Easter...

So I was kind of a slacker at Easter time. We had a marvelous Easter with family. Like I mentioned before we went to Pleasant Grove for the Mills baby blessing. On Saturday night we went to Debdeb's house and painted Easter eggs with baby Talan. Emma gets really into coloring Easter eggs! Then on Sunday we attended church in Petersons ward because my parents were in sunny Florida. Easter evening we had a Workman family party at my Grandma and Grandpa's house. Ivan dressed up as the Easter bunny! It was super hillarious! He is such a great "hopper." Emma knew it was him as soon as he started talking. She still talks about how silly daddy was wearing that bunny costume. Fun times. I love my family and we love having parties at Grandma's house, but, I don't really love being in charge of the parties. My mom usually does most of the work, but because she was in "sunny florida," I got to be in charge. I think I will leave that job to my mom next time. She does a GREAT job and we appreciate it! :) Emma, Hailey, and, Caden all got to go for a ride on Great Grandma's rascal with Grandpa after the party. They loved every second of it! Thanks Grandpa!

Summertime has arrived!

Today was HOT! Well, really not too hot....but much hotter than it's been. When I got home from work today we set up Emma's little rainbow swimmin' pool. She had so much fun splashing and playing with her tub toys! She was sure that she needed all her "friends" in the pool with her! We will have to do lots of "swimmin'" this summer as I went a little over board with the new swimmin' suits...she now has three! Grandma Barlow bought one though. We are just glad the sunshine has arrived and we can now play in the yard! Ivan and I have been doing a lot of work on the yard this year. Our flower beds are magnificent and hopefully our new little lilac bushes will be happy and thrive. Thanks for all your hard work honey! Oh yeah, and I wanted to thank Ike for his lovely Mothers day tribute. Only a real man can write like that! I love you boy!

We Love Mommy!!!

This is Ivan writing this time, as Mandy has been so terribly busy working at the flower shop this week getting ready for mothers day, and selling Snapbandz too! Since she is so pre-occupied, I thought it would be a great oppurtunity to sneak into her blog and embarrass her. Emalee and I would like everyone to know how wonderful Mandy is to us! I know it is hard to believe, but we like her just the way she is! (only maybe less busy) Life around here is never boring and we can pretty much blame Mandy for that, but really we are blessed by her enthusiasm, talent, humor, creativity, compassion, and most of all love. Emma is so much like her mother! but it can be a good thing as well. Emma is so full of creativity, we always find her making up funny stories, songs, doctrines, and pictures; I am certain she gets her imagination from her mother. As for Emalee's goofy antics; rest assured most of the time her mommy put her up to the them. Whether it is singing all the way to Ogden and back, wearing granny panties on her head, or doing "crazy eyes"; Mandy finally has a willing participant in all the sillyness!

WE LOVE YOU MOMMY!!

..and since my mother has become a regular to the blogging scene, I want to let her know that we all love her too! Mom has been a great example to me and taken very good care of all her kids and grandkids. One of the surprise blessings we have found since moving next door to Mills Limousin Ranch is how good it has been to have "Marjie Grandma" so close to us. When we are busy with Snapbandz and/or homework, mom has been very willing to take Emma for a few hours and play with her. Emma loves to help grandma bake cookies, and grandma seems to like dancing with Emma?? (its quite a sight)

Thanks Grandma Marjie! we love you too.

--By the way mom, in the probable case you haven't noticed them yet,there is a basket of petunias on the front porch, please keep them alive.

Living Planet Aquarium

Fishy faces...if that's what you can call them.

Kate and Dave blessed their new baby the Saturday before Easter. After the blessing we all went to the Living Planet Aquarium. Emma really loved it. I personally thought there were entirely too many people...but that's just me. I guess I am really becoming a country girl. Anyway, here are some pictures.

More Birthday!

For Emma's "real" birthday we went bowling with the Mills family. Russ and Janelle and the boys came, along with Grandma and Grandpa Mills, and Callie. It was so much fun! Emma loved it and keeps asking when we can go again. She was spoiled once again with presents from Russ and Janelle and the boys, and a cowgirl hat and scarf from Grandma and Grandpa Mills. Thanks for coming guys! We need to do that more often!

Birthday, Birthday, and More Birthday

So, Emma might just be the most spoiled kid on the planet. Her birthday this year lasted just over a week. First we had a fun cowboy birthday party at Grandma Barlow's house. The kids got their very own cowboy hats and scarves. We had a rainbow pinata...yes it was very dangerous as you can see from the pictures...cupcakes with green grass frosting and farm animals....and hotdogs and hamburgers to boot! Emma had so much fun and was completely spoiled by her grandparents and cousins...all of which brought a present for her to open. We were happy to get the whole family together!

Fairy Tea Party

It has taken me forever to post this, but here are some pictures from last months Fairy Tea Party at the Provo Library. Hailey and Trisha invited Emma and I to go with them. It was so much fun! The girls were taught a little about manners and how to curtsy. They got to meet the fairy King and have their picture taken with him. They looked so adorable. Then we got to have cookies, cheese, strawberries, and lemon water to drink. I am so glad we went. Emma was totally loving it. It was put on by a professional ballet company. They had the center of the room cleared out and we got to watch these amazing ballerinas do their thing. Hailey was trying to convince us that they were just girls "dressed like" ballerinas! We told her that only "real" ballerinas can dance like that! Fun Fun!

Sleeping Beauty

The other day Callie went around the corner and found Emma all tuckered out in her princess chair in our back entry. She was sooooo tired! I had to carry her to her room and change her into her pj's and she never even flinched!

Farwell to Winter...hopefully

Emma had so much fun playin' in the snow with her daddy the other day. She made a snow angel since the snow was too icy for a snowman. We haven't had much time to play in the snow this winter...but we sure have had enough snow to play in! Emma loves the snow. I also love winter time but am very ready for it to be over this year. I always look forward to Spring and the opportunity to go outside and get my hands dirty!