For spring break we were able to have my nieces from Prescott, AZ come and visit for the week. They are such cute, sweet girls. We had a lot of fun with them. We don't get to see them very often so it was a treat to get to have them here. It was fun to have GIRLS around!!!
We went to the zoo and I was a little worried that they might keep my monkeys in the zoo and not let them come home, can you tell which one is the REAL gorilla?
We just recently went on a quick trip to St. George. We took the boys swimming, played tennis and we were able to see my handsome nephew, Andrew wh0 is playing football for Dixie. It was so much fun.
Can you see what I love about this picture? Do you see it? O.K. besides the two adorable boys in the picture having so much fun in the water.....yep, you guessed it, it is the SUN!!! I loved sitting by the water reading a book, watching my boys play and soaking in the sun. It felt so good. I fogot how nice it is so see the sun. Anyway, on our way home we hit a huge snow storm and we were back to the cold:(
Here we are, a bunch of rug-rats and my nephew and his cute "friend" Talisa. It took me awhile to get her name right, I kept calling her Teniqua, Tanisha etc. Oops, sorry Andrew, she was really cute.
I love the two's. Whoever said that they were "terrible" was wrong. Now, the three's are a whole different ball game. They learn how to USE all of those words that they were learning as a two-year-old. "NO" is a favorite in our household and many other clever, sweet, adorable words that the older brothers have taught the younger ones that I will spare you from. Anyway once-in-a-while the little monster in my three-year-old goes away and I am left with the funniest kid ever. If you look closely at this photo, he is wearing ski goggles and cowboy boots. Quite the combo. 
He wore the ski goggles for a few days and loved them so much, he would sleep with them. He has the funniest personality. I tried to blog the video I took of him in his car seat, strumming an "air" guitar and singing to the radio with his eyes closed and his head moving with the beat, but it didn't work. Oh well.....
In this photo, I was in the kitchen cleaning while he was bringing all of his favorite toys into the kitchen and made himself a cozy little bed. He had 3 pillows stacked and it took him quite awhile to get the blanket just right with all of his toys on it. It took him a few tries to keep everything in its place while he got under the blanket. He was happy as a little clam. LOVE HIM.
O.K., So you know the warning labels on ladders...they apply to EVERYONE! I thought they were for those OTHER people who were complete idiots, not ME! I have been painting and some of the places where I have had to paint were very high and above my stairs. I borrowed a ladder that goes on stairs to make it easier. Well, in my 5 minute briefing with a 15 year old showing me how to use it and in my mind going (ya, ya, ya I got it, I've used plenty of ladders before), I guess I failed to hear that all joints must be LOCKED. So with my paint tray in one hand and roller in the other one, I climbed up to the top. Just as I stepped on the top stair I felt a slight slip, I thought that it was my imagination, quickly I realized that it was a reality and the ladder collapsed, paint and my body went flying. I landed on top of the ladder, with the ladder on top of my feet. It must have been a very graceful scene. Ben came running in to see if he needed to call 911. I thought that I had broken my foot, but luckily I did not, I just got a really attractive foot for a few weeks. 
This picture doesn't give it justice, but my foot is swollen and completely bruised at the base of my toes, black, blue and yellow are the favorite colors of the month. Ya, just call me Grace and looking at this picture reminds me that I need a pedicure!!!
I got to meet some new friends. Aren't they so dang cute? My friend Juli (and her husband John) live in Seattle and I get to stay with her and her cute family once a year. These are their latest additions, James and Jenny (yes that is right, JENNY-after me:) although she is lots cuter than I ever was, but she does resemble me a bit, right???) They are such good babies, it was fun to hang out with them. 
I have a little namesake...wow who would have guessed? Can't wait to see them again, hopefully this summer, right John and Juli???
O.K., so any of you with sisters know that your sisters can be your best friends. I feel really lucky because mine are. 14 years ago we went on our first sisters trip and we have been doing them ever since. We have been all over the U.S. and a couple of trips to Mexico. This year we went to Orlando. It was so nice to get out of the snow and enjoy a few days in warmer weather. On Saturday, we went to the temple. It was beautiful. We thought about all those who were able to go to President Hinckleys funeral that day, so we decided that it would be nice to spend some time in the temple. 
This was me spending a little bit of time in the shops at the airport, waiting for our other two sisters to arrive from Arizona. I think at this point I was either missing my boys at home or just too excited to get to the theme parks....who knows?
This was a picture of the pictures that they take of you on the rides to see if it would work, who wants to spend $10 on this photo, not me!!! This was on the Hulk, we really liked this ride, can you tell?
We made it to Cocoa Beach just before dark, but who says you can't lay out and catch some rays in long shirts and long pants at 5:00p.m.? I think we caught some KILLER rays!!! All in all the trip was too short and too much fun. We laughed more than anything (cause we are WAY funny), and ate WAY too much. We are lucky that we all get along so well and that we love to be together. Sure do love my sisters!!!
This past weekend we decided to take a trip to the ranch. The boys didn't have any games, so at the last minute we jumped in the car and drove to Bicknell. This time of year is the reason that I couldn't live there in the winter. It is so dang cold-the wind blows and so I sit inside trying to get a few projects done, but mostly I sit by the wood-burning stove and read a good book while my husband braves the cold and does projects outside, (silly Dan). My boys ride the motorcycle and go-cart until their hands are about to fall off, then come inside to do some of their favorite activities.......Luke (aka Luke Skywalker), can't get enough of the Star Wars series that we keep down at the ranch.....Do you think he is close enough to the action?
I was curious when everything was quiet so I went looking for my children. Then I walked into the pool room and saw this scene....what could all four of my boys be doing?
Oh........they were all envolved in very intense game boy games, even my youngest, and people wonder why we don't get a Wii or Game cube etc. My boys would turn into robots.
This is what we came home to on Monday. I got stuck at the foot of our driveway trying to plow my way through a couple feet of snow, somehow my minivan just didn't cut it, go figure. It took us awhile to dig out. FUN STUFF!!!
