Easter 2011

We had a fun Easter season this year.  The boys attended THREE Easter egg hunts; one at preschool, one at the Church, and one at home after the Eater Bunny came.  Here are some pictures from the Easter Egg Hunt at the Church on Saturday April 23rd...

Christopher:

Nathanial:

The Find:

This is what the Easter Bunny left behind on Easter morning... New Church bags!!!  I am always trying to teach the boys the TRUE meaning of Easter and this year I decided that the Easter Bunny could bring new Church bags filled with Church appropriate items: CTR bands, future missionary banks, new crayons, new magnet puzzles, and of course there had to be candy in there too.

Nathanial was very happy to wake up and find what the Easter Bunny had left.  Nathanial was very concerned about the Easter Bunny coming on Sunday so we told him that he had to go to bed early so that he could come on Saturday night.

This is a sucker...

Nathanial was concerned about the Easter Bunny leaving eggs for us to find on Sunday so we told him the the Easter Bunny brought the eggs on Saturday but they were invisible until AFTER Church...

We had a wonderful Easter Season.  It is great to remember all that the Savior has done for us!

So the boys have not been wanting to hear what we have to tell them lately and here is how they have expressed their dissatisfaction at what we have to say:

When we tell Christopher no to anything or he doesn't like the answer that he got regarding one of his many requests for candy he will proceed to cover our mouths with both hands and put his face really close to ours and say, "You stop talking I ask Daddy (or mommy)"

Nathanial was not doing what he was supposed to do and throwing a fit because he got sent to his room. After a minute he demanded to be let out of his room and Kara proceeded to tell him why he couldn't come out and what he needed to do to get out. Nathanial starts to yell and then this is the conversation that follows:
Kara: Nathanial you're not listening to me.
Nathanial: I will listen if you stop talking!

Funny Story

Ryan was asked to help in Nathanial's class on Sunday and had the following experience:

During Junior Singing time the music director asked a question about one of the words in the song that they were singing.  Ryan leaned over and told the little girl who was sitting next to him.  She raised her hand and proceeded to tell the answer.  A little while later another question was asked but Ryan was busy trying to keep another child under control.  The little girl took Ryan's face in her hands and turned his to face her.  Ryan had no idea what she wanted so he said, "hi", she repeated after him in question form, "hi?" Ryan told her, "hi" again. She asked again, "hi?".  Ryan answered her with "hi". She raised her hand and confidently answered the question, "hi!".

36 Weeks

As of Sunday, April 17th I am 36 weeks! One more week and I am considered full-term.  My doctor will induce me any time after 37 weeks but I am wanting Emily to come on her own.  I am hoping that she is born on May 7th (that is the day that Ryan and I met 7 years ago)!

 

 

Emily's Room

We have been working on a few things for Emily's room and other than painting touch-ups (we are waiting on our landlord for that) her room is done.  I am very happy with the way that it turned out.  The boys are always saying how pretty it looks.  It all started back in December when we found out that we were having a girl that I decided that I wanted to paint all of the nursery furniture white.  I started to take the crib and changing table apart.  We then found out that our crib has been recalled twice for two different reasons.  We took it back to the store where we originally bought it back when I was expecting Nathanial and they returned it and gave us the full price that we paid for it over 4 years ago!  We ended up buying a new crib. Here are the pictures of her completed room:
Here are her headbands and bows: (I painted the frames and added the fabric and ribbon to them)

These are the pictures that we have been working on for FHE.  They were painted and I added stickers to them:

Christopher painted this one:

Nathanial painted this one:

Ryan painted this one:

Here is Emily's crib:

I hand quilted the blanket and made the pillows, bumper, and crib skirt:

This end table was given to us. Ryan took it apart, sanded it, added a new top and I painted it:

I painted the wall shelves and the changing table, Ryan put it together and added the green contact paper to the changing table shelves:

I also made matching curtains:

I originally got this idea from my friend, Jen.  I painted the frames and added in the letter E M I L Y:

This is across from her crib, it is a cross-stitched blanket that my mom made:

We have decided that this little girl's name is going to be Emily Lynn Jensen.  We both really like the name Emily and Lynn is my middle name.  Instead of calling her Emi for short we are going to call her Mily (Millie).  Millie is Grandma Jensen's mother.

Psi Omega Salsa Challenge

On Saturday April 9th Ryan's fraternity, Psi Omega, had a salsa challenge along with dinner and a pinata.  The boys loved the pinata:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Memory of Leon M Esplin

The Sunday that we headed back from Virginia we received some very sad news.  My grandfather, Leon Esplin, had passed away.  He will always be remembered as a fighter, someone who never gave up! He was fighting until the very end!

My Grandpa has been battling cancer for a few years now. Things would look good and then things wouldn't.  Earlier this year Grandpa went down to Salt Lake to have part of a tumor removed from his spine.  He was released from the hospital and came home.  One night Grandma noticed that the incision looked infected and took him the ER at EIRMC.  He was then life flighted to Salt Lake.  In Salt Lake they told him he had MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staph Aureus), a bacteria that is resistant to almost all antibiotics.  Since the bacteria was in his spine, brain, and heart there weren't any antibiotics that they could give him.  He was sent home to await his passing.  All of his children came to see him.  His body seemed to overcome the infection in his heart but he was unable to fight off the infection in his nervous system.

I wish that I could have been there and seen him one last time.  The last time that I saw him was last year when we were in Idaho.  Last summer he farmed his farm and moved pipe.  I am not sure if it has sunk in that he is gone.  I am glad that we named Christopher after my grandfather and I hope that he can live up to the name that he carries.

In Loving Memory of

Leon M. Esplin

Leon M. Esplin, 78, of Basalt, passed away at home on April 3, 2011.

Leon was born July 15, 1932 in Shelley, Idaho to Marion and Voilet Mitchell Esplin.  He grew up and attended schools in Shelley and Firth.

Leon was active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

On February 3, 1956 he married Leola May in the Idaho Falls Temple.

He is survived by his spouse, Leola of Basalt; his seven children, David (Angie) Esplin of Firth; Darin (Grace) Esplin of Diamond Bar, California; Diane (Leroy) Christensen of Rose; Delyn (Shelley) Esplin of Farr West, Utah; Deana (Hap) Johnson of Jackson, Wyoming; Debbie (Ross) Harris of Grace; Kent (Betty) Esplin of Roy, Utah; 31 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren, and his sister, Marilyn (Merlyn) Jolley of Firth.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, and one grandson, Eric Esplin.

Funeral Services will be 11:00 A.M. Friday April 8, 2011 at the Firth Stake Center (823 North 675 East) in Basalt. The family will receive friends Thursday evening from 6:00 till 8:00 P.M. at Nalder Funeral Home (110 West Oak) in Shelley and Friday 10:00 till 10:45 A.M. before the services at the church.  Interment will be in the Shelley Hillcrest Cemetery.