The girls both had great reports from their teachers. We were glad to hear that! They each got to pick out a soda from Pipers because of their good grades. It is nice to not have to worry about them in school, they are both excellent students, they must take after their Dad!
Emma with her 1st grade teacher Heidi
Ashley with her 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Scott. 
We had our first meal at our new table.
we almost made it to 80 degrees that day! 
We had some inside rainy/sick days too. 
Ashley had a trip to the DR. and both girls got a sick day from school. We are all doing better now, must have been that swimming in 78 degree weather? We enjoyed having Ryan around, he got rained out planting beets and potatoes, sometimes we like that though! OK so I like it ALL of the time! The kids went to the book fair and have been reading as fast as they can trying to read ALL of the books in one day! Emma with a couple of new books! (some were from a yard sale we went to this week also) 
And then we have had lots of exploring: 
And trying to be outside enjoying the BIG mud puddle, it got dried up so quick after the snow that the kids didn't get to play in it earlier, but it was back from all of the rain!
I did get my first freshly picked bouquet of dandelions
and my lawn is growing greener and greener with all of that rain! I cant wait to get out there and mow it! 
Where did those warmer days go? Out with the old, in with the new! 
We only had a few tears shed over our old table, most of them were from Justin only one or two from Ryan! They both loved their BIG manly chairs and were/still are sad to see them go! Not to worry though men, Ryan made me store it, but SERIOUSLY, this thing is NOT coming back in my house!! We do have lots of good memories around this old table though, some are scribbled right into it as a matter of fact!
We were a little unsure of the new table, it just seems so hard, there are no soft corners, no cushy chairs, it really isn't very kid friendly, BUT we have really enjoyed it so far! I think we will get more used to it, I may have to change my kitchen decor a little to match the style, it would go perfectly in a cabin, maybe someday!
The rustic benches were quite quick and easy, I didn't dare try to change Knock off woods plans
I picked a dark walnut stain for the entire table, but once we got it on the legs and I realized how dark it was we thought we had better go a little lighter on the top, it is called golden oak. The benches are golden oak also. We did two coats of everything and then I put polyurethane on the tops of the table and benches, 3 coats each. We have had rain for two days so we did all of that in the house with as many windows open as we could stand, it was cold too! We are pretty excited with our new skill and Ryan is thrilled that I am building stuff, we went to Home Depot on our date this week and he told me he wanted to get me something. He got me my very own jig saw and belt sander, he never let me use either one of them, but he did assure me that they were mine! HA! Funny man! Now I have got to decide which project I am going to do next?Having technical difficulties, here is a little sneak peak! I will post details as soon as possible!
I built a kitchen table! Yeah! It was quite a project, but actually not that hard! I am not sure about the style for our house, although it is called the Farmhouse Table, and well, we do live in a farm house, so it should work for us. We will try it for a while anyway!
I got the plans from knockoffwood.blogspot.com, Ana is amazing at her building skills. She takes pieces from Pottery Barn and other more expensive places and draws up plans that are easy for people like me (who are not builders). 
I was a little nervous at first putting the legs together, I wasn't sure I was going to really love it, but once I got that top on, It all came together and turned out awesome! I totally recommend Ana's plans to anyone!
Now the hard part is picking out the stain color, I know what I like, but it doesn't really match with the rest of the kitchen, so we will see. Also I am making two benches for each side and then I will get the x back chairs from Ikea for the ends.
Total cost so far $89 bucks!!! The only thing I still have to afford is the stain, and then the bench materials, pretty good deal I think! Now if I could just get some help to get it into the house???? AND check out our LOVELY Idaho weather! It has been so nice for a change! I think I got a sunburn while I was out sanding for hours! Well worth it! Kiley I think we need to build one for you during the Sister reunion!!Claire loves my "new to me" chicken. When Sara went to get her "new to her" table (that she found on craigslist) the lady had this chicken in her garage. It was too cute for me to pass up! 
I offered it to Sara to buy but she thought I was CRAZY to want a yucky old chicken! Anyway Claire was feeding it some hot dogs the other night. 
Claire also Loves hot dogs, her favorite food lately, she is really going to ♥ Summer time!
Some little girls have My Size Barbies, our little girl has a My Size Chicken!
Ok so technically it is sleeping bag sliding, either way I didn't care for it but I had to take pictures, they were having such a GREAT time! I just love to hear the laughter!
We have really been enjoying this spring weather finally! We have also been enjoying a couple of days with our cousins! What could be better!!
Claire doing a BIG jump!
Justin checking out a cool bug.
Tayson's one legged jump.
Jaci, SO HI!Sara had her little surprise, and he was a surprise! 
We all thought HE was going to be a SHE, we really didn't know she didn't find out, but everyone had guessed girl. He is a little doll, literally, I wanted to bring that little doll home with me! 
So exciting to have a new nephew, grand baby, cousin, and friend! Welcome to the world Kaleb!
I was leaving the hospital to do a session at the Temple, but we got locked down in the hospital because of a life flight.
They had security guards at all of the doors and out in the parking lot keeping the people from getting to close to the helicopter. It was quite interesting, glad I didn't know the people in it, it looked scary! And I was late for the last session at the Temple, I still did get to go though!
Justin and Claire LOVE Ashley and Emma's MP3 players, of course they never get to listen to them until they are gone to school. 
I am supposed to be keeping good track of them, which I am totally. 
Just and Claire look so cute listening to them and it is funny to hear them try and sing along! 
Justin is even tapping his toes! HA!
Claire was running down the sidewalk and took a spill! She can hardly/wont walk. It hurts to bend her knees, poor thing! 
She had her baby legs on but she pulled them off before she ran outside, lots of owies is a sure sign of summer! I wish! I think it is maybe 47 degrees outside today! 
Not a happy baby!
We had a wonderful Easter weekend. It was really fun that it fell on Conference. We got to stay home and listen to our Prophet and eat lots of jelly beans! We (I) thought for sure it would take the kids ALL morning to find those Easter baskets, but not at all, they found them before Ryan and I even got out of bed! I can never keep a stash (of anything) secret for long in this family, but then I wonder why we can never find the remote, or a matching shoe when the bus is here honking? How does that work? 
We did end up dyeing eggs on Saturday night while the Dad's were at the Priesthood Session of Conference. Unlike me Sara is a good mom and likes to do these fun activities, which works out good for my kids, (and me) because they still get to have the fun traditions and Aunt Sara gets to do all of the work! Sound fair? I am excited for Spring to be here, we finally have a 55 degree day today and no wind, I need to get outside and work on SOMETHING!
This years egg hunt was a memorable one for sure! We had about 2 or 3, I don't know maybe more inches of snow last night and then the wind BLEW! We had our 3 foot drift right back in its spot in the back yard! The roads were terrible and drifted and it was COLD! But we went anyway, and not very many others came so it made for lots of eggs for the few that did show up! 
Claire and Justin got prize eggs and all of the kids got lots of eggs, not just the typical two that they get on warm years, so I guess it was good it was cold?? I don't know it was the longest egg hunt in history, I thought we would grab a couple and be done but know we slowly walked to each egg and slowly picked them up, the big girls had to dig in the snow for theirs and Justin couldn't pickup any of his own with mittens on! 
It was great though! We are happy to have it each year. I think Ash and Emma were on the edge though, they kept going back and forth, we are going to hunt, then we aren't going to hunt. When their friends showed up and were hunting, then they decided too. I didn't do to good on pictures, it was cold!
Baby Bella arrived late last night, we are so excited to have her in our family! She has short dark hair, four little tiny paws, and one cute little waggly tail, just perfect! 
I must say it was a "ruff" first night for her daddy, he was so worried about her being all alone out in the cold (insulated, bed of straw with a heat lamp) house, she was probably warmer than we were in our own beds! But Ryan still worried, he has worried so much that she has HAD to spend all day in the mudroom under the bench- PAWLEASE! I have had to listen to more whining and crying from the humans in this house then I have from little Bella! Poor thing has to live with a bunch of cry babies! She will get used to it, I have! As you can tell I am not totally on board with the whole puppy thing, but I was totally out-voted on this one. I seriously would have preferred a human baby, and I would have loved to have named her Bella also! She is growing on me, she would just grow a lot faster though out in the dog house! Oh the joys!
As you can see we had a super fun pajama baby shower last night when she arrived with lots of short guest to welcome little Bella to her new home! Poor dog!
Contrary to popular belief we did NOT work our entire spring break, just most of it! Can you guess what we did today????
Emma's ACTION shot, pretty cool Emma!
Claire did NOT want my help, she got a frown on every time and said "my turn." She is getting too big!
