"Mom, it is hard being 4"

Lindsey turned 4 on June 20th.  She planned the cake, invite list, food, and entertainment.  Here's how it unfolded.

• Cake:  Elsa cake, no chocolate.  Blue frosting, raspberry in the middle, vanilla flavor
• Entertainment:  Bounce house, just like last year
• Menu:  Peanut butter and jelly, olives, salami, pink goldfish crackers, capri sun, and berries
• Friends:  Eleanor, Garrett, Piper, Maudie, Autumn, Lucas, Conner, Elsi, Olivia, Snowden, Quinn
• Dinner:  The Hills Family and Grandma and Grandpa Mattson

Lindsey was pumped for the party and had a really fun time but the attention was a bit overwhelming. A couple of days ago she told me that being 4 is hard because you have to brush your teeth, put on your shoes, feed Sparky, and lots of other things.   Super cute perspective.

final touches on the Elsa cake

With Garrett in the bounce house

Snowden Stead

Ready for cake, but the candles blew out in the wind.

Happy Birthday round 2!

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Buddies with the Frozen microphone...Let it go...

Tristan, Kylee, and Hayden Hills

Grande Ronde - Year #2

We did our 2nd Grande Ronde trip last week with our brand new raft.  Great river, awesome people, and the best family and dog bonding time ever.

Dog Party - Daisy, Sparky, and Pepper

Andy and Chris

Mocktail time

Fairy house with Dad

On the new raft with Lyla

New friend Stella

Lindsey on the sticks with Sparky

Mothers Day Fun

Family photo at the Modern for breakfast.  

School friends Juniper and Piper

Mother's Day celebration in Lindsey's classroom

Mother's Day celebration at Elm Grove Park with Olive and Elsi

Patient Sparky getting a "costume" for Elsi and Lindsey's "wedding"

Eloise May Mischkot

Eloise May Mischkot, Lindsey's first cousin was born March 19th, 2015.  We visited her, Ted, and Lisa in late April.  She's a beautiful baby, happy, and likes to sleep.

Lindsey and Eloise

Papa Jim and another granddaughter

Ear to ear grin, yogurt, and bike!

Easter

The night before Easter we were sitting in the car and she mentioned that the Easter Bunny was coming at night.  She went on to tell me that it was important that she be good that day.  But all other days it is ok to be bad, like crying and stuff like that.

In the morning, Lindsey walked downstairs and said "Mom, Dad, come quick.  Look at Sparky's cage!  The Easter Bunny put my Easter basket in Sparky's cage.  This is so exciting!"  We found eggs around the house and Grandma and Grandpa Mattson came up for breakfast.  

Later in the afternoon Grandma Denise hosted her annual Easter dinner.  Lindsey, Snowden, and Elsi participated in an Easter Egg hunt in the back yard of Denise's new house.  Thank you Denise for yet another afternoon of great memories and fun times.

The 3 week tour

Our family took a 3 week tour in Jan/Feb

* Boise - San Diego - Sun Valley - Driggs - Whitehall - W. Yellowstone - Boise *

Surf - Snow - Sun

San Diego

We visited Grandma and Grandpa Mattson during their 2 month hiatus from the Boise inversion.  Spent time at the beach, San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, celebrated Grandma Mattson and Chris's birthdays.  This is becoming a very fun annual tradition.

Life on the safari

Cheetah run and her canine buddy

Happy Birthday Dad!

Coronado Beach

Commissary Yurt and Papa Jim's house

We returned to Boise for 2 days and took off for the winter leg of our holiday.  The Boulder Mountain Tour was cancelled due to weather but we still enjoyed a visit to Ketchum and stay with Cara and Sam.  We left Ketchum and headed east.  Lindsey and Sparky traveled up to stay with Papa Jim and Grandma Sandee.  Chris and I skied into Commissary Yurt on the west side of the Tetons.  We skied out after four nights and drove up to Whitehall to pick up Lindsey and cruised through West Yellowstone on our way home.

One year older, another picture in front of the Tetons.  I love our annual ski trip.  Thanks to Chris for being my #1 ski  buddy.

Feeding the birds

Cute pic in front of the big Cottonwood tree out front of Papa Jim's house.

Grandma Sandee is pretty fun.

Bears in W. Yellowstone are huge.