This about sums up how we have been feeling lately in the Smith house. We have each passed on this nasty little stomach bug that leaves you feeling... well, like this!

I apologize for my lack of updates and posts. I expect to resume my chronic picture uploading here shortly.

Thanks,

The mother of said sick family

The Chicks Go Outside!

It was finally warm enough for the chicks to get yard time. The chicks are big enough for us to let them run around without them sneaking out of the fence.

The kids loved it! We figured out that the Americanas and the Buff Orpington chickens are the most docile. They let you hold them and even will rest on your lap a while, if you are still and don't scare them. The Red leghorn chicks are just too fast and scare too easily to like to be handled. I am getting really excited for the time when these girls get all of their feathers in. They are changing so much! They are becoming so pretty. Our Buffs are getting really fat and poofy. The Americanas are colorful. Mine and Mason's are burnt orange and black while Brooklyn's is grey and speckled. The Reds are a really pretty dark red color. I'm looking forward to the time they will produce eggs for us!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! This year we were rushing about last minute to get eggs ready and lessons ready. By the time Easter Sunday arrived. I was pooped! I don't think I will ever again take a Spring Break right before a holiday.

I just love Easter! We asked the Easter bunny to please come while we were at church so the kids could have their lessons first and not be so hopped up on candy that they couldn't concentrate. It worked out pretty well! After church we went to my in-laws house where the kids got their baskets and did an egg hunt. We ate some very yummy food that my mother in-law made. It was a very nice day!

I am so thankful for the sacrifices the Savior made for each of us. I am amazed that he loved me so much to die for me. I am incredibly grateful for his resurrection. I am grateful my kids are learning this invaluable lesson. Even Brooklyn told me she bore her testimony in primary about how she knows Jesus was resurrected. And that we all may be resurrected one day and live together forever. I am so proud of my big girl! She is really beginning to grow in the gospel and gain her testimony.

Spring Break- Pikes Peak!

We went up to Pikes Peak on Friday. We could only go up to mile marker 13 out of 19 because the wind was very strong. We were a little bummed to not be able to go up to the summit but it was still very beautiful. We made it to the Glen-Cove gift shop. That was a little disappointing. It was very small and there was nothing to do but to turn back around again. The gorge was very pretty and we would have walked along it's bank but it was so windy and cold, no one wanted to be out of the car for long. I loved how pretty the peaks looked with the wind blowing the snow.

On Saturday afternoon, on our way home, Jeremiah really wanted papusas. He had tried to make them for me once before. They were pretty gross. But he kept raving about them so we went on a scavenger hunt to find the best papusas in Denver. The only rule was that Jer had to go into several places and ask in Spanish where to find them. Ha ha, it was so funny how every person's eye's got huge and they were shocked to hear this gringo speak!

We finally found a tiny place on Colfax Ave. I have to admit they were pretty tasty. Guess we'll have to go back one day. Or learn how to make them the right way. :-) We also picked up some Salvadorian Horchata while we were about. Its this very yummy milky/ rice drink flavored with vanilla and cinnamon.

Spring Break- Cave Of The Winds!

Friday we went to The Cave Of The Winds. It was so beautiful in Manitou! Brooklyn found the darkness and windiness of the cave to be a little scary. Especially when the tour guide turned off all the lights to show how dark it really is in a cave.

I loved the colors of the rock and the cave coral. It was amazing! Dallas was a handful but for the most part he was pretty good for his age. At the end of the tour, we saw the original opening to the cave. Two little boys found it and told their friends and family it was haunted. No one believed them but they checked it out anyway. I would definitely go back one day and take the lighted lantern tour. Sounds fun!

Spring Break-Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!

First we stopped at FARGOS. We love this place! This is our must eat place when we come to Colorado Springs. The pizza is the best, the atmosphere is great and I love the ice that you get with your rootbeer mugs!

Next we went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo! We love that zoo. The kids are always excited to feed the Giraffes crackers. Then we rode on the sky lift! Brooklyn was really scared at first but the second time we rode it, she loved it. Some of our favorite animals were the cute otters. They are always so playful. The kids loved the backyard section. They were able to chase and put some of the chickens. I loved the primates the best! The Orangutan would kiss the glass when Brooklyn put her face up to it. SO CUTE! It was such a pretty and fun day!