When you wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are.

We weren't sure that we were going to take our annual spring Disney trip this year since we had recently been there over the holidays... but when the cool air turned warmer and the bad memories of type B Flu in California last time still lingered, we began to get the itch. Once Isabelle brought home her mid-term report card and Ben saw that she had missed very few days of school this year, he was convinced that we needed to plan a trip and get out of town FAST. We decided on Mothers Day weekend at Disneyland and quickly got Tara on board and before you know it, were packing our bags for sunny California.

The girls were beyond excited as expected and loved packing all of their Minnie clothes in their suitcases. They have become fabulous travelers and the nearly 4 hour flight was quickly behind us and we found ourselves checked in at the Disneyland Hotel. We spent the next 5 days park hopping, eating fun foods, swimming, shopping and having too much fun. We had plenty of time this trip to take it easy and we took advantage by riding the Disney train and trolley around the park, watched multiple fabulous shows, enjoyed the resort pools and slept in as long as we could.







This was the first trip that the girls were really able to stay up late after that first night or two fighting the time change and most days we enjoyed another trip back to the park in the evening to watch the parade and close the park down. Isabelle really loved riding anything fast, high and dangerous and Tower of Terror, California Screaming and Space Mountain were her ( and Ben's ) favorite rides. Olivia was in love with the characters and would wait in any line to meet and greet them. She wouldn't miss the parade every single day and of course loved riding everything in Fantasyland.








It was a unique place to spend Mothers Day and the girls were so proud to present me with a corsage courtesy of the park. California was experiencing unseasonably hot weather for our visit, but the dry air felt nice and the mornings and evenings were lovely. So far we have lengthened and lengthened our Disney trips and still have not ever been ready to leave when it's time to pack our bags yet again. It truly is the Happiest Place on Earth when you have little girls and we are so glad that we have these memories we all share. When we are surrounded by all of the Disney charm it makes us believe that They Lived Happily Ever After is in fact a reality.

April showers....but I don't think it ever rained.

April flew by with lots of sunshine and time outside. We rode bikes, ate snowcones, played at the park and stayed busy. The girls both had fun events at school and Ben was the WatchDog at school one day and made Belle so proud. We played family Rockband, babysat Leo, baked treats and visited multiple pet stores to hold guinea pigs. We have enjoyed a lovely Spring for the deep south of Texas and I am always so happy that I get to spend my days with the ones I love best.

Izzy the soccer star

Isabelle had a great Spring soccer season. She played on the same Rush soccer team as Fall season and really seems to grow and thrive under Coach Chris. He is the perfect balance of tough and serious mixed with fun and silly and his coaching really seems to click with Belle. (He calls her Izzy which is always funny to hear.) This season she moved from her usual defensive position, which she prefers, to a great offensive player as well. She learned to love playing forward and scored goals in multiple games. She even managed two goals in a single game one Saturday. She loved going to both her team and professional practice each week and most of the time Ben drove carpool for her and BFF Abby which made it even more fun for the girls and by default made Ben an assistant coach. Olivia has gotten to know the little siblings of Belle's teammates and spent a good portion of her time playing in the dirt and eating snacks with friends. She asked us several times when her season was going to start again, but Ben and I just couldn't bring ourselves to face another round of 3 year old soccer. (We will revisit soccer for Olivia in the future.) As luck would have it, this Spring was cooler than normal and the games were quite lovely for the most part. We love watching Isabelle learn and grow and her passion for sports continues to burn. Undefeated two years in a row...no wonder they call themselves The Dream Team.

Easter

Spring is always a favorite time of year. With warmer temperatures and things blooming in color, you can't help but be happy. One of the highlights of this time of year is always the Easter holiday. This Spring was no exception. We colored eggs on a sunny morning, Livi had a hunt with other preschoolers and made several Easter projects at school. We enjoyed a fun Easter hunt and BBQ at Grandma and Grandpa's and woke up on Easter Sunday with baskets and lots of chocolate eggs from the Bunny. It was a whirlwind of a holiday but we enjoyed every activity along the way. And of course, we are grateful for the reason of the season. We enjoyed watching the scripture story DVD with the girls about the Crucifixion and Resurrection and felt like they understood it all just a little bit more this year. What a beautiful time of year.

Fair are the meadows,

Fairer the woodlands,

Robed in the flowers of blooming spring;

Jesus is fairer,

Jesus is purer.

He makes the sorrowing spirit sing.

Checking off Month 3, March.

Lots of busy and important days during the month of March. The weather turned warmer and we spent mounds of time outside enjoying the sun before the real heat set in. The girls love to play together and are happiest when they are busy. I think the old saying is true...Time flies when you are having fun!

Baptism Day

Isabelle chose to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on March 29th, 2014. It was one of the most important decisions she will ever make and she made her parents very proud. She prepared by reading and writing in a Great to be 8 booklet that her Primary President gave her and she had an interview with Bishop Ryan all on her own. A few days before the big day, she confided in us that she wasn't sure she was ready to be baptized! She knew she would then be held accountable and sweet Belle worried she may not make the right choice with every decision. We promised her that doing her best was good enough and hopefully calmed her jitters.



Her baptism day was perfect. She started with an early soccer game and then changed her cleats for a beautiful white dress that Grammie made. Most of her favorite people were able to be there with her and even her BFF from school, Emily and her family were able to come. After the short and sweet ceremony, we celebrated with the family out to dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. That night happened to be the first ever General Young Women/Relief Society Broadcast and girls 8 and up were invited to attend. It had been a long day and Belle was spent, so we opted to watch it with Grandma Ruth and Great Grandma Nathala in the comforts of our own living room in our pjs. It was fun to see Belle listen and sing along with the speakers and that night when her heavy head hit the pillow, I knew she had felt the comfort of the Holy Ghost. A special day for a sweet girl. We love you, Isabelle.