Family Blog 2: Spring Break, Birthdays, Train Rides, Easter, Conference

It was Spring Break for all the kids last week. I tried to make the most of our week off from school. Since Aaron had to work the kids and I had a fun stay cation. Monday we went to see a movie Kaysville Theater. That was pretty fun. Tuesday we used our POAP (Pass of all Passes) and visited the Tracy Aviary. Aaron wasn't too sad about missing this trip since he HATES birds. Good thing it ended up being a beautiful day outside. Here's the kids checking out the man powered fan:

There were many birds and different exhibits to see. The fun thing is now that the kids can read and understand things they were actually reading the signs from each exhibit and learning things. Wahoo!

The kids can't possibly pass over a photo op:

They had a native bird habitat we spent awhile in.

Sarah really loved the owl exhibit. She read all the signs and loved learning about them since she has been learning about them in school, too:

During a potty break the kids had fun playing on another man powered fan while waiting for everyone to finish going potty:

After our visit to the Aviary we picked up some pizza on the way home and had a picnic in the park. Josh told me he thinks he is too old for parks so I told him to go and help his siblings which he did. He was Noah's official swing pusher:

Sarah is part boy because she loves playing in the sand and getting dirty:

Wednesday we used our Ogden Nature Center Pass which got us into the Dinosaur Park. We first saw the animatronic dinos, but Noah was pretty scared of them. He wouldn't let me put him down at all:

Then we checked out the natural history section of the dino park. The kids loved learning about the different types of stones:

Then we wandered through the Dino part of the park:

Matthew was in heaven since there were all kinds of buttons to push:

The kids liked seeing the fossils and Dino skeletons:

The kids liked watching the scientists uncover the bones:

Then we headed outside to see the ducks and ginormous fish:

And of course play on the playground. Josh wasn't too big for this playground, although he did still help Sarah and Noah climb on the different structures:

Matthew was Noah's official swing pusher this trip:

Afterward I let the kids choose a geode to split open and keep. Wow who knew that five different kids could have five different opinions about a rock! It took a bit to finally decide on the right stone to split open, but they were fascinated by watching the saw split the stone open:

Here's what our geode looked like:

Thursday we went to another movie with the Einzingers. It was lots of fun!

Friday,thankfully, it was Aaron's day off so he was able to come along for the ride. We went down to BYU campus to check out the newly remodeled Monte Beane Museum. The kids loved the bear:

Checking out the Liger:

Checking out how ants build their homes:

Different animals and their habitats:

On campus they also had an origami exhibit the kids loved seeing.

They had a movie about the uses of origami, too:

Then you got to try your hand at making your own origami by watching short videos. I was so glad Aaron was around to help because Sarah had a massive meltdown about this time. Aaron was able to take her all the way outside the building (yes her meltdown was that bad) while I could stay and help all the other kids with their origami creations.

There was another exhibit I really wanted to see, but it was in a different building. As we headed over there I sent Aaron in to check it out and make sure it was where I thought it was while I stayed outside with the kids. He came back outside and said that it was not set up to handle the Mancil family. He said it was so quiet walking into the exhibit he could hear his own flip flops flipping as he walked. The exhibit was also inside a building that was holding college classes as well. When he told me that I agreed that it was not Mancil family friendly because there was no way we could keep our kids quiet enough to hear our own flip flops flipping. Unfortunately, we had to pass on that too quiet exhibit which had different spiritual/scriptural references paired up with different body and anatomy sketches. Oh well, what can you do?! I am sure the college classes being held probably appreciated the fact that we skipped that exhibit by, though--haha!

I fully wore out our kiddos that day. We had no problems getting them to bed that night. However, when I checked on the kids before I went to bed I found Noah asleep in Sarah's bed. Since they were both fast asleep I left them like that. Wow, that was a mistake because they woke each other up extremely early the next morning which was Saturday--DOH!!

However, waking up early wasn't too bad since it was Clinton City's Easter Egg Hunt that morning. The kids were excited to get some eggs despite the really cold wind:

That morning Matthew had also earned his last warm fuzzy to fill up his warm fuzzy jar. That meant he got to go on a train ride--Wahoo! Here's what happened when he put his last warm fuzzy in the jar--he was so excited:

Since we were going to ride on the Heber Valley Railroad Easter Bunny train we HAD to make a stop at Dairy Keen for lunch. We were glad G&G T could come along with us for the ride! MMMMM lunch was delicious!

After lunch we headed over to the railroad where they had a small petting zoo set up. The kids liked seeing and feeling the soft baby chicks:

Petting the piglets:

Seeing the calves:

Matthew didn't care about the baby animals all he wanted to see was the trains:

We got there pretty early. We ran into the train conductor who was nice enough to invite the kids onto the train to give them a tour of the engine. Matthew was so excited:

While they were in the engine car the conductor needed to move the engine from the last part of the train to the front part of the train. He invited the kids and Aaron to ride along with him as he made the switch. The kids had fun watching and riding along with the conductor:

Afterward the conductor invited us to tour the garage where they are repairing and restoring an old steam engine. It was pretty neat to see everything and that it was just our family, too. No one else got to ride along in the engine car switch and the garage tour.

While we were waiting to board the train for our ride the Easter Bunny was out taking pictures with everyone.

Then we got to board the train. Matthew was so excited:

We sat across the aisle from G&G T:

During the hour trip the Easter bunny made the rounds to each train car with music. If you danced then you got some candy. My kids were all about dancing when they heard there was candy involved:

After the train ride we headed home where we had a quick dinner then Aaron, Matthew, Josh and Grandpa T headed over to the priesthood session of Conference. This was Josh's first time attending since he is turning 12 tomorrow.

The next morning the Easter Bunny found our house and hid all the kids' Easter baskets for them to find. Luckily, they weren't too hard to find:

Even more candy and a book is what all the kids got:

Matthew LOVED the candy:

Noah loved reading his alphabet book with Sarah:

Then Aaron made a Dutch Oven Mountain Man breakfast. It was pretty good. While it was cooking he had lots of 'help' from all the kids:

Noah even picked me a pretty flower and was excited to give it to me. It was pretty sweet:

We sat and watched Conference, but after an hour this is how Aaron and Josh were 'watching'. Wow there was some serious snoring going on by both of them!

After both sessions of Conference we had Noah's birthday dinner with Grandpa T (Grandma T was sick so she couldn't come). Noah chose spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Then we had some cake:

Then it was on to opening presents--Wahoo:

Noah loved his present and gave Grandpa T some lubs to say thanks:

Since Josh's birthday is this week he got to open one of his presents, too. He loved that:

Wow I, or I should say we, all survived Spring Break. Yesterday I must admit, though, I was exhausted and didn't get much done because I needed to recover. Luckily, the kids were in school yesterday so I could. It was a fun, but very busy week for us all.

Noah loves to help. Aaron had to fertilize our yard yesterday and as soon as Noah saw what he was doing he insisted on helping. I am sure he was all kinds of help for Aaron--haha!

Last night I found these two asleep in the same bed again. However, this time I ended up moving Noah to Sarah's bed because he was the easiest to move even though they were both asleep in Noah's bed. Thank goodness I moved him because they both slept in until 7 am which was a miracle--crazy kids!

Today Noah got to be the birthday kid at preschool. He rocked his special birthday hat and got to hand out his birthday cupcakes, too:

One thing I forgot to add about my birthday last week was Sarah's sweet birthday note to me. She left it folded on my bed pillow so I would see it when I went t bed. It was pretty cute. The front said to Mom from Sarah with a #1 Mom ribbon drawn on it.