Spring Has Sprung

We are having a wonderful spring.  Grandpa Durtschi brought us a big load of manure and we all spent several hours outside shoveling it into our garden boxes.  Adeline loved it at first (the excitement wore off...) and would constantly be asking to go outside and dig in the dirt.

Everly has enjoyed being introduced to the great outdoors.  She happily sits on her blanket and chews on sticks as we work getting the raspberries pruned and the garden prepared.

There are still cold days so there is plenty of inside time for legos and big baths for the little girls.  We still get to have Eloise home in the mornings, we will miss her next year when she is gone for the whole day with Teagan.  It is sad to see them go.

These three big kids have so much fun together, when they aren't busy tormenting each other.

Easter

Easter Sunday was on the same weekend as conference so it was a really fun weekend.  We decided to make braided bread as a special treat for conference and it was so fun.  We all rolled out our dough and everyone braided their own loafs.  Eloise and Adeline did awesome at 3-braids and me and Teagan tackled 5-strand braids.  They all turned out beautiful and delicious!  I decided, after the fact, that it would be a great way to remember Jesus and Easter.  Jesus is the *bread* of life and we need to be intertwined in his will.  Maybe it will become a tradition, who knows.

Saturday morning we had an Easter egg hunt in the back yard and it was a big hit, as always.  The kids love finding their treats and prizes and filling up the buckets.  This year they found beach towels and water guns but it was so freezing outside that they didn't actually get to use them.  Well, they tried and it ended in tears and changing into dry, warm clothes.

We were able to head to Grandma Packer's new house for Easter dinner with Brian and Elise's family and it was so much fun!  Grandma had another egg hunt and a delicious meal ready for us and we got to chat and have fun together.  Holidays are always so much fun.

Lindsey Stirrling

Grandpa and Grandma Durtschi took us to a Lindsey Stirrling Concert and we had such a blast!  Teagan and Eloise loved the music and the lights and the dancing.  So did we!  I think Teagan was expecting something like a piano recital because he was sort of faking his excitement before we got there.  Once the show started, we was entranced and loved it.  Eloise and I listened to some of her youtube channel beforehand to get excited so she was so excited.  She loved the dancing, but by the time about 9:30 hit, she could keep her eyes open and fell asleep sitting straight up.  What a fun, entertaining night!

Happy 6th Birthday Eloise

Eloise turned six and I just can't believe how fast she is growing up!  This year she started school and loves it.  She does so well and loves her teacher, Mrs. Jensen.  She is learning to read and write.  She also started dance this year and has really enjoyed it.  She is a natural and is so graceful when she moves.  She got to visit a gymnastics class and the teacher, Melanie Bunce, told me that she is really good and ahead for her age and she's never even been to gymnastics.  She loves dancing and dances all day to the songs from the Greatest Showman.  

She is also becoming quite girly and loves to wear clip-on earrings.  We have asked if she wants to get her ears pierced, but she is a little nervous and wants to stick to clip-ons for now.

She loves the roller blades she got for Christmas and chose to go to the roller skating rink for her birthday activity.  It was really fun, except when she pulled on my shirt and I fell flat on my behind.  She couldn't stop laughing as I laid there moaning in the middle of the skating rink.

For her birthday we had cousins over for a great big party.  She loved having a special day where she was able to call the shots and have everyone love and pay attention to her.  Eloise, you are a sweet natured and mostly obedient little lady who pays attention to details and tries to do her best.  We love you!

How old are you: 6
Who is your best friend: Hazel Albertson
3. What is your favorite thing to do? Play outside with Friends
4. What is your favorite color? Turquoise and yellow, pretty much the rainbow
5. What is your favorite food? mac-n-cheese and cake
6. What do you like to do with your family?  bounce on the trampoline
7. What is your favorite toy? Calico Critters/
8 What is your favorite sport/activity? Soccer
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Pop Star
10. How old will you be when you get married? 23
10.5. Who do you have a crush on? Boston Davis
11. How many kids are you going to have?  6
12. What is your favorite book? Jack and Janet
13. What is your favorite show or movie? The Greatest Showman
14. What makes you happy? Playing with my family
15. What makes you sad? When I can't play
16. What do you think about before you fall asleep?  What time it is
17. What is your favorite part of your birthday?  Roller skating
18. What is your favorite scripture story?  When Jesus lit up the rocks in the brother of Jared
19. What is something that you think you will accomplish before you are 7? Splits
20. What is one word that describes you? Fun

Everly is Six Months Old!

Everly is just the sweetest baby in the world.  She is so happy pretty much all the time.  She is just learning to sit up and has started eating solids.  She loves bananas, like all of the others, but she also has a taste for the finer things.  We had chicken curry the other night and she was going crazy for it.  She kept lunging for Zac, trying to get more and more.  She also doesn't seem to mind spicy foods.  Everly loves everyone in the family so much.  She has special smiles and sounds for each person.  For dad she bounces and smiles and gets excited, for mom she tries to fake a cry and can't help but smile and coo, hoping to be picked up, for Teagan she giggles, anticipating the entertainment that usually comes with him.  For Eloise and Adeline she has a hesitant smile and she always starts blabbing to them, she never knows if she is going to be played with or teased with those two.  There is just something special about this sweet little girl, we are so lucky to have her in our family!

Teagan's Piano Recital

Teagan did so awesome at his piano recital!  He got another 100 this year on his two songs and is so sad to be leaving Sister Searle, his teacher.  She is heading off to go on a mission so we're starting with a new teacher, Lenae Hale.  He has learned so much in the last 3 years and is becoming a fabulous pianist.  His judge said he is the "King of Dynamics" which is so true.  Teagan has a gift for making any song exciting with dynamics!

Family Dinner

Grandma and Grandpa Daniels got us a house warming present, a new kitchen table!  It is so beautiful and we are all in love with it.  This was our first family dinner at the new table.  We figure there will be years and decades worth of memories sitting around it.   Here's to many happy memories (and unhappy food battles) to be had sitting here.