swimsuits and sprinklers

Andrew got off work extra early today to take the boys on a Fathers and Sons camping trip this weekend.  Rupert almost didn't go because he's had a stomach bug the last couple days but this morning he was doing much better.  This is Rupert's second time going and last time he really missed me and his home and bed.  I hope he does better this time!  Elliot is a pro.  This summer he turns 11 and will be an 11 year old scout and will love camping with the other scouts a couple times a year.  Good prep for Boy Scouts.

 I'm so glad I got to spend some time with my girlies while the boys camp!  The girls helped me pot some flowers for the front porch and wanted to cool off in the sprinklers afterwards.  They've recently watched the movie "Leap" about a ballerina and now they love making their own dance moves.  It's been a while since I've had the girls in any dance classes and I'm thinking I should sign them up again this summer!  They would love it.

 On the trampoline with the sprinklers they just danced to their heart's content.

 I love seeing how they express themselves.

 Dancing has never been something I've been comfortable doing.  I just don't like how my body moves and am very self conscious.  It's a good thing they inherited their dad's confidence in dancing. :)

We love these mix and match swimsuits from Kortni Jeane.  I have a few tops and bottoms too!  They are based in Utah but apparently they have a warehouse sale in Utah and AZ twice a year.  This is wear we got the swimsuits a month or so ago.  They're too pricey full price so I loved getting a good deal!  The girls would look cute in anything but I believe in investing in good swimwear.  It's when you show the most skin in public so quality and fit are important and these swimsuits are great!

Aren't they the sweetest?

Tonight their cousin Josie came over to spend the night.  They had a tea party, watched Ballet Shoes, styled their hair and did all things girly.  I hope Andrew takes some good pictures of the boys because I miss them. 

Happy Easter!

 How was your Easter?  This year felt extra special because it was also General Conference.  And a very special conference with Pres. Nelson as our prophet for the first time, and two new apostles, several temples announced, and revelations about Ministering and combining the Elders Quorum and High Priests.  So many exciting things!  I was also able to take notes on every single talk, something that I haven't done in a very long time!

Love this family of mine!

On Saturday the kids dyed their eggs the same why we always do.  With crayons, rubber bands, and simple egg dye.  Elliot liked helping everyone else, giving them artistic tips and ideas and then dyed his all super fast last.  Rupert and Zara liked to get their hands into it and dipping their eggs into multiple colors.  They all took pride in their designs.

First thing Sunday morning the kids woke Andrew and me up to do their Easter egg hunting!  In our family the Easter Bunny hides the hard boiled eggs in the front yard and plastic eggs in the back.

Always counting and to make sure everyone got the same number.

 ^^ Zara got the golden egg this year.  ^^

It has more candy than the others which makes it a little more special. :)

This year we fed the missionaries so I made the Easter dinner a little more special.  Andrew was in charge of the ham and mashed potatoes and I did the rest.  

 ^^ These were Elliot's favorite nest cupcakes. ^^

 Here are the recipes we used:
+ ham (costco)
+ mashed potatoes
+ brussell sprouts (we added bacon instead of pancetta)
+ broccoli casserole (Zara loved this)
+ carrots
+ rolls (I used my brother's recipe but these are similar)
+ pineapple fluff (very sweet, I think next time I'll play around with the recipe so it's less sweet)
+ cupcakes (I made a buttercream frosting instead of the one in this recipe because I'm not a fan of cream cheese frosting.)

Andrew and I both decided the food was good but we prefer more simple flavors so that's what we're going to do next time.

Happy Easter!!