Easter Weekend

I seriously can't remember that last time we had better weather on Easter weekend. Usually on Easter the kids are in their winter coats and hats at the annual Easter egg hunts. But this year we managed to get away with sweatshirts in the morning and by afternoon the kids were wishing I had let them wear shorts. Saturday morning we went to the annual Easter egg hunt out at Ucon Park. Tradition we've been doing for years.
Riley waiting for them to ring that darn siren. Standing in front of all those eggs was torture.



Then after the egg hunt we went to Josh's parent's house for lunch and a little croquet. A Bradshaw family favorite. Not one of mine in particular, but everyone else's.
Mason, Emma and cousin Jordyn enjoying some pizza.
Katelyn and her cousin Kyah.
Josh...very competitive. Contemplating his next move.
Josh helping Katelyn on her swing.

Later that afternoon we went to Josh's grandma's retirement home for their annual Easter egg hunt. Believe it or not, the kids made out pretty well there.


Then we came home and dyed Easter eggs. Always fun...but always a mess. Here's a picture of the few eggs that made it through without cracking in the boiling water or falling on the ground. Very few...

Then Easter morning I love to get the kids dressed up in their Easter clothes. Katelyn and Emma informed me that they are past the "poofy" dress stage, and don't even want to match each other anymore. But on Easter they give in and they prefer their dresses aren't TOO matchy-matchy. Mason and Riley are much more easy to shop for. It's fair to say, we had a great Easter weekend.

Spring Break '09

So, I'm finally getting around to posting our Spring Break pictures. And there are a lot, so hopefully this makes up for the fact I haven't posted in a month. So our Spring Break journey started the very day the kids got out of school. We first headed to Saratoga Springs where my sister Teri lives and stayed in a near-by hotel and let the kids swim all night with their cousins and ate pizza. The following day we swam some more, went to the movies and let the kids play with their cousins. The next morning we left for St. George to visit my grandparents and other family. It was great to see everybody.
Next stop, Las Vegas! We originally were going with some friends of ours, but they couldn't make it last second. We were bummed, but we managed to still have a great time. We did a lot of sight-seeing (during the day to minimize as much yuckiness as possible).
On this windy day, you can almost make out the "Statue of Liberty" behind the kids.
A big giant Spongebob was the highlight of this afternoon.

One of our first stops was The Secret Garden of Siegfried & Roy to see the dolphins and white tigers. This was definetly a highlight for the kids.






Riley's favorite spot of the day.
White tiger drinking from the waterfall.

The next stop M&M World. Here you can find any color of M&M you can think of and any sort of M&M souvineer you can imagine. There were 4 floors of M&M Madness! Yes, it was a bit difficult with 4 kids all wanting everything, but we managed to make a few compromises without breaking the bank. They also had a cute 3-D movie that the kids really enjoyed. And it was nice to have a brief moment to sit!

The kids in the Las Vegas lights.

We also found this really great park close to our hotel that had rock climbing and all sorts of toys our kids have never seen at a park.

But a good majority of our time was spent at the pool at our hotel. We used our friends time share at Tahiti Village and it was great. We were very close to the pool which was huge with a sandy beach area (which the kids loved), a kiddy pool, and a lazy river. The weather was perfect, warm, but not too hot.
Katelyn in the hot tub. This was her spot of choice, it's where all the young adults hung out. She thinks she's 16.
Mason was humilated to have to wear his sister's flower arm floaties this day. We were lucky to find a more boy suited floatation device the next day.
Riley just hangin' pool side.
A rare glimpse of Emma OUT of the water. She's our little fish.

Me & Riley lounging by the pool.

All in all we had a great vacation with the kids. When it was time to pack and go, Josh and the kids dropped me off at the airport and I flew to California while Josh and the kids drove home. I was going home to visit my family, in particular my mom who was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months ago. She has since had a lumpectomy and it appears that all of the cancer is gone now. But it was a very aggresive kind, so she has been undergoing radiation and chemotherapy and has recently lost all her hair and been very sick. I wanted to be with her after her 2nd round of chemo to help her out as much as I could. All things considered she is doing well. I am very lucky to have Josh be so supportive of my leaving for 5 days to be with my mom, as he journeyed back to Idaho alone with the kids. But we are all under one roof again, and it is good to be home. Things have been crazy this past week, even finding the time to make this post has been hard. But we are all happy and healthy and looking forward to a great Easter weekend!

My Soon-To-Be Kindergartner

The other day was Mason's Kindergarten Round-Up at the school. That morning he woke me up and said very matter-of-factly, "Mom, today is my Kindergarten Round-Up because I'm starting school in the Fall!!" To which Josh says, "Mason, do you even know what Kindergarten Round-Up means?" Mason replies, "Yes, it's where you round-up all the kindergartners." Duh! So later that afternoon we get to the school and he goes off and takes a little test, which he did very well, while I filled out all the paperwork. We planned on attending the round-up right around Katelyn and Emma's lunch time so we could then go and each lunch with them. So Mason and Riley were so excited to bring their lunch boxes and eat lunch with the girls in the cafeteria. That was a real treat for them, and the girls.

Then yesterday we went to get Mason's last set of shots. Or as Mason says his "Kindergarten shots." He also had his 5-year check up. Mason has been preparing and gearing up for this day for awhile now. He was so ready to be brave and not cry. He was actually smiling as we entered the doctor's office. The time had come and he laid back on the table and proceeded to get 4 shots in his legs. I held his hands and told him it was okay to cry. But he didn't shed one tear. He was so brave and wanted so badly to be able to show me how tough he was. I just hugged him so tight and told him how proud of him I was and what a big boy he was. As we left the doctor's office he couldn't wait to call Josh and tell him that he didn't cry. I just love my little boy and am so proud of him. But I would have been just as proud even if he had cried. He has such a big heart and such a strong desire to be a good boy. He is really such a smart, loving, and for the most part well-behaved kid. He is going to be a great Kindergartner and will no doubt continue to make his parents so proud.

My Little Baker

Yesterday Emma asked if she could please help Josh make some brownines. Josh agreed, and we soon see Emma running to her bedroom. She quickly came running back up the stairs with her apron and an impromtu chef's hat she quickly made out of paper and stapeled together. (She's our creative one.) She then ran to a kitchen drawer and pulled out some hot pads, one on each hand, and exclaimed she was ready to get started. Wow! I hope her enthusiasm for baking lasts...

Potty Training

So I've been a little stressed about the fact that there is a really good chance Riley won't be potty-trained before the new baby comes. I've never had 2 kids in diapers at the same time. The other kids were pretty easy to train--compared to Riley. Up until last week she wouldn't even sit on the toilet. She even would start to speak another language when we would bring it up, or she would change the subject. And she can be bribed with nothing. But after church this last Sunday, she suddenly said she had to go potty. So we raced her to the toilet, Sunday dress and all. But nothing. Then yesterday during a scout meeting at my house, with 5 other women here, Riley came running through the living room stark naked yelling she had to go #2. She really never does this, and I love how she chooses to do this while I have a room full of company--great. So I run her to the bathroom--but nothing...again. But I just remind myself that this is progress. She is at least trying. And maybe, just maybe, she'll have it down in 2 months before her little brother comes. Wishful thinking??

Happy 30th!

Just wanted to wish my sister Teri a Happy 30th Birthday!! Hope you have a great day!

Happy Birthday Mason!

Friday the 13th was Mason's 5th birthday. We celebrated by taking him and some of his friends to Leo's. They played, ate pizza and cake, a good time was had by all. Mason decided he really wanted a Transformer cake this year. I pride myself that I always (almost always) make my kids birthday cakes. I am no means good at it, but it does taste better than store bought and I have fun doing it. So this year's Transformer cake was a bit of challenge but it turned out okay. Mason was thrilled with it and that made me happy. I can't believe my little boy is 5 and will be starting Kindergarten in fall. There's nothing quite like a little boy and am so happy to be giving him a little brother. They will be great friends. Mason is such a joy to have in our home, and we love him very much!

Riley upset that all the presents and attention weren't for her.