What have we been up to?

Time for another post from the Idaho Esplin Clan. We had an enjoyable spring break and Easter and the kids are really enjoying their last few months at school. Last Thursday I joined Hannah's class on a field trip to the museum. Right now the exhibit is "A T-Rex Named Sue". The whole school actually got to go. Molli's class went in the morning. She said she had fun and the dinosaur was smaller than she thought it would be. I still thought it was pretty big. Michael's class was there at the same time as Hannah's, so we saw him a bit.

Hyrum will be doing T-ball in June and I hope he enjoys it. I want him to realize there is more to do than playing on the computer. He does like to draw and he is getting good at his name. Evan is even to the point that he knows an E and A are in his name, but he doesn't know what they are called. Here is a picture of Hyrum so proud that he can spell his name with play-dough:

We had a fun time at the cabin in Island Park for Spring Break. The kids were all sick at one point or another, but we had fun all the same. We are glad Grandma and Grandpa came to join us.

The Loft - it was hard to get up to and hard to get down. Luckily, Grandpa is tall

Evan making a snow angel

Sledding down the hill

Painting their own race cars

Finished products

Our Cabin was perfect and just what I was hoping it would look like - thanks for the upgrade :)

First of three Easter Egg hunts and one basket hunt - Thanks Grandma :)

Hyrum not feeling too well

View from upstairs into the living room

Grandpa helping with Michael's Pinewood Derby car

It's getting there.....

... And it's done!

Having fun in the hot tub the last night we were there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These two pictures are of the Easter Basket hunt the kids had at our house. I made bread bunnies and used leftover Halloween candy. Success :) I did a scavenger hunt for them to find their baskets. Each was in a different part of the house.

Getting ready to go on the 2nd Easter egg hunt, this time with Daniel and Erika at Grandma's house

And they are off!

And at their 3rd Easter Egg hunt at the church

 

Finally, we got some nice weather in Idaho Falls and I took advantage of it. I took Evan and Hyrum to the Zoo. I thought, "My goodness, I have a lot of these pictures of these things at the Zoo." But then I realized that it is with different kids and that makes it all worth it. So here is the Zoo.

 And here is another day near the Snake River on the green belt. Hyrum and that dragon suit are a constant thing lately.

That about sums up our April and end of March. Life is Good

As Promised...Christmas :) and a few other 'Wuz Ups'

Since it has been over a month, I have decided to try to post again. For Christmas 2011 we headed down to Hyde Park to be with Robert's family and it was enjoyable. We spent about four days there and then came back to Idaho Falls to ring in the New Year. New Year's Eve we started a new tradition with our family to watch a movie together on Friday nights. It started because New Year's Eve was on a Friday and the kids wanted to stay up to midnight. We did a marathon of Free Willy movies and the second one ended about two minutes after midnight. "Happy New Year's kids, nothing that exciting happens at mid-night. Now you know. Now go to bed." That is close to what I told them, but watching the movies has stuck, not until midnight, by any means, but to 8:30 or so.


Back to Christmas, we headed down on December 23 and I decided to take the older three kids on a bus ride. Robert wanted to go to the temple so we all drove there and then after Robert went in the rest of us walked around a bit and then took the bus back to Hyde Park.

We did the Nativity play and everyone had a part to play. The kids really look forward to that every year, whether it's just us, or extended family as well.

Then it was Christmas Morning :) ...........

Well, this might have been the tree on Christmas Eve, but you get the idea.

I think the kids were all very happy with their gifts, as was I. I got a new music stand and Robert got a cool picture of a Phoenix from Rebecca that she painted.

We hung around for two more days and headed out after Daniel's birthday celebration. We are excited for Daniel's news of his engagement and can't wait to head on down to St. George in July for his and Erika's wedding.

Life just keeps moving on and things are going well. We are heading to a cabin next week in Island Park (1.5 hours away) for Spring Break. I think we will have to bring our tubes and sleds, but we are all looking forward to it anyway.

One last thing, the other day a friend of mine asked me if Michael was trying to grow a mullet. The answer is no, he actually mentioned he wants to grow it to 8 inches long so that he can donate it to a group called "Children with Hairloss." We will see what happens, but I plan on getting  mine, Hannah's and Molli's cut about 8 inches each to donate to that cause and that is where Michael got the idea. We will probably get our hair cut sometime shortly after Hannah's birthday on May 11. Molli and Hannah have their last dance recital that day so I want it long then to be able to pull it into a bun.

Life is good.

Hyrum and Evan were having fun taking pictures with the camera, so I decided to add a few.

Here is a good picture of Molli's long hair.

Molli and Michael decorated our door for Valentine's Day (at 2:00 in the morning), but it was so sweet to wake up to.

Hyrum's new birthday toy

Esplin Happenings

Things have been quite busy at the Esplin House these past couple months. Michael got baptized on January 14. Grandpa, Grandma, Becca, Nana, Papa, and Celeste were all able to make it up for the occasion. Michael remembers the demonstration they did for him before he got baptized and he also remembers that he got to be baptized first because the other girl from our ward got scared when she got in the water.


Molli has been in a sewing class that she has enjoyed very much. So far she has made a backpack, pajama pants, a pajama shirt, and a doll backpack.


Molli and Hannah also had their dance recital last Saturday and they have two more coming up.

This blogger is being weird so I will continue with our Christmas festivities later.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas....

I was trying to think of a fitting song for this time of year. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" didn't fit, no snow. "Silent Night" is not how my house is right now. " I don't have any boughs of Holly, so I won't be decking my halls with it. Dreaming of a white Christmas is good because I like snow on Christmas, that's about it.

Well, we had Michael's 8th birthday last week. Even though his birthday was on Sunday, we celebrated it on Saturday so that he would be able to play the computer game we got him when he opened it.


On his birthday we went to the Temple and took pictures for his Baptism announcement. Molli and Hannah wanted to join in.

















We even got to see Santa at our ward party. Evan asked for French Fries. I think that threw Santa for a loop, but he laughed. Evan was quite serious :)



Today we decorated a real gingerbread house. It was so much easier and less frustrating than a "graham cracker house" We just had one and the kids all put some of their own touches on it. Left over Halloween candy and a few green and red gummy bears were great to decorate with. Check out the face of the snow man. The "Maypole" did come from a neighbor a few days ago.

I had my violin recital today for my five students and they each did a great job. I was a little nervous to accompany the last number on the piano, but overall it went well. Even Molli played a little number. I really hope I can teach her the violin. It is hard to teach your own kids, as I already knew, but this time it might work (fingers crossed).

We had a blast (well, at least I did) at Robert's work party and I even bowled a decent game without the bumpers. He went cross country skiing and was sore for a few days after it. The next day was the work party for the Apple Athletic Club where I work in the kids club (babysitting) once a week. I get a free membership and I can bring Hyrum and Evan with me. It is a wonderful arrangement. I don't get paid real money, but the fun benefits are there. Well, Robert was all partied out from the night before so I called a friend and we headed over to this party and had a good time. I got a lovely flower arrangement because the owner of the club said that if we didn't take them, they would just get thrown away. So my friend got one as well.


That is about all we have been up to lately. The kids have three more days of school then they are out for about a week and a half. We are headed to Hyde Park, UT to be with Robert's family (we miss you Shennie and family :)) for Christmas and then we will be back in Idaho Falls to celebrate the new year. Life is still good and in case I don't write again before Christmas - Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year, too!