Park, Scooters, and Dandelions.

The weather is beautiful, and although I know it could snow again before we actually get spring/summer weather--we have sure enjoyed afternoons at the park.

We have especially had fun meeting up with friends (on purpose and accident) all over town.  Our small mountain town is a fun place to be.  Please don't blame my girls for all the dandelions next year--but they can't stop blowing the seeds everywhere!

Birthday Party.

This year I decided to let the girls have a shared birthday party with friends--we tried to keep it small and simple, but you know that's not how it went.  Everyone had such a fun time!  Everything was butterfly themed--the decoration, the cake, the party favors, and even the face painter painted butterflies on all the little girl's faces.

Happy it is over, sad my girls are growing up.  Maybe in a couple years we'll attempt another big, themed bash!  I loved when the girls spent the extra half hour at the end of the party chasing the ONE butterfly that they could find--poor little guy.  Up and down the hill, they were so worn out and the giggling screams were worth it!

Denver Zoo.

Hyenas, lions, hippos, ant eaters, monkeys, bears (black and grizzly), seals, otters, birds, mountain lions, leopards . . . I can't remember all the different animals we saw today!  Peacocks.  It was a beautful sunny, day and we spent over 5 hours at the zoo--peaking in at every animal we could and reading all about them.  Pictures say it best (mostly of the girls, not the animals--that would have been way too many pictures).

The girls were obsessed about these Komodo Dragons.  Presley had just brough home a book about them the week before and she was fascinated with them.

Cuddles with auntie Krista.  Her cubs were done and we were just getting ready to head home.

The girls and the twins did great and kept moving all day.  They were all so tired--but not tired enough to skip out on a night at Ikea getting Krista a few odds and ends to make her house complete.  What a day!

Butterfly Pavilion.

Our first full day in Denver we hit the road and drove north to the Butterfly Pavilion.  Not only did we get to see so many different kinds of butterflies, but there were terrariums with beetles, spiders and scorpions, as well as a mini aquarium with sea stars and horseshoe crabs.

Here the girls are so excited and waiting for a butterfly to land on them.  Unfortunately, when one landed on Presley, she promptly freaked out and smashed the butterfly on her hand on her cheek.  No butterfly died, just a bit shaken--both of them!

Apparently this is a ginger plant--I had no idea.

Loved these black and white butterflies--they were huge!

This plant reminded me of the Truffula trees from The Lorax.

 

Stella could not get enough of holding Rosie the tarantula--she went back 4 times to hold her!

Not only was the pavilion fun it was hot and very humid (over all Denver seems much more humid to me than Utah, almost too humid).  We all left with frizzy, curling hair and dewy skin.  Definitely a fun place to visit--and it sure got the girls excited for their upcoming shared birthday party (butterfly themed!).

Denver.

We decided to head to Denver for Spring Break this year.  My sister, Krista, and her family have just moved there for Matt's new Nascar job with the Furniture Row Racing team.

We spent the week visiting places like the Butterfly Pavilion and Denver Zoo--all while helping Krista hang up a few things and put together some furniture.  Out of all the things we did I think that the girls really liked playing in their aunt Krista's new backyard with a swing set and their cousins.

We have plenty of places still to visit on our next trip--the Aquarium, Nature and Science Museum (with Imax and the Planetarium), Elitches, Coors Field, and the list goes on . . .

Lucky for me the girls were practically angels on the 8 hour 15 minute drive to and from Denver!  I am sure we will make the trip again, sooner than later!

Six.

My Presley is 6!  Where has all the time gone?  I have lots to write about, but for now here are some shots from her easter birthday (when she turned one, it was also on Easter!)

What a sweet, thoughtful, hard working, playful girl!  This year Presley and Stella are having a joint friend birthday party--it should be quite an adventure!

Easter.

I love to dress the girls up for Easter--and I even got a new dress myself this year (no proof though, I'll have to take a picture in it later).  The Easter bunny brought small gift baskets with two dolls for the girls.  Grandpa Bob and Grandma Lynn also left a little sweet treat along with stickers.

Attack of the sisters!

Later, Camille and Gregg had us all over for Easter dinner--it was delicious!  We also had another egg hunt and more birthday singing for Presley.

The Hunt.

Brunch and an Easter egg hunt with Great Grandma Jo today!  The girls, along with their cousin Guinevere, found tons of eggs filled with little toys and chocolate at the nursing home.  Afterward we had brunch with the whole family (minus Chris who was at UCLA for a volleyball match).



The eggs weren't really "hidden".  Easy to find!

All the loot!

Freezing sisters--eventually it warmed up to be a beautiful day!

It is always nice to see Grandma Jo, she is now 97.  I told her we were headed to Colorado next week and she was able to tell me that she might want to come with us!  Grandma Jo grew up in CO and loves to reminisce about her childhood.

We also got to celebrate Presley's birthday with Grandpa Carl, Mor mor, Paul, Ali, and Guinevere--thank you for the fun and thoughtful gifts!

Classroom.

So, I don't get to Presley's classroom that often (ok, I've gone in once to help make bread in a ziploc bag).  But I don't feel too bad because my Mom goes in every Monday to help out!  Today was the last day of school before spring break and it also happens to be Presley's best friend Makayla's birthday and with Presley's birthday being on Sunday (Easter), I wanted to bring in treats for her class to celebrate the birthdays.

M & P for Makayla and Presley's birthdays!

Makayla's mom brought chocolate cupcakes with light pink frosting and pearls on top (no pictures, the class was watching a movie and the lights were off while we ate the treats) and I brought in chocolate milk with crazy straws.  Of course I had to decorate the milk bottles.

How fun to celebrate your birthday with your friend at school!  Happy birthday girls!

Made.

Afternoon crafts are something we like to do.  Usually we keep it simple with coloring or stickers--maybe some scissors and glue.  But today we got out some of the craft projects the girls got for Christmas.  Presley wanted to make a fairy and Stella wanted to make a crown--here is what they came up with . . .

What a shiny crown, what a pose.

Fairy friends.

Pretty fun for a freezing cold afternoon--the day before it had been sunny and warm and we played at the park for nearly two hours.  The books are by a company called Klutz and come with all the things you need to make little crafts.  I have seen them at Michaels and on Amazon.