Spring break 2014

Super LONG post! I did all Spring Break in one post.

Don't forget to go look past Spring Break, I've been working on the blog to update it!

Technically Spring Break started Wednesday afternoon when the kids got out of school early but we had baseball and softball and tball games so really our break started on Thursday.

I bought a KSL deals to the Tree House Museum in Ogden, I have heard wonderful things about the museum so we drove up to check it out.

The museum is in a great area, across the street from the Odgen LDS Temple and in an area by a movie theater, the surf place, lots of restaurants and fun!

The main floor had lots of trains and encouraged children to climb on it. That's a first!

The museum had hands on experiences of all kinds including a farm. You could milk a cow, ride a cow, ride a horse. 

Do a puppet show. 

Play an electronic game--go figure Jack found this one!

Peter Cottontails House

Fire Department

Great area for babies

Oval Office

Music Room

Just to name a few! There were a couple buses on field trip at the museum but the museum kept them occupied and they were only allowed free time to explore the 3 story museum for 20 minutes--that's when we went to lunch! 

We went and ate pizza and walked around the square. The kids could have spent 10 hours here but we had a baseball game, needed to go see Grammie, and a nap! 

So this is the Ogden Temple! What!! Doesn't even look the same!

As a youth, I attended the Ogden Temple to do baptisms for the dead and it didn't look like this. It is still under construction, has been for 3 years, but it is having a transformation and looks so much like temples throughout the valley. Still gorgeous! Hopefully they'll have an open house so we can go see the insides.



We were so busy the poor dishes didn't get touched for 3 days! Love my new big sink! It can hold lots!



Friday. We stuck around the house, colored eggs, cleaned and just had a lazy morning. Later that night, we headed down to Lehi to attend a viewing for Leo Hartwell Loveridge, Mike's grandpa. Grandpa fell in March and had been at IMC recovering and then was moved to a care facility where he later died on April 12. Mike has 17 cousins and ALL were in attendance at the funeral. Here's some cousins and brothers:
Kevin Loveridge, (Cousin)  Bill Loveridge, (brotehr)  Mike Loveridge, Seth Johnson,(cousin) Sean Loveridge (Brother). WE ate dinner at JCW's in Lehi. Yummy! And full of laughter following the viewing.


Earlier we colored eggs. Each child, Mike included, gets a dozen eggs to color! Lilly didn't get into it as much as I thought she would, Mike decorated her eggs. Lexi and Jack and Maddy enjoyed coloring eggs.

Saturday morning we went down to Lehi for the funeral. Julie aka Grandma arranged for a babysitter so I could enjoy the funeral and not chase Lilly. Lexi decided playing in the church's nursery would be awesome also!

Before the funeral, we asked the kids to line up for a picture. Lilly has a mind of her own in the picture taking process.

 We all are wearing a pin that Grandpa always wore on his suit coat. It is a USARPAC Insignia from WWII. Grandpa served in Hawaii following the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Mike designed a handout and everyone (well almost everyone) was given a pin to wear to remember Grandpa.

 The funeral services were short and brief and beautiful and wonderful and spiritual and well done. There wasn't a dry eye in the building. Even Jack, when we sang the opening song "O My Father" said "mom, I can't breathe," he too was overcome by the spirit. Mark the youngest son did a life sketch, which again brought tears and laughter to the room and then each grandchild was given the opportunity to share an experience of Grandpa. The cousins and cousins in laws did beautiful musical numbers.  It was a very spiritual day filled with love, laughter and family. After the funeral and grave side services, we enjoyed lunch at the church. We snuck in a few family photos.

This is Brent & Julie's original 6.
Mike, Tonya, Bill, Julie, Brent, Dan, Heather, Sean

 And then all of us except Linzy & 4 kids who didn't make it for the funeral. They live in Maryland. 25 in the family, does that sound right Julie? PS I stole these from your blog! As you can plainly see.

After lunch, we went to Grandma's house and had a giant Easter egg hunt. It was the day before Easter and we wanted to have an egg hunt. Here are lots of great grandkids, grandkids, and kids waiting to hunt! Grandma & Grandpa had 4 kids, 17 grandchildren and have 35 great grandchildren.  Here is a link to his obituary.

 I've said back when Lilly was born that we didn't have a name for her and none really felt right except Lillian. Lillian is named after Grandpa's mother Olive Lillian. I am so glad that we named her Lillian and that she has a name sake and a face to remember her Great Grandpa by.

After the egg hunt and snacking on the candy, someone yelled "everyone go in the front and pick at least 20 weeds" so we all trucked to the front yard and picked weeds. I somehow got put in charge of trimming Grandpa's roses. They hadn't been cut down last fall and Grandpa's health hadn't been such that he could care for them. I trimmed the heck out of them! BUT in a couple weeks they'll be in full bloom.

We are extremely grateful for Grandpa's Apple Trees, each fall for the past 15 years that I've been in the family we have eaten off of the fruits of his labors. Their yard is beautiful and it will take all of us to keep it that way. Grandma can't walk outside to care for the yard.

Julie put it so well on her blog that many hands helped fill 3 garbage cans full of clippings. She said "the sweet peace that comes with working the soil, and the joy that comes with service - a joy that was unique on this day ... ..because we sincerely knew that we were offering service directly to Grandpa Leo." 

After the yard work, we went back to the cemetery. About 10 years ago, G&G had a headstone placed. All that is needed is grandpa's death date. It was bittersweet being here after he was laid to rest.


That night we ate dinner at Bill & Steph's house. Here's Mike and his brothers. I believe when Mike was born, Bill & Dan were 13 months and Sean was 3 or 4.

Easter Sunday the kids woke up and we rushed to church after being up late all weekend long! They didn't even have time to find their baskets before church. After church we snapped one more picture of the kids in their Easter clothes.

After church we headed to the Ranch for dinner at Grandpa & Grandma Buddy's aka Price. Several weeks ago they bought chickens--one each for the grand-kids. THEY have grown so much! They are not at the cute stage of being a chick but growing in to a chicken phase.


Jack named his speckles. He wasn't afraid to touch or hold it.

 Maddy also held her chicken "toasted marshmallow" but she did get scared and threw him. Hopefully he is ok! I personally do not like chickens--I had to gather the eggs growing up and they don't like their eggs gathered! Chad took more of the beatings from the roosters that I did but still! BUT fresh eggs are wonderful.

 Lexi was more hesitant, I think she pet hers. And I forget the name of her chicken. She had several names!

We stayed late and came home with 4 sleeping kids that we put into bed. Mike had to go back to work Monday (he had Thursday and Friday off). We had another busy day planned as our last day of Spring Break. First up was a trip to the zoo with friends: the Stakers, Wakley's, Tullis, Quinns and us.


And poor Lilly had not had a "bed' nap for the whole spring break, she had her tantrums frequently. Kaden was a good sport and helped her along the way at the zoo.


And of course, we have to take a spin on the carousel. BUT only one it was getting crowded and we needed to get to Grammies and then baseball later that night.



At Grammies, the kids played and I cut back Grandma's roses--her roses needed it also! I filled her garbage can full also. Then we rushed off to Jack's game. Where the White Sox beat the Dodgers!

OH and wanted to share my cute Easter bags! I messed up the order and got Lexi and Lilly the same bags but either way they are so cute! It was fun to have something durable, and something to have for years to come! The baskets are so done! I just love them.

Tuesday morning, the kids had a rude awakening but Spring Break was full of memories and laughter and family and love.