Hate saying goodbye!
Had a play date with some friends/neighbors before they moved to Washington. We live in an area where people are always moving out and in. So sad to say goodbye to friends, but it is nice getting to know so many great people! We miss your sweet family Veronica!
Austin turns 6....Ninjago style!
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| Ethan's teacher had a baby a few weeks before school let out, so he had a substitute for the last few weeks. I feel bad I don't remember her name now, but Austin said she was really funny! Here they are singing to him for his birthday. |
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| I took Austin to Costa Vida for his birthday lunch. His favorite! |
He wanted a Ninjago party this year. We try to rotate between a friend party and family party, (It works out nicely because that way Ethan has a family party the year Austin has a friend one and I only have to plan one a year :) Here's some of the things I did to prepare for it.
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| I was so busy with the games during the party I forgot to take pictures until they ate pizza! We did a pin-the-sword on a Ninjago game, Ninjago fish, Ninjago walk, and a pinata before we ate. |
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| My mom made this awesome cake! |
Austin made a lot of friends in school this year and wanted to invite several from his class, neighborhood, and family....wish we could have had them all, but we made him narrow it down so it wouldn't be too crazy!
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| Austin with his funny friend, Tejas. |
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| Austin and his friend Leondro |
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| Austin and his buddies, Adam and Dylan. |
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| Austin and his friend Luke. |
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| Austin with his cousins, Rocco and Rohme. |
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| Ethan, Austin, and friends Michael and Jayce. |
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| More cousins.....Layla and Millie. |
Austin loves yellow, Legos, drawing, coloring, and being in his pajamas whenever he can! He is very creative and can play for hours on his own or with Ethan. He is good at building and engineering....just like his Grandpa Jeff who he gets his middle name from. He has lots of energy and has a fun giggle when he laughs. He is caring and good at sharing! We love you Austin!
Love my boys!
I love looking at old pictures, or even a few months back pictures, and seeing all the fun, creative ideas my boys have. And even though I tend to by up-tight and frustrated on a day-to-day basis by the messes and high energy level of these boys, it makes me stop and realize how lucky I am to have these two in my life. They seriously are the best, and I'm one lucky mother!
More about Mother's Day
Beautiful flowers picked by Austin for me :)
Love this quote by C.S. Lewis, and very appropriate for Mother's Day....
"What do ships, railways, mines, cars, and government exist for except that people may be fed, warmed, and safe in their own homes?...[the Homemaker's] job is one for which all others exist."
And Ethan came home from school with this great note he made just for me.....
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| Here it is a little zoomed in so you can read his sweet note. What a nice, thoughtful boy! |
The Power of Moms
I love this article written by Allyson Reynolds over at www.thepowerofmoms.com
Happy Mother's Day!
10 Things Motherhood Has Taught Me
1-It’s not about me. Of course I need to take care of myself and nurture the me inside the mom, but in the end, being a mom is really about putting my children first. There’s this sentiment floating around that warns women they will lose themselves to motherhood. They’re right! But the woman I “found” as a result of “losing” myself to motherhood is someone I like much better. Making sacrifices of self for another human being is not a bad thing.
2-How to eat humble pie. Every mom knows you can never say never, because as soon as you do, whatever it is you said you/they would never do invariably happens. Whether it’s being pulled over for speeding while driving my kids to school in my pajamas, explaining to my three-year-old daughter that no, this nice gentlemen I’m speaking with is most definitely not pregnant, or receiving the dreaded phone call from the principals office, I learned pretty early on to tolerate regular servings of humble pie. And as a result of being “there” time and time again, I’ve developed a lot of compassion for other mothers in the same spot.
3-It’s not a competition, it’s a commitment to our children. Motherhood is not about who makes the cutest cupcakes, who goes to “Mommy and Me” yoga most often, or who puts in the most hours at the school. Personally, I gave up the imaginary battle for “Mother of the Universe” a long time ago. Save your mental and physical energy for things that really matter, like a good long talk with your teenager or an afternoon at the park with your toddler.
4-I don’t own my children. Yes, I brought them into this world, but I didn’t really create them. Every one of my children came hard wired (pre-wired?), and it is clear I am not supposed to control or manipulate them. My role is to facilitate the individual process of helping each of my children become who they really are–even if that’s totally different from what I had originally imagined!
5-It’s better to laugh than cry. (Or scream.) Motherhood has got to be the world’s most aggravating and frustrating job at times. The relentless nature of the work can drive a person to tears. Laugh instead. What other job can result in finding a binky in your cleavage at the end of the day? (True story.)
6-It’s about progress, not perfection. I was pretty hung up on perfection in my early years as a mother, but I now like to think of perfection as a verb instead of an adjective. To perfect means to improve, refine, hone, or work on. If you really stop to think about it, motherhood is just one big unfinished project free of deadlines or specific end goals. What a relief!
7-Today is not forever. There are so many stages of motherhood, and they all have their challenges and blessings. When I’m in the middle of a particularly tough one, I try to remember that it is just that (a stage) and that today is not forever. On the flip side, being the mother of growing children has taught me to stop and savor the beautiful moments for the exact same reason: because today is not forever.
8-The best things in life really are free. Forget about Disney Cruises, granite countertops, and boutique wear for your new baby. Smiles, snuggles, companionship, conversation, a sense of belonging, a reason to get up, the satisfaction of watching another person grow under your care. These are the best things of motherhood, and they are all free. Free!
9-Happy people make messes. Of course I appreciate a clean and orderly home as much as the next person, but I’ve learned that when our family is really doing what families do best, our house can be quite a mess–and that’s okay. Messes are temporary things that create permanent memories and long-term happiness.
10-Every single cliche about motherhood is true. The joy is in the journey. You’ll never do anything so hard and yet so gratifying. The greatest work any of us will ever do will be within the walls of our homes. Pretty much every last quote, pin, or cliche about motherhood is right on, and as much as we all like the idea of breaking the mold and being different, this is one area in which I like to bask in the commonality of humanity and enjoy being part of “Club Mom.”
Happy Mother's Day!
10 Things Motherhood Has Taught Me
1-It’s not about me. Of course I need to take care of myself and nurture the me inside the mom, but in the end, being a mom is really about putting my children first. There’s this sentiment floating around that warns women they will lose themselves to motherhood. They’re right! But the woman I “found” as a result of “losing” myself to motherhood is someone I like much better. Making sacrifices of self for another human being is not a bad thing.
2-How to eat humble pie. Every mom knows you can never say never, because as soon as you do, whatever it is you said you/they would never do invariably happens. Whether it’s being pulled over for speeding while driving my kids to school in my pajamas, explaining to my three-year-old daughter that no, this nice gentlemen I’m speaking with is most definitely not pregnant, or receiving the dreaded phone call from the principals office, I learned pretty early on to tolerate regular servings of humble pie. And as a result of being “there” time and time again, I’ve developed a lot of compassion for other mothers in the same spot.
3-It’s not a competition, it’s a commitment to our children. Motherhood is not about who makes the cutest cupcakes, who goes to “Mommy and Me” yoga most often, or who puts in the most hours at the school. Personally, I gave up the imaginary battle for “Mother of the Universe” a long time ago. Save your mental and physical energy for things that really matter, like a good long talk with your teenager or an afternoon at the park with your toddler.
4-I don’t own my children. Yes, I brought them into this world, but I didn’t really create them. Every one of my children came hard wired (pre-wired?), and it is clear I am not supposed to control or manipulate them. My role is to facilitate the individual process of helping each of my children become who they really are–even if that’s totally different from what I had originally imagined!
5-It’s better to laugh than cry. (Or scream.) Motherhood has got to be the world’s most aggravating and frustrating job at times. The relentless nature of the work can drive a person to tears. Laugh instead. What other job can result in finding a binky in your cleavage at the end of the day? (True story.)
6-It’s about progress, not perfection. I was pretty hung up on perfection in my early years as a mother, but I now like to think of perfection as a verb instead of an adjective. To perfect means to improve, refine, hone, or work on. If you really stop to think about it, motherhood is just one big unfinished project free of deadlines or specific end goals. What a relief!
7-Today is not forever. There are so many stages of motherhood, and they all have their challenges and blessings. When I’m in the middle of a particularly tough one, I try to remember that it is just that (a stage) and that today is not forever. On the flip side, being the mother of growing children has taught me to stop and savor the beautiful moments for the exact same reason: because today is not forever.
8-The best things in life really are free. Forget about Disney Cruises, granite countertops, and boutique wear for your new baby. Smiles, snuggles, companionship, conversation, a sense of belonging, a reason to get up, the satisfaction of watching another person grow under your care. These are the best things of motherhood, and they are all free. Free!
9-Happy people make messes. Of course I appreciate a clean and orderly home as much as the next person, but I’ve learned that when our family is really doing what families do best, our house can be quite a mess–and that’s okay. Messes are temporary things that create permanent memories and long-term happiness.
10-Every single cliche about motherhood is true. The joy is in the journey. You’ll never do anything so hard and yet so gratifying. The greatest work any of us will ever do will be within the walls of our homes. Pretty much every last quote, pin, or cliche about motherhood is right on, and as much as we all like the idea of breaking the mold and being different, this is one area in which I like to bask in the commonality of humanity and enjoy being part of “Club Mom.”
Southern California Fires
11 Years and 3 kids later.....
Bryan and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary yesterday. It seems so long ago in some ways from the day we got married, but in some ways it feels like just yesterday and I wonder how in the world we have a child turning 9 in a few months and 3 kids!
I love all the changes coming to Provo and how they are really turning things around and making it a great place to live! In just a few weeks the gigantic new Rec center will open, followed by a cool Pioneer-themed splash pad, and in the future Google Fiber! One of these great additions to Provo is Station 22. It is such a cool place and makes you feel like you've stepped back in time. They have AMAZING southern food! I don't know what's in their spices and dressings, but seriously heaven!
We ate there to celebrate last night and it was YUMMY!
I love all the changes coming to Provo and how they are really turning things around and making it a great place to live! In just a few weeks the gigantic new Rec center will open, followed by a cool Pioneer-themed splash pad, and in the future Google Fiber! One of these great additions to Provo is Station 22. It is such a cool place and makes you feel like you've stepped back in time. They have AMAZING southern food! I don't know what's in their spices and dressings, but seriously heaven!
We ate there to celebrate last night and it was YUMMY!
Kind Words Make a Mom Happy
Ethan: "You should get a gold metal for being such a hard worker!"
Me: "Thanks Ethan, that's nice of you to say!"
Ethan: "Actually you should have like a thousand by now!"
Made. My. Day.
The End.
Me: "Thanks Ethan, that's nice of you to say!"
Ethan: "Actually you should have like a thousand by now!"
Made. My. Day.
The End.
April 2013
It's so hard to get to the temple after having a baby, and it was SO nice to be able to go! I love Mt. Timpanogos Temple! Back in the day when it was finished being built, I was able to attend the open house and dedication, as well as sing in a choir at the open house and volunteered and was assigned as a greater. Also, in my young women group at the time it was being built, we got to write our goals or testimony and put them in time capsules that were put underneath it, or somewhere, I'm not totally sure where they were placed. Then I also went through the Mt. Timpanogos Temple for my endowments and I also got married here! It was a beautiful spring day!
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| Always fun, and it catches me off guard, to see Bryan's work on billboards when we're driving down the freeway. |
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| Great view from the Y with my friend Veronica. |
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| Love when the sun starts to light up the lake. |
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| Ready for General Conference with our Conference crowns! |
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| Aubrey at 7 months |
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| Happy birthday to Bryan |
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| Attempted family picture on Easter |
