May 10--with pictures!

I'm back!  It's been a little more than a week this time.  We've been having fun!

Highlights:

Hiking with friends--gotta bring a light saber right?

Setting up a hideout in the play room

Another one of my handsome guy

Scones for a Sunday nigh snack

• Cade celebrated his "unbirthday" at preschool today.  We made red cupcakes with blue frosting and licorice lightsabers on top.  He got to pick a prize and make a birthday hat too.  
• We went hiking twice with a group of friends.  Once was at Chamna natural preserve.  Cami slipped on some mud and got pretty dirty in a puddle.  The other hike was at Bateman Island.  The kids love it.  Cade is usually the leader with his 4-year old buddies.  I've carried Ellie in the bjorn and she looks around for a while and naps for a while.  We are looking forward to doing it a few more times before it gets too hot.  
• Last weekend (May 6-7) was the Father and sons campout for our ward at Camp Zarahemla.  Cade and Kirk got out of here about 6:00 and made it up there just in time to see a group of elk and get the tent set up before dark.  They joined the group at the campfire and ended up going to bed about 10:00, probably the latest Cade has ever stayed up.  They went for a little hike in the snow at leech lake on the way home.  Cade's foot sunk in the snow up to his knee and he thought it was really funny.  He was also excited that he got to eat a bag of doritos and not share and he got lots of gatorade.  
• Cami was thrilled to have a weekend with Ellie and I.  The garage had hardly closed when she was dragging me upstairs to paint our toe nails.  We dressed up and danced around like princesses too.  We went for a walk to Yokes and got a few groceries the next day and played games.  As soon as the boys got home, we got to go to a princess party.  Cami took about 20 minutes to get ready--picking out her dress and necklance and shoes.  She picked my skirt and we did her hair all curly and she picked my earrings too.  She loved the "real" princesses at the party (girls from the ward who had dressed up for prom) and playing on the playground.  She was so excited to tell Daddy and Cade all about what we did.  
• Mother's day was on Sunday.  We had blueberry french toast for breakfast.  Yum!  Cade and Cami made me lovely cards.  Kirk got me a new light weight underarmor shirt to wear in the summer so I don't get burned.  I made part of dinner and Kirk grilled the steak and zucchini.  I cleaned up the kitchen, but got to do it in peace and quiet and Kirk took the kids.  My favorite ironic quote of the day--I bought myself a brownie mix because I love them.  I was thinking Kirk could make them with the kids.  We were baking potatoes for dinner and I wanted to cook the brownies while the oven was hot.  I reminded Kirk to come do it a few times and finally he was like "I don't really want brownies anyway."  I replied "well, they're not really for you!"  I made them anyway and he did eat some.  He still has a few things to learn.  
• Cade started swimming lessons this week.  He has 10 lessons in 5 weeks.  I told him if he tries really hard and does everything as well as he can then I would buy him goggles.  He is so excited to go each time.  He loves jumping in and getting his head wet at the end.  Last summer he would never jump in the pool.  
• We bought a bed and mattress for Melissa.  I got the bed put together on Monday.  We're excited to have her come live here this summer.  
• Cade came home from preschool one day and took off his shirt in the family room.  I told him to put his shirt on and he said he would not because he was too hot.  I said he needed a shirt or he could go to his room.  He ran away and said he was never wearing a shirt again.  I grabbed him and put him in his room and said he could come out when he had a shirt on and was ready to be nice.  He came downstairs a few minutes later, fully dressed.  I don't know where that came from.  
• Ellie is getting bigger all the time.  She can now roll from her back to her front.  She still doesn't really like to be on her tummy though.  She LOVES to sit up.  If she is on her back she pulls her head up as far as she can trying to sit up.  She can't do it on her own yet, but she loves to sit between my legs and look around.  Her hair is awesome.  It is over an inch long and sticks straight up.  She is still eating 5 6-ounce bottles a day and usually takes 3 naps.  She is getting better at putting herself back to sleep in the middle of a nap, but still takes short ones too.  She is super happy and smiles whenever anyone talks to her.  She grabs at everything and shoves it in her mouth as fast as she can.  She spits up all of the time, but it doesn't bother her at all.  

  

  This is a couple of weeks ago--but yes, she really is that cute!