Blessings: Conference Weekend

Our conference weekend was loverly. Almost perfect. Cori and Grant spent the weekend in Utah. Cori had some meetings to attend back at our alma matter. Grant got to spend some boy time playing with his cousins. The girls and I had reign of the house for the weekend. Brett and Tiffany ended up staying in PHX for the weekend and we had a very relaxing couple of days. We watched conference. We went to Gracie's soccer tournament in between Saturday sessions. We went out for frozen yogurt. Brett and Tiff played with the girls and I sat around and took pictures. 

It was nice to have time and space to let the truths communicated in conference settle into my heart. There were no new revelations, but there were many well-timed reminders and affirmations. Our Heavenly Father and Savior live. They know us and love us. We are not alone. We do not need all the answers. There is safety and peace to be found in the world when we obey our Father's commandments and plan for His children. Our families matter so much. My marriage must always be at the top of my list. Though the trials and frustrations I face may not be as heavy as those faced by others, they are my own. What matters is how I use them to fan the fire of my faith.  My heart felt as light as a feather by Sunday afternoon. So much to be thankful for. 

spring

We are back from our fun spring break trip. I'm going through photos for the post. This one of Eden is from our flight to Orlando. There was a thunderstorm that peaked as we were to make our descent. So we circled around in the gulf for a couple of hours and then were diverted to Tampa to refuel. Finally, we were cleared to get into Orlando. The kids were super great - we were on that plane for a LONG time. Towards the end of the trip, I asked Eden to smile for me and she made this face.  Pretty much summed up how we were all feeling. We all got a good laugh. She can be such a silly girl!

The weather around here is warming right up. 80s and 90s. Phoenix Spring! Saturday chores include increasing amounts of yard work. And our days of breezy, comfy afternoons are numbered. It makes me a little itchy for school to be done next month so we can get right to our summer schedule of pjs, swimsuits, and having this baby. :)

Cori and Grant mowing the lawn after a tee ball game...

Grant and Edes and I take the occasional picnic to the park before preschool.

Grant and Eden were invited to a fun Easter luncheon before we left. I would like to point out that my children are the ones with the reusable Walmart bags instead of Easter baskets. I located the Easter boxes the day of the party. They were trapped beneath all the Christmas stuff. One has to choose one's battles now and then. The kiddos didn't seem to notice.

Aunt Tiff is staying with us for a bit while she and Brett get settled into their new home and new jobs in St. George. Grace's principal got a grant for their school and was awarded at a Diamondbacks game earlier this week. Anyone who wanted could have free tickets to the game. We stayed through the top of the 7th inning. Despite having a piano lesson and homework, Gracie made time to whip up a sign before we left.

polar plunge

The weather last Saturday was sunny and balmy. We spent hours doing yard work and smelling the heavenly blooms of the lemon tree. All of the outside loveliness put it into our heads that a little dip in the pool would be a good idea. The water was a chilly 68* - about the temperature it has been when we have started swimming in years past. Cori, Grace, and Grant jumped all the way in. Eden and I were content to splash around the baja step. The swim didn't last long- and we used the pool net to fish out the dive sticks Eden threw into the deep. No one was volunteering to dive in after them!

image diary: first game 4.16.2013

Lucky day

We hadn't really planned on making much of St. Patrick's Day. However, Grace's plans for the holiday went into action early in the week. She made a house for our patron leprechaun, Lucky (who, I remind, had no particular plans of visiting this year). We were also invited to a fun family party- corned beef, treasure hunt, yummy treats. After all this, Lucky decided to fit us into his schedule and dropped by for a nap in his house. He also left a couple surprises and a note ensuring Grace that she would never have his gold.

happy things

I feel like making a stink about some of highlights around here. It has been that kind of a Monday. But just count your blessings, right? Feeling better already.




For example, my phone case. It is a print of a Chopin Polonaise written in the master's own hand. It makes me very happy and feels so very me.

Spring break is around the corner which means our family babymoon is almost here. We are headed to Orlando for a week. This is a trip that has been a year in the making. Last Spring, we sat down and made a bunch of family goals. The reward for meeting the goals was to be a Disney cruise. We have chipped away at the goals (less than 20 pages of the Book of Mormon left!) and saved up some money. When the end was in sight, we set about making plans. Our pregnancy made the cruise an impossible family option. We are pretty darn thrilled about plan B. Somewhere in the interim, my parents asked if they could hang out with us for our spring break. We told them we'd love it, but they would have to meet us in Florida. And they are! Now, my mom and I are happily occupied with sketching out an itinerary and making reservations for special events.

The whole time we have lived here, we have talked about having a big neighborhood dinner at our house. We finally scheduled one in January, and our event got rained out. A few weeks ago we got around to trying again. Flyers were hand delivered around our block, and we ended up with a house and back yard full of wonderful people. I didn't get an exact count, but our number was close to 40. Brett and Tiff were with us that weekend and helped out a bunch. We had the missionaries over too. We grilled ribs and chicken and everyone else brought sides to share. The s'mores were a hit at the end of the evening. We loved spending some real time with these families with whom we have been exchanging pleasantries for the last two years.

After a lot of research, test drives, and craigslist adds (buying and selling) we got a new-to-us car that has enough seat belts for our growing group. Cori wanted to christen her Big Birtha. I find myself calling her The Nali. She is a large and in charge Yukon XL. She fits in the garage with just inches to spare and has nearly every single thing on our wish list. Ready for a serious road trip!

Our piano has a player system on it. It is a frequent sight and sound around here in the evenings for Cori to fire up the piano and dance it up with the kids in the front room. This also makes me very happy.

Gracie finally got up on her two wheeler. She wanted to come with me and Grant and Eden when I was taking Grant out to ride his bike. She had no interest in trying her bike, so I told her she could jog along with us - which she did and did a great job keeping up, and then, leading the pack. After a couple of these trips she was more interested in trying her bike again. And once she makes up her mind about something... We went on a couple of family bike rides this last weekend. It was a little dream come true for me and Cori.

Grantigus

Grant is a good buddy for me and Eden during the day. He is increasingly restless on his days off of preschool. But I am increasingly grateful to still have this time with him. He has suddenly started reading. He reads verses from the scriptures during our family reading time each night with just a little assistance. And we have made it part of his morning routine to read two books, usually by himself. He is very sweet about reading to Eden- she loves it. (Notice Stink 1 and Stink 2 in this picture, with the former being sucked on?...)

He has always been the best sleeper- and still needs a nap now and then. He konks out just about anytime he spends 3 minutes sitting still and unstimulated. This particular picture was the result of a brief time out.

Grant graduated from his strider bike when he finally got his two wheeler for Christmas. He was up and going on it right away, no problems. He LOVES riding this thing. I try to get out with him a couple days a week for a long ride. More correctly stated, I walk/jog/waddle Eden in the jogging stroller while Grant rides ahead. He will do up to 2 miles with a big smile on his face. 

His newest biking achievement is pedaling while standing up. He told me on the day I took this picture, "Mom, this is the second step to riding a bike. I don't know what step 3 is, but when I know, I'll do it."

Grant got this CTR ring on his first day of Primary this year. He wore it until it had turned half of his finger green. We made him take it off until the tarnish went away, and then it went back on his little boy hand, and there it remains. I do love that he loves it so much.

Something else he is hesitant to remove these days is this baseball cap. T ball has finally begun. Signups were way back in January and it has been a torturous wait for this little guy. His first practice was this week. His team is the Orioles. He was really frustrated about his team name at first because 'Orioles' is a hard word to say for a little dude who is working on his 'r's and 'l's. But after meeting Coach Bill, playing with his team mates, and receiving his uniform cap, he has decided that he loves being an Oriele.  Shortly after signing up, Cori took Grant to the sports store to get some equipment. We have been practicing catching, throwing and hitting from the T stand, and he felt really good about the team's first get together. Grant asks to eat, play and sleep in this hat. He is good about taking it off for prayers, and put up only a little protestation when I told him he couldn't wear it to school. It will be quite a sight by the end of the season, I'm sure!