Happy Easter!

Coloring Eggs

Rory had to work all weekend (Boo!) so we were stuck home for the long Easter Break.  We still managed to have a little bit of fun though!  Connor got to go with Grandpa Derk, Derek, Zac, Logan, and Devin to a Mariners/Rockies Exhibition game at the Bee's stadium.  He had a blast and said it was one of the best days of his life!  He and Zac enjoyed watching the game, but Derek said Devin and Logan were more interested in the hot dog line, lol.  While he was on his way to the game and Rory was sleeping, Debbie, Kadee, Kinlee, Matthew, and I went to the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Wellington Park.  The kids loved it and each one of them got a prize this year.  Later in the day (when Rory woke up) we colored eggs and when Connor got home we had an egg hunt in our basement.

Sunday morning the kids looked through their Easter baskets and then we went to church.  I'm not going to lie, church by myself with 4 kids is super hard.  Matthew tries to go one way and Kinlee tries to go the other.    I had to teach in Young Women's so I taught about the resurrection, which was a good reminder for me why we celebrate Easter.  I am so grateful for the atonement and the peace it brings to our lives.  We then relaxed, had a nice dinner at Derk and Debbie's and finished off the day watching, Rise of the Guardians in 3D with the Andreason family.  It was a great, laid back weekend.

Kadence showing off her egg

Matthew trying to eat his egg with the shell still on

Kinlee showing me her cute egg

Showing off our eggs from the easter egg hunt

Disneyland 2013

We just got back from our amazing Disneyland trip.  We seriously had so much fun!  We headed out last Saturday and stayed the night in Vegas.  From there we headed to California and absolutely loved our hotel.  We stayed in a suite at the Castle Inn and Suites with Derk and Debbie.  It was really clean and was on the same block as the entrance to Disneyland so it made it super nice for walking back and forth.  We spent 2 days at Disneyland, a day at Huntington beach, and then went to California Adventure Land for our last day in the park.  Derk and Debbie were such troopers because we walked our fanny's off!  We tried to take in lots of shows and absolutely loved the World of Color Water show, it was amazing and we were all in awe.  Some of our other favorite shows were Aladdin, the Mad T Party, and A Bug's Life.  For the parade in Disneyland we got front row seats and Mickey even came and took a seat right next to Matthew.  We didn't get as good of seats for the fireworks show, but still got to enjoy it.  We celebrated Rory's 31st birthday while we were there.  Lucky for him I bought him a present and a yummy Cold Stone ice cream cake before we left.

Huntington Beach was cold but we had so much fun.  Derk and Rory went body surfing in the water and I don't know how they didn't turn into popsicles, that water was icy cold.  The rest of us stayed on the beach and built a sand castle and played in the sand.  It was cold so we didn't spend much time on the beach.  After playing for awhile we walked the pier and had lunch at Ruby's Diner.  It is so yummy and was so beautiful looking out over the ocean and the beach.  The kids each got a shark tooth necklace and loved watching the people fish and surf.  After the beach we went back to the hotel and the kids went swimming which was actually one of their favorite parts of the whole trip.  Give my kids a swimming pool and Rory a hot tub and life is good.

Our final day we spent in California Adventure Land.  We got to ride the brand new Cars ride and eat at Flo's Diner (from the movie Cars).  The food at Flo's was expensive, but delicious.  Kinlee got a front row seat to a Minnie Mouse flight show then afterword she got to meet Minnie, give her a hug, and kiss her on the nose.  We ran into Rory's nephew Taylor who was there on a choir trip and topped it off with the World of Color show I mentioned earlier.  When it was over, Connor and Kadee cried because they were so sad our trip was coming to an end.  I asked them what their favorite rides were, Connor loved Indiana Jones and Kadee loved the Tower of Terror.  Kinlee just loved Minnie Mouse and I think Matthew liked when we let him off his leash. :)We concluded the trip with another stay in Vegas and 70 degree weather.  The pool at our hotel was closed for maintenance so we ordered pizza, sat in the courtyard, and enjoyed the wonderful weather.  The kids were champs on the way home.  Everyone did fabulous and hardly complained.  Now to catch up on homework and get back to baseball, gymnastics, piano, scouts, and all the craziness of life.

Rise Above It

Ugh!

We had our first adoption interview with the social worker a couple weeks ago.  Talk about stressful!  He is a really nice guy, but it is such a nerve racking situation.  He came to our house to meet us and the kids, then asked us a few questions, then left us with a mountain of paperwork!  We seriously had to fill out autobiographies, a 5 page packet on how we discipline, show love, etc., provide them with 4 references, do a background check, a child abuse and neglect screening, and have two more interviews with the social worker.  We actually can't finalize the adoption until May or June (depending on when the judge considers we've had him in our home long enough) but a step aunt applied for custody of Matthew, so we are covering all of our bases.  The social worker and attorney said the more we can do until the adoption is final the better.  The social worker sent me a text last night and he is ready to do our next interview.  It's crazy that I am so nervous!  He told me we have nothing to worry about, but it is just weird to have someone inspecting every aspect of your life.  Here's to fabulous interviews and referrals!!