Chocolate cake forever!

So a couple months ago I spent a bit of time writing a well thought out blog post with all the pictures I wanted to use and somehow it got deleted without saving as a draft. I was a little put out and it may have even contributed to my lack of blogging for a couple months. Here's my less thought through version of that post because I just had to share the details about my exciting cake for life win a couple months back!

First you must know that Magleby's is my favorite chocolate cake, in fact I had it for our wedding cake. Also you must know, I feel like I pay my "dues" watching more sports than I ever intended to and watching the girls while Brad attends even more sporting events without me. This year I was paid in full for the march madness, the season tickets of BYU games during the holidays and always during the girls bedtime, the sporting vacations while I babysit- it was all made worth it at the very last BYU game of the season. 
We were asked if we wanted to participate in the half time cake eating contest and I begged Brad to join me (only 3 people compete so our odds would be great!), but he wasn't interested. So I asked them if I could bring the girls to do it with me and when they said  I could I went for it! What's 20,000 onlookers when I've got my 2 favorite people in the world with me?

 It was actually the same day we'd had the girls birthday party so they'd already chowed down on chocolate cake a couple hours earlier, but I knew the girls were my only hope of being a crowd favorite, regardless of the amount of cake I'd eat.

 They only give you 30 seconds to eat so the girls were barely warming up to eating the cake when the clock stopped. I was just relieved I managed to try and dig in the cake myself and feed some to both girls while holding them both...and not dropping anyone!

 The crowd cheered at least 10 times louder for June and Lyla than their other worthy competitors, it was an easy win. I thought I'd won cake each week for a year. Brad thought it was once a month forever. When I went into the restaurant I discovered it was a free cake every week for my whole life, as long as the restaurant is open! So we are now a magleby's family and I love them even more!

 We had a little run in with Jimmer during the half time while waiting for our contest.

 

We are definitely reaping the benefits of our victory!

Let us eat cake!

Easter

Easter was so fun this year! It felt like our first easter with the girls. Even though they were here last easter, I wasn't completely here and all I actually remember was driving up to my mom and dad's house and not having any dresses they could fit into. :0

This year I made sure to get going on all the traditions. Of course we went up to grandma Lewis' for the annual Easter egg hunt! We did it a bit early so that the Franks could participate before moving to California.

 All the kiddos waiting for their sugar high...

 The babies were released first into the backyard, as you can see we didn't want the egg hunting to be too much of a challenge for them, they were pretty visible. ;)

 All the kids were mad that Claire was down there, she was just helping the babies though.

 Then the big kids lined up according to age and were released into the wild.

 Once the big cousins were hunting the girls became observers and started at everyone running around like mad.

 Counting their loot.

 The girls stealing candy from their cousins.

 They kept trying to bite through wrappers, babies have so much to learn.

 Hi there little Lyla

 It was such a nice day we went for a little walk

 And we checked out grandpa's new car, which grandma is certain is part of some sort of midlife crisis.

 I was shocked that they could still wear the little outfits I put them in last Easter...

 Remember when they were little? They've grown a ton, but they haven't grown out of very many clothes, I guess everything just used to be huge on them!

 My mom and dad came over and helped us in our yard a bit on Easter weekend, always so thoughtful.

 This year I'm totally back into the swing of things, I dyed eggs- which I discovered is kinda lonely to do by yourself- hopefully the girls will at least want to watch next year? Anyways, we had some yummy deviled eggs and egg salad sandwiches out of these.

 

I made some baskets for the girls which turned out jut how I wanted them, and the easter bunny even filled them with some goodies.

 On Easter morning we had another little egg hunt in the front yard for the girls.

 They got pretty into it!

I think they like Easter.

 WHAT? There's treats inside the egg?

I filled some of the eggs with crackers and cereal so that they didn't get too much candy, they are just babies after all. But when they'd eat the peanut butter eggs it was my favorite, they'd kinda foam at the mouth blue or white from the candy shell...

 eggs!

 Aw, shoot, thought this one had chocolate...

-

I had to teach relief society, on EASTER, and it was FAST SUNDAY! Ugh. I figured most people accidentally ate some of their kids easter basket treats already so I made treats anyway.

 Easter bunny hooked them up, then after church we headed to the Hagens for dinner.

We visited temple square the week before Easter so I wouldn't stress about pictures the day of when I had to teach a lesson too. I spotted this giant basket at the in-laws, which seemed perfect for Easter pics!

 I love temple square in the spring.

 Little bunny babies!

Melinda and her kids came too, Bella happened to coordinate nicely with the girls. ;)

 Pretty girls walking around the temple

 I was glad they figured out how to walk in shoes by Easter.

 big girl Lyla

 big girl June

 We had a nice Easter, hope you did too!

Hawaii

Clear back in February we were lucky enough to get a trip to Kauai with the Hagen family, and no one can complain about an expense paid trip to Hawaii! Although I'll admit the trip got off to a rough start. We missed our flight which meant me and Brad were traveling alone instead of with the rest of the family, and we also had to spend the ENTIRE day in the LA airport instead of on the beach in Hawaii. It was rough, here is a blurry image of one of the many new skills the girls picked up while stuck in a little airport wing for 7 hours, pushing their stroller.

 After a rough day and a rough night, the view of Hanalei Bay was a sight for sore eyes.

 We tried to go to the beach where Bethany Hamilton always surfed, but it was a hike and the waves seemed too big for us- we turned around quick.

 beach babes.

 Is my hat on straight?

 Little Hawaiian babies!

 And a duet, Lyla on the ukelele while June sings. ;)

 Family pictures

 Little family

 Lyla was obsessed with the ocean water. She fearlessly crawled right into the ocean. She also tried to get into small buckets of ocean water. (and she drank plenty of it too) June crawled around the sand in huge circles, just staring at the strange ground underneath her.

  It was exhausting work playing at the beach, lots of drink breaks.

 Um, the view is the other way girls.

 Our little pea pods were perfect for the trip, the girls took breaks from the sand in there & even napped a couple times at the beach.

When we weren't at the beach the girls were finding water anywhere they could at home.

Bubbles were fun for all!

 I have a thing for babies in sunglasses, too bad the girls don't have that same "thing", still managed to get a couple pictures though.

Tropical babes.

 The hot tub was a hit.

Hey Lyla, you've got a little sand on your...oh, never mind, we'll wait till we're off the beach.

 They were in love with playing in the sand. I wish we lived by a beach sometimes. (Sand pits really aren't the same)

 Reaching for daddy <3

 Babies in bikinis, gotta show off those pot bellies!

 Such fun!

 June, you've got sand everywhere and your swimsuit is, ahem, falling off. ;)

 Hahaha...I can't get enough of this pic of Lyla falling off of daddy's "ride" (she was fine)

 After that she was more hesitant...

 Little crabs

 A family picture

 Some of my favorite people: (not a bad background either)

 Fulfilling my lifelong dream, sailor babies! I wish my mom had kept my baby sailor outfit, but these little dresses I found are pretty darling too. :)

 In case you're concerned about safety, Brad is standing behind them with his hands on their backs. :)

 I love this.

 Sweet things

 Oh my gosh, sand!