Spring Break...fun with Papa Jay and Grandma Kelley

 Jay and Kelley flew in Monday and we were eager to see them. They've seen pictures of our new house, but obviously haven't been here to see it in person so the first thing we did was give them a tour. For the rest of the day, we hung out at the house. I apparently didn't take any pictures:)

Tuesday was supposed to be the nicest day of the week, so we planned on going for a hike. We packed lunches and did the Y Rd to Steward Mountain hike. We stumbled upon this trail several months ago and did a small, very muddy loop; we have been eager to try it again. Our trail this time led us higher up, giving us gorgeous views of Lake Whatcom and the Bay. 

Tuesday evening we had Kim, Thane, Kels, and Ben over for dinner. There was some scootering, some eating, and some kickball happening! 

They were playing their own game...not quite sure what it was, but they were waiting for Malachi to bring them something!

Wednesday wasn't predicted to be a very nice weather day, so we planned on sticking around the house and playing games. Grandma taught the girls to play a card game called Garbage (which Lydia calls Trash.) We also played Sequence, Monopoly, Skip-Bo, and Solitaire, to name a few!

Thursday the sun came back out, although it was still a bit chilly and we were able to head outside for another walk. This time we went to Kukutali Preserve. 

Looking for crabs and neat rocks.

A sunny but chilly place for lunch! 

That's Deception Pass in the background.

On our drive home, we drove past the tulip fields; we were a bit early and most of them weren't blooming yet. There were a few fields of daffodils still and some pretty impressive flocks of geese!

We also had the chance to go to the garden nursery and pick out a few plants for in front of our house. The previous owner had had a landscaper come out and draw up some plans with recommendations for low maintenance plants; we took that information along with the advice of the guy at the nursery and now we have some plants! It looks a little sparse right now, but I think it will look really nice once things start to grow a little.

We also fit in a few neighborhood walks and some bike-riding. And more games.

Bedtime stories.

Thanks for coming to visit Grandpa and Grandma! We had so much fun and can't wait until the next visit.

Spring Break 2021...the fun before Grandma Kelley and Papa Jay get here

 Spring Break is here! It was off to a good start with Easter weekend...I already mentioned what we did on Easter Sunday, but Saturday was also a good day! 

Kim and Thane both received their second Covid vaccine shots on Friday afternoon and they weren't quite sure how they would feel over the weekend. Kim ended up spending the better part of the weekend on the couch, so when we decided to head out to Hovander for a Saturday morning walk, we took Malachi with us. The rain held off (mostly) and we all enjoyed the fresh air! We finished the day with some yard work and then take-out for dinner. 

Sushi for Mom and Dad; pizza for the girls!

Grandma Kelley and Papa Jay flew in Monday right about lunchtime which meant we had time for a playdate before we had to be at the airport. Mandi Potter and her kids were in town for a few days so we met up at City Park for a little while. It is always fun to see the kids play with each other as if they see each other every day and it's always enjoyable to catch up with Mandi! 

Easter

This past Sunday was Easter and I was so glad that I didn't have to work, the sun was shining, and we recently started attending a new church that we have really enjoyed! We had a leisurely morning, nothing too exciting, although the girls did get to open up their Easter 'baskets' and we had time to play with some of their new things outside before church. 

Church organized an Easter egg hunt and a small petting zoo after the service that the girls have been eagerly anticipating for weeks! We weren't quite sure what this petting zoo would entail, but they had a pony, a rooster, a few bunnies, and goats...including some baby goats! 

These baby goats are only 4 days old!

Reaching for an egg!

After lunch, Kelsey came over with Mallory and Owen, and Thane came over with Elias and Malachi and we spent the better part of the afternoon outside. The kids decorated the cul-de-sac with sidewalk chalk, rode scooters, played soccer and we did our own Easter egg hunt. 

Busy searching for eggs.

Hard to tell, but in the middle of this pic is a squirrel nibbling at an orange Easter egg!

It's pretty amazing to be able to celebrate Easter...to know that despite all the chaos of the past year, we can still have hope. Death and the grave didn't win. Sin is not victorious. Nothing that happened this past year was a surprise. None of it is outside of God's plan. And on this beautiful day, we celebrate that Jesus won and we are welcomed into that victorious life!