Spring Break 2018, Day 7, Part Three: Geodes and Grandparents

We were going to head home after the butterflies, but we had received a coupon for gelato at one of the upper restaurants.  So we went upstairs and shared a couple scoops.  As we left there, we passed this wagon full of rocks outside a shop.  Aaron stopped dead in his tracks and shouted with a grin 'Look!  Let's get some geodes!'

So we did just that!  The kids got to choose a bag and a rock, then break the geode and keep the pieces.  I joined in because swinging a hammer looked like so much fun!

After we'd broken our geodes, we chatted with a sales lady there.  Cole was really sweet to her, complimenting her necklace, telling her she was pretty, and giving her a big hug.  She thought he was absolutely adorable and got us to stay in the store by telling the kids they could go in a mine.

(These are a few of the beautiful geodes they had on display.)

My four little minors, off to be miners.

When we'd been through the mine and identified several kinds of rocks, we had the chance to choose a raw amethyst.  Evie was most excited because amethyst is her birthstone.  She's hoping to tumble it and refine it and make it pretty.

We managed to squeeze in a final visit with Great Grandma and Grandpa Boschi.  The kids watched a movie or played with these fun tracks and cars.

We adults got in a fun round of Hand and Foot.  I think this might have been the first time Grandpa's ever lost; I, on the other hand, felt very honored to be on his team!  

I love how he looked like a bookie with his hat and his card-shuffler!

As amazing as this trip was, I can't think of any moment when we could have crammed in one more fun thing.  On the other hand, we fulfilled all our favorite traditions - swimming, Hand and Foot, Organ Stop, and climbing Wind Cave - as well as making some new ones, like FHE with family there, visiting an aquarium in the desert, and having a Grand Canyon day trip.  Not to mention all the things that I researched but we were unable to do, like going to a dude ranch and an orchard.  It was incredible every moment of the trip, and we absolutely are looking forward to the next time we can get down there!

Spring Break 2018, Day 7, Part Two: Butterfly Wonderland

After a lunch break in the plaza, we found our way to the Butterfly Wonderland!  We started off our visit there with a 3D movie on the migration of Monarch butterflies.  It was informative and beautiful.

After the video room, there was a small room with a glass wall that had many butterflies/moths in the various stages of emerging from their cocoons.

Naturally, our favorite part was the giant room full of so many varieties of butterflies!  I tried to get at least one photo of a moment with each kid and a butterfly.  Carson's shirt was clearly a hit!  It was so bright and perfect and the butterflies loved it!

Lizzie had several butterflies love her pastel bill!

It was fun to see this butterfly right on the bead on top of Carson's hat.

I kind of want to put a butterfly silhouette on Lizzie's hat now that looks just like this!

There were so many butterflies, some even hung out on the concrete walkways!

This butterfly tried not once, but twice to leave an egg on my camera.  Neither took.

This is what a butterfly egg looks like.  It's no surprise that this egg didn't even make it out of the butterfly room.

Lizzie caught a picture of a butterfly on my head.  It's almost invisible with the greenery behind me, though.

Lizzie borrowed my phone for a while here and the next several photos are by her.

Cole, seeing Carson and Lizzie have such luck with their hats, took his hat off to watch for a butterfly to land.  He showed such great patience!

After some time, his patience won out!  I love his absolutely crazy thrilled expression!

Carson, still sporting his T-Rex face paint, chilled by the stairs and watched for a while.

Waiting patiently.

Even Aaron lured a butterfly close with his Broncos hat.

Evie had just the right shade of shirt to beg butterflies to light on her.

There were only a few of these white butterflies and they were SO elusive!  I felt lucky to get even a single shot of one when it was still!

Blue beauties, sunning on the walkway.

This fellow thought he was coming home with me; even wanted to hold my hand! Ha!

We were surprised and giddy when we saw that the butterflies would lay their eggs on us.  The employees told us it's very normal and just to brush them off.  I had more than one lay an egg on my camera, Evie had an egg on her glasses, I got another on my hand, and Lizzie got one on her shirt.  Lizzie made an effort to leave her's alone on the hopes that we could get it home and raise it.  That didn't work out, but we did get home and get ourselves an online butterfly habitat.  We currently have several plump caterpillars and a couple that have moved to cocoon stage.

Near the butterfly room was a hive and garden set aside for honeybees.  Evie spent some time studying them.

My kids, reimagined as grasshoppers!

There was a reptile, amphibian and aquatic section

We all definitely loved the Butterfly Wonderland!