Where I wish I was

It's the end of April.

And it's snowing.

Not just a little bit of snow, but lot's of big fat ugly snowflakes.   

A few months ago I would have thought this "Christmasy scene" to be quite pretty.

A few months ago though, it was Christmas and weather like this made perfect sense!

What is the deal?

I have to share some photos that were sent to John (via email) a few weeks back that keep popping into my memory on days like this.
   Does this not look like the most breathtaking scene?  

  Mark my words- this time next Spring...I will be standing in some European field enjoying these lovely little flowers in the flesh!    

No, that's not an announcement of any sort,   I'm simply sending my little wish out to the Universe with hopes that the powers that be will somehow make it happen for me.    

One can dream right?

If you could go somewhere to escape this weather, where would you go?   

I'm officially ready to be inspired.

Easter Weekend

We've had a real fun time the past few days.  On Wednesday our neighbor Katie came to stay with us for a few days, and it has been fun to have her around full time.   It's amazing how much I can accomplish when my kids have someone to play with;)   

Good Friday could not come soon enough for us here, but as soon as the sun started to rise we loaded up and headed to Sparwood to spend the day with our friends the Salmons.    Having Kate with us gave us the opportunity to see what our van looks like at full capacity.   

(Note to self:   A full mini van = a LOT of noise!)

The drive to Sparwood is definitely a pretty one.    I literally had the camera on my lap most of the time.    Unfortunately I missed getting shots of the wildlife we saw.    Deer, Elk, and lots of mountain sheep.    Beautiful!

This has become a bit of a tradition for us to visit the Salmons each Easter, and we are always grateful for their hospitality.   This year the kids painted eggs, played games, ate a delicious ham dinner and finished the day by going swimming at Sparwood's AWESOME indoor pool.    It's a great kid friendly pool and I doubt we'll be able to go visit our friends again without the kids begging to swim!

Thanks Salmons for the fun time!!!

On Saturday some wonderful neighbors of ours, (the Gladdings) surprised our kids with their very own Kites!   It was an Easter tradition of Brother and Sister Gladding's  to always give their kids/grand kids kites at Easter.  Now that they have nobody nearby to spoil - they've begun to spoil our little brood.    It was so sweet of them, and our kids were just thrilled to get out to give it a try!

Easter Sunday has been gorgeous!   Finally some sunshine!    To celebrate we went for a little walk, and of course I had to snap a few photos;)  

I feel so grateful this Easter for all of the blessings in my life.   Mostly though, I feel so grateful for my favorite 5 people in the world, and for the fact that I get to live with them forever and EVER!

Happy Easter!

Bunny Week - My Girlsl

Last weekend some neighbors of ours went down to Kalispell for a couple of days and asked Jessica to take care of walking their little dog Monty.   Jessica loves that dog and pretty much wanders over to their house to see if "Monty can play," on a daily basis.   I suspect our neighbor gave Jessica this task more for Jessica's sake then Monty's.        

I'm pretty sure that dog got walked more in those two days then he usually does in a Week!    John and I could tell that the poor little thing was getting tired-but our girls were having too much fun.   So walk him they did.   Again. And again.  And again. 

To thank Jessica- they brought home this adorable bunny bike helmet for her.   Isn't it awesome?

I get a kick out of watching her play outside now.   She usually mistakes Abby's coat for hers (which is extra long), and wears bright pink gumboots.   As if that wasn't cute enough, seeing her ride around with this helmet added to the ensemble just makes my heart so happy.

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Sometimes after dinner, Abby and I take advantage of the slightly warmer evenings we've been having to go for a walk.   It gives Abby the one on one time she loves so much, and it gives me an excuse to skip out on the after dinner clean up.    (funny thing is though-the dishes and mess always seem to be waiting for me when I get back.   huh.)

Anyways-we've found a fun spot that we often like walking to not very far from our house.     It's basically nothing more then a large empty field that over looks the outskirts of town.    There is one particular tree there that is probably dead, but is the perfect size for Abby to easily climb into.    She has dubbed this our "Secret Tree," and the rule is that everything spoken at this tree must be honest and most importantly kept between us.    As in her and I only.    

(I'm hoping that I'll still be able to drag her to this tree with me when she gets older.   Say...16(ish)

Anyways, last night as Abby sat in the secret tree she divulged to me who she has a crush on.    I wasn't shocked, but I pretended to be because that's the reaction she wanted from me.     It provided me with a great opportunity however, to explain to her that boys actually have cooties and that cooties don't go away until you get married.   Therefore (ergo) it is pointless to really have a crush on any boy right now. To which she agreed.    ...I think.

Just as we were about to leave Abby paused and asked me to tell her something secret now.   Not just any secret though.   She had one particular one in mind.    To quote her she said, "Mom.   I just really need to know.   Honestly.  What is the truth?    Is the Easter Bunny real or is it just you and Dad?" 

Seriously?    What am I supposed to say to that?   The truth?  And if she questioned the Easter Bunny then what next.    Leprachans?   SANTA?     Was I really supposed to be the one who ended all of that childhood magic?    And where the heck was John?   There was no way I was going down alone! 

So....I lied.   

Standing right there under our "Secret Tree", I looked her straight in the eyes and I told her that 

"her Dad was definitely not the Easter bunny." 

 (and really, in my defense he isn't.    I am the one who gets all the gifts and treats for the kids.  John's just the one who merely works to pay for it all;)    By the look on Abby's face I could tell that she was not totally convinced so I proceded to tell her some make believe story about the time that I actually saw the Easter Bunny with my own eyes!      

That convinced her nicely.    

Though I must admit,  it is nagging on my conscience a little, and I'm beginning to think that her little heart already knows the truth - she's just waiting for me to say it.   

We'll likely be making a little trip back to the Secret Tree.

....but I'll wait 'till next week;)

HAVE A GREAT EASTER WEEKEND!!!!        

Parenting 505 - My Boys

Sometimes when I think about my boys, I am reminded of my favourite talk from Conference this year given by Lynn G Robbins.   

This quote in particular always helps to put things in perspective:

"A sweet and obedient child will enroll a father or mother only in Parenting 101. If you are blessed with a child who tests your patience to the nth degree, you will be enrolled in Parenting 505. Rather than wonder what you might have done wrong in the premortal life to be so deserving, you might consider the more challenging child a blessing and opportunity to become more godlike yourself. With which child will your patience, long-suffering, and other Christlike virtues most likely be tested, developed, and refined? Could it be possible that you need this child as much as this child needs you?"

With that in mind- let me tell you about Sam:

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A couple of weeks ago John and I took the kids over to Jewel's house to watch General Conference with them and my Brother's family. The morning was going great. The kids were off playing somewhere, and us adults where all comfortable sleeping...ahem...I mean listening to the talks when I realized it had gotten much too quiet. So naturally I went searching for Sam, confident that I'd find him up to no good.

Sure enough, I found him in his cousins room perched at the top of their bunk bed. I couldn't help but notice that he had a skipping rope tied around him with the other end of the rope tied around the top wrung of the bed. As I walked in the room, Sam clearly saw the look of alarm on my face and he instantly tried to reassure me:

Sam: "I know. I know. I was going to do it (as in jump) but then I decided that it was a bad idea so I didn't."

I replied: (somewhat relieved but still wanting to warn him against this in the future): "Oh Sam no. Kids have died that way before. That could have been very dangerous!"

Sam shrugged his shoulders and simply said matter of factly: "Well?.... it's a good thing I decided  not to do it then isn't it."

Heaven help this kid. 

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One thing that I love about this time of year, is that we get to enjoy beautiful morning sun rises. As we wake up each day the sunlight pours into our front window and I can't help but adore the effect it has on anyone who basks in the rays.   Doesn't Nate look delicious?

 For one brief second - all is calm and right in my day.

But moments like this never last very long.


 By mid day Nate has usually managed to tear through our house creating one mess or another. John and I sometimes refer to this destruction simply as a Nathan Tornado. He rarely ever stays in one place long enough for us to catch him in the act-but messes like this have his name written all over it.

On top of his new found love of destruction, he also gets kicks out of grabbing fist fulls of his sisters hair and refusing to let go until a) they cry for mercy, or b) he collects enough strands of hair to make him feel as though his efforts were worth it.

And to think that he used to be my favorite child!   

(kidding)


They are teaching me something important, these boys.   At least, that's what I will keep telling myself!

The Week long Party

What a week!!!

It isn't often that John's family makes it up to Canada, and this week we were lucky enough to get to visit with THREE of them all at once.    Unfortunately John and our kids were still in school most days but it was fun to see everyone, even if we were a bit tied down by our schedule.  

Some of the highlights in point form:   

*  Libby and Jessica picked up right where they left off the last time they were together.   These two enjoyed their "twin..." jammies while playing all sorts of princess type games.

*  When the wind wasn't blowing too fiercely, the kids could be found out on the trampoline.   (And yes, Uncle Jordan counts as one of the "Kids" if you ask me.)

*  The kids snacked and ate a lot, but ice cream cones seemed to be a favorite treat this week.   Whether at home or Dairy Queen the kids were happy to eat them anywhere.

*   Our board games were put to good use, (which provided a welcome break from the Wii).   Clue, Battleship, and Picturieka were a few of the favorites!  It was VERY cool to watch our nephew Kaden preform his many cool Yo-Yo tricks!

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*And what would a visit from John's family be without the customary trip to Waterton for a picnic?   

Ahem...I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that this was partly my idea.    We ended up hauling lunch back to my house.   

In case you were planning a spring picnic out in Waterton any time soon...I wouldn't if I were you;)

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 * On Monday night we all got together for a little Murder Mystery Fun.   We had the Sheriff, the Creepy travelling Carney, the Reverend and his wife, the town "hottie", the wandering ex-convict, the aspiring country singer wannabe, and I was elated to play the part of the proud owner of the local trailer park.   Trust John's sister Rachel to come up with an idea as fun as this.

(PS Family:  I am happy to forward any pictures on to you for all of your blackmailing needs.)

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On Saturday we took the kids (and their cousin Libby) down to the local museum for the annual Easter Egg hunt.   The kids always love watching the movies that are played on the big screen, LOTS of chocolate eggs were gathered, and they even met the Easter Bunny.   

The last of our company left this morning and it was back to normal for us here.   

John left early for Church meetings, the kids argued about getting dressed up, and Nate ran around the entire Relief Society room in the middle of the lesson.    Again.    Therefore, I spent the remainder of our church meetings pacing the halls for what I'm hoping will be the last time EVER.   

Like I said...back to normal around here.

Have a Great Week!!!!

What Lunch time looks like...

I love witnessing those little moments in a day when one of my kids learn to do something new for the very first time.    Lately Nate has been trying to use a fork when eating, and I just love the sequence that so often unfolds now when I put food in front of him.  

1.  Spend 3 minutes attempting to actually pick up some food. 

2.  Give up with frustration

3.   Resort to the tried and true method 

(which involves jamming as much food as you can into your mouth with your pudgy little bare hands)

He's got so very little manners this one;)

Weekend Forecast

We are expecting some company for the next week or so, and our kids are bursting with anticipation!   John's brother Jordan and his wife Luci phoned us last night and told us that they were halfway here, and rather than stopping for the night somewhere, they were just going to drive through the night and get here in the wee hours of the morning.   As in 3:30 am!!!     There is a time when I would have waited up for them like a good hostess - but I'm old now, so I simply left a key for them under our front door mat.
  Of course I did be sure to leave a welcoming note for them:

When we woke up this morning-the kids were a little disappointed to see that nobody had arrived.   Perhaps it was something I said....?    

Unfortunately, the same bad weather that we have dealt with for the last couple of days hit them harder and they were forced to spend the night in a hotel after all.   To make it worse, they've spent the large part of today battling through a blizzard and changing flat tires along the way.    And just think, all of that just to see us!!!  (well not really-but that's what we like to tell ourselves)

Luckily, the snowy weather has moved on and I dare say the sun is trying its very best to poke it's way through.   The blanket of snow we woke up to this morning is completely gone, so that's good, right?

Basically what I am saying is... there is a chance that our relatives may or may not be arriving soon, and an even slighter chance that spring may or may not actually be here.   

I'm just going to go ahead and predict a great weekend!


What can I say, I'm an optimist!

Sure Kid

Abigail had a fun week and got to attend Activity Days for the FIRST TIME!   She joined her leaders and the other girls at the local salon for some hairdressing fun and came home feeling pretty stylish;)    I remember when Abby was a baby and I got to serve as an Activity Day leader for a few months before we moved away.    It was my favorite calling and I remember thinking how fun it would be to have an eight year old girl of my own.   And now- I do!  (And I was right, by the way, she is an entertaining little thing!)     

Some of the funny things Abby has said this week:

Abby (one night before bed):    "Mom?  Tomorrow do you think that you could put something new or just maybe sorta different in my lunch?    Because, well my lunches have just been so predictable lately."    

Me:    Fine...sure kid.

 Tonight on our walk Abby was listening to her ipod when the song Firefly started to play.   Part way through the song Abby looked at me and said wistfully:   "Mom, if I could just see a group of fireflies, like just 20 or 30, then I know it would like totally make my life."   

Me:  Uh...sure kid.

Abby was telling me once about a boy in her grade who always chases the girls at recess.   I tried to explain to her that perhaps he is chasing her and her friends because he has a crush.    Abby quickly interrupted me and said, "Oh no mom.  He's not the type who chases for love.  He just chases for fun."

Me:  Yeah...sure kid.

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This past Monday evening, during dinner Sam got all ambitious and begged us to let him plant his very own garden.   Thinking little of it at the time- John and I both gave our approval of the idea.    Well Sam, taking our okey dokey to heart instantly scooped the peas and corn off his plate and headed to the deck to begin planting.   It was cute to see him (aided by his sisters of course) carefully plant and water the food that moments ago had sat on their plates.

I suppose John and I could have stopped them and explained that there was little point in watering the veggies- but we'd grown tired of asking the kids to actually eat them so instead we just said:
 "Sure kid.   Good luck with that"

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Nathan has impressed us this week and has proved that he is every bit as smart as he looks.    He recovered from his week long bout of the flu with a mouthful of new teeth and a vocabulary to boot!

Some of the words he can say are:   cacka (cracker),  dis (this), mi (mine), tooba (toothbrush), Dad (dad),  Dad (mom...It's ok,I'm flexible;),  puppy, and wi (which sadly does in fact mean Wii).   

It makes me proud of him, and proud of myself for actually being able to understand his little language.   He's at that stage where he'll talk to someone and they're all like, "Oh sure kid...I know exactly what your saying.....?????"

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 And what would a post about the kids be without a shot of Jessica.  This little one was sick for most of the week with the worst flu ever.    For a good five days she just laid in bed and watched Toy Story 3 while trying unsuccessfully to hold down even water.

  It's not easy watching your kids suffer through sickness-but this one handled it like a trooper.   I dare say she even got a bit fond of the whole "sick kid" routine.    All week she pretty much got whatever she wanted.    

Pop in bed...while watching the 5th movie in one day?  

"Sure- you bet kid.  Whatever. You. Want!!"

Happy Sunday!   

We had a great day, spent with some of my siblings eating food and enjoying Conference Talks.

  I'm so excited to re-read some of my favorites!

Have A Great Week!!!!