Ben and the boys went to Grand Junction to visit grandparents. Both Betty and Susan have early April birthdays, so it works out perfectly to celebrate together during Spring Break. I didn’t go because I was scheduled for my second Moderna shot. I had a quiet and productive weekend of quilting and watching K-pop, and only mild illness after the second vaccine dose. I saw a few pictures from the trip and it looked like they were kept busy with hiking and playgrounds and other fun activities.
Here’s a mishmash of pictures.
The kids alway love to come home from school to cookies still warm from the oven. 
These were oatmeal raisin. 
The kids got a new transformer for Brian’s birthday on 3/15. 
Just a cute capture of Ben helping Jack with homework. 
The teeth keep falling out! 
Bewildered and proud after beating a video game boss. 
Sam likes to create Pokemon characters. I thought this one was especially well designed.
This spring has been packed with snow storms. They even canceled school for two days! I thought this recent snowfall mid-April would be the last, but they are predicting another 3-5 inches Monday night. I’m so over it and ready for warm weather!
Red cheeks and hands. 
Fort building when school was cancelled. 
He just wanted to tell me something, he went back to play more.
The cats try to bust out of the catio on warm days, and cuddle during the cold days.
There was a bird resting on the house. 
Sam had two cats on him at once. 
Nimbus sits with me every afternoon while I work. While I eat lunch she awaits me near the couch, eager to cuddle for a couple hours. 
Grooming before they fight.
In between snow storms we had a couple nice sunny Saturdays. We took the boys out for lunch and picnicked in different parks.
Mexican at Jose Sanchez park. 
Sammies at Belmar Historical park.
Easter came and went. The bunny brought small baskets and hid eggs in the yard. We didn’t even dye eggs. The hunt for eggs gets faster and more cutthroat every year. I made way too much ham, along with rolls, green beans, and deviled eggs for dinner.
Just one vaccine selfie this time, but it’s a good one – I gave Ben his second dose! In a few days we will both be at fully immunity. If only we could do the same for the kids š It gives us peace of mind, even if our behavior stays mostly the same.
I started attending in-person zumba classes and it feels so good to be dancing again. My feet are killing me, but it’s good for my brain and my muscles. I’ve been doing tap and yoga at home still, but those can’t compare with an hour of cardio. It sucks to wear a mask and I get hotter than usual – and take fewer water breaks. But I love it and it’s worth it and I feel ok since everyone is masked and distanced and I’m vaccinated.
I’m still volunteering for vaccines. I have two shifts this week and continue to get frequent requests to work more often. I think the demand will stay through May at least.
We had some housework done, installing a new/safer dryer ventilation duct. Now I need to find someone to cover it with a soffit and repair the drywall. I’m also thinking about our bathroom that badly needs renovations, and the yard that could be landscaped so much better . . . there’s always so much you can do a house. Honestly, it’s not the money that puts me off home repairs, but the time and effort it takes to obtain workers and deal with their inevitable delays. I want to wait until at least this summer so we can have all the windows open and spend extra time outdoors while they work inside.
I’m working on a quilt but have lost interest in the project. I think I’m too busy lately. I started a new pair of socks (second pair of 2021 for me). It’s easy to pick up and put down. I hope to attend Days for Girls this week and get back into volunteering with them, after having stopped for covid. It’ll be great to put my new machine to work for them!
Our trivia team has been great. We’ve had the same crew for a few months now. We placed 2nd in March and this last week was came in first place! We beat my siblings and parents’ team by one point. Ben contributed a tricky video game music round that really shook up the typical standings. š
That is my favorite Nimbus photo ever.