New Raincoat and Boots!

Picture taken Apr. 30 ~

..."I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing."

Ezekiel 34:26

Elli on Ice ~ Intermediate Class Apr. 25

Dance Day! (Video!)

Pictures taken Apr. 25 ~
Elli's 1st grade class had a ABC countdown to the end of school.  "D" was for Dance day...Stop & Dance!

Video ~

Playing Tennis After Church!

Pictures taken Apr. 23 ~
We played tennis after church with Kaitlyn's and Brady's former Sunday school teacher.  Elli was excited to use her new birthday tennis racquet!

Mini Murph Pizza!

Pictures taken Apr. 22 ~

We brought home some Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake pizzas, and Elli got to make her own Mini Murph!

Playing Disney Games!

Pictures taken Apr. 22 ~
We had fun playing a couple Disney family games!

 Disney Pictopia ~ A picture-trivia game.

Disney Scene It? ~ A DVD trivia game with Disney and Pixar movie clips.  Elli won!

Easter ~ 2017

Pictures taken Apr. 16 ~

Elli looked so beautiful wearing her Easter dress from our preacher's wife.

<3

After church, we had Easter dinner at Grandma's house.  I made some Easter chick deviled eggs.  Pinterest win!  ;)

I also made a new recipe for gluten-free carrot cake with pecan cream cheese icing.  It was really good!

After dinner, we had an Easter egg hunt!  Each kid had their own color of eggs to find.  Elli had light blue, of course.  :)

After finding their eggs, they could trade it in for a prize!  I made some "bunny money"!

Elli looking for her light blue eggs!

Elli's egg hunt prizes!

25th Anniversary Trip ~ Day 9 (Part 2) (Video!)

Pictures taken June 18, 2016 ~
On the last afternoon of our 25th Anniversary trip, we explored more of Boston!

We went to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum - A Revolutionary Experience.

The Boston Tea Party took place on Dec. 16, 1773 and was a protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston against the British Parliament's tax on tea.  "No taxation without representation."

Elli on the ship.

Throwing the tea overboard!

Video!

We had tea and cookies at Abigail's Tea Room!

Elli also got to play one of her favorite games, Checkers!

The Trinity Church in Boston.

We went to the Prudential Tower Skywalk Observatory to get a sky-high panoramic view of Boston!

The top of the skyscraper known as 111 Huntington Avenue or the nickname "The R2-D2 Building" since it resembles the Star Wars droid's top.

Boston's historic North End.

We had some delicious pizza at La Famiglia Giorgio's Ristorante, which specializes in Roman cooking.

Elli's cute toothless grin.  :)

Flying home!  We had a wonderful 25th anniversary trip!!  <3

Brady's Jazz Combo Performance! (Video!)

Pictures taken Apr. 13 ~
We went to Brady's college jazz combo performance at a restaurant!  Our niece and nephew were able to come too.  It was so fun!!  The jazz combo includes Brady on bass guitar, a pianist, saxophonist, trumpeter, and drummer.

Video ~ Brady rockin' the bass guitar solo on "The Chicken"! 

Elli on Ice ~ Intermediate Class Apr. 11

Working on the beginnings of a Spiral.

Video ~ Working on Bunny Hops.

National Siblings Day ~ 2017

National Siblings Day was April 10.  Kaitlyn posted this picture on her Instagram from March 2015 when we visited her while she was studying abroad in Paris, France.  <3

"Happy National Siblings day to my little brother and sister.  I'd do anything for you guys. 💞"

Playing the Drum Set!

Pictures taken Apr. 10 ~

Elli writes in her journal when she does "cool things in life"...

"I just striked up the band downstairs in the studio and also today is Monday!"  :)

Our Niece's Birthday Party!

Pictures taken Apr. 9 ~
We had fun celebrating our niece's birthday!

Elli was excited to have cotton candy-flavored milk and coffee-flavored milk at the party!  

 We had fun playing Nerts again!

Elli showing Grandma a close-up view of the card game with her binoculars.  Haha!  

The birthday girl! <3

 Chocolate cupcakes are Elli's favorite!

We also played Pit!  This is a newer version, but this game brings back childhood memories!

 Elli petting her cousins' dog, "Lady".

Picking dandelion bouquets.  :)