Monday, April 21, 2014

Easter Sunday and the weekend!

He is Risen!
We had a wonderful Easter weekend in the sun with family and friends.
Easter morning


 Pat and his girlfriend Katie spent the weekend with us.


Erin's preferred way of getting the eggs.




Saturday morning we went to the pond to fish, well to see if there was any fish alive from the winter (which there wasn't). The girls still had a wonderful time running around.


                     The brothers fishing


We also had some friends Gabe and Charlee from Seattle visit for the day.
The guys decided to cut down a dead tree with an ax... crazy men!


There was the first Powell Community Egg hunt which the girls had a blast doing.
Five of those kids are locals!


Cora won the drawing for a giant chocolate bunny. 

We had such a wonderful weekend with the family and a very special Resurrection day celebrating our Lord and Savior's redemption for His people. 






Wednesday, April 2, 2014

California Trip (beware of all the pictures)!

We took a family vacation to California to get out of the snow this year in March! It was wonderful having green grass, sunshine and rain, but no snow!! The girls love the fact that they didn't have to wear coats and snow pants. 

The girls giving Erin jeep rides






What would a Swanson blog post be without a picture of a dead animal?
Lucas shot his first wild pig with a good family friend while we were there. 

We also got a tour of Mrs. Grossman's Sticker factory. It was really nostalgic looking at all the stickers from over the years that Holly and I collected.  





The girls went roller stating for the first time. They both were so excited to go, but our little perfectionist Audrey didn't have as much fun because she didn't like the fact that she couldn't do it perfect the first time.

Cora on the other hand didn't want anyone to help her and she fell a lot, but she was such a trooper. She kept telling me, "no mom, I want to do it myself."


This was one of the only times she held onto someone, Uncle Ryan's hand (who was the bomb to the girls).

Some fun game time with Gaga during the rainy days




The youngest cousins hanging out. Caleb called Erin, baby. He would walk around and call out for baby! It was adorable. I did have to win his heart over with Gummie Bear Vitamins (but it work)! 

Papa and his youngest grand baby...

who loves him so much. 

Some great daddy and girl time



chilling out with Papa

Beautiful, green, flowering Napa Valley


Our fun trip to the Jelly Belly Factory. 






The first 70 degree weather for this Northern Idaho family all year. We haven't seen that kind of weather since last September. 

Girls day out...

what a beautiful day in San Francisco...  


A wonderful surprise birthday lunch for my mom with some of our long time California friends Maryann and Erin at BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse in San Bruno, 

A tired Erinator

Some fun trampoline time with the cousins 



Erin fell in love with my old Pound Puppy




Doughnut time with Papa

We had such a wonderful time with family and friends.