haPpy moTher'S daY!

I just wanted to wish all you Mother's out there a wonderful Mother's day. I don't know about you but there are few things I enjoy more than being a mom! Somedays I wonder about my parenting skills and some days I feel like I am running in place and not getting anywhere, but one little smile, thank you or love you makes it all worth it!

I hope you are all happy and well and Have a GREAT DAY!

MOTHERS ROCK!

kiDs sAy thE funNieSt tHinGs!

When Mitchell and Maridee were little I bought the cutest Anne Geddes day planners and wrote down some of the cute things they said and did. I also did the same for Madee in her darling Pooh Bear baby book. I have not come across a baby book I just love for Rylee. She has two scrapbooks I am working on. Being inspired again by one of my blogger friends I decided to make a book for Rylee to write down all the things she is saying. I found a great 2 year planner and decorated it for her. I thought I would share it with you.

This is the front cover and inside cover. The plaque reads, May you never lose your sense of Wonder.

These are a few devider pages within the planner.

I am so glad I wrote things down. My girls were reading their books yesterday and some of the things I had forgotten. Most I remembered and it brought back fun memories.

spRinG iN utAh!

What a difference a day makes. After 38 years I am still amazed each spring how one day differs from another. Here are some pictures for example.

Day 1

Day 2

Now I just have to remember this when I am feeling sorry for myself. I try to show gratitude everyday, but I am unfortunately a little pessimistic at heart. Just for the record I love snow and I love the sun. I am grateful to live in a climate with seasonal changes. I am so amazed by my friends blogs. Even when they are going through some very stressful things, they are so positive. Thank you all for your awesome blogs they brighten my day. Hopefully your opptomism will rub off on me!

haPpy biRthDay daDdy!

Happy Birthday to a great Dad and Husband! Roger is turning 41 today! Wow! We will have been married 18 years in June, that is almost half Roger's life. I am sure some days it feels like the years have flown, and other days it seems like we have been together forever! Madee came home sick from school today, I think she may have just wanted to go to lunch with Dad!:)(except she did have a low grade fever) I feel so blessed to have a husband that loves being a dad and spending time with his family! I hope he has a wonderful day! We love you DAD!

Rog and Mitch on top of Benlomond Peak and Rog and the girls after going on Wicked...Mom and Mitch passed!

Roger , Rylee, Watermelon, 4th of July!

Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.
Just a few fun pictures with dad!

juSt a LitTle cHocoLate!

Most people who know me, know I like chocolate. I can pass up some desserts, I save the calories for chocolate. I NEVER pass up a chocolate dessert. This doesn't help with my goal to lose weight again this year, but I tend to think it helps with my goal to be more patient!:)

For my birthday last year my In Laws gave me a 50lb bag of chocolate chips! Then for Christmas they gave me a 50lb bag of chocolate chips! Yes! 100lbs of chocolate chips! Believe it or not we will use them (not sure how long it will take, I am interested and scared to find out). My kids are like little mice taking handfuls out of the container. Hmm, wonder where they got that from! My father in law says they have chocolate flowing through their veins! Little miss Rylee knows where the chocolate chip container is and has figured out how to open it! Here she is camped out in the baking drawer having just a little chocolate! :)

I hope you all get your little piece of chocolate today!

haPpy biRthDay miTcheLL!

Mitchell turned 15 on Sunday! Yes! 15! He is getting so grown up. Thank goodness he still acts like a teenager, I am having a hard time with him being taller than me! We went and picked up the manual so he could study for his driving test to get his permit. I'm not ready! We also have to turn in his regristration for high school tomorrow! He decided he was too old for parties:(

He said it would save us money. We did take him out to eaton Friday. We went to the Union Station and ate as the train went by. Afterward we went out and walked around the trains. Rylee followed her brother everywhere. She LOVES him! I am sure he really enjoyed it, but he didn't want to admit it. I couldn't help but to think how he would have acted around the trains when he was five(so adorable)! So, I don't know if I want to crawl into bed and sleep for a month because of winter or because my little boy is so grown up!:)

Kidding aside, we love him very much and are so proud of him!

Happy Birthday Mitchell!

These pictures were taken in San Diego Zoo. I don't have any pictures of mitchell without Rylee. They are inseperable! I love him for that!

Ya gotta Love it!

I saw this on a friends blog and thought it was great! I thought I would try it and share it. Simple you just have to list 10 things you have done right lately...sometimes not so easy when we are often putting ourselves down! Here goes:

1. Called my mom to check in (we don't talk all that often, but now that she is home alone all the time I am trying to do much better!) She really enjoyed it and so did I!
2. Got my preschool calendars ready and passed out before the month of February actually started! (this doesn't always happen, but I try!)
3. Rented movies for family movie night instead of giving in to the theater and spending $ I am trying to save! (we got three for $1 at redbox! Big savings!)
4. I worked out 4 days this week!
5. Provided dinner for the Missionaries. Which didn't feel too much like service since my kids had so much fun and my husband cooked(pizza...his idea...missionaries loved it or so it seemed after 6pieces, salad & dessert!)
6.Ironed my guys shirts so that they are ready for sunday and work this week...no rush iron job on sunday morning! Yeah!
7. Finished the laundry and vaccuming done for the week...even though I try not to sometimes this runs into the next week's laundry and vaccuming!:)
8. Moves last years reciepts filed downstairs and set up new files for this year! Phew! This did not get done last year, the files were bulging!
9. Took my 12yr old and 1 yr old swimming after working out. I hate swimming unless it is a hot summer day. They were so cute Rylee was trying to blow bubbles in the pool...I am so glad she didn't swallow the whole pool. You have to be careful what she sees you do, she copies everything!
10. Cooked dinner everynight this week except friday...Even Sunday which is rare since grandma lives around the block and has a standing invititation each suday. (My family loved my swedish meatballs cooked in my birthday present...red crockpot...I was so Happy!)
Somethings we do may seem mundane...but it is so important. This list was harder than I thought. Give it try, you all deserve it!