Spring Break

Spring Break, Easter, and General Conference all aligned in the Universe making for quite the exciting weekend.  The Easter Bunny came a day early just as we were pulling out of town for Phoenix.

Translate:

Dear Rices,

Hoppy Easter! (snicker)

I came early

because you

are leaving (yes, the leaf drawing was a stretch.)

today.  Hope

you like the

treats!! (that was my favorite symbol- I made it up myself)

Love, "Buns" (racy but still appropriate)

"Buns" brought Josh this really cool "Kid in a Mug". 

Totally right up his alley.  He never knew he always wanted one.

Alex got these awesome sunglasses that immediately had sucker smudge across his vision.  I think he thought it was funny that we all looked yellow and blurry.

We said goodbye to Michael and drove the stinkin 11 hours to Phoenix while listening to Conference along the way.  Everyone was quite pleasant and I don't think we pulled out the safety earmuffs even once. 

(No children were harmed in the taking of this photo while driving.  JK Michael.  We were stopped for gas.)

This sign at the gas station was great. 

"No Out of Town Checks Chicks"

That wasn't very welcoming of Beaver, Utah.

Benson drove a couple of hours, twice.  This was meant to give me a rest (um, white knuckles?) and to help boost his required driving hours for his license. 

BTW, Jackson says he can't wait to get his "licer drivence".

We arrived around 1 am without incident besides Alex throwing up at dinner.  Luckily it was in the store, not in the car.  Jessica handled it like a true mom by catching as much as she could in her hands.  My eyes were misty with pride.

While in Phoenix, this 80 degree oasis.....

where the palm trees blow and the swimming season has begun

while back home there were snowflakes raging....

we had an Easter Egg hunt at the park

we visited old friends from our old ward at lunch and then spent an afternoon swimming with the Williams, our dear old friends, in our old neighborhood pool

This is Lana.  We are sistahs from anothah mothah.  She is one of those friends that knows too many of my secrets to EVER be cut loose from me.  I love that girl.

We also returned to one of our favorite places, the

Arizona Science Center

\

We watched my sister's garden grow

we cooked a lot of food

we went swimming a bunch

Had a picnic at a dog park

went to a school carnival and stacked the deck at the cake walk with Marbles and Rices winning 7 times

and best of all, the kids stayed up late doing dares and competitions and punishments for losing

It was hard to leave vacation la-la land and that incredible weather and most of all the cousins and my sister, but real life and home are good, too.

We made it back just 5 hours before school started back up with a poster Aubrey still needed to finish for school and laundry to do for Benson....

Did I mention now I need a cruise vacation?

With no kids?

It's a good thing we have one

booked to embark in 1 week...

 I CANNOT WAIT!!  It's our first cruise.

More time with my sisters/hubbies and my parents for their 40th anniversary.

I think I love not living in the real world. I could get used to this.