Easter Celebrations!

We had a lot of fun celebrating Easter this year.  First we got together w/ Steve's family for our monthly dinner on the first Sunday of the month, and hunted Easter Eggs afterwards.  It was a little cold outside, so we did it inside (same as last year ironically).

Here are some pics from the McGrath Easter Egg Hunt:

Nyles finding all his eggs- (they are color coded so everyone knows whose is whose and they all get equal amounts).

Carter playing w/ toys and being cute!

Trying to eat the Easter Eggs and treats.

That Saturday we went up to Heber to ride the Heber Creeper train.  Nyles has been asking to ride the train, so we thought it would be a fun time to go.  We went up there in the afternoon, rode the train w/ the Easter Bunny, played at the park, then got Cafe Rio for dinner.  It was a fun family outing.  Here are some pics from our fun day.

Driving through a tunnel going up Provo Canyon. 

Carter and Steve just before leaving on the train.  Nyles w/ his ticket.

 

Carter and Steve getting ready to go.

 

Me w/ Nyles and Carter just before leaving.

Cute Carter and I enjoying the ride.

Steve w/ the boys.

Beautiful scenery on our ride. 

Nyles loved looking out the window on the train.

Family picture in front of the Heber Creeper train (Nyles didn't want to take a picture). 

They had a small petting zoo also, so Nyles wanted to pet the baby calf.

We then went over to the park and played a few minutes.  

Nyles and Carter enjoying going down the slides.

  

Then we went on the swings.

Steve w/ Carter and Nyles on the swings.

Carter was loving life in the swing!

The next weekend we went up to my parent's place for Easter and my dad's birthday.  We left on Friday and stayed until after church on Sunday.  It was a fun time as usual.  As soon as we got there the first night, my dad took Steve and Nyles out fishing at the Tilapia ponds.  Nyles loves to go since they are pretty easy to catch.

Nyles and my dad w/ their catch.

Saturday, Anna, Barbara and Daron's families came over for lunch.  Mark and Marla, Becky, Emily, and Grandma also came.  It was nice to see everyone.  We ate in my dad's big shop, then had an Easter Egg/Candy hunt on the lawn and around the machinery.

And we're off....

Sophie, Nyles and Calley on the hunt for candy.

Carter enjoying some candy.

 Hailey helped Ayden get some candy.

Ayden took my mom's walked and used it to help himself walk around.  

It was pretty funny to see.  Cute kid.

 Ayden riding the 3 wheeler and playing w/ Carter.

Later that afternoon we sang Happy Birthday to my dad while we were all together.

My dad, Chris, Hailey, Ryan, Mikey, Rich, Colten, Brady and Abby.

Brady, Abby, Mom, Colten, Calley, Dallin, Anna, Ayden, Wade, Carter in Daron's arms and Nyles.

Wade, Carter, Daron, Nyles and Steve.  All waiting to blow the candles out.

Dad blowing out his birthday candles (cake Barbara made).  The big 65!!!!!

We then went and found our Easter Sacks around the yard.  

Everyone looking for Easter sacks.  Daron and Wade just chatting.

Nyles finding his Easter sack.

Carter w/ Steve finding his sack, then enjoying his goods.

Daron and Carter just having a conversation.

That afternoon Steve and Nyles went fishing again w/ some of the Dunns.

Abby w/ a fish.

Abby, Mikey, Rich and Nyles fishing.

Carter and his many silly faces.  Eating a graham cracker before bed.

 

On Easter Sunday/my dad's birthday, we went to church w/ my parents.  We had good messages about our Savior.  Ironically as we got in our car to leave we noticed the back tire on the passenger's side was low.  My dad suggested just driving on it back to his place, then we could replace it.  But as we got going it was making really loud noises.  So we went back to the church and my dad and Steve put on the spare tire.  We then drove it home, had lunch w/ Grandma, then Steve and my dad fixed the hole.  While they were fixing it, I packed up and got ready to leave.  As usually it was great to come up to visit everyone!

Carter, Steve and Nyles after church on Easter Sunday.

Family picture.

 

 Nyles observing as my dad fixes the tire.  Nyles loves to see how things work.

Nyles went on one more motorcycle ride w/ Grandpa also.  

He LOVES rides w/ Grandpa!

Nyles and Carter passed out right after pulling out of my parent's drive way.

Luckily they slept for quite a while and we had good roads, so we made it home in good time.

We had a lot of Easter fun, but most importantly is our knowledge of our Savior and that He lives!  How grateful we are for this message.  Because He lives, we will all live again.  I know this is true!

Here is the 1st Presidency's message from Easter:

"At this Easter season, we remember with immense gratitude the sacrifices of our Savior in Gethsemane and on Calvary’s cross. No mere mortal can comprehend the full import of what Christ did for us in Gethsemane. His suffering there caused Him to “tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit” (D&C 19:18). Following the agony of Gethsemane, the Savior’s wounded body was nailed to a cross on Calvary’s hill. He was mocked and cursed and derided. When merciful death came, His body was gently placed in a borrowed tomb. He had passed beneath all things so that He might save all things.

At this Easter season, we solemnly testify that our Savior was resurrected and that He lives again. As a result, each of God’s children will receive the Savior’s gift of immortality. And those who follow the Savior’s teachings and receive the gospel’s saving ordinances will be blessed with life eternal."

Thomas S. Monson
Henry B. Eyring
Dieter F. Uchtdorf

April Showers

April definitely was a month of "April Showers" which is bringing many "May Flowers."  Unfortunately, we also had a lot of snow storms in April, which almost killed all of our flowers.  Luckily they survived, and are making a comeback now.  The weather was all over the place.  We were sunny and in the 70's, then cold, snowing and below freezing again.  They sunny days sure got us excited for Spring/Summer and warm weather again.  We have been trying to work on our yard/lawn again and it's finally coming along.  Thankfully most of the flowers we planted last year came back, and are thriving now.  Here are some pics of our yard/lawn in progress:

Some tulips coming in.  They were here last year, but I wasn't sure if they'd come back since we put ground cover and mulch down over then, but luckily they did, and it made me very happy to see!

We made a garden box and planted a couple things: Strawberries, peppers and tomatoes.

My cute boys next to our tulips.

Silly boys both pulling faces :)

The tulips on our front porch coming in, along w/ our Dianthus and Day Lilies we planted last year.  I was so excited to see them come back, and they are more full than they were last year.  We even had some purple tulips up front on the side yard.  So pretty!

We decided to plant a pear tree since we all love pears so much!

Our garden coming along.

And then it snowed a couple days later!

Our poor little tulips were not happy about the snow.  Don't they look so sad?

Luckily the snow melted and the flowers came back.  Our Tulips and Lilac bush.

As it warmed up we decided to attack more of our "jungle" in the back.  Steve ripped out the ivy in the corner of our yard.  It was everywhere and climbing over to 2 of our neighbor's yards as well.  It was nice to finally get it out.  It sure makes the yard feel bigger with it gone.  We had another city "dump/garbage pick up" so we were able to get of a lot of it then.

Nyles helping to cut up the twigs that Steve pull out. 

 We had a family clean up day out in our yard one Saturday as well.  Steve worked on getting the rest of the ivy/weeds out, while I mowed the lawn, planted Irises and scrapped up the dead lawn.  Carter enjoyed being outside just jumping and playing.  Nyles helped where he could as well.

Carter loves being outside, and loves jumping.

Getting closer to planting our pear tree where we cleared out the ivy.

We cleaned up the area by the faucet and put in a hose rack, and put rocks and pavers around it.  

We also added new mulch around the flower beds.

 

Tulips I moved over to the side yard from up where the trees were cut down.  

Steve weeded, put ground cover and then new mulch down as well.

Still working around the pear tree.  Notice the dead grass.  We killed most of it in the front yard and some in the back yard.  Steve seeded the grass in the front, but we wanted to wait to see how it did before doing the back.

Steve likes to get down and close when he's working.  He's pulling out weeds and straw from the front yard (which was protecting our grass seed), which had blown to other areas. 

More pretty Tulips up front, white and red.  Notice the lovely straw in the flower bed.  

You can kindof see the grass growing behind it.

Our grass seed under the straw, our Tulips coming in and Dianthus flowers, our grass on the left we sodded last year after pulling out the bushes, and the pretty trees up front.

The grass up by the purple trees was pretty much dead also, so Steve decided to tear it out and sod it one day.  He raked it out, leveled it, then put in the new grass.  All before I got home from work one day.  Pretty productive day I'd say!

Getting the sod into place.

Nyles loves being outside and helping Steve w/ the yard.

Beautiful!  It was a surprise for me when I got back from work.  

Our yard is coming along a little at a time.

April 2017 Gratitude

April has come and gone.  Here are some highlight from the month and where we found some joy and things to be grateful for.  Also some funny pics.

Carter showing off his sippy cup skills.  "See mom I can do it all by myself."

Silly picture Steve made.

Nyles taking some "selfies."

And another....

Steve, Nyles and Carter playing roller-coaster. 

 

	Steve	Penny	Nyles
4/1/2017	Penny helped make planter box.	General Conference, sunshine, mowed lawn, made planter box and planted veggies.	My dragon pillow pet.
4/2/2017	Penny's crepes for breakfast and family Easter dinner.	Temples. More going to be built, which will make them accessible to even more people/members.	Got to ride w/ Ryder, play w/ Conor, and Easter Egg Hunt.
4/3/2017	Got rid of bird's nest on front of house.	Coworkers helped me out when my password locked me out of computer.	Played w/ neighbors and cousins.
4/4/2017	On Demand.	On Demand is awesome and convenient.	Played w/ cousins and neighborhood kids. Spring Break!
4/5/2017	Penny came home early, made crepes for dinner.	Steve and all his hard work on the yard.	Stacie brought corn dogs for lunch.
4/6/2017	Went fishing w/ Nyles and Stacie/kids.	Got wireless headsets at work. Steve made pork chops for dinner.	Got to play w/ Conor then Ryder today.
4/7/2017	Had tarps to save the lawn from the wind.	Steve cleaned. Our HSA.	Glad London and Conor came over.
4/8/2017	Family outing.	Spent the afternoon together in Heber, train ride, Cafe Rio.	Got to see the Easter bunny on the train.
4/9/2017	Got some sleep finally.	General Conference is available on the app already. Able to watch again.	Threw away yucky medicine.
4/10/2017	Went w/ Penny to her work dinner.	Got to go on a mini date w/ Steve-work dinner-got to look at dinosaur bones.	Got to play w/ grandma.
4/11/2017	Got sleep last night.	Carter slept from 9-6, so did I.	Got to play w/ neighbor kids, 4 square.
4/12/2017	Went fishing	Sunshine.	Played w/ Ryder.
4/13/2017	Our new ladder. Easily took down LuDean's Christmas lights w/ it.	Dishwashers.	My helicopter.
4/14/2017	Make it to Idaho safely.	Finally arrived at my parent's, and safely.	Got a boat from grandma.
4/15/2017	Got to go fishing and caught lots.	Got to visit w/ siblings and cousins-video call w/ Corinne/Jarom.	Fishing and playing w/ cousins.
4/16/2017	Grand has supplies to fix tires.	Spent Easter w/ my parents and my dad's birthday. Knowledge that Christ lives and so can we.	Got to go to church w/ Grandma and Grandpa on the farm.
4/17/2017	Grass is growing.	Had the day off.	Helped dad get bushes out. Played w/ boat in the water/pool.
4/18/2017	For Nyles' preschool.	Bulk clean up days.	Grandpa and Grandma came over.
4/19/2017	For my loving wife.	We can recycle every day.	Dad ripped out the bushes.
4/20/2017	The scriptures.	Saw a beautiful rainbow after work.	Got to play w/ dad a lot.
4/21/2017	Got on and off the roof safely, and fishing w/ Rob.	Went on Ferris wheel ride w/ Nyles for free. Steve put up the baseboards in the bathrooms.	Played w/ kids in the neighborhood.
4/22/2017	Went fishing	We worked on the yard together as a family.	Yard is looking better.
4/23/2017	The sacrament.	Music/Hymns.	Got to fly my kite.
4/24/2017	Kite flew.	Rain to water our lawn/seed.	Worked on kite w/ dad.
4/25/2017	Nyles and I had a good day together.	Friends.	Made my kite today.
4/26/2017	Put the grass in park stripe.	Steve and the relationship we have w/ one another. Steve put in the grass for me.	Helped dad put the grass in.
4/27/2017	Went to the temple.	Reconnected w/ an old friend/roommate.	Got to ride my bike.
4/28/2017	The moisture we received.	Able to go to the temple. Free Cafe Rio dinner.	We survived the day.
4/29/2017	Ron helped change the corolla's oil.	Friends came over, Thomas and Minsons	Got to play w/ Calvin
4/30/2017	Joann (mom)	Priesthood power	We did a family fire-drill today