Minnesota Vacation - Waterpark of America

After a full day at Mall of America, we decided to check out a few other area attractions on Thursday. First, we spent the morning at the Science Museum of Minnesota, which was free for us because of our membership to the Children's Museum here in Omaha. We then spent Thursday evening at the Water Park of America, which is hooked onto the Radisson hotel in which we stayed. Because we went during such an off season time, we got a great deal on an awesome hotel room with bunk beds, and then on Thursday evening when the water park opened, we pretty much had the place to ourselves!! It was pretty awesome! It was actually snowing outside (crazy MN weather), and we were inside playing in the water...pretty fun! John and I also took advantage of the empty water park by taking turns going down the big slides while the other stayed and played with the kids. Everybody had a blast!

Minnesota Vacation - Mall of America part 2

Once we were able to pull the kids away from the rides, we also enjoyed a few other fun things at the Mall of America. The first was lunch at the Rainforest Cafe, which of course the kids loved. 

We also made a stop at Build A Bear, where Makenna got to pick out and make a bear. She was so excited about her bear. I've decided that 5 must be the perfect age for Build A Bear. Hudson was interested, but decided to pick out a different souvenir from the trip. 

 Sharing the love from her heart with the heart she was going to put in her bear :)

 Filling her up

And cleaning her off afterwards

Minnesota Vacation - Nickelodeon Universe at Mall of America

We decided to take a family vacation to Minnesota during the middle of April. We wanted to go somewhere not too far away, and somewhere where the kids could have a lot of fun. We had been to Minnesota and Mall of America last February while I was pregnant with Clara, and the kids had really loved it. You can see the post about it here.

So on Tuesday April 16th we loaded up the car and headed north about 6 hours. We first had dinner with some of our favorite friends from business school, the Stansels, and then stayed at a hotel right next to the Mall of America. On Wednesday we spent most of the day at the Mall. We first went to Nickelodeon Universe to let the kids do the rides. Because we were there on a random Wednesday in the middle of April, the Mall was EMPTY!! It was so awesome! The kids could just go on the rides over and over. There were a few other families there, but it seemed like we pretty much had the place to ourselves. (On a side note, Makenna will be starting Kindergarten in the Fall, and I will miss being able to travel and visit places like the zoo or children's museum while everyone else is in school.) One of the things we love about Nickelodeon Universe, is that there is no admission fee. We got each of the kids a wristband for unlimited rides, and then as an adult you can accompany them on lots of the rides as their chaperone for free. Makenna was even tall enough to go on some of the roller coasters, so John and I got to enjoy some 'big' rides for free. We had SO much fun!!

Here are pictures of some of the rides.

Wonder Pets Flyboat

Diego's Rescue Rider

Carousel

Clara was so good to hang out in her stroller watching the 'big' kids go on the rides.

 Rugrat Reptarmobiles

 Balloon Race

John's Birthday

We celebrated John's 32nd birthday this month! His birthday fell on a Sunday this year, so it was nice to be able to spend the day with him (rather than have him gone at work all day). The kids were super excited to have him open his presents, so we did that first thing in the morning. We then had nice breakfast before heading off to church. That evening, we had some friends over to have cake and ice cream with us. Happy Birthday John! We love you!!

Easter 2013

We had a fun time celebrating Easter this year. We enjoyed continuing our tradition of having a special Family Home Evening lesson about the real meaning of Easter, and the Resurrection of Christ. The kids were also lucky enough to get to participate in two Easter egg hunts this year, one with friends at a park where Makenna found one of the golden eggs and got to pick out a prize, and one at Grandma and Grandpa's house with cousins. The kids also got to hunt for eggs and their Easter baskets on Sunday morning, and I also enjoyed dressing Makenna and Clara in matching dresses for the first time!

 

After our first egg hunt (Makenna proudly holding her prize...a yellow duck watering can) 

 

 Digging through their Easter baskets on Sunday morning

 

 

 I love Clara's face in this picture!

Easter morning right before church

Hunting for eggs at Grandma and Grandpa's house

Easter eggs

 This year I bought an Easter egg kit that allowed you to paint your eggs rather than dipping them. I thought maybe it would be more fun for the kids, and I think it was, although it definitely wasn't any cleaner. I love having little kids who get so excited for about holidays, and the fun traditions that go along with them!

 

Arizona - Playing

 While I was in Arizona, Amanda and I had a lot of fun 'playing'. We did a lot of shopping, which was a treat, especially since I only had 1 child with me instead of 3! We also had fun catching up, going on walks, and playing with the kids. And of course there was chocolate cake involved as we were celebrating Amanda's birthday! I had such a fun time while I was in Arizona, and was so glad I could go visit.

 

One evening we went up to the parks in Anthem and went fishing, and walking around with the kids. It was such a beautiful area, and evening to be outside.

 

 

These ducks were hilarious, they dunked their heads under the water right at the bottom of a small waterfall. It was almost like their own personal whirlpool bath.

 

Kate and Uncle Morgan with one of the fish he caught. Clara wanted nothing to do with it, but Clayton was brave enough to touch it.