What I am thankful for today...

I've been busy this morning working on laundry, getting garbabges out, mowing the lawn, getting Easter stuff out, cleaning, organizing closets and keeping the girls entertained. I stopped for a moment and looked around at my little life and thanked my Heavenly Father for all that was around me. Although we are not rich, and and have a lot of debt, we have everything we could every dream or hope for. I am simply in awe of the blessings around me each and every day. I cannot imagine living in another country, I love America and my heart is full of gratitude today. Here are a few simple things in my life that I am thankful for:

*Garbage day. I LOVE tuesday mornings when they come and take all my trash and recycling away! It feels SOOOO good to have it gone.

* My MIL's apple crisp. Yeah, I ate a bowl full for lunch! (The baby made me do it!)

* My husband's job. Thank you Lord even if it's SUPER early in the morning!

* Clorox wipes. It really makes cleaning toilets a blast.

* My microwave. My freezers. & My fridge.

* My shower/bath tub. Soap. Razors (Ha! What are those?!)

* A toddler in panties!

* My washer and dryer. I would be lost without them.

* Ranch dressing. It makes all the salads I'm eating seem super healthy!

* A healthy baby boy growing & kicking like crazy inside my HUGE tummy!

* My vacuumes. I would stop breathing without them. I love my back up one too, it's saved me this past week!

* Clean laundry that sits in my room waiting to be folded.

*Chocolate and sour gummy worms.

* My bed & pillow.

* Chapstick.

*Messes around the house. It proves my kids have fun once in awhile!

Easter traditions...

# 1- the bunny cake.
Yesterday I bought everything needed for our glorious cake. I think Angie and I will get the kids together again this year to make them!

# 2- Easter in eggs. We made this for a Primary activity YEARS ago when we lived in Boise. I absoultly love this and the kids do too. It's fun to do bunny stuff- but this really teaches them that Easter is about Jesus. I tried to take upclose pictures incase anyone wants to double click on the photo (to enlarge it) and copy the story down for your own family!

Back to school...

Spring Break is offically over, and I win the most boring mother award. The only exciting things the kids did were: sleep in, go to the park, the library and eat pizza.

There were hardly any craft projects, we ran errands, we helped a friend move half the week, and we cleaned and organized. How cool is that?

They did have fun helping Lisa move though. (Our neighbor) They got to help Liam pack, ride in G-ma & G-pa's truck, play at their new house, play with their pets, and climb the huge tree in their back yard.

We also had General Confrence this weekend, which was wonderful (what I was able to watch/listen too. What I loved from it was:

***Bumper sticker: "don't judge me because I sin diffrently than you do" _ (the whole talk on judging was great).
*** Don't judge others. If you do, stop it.
*** Forgive yurself & don't be too hard on yourself.
*** Don't gossip, even if it's true.
*** If you see someone drowning- don't ask if they need help- jump in!
*** Faith. Family. Relief.

It was nice to have the kids home for a week & a half, but now with them gone, we need to get back on our schedule. Poor grace and Willow will be bored without the big kids to play with for hours. Only 8 more weeks until school is out though! Crazy.

Swim Lessons have begun...

Last night was the 1st night of swim lessons for the 3 big kids. I was able to get them all in the same night, back-to-back classes for all their swim levels. It's a good thing too, because I am going to sweat to death and probably die the next month from the heat and humidity in that place. If I can endure the 65 min, 2 nights a week- then I might be ok, but seriously, for a girl who has a sweating problem to begin with, plus is pregnant, plus gets to sit for over a hour in a heat induced swimming pool- it doesn't come out to be very fun.Or pretty.

But it's not about me, right?

They loved it by the way. Willow was a little sad that she didn't get to hop in, but Trav will make it up to her and take her swimming one of these nights. I think my last swimming suit appearance a few weeks ago may have been my last. There is just nothing sweet about putting my gross thighs and huge self into a swimming suit right now. It didn't help that all I had to cover my grossness was Trav's "man" shorts too. Yeah, I was one of those cool insucure Mama's with man shorts.
Please, kids, do not desire another family swim night any time soon!

Daisy:

Grace: