Eggs of Easter

This year, we dyed Easter eggs with cool whip and swirled food coloring. They ended up pretty cool! Here's how it went:

Step 1: Twirl dye through cool whip








Step 2: Gently roll vinegar-soaked hard boiled eggs in dyed cool whip








Step 3: (after rinsing eggs in a tub of water) Present your stained skin, lick fingers









(I love this one)

Step 4: Beam with pride

A Saturday at Fox Run

I've visited Fox Run Park countless times over the last decade (and beyond!) while visiting Colorado and this was the first time I realized that it has a lake. Two, actually!


(It didn't occur to me the humor of buying this shirt for one of my twins until he actually wore it. I should have purchased two!)


Whatever you do, don't forget to bring your workbook with you on your hike.


Examining the lake more closely.


Hey there, handsome!


What are they looking at over there?


"Fsh! Fsh!"


Yep, fish, getting a disappointing meal of dandelion tops.


When they study, they study intently.


"What shirt was I wearing again?"


A Poe moment.


Alright, time to hike! Time to hunt for geocaches!


Found a tricky geocache hung up a tree!


Found another! Everyone clamors to see what's inside.


And we found a little fort!


Back home we go after a fun day in the woods.

Snowy Spring Break

Remember those photos I just put up of our Helen Hunt Falls hike? How lovely it was outside while we played in the water with short sleeves? Well, the next day was this:


So much snow.


But I bet my parents secretly miss the snow, so the manic weather was actually a gift. Right, mom and dad? Well, I DO know that my dad had fun making snowballs and trying to knock down our freshly built snowman.


Guard, him boys! Guard that snowman with your lives!


Even better, Wren enjoyed a few minutes outside and when she stopped enjoying the outside, she could hang out inside with Grandma! It was perfect!


Thanks, dude!


And that day, my mom started getting sick. And then the whole rest of the family got sick. And we had no more adventures and stayed home and wallowed in our misery. So, obviously, super fun trip for my parents! Thanks for coming!

Helen Hunt Falls

My parents came to visit! They flew in a few days before Spring Break began, right at the height of Liam and Dash being sick (they missed the three days leading up to Break). They were finally feeling okay-ish a couple days later and we decided to visit Seven Falls. We drove over that way, assuming it was a public place to explore. Apparently it used to be that way but now everyone must pay a not-low admittance fee. Well, maybe we could visit the nature center nearby while we figure out an alternative. Whoops, that didn't open for another week. Fine, let's play by the little river instead!

Miss Wrenny being a little hesitant.


Dash not being hesitant at all.


None of the boys were.


So Wren did a little Follow the Grandma.


Found a troll!


She figured out a good way to escape photos!


Ha, gotcha!


Luckily, some employees were sprucing the nature center up in preparation to open and were more than happy to give us some guidance. They gave my map loving family a few pamphlets and showed us how Helen Hunt Falls was a tiny drive up the road. Onward!


Parked, followed the little trail, and...


Found it! Well, I'm pretty sure that's Helen Hunt Falls, though we kept hiking and found some more falls along the way.


Dash, still not 100% better, taking a breather.


We let them climb a little, but not too much, because we had more hiking to do and couldn't risk a bath!


Up those stairs!


.... up more stairs...


snack break.


...up moooore stairs...


Sap! I tasted it, revolting.


Made it to the lookout! And all I see is my Sweetie.


Ta da! It was stupid hard to get every kid in the photo without someone throwing a fit.


My parents and their favorite child ;)


Lovebirds.


A second later, Wren was all, "get that hand off me, yo!" Sigh, one day she won't be so grumpy about her brothers.


Twinsies.


Sometimes going down is harder than going up!


Phewf, that took it out of them.


I turn around for a second and when I look back, there's been a kid swap!


Okay, now you can go ford the river, get soaked to your hearts' content.


Grey was being pretty brave and had the wet shoes, socks, and pants to prove it.


A final stand before a sleepy drive home.


And Grey took this of me in the car. I like it!