Wrapping up April

I seem to be averaging one "wrap up the month" post lately. I just finished thinking about March and then I turn around and it's already the end of April! I'll have to make it short and sweet this time cause I want to actually be able to enjoy May!

The whole first week of April was Spring break (which I already blogged so that's easy), then Easter and General Conference (done), then it was just a bunch of little things like. . .

Lunch out with Dad while mom had a doctor's appointment:

Calvin is so much fun when you've got him one-on-one!

Birthday money from Gram Rox has made taking Cal shopping extra fun! I've been buying a lot of baby gifts lately and it's fun when Cal has his own money to spend. I love giving him the freedom to pick out "one special thing". One day it was a Daniel Tiger puzzle, another day it was a recycling truck, another day it was a book.

Our YM's fundraiser on April 11th was a huge success!!! I love when the men are in charge cause they know how to get it done with very little stress involved! My friend and I were laughing about how our husbands had told us very little about this whole event until the night of, but they totally pulled it off with flying colors! 

Elle threw up that next morning at 2am. Not sure if it was the large quantity of ice cream that was consumed at the fundraiser, but we kept her home from church and school the next day just to be sure! 

A warm afternoon forced me to bust out our whale pool! I love that this little blow-up still gives my kids great entertainment!

We had lots of really warm days in April actually. I'm grateful to good friends who always think of my kids and I and text me with pool invites on those warm days (oh how I wish we had a neighborhood pool). Madi got back into swim lessons this month and moved up to level 4! She's doing great and loves swimming (she tells me her goal is swim team and to be a lifeguard in high school). I didn't get a picture at lessons, but here's one at the park just before going in:

Making cookies with mom! Cal always begs to help me in the kitchen so I usually try to give him some sort of job! 

Every Monday we go to the library and get 30 new books. I love what great readers both my girls have become. I remember just last year when I would complain that Madi wouldn't read on her own. Now she'll finish a chapter book (Nancy Drew are currently her favorite) every other day with lots of other reading in between! And Elle is a higher reader than even some of the kids in Madi's class!

Madi's class had a field trip to a nature museum in Santa Barbara. Madi (far left) was in heaven!

Building projects with Elle and Cal - they always want me to take a picture of what they've built! 

Since Easter was so busy this year, we didn't make our traditional Easter lamb kebab dinner until the 18th. We invited Boppi, Grandpa Al, and the Terry's over to join us. Should have gotten a picture of all the food, but the kids were cuter!

A Sunday evening walk to the Cheney's:

Elle's class held their annual play of The Little Red Hen. 

It was adorable! 

Elle was a cute little narrator!

Elle's so funny when it comes to taking pictures. She acts all embarrassed and doesn't want me to take any. Luckily, another mom friend had a camera and snapped one for me before Elle could get away!

Boppi and Ashley came to watch Elle's play and then Ashley ended up staying for the cast party with us and coming home to play for the afternoon! 

I love what cute little buddies these two are!

We got a little bit of rain one afternoon which obviously isn't a very common thing for us- definitely something we jump for joy and celebrate!

Elle had her buddy Sophia over that afternoon. They were all so excited about the rain, they grabbed umbrellas and ran out to play in it, and jump in the "puddles".

Adam, Lora, Houston, and Christian have been here for almost the entire month of April. When Lora and I first had our boys one month apart, we envisioned them growing up being the best of friends. Sadly, Calvin isn't as out-going as Houston and has been a punk when it comes to hanging out, sharing toys, and playing together. We keep trying though. One of these days Cal will out grow his crazy, moody, standoffishness (is that even a word?) personality. 

I love being able to go over to Spencer's parents house for family gatherings and not have to worry about my kids because they are outside having the time of their lives with their cousins!

My birthday month wouldn't be complete without the best strawberries ever!! 

My birthday was on a Saturday this year. It was such a busy Saturday (Stake conference weekend) and I truthfully was not really looking forward to it. Surprisingly it turned out to be a pretty awesome day! Getting sweet cards from my girls in the morning totally melted my heart:

Spencer made me an awesome birthday coupon book - he'd been out of town, traveling for work all week and hadn't time time to think of much of anything else. I'm glad though - I love my coupon book! I got all sorts of awesome things like: 2 coupons for 30 min back rubs, one night of shopping with Spencer (one new outfit included), one sleep-in morning with Spencer on duty, one new pair of running shoes, 3 hours of kid-free escape time, and one dinner cooked by Spencer.

Elle's last t-ball game was at 9am. Then we had a little team party afterwards.

T-ball was a good experience, but I'm glad for it to be over. 

End of game snacks and a big trophy at the end of the season were definitely the highlights for Elle!

Definitely the cutest little t-ball player!!

After Elle's game we errands with the family, hit up the car wash fundraiser for our neighbor, then lunch at McDonalds (Madi's treat- she found a gift card from Gram that she had thought she'd lost), and a family birthday party at Boppi and Grandpa Al's house for Lindsay and I!

Spencer had priesthood meeting from 4-6 so I took the kids home for dinner and baths before Kaitlyn and Eric were dropped off to babysit. At 5:30 I picked up Jessy and Kathleen and headed to Wood Ranch for dinner where we ordered for our husbands who met us there after their priesthood meeting. It was a fun dinner out with friends who insisted that they embarrass me and have me sung to!

After dinner we went to the adult session of Stake Conference. It was a great meeting, leaving me uplifted and inspired to begin my 35th year of life!!