Mother's Day

The Best Thing to Ever Happen To Me...

these five kids.

I'm not one of those moms who hates Mother's Day.  So far, I haven't found anything to hate about it.

1. Breakfast in bed - this year I got crepes with Nutella, fresh strawberries, and topped with whipped cream. (Thank you, Abby!)  What's not to love about that?

2. Gifts and handwritten notes from my children telling me what a great cook I am.  (I hear at least one of them complain almost every other day of the year, but on Mother's Day, I might as well be Julia Childs.)

3. Springtime.  What could be more beautiful than a Sunday in May?

4. I get to hear my children sing, "I Often Go Walking in Meadows of Clover."  I love that song and the image it paints in my mind.  I especially love the second verse, which unfortunately, they don't sing very often.

5. My kids are forced willingly pose for a picture with me - and while it's usually a process to get even one decent one, I love these pictures with my babies.  

6. Although I've never been perfect, when I look at my children I can't help but think, "that somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good."  I am amazed at the blessing I have of being a mom to these delicious children.  I love each of them so dearly and I am so grateful for them (and for their dad.)  There is no one on earth, I would rather spend time with.

How could not adore a man who unintentionally wore a tie to match my skirt on Mother's Day?

My two girls, whom I hope, someday, will get to be mothers too.

My mom and Abby (when Abby was just two-years-old.)

And of course, my own amazing mom. (She is a wife, mom, oma, school teacher, seamstress extraordinaire, lover of books, lover of righteousness, terrible joke-teller.)

  I love having a day to celebrate what she means in my life.

"Everything I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother."

Abraham Lincoln

Amen.

Easter

After a perfect trip to the beach for spring break, followed by a long, long drive, we got home at midnight the night before Easter.  The kids were all exhausted and I was worn out as we all fell into bed shortly after arriving home.

The next morning, the kids woke up and came running out to see if the Easter Bunny had come.  Andrew and I looked at each other and realized, that in fact, no, the Easter Bunny had not come. Hmmmm.

"I guess he'll come while we're in church," we said.

Sure enough, when we got home from church at 3:30 in the afternoon, the Easter Bunny had finally come and had hid Easter baskets all over the yard.  It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and the kids had a great time searching for their baskets.

My two girls... Pretty in Pink

My Isaac - as sweet as can be, wearing the tie he tied himself.

Peter seems happy with the sidewalk chalk he got in his Easter basket.

Lucy holding a chocolate carrot, poised for disaster.

Moments after this picture was taken, that chocolate carrot ended up all down the front of Lucy's brand new Easter dress.  I generally try to stay calm in such situations, but in this case, the photo shoot was cut short and within minutes I had that dress off of her and in the laundry, hoping to save it from a life covered in stains. 

Poor Henry who was searching diligently for his Easter basket, was left out of any Easter pics.  Luckily, later in the day, Abby took this picture of Henry so at least we know he was around that day.

Isn't he cute? Henry is in the process of losing several teeth all at once.  

You can see that one dangling just begging to be yanked!

Anyway, thanks to my quick actions and serious laundry skills, Lucy's dress was saved and all was well, but poor Lucy spent the rest of the Easter egg hunt and the afternoon dressed like this:

Later in the day, Peter, who likes to understand how everything works came to me to talk about the Easter Bunny.  It was obvious, he'd been pondering all day, wondering why the Easter Bunny hadn't come in the morning.   

"I think I get it. " he said.  "Either the Easter Bunny is real, or else the people who don't go to church on Easter just come and hide the baskets while we're at church."  

I guess that is a logical explanation - and I couldn't really argue with him.

Every year I feel like it's a struggle to teach my kids and testify to them about the real meaning of Easter -  why we celebrate it and why it is the most beautiful of all holidays.  I hope that somewhere in the midst of bunnies and baskets and chocolate and stained Easter dresses, they understand the hope and the blessing of the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

"One of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so.... Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are.  Truly the Redeemer of us all said: "I will not leave you comfortless: (My Father and) I will come to you and abide with you."

Jeffrey R. Holland

"None Were With Him"

Halloween Edition 2011

This year's Halloween costumes included some old staples, some new costumes and some last minute additions.  

I got a little sad watching Abby in her school parade, realizing she only has one left.  Boo-hoo.

Abby made and adorable pirate this year.  I especially love the striped socks with Isaac's red converse.  What a cute girl.

Isaac had a hard time figuring out a costume this year.  We talked through several ideas, but nothing seemed to work.  Finally, ten minutes before our ward "Trunk or Treat" started, I told him to put on Abby's fairy costume and asked my sister if she could bring over the wig for Isaac to borrow.

It worked out well. Isaac's friends were going as a cheerleader, a princess and the tooth fairy, so Isaac blended right in with all the "dudes" his age.  (As a side note, Isaac's long dark eyelashes are enough to make any girl jealous.)

Henry sneaks a piece of candy before Trick-or-Treating even begins.

Henry found an old pair of boots and chaps in Grammy and Papa's costume bin.  The boots were several sizes too big, but it was enough to inspire a great cowboy costume.  And, if he wore his Converse inside his boots, they stayed on pretty well.

Peter at his preschool program.

Eat your heart out Edward.

Peter decided to be a vampire this year.  He looked so cute with slicked back hair and dark eyebrows.  

Peter hit the jackpot during trick-or-treating this year.  When we got home at the end of the night and the kids were sorting through all their candy, Peter came running out of his room and said,

"Do you want to see a dream come true?"

How could we resist that invitation.  We went into his room and there in his pile of candy was a package of gum - fifteen pieces of orange Swerve gum all for him.  I have never seen him so excited.  It really was a dream come true for my Peter.  He was so happy with the gum, that when I went to tuck him in that night, I found him asleep with his gum lying on the pillow next to his head.

All along, I had planned to have Lucy be a pumpkin for Halloween.  She wore our tried and true pumpkin costume to Disneyland and looked cute in it, so I figured we were good to go.  On the night of the Trunk-or-Treat, I tried to put it on her, and she freaked out.  She wouldn't let me within ten feet of her with that costume.  I tried again the next day, and again she freaked out.  (Now, she is TWO.  I don't know why she thinks she gets to have an opinion about a Halloween costume.)

Anyway, I figured we could skip a costume for Lucy this year, but on Halloween Day, she and I were at Costco when I saw a $12 lady bug costume that I loved.  I held it up and Lucy immediately fell in love with it too.  We bought the costume and she hasn't taken it off since.  

Lucy was so proud of her costume and even slightly cocky on Halloween night that she couldn't be bothered to let me get a picture of her.  There was a lot of attitude in that little lady bug.

Lucy perfecting her very grouchy ladybug face.

The nonchalant trick-or-treater.

 Lucky for her, she made and adorable lady bug and even with all that sassiness, we all thought she was darling.  And, oh yeah, those shoes didn't hurt either.  (I forgot we even had them.  It was Peter who remembered the shoes so Lucy could wear them.

Finally, a decent shot of my girl.  

Anyway,  it was a fun Halloween; great costumes, cute parades and programs, too much candy and lots of yummy homemade donuts.  All in all, a successful holiday.  Now I just have to get motivated to put all the decorations away  - at least before Thanksgiving.

Summer Beach Trip 2011

With five little kids, there is nothing better than trip to the beach.  Sand, salt water, and sea air fuel energy levels and imaginations for days on end.

Here are a few of the highlights:

The beach brought out Andrew's inner acrobat.

It brought out Lucy's inner fashionista:

And sun-worshipper:

Peter mastered the aerodynamics of flying a kite.

Abby painted the nails of every person who would hold still long enough to let the nail polish dry.  (Brothers and uncles included.)

Abby shows off her 4th of July manicure.

Uncle GK shows his love for Susanna.

Susanna shows off her 4th of July firework theme.

Isaac spent hours each day building elaborate tunnels and castles in the sand.   

He was also fearless about swimming in the ocean.  Almost every night, he and Andrew would head out into the surf for a night swim and Isaac loved every minute of it.  For an entire week, he and Abby dominated the world of boogie boarding and body surfing.  It was fun to see them conquer the ocean during this trip.

Henry had a great time playing with cousins.  He kept everyone entertained with his funny personality - one way or another. 

We had a celebration for Andrew's mom who just completed her Master's Degree in education.  (Way to go Ann!)

(The celebration also included a Maypole dance down on the beach and a dead seal that washed ashore at an inopportune time, but some images are better left to the imagination.)

I was reminded that I have always longed to have a lemon tree growing in my back yard.  (This would be heaven for me!)

And I was also reminded how lucky I am to be married to this guy and be a part of his family.   

We ended the trip by meeting up with some of our dearest friends in Seal Beach and celebrated the 4th of July with them.  It was the perfect way to end the trip.

We all drove home feeling grateful for this amazing country we live in, for a great family and for dear friends.  It doesn't get any better than that.

Memorial Day

Anyone who thinks that Memorial Day is the unofficial kick-off to the summer season, doesn't live in Utah this year. This Memorial Day we woke up to rainy weather, freezing temperatures and a whole day of nothing to do.  (Let's just say, it scared me to death that summer break is only four days away.)  The kids and I spent much of the day curled up by the space heater watching movies. It was not my most exciting or memorable Memorial Day.

Andrew, on the other hand, spent his day doing what he loves most.  He got off work at 7:30am after working the night shift, came home, loaded up his car and drove up the canyon to Snowbird.  He spent the next several hours skiing on 10-inches of new powder  - on MAY 30th - and loving every single second of it.  (It defies the laws of nature, I tell you!)

And how was he rewarded for this un-summer-like activity?

He ended up getting a half-page picture of himself on the front of the "Local" section of the newspaper. We're still waiting on sponsorship offers from Scott skis.

Needless to say, it's been nearly impossible living with him now that he's famous and everything. Ever since becoming household name,  I'm afraid he's really let this whole "celebrity" thing go to his head.  I told him I now know what it feels like to be Nick Cannon.  

"Who's that?" Andrew asked.  

"He's married to Mariah Carey."

Oh well.  Maybe I'm just jealous that he had way more fun on Memorial Day than I did.  And just in case Andrew hasn't had his fill yet, Snowbird will be open until the 4th of July!   Hooray for Summer!

(Hey, it is a pretty great picture though, isn't it?)

Happy Easter

We got home from California just in time for Easter.  Like every year, I wish there had been more focus on the Savior and the atonement, and less focus on eggs and candy.  Hopefully, somewhere between new clothes and Easter baskets, our kids also recognized our attempts to  help them understand the real power and miracle of Easter.

After church, we tried to get a picture of all the kids.  Of course, it was much easier said than done.

Here are my boys.  I love them all - even that nut on the end.

All the kids.  And yes, Abby had to physically restrain Lucy just so we could get all five of them in the picture.

Our Easter egg hunt was done after church in our backyard.  We explained to the kids that they had to look all over the back yard for little cards with their names on them.  "Don't take anything that doesn't have your name on it."

We thought all the kids understood the concept until we looked in Peter's basket/bucket.  Apparently, the message wasn't made clear to everyone.

It was fun watching the kids search for their treasures throughout the yard.

After all the eggs were found and counted and sorted, after the Easter clothes had been put away, and after everyone had eaten too much chocolate, I hope that in the end, the real treasure my kids will take away from Easter is this:

"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!"  (D&C 76:22)

My children are young, but they are not so young that they can't have a testimony of this fact and I know this knowledge will bring them more peace and joy in their lives than any memories of Easter egg hunts or new Easter clothes.  "Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives."

Happy Easter!