In April we were able to see some of our favorite Greeley friends. Heather brought her cute kids out for a fun weekend. The kids loved playing, and I loved chatting with Heather. We went to Royal Gorge Bridge, and played some fun games.
All of my boys were so happy to see Stella again!
We were able to go with Clark to Denver for a quick podiatry conference one weekend and were able to hang out with the Fowlers and the Pfaus.
Excited to discover a Cafe Rio in Castle Rock on our way!
The boys were impressed with our hotel room. Caden yelled, "this hotel even has free robes and slippers! This vacation just keeps getting better!"
The 12 kids filled the pool! There was a crazy blizzard in Denver that weekend so we were happy to just hang out at the hotel and let the kids swim while the guys were at the conference.
Just your average car you see in front of the Dollar Tree.
That night we all went to Casa Bonita for dinner. It was a fun night being entertained by the divers, watching the shows, and scaring the kids in Black Bart's cave
Pretty snow at the church in Denver Sunday morning.
When Ethan turned 8 he was able to join Cub Scouts! He LOVES scouts! He was so excited that his first scout activity was the Pinewood Derby. Clark and Ethan worked hard to make an awesome Blue Lightning car. Clark also helped Caden and Quinn make one too just for fun, and because he's the best Dad. He was also really excited to have Grandma Karen here that night on her way to Denver to be there for the big race.
So handsome and proud of his new Scout uniform.
I loved his little celebration "yes" every time his car won and how he skipped to take it back to the starting line.
A celebratory banana split at Dairy Queen! This little scout ate the whole thing!
Ethan kept telling everyone that he was so excited because all of our family from out of town was coming to celebrate his birthday, baptism and Easter! It was a busy weekend, but it was so fun to have guests for Easter. After going to church we had a yummy Easter lunch.
This picture was taken before Quinn went up to join the Primary kids sing an Easter song...when he glared at everyone and fought back tears the entire song. He was a little nervous!
Dyeing eggs with this bunch of boys was fun!
Lots of games with Grandpa!
Before we ate our Easter lunch we did the Romanian egg cracking tradition, and Grandma P. won!
We had a fun egg hunt outside for all the boys as soon as the snow melted.
Grammy brought a chicken egg laying game in the magic suitcase...seemed appropriate for Easter!
Ethan's baptism was one of those special life events that I had anticipated from the first time I held our sweet little baby with the tuft of red hair on the back of his head that stuck straight in the air. Living far away from family I had assumed that not many would be able to attend his special day. I was wrong. We had so many family members travel through blizzards and across many miles to be here with us. I was so touched and happy to have so many gathered in our home. It was so special for our little family. I told Ethan he was pretty lucky to have a great-grandpa, two great-grandmas, two grandpas and two grandmas at his baptism. We also had many friends attend.
Grandpa and Nada pulled their trailer all the way from Utah and were able to set up their little house in our yard. And of course, it had to snow that weekend!
Great Grandmother Peterson
Grammy and Grandpa
Great Grandpa Turpin and Nada
Grandpa Johnson and Grandma Karen
As far as Ethan was concerned, Henry was the most important guest at his baptism. Lucy and her boys got in late the night before the baptism so the first time we saw them was at the church. Henry and Ethan had big grins and big hugs for each other!
The baptism service was wonderful. Grandpa Johnson gave a prayer and Grandpa Peterson gave a last minute talk. Clark was able to baptize and confirm Ethan with the gift of the Holy Ghost. There was a sweet spirit there that reminded me again that Ethan is a special son of God and that I'm so blessed to be his mom. I am proud of Ethan. He made sure he was prepared to be baptized. He knew the covenants that he was making and was excited to do it. This past fall he made a goal to read the whole Book of Mormon before his baptism. It was a family effort for sure, but we finished the week of his baptism.
All of our family that came! I love these people!
After the baptism we had a big Cafe Rio style lunch at our house with our friends and family that came. We set up a lot of folding tables and had a great time! Ethan got another cake to celebrate his baptism day!
I don't know how my E.E. is 8! It seems like just yesterday he was the running toddler that never stopped moving and that I could never catch. At age 8 Ethan is awesome! He loves to play, his imagination is as big as the world and he is constantly getting his brothers to join him on adventures as super heroes, animals, or Star Wars jedis. Ethan is a great big brother, he is patient and kind and is a peace maker. At age 8 he is also a tease. He lives for fun...and brings a lot of fun into our home.
He was so excited to wake up to decorations and presents wrapped on the table on his birthday. He opened Caden and Quinn's presents right away. I don't know who was more excited!
For his birthday my mom, the boys and I went to a trampoline park and to see The Good Dinosaur in Colorado Springs. Perfect activity for bouncing boys!
We decided to start calling her Air Grammy!
That night Ethan requested pizza for dinner and an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. My Dad and Grandma P. made it to Pueblo just in time for the cake!
Love those grins!
Right after this picture was taken, Caden went in a little closer to photobomb and his hair lit on fire from the candles. Luckily, it just singed off a little chunk...he was pretty embarrassed though and ran away and hid for a bit to recover. It was too funny!
Grammy came to Pueblo for Spring Break and it was the best! We had lot so fun playing, and seeing lots of movies. She helped me prepare for Ethan's big birthday and baptism celebration the following weekend. I couldn't have done it without her.
It was bring your own container to 7/11 for a Slurpee!
She got to see the boys play in their last basketball games of the season.
The peacocks were strutting at the zoo.
I had been asked to do a presentation about my mission in Romania for the youth in our stake. My mom helped me boil and dye 120 red eggs for part of the presentation. It was an awesome night.
We taught the youth a Romanian folk dance.
My Dad and Grandma P. flew in just in time for Ethan's birthday celebration. We got to take Grandma for a little nature walk around Garden of the Gods.
Quinn and I got to spend a day with Grandma at Royal Gorge Basin. They both loved the gondola ride.
