Tales from the Taylors: April

April Fool's Day is such a fun day with the kiddos. This year we had meatball and mashed potato "cake pops" with rice crispy "tacos". The kids had a fun time with the meal.

Crumbled brownies for the meat with green and yellow coconut for lettuce and cheese topped with strawberry tomatoes.

Cuz everyone dresses up like a witch to call Pop and listen to General Conference!

Nothing like snuggling a sweet little baby while listening to Conference!

Filling our "Conference" bags with treats labeled with "buzz words". Anytime Jesus Christ was said we put in a handful of popcorn into our bags. The kids did a great job listening while we did this.

Look at that silly grin. We sure love our Nevaya

When I hold her she wraps her arm around mine and holds on tight like a little monkey

She wasn't too happy with her dr. appointment. Shots are no fun!

Just hanging out

Daniel found this one night when he checked on the sleeping kids

This day was THE WORST in the history of children! Nevaya wouldn't fall asleep for her afternoon nap, so I put her in the stroller and went for a walk. We stopped at Julia's house and then a group of us went to the park-with Nevaya crying the whole time. I thought the stroller ride would calm her to sleep. NOPE! I picked her up once we got to the park and held her in my arms rocking her hoping that would do the trick. NOPE. I was so done! She was fussy all through dinner and so after dinner while Daniel was putting the older kids to bed I put her in her carseat and we drove up and down Mtn. View Corridor she finally fell asleep...just as I was driving home cuz Daniel had a Church basketball game. I sat in the van for a bit to make sure Nevaya was asleep and then tried to transfer her into her bed. She woke up crying. I hopped in the shower and she was still crying!!! I sat in the rocking chair with her and held her until she fell asleep. She didn't fall asleep until 8:30!!! I was so tired I climbed into my bed and fell asleep.

Variah went to a friend's circus birthday party. She came home with so many fun treats and prizes

They even had a petting zoo at the party!

Daniel and Everett picked Variah up so Everett got to experience the petting zoo too.

Daniel and the kids did the 4Life 5k in the rain this year. Nevaya and I were safe and dry at home

For Family Home Evening I taught a lesson using symbols of the resurrection in these 6 eggs. It was a quick but hopefully meaningful lesson about why we celebrate Easter.

We finished up the lesson with resurrection rolls. We got the recipe and idea from Daniel's sister Anna. The rolls go around a marshmallow and when you bake it the marshmallow melts into the dough and "disappears" and leaves the roll empty. It is symbolic of the empty tomb.

Variah colored this picture and for whatever reason decided that Hello Kitty needed to wet her pants on the rug and be sad about it! That imagination!!

Nevaya wasn't a fan of the clown nose

Somehow this girl got her hair caught on the hangers in her closet?!

Testing out her blessing dress to make sure it was going to fit on the actual blessing day. Ciara made the rose headband for Nora but it didn't fit. So Nevaya was testing it out too.

More Milk. Somedays I feel like that is how the day goes-I'm a milk cow supplying her with More Milk

Cute outfit from my friend Cindy that she gave to Variah that Nevaya was able to wear

Variah wanted to make a bird to sit on her finger. So I drew it and she colored it and taped it onto a twist tie to go around a finger.

He thought it was pretty funny to wear my shoes

Nothing like a sweet sleeping baby!

I love seeing Nevaya wearing the same clothes that Variah did as a babe

We got a knock on our door and found that we had been "egged"...there were candy filled easter eggs all over our yard. The kids loved it!

Decorating easter eggs with food coloring and shaving cream. They did not work out like they were supposed do. But the mess was fun for the kids!

Just dressing up in the winter hats, scarves and gloves

I went to check on Nevaya and found this! While she was sleeping she moved the blanket above her head. And yes, she's in our bathroom. In order to get her to sleep and stay asleep I have to put her in the bathroom away from the noises in the family room and turn on the bathroom fan providing white noise. That is the only way she will nap.

Easter Egg hunt at Pop and Larlie's

Variah collected the yellow eggs

Trey gathered all the orange ones

Everett found all the green ones

He loved this Easter cuz he actually figured out how to find the eggs

The neighbor's cute little bunny decoration

Carsten collected all the blue eggs

Nevaya got a darling outfit for her Easter gift from Pop and Larlie and the kids got some fun window clings, coloring books and treats from Tahiti.

I got this awesome bath bomb!

Chelsea gave this outfit to Variah and now Nevaya is wearing it

Easter dinner at the kids table

Easter Morning the kids woke up so excited to find their eggs and baskets

My basket on the left and Daniel's on the right

Everett got a shark kite and some construction truck books

Variah got a fish kits and a Disney Princess coloring poster

Wearing her ducks for Easter

Look how cute they are in their Easter Clothes

They have to do a silly pose

We were playing outside and variah climbed into the car with Everett, barely fitting. But they were both quite pleased they could both fit.

I organized the garage with all the kid toys. We called it the parking garage. Each toy had a specific place to go with a label to help friends out.

I even made a "bike rack" out of a costco box for the bikes without kickstands.

We love her smiles

Variah likes to scratch things into to fridge. This is the second offense!

Daniel left for work while Everett was still eating his german pancakes. I came out of the bathroom to find that Everett had helped himself to some powdered sugar for his German Pancakes. I couldn't even see them on his plate.