Everyday stuff in the first half of April

Conference weekend. We did our traditional conference necklaces, pulled out the conference bingo charts I had stashed away, and tried our best to listen and enjoy. We spent one session at one of Richie's college friend's house, the Tanners! It makes me so happy that Richie has a friend close by now, and it's even better that I like his wife and our kids get along great. Another session we invited a family from the ward over. Despite all the effort it takes to try and keep the kids engaged... I still have a hard time getting what I need out of the messages. I usually end up re-listening to them later...when it's quiet. :)


A baby neck roll is a thing of beauty! My mom says that my Grandma Hinckley's favorite place to kiss a baby was on the back of it's neck. Who could blame her?? I can't get enough Benson kisses!!


For our art class the other day, we headed down to BYU to see the Minerva Teichert exhibit. We stopped at Krispy Kreme before and watched the doughnuts being made and snacked on a few. Then we enjoyed the exhibit. Minerva Teichert is one of my Mom's favorites, so it was fun to share that with the kids. I would have liked to linger at each painting and read the description, but you know how kids are at museums. You are constantly bouncing from one thing to the next. Afterward, we took our packed lunches to a park near the Provo temple and played in some gorgeous springtime weather! It was a good day.


I think my kids have THE BEST aunts and uncles EVER. This past weekend, Aunt Makenna offered to take the 3 oldest for a sleepover, just for fun! The kids were thrilled, and Lindy felt so special looking forward to her very first sleepover. They got to play with cousins and go to the Gateway children's museum! We met Makenna at a Cracker Barrel because we had a gift card there, and we enjoyed an early dinner together. One day my kids are gonna realize how luck they are to have such cool aunts and uncles!


We had a really wet snow the other day. It wasn't much, but it was enough to break our neighbors tree in half! I'm so sad about it. That tree filled our front window and door views with the most beautiful white blossoms in spring, and orange leaves in the fall. Richie and his dad helped them clean it up. I'm hoping they keep the other half.


I love the convenience of having a smart phone to take pictures, but the problem is that they aren't the best quality. Then after I snapped this less than stellar photo, my phone died. For Homeschool group the other day, we were supposed to be studying the family tree of Henry the 8th, but that's just ridiculous. So we went to the Family History Museum up in SLC to study our own family history instead. What a cool place!! I can't wait to go back again.


Nice face Gwen. :)


Park Day! Since we've been trying to use our Thursdays to do field trip type stuff, the other day we spent the morning reading books, then we went to the library to trade out for more! After we were done there, we ate a picnic lunch and played at the park. It was Benson's first time in a swing, which he loved. :)


Remember those baby chicks we got the day Miles got baptized? They're getting bigger! (surprise, surprise!) We got the coop up and working, but I still want to paint it barn red. It looks nice and cozy, nestled between the asian pear tree and the apple tree. In the mornings, we let them out to "express their chicken-ness", as Joel Salatin would say. They peck and scratch all over the back end of the garden and compost pile. So far, we haven't even had to worry about putting fencing up to keep them in. There is plenty of good food to eat for them in the back. :) And isn't that apple blossom to die for?? Usually the pear tree blossoms are my favorite, but this year, the apple blossoms win. They are so sweet and daintily pink. Ahhh Spring!