Birthday Eve & Baptism Day!

We decided to celebrate the birthday part of Heidi's big day on Saturday night. We invited all the family over for Tortilla Soup and Salad and birthday cake. Heidi, Rich, Grandma Becky and Papa Jim, and Nana Lyn at the table

Kelli, Mom Melin, & Cousin Rosalie

The spread
(Oh my goodness, we scored THE BEST avocados--made the meal SO GOOD!)


Cousins ate out back--here are Addie & Matthew

Heidi & Summer, the birthday girls.

Kelli, TJay, and Papa Mark watching gift-opening

Summer went first...

I made her a pink Choose the Right pillow .

Heidi got a great new Tshirt from Dad.

A fun craft from Aunt Angie

A funny card with a tea set, tiny quilt, and a pillow for elephant tea parties from her siblings.

Heidi's Choose the Right pillow--OWLS!
Such a fun & blessed family time...thanks everybody for coming!

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Sunday, April 15th= Heidi's 8th Birthday and her baptism...

All ready for church

Sassy pose

Heidi & Dad

Mom, Dad, & Heidi

again;)

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I got a little busy after this, so I didn't take anymore pictures. Laura did, though, so I hope she'll send me some of the baptism and the lunch afterward...it was FUN!

Hangin out at home after the festivities...James and cutie cousin Emily Post

Sammy Post.

***

Ahhh...two down, two to go! I am so grateful for the gospel and all the opportunities and support we have in teaching our kids about Jesus and his path home to Heavenly Father. I felt so blessed today...I often feel "angels round about me to bear me up", but today I felt that same support from the tangible angels in my family and ward family who help me keep my covenants and help me teach my kids to make & keep theirs. It's pretty cool, this Plan...I'm glad to be part of it all and grateful to be connected to so many people who really get what it means to Follow Christ. Congratulations, Heidi darlin'...welcome to the fold!

Addie's First Ski Trip & The End of March

Random pic of sleepy Niles in the car.

I had some friends over for a crafty weekend at the Ranch House 3/23-3/25. It was a foggy day when we woke up on 3/24. I thought my kids would dig this Hippy Van camping across the river.

Here are the ladies getting down to business. I got sick and went home to get medicine and go to sleep later that afternoon. I felt terrible! But it was super fun to hang with the girls for a while.

***

March 27th Addie went on a Ski Field Trip to Bridger Bowl with her 4th grade class. Rich chaperoned and they had a fun day!

Dad & Ad on the bus.

Addie taking a lesson

Addie hitting the slopes

Rich's skiis on the lift

LUNCH!

Addie on the lift with her BFF Izzi & classmate Nevaeh.

Three pals skiing

Cute little Izzi

Addie

Addie

Addie at the lodge

Ad & Dad after a FUN day at Bridger Bowl

Conference Weekend Doin's

We were so excited to just relax at home and enjoy General Conference 3/31-4/1. In between Saturday Sessions we went to feed the ducks in the wind!

Heidi & Addie & water fowl

Heidi, Addie, James & SUNSHINE! ("it seems like years since its been here")

Me and Stoneface Niles

Beautiful Swans came to eat our popcorn!

Heidi & Niles

How our street looked just before afternoon session on Saturday. Those clouds turned a warm, windy day into a snow stor before too long.
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The kids played with clay while we watched second session. Check out their creations:

So fun. We LOOOVE conference weekends SO MUCH!!!

SPRING BREAK, yo!

We made it out of the driveway before 7am! Yay us!

Ready to go!

Psycho pic of me and Devil's Tower


Heidi and the DT




Addie and the DT




James at the DT ranger station

Kids & Devils Tower

Heidi, James & Addie at the foot of DT

The Legend of how DT was created

Zoomed-in: Climbers on the tower

The girls and me watching the climbers

We had another tourist take this pic of us and the tower, but she got the foreground instead. Shucks.

Kids in Rocks
***

We got to Rapid City at 5pm and hurried to play in the water park and slept soundly at our hotel. The next morning we set out for adventure...

On Thursday Morning we went to Mount Rushmore. This is how it looks from the "entrance."

We found Arizona in The Hall of Flags

Kids at the entrance

Me & kids at the hall of flags

The kids found Montana at the hall of flags

Thar she blows...Mt. Rushmore in all its glory!

Heidi with the Presidents

James with the Presidents

Niles looking out the window of the visitor center

Niles and the Presidents

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After earning our Junior Ranger badges at Mt. Rushmore, we went back into Rapid City, had some Taco Bell lunch, and checked out the dinosaur park.

James & the TRex

Kids with Stegosaurus

Kids with the crumbling Brontosaurus

TRex again

Triceratops

Maiasaurus

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After Dino Park, we had froyo and went back to the hotel for swimming at the waterpark. We had pizza and culvers frozen custard for dinner.

Addie & Heidi on the "toilet bowl" slide

weeee!

The waterpark from the top of a slide

Addie on the slide that runs through the bar & grill

Splash Pad

The waterpark as it looked from the hotel entrance

Heidi on the bar & grill slide.

We took this pic for my brother Willy

***

On Friday we went to the mall in Rapid City to look around and get Heidi's ears pierced for her birthday.

Niles in his stroller

Heidi getting her ears pierced.

Nervous

Ta-Dah! Pierced Ears!

We tried BACON SODA from the fun candy store there.

We couldn't agree on a place for lunch, so we went to Golden Corral where everyone could get something they wanted. Like ice cream and chocolate dipped strawberries.

Silly Niles at lunch

Even sillier Heidi

We promised the kids they could try something they've never eaten before and they all wanted to go to Lobsterfest and eat lobster, so we did...

Concensus: meh. But we had a FUN time together!

Heidi & James in the playland at Rushmore Mall

***

Saturday morning we headed home to Montana. I stopped for a potty break, when what to my wondering eyes should appear...

We could see Devils Tower from I-90 (we hadn't noticed before).

Addie laid by Niles & entertained him.

Heidi and James in the back seat.

The minute we got home, James wanted to excavate his dinosaur skull

(this is what he got at the mall candy/toy store in Rapid City)

My little paleontologist found a triceratops skull which is proudly mounted on our piano now ;)
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As we drove into town, we got a message that Addie won the Easter coloring contest at Albertson's, so we stopped there and she picked up her prize--a giant, fluffy bunny! We are so proud of her!

SO--that was our spring break. We unpacked and changed gears right into EASTER.