It's like a light switch.

Yesterday I woke up and I thought our daughter Madelyn had been possessed by some foreign life form.  With out going over it again, I will just say it was a rough day.  I had a great book club last night and I was also blessed with a lot of good insights.  I was reminded about how Madelyn's little life has been turned upside down a lot this past year.  Over and over we have gone and she has truly rolled with the punches.  I was also given something that has kept me thinking about it all night and all day.  The fact is we each go through "transitions" in life.  This is a huge transition for my family.  I have this theory that Heavenly Father knew what he was doing when it came to child birth.  Because by the end of pregnancy you are so miserable and want it to be over so badly that you don't care how that thing comes out you just want it out!!  So, this dear friend of mine said that is what is going on in my life right now.  I am being blessed with a really rough day to day life so that I will be so done with it that I will move and be happy to do it.  She was right!  I'm there.  I love it here and I love all of our family and friends.  However, I am at that stage of this "transition" where I don't care anymore I want to go.  I never thought I would feel that way.  I always thought I would never want to move and that I could deal with this forever.  I was wrong.  I'm so grateful for this insight I was given last night.  It was yet ANOTHER blessing.  So sometimes things come to you and sometimes they have to be turned on like a light switch.  Either way you are grateful for the light.  As for Madelyn she was wonderful today. I guess we all have a switch.

BEST SURPRISE EVER!!!

Remember a while back when I said that I loved surprises?  Well, there we were last night eating our dinner...

And I was in the living room feeding Violet hers.  When all of a sudden there was a knock at our back door and some guy saying "Hello!"  I of course started to freak out that there was a mass murderer in my home and he apparently knocks first.  But, then I walk in and see this same guying kissing my #3....

IT WAS DADDY and he was HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Moroni completely surprised us by coming home and spending the night with us.  It was truly the best gift I've ever gotten.

What a great and perfect end to the day.  I am still a big fan of surprises!!

P.S. Aren't the two Savannah's so cute!!!

The one I live with. Laugh with. Love.

9 years ago today I made the best decision of my life...

9 years ago today, I married my best friend for all time and eternity.

9 years ago today, I smiled more than I ever had and each day my smile grows with my love for Moroni.

9 years ago today my life forever changed and truly became complete.

9 years ago today, I looked into my future husbands eyes and I knew.  I knew he was the one that I was meant for and I knew that we would do everything in our power to make each other happy.

9 years ago today, I married the future Father of our four girls and the most loving Dad anyone could wish for.

9 years ago today, I set myself on a path of JOY and love.  Our path is still in the beginning stages, but I'm so grateful for the one I get to live with, laugh with and love.  I love you Moroni, more today then I did 9 years ago.  Happy Anniversary my love!

It really is a wonderful life!

This weekend truly had all the makings of a perfection.  It was filled with fun, food, laughter, friends, family and most importantly(in my book) Moroni.  We started off with Friday, where the girls and I busied ourselves getting all ready for Daddy to come home. We made treats, made gifts and I got myself ready to go out that night.  I got to kiss Moroni and then do some shopping.  Perfect! 

Next came a fun filled Saturday with a party to go to and some places that are a must-have for our girls. Culvers being the main one.  With our food allergies we have found that the girls can have the lemon ice there.  What a treat!!

"Perfect, just like my Mommy!"  The shirt says it all.

After a fun-filled Saturday came the day where we honor the amazing men in our life.  First, my Dad.  How grateful I am that I was raised in a home with a Dad that I always knew loved and protected me.  I always felt safe and knew that no one would get to me with out going through my Dad first.  I found a lot of comfort in this fact.  Also, he was always so respectful of women and I knew that's what I wanted in a hubby one day.  Second, came the Dad that I got when I married my sweetheart.  Mike is a great example of service and love of family.  He shows me constantly how to work hard and how to always be a parent your children can turn to when they need it.  Third are my brothers.  They are each amazing men that I am privileged to say I know.  They are great Fathers and Uncles.  Sometimes my girls are more spoiled by them then their grandparents.  Lastly, comes Moroni.  The love of my life and the Father of our children.  He is an amazing Dad and I am so in awe of the love he has for our girls.  He is so patient, kind, loving and most importantly...FUN!  He loves to experience life with them and they love it as well.

Happy Fathers Day Babe!

(Okay, yes!  That is me with a fairy tiara on my head.  I can't help it, I'm a sucker for dress up.  And I forgot it was on when we took the picture ;-)

Kisses!

And More kisses!  Happy Fathers Day Daddy!!

As my dryer just dinged to let me know that yet again my Husband is too good for me and even though he had to go he still did all the laundry before he left.  I'm reminded of what I heard to today at church.  We had an apostle come to a special conference today and it was amazing.  To sum it up, he asked us to each be a little more grateful.  I am so grateful for the million little things that we are blessed with right now. 

I am mostly grateful however for a wonderful husband and our wonderful life!

Book anyone?

I love to read.  Now that statement when I was younger would of not applied to me at all.  My parents are probably reading this right now and laughing.  I was not a reader.  I didn't enjoy it and every book in school was like TORTURE trying to get through.  Something happened to me however after we had Madelyn.  I got bitten by the reading bug.  It bit me bad and I have not gone back.  I now love to read.  I am learning to love all different types of books and all different kinds of styles of writing.  So, you can imagine how happy I am that our girls love to read.  Ellie is so advanced in her reading that the teacher said she couldn't even keep up with her to score her.  Savannah is starting to read and just loves being able to recognize words and show me all that she knows.  Madelyn likes it when I point to words and then she repeats them to me like she is reading too.  The girls each take a turn reading the Book of Mormon every night.  It brings me so much joy that they have of love for reading and especially this book.  The joy grew even more when I came into our living room today and saw what the girls had created...

Their very own reading area.  Plush with pillows, blankets and favorite their reading buddies.

(Thanks Heidi for turning Ellie onto that A-Z series!  She loves it!! I love it too because there are SO MANY books to read.)

Madelyn, you are such a "ham."

Savannah smiling because she loves being able to read too!

What I learned today is...I need to go to the library!



Silver lining

As the days get even longer with out my soul mate around I feel drawn to find the silver lining in all things.  I could start this blog entry off with a million complaints about this or that OR I could decide that life is pretty darn good and I am pretty darn blessed.  For today I am going for the second.  I have the best family and the best kids.  My parents took two of our girls for two days(thank you), my Sister took the two oldest girls shopping and out to dinner, I had amazing friends to go to the zoo with and friends in general have also been checking in with me, dropping off food and pretty much asking how on earth they could help.  Why am I so blessed?  Every time I feel so over-whelmed and I'm not sure what to do anymore, I have someone in my life take a huge weight off.  So in the spirit of silver lining here are some great pics from the last week...

Our trip to our new home included a hotel with an indoor water park.  Enjoying the lazy river at our cool hotel.

Savannah enjoying the water.

We went to the zoo with some friends on Monday.  It was SOOO fun!! Most importantly the weather was perfect.

My dear friend Kristina held Violet most of the trip and even took Madelyn potty for me. (Jenna!  I didn't get a pic of you.  NEXT TIME my friend).

The bears were the big hit.

We got to go and enjoy some Mana and Papa time.

Madelyn however, was starting to get sick.  She was so tired.  I'm so grateful for modern meds.

Violet and her name sake Mana Elaine.

Uncle Dave and Violet.   She loves how he jiggles her.

So the silver lining this week is... I'm still here, I'm so loved and wow oh wow do I love sleep.  Even if I can never get enough of it...

Lost, cops and vomit. Oh, yeah...what did you do over the last few days??

So, the time had finally come that I take the girls to see the city that we would call home.  I was so excited.  I was also nervous out of my mind to drive up our four daughters 2 1/2 hours by myself.  We had a GREAT time and those stories and pictures will come in a later post.  This one is reserved for the real "fun."  Let's start out with our drive.  I got lost.  My directions said I should be going right when I actually should have gone left. I tried calling Moroni for 15 minutes but bless his heart he was in meetings.  After balling my eyes out because my greatest fear for the trip came true, I then finally got through to Moroni and got put back on the right course.  The rest of the day was a blast!  Then we cut to this morning where I again had to drive by myself to a friends house who lives in a nearby area.  I again got lost and then when I finally figured out where I was going, got pulled over by a cop...for speeding!!  It was awful.  I luckily got away with a warning because I was just so pathetic.  Just when I thought I was finally out of the clear and could literally see my friends house from where I was pulled over, Madelyn THREW UP!!  That's right...threw up.  It was all over her, the car seat and part of the car.  It smelled so bad and I had no idea where to go from there. 

So, the trip didn't turn out quite the way we thought.  I never did get to drive around different towns to see what I like.  But, I did get to see a lot more of this amazing state that we live in, got to thank our boys in blue for all they do and I got to remember why I pack extra clothes every time we go somewhere.  Over-all good trip!

"Hey, that's my spot" and other great quotes from dance recital week.

It's that time again...DANCE RECITAL time!  It comes around once a year and that week is very long and stressful.  The end result however is always worth it.  Savannah joined in this year and had her first dance recital experience.  We love our dance studio and it is truly one of the things we will miss most when we move.  The girls teacher is amazing and so loving.  Ellie and Savannah spent the year learning about tap and ballet and then they each do a choreographed performance the night of the recital.  It's a big night with big hair, big smiles and for some big make-up.

Savannah, Sheri(their teacher) and Ellie.

At the end of the recital.  My favorite quote was when we rushed up to Ellie to tell her how amazing she did and she bursted into tears saying "I don't want to move."  I thought maybe she could of waited for a better time.

Savannah's tap performance was to Elivis' song "You ain't nothing but a hound dog."  Ellie did "Rockin Robin."  Favorite quotes:  "Mom, where is my beak?"  "Mom, when can I bark on stage again?"

Just us Robins!

There was a lot of barking.  Favorite quote: "Can I keep my puppy ears?"

Favorite quote(that was said inside Savannah's head) "Hey!  Get out of my spot!"  Apparently this little girl got confused as to where she was suppose to go and she decided that Savannah's spot looked good.  Savannah however, is a trained professional and stood right next to her spot and danced away.  Well, that is until she walked off the stage to tell her teacher that this little girl was in the wrong spot.  It was hilarious and I thought for sure Savannah would be upset.  She however was great!  I asked her how she felt about this incident and she just shrugged and said "Mom, that girl was in my spot.  I just decided to dance where I was suppose to."  me: "Well, what did you teacher say when you went off the stage?"  Savannah: "She said not to worry and just get back and dance.  So I did!"  I was so PROUD of her!!!!

Ellie did her tap to a song from the Tinker Bell movie.  It was beautiful!  Both girls were such amazing dancers.  Favorite quote: "Mom...Mom...MOM!"  me: "WHAT?"  "I NEED my fairy dust!"

The girls with their cheerleaders.  Uncle Dave, Papa, Mana, Auntie Mar and Madelyn.

FAIRY DUST...oh there it is!

Favorite quote: "Mom, look...I won a medal!! Papa no, you cannot have it."

My girls are so talented and amazing.  Just like someone else we all know ;-)...

...their Dad!

Part two

As our children keep getting bigger and growing into their own personalities I am always surprised that they are each so different.  I thought how could I ever have another child as different as Ellie and Savannah are and yet Madelyn came along and proved me wrong.  They are each so different and I am curious to see how Violet's personality will form.  The one thing that has stayed pretty consistent is the fact that Ellie and Savannah look so different.  We have a blond curly haired, hazel eyed little girl on one side and on the other we have straight brown hair with bright blue eyes.  If I wasn't in the room when they entered our family I truly would think they came from different homes(well, that and the fact that they each look like Moroni or I).  When Madelyn came along I wondered who she was going to look like?  Will she have bright blue eyes?  Will she be tall or will she be small?  Well, as she kept getting older it became more and more clear that she was going to look like Ellie.  Almost to the point that some pictures you can't tell who is who.  For years now Savannah has only heard "Wow, Madelyn looks just like Ellie."  When we found out that Violet was a girl all Savannah could think about was "I hope she looks like me."  I prayed for that as well.  Violet is now getting older and truly starting to have her own "look"  and that look is Savannah!  It makes Savannah so happy when someone tells her that Violet looks like her.  So as I was looking at my two youngest today and I realized something that I had known for a while but wanted to write it down.  I am truly looking at Ellie and Savannah part two...

What a fun event to experience twice!