Conference and Spring Randoms

One more post about Summer, and I will be all caught up on our family journal.

Hopefully I can get that done before Christmas:)

But for now this is everything that happened in the Spring until school let out for Summer.

A St. Patrick's Day hair clip I made for Oaklyn

Conference weekends are our favorite weekends of the year!

I always come away from it feeling peaceful, refreshed, and wanting to set some goals. 

Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, our cousins came to stay with us during conference weekend.

It made the weekend even more magical!

We were having too much fun to take many pictures but there was great food and great talks.  

"Chick" out these cute conference snacks the cousins made:

We made a cousin name for Jade and Oaklie...

Joklie!

It fits these two perfectly since they are a hilarious pair and always giggling:)

We let them sleep in the same room at night and watched from Tiff's video baby monitor.

It was our nightly entertainment.

Especially, because these two girls thought the video monitor in their room was a "robot decoration"

"Robot decoration" is a neat little guy that kept them company and talked to them.

Robot decoration would tell them to stay in bed, or talk quieter, and to go to sleep.  

He's on top of it like that, and the girls listened to him, because...well...He's robot decoration!:)

Paxton's conference duds were always changing!

These girls let Leo join in on their picnic

Aunt Tiffany gave my boys great hair cuts:

A big change for these boys who have had spiked hair since birth.

It was a wonderful weekend and probably our last visit for about a year since Tiff and Alex are moving up to Canada.  

It has been a major blessing having Tiffany here and I can't even think about them moving away with out getting sad.

Another thing we did in April is incubate chick eggs.

I started this when I taught elementary school.  

When my students had to learn about persuasive writing, I had them "persuade" me to buy them chick eggs, and then, when they hatched, most of our writing was about our chicks.

Last year I started this Spring tradition at our house, and it was even more fun to experience this with my own kids.

The kids worked really hard to earn yellow fuzzies to fill our "I'd love to jar".

We picked yellow pompoms because they reminded us of chicks.  

The way it worked was this:

Each time Dave or I asked the kids to do something and they responded by saying, "I'd love to!", they would earn a yellow pom pom for our jar.  

Once it was full, they earned the chick eggs.

We have done this before to earn other things, but let's just say we needed a refresher course:)

I have never had a healthy batch of chick eggs not hatch, but this year none hatched.

We did all the work turning the eggs, keeping humidity and temperatures stable, and had no cute, fuzzy chicks to show for it.

Luckily, the farm store I bought the eggs from gave us some free chicks.

And so even though I would have rather watched our own batch of eggs hatch because that's so magical, this was the next best thing.

We kept them for about 2 weeks and then gave them away to a farm.

I love having a seasonal pet.

"The chick whisperer"

The chicks would fall asleep in Dave's hands.

His voice IS pretty soothing:)

We took the chicks to a farm when they got too big, and the kids loved seeing where their beloved chicks would be living.

They liked checking out the other animals on the farm too.

Dave and I were laying in bed talking late one night and we heard Paxton giggling in his crib.

When we went in to check on him, he was wide awake and was grinning from ear to ear.

He looked so cute, we couldn't resist, and we thought he needed some tiring out.

We took him into bed with us and snuggled him.  

He was so thrilled with his alone time with us and then went back to bed with out a fuss.

We never would have done this with our other kids because we wouldn't have wanted to get them into a habit of waking up.

It's amazing how much we've relaxed over the years:)

We made rice crispy nests for a fun after school craft/snack:

Pax pretending he has a dark side.

He put on this mask and then ran around giving everyone the sweetest hugs

Oaklyn loves puzzles

We finally found a system that works for our family right now that teaches correct money habits. 

So much better than what we used to have.

The tithing is in a ziplock bag for easy transport.

It all fit together in on neat little container and I really love it!

We introduced the new system in an FHE on money management and tithing.

Easton was excited about it!

Paxton loves our jump house.

We pull it out on rainy days to get some energy out.  

He even loves crawling around on it after I take it down.

He's so easy to please!

I took Oaklyn on a Mommy daughter outing to get our hair cut, paint our nails and get new earrings.

It was time since she has had the same pair of earrings since she was 4 months old:)

She is all girl and could NOT have been more excited.

I love spending time with her.

She is a gem!

Lazy Sunday afternoons pretending to be horses for Oaklyn's horse drawn carriage.

Dave sure knows how to make a girl forget about the Spring snow falling outside

Ballet happened to fall on Oaklyn's birthday and she got to wear the birthday crown

The art show:

Watching thunderstorms in my bed

Paxton's first popsicle...Ya, he liked it..A lot!

A few of my Mom friends get our kids together once a week for "joy school"

I have done it with each of my kids and it is great for the kids to get together to have fun and learn together and for their Mom's to chat:)

This month, the theme was plants, and I was teaching.

We had a small group that week, but we learned about plants through books, song, and an indoor garden.

And they washed it all down with chocolate dirt cups and gummy worms for a snack:)

These girls are the cutest!

Paxton enjoyed playing in it after everyone left.

You know it's a good day when you are still in your choo-choo jams in the PM.

I love spring break!

On Easter Sunday we showed the kids the Prince of Peace video

Every time I watch that video I tear up.

I love the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and all the many resources and helps it gives to families to help teach and rear their families to be more Christlike.

We thought it was fitting to take the kids to a castle after we testified about the Prince of Peace.

About 20 minutes from where we live is this free park with a  castle

We had fun exploring and walking around the beautiful grounds

I was grateful to be able to spend Easter Sunday with my family.

These 5 mean everything to me.

I feel so much peace, joy, and hope knowing that because of Jesus Christ I can live with them forever!

Puddle jumping.

More like swimming with this giant puddle in our back yard.

Sunday walks with my favorite people.

As I walked down the path with Paxton's tiny, squishy hand in mine, I thought, "It doesn't get any better than this"

Small hands, and big hearts who handpick me flowers with roots still attached.

It was such a peaceful, perfect walk.

Not everyday is perfect or easy, but some moments are.

I feel so honored to be a Mom and for these children I have been given.  

I know home is where I have the most influence and power for good.  

I hope when my children grow and blossom like these flowers that they will still have their roots attached.

That they will remember where they come from, and that they are deeply loved!

Oaklyn looking so grown up one day, I just had to take a picture.

And Paxton looking, well...Girly:)

Easton's class field trip to the zoo

Reading to my kids

One of my favorite things to do.

It's finally his turn to be star of the week! ⭐️ We decided do it in the form of a newspaper article about "Super Easton", and display his pictures inside

Our sweet neighbor mowed our lawn for us one day, when Dave had two of his busiest months back to back.  

It was a tender mercy!

Oaklie's dress rehearsal and ballet recital.

A kind friend sent me these flowers to congratulate me for Dave almost being done residency.

It made my week!

This was my view when I woke up one morning.  Easton surprised me with breakfast in bed.  He said he was practicing for Mother's Day.

I love this thoughtful boy!

This was the day I had a huge migraine.

But don't worry, meet Dr. Seuss and Dr. Spies(the name our family pediatrician).

They made a house call and took good care of me:)

Paxton had a number of appointments in the month of May, so we spent a lot of time at Akron children's and used their many resources.

Dave's last night shift EVER!

Starting to see the light at the end of this residency tunnel.

My adorable nephew Wes was born in May about a week before Tiffany and her family were moving up to Canada.  We made a quick trip to michigan to say good bye and see their newest addition.

He is a little sweety, and I sure miss the smell of a newborn and the little grunts and snuggles.

We were are all completely in love!

Lots of last day traditions like teacher gifts, and sweet homemade cards.

Oaklyn helped me me decorate the car and fill it with balloons to pick the older kids up from school.

We blasted school's out for Summer all the way to get slurpees and a trip to the park.

I hope they know how happy I am that they are home with me!

These 4 cuties are all mine all Summer long:)

Long live Summer!