Raelee and Rachie's Sleepover!

I've been promising Raelee a sleepover for months so now that tax season is over, I was able to take Friday off. She came over on Thursday and we did a puzzle and played with any stuffed animals she could find. Yes, that's the Christmas Chihuahua you gave me that sings Feliz Navidad! She loves it and I need to find a better place to hide it when it's not Christmas!

We put together one of her puzzles, a Barbie one of course!

The next day she woke up around 6am telling me it was morning outside. I, being the morning person I am, told her it was not morning and to go back to sleep. That only worked for about 20 minutes so then I told her to color while I tried to sleep a little longer! Later that day we went to see the movie Hop. It's about the Easter Bunny's son who is supposed to grow up to be the next Easter Bunny but wants to play the drums in a band instead. It was a cute movie but had real people and cartoons and Raelee was only interested in the cartoon part. And the popcorn of course!

This is us at the theater.

I set up the ball pit, which she still loves playing in there. She made up a new game where she hides the stuffed animals in the balls and then I have to find them all. Then it's my turn to hide them and she has to find them.

She also loves doing somersaults down the slide, then she ends up with crazy hair!

We also made some cookies. Now, you know I don't love to cook but I was going to make sugar cookies and use my mom's Easter cookie cutters but I had to run to the store anyway so I got the premade cookies with Easter bunnies and chicks on them. This worked out well because when it was time to make them, she wanted to color so we just put them on the pan and cooked them. We took them to my parent's house for Easter dinner on Sunday.

The bunnies are one the left and the other ones are yellow chicks in pink eggs.

While the cookies were baking, Raelee and I called and sang Happy Birthday to you! Then she wanted to draw you a picture. She worked on it for quite a while and I was impressed with her coloring skills - they are much better than mine!

This is the only time she sat still the whole day!

We had a lot of fun together. We also took a walk and had a dance party! She is such a fun girl and growing up so fast. It's fun to be able to have conversations with her and then for her to still be a little girl who loves to giggle! We love you and hope you had a great birthday!

Love,
Rachel & Raelee

Grandma!!
So first off I want to tell you all that there has not been a single Saturday in Ohio that has not been raining/ thunder storming. Turns out the weather here is crazy. On many (like five or six) occasions a week has gone from 70+ degrees to 52 in a day. We have at least 3 thunderstorms a week and pouring rain. Then it gets warm only to break out in storm again. Tons of people here have flooded basements and I am very grateful for our second story apt. The sayings around here are "If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes." or my favorite, "What do you call a sunny day after 3 days of rain? ..... Monday." Very true, haha!
I started working at the child development center this month. Well after a bunch of paperwork and waiting over 3 weeks after interviewing they finally got me going. Actually on Tuesday afternoon I found out I was working Wednesday and every weekday since that. For taking so long in the beginning they have sure made up for that!! I spent a couple days observing all the classrooms and then got put in a preschool (3 and 4 yrs) for a week and a half. Then just when I got comfortable I was moved to my permanent classroom down the hall. It is also a preschool age class and I am loving it. The kids are so fun (most days) and quite hilarious. Actually I explained to Lance that some days it feels like I am trying to herd cats and am exhausted afterwards and some days it feels like I get to play with cute kittens all day. That way when I get in the car after work all I have to say is "it was a herding cats day" and Lance knows to walk on eggshells!! :) Some days it feels like all you are doing is cleaning up after potty accidents and telling kids not to step on eachother, but other days they are so adorable I find the day is over before I know it. One girl had had an accident in her pants and so I told her to go to the bathroom while I get her new clothes. I come back and she is still standing there so i tell her to take off her shoes (so she can change her pants) and she just looks at me all confused, "I pooped in my shoes??" Another time a girl was having a rough day of listening and just wearing my patience, then she looked up at me and said, "Miss Evelyn, you are really nice. I like you." That deflated my frustration REAL fast!! One little boy calls me, "Miss El-a-ben!" seriously melts my heart, so cute. This age group is so honest, its funny. you ask them if they washed their hands after going potty and they say no. Then you tell them to go back and do it and they are like, "awww man!" I met the sister of one boy I knew and she started to tell me about this one time when her brother bit her back a long time ago. Then she says, "Thats ok, one time I threw ka-ka around the room." I was like... "uhhh, nice to meet you." Then you get the kids that come up to you crying and you ask them whats wrong, they say, "Lilly called me a girl!" (the world has ended for that boy until about 2 mins later when something distracts them and they totally forget!)
Since our weekends have been very rainy, Lance and I have been limited on what we can do for fun but we have made some good memories. A couple weeks ago we went to the "enterTRAINment center" which has the worlds longest model train sets and a random fun house. We had fun getting lost in the mirror maze and Lance talking about his childhood love of train sets and what kinds he wants to get to put together with our kids. :)
Last week we went to a Jon Mclaughlin concert which was really fun... when it started. It "started" at 7:30 in Columbus so Lance and I went right after work so we could park and get something to eat. We find parking and there are a ton of other concerts and events all going on in the buildings surrounding ours. We go to find something to eat but apparently EVERYTHING is closed except crowded smoky bars. (I only know that because I had to pee so bad that I had to go searching.) We finally found this marketplace type thing and got some food there. Then we head over to the concert which of course is when it starts pouring rain. haha. So we make it back to the "basement" as it is called and wait for the doors to open. This venue is just that, a basement. It is the basement of a crappy bar with tons of drunk 50 somethings trying to hit on eachother. I was pretty discourage about that but the downstairs was cleaner and smaller. So about 45 mins after it was supposed to start some random guy gets on stage and starts playing. After about a couple songs he introduces himself as the opener and starts going to town on his... harmonica. yea. real cool. no. He was quite obnoxious and seriously played for almost an hour! Then FINALLY Jon Mclaughlin comes on and starts to play. He is very entertaining and funny. I love his music and can't wait for the new cd this fall. He plays some mad piano and sings great. So it was worth it in the end but there were about four or five times I had to leave where we were standing and go sit on the side because the sour beer smell made me nauseous (not to mention the smell of the guy passing gas in front of me all night!) :( Then on saturday we were able to go to the temple which was a wonderful boost and great blessing. We decided the baby "needed" some ice cream that night so we went in search of some. We stopped at this "famous" place and realized it was so popular because they put tons of choc. chips in all their ice cream. Wasn't a huge hit with us but satisfied our sweet tooth.
We have gotten to hear our baby's heartbeat twice now and it is so exciting. I am setting the appointment for next month when we get to have the ultrasound and hopefully find out the gender. I can't wait!!! :) We are all doing well health wise and just dying for some warmer weather so we can see all the parks and trails that are in our city.
Well, I better sign off and go to bed! Love you, let me know how you are doing!
Love, Lance and Rosie Lucero (and baby)

seattle aquarium

On Saturday Marilyn and Tommy watched the boys for me while my mom and I went to Portland and Jonathan worked... they took the Blake and Adam to the Seattle Aquarium, and from all accounts it was a HIT! Hope you enjoy the pictures....

Adam turns 2

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Sami & Grandma

Can you believe it is almost time for Sami to come home again for the summer?? She is just finishing her second year at BYU Provo. I believe classes end after next week, and then she will have finals. We will be leaving to go get her on April 21st. After we pack her up, I will fly home and then Dan and Sami will drive home arriving on Easter Sunday. When she starts a school year it seems SO LONG before she gets to come back home...and then all of a sudden it is April again and she is back! We can't wait!

hellow

I don't have a whole lot of news to tell you but I thought I would say hi. :)

We are all healthy and doing well. Kris is working for Group Health in Spokane Valley. (170 miles a day commute) I am still working at the jail, animal control, and on the school board. I was just called as the 1st counselor of the elders quorum. It appears that I will remain the secretary of the priesthood group and primary teacher too. Oh, how I long for the old "ward member" days when a person could hide, no such luck in a branch.
Heather still has not found a job but is helping out a lot around the house. Ashley is doing home school and working at Taco Del Mar and finally starting to get some hours now that the traffic is picking up on I-90.
Michael is doing well. He helps out at the house too but only after I remind him of his chores. :) The only thing I don't have to tell him to do is EAT. He does that on his own. He will be taller than me by the time he starts school in the fall. (8th grade)
Jacob is really doing well this year in school. His social skills have really come a long way. His therapists and teachers are all impressed with him.
Savannah is in preschool and is loving it. She is best friends with the daughter of a co-worker of mine. It is good to see her using her social skill if only at school. :)
Sorry it has been so long since I have written you. I enjoy our phone calls but I need to do this more often too. I need to get you some photographs before Jacob is taller than me. Don't hold your breath though. :)
I love you,
Be good
Scott