Pearl Street

The girls and I went to Boulder on Monday to check out the tulips on Pearl Street.  Pearl Street is a popular Boulder hang out.  It is home to hundreds of beautiful tulips and part of the Boulder Tulip Festival in a few weeks.  So, I thought it would be the perfect spot for Ella's 2 year old pictures and a fun afternoon for the kids and I. When we arrived, Pearl Street was very crowded.  Surprising for a Monday afternoon.  I could barely get my stroller through the people.  After a while, I realized that we were standing in the middle of the National Marijuana Forum!  What a day to visit Boulder!  We were not able to take pictures of Ella and the tulips (used a red door at the mall on the way home), instead we found a "bubble fairy". She kept the kids entertained with bubbles while I enjoyed "people watching".  Very entertaining. :)

Happy Birthday Ella!

I can't believe it, our little Ella is 2 years old!  She is such a sweetheart.  We love her so much!

Ella LOVES being a little mom to her babies.  This is a gift from my mom and dad.  Ella is very protective of her new doll pram, the older girls can not even get close to it without her yelling "NO, MINE!"  Yesterday, Addison and Olivia set up a trap with a jump rope to pull it away without Ella knowing, she was frantic and very upset. They thought that it was hilarious. Poor Ella, what a little cutie. 

Our family gift to Ella was a Kelty backpack for hiking.  We love to go to the mountains on Saturdays and we have really needed this to carry Ella.  We went to Boulder this afternoon to try it out.  She loved riding on her dad's back and we loved having her safe and secure.  

We invited the Westhoff fam to party with us in Boulder.  The trail we wanted to hike was closed, so the kids had fun climbing rocks, eating cupcakes and playing in the canyon.  

Coloring Easter Eggs Naturally

Today, we went to the Whole Foods Market to learn how to dye eggs naturally. The girls each dyed an egg in the color of their choice and made a cute (recyclable) basket for their egg to rest. Our kids were fascinated by the process. They could not believe that fruits and vegetables were making their eggs colorful.   The colors were vibrant and beautiful.  At the end of the class, the girls were able to fill their baskets with a variety of flavorful organic jelly beans. Yum! 

 Sweet Ella- loves her new basket  

Ella's yellow egg- dyed in turmeric.

Natural Egg Dyes:

Simmer 2 Tbsp white vinegar with ingredient below for 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before immersing eggs.  Let egg soak in dye bath for 5-10 minutes.

Pink-  12 oz. cranberries

Red-   4 cups chopped beets 

Blue-  chopped red cabbage

Yellow- 3 Tbsp turmeric

Lavender- 4 cups blueberries