Tulip Festival 2016

Quincy and I visited the Tulip Festival with Jeffrey and Grandma and it was beautiful. I was worried that Quincy wouldn't enjoy looking at a bunch of flowers, but she loved it!

Spring Break

Just to be clear. I tried really hard to entertain my kids during Spring Break. We went to the local trampoline place and played around. We went out to eat. For two days, I made a good faith effort to plan fun day activities. But on Wednesday, it was rainy and cold and the kids were already complaining  about being bored and getting on each others' nerves.

So, I called my cousin Tiffany in Burley, Idaho and asked if we could come visit for a couple days. She  graciously accepted. We spent an hour packing, stopped by our dad's office to say goodbye, and then we were on the road! How's that for spontaneity?!?

We stayed at Tiffany's house which doesn't have a lot of room, so we took up every square inch. But we had such a good time, and she was so accommodating. We had so much fun just lounging around, watching movies, eating out, taking the kids driving, and going to see Cinderella.

It was insanely foggy and incredibly wet, but we made it. The kids were amazing! What a joy it is to travel with older kids! Gone are the days of fussy babies--it's fantastic!

 The sky in Idaho is so incredible to me. Without the mountains we have here, the sky seems so big and the clouds always seem so much bigger and beautiful. I think the fields are lovely.

 Having a swing set overlooking the Snake River is not a bad deal. Picturesque.

Fisher has a serious case of puppy love. Unfortunately for him, Dan and I strongly dislike animals. Fisher was in heaven with his cousin Grant's puppy. This is a miracle puppy, by the way! He jumped from my cousin's truck weeks ago and my Taylor had given him up for dead. After lots of prayers from Taylor's kids, the puppy was returned to them with a broken leg.

When you're in Idaho in Spring, you stop by the local IFA to see the baby chicks for sale. The kids thought it was awesome.

But let's be honest, the real highlight of the vacation is always Aunt Kathy's pool! They spend hours and hours swimming.

When we got home from Idaho, we went out to eat at Texas Roadhouse with our dad. We are rarely apart as a family, so when we are, we miss our daddy so much!

Easter Morning

Easter Eggs

This year, Easter fell on General Conference Weekend. So, while our dad was at the priesthood session Saturday night, we decorated Easter Eggs. We used a variety of sharpies this year, so that the older girls could do some meticulous designs. Grandma and Jeffrey joined us and we had a great time.

Fisher tires easily of things time consuming and/or artistic in nature, so he only lasted a few minutes. Hence, no picture.

My Little Shadow

Quincy and I have been attached at the hip since the day she was born. Her constant company has earned her the name, "Little Koala." Because she is my youngest, we have had a lot of alone time together while the others are at school. I won't know what I will do with myself when she goes to school full day next year. Our time frequently involves trips to the pet store and lots and lots of snuggles.

Anniversary Trip to NYC

In March, Dan and I took our first trip to NYC to celebrate our 15th anniversary. Even though it was definitely on the cold side, we had such a great time. It's been a long time since we've been anywhere just the two of us. It was so fun to discover and explore a place where neither of us have ever been. We packed it all in, though! Besides what you see here, we saw Phantom of the Opera, The King and I, and Finding Neverland on Broadway. We stayed at the Marriott in Times Square, so we were right in the thick of it all. It was so fun to eat at new places and just walk the city together.

 World-famous banana pudding and blueberry crumble for breakfast at Rockefeller Center. Sure! We're on vacation! The first day was raining, but it was actually our warmest day there. We were feeling ambitious and excited, so we covered a lot of ground. And I'll admit, by the end, my head was pounding!

This is a huge sacrifice on our part. We don't like pictures of ourselves. And we are particularly horrible at taking selfies. But what do you do?

We couldn't take pictures inside St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was under major reconstruction but still really fascinating and impressive.

Beautiful library! Loved the architecture and materials.

Super cold and windy day visiting Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, but really fun. You have no idea how big Lady Liberty is until you stand right by her. And Ellis Island was really humbling and interesting.

About to see The King and I at Lincoln Center. I LOVE the music from this play. I grew up watching the movie version with Debra Kerr and Yule Brenner and listening to Barbara Streisand's versions of the songs on her broadway album.  Really fabulous.

A second trip to a different location of Magnolia Bakery with my sweet cousin and New York local, Sarah. She and her husband Will also joined us a for a wonderful dinner at Tavern on the Green in Central Park and then gave us a tour around the city in their minivan!

Delectable breakfast at Norma's at LeParker Meridien. That's a giant stuffed french toast sitting in front of Dan. Super duper sweet. I couldn't handle more than one bite. And mine was fabulous breakfast quesadilla and I ate every.single.bite.

We were both surprised to find that the 9/11 Museum and Memorial was one of our favorite sites. The background and breakdown of the events of the day were really compelling. We couldn't take pictures in much of the museum, but it was incredibly moving. The devastation was overwhelming.

Dan posing at Central Park. Although it wasn't warm or green, we thought it was a really quaint and charming.

And then of course, there was this really fabulous donut place. Doughnut Planet. It was so hard to decide, but they were incredible!

And what's an anniversary trip to New York without a cheesy kissing picture in Times Square?

Random Daily Life

Quincy is just plain silly. A total nut. A character. I wish I'd been keeping a journal of all the crazy things she has done and said throughout her life. She never ceases to amaze me. Here, she is wearing a pillow on her head and saying something ridiculous.

Warning: Not for the faint of heart. Fisher gets bloody noses. A lot. This is a regular occurrence at our house.

Loose teeth. A staple of childhood. Seems like someone is always wiggling a tooth. Sidenote and confession: I am a puller, picker, and pincher. It takes superhuman discipline to contain myself. It takes a lot of willpower for me not to reach over and just rip that thing right out of his mouth! And don't even get me started on pimples, stray hairs, peeling skin, etc.

Sick days are the worst. Quincy looks particularly down and out with this one. Look at the bags under those eyes! Poor thing!