egg!

After spending time with Mark's Parents, we headed  to our hotel room to unwind and watch movies as a family. We brought the kids tent and set it up in our room. Kaleb and Karmindy enjoyed "camping out."

 On Saturday Morning, we got up and got ready and headed to Hurricane. Several weeks before Easter, my brothers and sisters decided to get plan a get together and have an Easter Picnic at my parents home. It had been over a year since all of us could get together, so it was so fun to spend time with my brothers and sisters. While we were at my parents home, we had a yummy Easter Lunch, rode four wheelers, and had an Easter Egg hunt for all the Grandkids. It was really fun to see all my nieces and nephews. They are all getting so big. We were able to get take this photo of all my parents Grandbabies minus Karev. He was in the NICU and was being treated for jaundice and an infection. It was so nice to spend time with my family. I miss them so much!

 Kaleb looking for Eggs in Nanna's and Grandpa's Orchard.

Where could those eggs be?

 Daddy helping Karmindy find the eggs!

 Kaleb with Grandpa DeMille. I love this picture of Kaleb with my Daddy!

Kaleb and Karmindy with their cousins.

LTR: Traeson, Karmindy Kaleb, Kennadee, Kenley and Ryker.

I sewed all the ties and dresses so all the cousins could all match for the day!

On Easter Sunday we got up and headed for home. We stopped in Beaver and the kids wanted to get their picture taken on the BIG ROCKING CHAIR.

Easter Clothes

Even though today isn't Easter, I let the kids wear their Easter Outfits to church because they won't get the chance to wear them next week because we will be driving back from Southern Utah. We are excited for the chance to go down and spend the Easter weekend with our families. The kids were excited with their new Sunday clothes and I thought they looked adorable in their new duds.

Happy Easter!!