{A new day a new week..}

To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.

{Spring will come someday right?....}

Yes it snowed last night {this pic is from somewhere out there but its pretty much like here our neighbour's tulips are up and it looks just like this. How sad. Oh well.

It was a pretty quite weekend Friday night I got a babysitter and decided I was going to get my couple of hours with Darren since he was basically gone for two weeks the better part of it anyway. D was so tired the first hour really wasn't that fun I think he would have liked to be in bed sleeping instead. But after a bit "he woke up" and joined me ha ha! It was nice just to be together. Saturday we had a primary party it kind of felt like we through it together but it turned out really good and the kids had fun. D spent the day painting the baseboards in living room after 7 months of green tape yah!! So now we just have some touch ups to do and finish the kitchen and hall ones. Its hard with three kids running around so it takes more time!Saturday night we watched AUGUST RUSH the best movie ever!!! Bawled and bawled some more even D was teary eyed its so good YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT it is so so good. If you have watched it comment because I would say more but don't want to spoil it for anyone. But I for sure recommend it my sister told me I needed to see it and she was so right!

Anyway Sunday we had the usual chaos for sacrament I swear I don't know why I go sometimes Masen is so "active" every week his whole goal is to get to dad on the stand!! He screams, throws things, wants whatever Kolten has and that drives kolt nuts but it stops the loudness and I end up telling the kids just to give him what he wants so he'll stop screaming or yelling whichever it is! A lady came up to me after sacrament yesterday and told me--she admires me in my single motherness {pretty much eh} each Sunday with my kids and persevering each Sunday. Masen is just a child who hates to be restrained in anyway as in confined to the one bench! Its embarrassing some Sundays. I keep hoping one of these days it will get better! B/C believe me my diaper bag is full of church related materials for him to play with, food for him to eat and distract him, but it's hard when your 3 year old is showing the congregation her cute pink underware or TALKING loudly about how so so says AMEN or some other loud outburst!! OR your 6 year old forgetting where he is for 5 second and yelling give me that! We really do teach our children to be reverent sometimes it so so hard! I do it every week because Why? j/k because its important. The rest of Sunday was good we had a roast beef dinner and baked potatoes and some really fattening PB {Reese bar type sweetness } so fattening but really good once a year to make bars! Some good naps and that was the weekend ! hope everybody had a great weekend!! This was gonna be short but oh well. Happy spring?? somewhere out there right.

{ Different Drug Problem...}

This letter was in our town paper this week just wanted to share it with you all--- I LOVE IT-- its so true! We need to be these kind of parents in raising our kids maybe we can make a difference in this scary world.

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farm house in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question, ”Why didn’t we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?”
I replied: ”But I did have a drug problem when I wuz a kid growing up on the farm.” I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church forweddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.
I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher. Or if I didn’t put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me. I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity. I was drug out to pull weeds in mom’s garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad’s fields.
I was drug to the homes of family, friends, and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline or chop some fire wood. And if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the wood shed.
Those drugs are still in my veins; and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, and think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin, and if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, the world might be a better place today. God bless the parents who drugged us.

{SO TRUE}

{ Flashback Friday }

Here is today's question:

What is your most embarrassing moment?

Okay this one is pretty easy since it happened a few years ago and I have to say I was pretty mortified. It happened when Lauren was about 14 months old she was fussing during stake conference and in our building the huge gym is filled and the speakers speak from there {Its like a big high school gym with pull out bleachers and all} and then its broadcasted to the chapel and culture hall. So we were in the cultural hall and Lauren started to fuss so I stand in the back just rocking her back and forth to calm her, and all of a sudden a fire alarm goes off and I'm like oh my gosh I turn around and my sweet beautiful little girl has a tight grasp on the FIRE ALARM she pulled it!!! The next minute the speaker is saying "do I quit or keep going or what?" they thankfully didn't evcuate everyone from the building but Fireman were running down the hall full speed and the thing wouldn't shut off! The couldn't get it to stop. I 'm standing there red faced saying over and over again I'm so sorry. I was so embarrassed. She was called fire puller for awhile but by now hopefully everybody has forgotten about it. But hands down that is my most embarrassing moment!! So here's a picture of the sweet thing in 2005! What's your most embarrassing moment?

{Thankful Thursday con't}

Look what I got today! Thank you so much Heather love it!! I'm so thankful for fun Mail days! We got some Dick and Jane readers for Kolt today and he loves them and so do I amazon.com rocks! Good mail day today!! {Distracting background or what!} lol- D took the pics for me. I look like a goof but he was snapping continuously and got some funky poses! So this is it!

This isn't probably where it will be but for now it is! What a beautiful quote to live by. Yeah for Good Women.

Takes after his mom loves to read! I'm so happy and proud and excited for him he is loving to learn to read and don't you remember learning to read with Dick and Jane I'm so happy I found these AWESOME readers. Enough from me today eh!! Just so excited I won something! Thanks again Heather you are awesome! You are definitely the definition of a Good Women.

{ Thankful Thursday }

The weeks are flying by its almost April that's crazy! This week has been so long!! D was away and I am so Thankful he is back its just a relief that he's close again I always worry when he's flying or driving long distances anyway he got safely home last night he was in SLC for meetings. I'm so thankful he works for such a great company ,surrounded by good people, and loves his job. ARI is owned by The church you probably have no idea how much land and cattle and food farms the Church owns and runs. I never did until D started working here. We are watched over as a whole in the church. There is a large reserve out there, the Lord knows the bigger picture and obviously its all for a reason. I've gotten so many emails lately about the cost of flour and food going up it makes you think and do. We have been told to get a food storage for years and years I kind of feel the push to get more and get it built up. ANYWAY.....
Yesterday Kolten wanted to go spend some money he got and he wanted to buy a kite really bad so we went to the store and he found the kite he wanted and came out of the store and showed L & M what he got for all of them it was the sweetest thing ever he was like "look what I got for us its going to be so fun" and Masen goes " woooow" it was so cute and funny. Kolt had got them so excited too. I'm just so thankful for my kids and the excitement for life that they have over the simplest things. Kolt woke up and said mom is it windy today? Usually its like yuck its windy but today he wants it to be windy so we can run and fly the kite. To be a kid again eh!!
I'm so thankful for M and his zest for life he keeps me running and is so so busy but he learned how to say "I lovvbbe uoo 2" this past week and its so dang cute and he says it especially when he knows he shouldn't be doing something. He is the most curious, cutest little boy who loves everything but most of all I know he loves me. Maybe when he's three he'll slow down maybe.
I'm thankful for opportunities to learn and grow from other people I go to parent preschool once a week with Lauren and Mase. I just love some of the girls that go and hearing others stories and life experiences really makes me appreciate all I have and the things I have to go through. Some people go through so much! I'm thankful for such an awesome husband, we really get along so well, all of us -- I love our little family some of our best times together are just being silly watching our kids grow, laugh and play together or singing silly songs on the way home from grandma's. It's fun and its what life is all about a family that plays together, prays together, -stays together even if there are a few rough patches along the way hopefully its those fun times and the things they've been taught and been through that glue us all together and keeps us strong and I'm so thankful for that!
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I'm thankful for wholesome magazine with great articles: Just wanted to share this article with you all its a great reminder::
In the LDS living magazine there was an article on "Keeping the magic alive in Marriage" It made me think and I loved what the article said- so here is some of it

"The couple that plays together keeps their marriage vibrant and alive and growing. Think about it. What will you do when the kids are gone? What will you talk about? What will you do together?
President Kimball counselled " many couples permit their marriages to become stale and their love to grow cold like old bread or worn out jokes or cold gravy.... These people will do well to reevaluate, to renew their courting, to express their affection to acknowledge kindnesses, and to increase their consideration so their marriage again can become beautiful, sweet, and growing."
So then it had some fun date ideas that don't cost money cause dates can BE FREE:

1. go on a walk in the park or on the beach and hold hands and talk.
2. Take a blanket to the mountains or where ever and look at the stars {your backyard after the kids are sleeping}
3.Go to Costco and eat the free samples and then watch a DVD on your laptop in your car facing the sunset.
4. Go on a bike ride.
5. Take a free class offered int he community together.
6. Walk through a crowded area and make up stories about other people's lives. Be creative! Be funny!
7. Go skating, surfing, swimming, hiking,backpacking or whatever sport you like. Together.
8. Go to the cemetery and look at the cool headstones or go to the airport an watch planes land.

It is a constant challenge to keep ourselves growing and improving. We spend so much time helping everyone else in our lives in their growing and improving that we sometimes put ourselves at the bottom of the to-do list.

{So take some time for you and him!!}
Anyway thats a lot but I really liked the article and just wanted to share it with you all! Have a great day. MAKE IT A GOOD ONE!!

{ Wednesday Words }

Love this quote from President Ezra Taft Benson:

" One great thing the Lord requires of us is to provide a home where a happy, positive influence for good exists. In future years the costliness of home furnishings or the number of bathrooms will not matter much, but what will matter significantly is whether our children felt love and acceptance in the home. It will greatly matter whether there was happiness and laughter, or bickering and contention".

That's what really matters. Yes my house is 1100 square feet but its a thousand square feet of living, laughing, loving and the occasional (bickering and contention) but we are happy and healthy. {Not to say we aren't growing out of it and would love to have something bigger} But we manage for now.
Just a thought.

{ Quote of the day }

"Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive anything -Bill Cosby-

{ If we look at it face it, laugh at what we can and pick up the pieces, get mad once {okay maybe twice} and take the next step in getting on with life and recover from the blows knowing that we can get through anything together.} *Probably more sarcastic in my case then humor or is that the same thing? Sometimes we mask our feelings with humor when it hurts so much and the tears are threatening to overflow. But it helps. Laughter is the best medicine right.
Just another random thought.

{ Easter Weekend Fun }

Hope everybody had a great weekend ours was so packed and busy and the kids were out of control tired by yesterday. Oh well fun times all part of life and late nights!! The kids enjoyed themselves and it was a good weekend D was away from Tues to late thurs so he spent most of the day friday with us so that was fun for all of us! D is so busy all the time its just nice to do anything together. Some other not so fun highlights of the weekend lets see:

Okay so you know how people say enjoy every minute with your kids cause you blink and their gone well I can tell you that I won't miss this:::
- My wonderful 22 month old taking his poopy diaper off on my bedroom floor so that's what I get to wake up too and clean-- aahhhhh!!
- or how about my 3 year old burning 4 singe marks in our hall carpet with the blow dryer then blowing it up!! Yep got a new blow dryer.
-or how about my baby pooping/peeing on my rug this morning after he jumped out of the tub!!! OH Joy !! AAAAHHHHH!! A little frustrated!!! BUT I love my Family!!

Well here are some pics from the weekend~~

I know the lighting is really bad on this pic but I love it! he was watching D get ready to go with kolt to the ranch early morning after dying eggs.

Trying to get a photoshot with three kids ready for church is pretty much choas and alot of bribing!! CRAZINESS!! Love these kids so much!

Happy Easter!! New glasses new dress fun!

Peace comes not from the absence of conflict in life but from the ability to cope with it.

{ Flashback Friday }

Question: Describe a favorite childhood friend and something you did with her or him. {Today I'm picking 2.}

I had quite alot of childhood friends since we moved alot. Growing up one of my earliest memories of friends {besides cousins that were near or my brother who is 13 months younger then me} is Meghan Labrash when we lived in Vanderhoof, BC. We used to spend hours in the woods by our house building forts all day long or riding bikes. She spent lots of time with our family since there were alot of kids in our family she loved to come over. She had two older teenage siblings so she loved to spend time with all of us. She was Catholic and I remember I went to church with her once and learned alot that Sunday. I learned the difference of the lack of a spiritual feeling, and the spirit that I felt going to our church it was a great learning experience for me that I still can remember the feelings of that day. I remember the feelings of passing the plate, of kneeling before sitting in there benches and doing the father son thing..... Anyway lessons learned at a young age. We had alot of fun and I haven't talked to her in forever and wonder sometimes where she is and what she has done in her life. Its sad when you lose contact with friends. Anyway she was a great friend and we had lots of fun growing up.

Check out the beautiful cake ! ha ha I was 7 years old here.

My other childhood friend is a boy named Cass Miller. We were friends forever since we were babies. The kind of friendship where our parents set us up from birth made jokes about it and encouraged it. The kind of friend who you've grown up together then he becomes your first crush at a young age. The kind of friend you can't wait to see and talk to cass was a year older and always nice to me and everyone. He is one of the most christlike people I ever met at such a young age and throughout his teenage years. We had so much fun. Cass was more special then your average childhood friend, Cass had Cystic Fibrosis and had to take a lot of pills and had to be pounded three times a day { to loosen the mucus in the lungs} everyday by his awesome mother. Our families were best friends we did everything together and when we moved away from each other our family trips were going to where they lived or they would come where we were. I remember playing as kids all the time doing everything together with my brother, Cass and Reo {Cass's younger brother.} We loved climbing trees, running in the fields, building things, having birthdays, holidays together and riding horses Cass loved horses. We had to be careful not to tire Cass out. But we made the best use with all the time we had!! He was so fun. I really miss him a lot Cass passed away just short of 21 years old. He was the best friend a girl could have from babies to teenagers. He was a great example to me he went through so much and was the nicest boy I ever met{before D of course}. He had the best laugh and liked to tease. I had a big crush on him in my early years. I miss him like crazy. Definitely one of the people I look forward to seeing again after this life.

I just love their family they are all awesome people have been through so much and can you imagine the pain of losing three out of your six children to Cystic Fibrous. They are such examples to me. Love them. I look up to them so much. Wish we could see them more often. This was taken when they came to visit my parents in 2005. GREAT PEOPLE.

*Here's another random thing I used to love this headband I remember my dad bought it for me and he rarely bought us anything and I absoultely loved wearing it. I loved this dress too I remember wearing it quite a bit funny how times change I'd never put a dress like that on Lauren now ha ha!!

So there's a little history for the books try your own with the question each week and together we'll get our personal history going. Sounds fun right! At least its one way to do it.

Well have a great Easter weekend!!

{ Thankful Thursday }

My favorite time of the week. I'm so thankful for so many things.

First Since its Easter this weekend I'm thankful for my Saviour for his life and death and resurrection, His example. I've been doing alot of thinking this week about Easter and the true meaning of Easter. We did our FHE lesson on Easter this week and the quote that went with the lesson says:

" Easter is a sacred day, a day of thanksgiving and divine worship. It is not a day just for rejoicing because of the opening of springtime, not merely an opportunity to display beautiful hats and fine clothing-it is an occasion for the expression of gratitude to God for having sent His only Begotten Son into the world to be "the way, the truth, the life," David O. Mackay.

~The way, the truth, the life he set the path for us if we just could follow more closely his example everything might be alot easier for us. Sometimes its so hard as much as the intention is there everyday, we have to make a conscious effort to be better examples, better parents, and kinder people to everybody. I hope my kids don't remember the times I get mad so often as the times we made something for somebody or the lessons learned or the games played, the trips that we took. { Today was a bad pms mom day } I feel bad and wish I could be calmer and worry less about the things that don't matter. Anyway enough said. I'm sure you've all had days like this. {Least I hope I'm not the only one }

~I'm thankful for Health because this week everybody has colds and its a little miserable around here coughs, and runny noses. But I can't complain cause we are all pretty Healthy most of the time.

~I'm thankful that I'm only the town mini soccer secretary because yesterday was crazy the one in charge went away for the weekend. So people kept calling and coming over to fill out registration forms and pay registration fees. I sure hope I did everything right. I love secretary kind of jobs where I can organize, type and get out the finished project. I don't have to work with other people {not that I don't love people } but sometimes its easier to get something done, know what it is and DO IT! My kind of jobs. With Soccer its crazy in march and april but its good to be busy and I enjoy it.

~ I'm thankful that the old man in the car in the other lane on my way to town who swerved into my lane and almost hit us-- but that he DIDN'T. Scared me and made me say a little prayer of thanks.

~I'm thankful for all I have. We had a little get to know you thing last night at the March 17th Relief Society bday party it was a Hawaiian theme. It was fun and fun to get to know other people and what they like or have done. Sometimes we know people but do we take the time to really get to know them their thoughts, feelings and struggles. Instead of judging what we think or thought and really get to know people its surprising what you can learn if you take a minute!!

I made a little scrapbook card and took it to show the things that I enjoy or love. Basically I'm just thankful for everything like my family, my treadmill, history whether its a countries history, or family, or people {President W. Woodruff} is D's great great great grandpa so I really like church history too for more reasons then that obviously, I love fruit and healthy foods and I'm thankful we have food and are born were we are lucky to have been born, I'm very thankful for my scriptures and the answers that are there for us. I'm thankful for good books to read personally and with my children, and I'm thankful its getting nice out again and I love to travel so those are my favorite things and all things I'm very thankful for!

Happy Easter Everybody!! Make it a good one ~ one to remember.
{ p.s. Holli leave a comment one of these times love ya}

"Only as high as we reach, can we grow. Only as far as we seek, can we go. Only as deep as we look can we see. Only as much as we dream, can we be."

-Dorothy Jean Novello.

{Advice}

If you want your children to improve, let them overhear the nice things you say about them to others.


{I read this today and it really made me think what do I say to others about my children? are they always kind? are they the silly stories? are they the good things they've done instead of the negative? Would I want to hear someone talking about me the same way? Our children are sponges for knowledge and learning what are they being taught about themselves? } I hope I'm doing good there I think I am but I'm going to be more aware of it. Just A Thought.

{Mother Heart and Lucky week }

"A woman with a mother heart has a testimony of the restored gospel,and she teaches the principles of the gospel without equivocation. She is keeping sacred covenants made in holy temples. Her talents and skills are shared unselfishly. She gains as much education as her circumstances will allow, improving her mind and spirit with the desire to teach what she learns to the generations who follow her."Julie B. Beck, May 2004 {A friend sent this to me and I love it}
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So yesterday I won a draw over at Heathers blog I won this:

I'm so excited what a great saying eh!

Then this morning my sil Kristyn informed me that I won something over at tutus and turtles!!

http://www.sweettaia.com/ I got to pick three clips!

Yeah its my lucky week maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket eh??

Well have a great day I'm just so excited I actually won two things in one week !! More then I have in 32 years ha ha!!!

{ Thankful Thursday }

Thankful Thursday once again. This week I wanted to do something a little different. I want to know what makes YOU most thankful??? Sometimes things happen in life that make us more thankful or very grateful for our life and life experiences and for what we learn from them.

I'm Thankful for the moments I took a little longer to explain something to my children so they fully understood what I was trying to tell them. I'm Thankful that I left for town a little late and missed an accident, or said yes to help someone and then learned far more from them then my helping probably did for them.

I'm Thankful for the moment I saw D on Ricks College campus back in '96 and took all the guts I had to talk to him even though he had no idea who I was and then to have his first words to me be "WHO ARE YOU"?? {Embarrassing } But would I have fallin in love with him during that ride home if I hadn't taken a moment to stop and talk.

I'm thankful for all the unseen moments in my life that I don't even know about, but maybe saved my life or made me take a different path I otherwise wouldn't have. Have you ever thought about those moments??? I'm thankful for the times I've listened to that still small voice and acted quickly once or twice saving my own children from getting run over or from a disaster about to happen, or the simplest thing like finding keys.

I'm thankful for all the times I said NO in high school to smoking, drugs, and {bad} boys. I'm thankful for parents who taught me the gospel when I was young so that I could make right decision when the time came.

I'm grateful for Adoption because without it I wouldn't have the three most wonderful kids I do and as much as I would love to be pregnant someday(just not when I'm 50 is that bad?). I wouldn't change the last 11 years for all we've learned and had to go through to get to where we are today. We've grown so close together as a couple, though the first 5 years alone together just the two of us, and I think its made us better parents because of those years of prayer, pain, tears, and hard work in getting the family and life we have. Sometimes our greatest trials are really our greatest blessings. If we use what we learn to grow stronger physically and spiritually, prepared to face anything. We can all be a force of good in others lives. Everybody has their own trials and struggles and as bad as we think our trials our there are so many more people worse off then ourselves. If we are more aware of others instead of so into ourselves we can make a difference. So I am thankful for my trial. I have a great husband, my health and 3 awesome kids, the gospel. I am blessed, I am happy and I am learning everyday to be more.



SO Today what are you deeply thankful for ?? Give it some real thought and leave a comment {even you blog stalkers!}



PS { Happy BIRTHDAY to Kristin ! I'm thankful for you and that your part of our crazy family hope you have a great day!! } and whats a post without a picture right

Kolt decided for his report card reward he wants to go quading with just mom and dad and have lunch together how can we say no to that eh!! Should be fun. I'll take some pics when we do it! Well have a great day. Make it a good one!

{ Thoughts for life }

Every trial or problem carries with it a greater blessing - if we make it so.
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Happiness can be thought, sought or caught, but never bought and the best way to keep it is to share it.

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Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.
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“Your power to choose the direction of your life allows you to reinvent yourself, to change your future, and to powerfully influence the rest of creation.” ~Stephan Covey

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Random thoughts/quotes that apply to all of us. I love quotes incase you can't tell!




*Just had to share my cute boy pic I took today. I'm trying to understand photoshop its hard! {good blackmail later on eh! D is a great fan of it too- the headband part of it anyway ha ha}
To bad he's wearing such a cute headband for a boy! oh well.

{ Funtimes... }

I think SPRING might actually be here I heard birds and I actually felt the warmth of the sun imagine that after all these dreary long winter months it actually might be here to stay we can only hope right!!
What a weekend we had alot of fun besides a nasty cold for me which isn't fun. We went to a lot of zone basketball. Saturday we took the kids to two basketball games it was fun we hadn't been to any all season so the kids enjoyed it {for awhile} then started running around and playing. Saturday night my brother and sil came up with their 3 kids and my awesome sister Dawna and her hub monty had a babysitter for all thier kids and we all went out to dinner had some good laughs we always have so much fun together. I wish we all could have been there my 2 sisters and a brother and D were missing but it was all late notice so D said I don't get out much so go ahead so that was nice of him and I got another night out! After dinner we went to the final basketball game which was so good and so close and exciting ! It was more exciting then the other ones we saw earlier. So it was a good night.

Sunday Masen decided to be loud and ornery in sacrament so that wasn't fun. But church was busy we had the stake primary presidency come so that made things a little more chaotic but it turned out good. My little sis liv came over later in the day and hung out with us then we went for a drive so it was fun to have her here. Love it when she comes over people think our kids are noisy sometimes and can only spend so much time here before they go crazy I think {thats probably why I'm crazy but I'm used to it and love it means my kids are happy and excited right.Some people can't handle it oh well} SO we appreciate it when they stay a little longer with us! Cause really our house ain't that big and they are just kids!

On Saturday Kolten decided he was done with training wheels on his to small for him bike!! Somehow he got the right sized wrench out and go the training wheels off so I go outside to ask what he is doing and he says "I decided it was time for me to learn to ride a two wheeler but I want dad to help me." So sat afternoon that's what they did and he learned to ride a 2 wheeler this weekend he just decides to do something and learns it fast and that's that! SO that was fun ! I have to post another picture that is common especially in the summer when D decides to get out the rope and do some ropin!! people, things and the kids get in the way they love it and run away but D almost always catches me and i get so annoyed and they all think its funny!! Imagine that eh!

So it was a fun weekend. I finally found some jeans this morning too so that made it even better I love moto jeans and found some for 14 bucks { they are usually anywhere from 50- 150!!} So I'm excited after months of searching and then I find them for a third of the cost thats exciting!

That's about all the exciting news update of our weekend we did family stuff I got to go out by myself and we had a fun weekend.

This morning I took Masen to Rebecca's {Rebecca started a babysitting co-op a couple years ago another brillant Rebecca idea!! Where you have a 3hr-shift a week and anybody of the 9 people in the co-op can drop there kids off in that 3 hour shift and you pay with coupons its awesome!}

Anyway I went with just Lauren for the morning to town just the two of us. It was alot of fun we got her new funky glasses picked out. They are having a half price frame sale. Since we've been through 5 pairs in a year an half we decided it was a good idea. I'm excited cause they are so cute on her! Then we went shopping together it was fun just being with her asking her questions and hearing her answers are the best because like I've said before she is funny and comes up with the best lines. While we were gone Masen managed to climb in Addie's crib in the 2 sec that he escaped from view. But Rebecca said he was really good with addie which is nice because he just gets into everything and has started hitting kids {its so embarrassing sometimes} I'm hoping this stage won't last long. He is a great kid just busy, busy, busy and always on the go! He hates to be restrained in any way ! Any suggestions for a strong willed fiesty almost 2 year old??

Well have a great week! Make it a good one!

The Best part of life is not just surviving, but thriving-with passion and compassion, and humor and style, and generosity and kindness.

- Maya A.

{ Thankful Thursday }

I am so so Thankful I get a much needed escape for the day tomorrow with a friend for the whole day.{Thats why I'm writing this tonight} We are heading out of town early for a day of shopping, talking and anything we want. We are both so excited just to get away from everything for the day! Love our kids but sometimes we all need a break and since they come far and few between we enjoy them when we get them right!! I'm so THANKFUL my mom will watch my kids and so thankful that D will come home early to be with the kids. Everything feel into place nicely. Now I only hope it doesn't blizzard or something during the night that would suck.
Anyway I'm looking forward to it.

I so thankful for kolten and his love of life and learning I just have to brag for a minute he got his little kindergarten report card yesterday and he improved so much! ( he talked to much last report not a surprise but he tried so hard this time to better) We are just so so proud of him he had all A's except for 2 D's which means developing this skill !! It was awesome to see how happy he was when he knew how proud we are of him. Does anybody have any ideas on how to reward a child for theier report card so they feel encouraged and recognized for there efforts without something so big that they expect it everytime?? We are just so proud of him !! He did awesome!!!

I'm so Thankful for my three beautiful children who always come up with classic lines like these:

- Mom I hate you cause you don't do anything I tell you to. (um lets think about that !)

- Mom this is Delish {from a 3 year old}

-Mom I'm pretty much the smartest in this house right cause I know things. { Yup sure lets not be cocky or anything}

-How about "I'm not your servant, your mine" {um yah he got more chores to do that day}

-Can we go to Mickeldonalds? {ha ha Kolten used to say that all the time when he was younger}

- I have "diarinna" (like rhymes with ballerina)

- Mom look at me I'm a "hellarina" { had to laugh at that one}

Just a few classics but what would life be without children they come up with the best lines sometimes.
So this week I want to try a video and see if it works !
I'm thankful that Kolten can make Masen laugh harder then anybody else. I love to see my kids playing nicely and making each other laugh. Thats joy!

I'm Thankful for my life I'm blessed with great friendships, great families, an awesome husband who does so much for our family, three fun kids who keep me going and make life joyful.
I'm grateful for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day saints because without it I wouldn't have gone to Ricks and met my husband, without it I wouldn't know happiness and joy and love like I do. I wouldn't have my three kids through LDS Family services, and we wouldn't have the job D does, without it the things we do each sunday and the callings we fill wouldn't give us the blessings we enjoy and the deeper meaning to life it gives us.
Life is what we make it so make it count for something good everyday.
I'm Thankful for LIFE. Have a great day!
{So before you watch the video you have to scroll down and pause the music, and its a long video and the first few seconds you'll get the point. Plus this was taken right after dinner.} I love my family!

{ Words of Wisdom }

"Often small acts of service are all that is required to lift and bless another: a question concerning a person’s family, quick words of encouragement, a sincere compliment, a small note of thanks, a brief telephone call. If we are observant and aware, and if we act on the promptings which come to us, we can accomplish much good." ~Pres. Monson

~ Sometimes if your thinking of someone alot for no apparent reason, do something about it you will usually find its for a reason.

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"We do not change as we grow older; we just become more clearly ourselves."
{ Love this quote its so true we get older and it feels kind of like we just grow up and feel more empathy for others and live and grow from our experiences in hopes to help others.}

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A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you will lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling thru
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
the dream that you wish really will come true.
~Cinderella

{ A new day, new week, new month...}

Another weekend this one was fun and filled. Friday night we went to dinner with my sil and bil then we came home and talked until midnight it was nice catching up and actually getting out and doing something. Saturday D had to work in the morning shipping cattle, so when he got home we took the family food shopping and then let the kids play at the BK indoor playground so they had a lot of fun! Saturday night we had another babysitter and went to a high priest pizza party ( we haven't been to that many so we decided we better go this time and actually it was alright.) After that we went to a party until 11:30 so it was a fun night to get out again and enjoy date time out! Sunday we had my sister in laws birthday dinner at D's parents its always nice to get together and talk and see everybody sometimes we go so long with out seeing everybody especially when we live within 40 minutes of each other! It was a good weekend.
*Funny thing Masen never calls Kolten by his name he calls him BOY though its so funny. He calls Lauren by her name but kolten is boy! (I think its because his c/k are T's so it doesn't come out right so he just does it his own way. It makes us laugh!
Can't believe its March already time goes by so fast. Yesterday I had such a nice surprise a girl from our ward had given a cake decorating class that I missed and would have liked to attend but couldn't, so I had written a comment on her blog about wishing I could have gone and got the recipe. Anyway she was so sweet and made me my own little cake with POLKA DOTS {you all know how much I love polka dots!!} And the recipe. Thank you so much Sarah that was so sweet and made my day!! And it is so so GOOD!! I'm not a big cake fan and hardly ever eat cake but this cake is so good and looks so pretty!

Seriously how cute is this cake and just as yummy!!

Just had to put this picture of my kids reading they love to sit and read and look at books I love it!!

This is my "little" brother and his cute wife and kids *Today is my Brother {Mark or Leif or marks or whatever people know him by we call him Leif cause thats what we grew up calling him. His name is markes leif so ya different stages of his life he went by different names} Anyway its his 31st birthday. He is a great guy and my best friend growing up we did everything together, had alot of the same friends and sometimes people thought we were boyfriend and girlfriend cause we were always together!! We are only 13 months apart. He is so fun and always makes us laugh and is a great dad, a great uncle to my children and an awesome brother, son and husband. Love ya brother!! Hope you have a great birthday !

Hope everyone has a great week make it a good one!!