Spring Break 2016

I was brave and bold for this spring break.  Aaron wasn't able to have the time off, so I drove to Utah BY MYSELF.  It turns out I have awesome kids.  I mean ... I knew that, but now I really KNOW that.  13 hours each way and they were angelically good.  Really... almost no fighting or whining.  Even Grayson was so so good.  Better than I would have been at his age for sure.  Although it was a short trip we had a great time seeing lots of family and playing lots of goofy games and basically just had a ton of fun.  

 The last several times we've done this drive we stop at the same park in Oregon.  It is always a good middle point and has a pretty awesome playground.  This time around, we hid a treasure and decided to see if it is still there in a year.  Hmmm... we'll see.  :)

 I'm so glad we got to stop in Boise and see my Grandma.  She made me laugh... she seemed so spirited as she entertained the kids... tossing a pillow with them, asking them funny questions.  Her memory isn't what it used to be, but she is the same sweet tender-hearted Grandma I remember.

 While playing in the pool at the hotel, Sam jumped too close to the edge of the pool and hit his chin.  He didn't realize that he was hurt and was about to jump into the pool again.  Gratefully I stopped him before he did because there was blood everywhere.  It was such a mess.  He split it pretty deep and we spent awhile deciding if we needed to go get stitches. In the end, we didn't and it has healed up nicely, but it was a little crazy for awhile.

 It was so fun watching Grayson because he remembered little things and definitely remembered Grandpa, who he tagged around with the entire time.  Now that Grandpa is retired... he was around to entertain Grayson all day.  He might decide to go back to work after this week.  :)

 Nice try with Grandparents and their 16 grand kids.  Ha.  

 Love this.

 This obsession with sitting in the basket hoop seemed to sweep over us.  The kids spent a great deal of time in this activity.

 Grayson adoring his next play mate.

 We're wondering what Sam is wearing in this picture.  I really don't know, but it's cute anyway.  

 Random cute picture at the park.

 Alaina entertaining the kids with her weird phone apps.  We loved it.  

 I guess I took lots of pictures of Grayson, but this sure was cute.  Owen and Grayson were best little buddies.  They actually played TOGETHER.  Like they'd say "want to play bad guys?"  And then they'd play a real game together with one shooting the other and bad guy falls dead and then in a minute he wakes up and they trade places.  It was the most sophisticated play I've seen in this kid.  And it was really cute.  

Thanks for letting us come visit.  

To this guy

Here is just a quick blog post about a guy I think is really cute and have since I was 15 years old.  He had a birthday a few weeks ago and I find that since I was 15 I've learned a lot about him.  Like how he is pretty good at taking selfies and that he puts extra spice on pretty much everything he eats.  I've learned that he is probably more attractive when being adorable and playing with his kids than pretty much any other time.  I've learned he looks great in a beard and he actually seems to ENJOY working out.  Pretty much though... the essential truth is that I'm so lucky I fell for him so many years ago, because now I get to be married to him and that's a pretty awesome thing.  Happy birthday Aaron!

Friends

I'm feeling grateful today for good friends.  Friends that I like to talk to, because I know they're kind of thinking the same way I am on an important topic.  But also friends who are okay to tell me if they think I'm totally off. Friends who I can be myself around and not have to pretend I care about things that I don't care about... or vice versa.  It's nice to have friends who your kids love and want to hang out with as much as you do.  Friends who meet you at the park and tell you about how Baskin Robins has their $1.31 sale on the 31st of March.  Those are the kinds of friends I'm feeling grateful for today.  

He's THREE

 Last night as we were trying to get everyone off to bed and the kids were running around being crazy and Grayson was being adorable.... Aaron casually said, "well... this is our last night with a 2 year old", and I suddenly felt so strangely sad.  2 is so much fun.  2 makes me laugh every single day.   This morning Grayson and I sat down and looked through pictures of when he was born and as he got older and it was so much fun and crazy because it's gone by so fast and yet I can't even remember what it was like when Grayson wasn't in our family yet.  He brings so much joy to our lives and I love this little man so so much.  

A few things to remember about Grayson right now:

1.  We all love how he is so polite and adorable.  Like when you wish him a happy birthday he'll say, "happy birthday a you too!"  

2.  Whenever we open up the garage door to find Aaron's car inside Grayson bursts out with "Daddy's HOME!"  he does this even when Aaron is with us in the van.  LOL!

3.  He snuggles like no other.  He loves kisses and we play a kissing game every night before he goes to bed.  I smother him in kisses and then he wipes them off so I have to kiss him again and hold down his hands so he can't wipe them off, so he'll blink them off, or sniff them off or something.  He giggles and giggles and then we reverse and he smothers me in kisses.  How long will that game last??

4.  It's just fun to watch him learning words and learning about the world.  He got a contained or cheese puffs for his birthday and ran to them and yelled, "pumpkins!!"  while hugging the container.  He also got a large ball and when we asked him what it is he says, "circle!"  

5.  Lately he likes to play bus.  Whenever we drive somewhere he tells me "you not mom, you bus driver."  All I have to do is talk in a low voice, that makes me bus driver.  LOL!

I really truly selfishly don't want this child to get a minute older.  I'll take the diaper changes and occasional tantrums to have his sweetness and tenderness and laughter and giggles any day.  I know life changes, but  it seems so perfect right here and now.  

Happy Happiest of Birthday's Grayson dear.

Easter

Our Easter celebration was much the same as usual.  One of my favorite parts this year was our primary kids singing Hosanna in sacrament meeting, with the chimes and descant voices.  I love my calling right now as Primary chorister.  I really feel like I am sharing the best part of truth and of my testimony when I teach them this music.  I love the Easter celebration.  I love how in a world that seems full of evil and darkness and sin.... that there are still millions of people that gather at Easter to celebrate the life of Jesus Christ and celebrate his love, his sacrifice and His Resurrection.  I can't take picture of those moments, but there were several sweet experiences this year as we talked about that Savior, that our home just felt peaceful and blessed again by that sacrifice of 2000 years ago.  

 Grandma B sent a cookie craft project thing that the kids had fun with.  Almost no one got it looking quite like the model, but we had fun anyway.  

 The Easter Bunny came.

 This fun set of Elders shared Easter dinner with us and then colored some Easter eggs with us.  They were a lot of fun and it was great to hear their testimonies since they are out there testifying of Him all day long.  They love what they are doing and that was evident as they shared it with us. 

Happy Happy Easter.  How grateful I am to have this REASON to celebrate.

Ordinary Days

 Grayson was watching an episode of Daniel Tiger's neighborhood in which Daniel and friends were playing dress ups.  Guess what his latest obsession has been.  It's funny that he gets superman so much.  He runs around saying "I save the day."  Even when Lizzy changed his diaper and asked him to throw away the diaper... he soared in with the diaper.... and tossed it in the garbage while declaring... "I throw away diaper and save the day."  Haha.

 Sam and his dramatics.  This is at our local library.  Love it.

 The weather is finally warming up enough that we were able to go on a great hike this weekend.  Meadowdale beach park is a beautiful hike and only takes a few hours to do round trip.  I love that we have access to beautiful beaches in such a short time.  

 Trying to catch him while in the air.  It took a few tries.  

This Week

Lizzy turned 12 a few months ago and has loved loved loved being in young women's.  Yes, she freaked out when one of the first activities was an etiquette night (aka dating practice).    I mean she was escorted to her table by a 16 year old boy and sat at a table with Laurels and Priests.   But then later I think she decided she loved it.  Maybe that's what has been so fun about young women's.... learning that all of these scary adult sort of stuff may not be so scary after all.  Might even be fun.  She dressed up for their New Beginnings night (it was red carpet themed) and she looked beautiful!  I watched her during this event, standing up and stating her values with the rest of the young women, singing about the Savior and becoming part of this wonderful, uplifting, inspiring organization and I suddenly felt so overwhelming grateful for the help of the church in raising my kids.  We're doing the best we can, but some things we just can't teach and the experiences she's having in young women's cannot be duplicated at home.  

 I just don't want to forget Grayson at this stage.  He just makes me laugh every day.  I tell him we need a picture of those pretty flowers and he strikes a pose.  He's such a ham.  One of my favorite things lately has been when this little 2 year old sees me doing some job (taking out the garbage... etc) he'll say in his little cute voice, "you need help?"  and then he'll help me.  It's so heart breakingly cute.  

I just posted this picture from a birthday party this week because it reminds me of all the good friends we have.  I love these people and their parents.