Kobe brought along his Webkinz Buffalo to visit the zoo buffaloes. There were lots of kids around when we got there, so he was a little shy to hold up his Webkinz. We snuck a quick picture though.
The zoo has a rainforest building, "Rainforest Falls", which the kids really enjoyed with waterfalls and exotic animals and birds.
Jackson fell in love with the Sea Lions for some reason. Every time they'd swim by he'd say, "Awww" , as if they were the cutest animal he's ever seen.
End of the day with a snack and drink for the ride home...
We also took a couple of trips to the school playground. They got a new one this year and Kobe's been dying to try out the part that is reserved for the 3-5 grades. (He's in 2nd.) Everyone enjoyed our time there- especially Jackson who I had to carry to the car kicking and screaming when it was time to go.
The girls and I had a little adventure of our own, using a spa gift certificate Greg got me almost a year ago and was about to expire. We scheduled manicures! The girls were so excited for this and quite enjoyed the experience. After watching the pedicures nearby, Jillie is dying to try that some day. Reagan was pleased that she could get french tips.
On the way home they insisted they needed haircuts, so we stopped in for those as well.
Jillie with bangs...
and Reagan, short again...
One pair had a lost shoe, one had a broken shoe. Luckily she found the lost shoe and I HOPE she got rid of the broken pair.
22. She has always felt at home in nature.
23. She enjoys camping in the mountains.
Dad flew out to help too and they've turned this...
...in to this...
27. Her nieces and nephews think she's a wonderful aunt!
28. She once lit off illegal fireworks in an Iowa field on New Year's Eve.
29. She has inherited Grandma Nellie's energy and enthusiasm. I didn't realize til recently looking at this picture how much they look alike.
30. Sunny is giver of meaningful gifts.
31. Sunny has had Church callings in Primary, Relief Society, and most recently Young Women's. She dying to get a calling in their new ward since they have been there since March without callings. 
Who wants to make pretty eggs and hide them in the fridge anyway? So next year, find a large needle or a nail and poke a hole in the end of an egg. Gently swirl the nail around in there to break up the yolk. Poke a hole in the other end as well.
Now, blow. Yes, it looks gross. Some about make you pass out from blowing so hard. Breaking the yolk is important to staying conscious. :)
I used to make french toast out of the blown out material, til the family decided it was just too gross!
Rinse eggs, blow any water out, and you're ready to decorate.
SATURDAY: 
Then the hunt. 
We had to hunt early since Jillie and I went to the Palmyra Temple on a youth temple trip.
Our friends- The Lewis' and The Christensen's- came over in the afternoon for dinner. We had 6 adults and 12 kids. Good food. Good times! (And I was happy with how the egg centerpieces looked on the tables!)
After dinner was the Easter Egg Hunt. Since we began celebrating Easter with these families a few years ago, we've added some money to the eggs per their traditions.
Our kids couldn't be happier that some eggs have cold hard cash in them. Most of the kids are old enough now that they couldn't care less about the candy- just the money! Jillie figured out that she should just walk around shaking eggs and only keep the ones that rattled.
Checking the loot- adding up the money!
They had fun playing soccer tonight and next week will be a trip to a police station. Not too bad. He had lots of fun. I listened in on one of the boys saying the closing prayer tonight. In it he asked that "no one would get in an accident on the way home and have their car smashed into a million pieces." Now that's a cub scout prayer! I'm glad he gets his time now to hang out with the boys, doing things that boys do, working on his scouting and Faith in God goals, and building stronger relationships with his church friends.
7. He is a creator of art. 
8. He loves his parents, sisters (even though he can really be the "
Crazy? Yes, but anything to get these two brothers to spend some time together is a good thing in my book. They've played ball together their whole lives- along with their other 3 brothers and their dad. Basketball is a Garrick family tradition... sometimes it's the glue that keeps them together. :) After his long flight here, the first thing Rick did, before even walking into the house, was to play with the kids outside. They became instant friends with their uncle who they haven't seen in over two years! (Yes. Two whole years! Sad isn't it?)
...with a break or two to write in chalk whenever Jackson demanded it.
That night was game night. It was like a star had come to town. Greg talked up his brother's abilities on the court so much that a couple of his friends came just to watch.
City Hall has a very cool art deco feel.
We even have a Frank Lloyd Wright house (complex, actually) in Buffalo. 
Who knew?
Some get bit by the acting bug, others never return to the stage, but at least they tried it out. This year's play (written by one of the teachers) was about the Pan American Expo of 1901.
I had no idea there had been an historic world's fair right here! Reagan got to play the part of an Hawaiian dancer. She looks like a native Hawaiian doesn't she? ;)
Another piece of cutting edge technology on display at the Expo was the x-ray machine. When McKinley was shot, they couldn't find the bullet in his body, but thought it best to not dig around too much for it, for fear of doing more damage. The doctor who operated (who was actually an gynecologist!) decided not to use the x-ray machine because he did not know what effect it might have on the president. Ironically too, with all of the exterior lighting, there were no electric lights in the operating room. They couldn't use candlelight because of the flammable ether used to keep the president unconscious. So the doctors were forced to use pans to reflect sunlight onto the operating table.
