Kansas Spring Break 2015

We went to Kansas for Amelia's spring break and it was the perfect vacation.  

The kids loved to work in the dirt with grandma.  This is seriously heaven for William.  He begged grandma to let him clean out the chicken coop.  He loved all the big tools and shovels, heavy rocks and big tractors.

Amelia was so proud she caught a frog in the stream

My parents are so awesome.  They are teaching Ju Jitsu classes in their basement and William and Amelia sat and watched silently for over an hour.  They were enthralled with the intensity.  

After class Amelia came up to me and said, "I don't like when those guys throw my grandma!  So I glare at them really mean when they do."  Ha, don't worry little girl, your grandma is the teacher in there.  She can throw them right back.  Guess next time we'll have to make sure she sees lots of grandma's black belt throws!

Kansas sure is beautiful in the springtime

I had many beautiful morning walks with these cows staring at me.

Here we are sitting on the front lawn watching grandpa and his friend do a fly by in their planes.  Grandpa's is the red one, his friend's has the steam coming out the back.

We visited Amelia Earhart's birth house

We played in old trains

We fed goats

Grandpa showed off his magic baby skills

We ate frozen custard a few times

Okay, so how can a trip to Grandpa's farm in Kansas get any better?  Well, how about we throw in a trip to Iowa to see Scott and Trina and cousins!  Yes! 

We had so much fun in Iowa.  It could not have been better.  I wish these people were our next door neighbors.

My kids borrowed warm clothes and got a taste of what early spring is like in Iowa!

 Scott has been learning to play the guitar and it was so fun to have him pull it out and strum and sing for us.

 They introduced my kids to the Wii

 These two are only 3 weeks apart, but quite a difference in size!  Ellie was really sick the whole trip and I think passed it on to Luke when we left.  Poor babies.

 It is awesome when cousins can read to cousins!

 And when the cousins are entertaining each other, the adults get to play card games together!  So fun.

 My kids loved, loved, loved wrestling with Uncle Scott

 And this is usually how it ended!

 Cousins are the best. The best, best, best.  The end.

This girl cried a lot on the plane ride home.  But it was so worth it for the week's worth of joy and fun we had.  I hope we get to spend time in Kansas and Iowa again soon.

Happy to be out of the airplane and on the ground again in Santa Barbara

Some other happenings in 2015

On New Year's day we hiked to the caves above Gaviota.  Amelia and William actually hiked the whole way and it was an awesome day.  Aren't they all so cute?

William and his friend Iris at the zoo.  William likes sharing Iris' snacks and is showing off his fruit-by-the-foot here :)

Ellie's first baseball game.  UCSB played (and beat) BYU

First Valentine's day...if you couldn't tell.

Gaucho Girls

Riding the tractor with dad after the game.  We love #8.

I love this picture of William.  After we would drop Amelia off at TK we would often head on to the beach and look for decomposing crabs, shark pods, or other interesting discoveries.  I love spending time with this boy.

Oh sweet 3rd baby has to get her naps in when she can.  Here she is napping at the pool because the older 2 wanted to go swimming.  Such a sweet, sweet baby!

I love taking the kids exploring in the eucalyptus groves.  These trees are so cool.

When Andrew is out of town I get really lax with cooking dinners.  Often we just eat a variety of ingredients and call it a meal.  This particular night, Amelia wanted shredded coconut. Dinner is served folks.

This baby.

Amelia and William are always wanting to pick oranges and come home and squeeze them for juice.  It leaves my kitchen all sticky and messy which leaves me grumpy!  So Amelia came up with another plan (surprise, surprise, Amelia always has another plan!).  She now pokes a hole in the orange with a stick and sucks the juice out.  All the mess stays outside.  Happy kids, happy mom.