Our Trip to Nebraska

We went to Nebraska from the 15th-20th for Alex's brother, Ryan's wedding.  it went by pretty fast cause it seems like we were always doing something.  the Friday before the wedding, we spent all day at the church helping to get ready.  then Saturday was the wedding.  i got some good pics of the girls on the grounds of the winter quarters temple.  Sunday we went to a baby baptism at a Greek orthodox church for one of Alex's cousins.  still don't understand the point of baptizing babies, but a really neat experience regardless.  

Riding the quads

Monday we went out by Columbus, Nebraska, about 2 hours away from Omaha.  we road around on the quads.  it was so fun.  such a different landscape than the rocks and cactus of AZ.  the trails were in the bottom of a river that they've damned up.  so everywhere you go was sand.  There were trees and flowers everywhere.  you would ride through a path in the shade of all these trees.  i kept slowing down to admire the different flowers, shapes of leaves, and strange birds that I've never seen.  i guess its the bio girl in me that gets so awe struck by the life i see around me.  unfortunately, i never took my camera out on the quads, so i didn't get any pics of all this stuff.  just of us up by the camping grounds.  the first time i went out with Alex.  he didn't seem to care that i was on the back and I'm pretty sure i got whiplash.   the sand can get kind of bumpy, and i almost fell off like 5 times.  good thing Alex was wearing the helmet.  Brigg's kept getting stuck in the sand cause he had a little quad.  it was funny trying to watch him get out of it.  

Jack just loves kisses from his mom!

Gram debbie giving a push

Omaha Children's Museum

On Tuesday, before we left, we went to the museum with the kids.  Anny had gone before, and she really wanted Ellie to see it.  There was a little pretend supermarket, and the kids could pretend they were shopping and checking out.  There was also this room filled with machines that collected those plastic balls like the ones that are sometimes at fast food playrooms.  once enough of the balls had been collected, they would all fall down on the kids.  There was also a playhouse, where you could put on make-up and dress up.  Its a very interactive museum that teaches kids about how things work.  

Plane ride home

I have to admit,  I'm really nervous when i fly.  i have to keep thinking of something else, and not the image of all of us plummeting to the earth with no parachutes.  The kids did really well.  Ellie would get kind of whiny at the end of the flight.  luckily the flights weren't too full and i could bring the car seat.  on the way to Nebraska i could see ironwood road which was kind of neat.  but it was dark on the way home, so it was hard to tell what you were looking at.  i wish i would have remembered to bring a book.  i did have a magazine where i read a really interesting article about the rise of china as a new world power.  

T-Ball

This spring a bunch of families from the neighborhood made up a couple t-ball teams.  Luckily our team got the red shirts instead of the blue ones, or I'd never hear the end of it from the girls.  Anny did pretty good.  i think Ellie is still too young.  good thing it only cost us the price of the shirts to play.  

You can really count on Ellie in the game.  This is pretty much her usual game stance.

Anny's Kindergarten Graduation

i have some really heartbreaking news:  my boyfriend got voted off American idol last night!  

Well I've been doing really good about still going to boot camp.  I'd post some pics of my toned and lean body but i don't want you all to get jealous.  I didn't get to go last night cause Alex went to a diamondbacks game.  hmm, funny, never knew he was such a fan.  

Anny and Ellie went to a dance class today.   I'm putting them in one this summer for something to do.  they had a trial class today to see how everyone likes it.  Ellie was being a little punk.  the teacher was like, "k everyone give me a high 5"  and Ellie wouldn't give her one!  rude!  she must take after me.  high 5's are for idiots who feel they need validation.  Ellie already knew she did a good job, she didn't need someone to give her a high 5.  Shanna and the boys came over today.  we got some good pics of all the kids together.  her boys are as big as jack now.  

oh my gosh!  Anny's kindergarten celebration was the most boring thing ever! don't tell her i said that.  every stinking kid in the kindergarten had to get up and say some dumb little part, and sing all these songs that you couldn't understand the words to.  I'm such a proud parent.  

one of those songs i was talking about.  

pic i used on my mothers day cards.

Anny and hunter.

c'mon Ellie, get some muscles.  we couldn't get her to hold up the babies, and Anny's over there holding 2 of them.