Spring Break and Easter

A full week off and boy did Vicki and the boys take advantage. One night camping, two days hiking and Ben with play practice every night.

Monday, Vicki and the boys went to Red Rock National Conservation Area. Ben had his first freeway driving experience and did just great. However, Vicki noted that when he made it to the campsite his fingers were really stiff when he tried to take them off the steering wheel.

Once camp was set up, they went on a small hike and we found out that Toasty likes water that the can actually reach the bottom. I made it up for a dinner of hot dogs and potato chips and family home evening. Vicki actually ate her second hot dog of the year, both times she was camping. I headed home because of work the next day. When Vicki and the boys made it home, I heard more adventures of hikes and Ben's safe driving. Toasty was one pooped pup from all the bouldering and hiking and took on a light shade of pink from the red dirt in his white fur.



Thursday they headed east instead of west on an adventure to St. Thomas, the under water city. Saint Thomas was flooded when the water behind Hoover Dam filled in about 75 years ago. Again Ben drove getting experience this time on dirt roads with wash boards. After a short 2 mile hike, their exploration began.



Most of what they found included concrete foundations of old homes. Not the Indiana Jones type of archaeological dig but, lots of fun for a spring hike.



For Easter this year we continued our tradition from last year. Vicki and I hid Easter eggs with coins and a special message that the boys had to cooperate to earn a special treat. The rules were explained the boundaries were set.



After the start, all bets were off. Eggs were flying from their hiding spots to the baskets. The Easter Bunny has gotten more clever in hiding as the boys have gotten older. Look up high in the left corner of the picture below.



Hidden behind Ben's knee is an orange egg in the Ornamental Easter tree. They didn't find that one 'til much later.



Spencer and Ben must have spent a good 30 minutes looking in 8 rooms. We were convinced that they had found all the eggs. Because the Bunny couldn't remember where any more eggs were. We gathered in the music room where Spencer and Ben opened their eggs. They were counting money and finding pieces to the puzzle for the big treat. Once all the found eggs were opened, money was counted and puzzle pieces organized, we found that they were still short some puzzle piece eggs. Off they went to hunt again.

They found several more eggs filled with money and a few more clues. Each time they found money, they were frustrated. They wanted to solve the puzzle.

We pulled them together again and found that we were still short two puzzle clues. Off they went to find more eggs more money and one puzzle clue. No surprise without finding the whole puzzle. Ben and Spencer searched and searched. We had been in this hunt for over an hour. More money was found but no more puzzle pieces.

We called a truce and went on to do Sylvia's Empty Tomb activity. As we boys were reading and mixing ingredients together, we heard a gasp. Vicki remembered where the Easter bunny had hid another egg. "Ben your leg is burning up," a reference to the hot and cold game that we had used previously to help the boys find the eggs. He looked on a shelf under the table top and there he found the last puzzle piece. All the eggs were found. The last piece was put to the puzzle. The earned treat was a gift certificate for each of us to Cold Stone Ice Cream. (Shhh, don't tell Katherine. We want her to be surprised when she gets home.) What a relief to find all the eggs.

This morning we woke up and were downstairs waiting to open "the tomb" for our empty tomb cookies. I looked outside and saw Toasty eating a plastic Easter egg. I headed out talking to him so that I could get the 2 halves of the egg. He was laying down and I was able to get the pieces. Then something shiny right by Toasty caught my eye. Sure enough, it was two dimes. It seems that during yesterday's Easter egg hunt, Toasty caught on and finding an egg Vicki put in his bowl, he raced outside and opened it up by chewing on it.

Ben finally made it down all ready for church. We opened the oven, and found that ours cookies were a flop. It seems that our new oven has an oven cooling feature. Once the oven heat is shut off, a fan that blows until the inside of the oven is cool. We had crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside somewhat empty Empty Tomb cookies.

TTFN
-Ron