Break a Leg!

Austen is going to be in her very first play this week, and she is SO excited! I am going to be out of town and am very sad I will miss it. I attended a couple of rehearsals and got a few pics... Corey will have to take lots and do some filming, too. She really does shine up there on stage, and I'm not just saying that because I'm her momma!

Knott's

We have gone to Knott's Berry Farm every Spring Break for about 5 years.... we LOVE it!!! The Christensen's have joined us for the past at least 3 years, and it has become a much anticipated tradition...

This year's adventure was a blast... the weather was perfect, the lines were 0-15 minutes for most rides, and the kids are getting older and they can actually go on crazy rides with us!! We got Noah and Mclane on the Xcelerator this year and they LIVED for it.... it's a humdinger!! I sat down next to Noah and said, "Son, this ride is going to rock your world.. You might pee in your pants." He looked at me, thought about it, and responded, "What if I do?"... He was SO cute...he loved it and went 5 more times!!

Austen is much more wary, but did try a new rollercoaster and went on the log ride twice!! (Trust me, this is progress!) Ellie went on everything she could, and Aidan begged to go on the things he couldn't. They spent LOTS of time in "Camp Snoopy", which is just for them, and rode EVERYTHING to their heart's content. Lynn joined us as well, which was such a treat! She has been going here for years and it was fun to hear the stories of how things used to be. Baby Mia was adorable and did so well on her first vacation, including sleeping through the night (twice!!)

The next day, we stopped by Knotts' replica of "Independence Hall". We have never done this before, and it was interesting. We watched a presentation of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and we all learned something new. A perfect trip and another fun memory. Until next year!

Easter Blessings!

We hope everyone is enjoying this Easter Sunday. We are so grateful for all our blessings as we take time to ponder and reflect upon the life and sacrifice of our Savior. We had such a nice day with our family...Corey's mom has been here, and my parents and brother joined us for Easter dinner. We also celebrated my mom's 60th birthday!! I love days like this... and am so happy to have pictures to preserve the memories.

Hangin' Loose...

We are in Hawaii!!! It is our first trip and it has been SO fun! We are having a blast with John and Camille! They have both been here before and it has been so nice to be "along for the ride". They know where to go and what to do and it's perfect!

We started out at the Polynesian Cultural Center and loved it! It was super interesting. The evening show was amazing. The next day we went to a flea market in the morning and bought fun treats for the kids. In the afternoon, we went to the USS Arizona Memorial. It was very moving to be there and learn more about this. My grandfather was nearby at the time and watching the video of the attack was fascinating. We finished up there and hiked to the top of Diamond Head before heading to the Hard Rock cafe for dinner. The next day we went and saw a Buddhist temple. The temple and the setting were gorgeous!! We also did a little snorkeling.. well, everyone but me. The weather has been a little colder than we imagined it would be... I don't get in water to swim if it's under 100 degrees out!! It actually rained on us quite a bit today, so I watched from the shore. Corey, Camille, and John had a great time out looking for fish and turtles and saw a ton of cool marine life. (I read a good book and was in heaven)... The last day we rode bikes a few miles down the North Shore and watched the ocean... I saw some of the biggest waves I've EVER seen! It was GORGEOUS!! We spent the rest of the day on the beach...every time we'd get all set up, it would rain on us! It got to be a joke... but, still SO fun and SO beautiful...

It has been WONDERFUL to just relax and not have to worry about anything... JUST what I needed! I talked with the kids tonight on the phone and they were having a great time first with Nana and Papa, and now with Grandma. (MAHALO!) Definitely a win-win for everyone!! I highly recommend a trip to paradise...

happy trails....

Cute Ellie picked her own party theme this year... camping. It was fun to think up things for the theme... Austen was a helpful "camp counselor", helping with arts and crafts, and leading the troop in a rousing rendition of "baby shark" around the camp fire. Nana, Papa, and Corey were so much help as well! We roasted hot dogs AND s'mores, went on a scavenger hunt to find their camp shirts, and even made a popsicle stick frame! Just like "camp". The girls were ADORABLE and SO good! Ellie is blessed with many sweet friends. Happy Trails, Ellie!

we love the snow!

Last weekend, on Ellie's birthday, we ALL headed up to Sierra Summit for some more powder. This time, Aidan and my niece Kiera tried out skiing, and Ellie strapped on a snowboard.

At the beginning of the day, I really wondered how it would all turn out. I tried to help Ellie, and it was like trying to hold up a wet noodle. Aidan was a little freaked out by the long things attached to his boots and the way he kept falling when trying to simply walk. It was funny, but not....

So, then came the lessons. YEA! We were all running back and forth, since we had 5 kids in three different lessons at different locations. (Austen and Noah were also busy skiing the "real" slopes...) A couple of hours later, it was amazing to see the improvement! Aidan kept telling me he didn't WANT to do "pizzas"... he wanted to go FASTER!!! We rode the "Magic Carpet" again and again and down he would go. SO CUTE! And Ellie! She got the hang of the snowboard so fast! She looked SO adorable with her little arm stretched out front and gliding down the hill. The day was a smashing success with 1) no blizzard, 2) no injuries, 3) tons of smiles. The Greenlaws might ALL be on the slopes next season! :) Thanks for a fun day, guys!
















Britt got all the video footage of the day... click here to see all the kids in action. (except for Noah, who was skiing the black diamond runs at the time)

March Birthday Mania

Corey had his birthday yesterday (I can't BELIEVE he's 40!!), and Ellie turns 6 tomorrow... Corey ALMOST got Ellie for a present on his birthday, but not quite. Corey- not so excited about his big day (but he LOVED ;) his sign... thanks, Camille!), and Ellie can't wait for hers! I love them both like crazy and wish them the very best for the next year of their lives!

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A natural!

We thought we'd see if Ellie could take her training wheels off, now that she's almost 6 and all.... It took her about 10 minutes to figure it out... and she's now riding like crazy. She went with her Dad and brothers to ride on a trail and LOVED it. "I didn't fall even ONE time, mom!" she told me proudly. Another biker in the family. We are so happy!