I think we had the most low-key Easter we've ever had. No visitors, General Conference weekend so no new dresses or ties. I didn't even make a coconut cake! I did make cinnamon rolls, though. They were delicious and enough.
The kids found their baskets after an exhaustive search Sunday morning. They each got a book, a Harry Potter Chocolate Frog, a book and another small gift. Emil got two Dog Man books and he literally spent the rest of the day reading. It was miraculous!
We watched General Conference on TV and just enjoyed the day together. Ahhhhh. The Best.
Colin and I worked on the Polynesian Cultural Center puzzle he got in his Easter basket. We've been there!
Spring Break started the Monday after Easter. We mostly stayed home this year, but we had to get away for a few days and visit Dinosaur Monument near Vernal, Utah. I found a hotel that allowed pets for $35 more per night, so we brought Penelope along. (In my search for a pet-friendly hotel I found out that the Marriott in Vernal charges $100 MORE per night for a pet. The room was less that $100 to begin with. What?) Grandma and Grandpa hosted our kids and Nate on Wednesday for a sleepover while Brian and I ate out and watched a movie at home. Thursday afternoon we left for Vernal. Penelope got carsick and threw up on our way through Daniel's Canyon. Too twisty! The beds were small and Penelope did not sleep well, but the free breakfast was dynamite!
The kids snatched their junior ranger booklets and got right to work in the Visitor's Center. We watched the movie and read some of the plaques under the pictures and touched the dinosaur bones. Colin breezed through the workbook - too easy! Emil wasn't far behind, with a little more complaining (natch), and Bridget had to complete more pages than the boys so she took a bit longer.
The rangers were surprised at how quickly the kids completed the workbooks. Yeah. Try harder, then, Dinosaur Monument. Off to the Dinosaur Quarry!
It's a logjam of dinosaur bones! Can you imagine happening upon this?! I know they've cleared a lot of stuff away, but still. First a drought killed off dinosaurs, then years and years later there was a flood that brought more dinosaurs to this very spot. It's the most Jurassic dinosaur bones ever in one location. And those are Emil's crazy eyes. You should see the first four pictures I took of this. Stinkers gotta stink!
I couldn't leave without seeing Josie Basset Morris's homestead. She lived there alone for almost 50 years!
That's where Josie kept her animals. Look at the well-worn path, the rocky hill. Bridget is holding some thyme from the gurgling stream. I think Josie cracked the code - it was a pretty sweet set up.
Penelope didn't know WHAT was going on during this road trip. Bridget took very good care of her - Bridget even let Penelope puke into her hands so it wouldn't get on the hotel bed. That's a real mom move.
It started sprinkling, that's why Colin looks a little gangster in this photo. Can you see Penelope's tongue? That's how we know which end we're looking at. Ha! But for real - I stared and stared at her in the dark hotel room on the second morning and I DID NOT KNOW what I was looking at. Turns out she was looking right back at me. I think that's funnier than anyone I've told so far. :)
When we got back to our hotel, we cleaned up a little and walked across the parking lot to the Italian place Brian's friend had recommended. From the outside the place, Antica Forma, did not look like much, but it was very charming inside. I couldn't be more over pizza, you guys, but this place was AWESOME. I'd go back just to eat there again. Everyone but Emil was in heaven - Colin even said so out loud.
After dinner our plan was to go to the local rec center to swim. We made sure it was open, but when we got there all dressed in our swimsuits, they said they wouldn't open the pool until 6:00. Huh? It was about 5:00 at the time. We came back and watched a show and played with Penelope, who was acting strangely. Brian ended up taking the kids back to the pool while I stayed at the hotel with Penelope and let her play while I watched Parks & Recreation. I win.
This is an accurate representation of how the kids slept at our hotel in Vernal. This is a double bed. Emil coughed every other breath and ground his teeth, Bridget talks in her sleep and takes up way more room than you think. Bridget asked me which of the three of them I would choose to sleep by - Colin! Duh!
The next morning, Saturday, we had another nice breakfast at the hotel before packing up the van and going to the dinosaur museum across the street. Colin and Emil were still in the mood to learn more about dinosaurs. They loved the dinosaur garden.
I told them to act like they were being chased by that scary T-rex. Hmmm. We headed home from here and made it through a pretty scary snow storm in the canyon. As always, worth the trip. :)
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