Spring Break 2011

This was the first Spring Break that was actually a 'break' for us since Ethan is in school now. However, the 'break' went faster than a normal week would and was much busier for us, also.
Last weekend Jeff's parents came to visit us Saturday-Monday and the boys were really excited to have them here. They wanted them to stay all week!
The rest of the week was jam-packed with late nights, trips to the Library, walks to the park, playing with friends, and even camping out upstairs and watching movies.  

It's become kind of a tradition to make a trip to the zoo during Spring Break since my sister usually comes to visit while her kids are out of school-it always ends up being a cold, rainy, blustery day.
This year, however, the weather was perfect...but it was the first year in quite awhile that my sister didn't come visit!

And yes, I put my child on a leash. I know it's a controversial subject, but I also know that my 4.5 readers won't judge me for it. Besides, it's for my peace of mind and his safety-not because I want to treat him like an animal. Even though sometimes he acts like one.

Our Zoo Explorers

Hey, Owen, what is on the other side of the fence?

The momma giraffe and her baby!

Ethan the Turttle

Kamden the Turttle

Owen is a growing boy...

...and he is not thrilled about sitting on the giant lizard.

Kamden finds a quiet place to think...

...until his brother crowds him out for a turn.

Then on Thursday we found out we would be heading out of town for the weekend and going up north for Jeff's work. We decided it would be best for everyone involved to leave Owen with my mom (THANKS MOM & CHARLY!)and just take Ethan and Kamden on the long drive. We left Friday afternoon and the boys had no idea where we were going. They were SO excited when they found out we were going to stay in a hotel with a pool. We stayed in one almost 2 years ago and they have been talking about it nearly nonstop, asking when we would get to go to a hotel with a pool again. Well, they got their wish and that was pretty much all they wanted to do the entire time was just swim.

We did, however, make time for other things like enjoying the view from our balcony on the river...

...but the pool kept calling their names and they didn't even want to eat. For those of you who know Kamden, that's saying a lot that he would give up food for the water.

But they started to turn into raisins, so we took a drive around the town and checked out the dam, which the boys were quite impressed with the waterfall.

And we played at the local park and also at the Elementary school, which has this huge slide going down the hill. It looks fun, but it was the slowest slide ever.

On our last night in town we ate at a restaraunt that was recommended by one of the residents and this is what Jeff had for dinner:

I think he ate an entire cow...

We got home this afternoon and had a fish fry with my family where my Dad, Ryan, and Joe each cooked a salmon a different way and had a little friendly competition to see who's recipe was the best. My answer was that they were each uniquely different in their own scrumptious way. I know, I should be a politician, right?

So now we are trying to get back in the swing of things and we need to tackle the mountain of laundry that is threatening to take over the house. But I've got a pretty cute helper, so the work should go fairly quickly...