Spring Random

I took this picture to remember how much we have used the adorable rice bag owls my mom made all the kids for Christmas!  We keep one or two in the freezer, and every time someone is complaining about something hurting I'm like "get the owl!" They have been so awesome, way to go mom on the cute, practical, and special-because-it-was-made-by-Grammy gifts!

And speaking of gifts of the heart, my sweet Grandpa Hansen has been sending us, about monthly, an envelope full of these stickers/stamps he cuts out of his junkmail, and Owen LOVES them!! Whenever we get the mail he is always looking for one.  They make me smile because I love my Grandpa and my kids will always remember how he sent them these little "packages" in the mail!  They don't get to see their great-grandparents very often, so I'm glad they can get to know his love for them through the mail.  I need to send letters back more often!

Silly St. Patrick's day tradition of a treasure hunt for gold left by "Tommy the Leprechaun"

I took these pictures to document the kids doing awesome at their chores-- it does happen some of the time!  These are ones they are particularly good at:

Whit is a laundry champ.  She has been doing her own laundry for almost a year already, even though the family rule is to start when you are 8!  She decided she would rather do her own than help sort the family laundry, hallelujah for me as well!  And I have rarely had to help her or remind her to do it.  She is awesome!

 Kate LOVES to clean the bathrooms, YAY!  And double wonderful is that she likes having Owen and Maris "help" her, which keeps them busy for a while!  She is so awesome.

These 3 also love to play "trash monster" aka emptying all the little trash cans around the house into one big bag.  So helpful, I can always count on Katelyn jumping up happily to get started when I suggest this chore!

For pretty much our whole marriage, Eric has wanted a king size bed, and I have wanted a headboard.  I was always like "we don't need a king bed!" and he was always like "we don't need a headboard!" Well, this year when we got our tax return and Eric's bonus we decided we could both get what we wanted!  So here's the before:

and after!  I like having a pretty bed, like not having to worry about which side I sleep on because I won't be breathing in Eric's face either way, still getting used to so much room.  I like to cuddle! lol but Eric doesn't so he's thrilled! :)

Meet Bike A and Bike B. 
Bike A (top) and I have been through a lot together. I've had it since I was 14! It survived being stolen and recovered by the Provo Police, being hit by a car (not while I was riding it--long story!), and now the front brakes don't work and it refuses to shift down into first gear. But it helped me train for my first triathlon and was part of many family bike rides. It's been a great bike! But I'm super excited to move on to Bike B (bottom), my new "I feel really cool because I'm on a real road bike" bike! It is fast! A little too fast, it's kind of scary lol. And it's so smooth and silent! I'm excited for fun times ahead with my new bike. Now maybe I can keep up with Eric 😀

My little track kids!!  They have spent many many hours at the ALA track this Spring!  And now a bunch more at Hershey Track meets at the Spanish Fork HS track, and now Whitney is doing Salem track club so we have those practices and meets!  Luckily they love it.  Which I love.  Even on a 30* day the track can be fun.  This day Maris and Owen ran 400 meters-- to the hundred start line and back twice-- while we were waiting for classes to come out!  I kept saying are you ready for a rest?  and they were like "no!"

Maris eating her favorite cereal, hilarious.

We went on a farm field trip with Whitney's class.  Nice photo bomb by Owen.  the two girls on the right are Whit's good friends, Marjorie and Rachel.

Cuties.

And this goat tried to eat my bag.  and my hair.

One day the kids and their friends dug a big hole, it was fun.  Here's the last friend left, Aiden Rose.  We like him.

Facebook post:

Maris was rockin' the 80's frizzy hair today! Cannot get enough of this cute face.

and another facebook post from General Conference weekend:

This girl. Drives me so crazy but has such a good heart. Most of her weekend was spent bugging people until they exploded, but she watched a lot of conference and when the prophet spoke she got right up next to the TV to really listen! I took this picture to remind me that she really does want to be good. smile emoticon