Home Improvements

I was getting super tired of my red kitchen and really needed a change but was to lazy/busy to do anything about it! So we hired a friend to paint the kitchen for us...and he did such an awesome job (if anyone wants his info let me know)! I love it so much! It totally makes my kitchen feel bigger not to mention cleaner! We have had HUGE issues with our trees in our backyard...we have a love/hate relationship with them and I am not so sure that this was a HOME IMPROVEMENT but maybe a life improvement for Benson...we decided to pull the trees out :( which is sad for so many reasons...but happy because now we can plant some citrus trees and a garden! And we don't have to get death threats from our neighbor about our leaves!

Piano Recital

Sammy had her Spring piano recital on Friday! We decided to get a babysitter for the 3 younger kids and have a date night with Sammy! She was so excited to pick the restaurant...she picked Olive Garden for dinner! Then we went to the recital where she performed "Zip A Dee Do Dah" perfectly. And afterward we went to Chilli's for dessert with my parents and she got her VERY OWN chocolate molten cake! When we got home we let her stay up until 11pm playing Settlers of Catan with Benson and I! It was a super fun night and she definitely felt like she was all grown up!

Cookie & Lemonade Sale

My kids have been DYING to do a lemonade sale for like...EVER! I always had good intentions but we never have quite done it! Anyway, we have this jar that the kids can put money in to save for family vacations and they REALLY want to go to Lake Powell this summer...so they keep collecting pennies and what not for the jar! So I made some cookies and lemonade and let them sell them out front! We live right across the street from the park and there is ALWAYS lots of people out and about...but of course, the day they are out there..its like the Twilight Zone...no one anywhere...so I text some friends (thanks guys) to come over and before you know it we have a little traffic..then Ben decided to get on his bike and ride around to drum up some business... He comes back and says "MOM, I told FIVE people we were having a cookie sale and they said 'No, Thanks' what is WRONG with them???" Then some random guy comes and says he wants to buy a cookie from the little boy (maybe they thought they were earning commission??) because he was the best salesman...he said that Ben ask him if he wanted to buy a cookie and when he told him no Ben says "Well, they are really yummy because my mom made them...so you will be sorry if you don't get one!" So the man walked over to buy one...then he bought FOUR because he said they were "better than Paradise Bakery cookies"...(sorry, hate to brag..but I do make really good cookies)!

Sammy's sign

Ben's sign...I guess we need to cover the difference between CENTS and PERCENTS around here!

In the end they made over $18...and they are already planning their next sale!

Cousins

Benson's brother and his wife were going to be out of town and ask Benson and I to watch 3 of their kids for the weekend...they happen to be the same age as our older 3 kids...so it works out perfectly! The kids were soooo excited and they all played well together! I tend to over-plan things...so we were pretty much solidly busy the whole time they were here! For some reason I didn't take very many pictures!! We decided to hike Peralta Trail and we got so many funny looks from people...I think everyone thought they were all of our kids! Getting ready for bed!

Before the hike

At the top of the mountain! It was a really hot day...but the kids had a blast!

Stake Carnival

Our Stake has a carnival every spring...and it is always super fun! Lots of yummy food, carnival games, bouncers, slides, dunk tank, face painting....my kids, of course, had a blast!

Tour of Bashas!

Since we frequent our local Bashas often...not just to shop...I am a HUGE fan of the Cub House and I think EVERY grocery store should do it! Anyway, when a friend organized a tour of Bashas...we decided it was definitely something we wanted to do...turned out only 2/3 of us liked it (Lucy could really care less about behind the scences things that happens at the store...she just wanted to EAT all the food!) Here is a picture of some of our group.. This lady was SO FAST at cake decorating...amazing!

The kids liked the deli department and watching them cut meat!

He gave the kids a sticker that they put on the meat...I decided to skip out on the "thick cut" sticker!

Meredith CAN'T follow directions and didn't wear a hat...so she had to wear a hairnet...she looks fabulous!

NO idea where Nate and Jacks are looking...not at the camera! But they liked going in the dairy cooler!

We finished off with some vanilla bean frappachino samples at Starbucks...I am sad I know these exist...soooo yummy!!

Lucy cried almost the whole time...so I didn't get pictures of everything! But Nate LOVED this tour and has ask me like 100 times since if we can go back!

Science Center Field Trip!!

First up was Ben...I wasn't able to go on his Field Trip but my friend Ashley was lucky enough to be a the chaperone and she took some good pics for me! I can tell Ben had a GREAT time because he looks SUPER excited in every picture! Typical Ben...love that kid! Very excited to be on the bus with his buddies... Making a VORTEX...

Measuring flexibility..

3 buddies...

Tug O War...

eating lunch..

Then Friday was Sammy's field trip to the Science Center and I DID go on this one! I was pretty excited...I had never been and had always wanted to go! And of course, I love hanging out with my girl all day! I had a cute little group...these girls cracked me up!

Learning Morse code...*Sammy looks so serious in this picture...but I swear she was having fun*

Catching the "rain"...

Learning about all different kinds of electricity...

My cute group...

Finding her pulse...

This was a really fun field trip...I think it was a good age to take the kids they were really interested in all the exhibits and had fun exploring! I think they LOVED the "bed of nails" and the body exhibit (not BODY WORLDS...a kid friendly exhibit) the best!

It was a fun day! I am so glad that I was able to go...and that my kids are young enough that they WANT me to go :)

3rd Grade Musical

Sammy had her 3rd grade musical last week...it was the "History of Rock and Roll" and with exactly 36 hours notice...we pulled off a costume for her! We went with the 80's...

It was a very cute musical and Sammy even did a little swing dance in it! She is so cute!