Another Sunny Day!!

Today was our THIRD sunny weekend in a row!! That is very rare around here. I have been wanting to see the tulip fields for the past week.  The weather was perfect and the tulips in bloom.  Unfortunately, Rachel had a four-hour choir rehearsal so we had to wait for her to finish.  Erin Joy and I entertained ourselves at Mukilteo beach while Rachel rehearsed nearby.

We were fortunate enough to run into a cub scout group.  Some divers were going into the water and bringing up sea creatures for the boys to observe.  I figured Erin Joy could pass for a boy scout so she joined the scouts in touching sea stars, sun stars, a moon snail, crabs, and a sea cucumber.

We then toured the little lighthouse. I have never been inside the lighthouse before. It was very fun and educational too.

By the way, don't let her winter coat fool you.  It was sunny and very warm...probably between 65-70 degrees.  Notice her shoes....silly girl.

I made Erin Joy take her winter coat off for pictures in the tulips. I'm trying hard to convince her that it is spring.

I love going to the tulips every year. It seems to be our yearly way of welcoming spring and gladly saying "good-bye" to winter.  It seems everybody else in Washington, British Columbia, and Oregon had the same idea. It was very crowded.  We waited in long lines of traffic and had a really hard time taking pictures of flowers without other people in our pictures.

Even though I have lived here for almost 20 years, I still feel like I'm vacationing. It never gets old. I love the mountains, the ocean, the tulips, the waterfalls, the trees, the sun, and yes...even the rain because it makes everything so green.

My girls had fun taking pictures too.  We ended up with 242 pictures.  Sheesh.  No wonder Rachel was getting grumpier and grumpier in each picture.  I asked Rachel if choir rehearsal or the tulip fields were her favorite part of the day and she answered, "Dinner at McDonald's."  That wasn't even a choice! Erin Joy said that McDonald's was her favorite part of the day too.  Oh brother!  

Anyway, here is a movie with a little more than 5 minutes worth of pictures from Mukilteo Beach and the tulips, but no pictures from McDonald's. The song from Annie is my girls' choice.  We listened to the Annie soundtrack too many times today while we waited in tulip traffic. 

Not Funny

I am really tired of seeing these pictures on facebook.  I don't find them funny.  I have no other comment other than I love my children so much. I am their REAL mother. I hope they are strong enough to ignore stupid jokes about adoption.  Adoption is wonderful. 

Easter Movie

I put a bunch of Easter pictures into a little video because I had so many pictures.  Enjoy!

Easter

The Easter Spider came and left a tangled trail to the Easter baskets.  We usually have Easter baskets the Saturday before Easter so Easter Sunday can be reserved for activities centered around the Savior.  This year the Easter Bunny came on Friday so the girls could use their baskets to have an egg hunt at the arboretum on Friday.  We had too many things planned for Saturday so it was easier to do it a little early this year. The girls didn't mind.

The Easter Bunny leaves cheap Dollar Store items in the baskets, but my girls are satisfied.  (Of course the Easter Bunny spent $47 at the Dollar Store because she bought way to much stuff....)

Rachel wrote a letter to the Easter Bunny and the Easter Spider and asked them what their names were. The Easter Bunny's name is Peter Cottontail and the Spider's name is Webby.  Rachel told me that she wrote a letter last year and asked the same question. Last year, the bunny's name was Peter Cottontail (got that one right two years in a row), but the spider's name was Gertrude. I told her the spider's name must be Gertrude Webby.  I then asked why did she write the letter and ask for their names if she already knew. She told me she was testing them.  Yep. She tested them alright.  I can't remember her writing them letters.

She hasn't believed in the Easter Bunny or Santa or the Tooth Fairy for years. I'm glad she goes along with it though because her little sister still believes. I think. I hope. 

I NEVER want my children to confuse the fun imaginary characters who bring gifts with the Savior who is very real.  I really try to emphasize that we are playing "The Santa Game" or the "Easter Bunny" game and that Jesus is very real and NOT a game.  

We always dye eggs even though none of us like eating them.

We enjoyed having Easter Egg hunts in various parks.

The University of Washington's Arboretum was a beautiful place for an egg hunt.  We did lose one egg there someplace.

We watched this heron fly into the tree. I thought it was an eagle at first. I have never seen a heron in a tree before...just in the water.

The girls enjoyed Easter activities at a local church and participated in another Easter Egg hunt.  They hunted for eggs at various friends' houses too.  We ended up losing a few more eggs.  Oops.

We had a lot of fun watching these eggs crack and hatch in our Brita water pitcher. The Easter Bunny should bring these every year. 

 Beautiful girls in beautiful dresses! (Erin's came from Goodwill...$5.00.  Rachel's wasn't so cheap. She didn't like the options at Goodwill.  Both outfits definitely show each girl's personality.) Sure love these girls!!