Joshua Tree

We took a Saturday in May to go see Joshua Tree National Park.  Ryan convinced me to go, but I wasn't expecting much.  I think growing up in Utah made me pretty picky when it comes to deserts.  Surprisingly, though, I loved it!  It did remind me of Southern Utah, but it had the benefit of being reachable (2 hours from us.)  My favorite part was the "Junior Ranger" program the kids did while we were there.  It's set up kind of like a cub scout badge, but there are different age levels.  Basically, they had to check off the places they went, the plants and animals they saw, and spent time sitting quietly and writing (or drawing) everything they noticed.  That part was just adorable to watch.  Ryan was very patient on our so-called hikes as we took ten steps, then stopped to look at something.  The kids showed their books at the ranger station at the end, and were "sworn in" and given little plastic ranger badges.
  

Elise didn't make it very far up this rock.

Our sloooow hike

No, this wasn't posed

    
We spent the rest of the evening just wandering around, looking for ways for the kids to get hurt.  Connor was doing a project on earthquakes, so we took a photo of him next to the San Andreas Fault (the small ridge of hills - about level with his ear.)  He insisted on the expression, which is supposed to be him looking scared.
  

San Andreas Fault

    
After Ryan climbed these rocks, the kids started to try to follow him.  He had to go down and facilitate.
   

  
The only bad thing about the day was that we didn't plan enough time.  We'll definitely have to visit Joshua Tree again (but not until it cools down!)

Happy Birthday Connor!

It finally warmed up enough for the kids to get in the pool (it took about two months more before anyone with common sense would do it.)  Connor remembered some of his past two years' swimming lessons, but not much.  Elise was still terrified of anything beyond that top step you see her on.  The nice thing, though, was that there was no pressure, and no other kids splashing her (other than her wonderful brother.)  She took it really slow, and was extremely proud that she could let her legs float behind her.  Sweet girl.  (FYI, she's currently willing to float in her vest and put her face in the water, so it was the perfect low-stress way for her to learn!)
   

Connor made these Mario decorations for his upcoming birthday party, and showed them off while the Joy School kids were over.
   

  

I left Evan with his siblings for just a bit too long, I guess.  They decided to color on him with markers.  He didn't mind, but they got in trouble.
  

  

Connor's birthday party was originally going to be in March, but things got postponed when Ryan's dad passed away.  I finally realized that I'd better get his party out of the way before I did Elise's, so we scheduled them within a few days of each other.  Can you guess what theme he picked?
  

  

Right before his party started, Connor decided to snack on some pita chips, and suddenly announced, "I swallowed my tooth!"  Yep, it was his first lost tooth.  I told him he could draw a picture of it to put under his pillow.  He's also showing off the Beyblades that his friend got him.
  

  

Evan must have picked up this lollipop from the kid table (or floor) after the party.  I know, kinda gross.  But, he looked so cute with his first real piece of candy, I had to take pics.  And I couldn't decide on a favorite, so you get to see them all.
   

Easter (Yes, Easter)

So, we put a pool fence in the yard of our new place, along with having some drywall, electrical, flooring, and paint work done, and we moved in!  Turns out the cement outside the pool fence makes a perfect scooter track.  Connor was delighted when Evan started following him around.  After a few laps, Elise wanted to have him follow her, but he had had enough.  She cried, of course, but smiled for the camera anyway.
  

 
This year, I really wanted to make Easter a bigger deal, a little more on par with Christmas.  The week leading up to Easter we did our traditional devotional at Forest Lawn Cemetary, decorated eggs, watched several movies, and did the ward's very chaotic easter egg hunt.  One of my favorite things, though, was the little egg hunt we did in our backyard.  I hid the boiled eggs the kids had decorated, along with these great little plastic eggs called "Resurrection Eggs".  We got them at a Christian bookstore nearby.  They're a set of 12 eggs filled with little items that help tell the Easter story.  You read the narrative in a booklet that comes with the eggs, and at important points in the story, the child who found that particular color of egg gets to open it.  The kids LOVED it, and it was a super sweet way to talk about the real meaning of Easter.  Plus, I have to admit that the backyard egg hunt was a lot more fun than the every-kid-for-himself mentality of most of the big hunts we've been to.  Nobody even cried!

   

Connor stole my camera one morning, and took these awesome pictures of Evan.  I love how he starts out curious, then ends up looking concerned.

  

   One other thing we added to our Easter routine this year was the dreaded Easter basket!  I figured a huge pile of candy probably wouldn't kill them.  They were pretty pleased.