Happy Easter

Happy Easter from the Mackeys!

We started the day out with our Easter baskets.  I don't have any photos of them with their baskets.  Getting up to do baskets before the early church service put this sleep-loving Mom in quite a rush.  After baskets, we went to a great church service - He is Risen!  Alleluiah!  The music, was as always at our church, incredible.  Straight from church, we headed up to my Aunt and Uncle's house for Easter dinner.  The food was the best and it was great to see everyone again.  The kids had an Easter egg hunt after dinner and then we just relaxed for a few hours before we had to head back to the cities (the sorry side of 65).  

It was a great day!  :)

Getting Ready for Easter

We colored Easter eggs today and got ready for Easter.  We will head up north tomorrow, but wanted to have a little pre-Easter fun today.

  

And look who stopped by for a visit tonight?  I was lucky enough to catch him leaving Ryan's room!!!!

Instagram

Time for an Instagram update:

The boys playing their iPads on a lazy spring break morning:

Shoveling snow for what I hope is one of the last times of the season.  This is the bank at the end of our driveway.  We are OFFICIALLY sick of snow and cold now!

Carter helping me spring clean the basement family room last weekend:

I had 60 minutes to myself waiting for my vehicle maintenance at the Land Rover dealership.  I sipped hot tea and read a book.  I don't remember the last time I've sat still long enough to do either!  It was heavenly!  ;)

Evan has been wearing 'cheaters' for the past few years.  He will need real glasses for reading at some point.  He brought up his Grandpa's from the basement and Carter tried them on.  Evan and I were styling in the boys Where's Waldo glasses.

Carter had green milk on his Lucky Charms for Saint Patrick's Day breakfast:

Carter's cotton candy at the school carnival:

I went shopping yesterday for Evan.  He bought me a new camera, lens, and accessories for an early anniversary present.  LOVE IT! :)

The kids prepping for their improv performance today:

The boys came home with great report cards on Wednesday so Evan and I treated them to pizza out tonight.  I am so proud of both of them!

Ryan's First Soccer Game

Ryan had his first soccer game for spring indoor soccer today.  It is so difficult to get even remotely clear pictures working with low light indoors.  I have a new camera and I was playing around adjusting my settings, but I was unable to get any great action shots.  I will have to work on that...or just wait until summer sports start outdoors!  ;)

Ryan is #10 for the Arsenal team:

Ryan was way more agressive and intense this season than I've seen him play in the past.  He is fast and he doesn't hold back.  It was so fun to watch him rip around the field today.  He will be a great soccer player if he keeps working at it!

Destination Imagination

Ryan has been in Destination Imagination (DI) for the past few months.  This is a program that is geared towards gifted children, especially in areas of science and math.  It teaches them to think "outside the box" and work on their creative thinking skills.  Ryan had a great time in the program and had his end of the season tournament today.  The kids had to present improv after looking at a large bin of everday items and come up with creative non-conventional uses for each of the items.  They did great.  I remember an intense dislike for improv in school, so I was glad to see Ryan so at ease with it.  Next came an 8 minute skit the kids had rehearsed, complete with costumes and props.  It was pretty comical and they got the giggles, but it was fun to watch and I was amazed at how well they did in front of a room full of people.  I was proud of Ryan for doing something outside his comfort zone.  He was really nervous on the way into the school, but you would never have known it when he got in front of his audience.  He has decided he is going to do it again next year.  :)

Carter playing on his iPad between performances:

Ryan's team at the beginning of their improv performance:

Jack and Carter playing on their iPads during the second performance:

Mr. Johnson, the Johnsville Elementary School Principal, sat down with Jack and Carter and talked to the boys about the Minecraft games they were playing:

The kids preparing for their 8 minute skit:

The kids during their performance.  It was a birthday party and they were giving the birthday boy his gifts:

School Carnival

We went to the Johnsville School Carnival on Friday night.  I volunteered from 3-5 getting it set up, and then we  went back from 5:30-8:00 to play games, eat, and hang out with the boys' friends.  The boys had a blast, as I know I would have when I was little, too.  Evan had enough after about 30 minutes of the crowd - it was very noisy and very crowded in the school.  He went home and I paired up with a neighbor and walked around with her and her boys for the night.  We had a great time.  I brought my big camera and barely took it out.  It was such chaos that I never had time for a shot.  Once Evan left, each boy wanted to go separate ways, and I was scared to lose them in the big crowd, so I was always on the move.  It was fast paced, but fun.  The boys came home with full bellies, full pockets with little trinkets they won playing games, and many memories to last them a lifetime (or at least next week!)  ;)

Carter with his cotton candy - his first purchase of the night!

Instagram

It's been a while since I've updated my Instagram photos.  Here is the past month:

My healthy cookies - 4 ingredients:  bananas, oatmeal, walnuts, and chocolate chips.  YUM!

After being sick for 4 days, it took a full week before I could work out again.  My first good workout was hard, but felt great afterwards!

Ryan is ready for his lacrosse season to start in the spring!

Carter is fishing with Grandpa.  Evan and I share an Apple ID and this showed up in the photo stream on my phone one morning.  LOVE it! :)

Lasagna in the crock pot.  Fix it and forget it - my kind of dinner!

I took the boys to Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America for the first time on Friday:

Carter and Ryan waiting in line for a ride:

Carter eating a snack and planning his next ride:

Ryan on the ropes course above the MOA:

Our family arriving at the Wilderness Resort at Wisconsin Dells:

Ryan on the ropes course:

Carter on the ropes course:

Carter and Evan on the bumper boats:

Kisses for my water-logged boy:

Arcade fun before bed at the waterpark:

Carter playing on the indoor playground:

Ryan and I took on the ropes course together:

Spring break weeks consists of lazy mornings watching cartoons and eating breakfast in bed:

The view from our balcony at the Wilderness.  It was great to see the sun again!!