Who do you look like?

We were out as a family today and I looked over at Savannah and asked her a simple question,

"Who do you look like?"

Her reply:  "MOMMY!! (long pause)  But I act like Aunt Mar!"  :)

I guess she gets the best of both worlds...right Mom and Dad?

"Baby in Tummy."

So pregnancy...enough said!  However, there are points in pregnancy that seem to make all the awfulness lift.  This past week, I got to feel our baby for the first time!!  It was so sweet and for everyone of our pregnancies being able to feel them for the first time was always special.  It truly does help to make the sick days go by faster.  The best part was Moroni got to feel it too.  I am just so in love with this little one.  I can't wait to kiss it and look into his/her eyes. 

There are going to be some draw backs though.  One word: MADELYN.  I think our little "Baby" is going to have a hard time with this.  Lately though I have seen hope because when ever we talk about Mommy's tummy, Madelyn immediately informs everyone in the room "Baby in tummy."  Then she will come up and give the baby a kiss.  It's so sweet.  Or, she will see a baby on TV or at the store and say "Baby."  Then she will stop and look at me and repeat "Baby in tummy."  So there is hope that our "Baby" is starting to realize that she won't be our baby anymore.

My husband is my HERO!!

Moroni set a big goal for himself a few months back and ever since has taken the steps to accomplish it.  Him and his buddy decided to train and run a half marathon together.  They have spent hours running and I have spent hours missing him.  All his hard work came to a head this past Saturday when Moroni ran his first half-marathon.

Moroni and Eric just beginning their run.  See you in two hours.

While the boys were running, us running widows and our kids had to keep busy.  Here are the girls dancing to a fun band.

Savannah and her buddy Max had a jumping contest.  Which was fun until Madelyn wanted to do it too:).

Heidi(the other widow) and our kids looking out at boats.

Madelyn trying to eat Molly's food.

My buddy Jace just chillin!

So now the time has started to run out and we were waiting by the finish line for our Dad's to come.  Here the kids are giving high fives to all the runners that passed by.  It was so CUTE!!

THERE THEY ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They did it!!!  Moroni and Eric ran the whole time and ended with a great time of 2 hours and 6 minutes.  Look at those "Hotties."

"We're so proud of you Daddy!!"

He earned that medal! 

Great race, great buddies and a great day!  Us widows are looking forward to the next big race. When our hubbies are done training Heidi and I are going to do our own race through a few malls...that's only fair right?? :)

So proud of you Moroni!!  I love you.  Thank you for teaching me to set goals and accomplish them!!!

Facing fears, visiting family and a girls weekend in!

For the past few weeks Ellie and Savannah have been taking swim lessons.  Every morning we would get up, eat breakfast, get our suits on and away we went.  Granted there were morning that I couldn't go or that a friend or family member would take them for me.  But we were very blessed and the girls learned so much!

Ellie and Savannah all ready for their last day.

Savannah's class doing the train...choo choo!

Ellie was TERRIFIED to jump off the blocks.  She would get up there, look down and say "NO WAY!"  Finally on her last few days she started to get more brave and this is what happened...

She did it!! Way to face your fears Ellie.

This weekend brought the Baptism of one of our dear nieces.  I being way to under the weather to travel stayed home with Madelyn while Moroni took Ellie and Savannah on a little road trip.  While they were gone my Sister came and we had a great girls weekend.  Madelyn really missed her sisters.  Mommy and Aunt Mar were no match for her sisters endless energy.  Moroni, Ellie and Savannah traveled the four hours and had a blast with family.

We LOVE our MN family!!

When they arrived the fun started right away.  They put a sprinkler under the trampoline.  It was a wet and wild good time.

There is always time for good food, and Aunt Nicole is a GREAT cook!

Princesses anyone?

Cousins:).

We are so proud of you Rachel and so grateful that part of us could be there. 

What a blessing it is to know what we know!!  Thank you to all of our family and friends who helped make this weekend so great! 

Sick Mommy, Tired Daddy and a Tube of Lipstick!

Madelyn's thoughts...

"What Mommy, I wasn't suppose to play with your MAGENTA lipstick?  But look how pretty I look!"

"Cheese!"

"Then Daddy gave me a bath."

"The next day Daddy took me for a bike ride."

"I love bike riding. Elmo is on my helmet."

"Here is Savannah riding her new princess bike.  I am so proud of my big sister."

"Daddy was so proud of her pedaling."

"Here is me with my two sisters.  Mana Mills and Great Mana Mills sent us matching outfits.  Don't we look cute!!  Thank you Mana and Great Mana!!  We LOVE you."

On a lighter note...

Today was a GOOD day.  I got to spend it with one of my dearest friends. I have not got to feel this relaxed and normal in a long time. Thank you sweet friend!!

I also got some very fun news today.  For those who know me, they know I am not much on "texting" I am horrible at it and I really don't do it.  Well, today I got two very important text messages.  The first one stated that one of my Brothers and his wife are expecting their THIRD Son!  I was so excited for them!  That little boy will be very lucky and loved. 

My second text today is from my  friend Meg.  See Meg and I have been friends for over 10 years.  She was with me when Moroni and I first got together.  She was there when Moroni proposed.  She  helped planned my insane 20th surprise birthday party.  She was also there when Ellie was born.  We have been there for each other for many years.  But today she sent me a picture of her brand new baby girl and I sadly am not there.  I am however there in spirit and I am so happy for you Meggie!! 

So I decided that "texting" isn't so bad after all!

Allergic Reactions and York Peppermint Pattys...

Our sweet Ellie has been blessed on this earth with food allergies.  One of them being egg.  For a long time we held the hope that this allergy would go away.  I just thought if I wanted it bad enough that it would happen.  Well, it didn't happen and probably won't.  Most days I don't even think about our kids allergies.  It is so in-tuned to who I am that I don't even have to think about it.  Yesterday however was a different story.  I had gotten some candy from a sweet friend of mine and during quiet time yesterday Ellie asked if she could have some.  I of course looked through this candy and ASSUMED that everything was fine.  Well, you know how the old saying goes??  I gave Ellie a York Peppermint patty.  Something that I thought I had given her before.  Shortly after eating it, Ellie started to say her belly really hurt.  A little while later she was on her bed doubled over in pain, while certain parts of her face were swelling, her throat was itchy and she started to wheeze!  YES, this all happened to us.  The trained allergy professionals.  I immediately thought through everything she had eaten because I knew she was having an allergic reaction.  The only thing that came to mind was this York Peppermint Patty.  The wrapper was not labeled and so I went to the website and found yet another road block because Hershey's feels that it is not SMART to post their ingredients on-line because they can change(in other words, they don't want to be legally responsible if they do change them and forget to change the website).  Finally after searching for what felt like forever I found a blogger who wrote out the entire York Peppermint Patty recipe on their blog.  What did I find?  EGG WHITES!  There were egg whites in the patty itself.  I felt horrible.  I gave my beautiful baby girl something and she suffered for it all afternoon.  She was so miserable. Moroni and I have never seen her have a reaction like this.  Her eyes are still a little swollen today.  The only bonus to all of it was the fact that she got to watch two Barbie movies.  Normally she doesn't get to watch anything like that on a Sunday, so that really did help with the sickness:).

We are just so grateful that she is okay and that I am again reminded that we can never assume anything when it comes to food allergies.  I am grateful that Heavenly Father reminds me of these lessons, when they are with me and not at school or a friends house!! 

So to all the parents out there that feel like they have ever mad a dumb move when it comes to their kids...I am right there with you!