Easter and Spring Break

I have been waiting to post our Easter and Spring Break pictures because I wanted the ones off of my cell phone. I have been trying and trying to get decent size pictures, but they keep coming up teeny tiny so I have officially given up. Maybe I can get the pictures of the Cheyenne part of our trip from Matt's sister. I had some great ones too!! :( Maybe they'll be on later.

So...here is our Easter!! The girls had fun dyeing eggs. Actually as you can see Kierra took a nap during the coloring of the eggs. In the middle of her "you can't make me nap" fit it looks like she was successful at getting her pj bottoms off, but not so successful with her top!

Our Stake Conference was Easter weekend and so we really wanted to stay for that before we left for our week in Wyoming. I LOVE stake conference--especially the adult session! One of the reasons I love the adult session is because there are no kids, I can actually hold hands with my hubby and really sit and listen. Well, this time Matt had to sit up on the stand in the choir, but the meeting was still fantastic! We also got to go out with some GREAT friends afterwards. I LOVE our ward and our stake!

So, anyway, we spent Saturday cleaning the house and packing so we could really enjoy Easter morning and the Sunday session of Conference. The minute conference was done we got home, changed, and grabbed the already made (my husband is the man!) sandwiches out of the fridge and were on the road by 12:20. Our reason for the quick take off was that we wanted to make it to Laramie in time for Easter dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Hoopes' house! I believe we pulled in at 6:05!! Great time!! The girls are so good! Our pit stops are always quick and to the point and then we are back on the road. They are almost to that age where I can say, if you aren't back in the car in 10 minutes we are leaving you! ;)

This cute girl even got some much needed Oakley and Grandma time on that first day!

Instead of Matt taking Good Friday off (which the girls didn't have off) he decided to take Monday off so that we could go to Cheyenne to visit with his sister's family. We were also able to see his brother's family while we were there and another sister and her husband. It was so fun!! I sure wish I had pictures to show you, but this is where I was really lame and left my camera on the mantel at my Mom's. It was so beautiful there and the kids all had so much fun together. I was also very excited when I realized that Mom and Dad Hoff from Centennial Singers live just down the road so we had to stop in and see them too! Again, a perfect camera moment that I missed out on!! So, just take my word for it, the Cheyenne part of our trip was awesome!!

We came back to Laramie on Tuesday night and then Wednesday we decided better be our day outside before the snow came. We had a blast at the park with Grandma and Aunt Abby.

We also decided to go to the train bridge. You can see my mom holding on to Emily for dear life. The girls had SOOOO much fun with Grandma on this day, but I know we scared her a few times with our craziness. The girls had so much fun watching the trains go under the bridge and over the binkie that we dropped right in the middle of the tracks. I did illegally go through the gate and grab the binkie later. Kaylee was so nervous about me going past the NO TRESPASSING sign. I'm such a bad example! (but the thing was 2 steps away and a necessity!)

We thought that Uncle Dale had a choir concert on Thursday night, so we decided we'd better go swimming Wednesday night. Well it turns out that he didn't have a concert so instead on Thursday night Dale watched the girls while Matt and I got to go to Corona Village with my Mom and Dad for dinner. (finally we got to use our certificate!--thanks Monica and Kate!) I have yet to find a Mexican food restaurant that good!

Here is one of my little cell phone pictures. This was on our way to dinner and what Friday looked like all day. You don't really need a big picture to see what spring break in Wyoming turned into. All roads in and out of Laramie were closed all day Friday and they were still closed going east on Saturday. Luckily the storm had gone past our route home--we had great roads.

So Friday, since the weather was so yucky we took the girls to the children's museum and then to HANNAH MONTANA!! We were so glad to hang out with Dale on Friday. He is the man! The girls always have so much fun with him! When they try to do "storm" here it isn't nearly as cool;)

And last but not least, time with Dad! Matt and I got away for a few minutes before we left Saturday to watch the Wyoming football scrimmage with my Dad. I debated putting this on in case you BYU or UTAH fans try to focus in and see what our new coach is up to! ;)

So, that was our vacation! It was so fun! It wasn't too long or too short! It was just right and so much fun! The grand finale was being able to come home to a clean house! I love that feeling. Hope the rest of you had a great Easter and were able to stay warm during your spring break!

The Song of the Heart

I still have yet to blog our Easter/Spring Break. I have been trying so hard to get some pictures off of my phone and have failed miserably, so for today I gave up and have been blog hopping instead. In my hopping I found the most incredible story!!

I can't decide what to write next! This is why I love doing pictures more than writing. There is way less thinking involved! I have already spent way too much time staring at this blank page.

I love Jon Schmidt. I will never forget when I first moved here and my new visiting teaching companion, who has now become one of my best friends called me and said she had an extra ticket to this concert--oh and we're leaving in an hour--can you go?! I had never heard of him before but I needed a night out and was so excited about this new friend who had thought of me!! The concert was incredible! I won't even write more about it because my writing cannot even come close to the amazing words you WILL read in a minute.

As you already know my family LOVES Taylor Swift and her song Love Story. Just so you all know my girls are THE cutest of any of the girls that run around singing that song!

I didn't realize I love Coldplay. I can sing the words to some of their songs so that means I haven't switched the station on them.

I LOVE music. My favorite scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 25:12 "For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads." I definitely know that there are times I take sincere, kneeling in prayer for granted. Those days when I don't know what to say I will just sit at the piano instead with my thoughts and I know prayers are answered. There is so much power in music!

I love my family and I love knowing that I will be with them forever. I feel so much peace when I listen to inspiring messages and testimonies of eternal families!

So what do eternal families, music, prayer, Coldplay, Taylor Swift, love stories, friends and Jon Schmidt all have in common? Well, if you love one, any or all of these things, then you have to read THIS amazing blog to find out. (I actually really wish I could find a video for the song Tribute. It isn't even on the playlist.) Anyway, I didn't know if it was proper blogging etiquette to link to someone else's blog, so I did ask for permission. We love this couple! They just recently lost their 6 year old little boy, but have touched so many lives with their story.

I don't know where you want to begin. I watched the video first and then started reading the blog and realized I needed to pause the video and really read the blog before I did anything else. Both are amazing!

Good Tuesday!

We were actually married on Good Friday, April 21, 2000, in the Denver, Colorado temple and every day since has been good! Well wonderful actually!

I love our quirky anniversary date. With Easter weekend always being different we can even celebrate twice!!

So where are all of the pictures? Good question! I did a little bit of a search thinking I knew right where they were, but it's gonna take a little more effort than I thought. Maybe I'll have them next year for a big 10 year anniversary collage. The 9 year anniversary just gets two pictures and dinner at Olive Garden!!

Love ya Matt!!

Puzzled

The puzzle is still alive! It was a 1500 piece that we just didn't get done over the weekend and so Matt and his Dad carefully moved it (even having to tilt the card table a little) into the office where Matt and I have done a few pieces every day. At this rate we should have it done in a month or so. ;) I'll take a picture of the finished product.

So, last week was a fun week! Matt did have to go to Laramie for a few days. I had things going on both Tuesday and Wednesday night, but we have the best neighborhood babysitters ever! I came home to these crazy outfits on Tuesday night and then Wednesday found them in Emily's bed with their arms draped over each other. Wednesday night was book club night! I REALLY look forward to this one night of staying out late with the girls and even talking about the book for a few minutes. I was so sad when Matt said he had to be gone, because how do you find a babysitter (and her family) that is willing to stay out so late on a school night? I hope I didn't take advantage too much. I love this family and their 3 babysitting girls! I even trust those girls with my newborns! They are so good!

Taylor had a great birthday! During that week she was the V.I.P. at school. One day was also crazy hair day. It was so fun for her to be able to celebrate with her cousin Boston who is just 4 days older than her!

We had such a blast with family this weekend! Matt's sister from Cheyenne came with her 4 kids as did Matt's parents. His brother's family also came from Heber on Sunday to do the birthday bash. Monday night we went to Heber to watch the basketball game. Matt won the family bracket!! (I started out so good on the first night and then it was all down hill from there)

Anyway, Saturday night (Taylor's birthday) during the priesthood session of conference Danette and I took the kids swimming. I think that was when I first realized that I was finally in my 3rd tri-mester. That wiped me out. It wiped the girls out too. Kierra had a blast!! She never lets us cuddle her to sleep, but that night after I got her dressed I picked her up and seconds later she was asleep in my arms. It was wonderful! We had so much fun!!

Sunday, Danette, her son Cole and I got to go to the morning session of conference which also has Music and the Spoken Word beforehand. I LOVE general conference! I especially loved being able to be in the Conference Center to hear the music and see our Prophet and many other leaders! My favorite talk was definitely Elder Holland's talk "None Were With Him". It was the perfect Easter message about the Savior. The closing song of that session was also incredible as the choir sang "We Thank Thee Oh God For a Prophet" and pictures of President Monson came on the big screens. Then after the prayer it was wonderful to watch President Monson wave to us all as he walked out of the room. I will never forget the giggles President Hinckley would get as he waved his cane to us all. I LOVE being in the conference center and on temple square. I loved all of the talks that were given and as I have scanned through some of them I find myself saying wow, I don't remember that part which gets me so excited to get back and really read through them.

So, now we have a couple of days before we take off for spring break. We still really don't know what our plans are for that yet. It seems like we have been out of a regular routine for so long. We were all so excited to once again get our Grandma and Grandpa fix and all of the cousins had such a wonderful time together!! We can't wait to see more family this week! Hope you all have a beautiful Easter!