Spring Break in Jackson Hole

Most people escape to someplace warm during Spring Break, but oh, not the Stevens Family. Warm weather is for wimp-os and babies! Shivering, frost bite, hypothermia--yeah--that's where it's at! We dig 'Cold' so much, that we enjoy vacationing somewhere even colder than Idaho Falls. (Yea, it's possible.) Jackson Hole, Wyoming! But our quick, overnight stay in Jackson suddenly went from 'Fun' status to 'HOLIDAY' status when we found out that a few of our favorite people on Earth were joining us--Grandma & Grandpa Stevens, Uncle James, and cousins Christian, and Noelle! 

 The entire family skied together--even first timers Christian and Noelle! Christian was a natural and even survived Candy Cane Lane after only a few hours of skiing when my silly children assured him that it was "not hard at all." "Sassy-Pants Noelle" (my nickname for her) and her monkey backpack kept us giggling all day! What fun for my kids to ski alongside their awesomely cool and forever young Grandpa--a memory they'll never forget. And Grandma Stevens... wow, what a trooper! She sat outside at the top of the Bunny Hill the ENTIRE day--cheering us on, holding gloves, keeping us hydrated, and even somehow miraculously hoisting me up from the ground when I could not, for the life of me, get up! Lucky for us, it was not a typical cold, nasty day, but a sunny, glorious, almost coat-less one! (The closest thing to tropical weather that we'll probably ever experience in March.)

Post skiing, we refueled with pizza and all natural, organic ice cream (cuz that's how Jackson Hole rolls... yeah, it was no Baskin Robbins). Across from the parlor, we were lured to admire the stunning, massive, bronze sculptures punctuating the streets because of our refined and extremely cultured love of art... and obnoxious photo shoots.

After about the twentieth photo, I noticed the "TOUCH THE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE SCULPTURES AND DIE" sign. Whoopsies...  

Skiing didn't EVEN phase the kids' energy. We partied till late in the hotel with swimming, popcorn, and possibly one of the greatest movies ever made, The Princess Bride. Everyone had a ball (except for Kyler, that is, because I forgot to pack his pajama pants. He stubbornly watched the movie and slept in his wet swim trunks. He showed me.)

The next morning, we awoke sunburned and sore, but headed out to meander along the cat walks, visiting unique shops, museums, and art galleries.  

 What a fun few days for our family! Who really needs sun, sand, and an ocean breeze? When you're with the people you love (and have an awesome Motorfist coat), anywhere can be paradise. Even somewhere cold!

"Work People"

What do you get when you add two pairs of glasses, 30 sheets of paper scribblings, and 3 hours at a desk? Well, Carson informed me that the correct name is: WORK PEOPLE.

"Work People" includes a scrupulous boss.

A trusted assistant. (And a bag of Doritos.)

Lap Tops.

Emails. (Good luck, Spell Check.)

Detailed "Work."

And two completely entertained boys.

I know that I document a lot of their play time... something hardly newsworthy... but as I look at my two older kids looking more like teens than kids, I recognize that Carson and Ashton's play world is fleeting and precious. And I don't want to forget it. So play on, sweet boys! Play on.

Let's Hear it For the Easter Bunny!

My mom never let me believe in the Easter Bunny. I can still hear her saying, "You really think a giant Man-Rabbit sneaks into our house in the middle of the night to bring you candy?! That is ridiculous!" Mom was a HUGE fan of Santa and all other holidays in general, but belief in the Magical Bunny? She was not having it. (Perhaps my annoyance with this pastel holiday stems from this memorable childhood experience.) 

Well, I am here to tell all four of my blog readers that I, JoLyn Stevens, BELIEVE in the Easter Bunny! You heard read me! For too long, Santa has received all of the glory... his face plastered on gift wrap, his name revered in songs, cookies left out just for him when he hardly needs them... when all the while he has an army of Elves doing the dirty work. It's just wrong. Think about it... the Easter Bunny does the exact same thing: magically travels the entire world in one night--ensuring delectable Cadbury Eggs for all! And yet, where is the gift wrap... the songs... the treats left by the hearth? The Easter Bunny does not receive loving letters from children promising him that they've been 'good.' No, this most overworked mammal receives demanding letters from demanding, picky eaters:

The Easter Bunny, probably fed up with the lack of love, decided to knock it out of the park for the Stevens kids this year. (Take that, Santa!) This furry, bow-tied, Saint left us a trampoline! (Fitting... I'm sure that, he too, loves to jump.) I mean, can you imagine that poor bunny setting up a trampoline in the middle of the night?! I can only guess how hard that was to do in the dark. Why, I bet you that rabbit was working until 2:30 a.m! Hopefully, he had a beautiful, shivering assistant holding a flashlight for him. Just think how sore he must have been after hand-pulling all those springs (probably twice because he probably never reads the instructions thoroughly enough the first time). He has paws for crying out loud!

So, let's hear it for the Easter Bunny and spread the holiday love around a bit!

Happy Easter from the Stevens Family!

(P.S. Dear Santa, you know I love ya! All I want this year is a house. Love, Jo)

Eggstraoridnary Eggs

Of all of the commercialized holidays, I find Easter the most disheartening. It just seems wrong to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior with jelly beans... but you have to do it, right? However, I was pleased to discover this year that the tradition of coloring eggs actually stems from religious symbolism. According to Wikipedia, Easter eggs historically represent the empty tomb of Jesus Christ. "Though an egg appears to be like a stone of a tomb, a bird hatches from it with life; reminding us that Jesus rose from the grave--offering us eternal life." Interesting, huh? The miracles of the internet go on... Pinterest taught me that the days of boiling eggs are long over. You can bake gobs of them on a cookie sheet for thirty minutes. They don't break and they don't stink. How's that for cool? 

My kids seem to have inherited a bit of an artistic flare via the Stevens line--so coloring eggs is not a "dip and done" art project. Oh no! Cotton balls were dyed, my sharpies were all ruined, and I ended up with super glue all over my hands and even a bit on my lip. Good Times!

Ashton's Eggs:

Carson's Eggs:

Kyler's Pac Man Eggs:

Ten-year-old sense of humor:

McKenna & Whitney's Eggs:

They deserve a close-up:

After putting all that work into those eggs, you would think they would sort of cherish them for a minute or two. Nope. Before you could say, "Peter Cottontail," those eggs were obliterated. Ever heard of boiled egg baseball? Me neither, but it was actually pretty hilarious. 

When the pitcher gets nailed, they don't get bruised.

They get "YOKED."

The yard. 

Deviled Eggs anyone?

Carson at Age 7

 On March 30th, our cute Carson turned seven! He really wanted to have a birthday party this year, and since his birthday fell on Spring Break, he enjoyed TWO days of celebration--one on the actual day and another on 'party day' when his buddies were back in town! Two cakes, two parties, twice as many gifts... DOUBLE THE FUN!

Cake #1

Cake #2

Carson Luke Stevens... a personality impossible to describe with a few pleasant adjectives. Carson just does not fit into a mold. He came to this earth with a unique and confident spirit all his own. He makes every decision because he wants to--not because of peer acceptance or to please adults. He is constantly fascinated with different things... He sees life as his own adventure... He moves at his pace... He does things his way... He is Carson. And we couldn't love him more! Here is a look at Carson at age 7 in his own words:

Stuff I Love...

* Coolest Color: Red, of course.

* Books I Love: The Magic Tree House Series. 

* Best Buddies: Tyler Fisher, Noah Ferney, & Caleb Warner

* Favorite Show: Power Rangers

* Favorite Song: "Do You Hear the People Sing?" From Les Miserables

* Food I Could Live On (And he actually does): Waffles with peanut butter, Pediasures, and Peanut Butter Sandwiches

* Favorite School Subjects: Math and Art

* Favorite Treasures: Swords, Costumes, Magnifying Glass, Flash Light, and Skylanders
* My Hero: My Dad

* Things I'm awesome at: Skylanders, Soccer, Beat boxing, Dancing

Stuff I Hate...

* Food that makes me puke (literally): Pretty much all food other than waffles, peanut butter, and pizza.

* The Grossest thing I can think of: A woman that's naked!

* The scariest dream I ever had: Kyler and I were playing games, and there were two dogs... a chihuahua and a vampire chihuahua... and THEN a giant centipede came and ate both of them!

My Thoughts...

* Three words that describe me: Fast, Creative, and Smart

* When I was little: I lied. A lot.

* The superhero I'm most like: Iron Man, because he invents stuff like me!

* This year I'm going to try to be better at: Focusing in school and making better inventions.

* Is it better to be strong, rich or smart? Smart... cuz if someone was chasing you, you could hurry and make a trap!
* At what age should people fall in love? Just whenever they fall in love. Have you been in love? Once. (Addison) What did it feel like? Tingly. How many girls love you? Tons... like four.
* What makes a person popular? Singing probably. Like Vocal Point guys. They are famous.

* If a genie could grant you any wish, what would you wish for: To be rich! So I could buy all the Skylanders I wanted!

The Wicked Piano Teacher

March is a busy piano month for our family with Piano Solo Festival and my own studio recital happening the first two weeks of the month. Even though I had half as many students participate in festival this year, I was forced into the illustrious title of Festival Chairman--making this year's "festival week" the most busy year yet. All of my eleven students played well, and my three kiddos each received perfect scores... A feat that was harder than ever. I remember learning about Beethoven as a kid... about how his wicked father would stand beside him and whip him when he made a mistake. Though I own no whips, I sometimes think my children think of me as a cruel, unloving mother who forces these terrible, unwanted music lessons upon her children. Kyler cried, stomped, and pouted for weeks before festival--threatening and begging to quit. He perfected his pieces the night before festival much to his mother's dismay. McKenna, on the other hand, loves piano, but the demands of her dance classes seem to be overshadowing piano a bit. We are trying hard not to let that happen as we I know that piano will be more useful throughout her life. Her pieces were very prepared, but then she went away to her dance competition--missing a week of practice and festival itself. She was a little rusty when she got home (on the day of her make-up judging), but she almost always performs better under pressure--a trait I sure wish I possessed! Her judge actually clapped for her after she finished. I was one proud teacher (and Mama)!

This was Carson's first year playing in festival, and, very unlike his older brother, he didn't have a nervous bone in his body. He just couldn't wait to get in there to meet his judge. Before starting his piece, he sat on the piano bench and had a five minute conversation with his judge--a first, for sure! 

Kyler, like always, literally played to perfection. He is sooooo talented... which is why I will soooooo never let him quit! Sorry son. (Insert wicked laugh here.)

 Cute Ashton just can't wait to get in on the action too! I wasn't even planning on dressing him up for the recital, but when he saw everybody else in there fancy duds, he dragged his out as well. Same goes for the piano photos. No one leaves out Ash! After we took this cute picture of him, it reminded me of a photo of myself as a child--though I hadn't seen it in years. Just for this blog post, I found the box with the album... and I was right! Matching pics!

It is so important to me that my children learn an instrument. Music has almost always been a part of the happiest and most sacred experiences in my life. Keeping the practice and lessons in my home going is a daily battle (that I fail at most days), but it is my greatest hope that, one day, my kids will get to that point where music is no longer a chore (or cruel punishment), but a delight! ...That they'll experience a "musical moment"... one like I did singing the Hallelujah Chorus in a college classroom where the Spirit filled my entire being with the knowledge that the words I sang were true. Then, just maybe, they will think of ME... the relentless, mean, screaming mother that drug them to that point... and forgive me. 

Persistence

I think Mr. Mandino and Kyler would have gotten along smashingly. When it comes to math, Ky's persistence is admirable. When it comes to wanting a motorbike or quitting piano lessons... oh, heaven help me. 

Persistence works both ways.