This week raced by! The boys have spent every spare moment outside playing on the basketball hoop. Jack is the reigning champion of Around the World and will gladly challenge anyone who is feeling lucky.
It started off awesome, with a surprise visit from Grandma and some good cousin time on Monday. Grandma took the Nilsson kids to their homeschool co-op group while Ruth came over with baby Millie to make Garrett's requested birthday treat. Ruth, you should post that brownie recipe on the blog. Delicious! Then Grandma brought the kids back to play and Ruth and I made mom sit down and watch Fixer Upper with us. Lori, we missed you! We've all read the book that Chip and Jo (Fixer Upper hosts) wrote (title: The Magnolia Story) and it was fun to have that background story as we watched their show. That night we proceeded to eat the yummy brownies Ruth had made and had fun watching Garrett hunt for his presents. Eliza couldn't resist helping him with some good hints which was hilarious!
It was Spring Break for all the kids here so we spent some time with friends. We toured a local greenhouse with another family of boys and the kids got to see how the planting happens and they each potted up a flower to take home. Putting their plants on the conveyer belt to got through the watering system was the favorite part. We also enjoyed root beer floats and banana splits with another family on Friday night, where we were introduced to their new baby ducks. Needless to say, baby ducks are now on the boys' growing menagerie list. Why do baby ducks seem to stay cuter longer than baby chicks who turn ugly and awkward overnight?
We've ordered our fruit trees, decided on a chicken coop plan, and established the other major areas of our yard that we want to work on this year (i.e. kids play place and a berry patch). It's sooo nice to be out of the house and breathing some fresh air.
I finished an excellent book this morning called Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin. She is the author of The Happiness Project and Happier at Home which are also phenomenal. Better than Before is about habit formation and was super mind expanding for me. I think there are certain speaker/authors/people who, for whatever reason, we relate to better or at least who seem to say things in a way that really makes sense to us and for me that has been Gretchen Rubin. I highly recommend all of her stuff. Highly!
Alex was asked to form a team for a flag football league and they had their first game on Saturday. The boys and I went to watch. It was so fun! Garrett is on the team too and he and Alex both had some really great plays and they boys and I cheered our heads off! One guy on the other team broke a tooth (yikes!) but other casualties were avoided. We just wish that Alex, Scott, Thomas, Nick, and Dad were here and could be on the team. You guys would dominate! We'll have to save some time for a game or two at the Family Gathering.
Saturday we also spent some time at a new vacation rental we are going to open soon. A man named Mike Groth contacted Alex a few weeks ago and told him how Mike's wife had died last year and he had this big property with multiple houses/cottages on it and he was wondering if Alex could help him turn one into a vacation rental. We went to take a look and were thrilled to find out that it is an estate that we have always had our eye on here in Idaho Falls. It is so pretty and will be so fun to list! The boys loved Mike and he took them for a ride around the property on his golf cart which cemented his status as the coolest old man they had ever met.
We're looking forward to General Conference this coming weekend and would love to host anyone who would like to get away for a weekend. We will be eating Conference Crepes and if Jack has his way, maybe even some salmon. Also, FYI: the tickets for the Idaho Falls Temple open house will be available starting April 3rd. It will run all through April and May. We would also love to host anyone interested in attending that. Shameless pitches for your company, I know, but we believe in bribery at the Hart house.
Can't wait for another week! It's means its that much closer to Family Gathering time!
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