HEADED INTO SPRING!

Spring is upon us! Our Spring Break officially begins tomorrow! Yep...that means a series of Parent/teacher conferences...ugh!! We can always plan on our Spring Break being the last full week of March. (It coincides with the Air Force Academy and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs spring break). It has been a wild week. It seems as though EVERYTHING is due right before they are off. Some teachers aren't so nice, and they give projects to accomplish during this break. I want to know....is it really a break if they still have homework?? How fair is that?

We were invited to go camping in Moab with a really neat family for the week, but decided that between projects that need to be done (by kids AND Wayne), we needed to stay home. We also planned lots of activities. We decided as a family that since we weren't spending the money driving to Moab, we could spend "said" money on activities. We had a family meeting and came up with places/things we all wanted to do. We didn't assign a day for each activity since the weather is so variable here in the Springs!

We decided that we all want to spend a day hiking (weather permitting). I found a new hike up Cheyenne Canyon with my hiking group that was beautiful and because of the location...there was no ice! I also saw another place that looked neat called Castlewood Canyon. We all wanted to visit the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. This is a favorite of our family. We just can't get enough of seeing the animals...maybe it is the "animal" in us! We will be going to the Denver Museum of Natural History and Science. This is another favorite of ours. We don't make it there very often because it is over an hour away and a little pricey, but WORTH it! Jessica suggested that after the museum we go to the Spaghetti Factory for dinner since we are already in Denver. Our Spaghetti Factory is in a part of the historical section of Denver. It has a great atmosphere, but the food itself is not the best! Part of me would like to go to Casa Bonita...once again, food is not good, but the atmosphere is great! They have cliff diving and all sorts of activities going on. I digress...The last activity on our list is to attend an IMAX theater show. I guess that all depends on what is showing!

We always have fun as a family no matter what we are doing! I personally am so grateful to have such a WONDERFUL husband and 4 wonderful, beautiful children. We enjoy doing things together. It is fun to see the relationships grow.

My hope is that my children will be as close as I am to my siblings! My siblings have been a blessing to me as we all band together during this trying time as we watch my mother go through the stages of ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. We are all relatively close, however when crisis hit, that bond becomes even stronger! I hope that gives my mom comfort as she faces the road she has been given. Not only will all her children and grandchildren will be alright, but so will her husband! She has taught us so well...I hope I can be half the mother that she is!