Easter!

This year we decided to try something a little different for Easter.  Normally we dyed hard boiled eggs and ending up not eating them all.  This year we got plastic ones; and stuffed them with candy.  We actually had a really good time doing it and then there were a lot more for the kids to hunt Easter morning.  Each kid ended up having 32 eggs to find!  We did label them again so they had to find THEIR eggs. 

 The Easter bunny brought them hiking boots!  We're really excited to put them to use!

Carson decided to wear a dress shirt since Easter is a special occasion!

 There were so many eggs they ended up hunting in the front and the backyard this year.

Carson's tree

Today was career day at school.  One of the people that came was an arborist.  They brought apple trees for all the Kinder-2nd graders.  Carson was jumping out of his skin, so excited to have his own tree.  We went swimming and as soon as we got home we had to plant his tree!  Right now it's just a stick in the mud, literally, but you wouldn't know it with the way Carson talks!

Rock climbing

We joined the YMCA in order for the kids to have swim lessons and access to the pools and such.  The one we go to has a rock wall so the kids are able to take rock climbing classes.  They can all make it to the top of the sections, now it's just doing the "routes" which are rated by difficulty.  They absolutely love it.   The wall is 30ft tall.  During "break weeks" which is when people are signing up for the next sessions we're over at the rock wall as much as possible.  Once classes start they can only go once a week, if they get in to the class.  They'll all be in the intermediate class next. 

Dillon's Basketball

 Dillon played basketball for the first time this year.  Daddy went to almost all of his practices and would work with him a little during and after the practices.  The coaches seemed to be having a hard time directing the kids so most of what Dillon learned was because of that extra Daddy did.  Dillon pratically ran himself into the ground each practice because he gives it his best.  He made huge strides this year and he wants to play again next year.  His natural defensive mindset held true in basketball.  There were several times the coach would ask Dillon to just hang out by the basket to guard whomever got close to shoot.  The coach actually said he wishes he had five Dillon's because he listens and does what he supposed to which would make a great team.  It took him a little while to build up the confidence to be more assertive and try to shoot himself.  Even with the hesitation he typically had a least one basket per game even though his teammates were bad about passing.  He always overcomes his hesitation, no matter what sport he's playing.  He thinks about the game and understands the way it works.  Between that and how much he commits himself to working hard and getting better, he's going to be a great all around athlete.

Snow Day!

The week after we have a no school day (designated as a potential snow make up) we get snow.  We got about 6 inches, we were all super excited.  Kayda and Carson had a blast out there, Dillon never chose to go out.  The snow was much drier than we normally get so they weren't able to make snowballs, it wouldn't hold together at all.  They still had fun though.

Kayda shoveled off the trampoline for me.  As the snow melts it all goes to the middle and sags really bad.

Monster truck rally

The boys got to go see monster jam!  They went with their friends Joey, Madi and Zach.  

Their favorite truck was "grave digger".  They came home with a huge desire to collect monster trucks so they used some of the money they've saved to buy several.

Dillon's 10th Birthday

This kid is 10!  He is such a GREAT kid!  He is super loving, inclusive and thoughtful.  He is also super silly.  He has one of the best laughs I've ever heard and finds himself hilarious.  I substituted for his class one day and he was perfect, all day.  I ran into his teacher from last year and asked if it was a fluke, she said "No, that's just Dillon".  I knew he was good for the teachers, but he is amazing!  There's never been a time I've heard he didn't like someone, he is always ready to play with anyone and is an amazing brother.  He is often the one settling things between Kayda and Carson, they both want to be with him but they don't necessarily agree. 

He loves math, basketball, soccer, and football, he loves to swim but has no desire to race.  He is always eager to learn new things, though he can also be pretty hard on himself if he can't do it right away.  He does everything with heart and determination.  His teacher wrote on his report card the he will dance in class.  They have "brain breaks" and one of them is to watch a music video, they have the option to dance.  Dillon is one of the only kids that will get up in the back of the room and dance without any care for what other people think.  He is a homebody.  He wants to do all the sports and activities but other than that he wants to be home.

We went to dinner with Grandma and Papa H on a different day since he's so busy with basketball right now.  He had Chase over to spend the night a different night too.  

I spread the candles out as much as possible on the cake.  He got to giggling so hard he had trouble getting them all blown out.