Lindsey graduated from Preschool. Her teacher, Miss Alison was so good to let her join in for the last 2 months.
Alison gave the kids a butterfly catcher and a kite for graduation. They were really cute.
Lindsey is reciting her rhyme. Each child was given a rhyme to say at graduation. Lindsey recited "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." She said it all by herself!
Lindsey with her Preschool Class.Braeden is delighted with "his" new to us 4-wheeler. I was a little nervous with him riding the "big" 4-wheelers (at least that is what I told Steve)...really I just wanted to buy one. Part of the fun of living on the farm is being able to ride 4-wheelers. It is only an 80 cc so it doesn't go very fast. Now that he "knows" how to ride this one, it doesn't go fast enough. He wants to ride the big ones. I told him that is EXACTLY why I bought this one for him, and Kylie. Kylie has finally learned to ride this one. She didn't want to ride it because she had to learn to shift the gears. On the big ones she could put it in 2nd gear and just go. Now they can go on their own 4-wheeler with the big kids to change sprinklers. He already lost the only key to it. And you can't just go buy a key. You have to buy the starter switch. I think $55.00 is pretty expensive for a key! I told him not to worry that he will be able to work it off for me. Most of the houses we are looking at buying don't have any grass...just lots and lots of rocks. Probably more that $55.00 worth of rock moving. I figure I will make out pretty good!
This was the end of the year program that Koosharem Elementary performed. For those of you who know Kylie and Braeden this was a remarkable event. They have NEVER wanted to perform in a school program. Braeden participated in one, I think. They are both so shy that I could never get them to. Not only did they participate they both played the recorder and line danced to Rascal Flatts song, "Bob that Head." It was so much fun watching. I got so wrapped up in the moment, this is the only picture I managed to take. Note: Braeden is wearing a PINK shirt. He begged me to buy it for him. They need a spring-colored shirt for the program. He said "all of his friends were wearing pink." Apparently, Pink is the "in" thing at Koosharem Elementary this year!
We made volcanos for the Webelos Geologist Activity Badge. It was really fun....no, Braeden is not a Webelos. He was there because he was helping us out with a skit we were performing at pack meeting.
We added orange food coloring to the "lava" for "dramatic effect!"
Here are some pictures of our night with the Stallions. We learned the history of the Stallions. It was really interesting. We learned that they were almost destroyed during WWII and General Patton saved them so they do a tribute to America at the beginning of every show.
I took this picture to show how close we were. I could have petted them if I leaned forward a little. I didn't know it when I bought the tickets so we were surprised. Kylie was really excited..until we were spit on by a passing Stallion!
This one was our favorite...from Spain.
This was when they were doing the introductions. This was the last one out. The announcer said he wasn't suppose to bow like this....the Stallion did this on his own. Kylie turned 10 on April 26th. I know every mom probably says, "Where has the time gone?" But really....where has it gone? I can remember the day she was born like it was yesterday...well at least last week. I hope I can remember it in another 10 years. Kylie's main present was tickets to see the Lipizzaner Stallions. She LOVES horses and I thought it would be fun to take her.
Koosharem Elementary had a candy hunt...um pick up, not really a hunt, for the kids. They got so much candy the Easter Bunny saved a lot of money on candy at our house. Kylie's age group went on a treasure hunt (complete with a GPS) for her candy, so no picutres. I forgot to bring their Easter baskets from Texas so Grandma found some in the basement!
My kids love to color easter eggs. I buy a dozen for each of them, cook them all the day before...it takes 2-3 big stock pots. We dye them on Friday and they are "ready to roll" the next day. Steve's family ate their easter eggs. I always thought that was odd. We prefer to roll them down the sand dunes and watch them break apart.
This is what we woke up to the Saturday before Easter. This is why we all pile in a car and drive 2 hours to go Eastering in Wayne County. It's always warmer over there. 
In my family, Easter is a verb known as "Eastering." The Saturday before Easter we go over to the Wayne County sand dunes and go "Eastering." Eastering is a tradition in the Brown (my mother's family not Steve's side of the family) family to have a picnic, roll easter eggs down the mountain, ride 4-wheelers, shoot guns and visit with family. It was a pretty nice day, a little chilly, but overall it was nice.
The kids climb up the sand dunes and roll their brightly colored eggs down the hill...some throw them from the top as the parents watch from below. Then they all slide down the hill on their bottoms...not a day to wear your new Easter clothes. Braeden and some of the other kids got bored with the whole egg thing. They found an old snow sled that someone had left there and decided to ride it down the sand hill. It went a little faster than anticipated. Braeden was going down the hill on the sled head first and couldn't stop. He hit the bottom of the hill, flew over a 3 ft drop off and landed face-first in a "pokey" bush. He was a little banged up, scared but mostly embarassed, I think.
Eastering was usually a day that we celebrated Grandma Brown's birthday. Her birthday is on April 10th and we combine it with Easter and a family reunion. Grandma passed away last August. This was the first Easter without her. It was different but I know that she was their in spirit. So we decided to celebrate my mom's birthday. Hers is the 13th of April. You'll understand the cake in the next post!
Sam shooting his new .22 rifle. He let Braeden try a few shots too.
This is a picture of Sam and Lindsey flying a kite up on the hill. Can't really see them but you can see the kite in the sky. It was a perfect day for flying kites.
Sam was amazed that his egg made it to the bottom of the hill in one piece....some egg! I always take a picture of the kids on Easter morning in their new Easter clothes. The only kids to get new Easter clothes were Kylie and Lindsey. In years past I made their new dresses....getting lazy in my old age.
