DAY 4 SPRING BREAK (3/20/08): Easter Prep!

Two holidays and a birthday in one week can be pretty stressful for a celebratin' family. Thank heavens we had plenty of helping hands to decorate BUT mostly CELEBRATE!(Ryland and Uncle Brendon)

Down came the clovers and up went the eggs, and bunnies!
Plastic eggs are a perfect 1 year old toy!Thank heavens for a cool, strong uncle to help decorate the tree at the TOP!
(Colton and Uncle Brendon)
After a watching the new movie BEES and a nap...it was TiMe to Dye THE EGGS!
Think we had enough?

Little Ryland made this face every time grandma helped pull his eggs out of the dye. He was so surprised at the pretty colors you could turn them!
The whole dying bunch!

After a yummy dinner of my infamous meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green veggies, salad and dump cake...

The NON RV sleeping cousins (the younger crowd) went to bed while the others of us headed out to the backyard for a FIRE and some s'more making.

It was a perfect night full of stars and the moon. (below)

That is definitely one thing I enjoy living in a small town, the starry skies! There is no competition from street lights or sounds of cars and traffic. You can just lay on your back and stare up all night.

The whole clan singing some girls camp songs.

(cousin kayden roasting a mellow!)(Colton enjoying the fruits of the fire-check out the marshmallow all over his mouth)
Oh, and IF girls camp songs are too much for you, you can always join Dan for some serious games of Sudoku! Ha ha
After we sent the RV cousins to bed--the adults made it a late night of Phase 10, That I WON!
SPRING BREAK is a celebratin' , game playin' , holiday havin' TIME!

DAY 3 SPRING BREAK (3/19/08): Ryland's Birthday POST-Naps

Since we were not tired enough that day...we decided to rent a

JUMP CASTLE(Note how the castle is bigger than our home!)
The boys could not have been happier!

We started out with long sleeves and jackets at Dead Horse State Park in the morning and switched to swimsuits and sunscreen in the afternoon/evening(since we were already burned)!

Any energy they had left we were hoping to bounce out of em'

Oh, the adults were not to be left out. All the siblings got in the jump house and ROCKED each other. It is too bad none of the kids could take photos, they were all too busy screaming at the jump house tipping over!

Since it was warm and they already had swimsuits on we decided to have a WATER BALLOON WAR (that lasted about five minutes)
Dacie just wanted to hold her balloon and squeeze it!
How Fun it is!
After Daddy got home and dinner was done it was time to PaRtY!

Little did Ryland know that the cake was a 'hint' as to what one of his presents was going to be!
Ryland was so funny blowing out the candles. He was taking the biggest breaths he could muster, and I thought he was going to pass out, Ryland always has a few extra helping hands with two older brothers (as in helping hands getting him closer to the cake)!
Cake and birthday bash ice cream is always a perfect way to end a day!

Ryland was spoiled...we did not need a friend party when the house and gifts were so full of family!
In LOVING MEMORY of "OGAN" the blue easter chick-who lived a short three days before a cat snuck into our garage and took him away

This was one of the most noteworthy gifts: we are finally owners of a pet (much to our children's jubilation), a chicken at that!

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa 'Atchings'

Here is the lone survivor "Curious George" the Rhode Island Red Chick.
We love hearing her cheepies, playing with her outside, blow drying her fluffy fur, and are enjoying her 'imprinting' as she is starting to follow us everywhere. She particularly likes Dacie who is not quite sure what to think of something so small following her around as Dacie herself is starting to WALK EVERYWHERE (so we only had a few freak out sessions today)!
Ryland, and us, had one of the most fabulous, adventurous days we can remember. It is going to be hard to top this one. He will never forget his 3rd birthday that is for sure. Happy Birthday Our sweet Ryland!
(my tribute to my little man is coming...after spring break posts are finished-he won't miss a thing)
Spring Break is Tiring FuN!

THE Renaissance Festival!

So Saturday March 8th, 2008 was a journal noteworthy day. It was my first time going to a renaissance festival...or ren festival, is what the regulars call it! My friend Desiree (in the middle) really gets into this stuff, and yet, she is mild for the 'die-hards'. It is a complete other world!!! Here we are 'decked' up in the commoner costumes (I (left) was affectionately referred to as the cooking wench-the term wench is used freely and not rudely at these ren days). My friend collects costumes and dresses us all up. After going however, I decided that I want to go as royalty next time with the cool corsets that make you skinny! (and pass out by the end of the day)
Here is the king, queen and their court welcoming us into the park (since we made it in time for the gates to open!) IF you wanted too, you could follow the royalty around all day and follow a story line with them. People do this as a living and travel from place to place, with alternative identities they come up with, etc. They also go camping on weekends etc.

This is the court jesters, and I felt most 'at home' by them! ha ha ha
The fair is outside of Mesa in Apache Junction (3 hours from home)and is located on 30 acres and has a sister festival in England. This one is a pretty big one, with thousands of people!
I was like a little kid with my eyes wide-open in awe all day. Taking it all in. NOT only are there amazing costuming ,but there are vendors, and entertainment ALL day long all over the place!

This guy was offering childcare-ha ha ha ha

We did go kid-less as our awesome hubbies had the kids for the day!

You can't go to one of these without some of the 'eccentric' taking the advantage to be weird and get noticed. Here is a Full blown cross-dresser! I did not want to get too close, so that he would not notice and get the attention or shock factor I am assuming he wanted.

Check out her shoes-they are the kind of shoes (stilts) they would wear so that their shoes would not get dirty and their clothes in the mud. It had rained that evening and was cloudy for a good portion of the morning. Then the sun reappeared in the afternoon and we got burned, and tired more quickly...you WALK all day LONG!

the KnIgHt STUD!

My kids got a kick out of this picture of the guy riding a dragon with a bird on his shoulder!

Here is some more royal courters....I'm not gonna lie there is ALOT of cleavage in excess at festivals!

Turkey legs were the food of choice as you walked around, BUT again, I am not gonna lie...I was not FOND of mine. Peeling skin, tendons, and bones make me not so hungry anymore! My friend tells me I had a bad piece, and that it really is good. I think I had my turkey leg experience for a lifetime!

With no kids or hubby's around henna/temporary (sp) tattoos were part of the day! (not for me)

My friend Julie Hoggard and I decided to pillow fight on the log so we could entertain the masses!

Guess who won?!!!

Entertainment was ABSOLUTE enjoyment for the day. We got in one of the jousting tournaments, with real knights, horses, sword fights, etc. They divided the crowds up and we each had a 'knight' to cheer on. Ours heard voices and was CraZY in the head! BUT he was probably the best rider out there. The 'Bar Wench' over our cheering section taught us some crude gestures to taunt the other sides (I just watched, promise)

Let see there were bagpipe boy bands, sword eaters, pirate bands, flame whippers, birds of prey show, musical instruments I have never seen played, belly dancers, mimes, statue standers, arrow shooters, orators, joke tellers, horn blowers, live instrumental bands...I think you get my drift. Not a DULL moment.

and by the end of the day I was ready to go. It was like being Disneyland day tired!

Here is a picture of the crazy knight and bar wench!

Of course, I brought home prizes for the fam! Here is a pair of butterfly/ fairy wings Dacie got. She kept bringing them to me this a.m (3/10) to put on her. How funny is she?!!

I came home to clean kids-all in bed, a happy husband, and not too messy of a house! They enjoyed a day of no nagging, visiting grandparents (Dan's parents have not seen the kids for awhile and came up late afternoon because they missed them) park play, and McDonalds...with presents the next day! We all were very satisfied.

Dan got a black leather spike bracelet (watch out burglars)! The boys got swords and hilts, which I had NO DOUBT they would thoroughly enjoy!

Swords hit swords is our new family rule-after Dacie got knocked and is now scared of them!

After waking at 6:30am and getting home at 9:30pm....my pillow was a very welcome sight!

Hip hip harrah for Ren Days...until next year!

TeaseR!

So is the weather going to stay this way, or is it TEASING us?! It has been beautiful the last few days and I have been so RELIEVED to have my children be outdoors most of the afternoons, fenced in, and not too hot!
PARTICULARLY since Dacie is going through a new phase where she wants to do little else besides hang with her mom, in her arms, poking her nose, and chasing me around the house. I thought for awhile that she must not be feeling well...BUT then it has stuck. Whoever told me that girls were easier than boys was not entirely truthful.
If the boys are close by her then she is pretty content outdoors, so that gives me a little breather to get, lets say,...dinner done!!! Her hair is growing in without much curl and the lack of holding it in, despite friends recommendations--so we played with ponytails!

HAPPY SPRING!...maybe