Duckling Days

Another one of the many reasons we love Columbus is the fantastic public library.  I have gone to this library more in the past year than I did my whole life in Rexburg.  The library their was just not so appealing and there was always something else to do I guess.  

Well, one of the great events at the library here is Duckling Days.  They have done it every year for like 20 years.  We found out about it at story time and picked up our sweet duck costume packet.  They have kids walk, ride, crawl whatever they want in a parade that wraps around the library and down two blockes of Columbus's main street and then back to the library.  Kayt was so excited that she got to be in a parade!!  Scott helped here fashing a sweet duck costume the night before the event.  

After the parade we went into the library for some fun crafts and a puppet show.  It was a great day!
 

Kayt and I in the parade

Ella loving Scott's mask!

  

My Beautiful Girls

We were playing one day and I thought my girls were just so cute I had to take some pics.  Kayt and Ella make me happier than I could possibly express.  I really don't know how to express how much love I have for these two.  It almost make my heart hurt.  If that makes sense.  They are such a joy.  Kayt is getting so big now.  She and I have the funnest conversations.  She is so curious and asks why about everything.  It really makes me think sometimes.  I decided I am going to just list some of the things I love about Kayt and Ella so here it goes.  

KAYT:

says thankyou all the time

tells me she loves me whenever she feels like

expresses sincere appreciation for a good meal

"dinner is delicious, Thanks mom"

"this is my little sister Elwa"

"these are my elbows"

"The bug is not in my tummy anymore mom!"

"look at this pineacle (reffering to a pinecone)

"I love wood peckers"

dances so expresively

blessed grandpa to do okay with his chemo (how did she pick up on that?)

loves to sit, literally, in the shower

loves to dance cwazy to the music

loves to look at the stars

has picnics with her prince in the back yard

loves to play at the park

is so snuggly and loves to cudle and read books

has the best crusty face ever

loves playing pretend

has such a sweet testimony and tells me about Jesus and Heavenly Father often

makes up her own songs

loves helping in the kitchen

gives me private ballet recitals

gets so exited when she does something on her own she didn't think she could do

plugs her nose when she goes poop!  the apple doesn't fall far from the tree

"mom I smelled ella's bumb and she doesn't stinks" 

she is very sensitive to smells

bargains with me all the time

is my little princess through and through

ELLA:

the happiest little girl I have ever seen

loves to swing

says ah-oh

talks on the phone

loves to play peekabo, chase, anything

gets very excited and tenses up when someone is chasing her

give wonderful Ella snuggles

teases Kayt

laughs at herself

sings when there is music

has the most sing-song inflection in her voice, I could listen it for hours

loves to stand at the front door and look outside

tries to dance like Kayt

THE ELLA SHUFFLE!

loves dogs and say WUF WUF whenever she sees one

signs please when she wants water

loves cheese

says NA NA for a snack 

Smacks her lips when something is really good

loves to read books, epecially Elmo puppet book (she grabs his hands and hugs her face with them)

loves to do patty cake, especially rolling it

loves looking at pictures of family and gets so excited each time she does

loves to play in the bathtub, gets excited with the mention of it

So curious, always in the middle of everything

loves KAYT!!!

I am so lucky.  Heavenly Father has blessed me more than I can express.  I love being a mom!

Fun Pics Jake took of the Girls

Jake took some great pictures of the girls while he was here.  He really is quite artistic.  It was so much fun to have him here.   He is so fun and funny and you see things with a whole new eye when he is around.  We are going to miss him so much when he goes on his mission in May.  He will be such a good missionary though.  We can't keep him just for ourselve forever I guess.  Thank you for coming out buddy!  We love you.
 

I love Ella's Blue Eyes

Kayt Dancing

The Classic Crusty Face

 

Fun at the Zoo

Vist to Washington D.C.

So we took advantage of Scott's spring break and headed to Washington D.C. to do some site seeing and find some potential places to live.  My brother Jake flew out and came a long.  It was so fun to have him with us.  Jake just has an energy that is contagious and made the trip so much more fun.

We started the seven hour drive a little later than anticipated but were still able to see the beauty of West Virginia for the first time.  It really is a beautiful state.  It was fun to see it through the eyes of those who have never seen the trees of the East.  It really is beautiful.

The first night of the trip started off a little crazy as we tried to figure out how to squeeze 5 people in one king sized bed.  The awesome(?) hotel decided a king bed was okay for 3 adults and 2 children and didn't have anything else available.  Jake, bless his heart, ended up sleeping on the padded bench with some sheets and pillows.  The next morning, while Scott and I were getting girls bathed and ready I went back into the main part of the room and found Jake sprawled on the bed, dead asleep.  The bench just didn't cut it I guess.

Thursday we looked at different apartments and worked our way closer to downtown.  By Thursday night we were all pretty beat so we just went swimming and fell asleep to The Office.  Friday morning started off with a tour of the Capitol building.  It was, as always fantastic.  It was so fun to be there with someone who had never seen it before.  It makes you realize how incredible it really is.  

We then hoped on a trolley and hit some more sites.  Kayt loved the trolley ride.  She felt it was her own personal parade.  She waved the whole time.  It wasn't to anybody in particular, just waving.  We had to constantly remind her to keep her hand in the window so it didn't get taken off by a passing car!  Friday we did the memorials, Arlington National Cemetery, which is always a sobering experience, and went to the National Cathedral.  While at Arlington we were also able to see the changing of the guard.  

Jake almost got beat up by a homeless guy he accidentally bumped in to.  Okay not really but we were both a little nervous as the guys stared Jake down.  All Jake could do was smile at him.  It was pretty funny.  

We went to the National Museum of Art and saw some fantastic artwork.  We saw Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, da Vinci, Van Eyck, Renoir and on and on.  It was beautiful.  Of course all security eyes were on me.  I gave them their most excitement for the day I guess.  A women with two kids are a super threat apparently?!

The trolley took us through Foggy Bottom and Georgetown and we were really able to get a feel for the city.  

It was so much fun.  I am going to just throw the pictures up and write what each is.  Enjoy!!

Kayt and Jake had a great time in the back seat!

  

Lincoln Memorial

 

WW II Memorial and Washington Monument

 

Arlington National Cemetery and Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier

  

The White House

 

Dinner in Union Station

 

Korean War Memorial

 

The Jefferson Memorial (my personal favorite)

Iwo Jima Memorial (memorials are the best seen at night)

  

The Cherry Blossoms  Lunch in the Park (we threw a piece of bread in the are for a seagull to snag which it did, and some cranky men got mad at me.  It was pretty funny.  I almost threw a piece on their table as we were walking by, but decided I wasn't that immature.

  

The National Cathedral (it was a favorite for everyone)

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (one big Whale)

 

Kayt being Cute Cute Ella

 

United States Capitol