Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Weeks Gone By

Snapshots of life lately:
• Dallas' first time sitting up in a shopping cart
• Ellie's special Sunday hairdo 
• Just a cute boy in a baseball outfit
• Crazy diaper-head Hunter

• Finally big enough for a big-boy bath!
• Having a "camp-in" under the dining room table in sleeping bags.
• Snacks with cousins at Nana and Papa's house.
• Sleeping baby boy

• Family walk on a sunny Sunday. Steve and I got to hold hands and stroll along leisurely while the       big kids pushed Dallas in his stroller. Just a little piece of heaven!
• Dallas loves sitting in his camp chair.
• Ellie loves her "school" time on the computer.
• Stories with Papa

• I got to attend Time Out For Women a few weeks ago. My sister came down for the weekend, along with several other women from her ward, including my childhood friend Shelly. I also ran into lots of people I know from here. The talks were uplifting, the music was gorgeous, and the company/eating out was just what I needed :)

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Easter

It gets more and more fun celebrating holidays with our kids as they get a little older and understand better what we're celebrating.

This year, we started our Easter celebration a week early by participating in the Easter activities at Bass Pro Shop.

 The kids went on an Easter egg hunt.

 They did an Easter craft: coloring Easter egg magnets.

And the highly-anticipated event (for Ellie): they sat with the Easter bunny for a photo. The plan was for Dallas to be in the picture, but he was snoozing in his stroller instead. Maybe next year.

After Bass Pro, we headed home to dye Easter eggs.



Thank goodness our kids love hard-boiled eggs...they enjoyed peeling and eating them for days afterward.

The Sunday before Easter was our fast Sunday at church. Since General Conference was on Easter Sunday, the kids wore their Easter best the Sunday prior. 

Hunter looked so handsome in his tie. Steve's nephew Spencer sent Hunter this tie from his mission.

 There are so many things I love about this picture. Ellie loved her consignment sale dress and sandals. She had to have her toenails painted hot pink. She's got this dainty little stance going on. And she lets me experiment on her hair every Sunday. We sit down together and look up hairstyles for toddlers on Pinterest (which is as much hair as she has...). We find a hairstyle that she likes that I think I can manage. Sometimes they look cute and funny (like this one), but I figure, she's a little girl, so she's just cute! 

"Right this way..." Does baby Dallas look like a tiny, chubby man in this suit or what?? What a handsome little guy!

Our three little loves

Easter best

For Easter weekend, we went up to my parents' house. Nearly my entire family (minus my brother-in-law Dan, who was having his own fun on a scuba diving trip) got together for the weekend. Uncle Henry and Aunt Rach planned a fun Easter egg hunt in the backyard for all the cousins.

Just a bunch of crazies ready to find some eggs.



 The whole group (missing Hunter and the two babies - they were napping)

On Saturday, we also attempted to watch General Conference, as well as spend time with cousins.
 Ellie and Alice coloring on Papa's lap


One-year-old Preston and 6-month-old Dallas

On Easter Sunday, as per our yearly Easter tradition, I made resurrection rolls and we talked about Jesus Christ's resurrection. The kids found their Easter baskets that the Easter Bunny had hidden, and they spent the rest of the day sneaking candy from their baskets.



 Happy first Easter to me!

My sisters and I planned and put together an Easter lunch in between sessions of conference.

Coconut cream pie selfie - it was the first time I'd made a coconut cream pie! I think it turned out pretty tasty.


Football with Daddy

During conference...



We.Are.Family.



Kansas Thompson Family | Easter 2015

We enjoyed the beauty of the day

Cousin rides in Papa's wheelbarrow; "The Papa Express"





Happy Dallas with Uncle Jake

Ellie with her brothers and DeAngelo cousins

We had such a fun weekend celebrating Easter, General Conference, and being with family!


Friday, April 17, 2015

Trip to the Farm

The Deanna Rose Children Farmstead officially opened for the season two weeks ago! It was a perfect spring day, so we went as soon as it opened and met up with some friends there.

My independent children - who needs a mother?? And when did baby Dallas get big enough to sit up so well and ride in the wagon? Sheesh.

 Ellie and Westen riding the train

 Being students in the one-room schoolhouse

 This kid loved being big enough to sit in the wagon with his big brother. He was absolutely perfect the entire time we were there. Little sweetheart.


 Riding horses

 Ellie attempting to feed a horse

 Surrounded by baby goats (while Hunter clung to my leg, deathly afraid, just like Ellie was at first as a two-year-old)

 Riding tractors

 Feeding the ducks

Feeding goats

 Ellie was a willing participant for this photo, and with such a pretty smile...

 Then I had to beg her to sit with her brothers for a picture - and this is the best I got. Ha ha ha!

Till next time...