Putting Together the Playset

We have reached a big milestone at the Andrews household.... we have a playset! It's the stuff dreams are made of, at least for the 4- and 6-year-old residents. They still can't believe we really have swings and monkey bars in our own back yard!
  

I must say, it was quite the undertaking. It came in a compact looking crate, but once we started unpacking, there were a million pieces!

 The girls thought it was quite the adventure to help unload.

We laid out a bunch of weed barrier underneath it, to keep the dirt down until we can purchase the playground mulch to go over that.

The first screw put in place!

After awhile the girls got bored and started playing Jake and the Neverland Pirates in the boxes.

Maddie's requirement was the monkey bars. She thought she could get some practice while it was still on the ground.

Mike got some good balancing practice once they were up in the air!

After about 4 hours, we were ready for the first swing!

Pure delight!

Some great neighbors came to the rescue after dinner and helped Mike into the evening. Finally, about 11 pm and nine hours from the start, we had our final product! This isn't the clearest picture, but here is the site of many fun times ahead!

Ballerinas

We have had a strong ballet theme going on around here recently. Maddie was reading a book called "Ballet School" about a young girl who starts dancing on pointe, so after her own ballet class I dug out my old pair of pointe shoes and let her try them on. You can see the wonder written all over her face!

 

Ella was pretty excited about them too. They are both preparing their dances for the Cinderella ballet coming up in June, when they get to dance on stage with real ballerinas!

I rode the wave and got out my old dance scrapbook and showed them pictures of myself when I started dancing on pointe shoes. My first ballet on pointe was called Pandora's Box.

I wasn't anything great, but one year I did make the cut to be in the Waltz of the Flowers in the Nutcracker with the local ballet company. We were stars for a night!

Maddie has also been preparing hard for a presentation to become certified in her level by the Royal Academy of Dance. Her teacher is one of just a few that teach the RAD program, which originates in England. In fact, her teacher is native to England and has danced for the queen!  (Incidentally, she is due with a baby the same day as I am.)
 

Today was the day of their exam. I wasn't sure about paying the certification fees and putting pressure on a 6 year old to perform perfectly, but it actually turned out to be such a positive experience, and I love the foundation of rhythm and musicality she has gained.

Miss Carrie gave them each a flower for doing a great job. Yay for ballet!
 

Spring Break

I didn't take very many pictures of our week off.... maybe because it was pretty low key, or maybe because we were outside a lot. We went on walks, to the park, and worked in the yard.

Mike went on a work trip over night to Colorado, and it gave us a new appreciation for him! We were very glad when Daddy came home.

I started organizing baby boy clothes and came across this shirt I bought for Tyler.  He didn't want to wait for the big day, so I let him wear it a few weeks early. This is a typical view of him, always playing with or talking about something with wheels!

The highlight of the week was our visit to Rexburg to see my sister Noelle and her sweet family. They just bought a house so we wanted to see it and all the hard work they've put into it, and they are going out to North Carolina for the summer so we wanted to get in some quality time!

The storms were rolling in for the weekend, but we snuck in a windy walk.

We broke in their master garden tub with a girly bath! These three girls are the very best of friends. 

 Tyler got a bath too, all by himself. Check out the view of Noelle's beautiful new bedroom.

The next morning we got a shot of all the kiddos in their jammies. I can hardly believe all these little ones belong to just the two of us sisters. Cousins are seriously the best friends you can have.

We spent most of our time at their house playing and watching General Conference, always a spiritual feast!

In between sessions we took the older girls to a craft store to do the kids craft.

They spent most of their time in costume, coloring, and creating!

 

The little boys both wanted their blankies and laid down by each other to snuggle. So sweet!
 

Daddy got a lot of snuggle time too. I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of Noelle and I together, but I guess that's what happens when our hands are full! Noelle made some gourmet meals (Mike said it looked like a cooking show from his vantage point at the table) and we just thoroughly enjoyed relaxing and catching up with them. 

Easter Weekend

We started off the Easter festivities with egg dying. Maddie liked the double dip look.  

Ella's fingers got a little green too.

Meanwhile Mike worked on re-drawing sprinklers in the back yard and made plans to finish them in preparation for hydroseeding the grass. Hopefully we will have grass and toys just in time for summer!

We were invited to our friends' amazing annual Easter party.... always a great time! They hide over a hundred blown out real eggs for prizes, plus tons of candy, and the hunt is on!

The kids enjoyed their back yard and the beautiful weather as much as anything.

By the end of a full afternoon they were all tuckered out.

(Yep, this girl still hangs on to her thumbkin.... it will end when she decides.)

Easter morning dawned bright and beautiful. I told the girls to wake each other up first, and then stomp on the floor to wake us up before coming downstairs, so we woke up to elephants over our heads.

When everyone was ready we headed down to find the Easter baskets. Ty found his first and was pretty excited about his bubbles and big chocolate bunny!

Ella and Maddie were thrilled that the Easter bunny brought them clip-on earrings.
 

 Once everyone had their baskets, the egg hunt began.

I think they got enough sugar!

We had a beautiful morning listening to inspiring music and watching "Finding Faith in Christ". Mike and the girls continue their "Daddy/daughter time" tradition every Sunday morning, and I prepared for having a big Andrews family dinner at our house later that day. At church the girls sang their favorite song with the Primary, Gethsemane, and we enjoyed beautiful lessons about the Savior. 

The girls helped me choose their Easter dresses many weeks ago, and the anticipation has about killed them. They do look pretty sweet.
 

Not to mention this little stud... I can't believe how big he is!!!