Easter Party at Grandma's and Easter Sunday

Every year on the Saturday before Easter Grandma Walker has an Easter party at her house. All of the Zobrist relatives are invited and they swim, have a bbq, dye Easter eggs, and have an Easter egg. We have always heard about these parties, but this year we got to go to it. April 7th was a very fun day.

The kids were super excited to go swimming and play all day long. It was definitely a hit! The Easter egg hunt also proved to be profitable as well. Not only to did Reed and Eve come away with lots of candy and treats in their eggs, they each found eggs with money in it as well!

The tradition is that each Grandma (Grandma Walker and Grandma Milford) puts $ in some eggs (I think it totals $10 for each Grandma, but I am not positive) divided how they want and adds those eggs to the pot of eggs to be hidden for the hunt. Each child (meaning me/Tyson) brings 6 eggs for each of our children that will be hunting for eggs (5 small and 1 big). We can fill it with whatever we want. So, there are tons of plastic and real (hard-boiled) eggs that the kids get to find. Eve ended up finding $5 (all in $1s) and Reed found $3. They were definitely more interested in the candy, but did get excited that they got "moneys" in some eggs as well.

The kids loved it all - the swimming, dyeing the eggs, hunting for the eggs, eating, and playing with cousins. What a fun tradition. :) (I only ended up taking pictures of the pool part of the party. Ah well - it really was a good time)

Easter morning was a bit of a rush since we have church at 9 am, but I was sure to dress the kids in their matching Easter attire made by Grandma Walker. They were adorable :)

Their Easter outfits. So cute :) 

Then, the kids found their Easter baskets which daddy had hidden around the house. They got candy-filled eggs (don't think I will do that next year - we just ended up having so much candy!) and a book. They had a lot of fun looking for their baskets and Tyson and I looked for our baskets, too!

Eve searching....

Aria found her basket super fast! 

"Look! Eggs!"

Reed showing off his eggs and book. 

After they found it, we talked to them about what Easter was really about - the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We also talked about how because Jesus was resurrected, we will all be resurrected and can return to live with Heavenly Father, if we do the best we can do. I am grateful for the resurrection and have a testimony that we can return to live with Heavenly Father again. 


We also went to Grandma and Grandpa Walker's house for Easter dinner and had a fun time visiting with cousins, aunts, and uncles. What a great time to be around so much family!

Driving across the country and moving in

 As mentioned previously, I did not have to drive across the country this time. I just knew it would be a bad idea for the kidlings to be in a car for that long. Nobody would have been very happy - me definitely included. So, Tyson and his parents got to the drive the roughly 2400 miles.

Since I was not actually there to talk about the drive, I do not have much to say. Maybe someday I can convince Tyson to write about the trip - but he claims it was not super exciting. It was, after all, a lot of driving all day and sleeping in a hotel room at night.

We did get an upgrade on the dolly to pull the car for free, which is always exciting. Tyson and his dad had to wait for a while to get the moving van, so they upgraded the dolly at no extra charge. So, we packed all of this (these are from Tyson's phone):

Into that:

And they drove across the country (again). This is what it looked like:

A few hours later it looked like this:

Here is a stop to change drivers and show off some mountains. :)

 At sunset it still looked like this:

So, yes, a lot of driving behind each other. They left on Monday night and drove a few hours before stopping for the night. They drove all day Tuesday and Wednesday and arrived in Las Vegas on Thursday evening looking tired and glad to finally be out of the cars.

Thursday for me and the kids was a lot of playing with cousins and talking with my mom, sister and sister-in-laws. I was mostly trying to stay awake so that I could adjust to the time change. The kids were happy and played really well together. We were all glad to see daddy when he arrived in Las Vegas.

Friday morning we got the keys to our rental home and moved all our stuff in! It was really nice to have so much family around to help us move our stuff in. It didn't take that long and a lot of our stuff was unpacked within a matter of hours. Of course, I had to do some rearranging, but the help to get boxes unpacked and shelves put together was invaluable! What was the most amazing thing was that it was all girls besides Tyson that did the unloading! We even moved the piano around and carried in super heavy boxes (One of my talents is to be able to pack extremely heavy boxes). Thank you to all who helped!! We could not have done without you!

The final dramatic days in Virginia

The final days in Virginia turned out to be a bit dramatic for me - well, really just the final day was the most dramatic. So, here is the run down of what happened.

Monday (March 26th) - We spent the day getting everything packed and loaded. Since we were packing during the day, we did it without the help of the ward (although plenty of people were willing to help - it was the having-to-go-to-work that got in the way), but with the help of Tyson's parents. Tyson's dad is the pro-packer man. He can make almost anything fit into anywhere. He is just the expert at getting as much as possible into small spaces. I was so happy to have him there directing the rest of us.

Reed went to preschool in the morning and Eve played at James's house. So, the morning part went by super fast and smooth. The kids came back and helped us pack some of the final stuff. We finished packing by late afternoon and then Tyson and I went to get the rental car for me.

I thought they were going to be leaving on Tuesday morning, but instead they left on Monday night. They didn't end up leaving until around 8:30 pm, and I headed to my parent's apartment. I was a little sad that they left Monday night because in my head I had been planning on Tuesday morning sometime. I didn't have a flight until Wednesday, so it was just longer than I wanted to be without Tyson and our stuff. But, ah well.

The kids and I got to my parents house and they immediately went to bed (it was probably around 10 pm). Aria didn't sleep super well that night, so it just made me more tired and cranky than normal for Tuesday.

Tuesday (March 27th) - I spent most of the day cleaning the apartment. Some ladies from the Relief Society came to help, but half were gone in about an hour and a half due to other appointments. My mom played with Reed and Eve until she had to go to work.

So, by about 1 p.m. the apartment was mostly clean (I had run out of magic erasers for the walls) and I desperately needed some food. We went to Whole Foods to get some Aria and me-friendly snacks and then I got Thai food (the best 'fast food' when I am on the soy and dairy-free diet).

We headed back to my parent's apartment and we just played for the rest of the day. I needed a chance to relax a little and the kids needed me not to be doing 100 other things. It was super hard to juggle all the things that needed to get done. But, it got done (eventually).

My dad took us out to dinner and the kids did a good job just going with the flow.

Wednesday (March 28th) - This day had some super stressful points that had me in tears, but it did end up being fine. I needed to get all our stuff packed in the bag again because once we left my parent's apartment, we were not coming back. That took extra time - as it always does. I was late dropping Reed off to his last day of preschool - I really hate being late to preschool. I don't like being late to anything, but for some reason, being late to preschool embarrasses me. But, it turns out a lot of people were a little bit late, so Reed was not last there by too much time.

I then headed to my apartment to finish some of the walls and windows. Jana showed up to pick up some boxes (they were most likely going to be moving) and she helped me finish some walls. I went to the office and closed out our account. I wrote a big check (over $2,000), gave back all the keys, and that part was done. Phew - a little sigh of relief. One huge thing checked off my list.

I went to Jana's house to wait until I needed to pick up Reed and Taryn from preschool. When I went to get them, they doing construction on the road I took, so it made me late picking them up (Ugh! Twice in one day). That wouldn't have been such a big deal, but I had scheduled Reed's 4-year check-up for 12:45 pm just so that I wouldn't have to worry about scheduling that right when we moved. Heading to the doctor's office there was more traffic due to yet more construction! At this point, I was just getting really frustrated. I was going to be late for the doctor's as well. I was almost there, when I saw a police car pull out and put his lights on. Are you kidding me?! This was just not my day. Well, it turns out that I was speeding (so, yes, it was my fault), but didn't realize how fast I was going because the rental car I was driving made it seem like I was only going 35 mph. Well, I was going 50 mph. Oops...

I rolled down my window and gave the officer my information. I explained that I was moving across the country and was late for my son's doctor's appointment and was in a rental car. I should have mentioned that I was functioning on way less sleep than normal and had been a single parent living out of somebody else's apartment for a few days as well. Maybe then I would have gotten a little sympathy. But, I did not get sympathy and was given a ticket. I was pretty much in tear by this point.

I showed up to the doctor's office and the receptionist said, "You are more than 15 minutes late, so you may not get seen today." Really?! This day was just not going my way. I explained that we were moving and we had to get him in. She said she would check with the doctor and told me to take a seat. I just started bawling. I couldn't handle anymore of Wednesday. Someone even asked me if I was ok. I think that is a silly question - of course I am not ok when I am bawling my eyes out. But, was there anything that anybody could do about it? No. I just wanted to be left alone and try to compose myself.

The doctor did let us in and I had stopped crying. Reed got all his shots. He even was part of a study to combine 2 of the shots, so only had to have 3 shots instead of 4. Plus, we got paid to participate in the study. So, that part of Wednesday was much better.

After the doctor, I took the kids back to Jana's house and went to get them push pops. I told them they could pick a treat if they were good. We hung out with Jana for a bit and even got to see Jenn (and Brooks and Cole) before we left!

All too soon, it was time to pack up for the last time and head to the airport. We got everyone locked and loaded and I was off to return my rental car. I have probably said this before, but I will say it again - I would not enjoy being a single parent. It is so much tougher than when there are 2 of you. Even when Tyson is gone  for busy season, he still comes home to sleep. There is just something strengthening about having someone else to lean on and talk to who loves the kids as much as you do.

Anyways, we got to the rental car return just fine and my parents were there and waiting for us. My mom was going to fly with me to Las Vegas and my dad just likes to know that we are safe and taken care of. We got everything to the airport and the only minor glitch is that my bag was too heavy by a couple of pounds. Luckily, my mom brought an extra bag - so we just switched some stuff around and were headed to the gate. We got on the flight and I breathed a sigh of relief that an already long and stressful day was coming to a close.

The flight was pretty good. Aria was so sleepy that she slept almost the entire time (thank you!) after I fed her dinner. Reed and Eve watched a movie with Grandma on the first part of the trip. There was a baby crying almost the whole way (I felt so bad for the parents) on the first leg of the trip. We didn't have to get off the plane, but there was a stopover. I offered the baby some toys, but they said they were fine. Finally, the baby had fallen asleep. Phew. Then, during the stopover, the parents moved seats for some reason. Well, that woke the baby up and he screamed for a while longer (I don't know why they switched seats - still confuses me - don't wake up the baby!).

After we got up in the air for the second time, Reed and Eve wanted me to sit with them. We watched a movie until Reed said he was sleepy and feel asleep on my lap. Eve followed suit. We slept for a bit. Reed stayed asleep, but Eve kept tossing and turning, so she was just exhausted by the end of the flight. We landed at midnight Vegas time which is 3 am VA time! No wonder she was tired. For the last 15 minutes of the flight, she just cried (not screamed, though) and I just hugged her. Poor, tired Eve.

We landed in Las Vegas, got our bags and went to find Tifani. We got to Grandma and Grandpa Walker's house and then I got everyone in bed after a super long day. We all fell asleep super quickly, thank goodness. I got to sleep for 4 hours, until Aria woke up at 5:30 am (8:30 am VA time) rested and ready to go for the day. But, at least I got to sleep in a bed. :)

One Last Look at Lincoln and Cherry Blossoms

March 22, 2012 (Yes, I am still way behind) - This was our last trip to downtown D.C. for the forseeable future. I was a little melancholy knowing that we would not be able to come and see the monuments at night whenever we wanted. But, I also knew that it was the right move for our family. It was a weird mix of emotions as our VA life was coming to a close. But, here we are at the Lincoln Memorial. It is still one of my favorites and (I believe) Tyson's favorite. Good times in D.C. (especially because you can find parking at night, so going to see the monuments is possible!).

The girls 

The boys 

Can you tell that Reed did not want to be in the photo?

March 25, 2012 - Tyson's parents flew in to help Tyson drive back West (I flew with the 3 kidlings). They helped with some last minute packing and we even got to see some really cool things: Reed Walker's house (one of Reed's namesakes) and the cherry blossoms.

Comparatively to the last time, this house looks awesome! It's had a new paint job and everything just looks a bit refreshed. I just think it's amazing that we were able to find it and visit it twice.

We also went to see the cherry blossoms at Kenwood. Sadly, there was a storm a few days before we were able to see them, so a lot of blossoms fell off. But, there were still plenty to be seen on the trees, and it was still beautiful! Here was our journey through Kenwood.

Reed and Grandma Walker  (I love these type of photos!)

Daddy, Eve, and Aria 

The blossoms post storm 

"It's snowing blossoms!" 

The whole clan 

Grandma and Grandpa Walker with the kids 

Reed trying to make it snow 

He was a little rough with the branches. :) 

Eve had to join in the fun. 

Our cars decorated in blossoms. 

Fire Trucks and a Lightning McQueen Party

 Friday, March 16th Eve got to see a fire truck! Reed had a make-up preschool day, so it was a girls outing. We ended up being super late because traffic is pretty much awful all the time and I was late getting Reed to preschool, but ah well - we did make it eventually.

Eve loved watching the fire truck and everything going on. She didn't really want to be involved - just wanted to observe what was going on around her. She reluctantly sat in the chair and even sat on the front of the truck long enough to get a picture of James and her.

As we were all heading out, the firefighters got called on an emergency, so we even got to watch them leave with the sirens blaring. Then, the mom's talked while the kids found rocks to play with. I also happened to have a little thing of bubbles in my purse (from when Eve went to the ER) and she blew some and poured out most of the bubbles. All-in-all a successful trip.

The chair

BFF James 

Tuesday, March 20th Reed had his official Lightning McQueen birthday party. He was SOOOO excited about his party.  Thankfully, those crazy cold sores and swollen gums were gone and he could eat like normal. We made some awesome cupcakes (shown later - not to worry) and put a bunch of balloons up 'pinterest style' (hung them from crepe paper so the kids could walk through them). We had the party at Taryn's house since ours was in boxes (quite literally). When the kids arrived, they played with balloons inside for a while. Then, we took them outside, did some races and a few rounds of duck, duck, goose. Reed loved opening all his presents and made sure to say "Thank you" to each of his friends. He just loved playing with everyone. After presents we ate lunch - chicken nuggets, fruits, and veggies - and then had cupcakes. Reed did not want us to sing to him, so we didn't. But, everyone enjoyed the cupcakes. It was a great morning/afternoon.

Looking back, I think maybe I was a little crazy to have a birthday party less than a week before moving across the country, but I really felt like Reed needed it. I am always one for birthday parties because I think they are so fun. But, I was getting everything packed and ready to go, so this was just one more thing and I was debating not doing it. But, in the end, I knew that Reed would miss his friends terribly. I knew that he really needed more playtime with them more than I needed to pack one more box. So, we did it. It was great and I would do the same thing again in that situation. I love my little man!

Opening presents:

Lunch:

 The cupcakes:

They turned out seriously awesome! Thanks for the help, mom!

Reed turns 4!

 On March 14, 2012 my little boy turned 4! I cannot believe that he is so big. I understand why people always say that time flies - it certainly seems to in my life. Sadly, on his birthday Reed had a mouth full of cold sores and red, swollen gums! Ouch! Also, he was getting over a huge bruise in the middle of his forehead, so his head is a light shade of green. Needles to say, he was not eating much because everything hurt. But, he stayed in pretty good spirits for most of the day.

He was super excited to open his presents from us and from his grandparents. He even got to choose what he wanted to eat - he wanted Lightning McQueen mac and cheese. The only Lightning McQueen kind I could find was the easy mac kind. So, I bought one of those for Reed and ended up with some non-Lightning McQueen mac and cheese for daddy, Grandma Rowberry, and Eve.

The day was spent going to preschool (always a plus for Reed), opening presents, making cupcakes, talking to Grandma and Grandpa Walker (and cousins and aunts) on Skype, and playing with Grandma Rowberry when she arrived after work. It ended up being a pretty fun day. I still feel bad about his mouth, but there was nothing that could be done about it. I even went to the doctor to see if we could give him anything, and he said there wasn't. I did get some kids acidophilus that I mixed into chocolate milk. That went over well because chocolate milk is a special treat at our house.

I still marvel that I have a 4-year-old child. For part of me it seems completely normal, but the other part if completely amazed. I guess kids do grow up. It just seems like it happens all at once. He is a little man now. No longer a toddler - Reed is a little boy. He has opinions, likes/dislikes, friends, and loves to do almost anything. He particularly loves running and is a good big brother. He teaches me a lot about myself and how to be a mom. He truly strives on schedules. He loves to know when we are doing what. He loves to read with me, practice his letters and numbers, and, of course, play with his friends. I love my little man! I could not have asked for a better first child. We are learning from each other.

Happy birthday Reed! I love you :)

The 'trying to be excited when I don't feel good' birthday boy showing off his Lightning McQueen shirt. 

Attempt at a big smile 

Opening presents

I found a bag of CARS cars on craigslist. Reed was so excited!

It even came with a MAC truck.

A Thomas shirt was one thing he asked for .

His presents were wrapped in newspaper. 

He loved running through his balloons. 

Putting together his spaceship puzzle

I made him  a little birthday sign. He is also showing off his dinosaur hoodie. 

A bare wall (since we were in full-on pack mode) with only one little sign on it. 

He did gulp down the Lightning McQueen mac and cheese (thankfully, because he hadn't eaten very much in the past few days).