Hayden turns the big 1-2!!!

Each time one of my kids has a birthday, I am completely baffled as to how another year has passed.  Last time I turned around, Hayden was graduating from 5th grade and anxiously anticipating middle school and here we are in the final few weeks of sixth grade.  It has for the most part, been a great year and Hayden has truly become a mature pre-teen. 

Rian got up early on Hayden's birthday to set up a "Birthday Queen station" for her.  She put pillows, blankets, a table with her Ipad on it, and a hand-typed spa menu for her to choose the services she wanted Rian to indulge her in.  ( I believe she picked a pedicure and massage!). 

Rian also served Hayden her birthday breakfast which included her favorite donut from The Donut Haas along with a banana.

Here is the birthday girl with her homemade crown from Rian.  Wow, I wish I had a sister so sweet! 

 

Hayden decided she would like to go rock climbing with a few friends to help celebrate her birthday.  Everyone met at Inner Strength rock climbing gym in Fort Collins to get their climb on! 

Sarah reached the top of her first climb, no problem!

Katie did equally well.

Hayden has always been somewhat of a monkey, and enjoyed challenging herself on some of the harder routes to the top.

Sklyar repelling down.

Jessie getting basic climbing instructions. 

That girl can climb!

Rian did great on her climbs too!

After climbing time was over we headed to TCBY for a well-earned treat.

 

According to Rian's face, picking out toppings is very serious business!

 

 

Still just a silly kid at heart.

 

 

At home that night, we celebrated with a cake Hayden baked and decorated completely on her own.  Happy Birthday sweet girl!!!xo

April Fool's!!!!

We always like to do something a little different to weird our kids out on April Fool's Day.  Sometimes it's wearing our underwear on the outside of our clothes and saying that we are meeting with the principal of their school that morning, other times it's turning their milk green when they pour it over their cereal, or even serving dessert for breakfast. 

This year when they came downstairs, this is what they found. 

A nice centerpiece. 

Chairs 10 sizes too small.

And all the silverware had mysteriously disappeared. 

All Rian could find to eat her pancakes with was this spatula. 

Hayden used this pair of tongs.

 

Jessie was a good sport about the whole thing and tried to use her melon scooper, but resorted to using her fingers.

Grandpa even got in on the action and left his own April Fool's joke for the girls.  He wrapped up empty water bottles in paper and aluminum foil to look like breakfast burritos from their favorite place in Longmont. 

Hayden didn't think it was all that amusing.

Rian found it hilarious! 

 

 

Owl watching

We have been keeping our eye on the owl nest across the street from our house for the past few weeks.  The mama has been sitting in her nest nonstop and now we know why- she had been sitting on her eggs which hatched a few days back.  The owlets are so fuzzy and cute and the mama is very proud.  The dad often sits on the branch next to the nest. 

 

The girls have fun checking on the owls with their binoculars.

Not the greatest picture, but this is the mama! Her owlets are hiding behind her.

 

We watched them all Spring and boy, did those owlets grow FAST!!! Here is one of them sitting on a branch.

Papa Owl flying away. 

 

Mama.

 

Hoppy Easter Everyone!

Easter morning, the girls were up bright and early to start hunting for eggs.  As usual, the Easter bunny didn't disappoint. 

 

 

3-2-1 Let the hunting begin!

I think because the girls are getting older, the Easter Bunny is starting to hide their baskets in really tricky places.  Rian's was hidden behind the TV (her favorite pasttime) and you could only see a hint of it if you crouched down and looked beneath the screen.

Hayden got some new flip-flops and Jessie liked her fashion design set.

Gifts from our neighbors, Willey and Diane. After breakfast, everyone showered and put on their Easter dresses and we headed to church with Grandma and Grandpa.  It was a very nice service and a beautiful day outside (almost 70 degrees) so we stopped at Coyote Ridge on the way home for a quick picture or two.

 

 

 

Once we got home, the kids played outside and then we headed to Grandma's for a late lunch.  It was a very nice day and once we returned home we went on a nice long walk around our neighborhood.  We love Spring!!!

Coloring Eggs

We had fun coloring Easter eggs Saturday night.  With Easter being Rian's favorite holiday, we made sure we had plenty of eggs for everyone.  The girls really took their time this year, and the colors turned out great.

Let the decorating begin.

 

Sisterly bunny love????

After awhile, we began to see a pattern in our egg-making.  Many of them were Hawaiin- themed.  I guess we still all have Maui on the Brain!

One of Rian's eggs had a hibiscus flower on it, and one of mine said "Aloha Keiki".  Mike thought he was clever drawing the islands of Hawaii.

Done and done.  Now all we had to do was wait for the Bunny himself to do the rest.

Rian's 1st Grade Music Program

This year, Ms. Harrison (the music teacher at McGraw) put together a Spring Music Program for the 1st graders and their parents. There was definitely a lot of excitement in the air and the kids were so proud and happy to show off all the songs they had learned throughout the year. Rian was nervous at first, but quickly got comfortable and had a great time. 

Rian is front and center in the red dress.

 

 

These two BFF's dressed in matching colors and it wasn't even planned.