Easter Egg Hunt with April Showers

The eve of Easter Eve we got an email inviting us to an impromptu, last minute Easter Egg Hunt. I loved this last year too and hope to be organized enough to do this here if anyone wants too. It is a fabulous idea that doesn't take a lot of time. Everyone brings 12 filled eggs per kid, their own baskets for their kids, and the moms or dads hide the Easter eggs on the other side of the park (over a hump so we are not seen) while the dads watch the kids play until it is time. It is fantastic. There are plenty to look for and it is fun to watch. The kids are released by age group to search for any 12 eggs, have fun and eat. Here is Katie running up to tell me she has enough eggs.

Here she is eating her loot with her friend Madelyn.

Here are my cute boys. I think they both got haircuts that morning. So sharp!

The rain started to come down after we got home. The kids love the warm rain and went out and played in it. Katie got a little wet and came back inside happy.

Here is my cute little bugger. Anytime they can play with the umbrella, is a good day.

Here is a little video that I think is cute. I was safely in the doorway away from the rain.

We're in Utah!

Tomorrow we unload the truck and fill our new house up with our own stuff. And by "we", I mean that I will watch some movers take it into the house and I will tell them where I want it. Mike is in charge of entertaining the kids for the morning and try and keep them out of the path of the movers, so nobody gets hurt.

We got the keys this afternoon and immediately met two of our neighbors. They both were really nice. Nothing is ever perfect, but I know this is the house we were supposed to be in. It feels like home, even without the stuff in it.

Now I said that we would never have a house as big as the one we had in Idaho ever again...I lied! I really tried hard to find a house just a few hundred square feet bigger than what we had in Gilbert, but all of these houses have BASEMENTS, people. That is really DIFFICULT to do. In fact, I think I was eliminating houses off my list if they were too big. We looked at this house almost last, if not last and it was the only one we sat down in. Many people have been asking what the house looks like. Now, this is NOT my stuff in the house and I don't know if it will ever look this "tidy", but I love the way she decorated. In fact, there were a lot of the same colors in this house as what we use. The kitchen needs a new counter top and new flooring, but that will come in time. The cabinets are a little older, but they are in really good condition. I think this is the biggest kitchen I looked at too, one of the places I wanted the square footage. Anyway...here is the link to the house, until it is taken down...

It is beautiful here and people are so friendly. Maybe it is because it is spring and everyone is so happy to be warmer, but it has been a great welcome to the Ogden area!

Because I can't get any posts done right now...and this made me smile. :)

Easter Time

I know that this is soooo after Easter, but I have to start somewhere so that I can have the memories of events for the kids. They love going back through the blog and reading about what has happened in our family.

This Easter was really special. At this point I don't remember the Easter baskets, or other things of that nature, but I do remember going to the Mesa Easter Pageant. It has been an Easter tradition since we moved to Arizona and we are really going to miss such a wonderful event to get our minds turned towards what is most important to us, the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ.

This year we invited our friends the MacArthurs to go with us. We have always sat really far back, but I wanted to make sure they had a good view, so we got there really early and got seats 7 rows back dead center. It was memorable for us too. What a wonderful view. The weather was perfect and the kids and I enjoyed the afternoon until Mike and our friends got there. (Oh, and it was nice that there were other kids there for them to play with until then too...)

We got to see our friends the Parkinson's before the pageant started. Melanie was in the pageant for many years growing up and have been in it for several years as a family now too. It was fun for my kids to be looking for someone they knew...Kylie played the "dead girl" that Christ brought back to life.

While Mike, Scott and Cindy sat in the seats to wait for the pageant to start, I took the kids around the temple grounds to keep them being bored and to enjoy the beauty that is there. They loved the big statue of Christ.

Kristin shared her Incredible's wrist bands with Christian that she had got that day at Disney on Ice, and they pretended to be protecting us from alien invaders...or something at least. It was very cute.

Among the palm trees. This was their idea for a picture. They were so fun to walk around with.

In front of the temple. A beautiful time of night too.

Kristin didn't realize that this was a fountain/waterfall at first and leaned right up against it so she could touch the water. She was so great about it. She just said, "Oh, well, it is just water. It will dry." What a trooper. Thank goodness it wasn't cold!

These two became such good friends over the last 3 years. Katie is really missing her. They knew time was drawing close for us to move when we took this picture.

I couldn't resist another. Look at the combo my daughter has on. She hasn't seen that sweater since we moved...I have no idea what happened to it. :)

These wonderful people are half of the Seiter family. The other half are young with mom at home. It was fun to see them there also. Cady and Riley both babysat for us in Arizona. We will miss them! Wonderful people....yes, I am missing friends right now. Can you tell? :) Before our friends got there, we took some pictures with some of the people performing in the pageant. Christian is such a boy... :)

They were all so nice!

I think it would be hard to play a Roman soldier.

We had a great night and if you haven't been to the Easter pageant and you are ever in the area...go, you won't regret it. Or just go to see the flowers. The air is fantastic when the orange trees are blossoming too.

Just an Easter Thought...I loved it when I saw it.

We are Moving!!!

This picture is a hint... Where can you go and get Fry Sauce and night crawlers at the same gas station/restaurant? When I saw this, I loved it! This was in a smaller town we went through and we felt at home. It is the Riverbank Cafe/Gas Station...you still don't know, do you?

WARNING...VERY LONG (MIKE SAID SO)...Mainly for my records...

Many of you that live close by have already heard the news, but most have not heard...we are moving! We didn't really talk about the opportunity with many people because we were really not sure if Mike would get the job. But we are really excited.

When Mike and I first got married we were supposed to make a list of all the places we were willing/not willing to live/move while working for the Boy Scouts. In one category, along with the Dakotas and Alaska (just too cold people...I am a WIMP!), were Idaho and Utah. We were young(er). What can I say. A year or less after making that list we had a job in Idaho. When Mike first got the offer to interview in Idaho he immediately turned it down, I mean, we had said we were never moving there...he held to the agreement we had made. When he casually told me of the offer that night and subsequent refusal of the interview, I said, "WHAT! That is a really good job. What if that is where the Lord wants us to go?" So the next day he made the calls needed to let his future boss know that he was interested after all. Kim, a kind and wise man, let us reconsider our hastily made list and we lived in Idaho for 3.5 years. It was a great experience that opened a lot of doors for Mike. We have many good friends that we made there, I am so glad we didn't pass that up!

Fast forward to today where Mike is working for another incredible man and has learned much more. We really feel led and had the door open at the right time (timing is everything in jobs, isn't it?) and Mike has worked with Larry, a man that he had wanted to work for since before we were married. Another huge blessing in our lives. We have loved it here and with the kids being the age to forge good friends has really felt like home, even though we have rented and knew it was going to be a short stay.

We have now completed our three year "tour" as one of my friends called it. It is really a three year minimum commitment with being able to stay as long as you want (or as long as your boss can stand you). So for whichever reason you would like to pick, Mike was up for a promotion if he wanted to be. He has been the "number 2" guy in three different councils. It was time to interview for the "number 1" guy. An opportunity arose for him to interview in Ogden, Utah for the Scout Executive position. The other two men that were interviewing were either living in Utah or had worked in the council and had family there. You never know what the selection committee, made up of volunteers, is looking for or wanting. So with us being the "outsiders", so to speak, we really felt like the underdogs and that if we got the job, it was really where we were supposed to go.

To back up just a little, we had an incredible time in Utah this last summer for our family reunion. While on Temple Square, I had such a peaceful feeling. I had the thought that I could probably really love living in Utah if we ever had the opportunity...I didn't actually think that it would happen. With three councils in Utah, and timing being KING, I never thought in a million years it would happen now. I think that the Lord was preparing me for this though. Softened my heart up. Quite frankly, it is hard moving anywhere.

So back to the interview...things went really well. The first day we were there we hit the ground running. We got our car, drove to Ogden to the Boy Scout Service Center, got directions to the 3 camps that were not snowed in and were on our way. We went to a Day Camp close to Tremonton, Utah. Then went on to Bear Lake to Camp Hunt and lastly ended up at Camp Kiesel just outside of Huntsville. It had just snowed that morning so we weren't sure how the roads would be. But they were really clear. The camp properties were beautiful and we kept pinching ourselves that we were even interviewing for such a great council.

Here is the hamburger we ordered on a recommendation to two men Mike struck up a conversation with at the Riverbank Cafe close to Tremonton. It was HUGE! I think it was the first and close to the last thing I ate all day. Notice the Napoleon Dynamite Tatar Tots! Why don't they serve good tots most places anymore. They were good.

Mike was excited to be in fry sauce territory again. Porter...this is for you...if you've made it this far.

Here we are on the back of Camp Fife, overlooking the fort in the background. What beautiful mountains. And these are probably considered hills in this territory.

The view we drove into as we headed towards Logan and onto Bear Lake...

Mike, ever the posing Boy Scout at Camp Hunts Dining Hall...I love him!

The gate was secure at Camp Kiesel, so we had to hike it in. The sun was starting to go down a little at this point. I had us on a clock for how long we could be in camp so we didn't get caught in the dark...

The entrance of Camp Kiesel! Wouldn't this be stunning to enter into as a Cub Scout?

Fun with Icicles...we were having fun with them...but I think that Utahans were sick of the snow at this point of almost April...

The next day Mike had calls to do around the community and I went looking for houses "just in case". Looking for houses is a great way to see the community while being productive, because I knew I wouldn't have much time to look for a house, nor want to leave my kids again for an extended time, if we got the job. The weekend before we left I remembered that my sister's father-in-law, Mike, was a realtor in the area. I was so excited, because I knew he would help me like I was one of his kids. He is also a hoot and we laughed and coughed and sucked on lozenges together all day long. (I had had the flu really bad before we left and still had a bad residual cough).

That night, there was a reception for the candidates and the selection committee and then we went out to dinner. I was more relaxed than I probably should have been, however, I have learned that scouting volunteers are some of the most wonderful people on the planet, so they really are not scary. In fact, they were really fun to talk too. When we got back to our room, we remarked to one another how we felt really good about how the night had proceeded. We felt that if this was not the place, we could do it again! The process was somewhat demystified. We went to sleep exhausted and slept amazingly well, even though I had a bad cough.

Mike got up the next morning. We had breakfast, got ready and tried to relax until it was his turn. I called and talked to my parents almost the entire time he was gone, which helped my sanity enormously. When he came back he told me everything he could remember. He felt like he did his best. So we just waited while the committee decided over lunch. Most of the stories we had heard from others that had gone through the process before was that you usually get a knock on the door if you got it and a call if you didn't. A little after an hour had gone by, my phone rang really loud. We were so nervous (we couldn't eat lunch) that we jumped until we realized that they wouldn't call me. While I was on the phone, there was a knock at the door. I hung up quickly while jumping up. However, the door started to open on its own and we realized it was housekeeping. At this point we were laughing. We walked the halls, staying close so we could hear the phone ring in our room, just in case. Finally we went back in and the phone did ring. I was shaking my head, saying to Mike that we obviously didn't get it, but then he started to nod his head. I was so confused. He got off the phone. The HR guy for the Western Region called to tell him to "get his butt down here and sign the contract". I almost couldn't believe it! We felt so welcomed by the volunteers as we walked into the room. I think my smile at unbelief mixed with excitement was from ear to ear. We then went to the service center to meet the staff, who were so gracious. Everyone was so nice. There are some really amazing people working there too. We are still a little overwhelmed by it all.

After all the introductions were over, we rushed off to see the two houses I picked out. They were both great houses, but by the next morning, neither of them felt right for various reasons. We called to see if we could change our flight. Now this is just funny. If we changed our flight, it would have cost us over $150 each ticket (a brand new one was $190). I didn't know what we were going to do. Then the customer service agent, feeling my distress volunteered, that if we missed our flight, but still got there within two hours of take off we would be put on the next flight...FREE OF CHARGE...if we had a really good excuse. It ended up that I didn't remember our flight time...I thought we were going to make it in the end. I had remembered what time we had to leave by to catch the flight safely...but not the actual take off time. So, I really did screw up in the end. However, it bought us two hours of house looking time. After looking at 20 houses over two days we found two more houses that we really liked. One was perfect. Everything was new, lots of play things in the back for the kids, three car garage, everything. But it was further from work by 15 minutes than the other house and "just" $40,000 more. We put an offer on it and by the end of the 24 hours we gave them I was praying that they wouldn't agree to it. I call it the new car effect. You are really excited to have that brand spankin' new car...but then you make that first payment and think of all the things a cash paid for car or less expensive car would have allowed for in your budget. We ended up going with the two car, still beautifully updated, house that is only 10 minutes from work. A blessing for Mike, who is gone a lot and may only have a moment to come home before a night time meeting.

So, in the end, the Lord had different plans for us than we did almost 10 years ago. We are headed to Utah. I just hope I can survive the drama of my eight year old as we move. Those who say young kids move easily must have been drinking heavily through it.

Spring Break...means being Sick.

We had so many plans over Spring Break. Play dates were scheduled for almost every day of the week, we were going to go to the zoo, and go to see the Thunderbirds out at Luke Air Force Base. We actually did get to go the zoo on Tuesday, before I realized that anything was wrong.

Katie's girl scout troop decided to go to the Wildlife Zoo and Aquarium on the west side of Phoenix (an hour away). Christian and I went with since it was Spring Break and all. Upon arriving I noticed many in our group were wearing green. I asked if I missed the memo and was laughed at...it was St. Patrick's Day. Somehow between the night before and that morning I completely forgot that part. All three of us got a sparkly clover leaf to put on our shirts from our ever so prepared leader Miss Cindy (with Scott here). St. Patty's Day was never a big deal at our house growing up...that's my story and I'm sticking to it!We were also lucky to get the group discount, because after we got into the zoo Katie felt awful and was stuck to me like glue. She didn't want to be without me. I kept on trying to get her to talk and walk with her buddy, thinking that she was just having a shyness attack or something. Then she started telling me that she didn't feel good. She had seemed fine that morning, but I imagine that was partly the excitement keeping the momentum going, so at first I wasn't buying it. I told Katie to smile for the picture. She held this face for as long as it took to take the picture, and then...

this is how she really felt...

I knew we were probably never going to come back to this place again, as for the distance and it was a bit spendy without the deal, so I tried to trudge on...

We went on a train ride and a boat ride and fed the Lorries...

and then Katie was officially done. She sat down on a bench and would not move until I said we were not going any further...in that direction at least. We had to go to the Aquarium! Christian really wanted to see the sharks. He was a little disappointed they didn't have a great white...apparently he didn't realize we are a bit inland for that type of acquisition. Even Monterey Bay Aquarium only gets the bigger sharks when they are hurt and then release them when they have healed. They had so many kinds of turtles, Christian really liked that. This alligator or crocodile turtle was huge...

We visited Dory...she found her family...

and the kids favorite part and what got Katie up off the floor was getting to touch the stingrays.

They would come up out of the water sometimes to look at you.

We did a (very) little log ride that was a fun little thrill before we left for home. Katie was just dragging and burning up. We got a slushies on the way home for a treat and Katie was officially done for the week.

We spent a lot of time in pajamas for the rest of the week. On Friday after three days of a fever we went into the doctor to get the official word that it was the flu. Katie got it at the tale end of the season, and a doozy of one too. The poor girl is still sick with a high fever and a cough. At least she didn't miss a lot of school... :)