Daily {Five}

- David got up early to play golf with some friends and then go to the office, which meant I had a regular morning at home with the kids. At least we got some good Saturday cleaning done.
- We all went grocery shopping together, and then I got to run some errands on my own. I found some rashguards on clearance at the Gap in just the right color and sizes for the boys, and they go perfectly with the swim trunks they already have. What luck! Now we just need some warm weather to be able to go swimming!
- We ate at the Art City Trolley restaurant here in Springville for the first time and loved it! It may become our new go-to place when we're looking to eat out (and not in the mood for Mexican or Chinese).
- We went to get our car washed and Matt asked, "Are there going to be rainbows??" Then he said, "What happens if we get stuck in the carwash forever?" When we were going through the wash he saw the soap dribbles on the window and said, "Ooh, they're going crazy!" It's so fun to hear him saying so many things. And less than a year ago I wondered if he'd ever talk at all!
- I made a couple loaves of 100% wheat bread and they didn't turn out too badly! A little ugly, but I'm okay with that. As long as I can use it for sandwiches and David can use it for toast...

Daily {Five}

- We went on a family walk when we woke up this morning! The weather was perfect, and it was a great way to start the day.
- The kids and I went to the park again this morning and there were tons of other people there, which made it fun.
- We visited David at his office and ran to Old Navy where we got some great deals on t-shirts for the kids.
- David and I had Cafe Rio take-out for dinner - yum!
- Quote of the day: "Dad, it's 'Yoda', not 'Joda!'" Now Bryan's even getting on his case for his pronunciation. :)

Daily Ten

- We started off the day with some healthy smoothies for breakfast to counteract the several cinnamon rolls the boys had eaten before I came downstairs!
- I took the kids with me visiting teaching.
- The boys had some friends over and things only got a little bit crazy - nothing broken in the house or no injuries, at least.
- We went to the park and met up with lots of other neighbor friends who were there. I love that everyone comes out in the warm weather!
- I read about square-foot gardening and made plans for the little tomato plants I'd like to plant in the next week or two.
- I'm getting accustomed to wearing Ari on my back and she seems to like it, which is great! Makes it a lot easier to do things without her grabbing at whatever I'm holding or trying to do like she does when I'm carrying her in front.
- It's funny to see Ari's feistiness show itself more and more. She yells now when she gets frustrated, rather than cry. Like if I take something from her that she shouldn't have, or this afternoon when all I heard from the kitchen was her yelling "Aaaghh! Aaaugh!" over and over until I discovered that the cover for the piano keys had fallen on her fingers and she couldn't move. (She wasn't hurt, just mad, which was why it was funny...)
- I tried a new recipe for dinner - something I want to do more often. It wasn't great, so I'm not sure I'd do it again, but at least it had lots of veggies in it. I need to find tastier, more interesting ways to cook vegetables.
- Bryan actually used the word "delectable" today at dinner. And he was referring to his carrots dipped in ranch dressing! :)
- "So You Think You Can Dance" started tonight! It's definitely one of my favorite shows and one of the few David will actually watch with me.

Daily Ten

- Matthew slept in until almost 8:00, which is good for him. He's usually up with Bryan around 6:30... Bryan loves waking up for morning cartoons!
- We met our friends, Cathryn and her boys, at the Dinosaur Museum. The boys hardly looked twice at the dinosaurs - they were too anxious to play in the sand.
- We had a picnic on the grass outside the museum.
- We went to Heather's house to visit her and little Cambria. Bryan loved chasing Cami, who's walking now, all over the house, and they even played a little hide-and-seek.
- We went to a fish pond in South Jordan, watched the ducks, and let the kids play at the park.
- I was so tired driving home from South Jordan that I had to pull off the freeway in Orem. But I decided it was a good excuse to stop at the new WinCo grocery store, which I loved! I found some great deals, including my favorite treat - chocolate-covered gummy bears! They were even on sale.
- David had a long day of meetings, so I made him lemon chicken for dinner.
- I gave Ariana steamed cauliflower for the first time and she gobbled it up!
- I just realized that I talked with every member of my immediate family today, via phone, text, or in person. Cool. :)
- I finished making cinnamon rolls. They're not at all pretty like my mom's, and they're still too hot to really tell if they're really yummy or not, but they sure smell good!

Pictures from the Dinosaur Museum and visiting Heather...

Daily Ten

- David didn't have to be at work right away so we all ate breakfast together, something I'd like to be able to do more often.
- We got lots of good produce at the grocery store, including Ari's favorites - strawberries and avocados.
- I sat out in the sun and read a book during Ari's naptime while the boys played on the grass out back. It was wonderful!
- The book I'm reading is a cookbook about cooking and eating "green." I enjoy learning about it... Now if I can just commit to living it!
- The boys played with dirt and rocks and worms with our neighbors. Why do they like that kind of thing so much?!
- We got to visit my friend, Rebecca, who's on bedrest for her pregnancy right now, and her cute family. I always love talking with her. She's amazing!
- David got a haircut and is looking fine! ;)
- We had tacos for dinner and at one point I actually heard Bryan say, "Can I have some more spinach?" I was super excited, until I realized he was using it to cover up a toy he'd snuck to the table. Oh well. Maybe if he plays with it often enough he won't find it so hard to eat one of these days.
- I'm making my mom's cinnamon rolls for the first time. They're rising right now, so I won't know until tomorrow if they turn out... (fingers crossed) I always feel close to home when I'm cooking my mom's recipes. :)
- I watched the "Biggest Loser" finale and the season finale for "Parenthood." Both brought tears to my eyes. :) Now that they're both over for a while maybe I can do something besides watch TV on Tuesday nights. It's been too long since I've read a good book...

Daily Ten

- It was snowing this morning (crazy!) but by the afternoon the sun was shining and everything was crisp and clear. Tomorrow should be beautiful!

- The boys helped me pick things up pretty well and I got lots of laundry done.
- Ariana can take several steps on her own now! She's getting more and more willing to take risks each day (which is good and bad, I guess).
- It took three different recipes and way too many wasted ingredients, but I finally made a good batch of chocolate chip cookies! (David wanted some...) My first two batches were a total disaster - imagine melted buttery blobs with chocolate chips sticking out the top. I was seriously doubting myself as a cook, but I think colder butter and ground oatmeal did the trick. Yum!

- David interviewed someone that may be a really good addition to his office staff. She speaks Spanish, which would be so helpful!
- The boys were especially imaginative today. They made a fort with the kitchen table and even involved Ariana (she was the bad guy, of course). I love that Matt and Bryan like doing things together!
- We discovered that Ari likes being pushed around in things. She even makes little car sounds as she goes. :)

- The boys played with play dough for a good while. Bryan's getting more and more creative! He was pretty proud of this spaceship.

- We had a yummy chicken chili for dinner. It was actually leftover from last night, but it tasted even better today.
- We did a Family Night lesson about the iron rod and began memorizing the first Article of Faith. Our goal is to do one a week.

Here are a few more pics from our day.  This one of Ari and Bryan is precious. :)

Bryan and Matt with their weapons and "armor"...


And this one of the boys is one of those pictures they'll die seeing ten years from now. Check out those belly shirts (they consider them their tough-guy shirts) and Matty's cool face. I love it! :)

Adversity - part 2

Well, my talk is over.  I was consumed by it all last week, so I'm glad I can think about other things now.  The interesting part, though, is that I'm still thinking about it!  And I'm thinking of things that never came to mind before.  Maybe now Heavenly Father's telling me things that are personal to me, and not necessarily things I needed to share with my ward congregation.

Like this morning, as I yelled at Matthew for making a mess, I thought, "This is the kind of adversity I face each day, and how am I reacting?"  I have to admit, it wasn't pretty.  I'm sure yelling at my 2-year-old repeatedly througout the day as he inevitably makes mistakes and messes things up is not how Heavenly Father would have me react.  Of course, that's a whole other talk in and of itself - controlling one's temper, exercising patience, showing compassion...  Maybe I should immerse myself in those topics for a few weeks and write a talk just for me. I think I need it.

And then just now I was reading on a friend's blog about a small girl she knows who struggles with croup.  Even though her parents have the medicine she needs and the means to give it to her on hand, the last time she had an attack she was so panicked that she wouldn't calm down long enough for them to help her.  After struggling for much longer than she had to, she finally calmed down, got the treatment she needed, and was fine within seconds.  Here's what my friend wrote:

"I wonder--how often does that happen with us and our Heavenly Father? How often are we in the middle of a trial, and He's trying to help us, with all the resources available to Him, and He KNOWS He CAN help us, and we struggle and cry, 'I can't breathe!' as we gasp, frantically for air? And then, eventually, finally, desperately, we listen, and we hear, and we breathe His healing, and we are OK, as He knew we would be.

Maybe the lesson is:

Struggle less; listen, hear, and BREATHE more."

(Thanks, Margaret!)

That reminded me of an interview I had with my mission president during an especially trying time on my mission.  I was frustrated that things weren't going the way I wanted them to, I was struggling with my companion, and I felt like I just wasn't measuring up.  After listening to me, my president said, "Sister Toone, you need to learn how to just let go."  I realized that I was trying too hard to do things on my own, and I wasn't allowing the Lord or the Atonement to work in my life.  I lacked the faith I needed to let go and let the Lord take over.  Then he had me read Doctrine and Covenants 3:36-37: "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." That scripture was very important to me in my remaining months as a missionary, and in the years that followed.  I haven't thought about it for a while, though...  I'm grateful, though, that it's been brought to my mind again. Just let go.  Breathe.  Let the Lord do His work.

This last weekend, just as I was writing the portion of my talk on large, heart-wrenching trials, I got one of those phone calls you never want to get.  It was my mom telling me that Cambria had fallen off Jake's shoulders, hit her head on the floor, and was being rushed to the ER.  She wouldn't stay awake.  For a while that was all I knew.  It was awful.  All the things I'd been thinking about for my talk went rushing through my mind, most importantly the counsel to turn to the Lord.  So I prayed with tears running down my cheeks.  The thought came that all things - including little Cami's life - are in the Lord's hands, and that things would work out according to His will.  Thankfully, it was His will that she should live and be okay, despite a fractured skull and a concussion.  X-rays showed no signs of brain swelling or bleeding, and she was able to go home after being monitored in the hospital overnight.  She's already back to her normal, happy self.  What a blessing.  In that case we could all breathe a huge sigh of relief.  But what if His will had been different?  Letting go isn't an easy thing.

I guess I still have much to learn on handling adversity, talk or no talk.  For now I'll be grateful for continual promptings of the spirit, shared thoughts, a loving Savior and answered prayers.

Adversity

These past couple days have been a little rough.  Last night, Bryan threw up about 12 times from 10:00 at night until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning.  David and I would fall asleep, and then a half hour later we'd hear Bryan throwing up, go in and help him in the bathroom, put him back in bed with his barf bowl, fall back asleep, and then do it all over again, and again, and again... It was awful!  One time Bryan said through his tears, "This is the worst night ever."  Yes, I'd agree.  About half way through the night Bryan had thrown up all the food that had been in his stomach and started throwing up bile.  It was so sad to see him suffering, and I started worrying that he was going to be dehydrated.  I hadn't been letting him drink anything so as not to upset his stomach more.  That was probably a mistake on my part and I finally decided a little bit was necessary, so after he'd thrown up what ended up being the last time I stayed awake to give him small drinks of water every few minutes until I felt like he'd be okay until the morning.  And then of course the morning came far too quickly.  I do not do well on little sleep, so today wasn't the most productive day.  Thankfully, Bryan hasn't thrown up since last night and aside from "feeling yucky" he's been doing okay.

This week everyone in the family except for me has been sick in one form or another - Ariana with her cold and David and the boys with the stomach bug.  As I lay in bed last night, in between helping Bryan and falling into a restless sleep, I thought about the things I've been learning in preparation for my talk on adversity.  What could I be learning from caring for my sick kids and sleepless nights?  Was the Lord trying to teach me something, or was this just a part of life that just had to be dealt with?  How would I feel if I had a child that was terminally ill?  How many people have countless sleepless nights because they're having to care for someone or because they're too troubled themselves?

I know that we're all faced with adversity at some point or another, and the key is learning how to react well.  Elder Oaks once said, "Like the mortal life of which they are a part, adversities are temporary.  What is permanent is what we become by the way we react to them."  And President Benson said, "It is not on the pinnacle of success and ease where men and women grow most.  It is often down in the valley of heartache and disappointment and reverses where men and women grow into strong characters."

So I pray each day to be a better mother, and I suppose that it's nights like last night that help me become better.  Learning how to sacrifice my needs for my child; putting aside feelings of disgust as I clean vomit out of the bowl for the 10th time; giving words of comfort and empathy when I really feel like crying or expressing frustration or saying nothing at all; praying more and more fervently as the night goes on.  That is one thing that I noticed - as it got later and later and harder and harder to wake up, my prayers became more heartfelt and my pleading for Bryan to feel better more sincere.  There's certainly a lesson to be learned in that.

I can't say that last night has made me a "strong character," but I hope that it's at least increased my strength, as any trial should, no matter how big or small.  I still have a lot of thinking to do for my talk, but I'm so grateful for the things I've been learning.  The Lord is so merciful and so willing to bless us, even if it's simply giving us the strength to get out of bed so we can help where we're needed, or comforting a small boy and helping his body finally get some rest.  I know that if we trust in the Lord and keep our thoughts turned to Him, he can help us through our trials, and we will learn what He would have us know to help us become the strong characters we're meant to become.

Daily {Five}

- Bryan enjoyed his last day of preschool.  I still can't believe the year's already over!
- Both Matt and Ariana seem to be doing better.  Matt didn't throw up at all, but I still had him eat nothing but saltines and dry cereal for most of the day.
- We went to Target to buy Bryan a graduation present (I'm a sucker) and found G.I. Joes and a Buzz Lightyear toy on clearance!  We're talking $2.50 apiece!  I was as excited as the boys were just because they were such good bargains, and the boys had been wanting those very things for weeks!
- Ariana loves dogs.  I was nursing her before putting her to bed and a dog started barking outside.  I could barely hear it but she perked right up and kept laughing and saying "hi".   (She says "hi" everytime she sees an animal.)
- David went to New Mexico to present to some agents down there.  He enjoyed the opportunity to speak, but he's got the bug Matty had (or something like it) and felt sick all day.  He was supposed to fly back tonight but the plane was broken so he's staying at a hotel and catching an early flight tomorrow morning.  He's not happy about it, but hopefully he'll get a good night's rest and get feeling better!

Bryan's Preschool Graduation

Bryan graduated from Pre-K today!  Like most moms, I'm sure, I had very mixed emotions.  It's fun to see him learn and grow and move on to new things - and he's definitely ready - but I've loved his little preschool so much and hate to see him leave!  We'll both miss the fun songs, crafts, weekly themes, rhymes, movement activities, and "centers" (Bryan's favorite part).  His teachers, Mrs. Staheli and Mrs. Poulson were wonderful, and he loved being with his friends, Anna, Madison, Brooks, and Thomas.  (Those are the kids he talked about the most, anyway.)  I'm sure he'll love kindergarten, and he'll learn and do all sorts of fun new things, but it just won't be the same.

They had a program today where they shared what they've learned throughout the year and sang several songs.  Bryan had a pretty long speaking part that he'd memorized and he did a great job.  It was fun to see him in action.  We're sure proud of him and know he'll make an awesome kindergartener. :)  Way to go, Bry!  We love you!

Daily Ten

- After a rough night with Ariana, we took her to the doctor this morning and found out she has an ear infection (her first, I think).  She also had a red throat but tested negative for strep.  We started her on some medicine and thankfully she seems to be doing better!  At least she's sleeping better, for now anyway...
- Bryan and Matt were good troopers at the doctor's.  We played "I Spy" with the mural paintings and decor in the room we were in, and they did all sorts of things to try and help Ariana stop crying after the doctor examined her.
- Not long after getting back from the doctor's office with Ariana, Matt threw up four times in the space of two hours.  Poor guy lay listless on the couch for most of the afternoon, but he began to perk up right before bedtime.  Hopefully he got whatever it was out of his system and will be back to his normal self in the morning!
- Bryan's showing no signs of sickness (knock on wood), but still liked laying around and watching movies with Matt.  At least it was rainy outside, so it's not like he missed out on much.
- David was able to pick up the iPad he won from work.  He's a total fan of all things Apple, so he was pretty excited about it.
- Ariana started taking steps on her own!  Only like two or three at a time, but she kept going back and forth between David and I.  It was so exciting!
- I read some great talks about adversity in preparation for my talk Sunday.  I'm already grateful for the new insights I'm gaining.
- I enjoyed watching my favorite shows on TV while eating chocolate chocolate chip ice cream (a new favorite) out of the carton.  Bad, I know. :)
- I was very grateful for my washing machine today.  I know I take for granted the fact that I can throw dirty things (like blankets with throw up on them) in the wash whenever I want.  I don't know how I'd survive without it.
- Throughout the day, Bryan kept giving me hugs and saying, "I just can't stop loving you." Words to melt a girl's heart.  :)

Daily Ten

We had a nice, chill weekend.  It was the first time in several weeks that we didn't have family over, and while we love having family visit, it was good to just kick back and relax a bit.   Saturday morning we helped clean the chapel with the kids, and that was a good experience.  David had to work at the Auto Expo later in the afternoon, but it was only for a couple hours and the kids and I got some needed cleaning and grocery shopping done.  (Yes, we braved Walmart on a Saturday afternoon - crazy!!)  The rest of the time we went on walks, ate at a couple of our favorite restaurants, watched a movie, played soccer, barbecued, and played at the park.

Thankfully our week has started off pretty good as well.  Here's our "daily ten" for Monday...
- Bryan had his last regular day of preschool!  I'm going to miss Bryan going for a number of reasons, but one of the main ones is my alone time with Matty. :)  Ari goes down for her morning nap and then it's just me and Matt doing our thing.  Usually he just follows me around and plays.  It's nice that he doesn't have to compete with Bryan for attention, and he's usually a lot calmer and well-behaved when he's on his own.
- I made bread again and David says it's my best yet.  I cheated, though, and used 2/3 white flour and only 1/3 wheat flour.  I'd like to be able to make it with 100% wheat but I'm not quite there yet...  At least I remembered all the ingredients and everything turned out okay.
- Bryan and Matt went to a birthday party for a neighbor friend and got to play on a slip-n-slide all afternoon.  They also got water blasters to bring home and think they're the coolest things ever.
- I enjoyed visiting with the other moms at the birthday party.  I'm glad it's getting warm enough to be able to sit outside and visit more often, and I love that we live surrounded by so many great people!
- Matt seems to have caught on to the idea that I want us to eat healthy.  Lately he says things like, "I need to eat those crackers.  Crackers make me healthy."  Or "I need some juice.  Juice makes me healthy." :)  I think he even said that about chocolate the other day.  I can't remember if I gave into him or not, but it's hard not to when he says that and looks up at me with his big brown eyes and cheeky grin.
- Ariana has had a fever and been fussy most of the day (poor baby), but Bryan got her laughing at dinner and it was the cutest thing to see her cracking up.  I love her little laugh!
- We went on a walk after dinner - one of my favorite things to do in the warmer weather.  It's always a great opportunity for David and I to talk.
- Ariana went on the swings at the "horsey park" for the first time.  She wasn't sure if she liked them or not... She liked the rocking horse better.
- Bryan got his first week's allowance money and was very excited.  Apparently he's saving up for a G.I. Joe.  (He was devastated to hear that David had a bunch when he was a boy but doesn't have them anymore.  He couldn't understand why David wouldn't have thought to save them for his future kids. :)
- I got a call to speak in church this coming Sunday!  I'm glad I only have a week to stress over it.  It will be all I can think about for the next several days!  My topic is adversity and agency - not one I would have picked myself, but it will be a good topic to study and ponder...

Matty and the Wii

This is Matt doing a boxing game on the Wii. As David says in the background, who says you can't get exercise playing video games? :)

Daily Ten

- We had a really lazy morning.  The boys played sports games on the Wii and I cleaned while Ari napped.
- We went to the park - it's finally getting warm again! - and Bryan practiced doing the monkey bars over and over.  Another lady showed up with two small kids and both Bryan and Matt kept doing things to show off for her and Matt even called her "Grandma."  Mom, I think that means we're more than ready for your visit!  (Just one more month!)
- The kiwis we bought a few days ago were finally ripe enough to eat.  They made for a great morning snack.
- Bryan's chore chart is working out great!  His room has been clean the past few days and he and Matt are always quick to help.  Today was laundry day (which is really like every other day around here) and they helped me sort clothes.
- Matty brought me some dandelions from the backyard with a huge grin on his face and told me, "They're beautiful!"
- Bryan saw part of a special on the Discovery channel about samurai swords, so he and Matt have been playing swords for most of the day.  They had lots of fun building towers with their blocks and knocking them down with their swords (which in Bryan's case was an attachment for the vacuum.)
- Ariana is getting more and more communicative.  She does the sign for "eat" now and says something in between "eat" and "cheese" when she wants food.  And I've realized that "bah" is her way of saying Bryan. :)
- I think it's cute that when Matthew's talking to Bryan he calls him "Bry."
- We finally went to the "sand park" by our house, which is really a small park with a sand volleyball court next to it.  Today it was perfect weather for Ari and I to just sit on the grass while the boys played in the sand.  I loved relaxing and the boys had tons of room to play around - digging holes, playing soccer, playing tag...  I didn't even mind having to give them showers when we got home.
- I played the piano for a bit before putting the kids to bed.  Now that Matt's finally big enough to know not to pound on the keys when I'm playing, Ariana's begun doing that very thing.  I just can't win. :)  But it was nice to play all the same, even with unwanted accompaniment.

Daily Ten

- I got to go to Bryan's preschool with him this morning and do the "walking report card," which consisted of him completing six different tasks that showed off things he's learned throughout the year.  It was fun to see him in action.  He's definitely ready for kindergarten - just a few short months away!
- I made granola bars and discovered that they stay together a lot better when cooked in a 9x9 pan instead of the 9x13 I normally use.
- I completed my first set of burp cloths, and it didn't take nearly as long to sew them as I'd been thinking.  In fact, I was able to finish them during Ariana's nap, which worked out great.  I'm excited to work on more and improve on my sewing skills!  I'll be getting plenty of practice over the next few months...
- Bryan and I read from the chapter book he picked out at the library.  I love that he listens and stays interested without having to look at pictures.  There are so many good books I'm excited to read with him as he gets older!
- Matt and Bryan insisted on playing with water buckets out in the backyard, despite the 50 degree weather.  The good thing is that they actually played without getting each other completely soaked, and they stayed out of the sand so thankfully I didn't have to hose them off, although they still kind of wanted me to... crazy kids.
- David presented to a group of agents in Salt Lake, and one man who's been an agent for over 30 years said that David was the best speaker he's ever heard in all his time with State Farm. :)  David gets to present again tomorrow for an even bigger group, and then he's flying out to New Mexico to present next week!  It's a good thing he enjoys public speaking!
- David read books to the boys while I was making dinner.  I love listening to him read because he uses crazy voices and does everything he can to get the boys to laugh. :)
- We had curry chicken for dinner and I've decided it's one of my favorite comfort foods.
- David brought home a big box of chocolate-covered strawberries, rasberries, blueberries, blackberries, and grapes.  They are delicious!!  He got them for presenting today, otherwise we'd probably never splurge on something so fancy.
- Landin joined us for dinner (he's all alone now that Jazmin and Maily have left for Spain) and we enjoyed getting to visit with him.  I'm so grateful to have been blessed with such great in-laws!

Daily Ten

- The boys were huge helpers this morning!  Bryan was really motivated by his chore chart and he and Matt helped unload the dishwasher, fold laundry, and dust.  It's so great that they're getting old enough to help with things!
- The boys found some styrofoam packing pieces and had way too much fun carving hideouts and things with pens and utensils for their action figures.  There were styrofoam crumbs all over the family room (thankfully Ari was napping at the time) but I didn't freak out!  I'm working on the whole "let boys be boys" thing, messes and all.  Nothing a couple minutes of vacuuming can't fix, right?
- Javi and Jose were supposed to leave for Spain today, but their flight was cancelled due to all the ash from the volcano in Europe.  While that's a bummer for them, the kids were thrilled to be able to hang out with them all day after they came back from the airport.  Basically that meant that they played a lot on the Wii.
- I attempted to make bread again, this time with all wheat flour.  I let the boys help me, though, and got distracted so I didn't put in the right amount of flour.  In my second attempt a few hours later - this time with no boys - I tried to follow a couple different recipes at once and forgot to put in the oil!  Pathetic, I know.  The good thing is that even though the resulting loaves were not at all pretty, they're still edible.  Ariana loved it, anyway. :)
- Javi and Jose offered to watch the kids for me in case I wanted to go somewhere in the afternoon.  The only place I could think of was Walmart.  Sad.  At least I got some grocery shopping done in peace.
- Jazmin and Maily, who were also supposed to leave for Spain today, came over and played with us for a while.  Ariana was so excited to have another little person to play with, but she kept grabbing a little too excitedly for her face so we had to keep them separated for the most part.
- Matt had to poop after dinner and didn't quite make it to the toilet.  It looked like a big pile of squishy dog poop sitting on the bathroom floor.  I felt a weird sense of pride when David was too grossed out to clean it up and I was able to clean it up with no problem.  Not sure what that says about me really...
- I made progress on the burp cloths I've been working on.
- We've discovered the staggering the boys bedtimes works wonders.  Matt actually falls asleep really fast, and then Bryan goes to bed without any problems.  And of course Bryan thinks it's the coolest thing that he gets to stay up a little later because he's "bigger."
- David took Jose and Javi to play volleyball at the stake center.  Thank goodness tonight was a good TV night!  All my favorite shows were on so I didn't mind too much that they were gone.  :)

Daily Ten

- I mopped the floor, which isn't a huge thing, except I mopped a few days ago and usually don't get around to it so often.  I'm loving the feel of a clean floor.
- I created a chart to help Bryan know what he needs to do to earn a weekly allowance.  We're keeping it pretty simple, so basically he just needs to brush his teeth twice a day, make his bed, put his clothes in the hamper, and pick up his toys.  He can do "special jobs" on top of those things as well, like helping to sort the laundry and put away clean dishes.  He's very excited about it all!
- Bryan learned how to make his bed. (Yes, he's five and is just now learning.)  Turns out it's a lot easier than he thought. :)
- The boys had fun playing the "I Spy" card game I got Bryan for Christmas.  They're just now getting into it - better late than never!  I love that it's something they both do without my help.
- I enjoyed leftover cake from my Mother's Day dinner last night.
- I weaned Ariana from her mid-day nursing session. (I suppose that's good and bad... I'm not sure I feel about weaning her yet.)  Now she only nurses first thing in the morning and right before going to bed.
- We met David at Costco and stocked up on lots of good things.
- We enjoyed really big, yummy strawberries for dinner (and tortilla soup with homemade tortilla chips).
- We had a Family Home Evening lesson on tithing and Bryan isn't so grumpy now about the thought of paying tithing on his allowance money.
- Ariana started saying "cheese" for pictures.  Here's a picture of her "cheese" face. :)

Mother's Day

I have to admit, Mother's Day started off a little rough for me.  If it had been any other day, it would have been fine.  I'm certainly used to a messy house, whiny kids, having a bad hair day, etc.  But every year when Mother's Day rolls around, I imagine a day of perfection, and then I get frustrated when, of course, it doesn't pan out the way I imagine.  I end up having to remind myself that motherhood is messy and stressful and tiring, but that's what I signed up for in the first place.  Why? Because amidst all the mess and and the stress I get to enjoy three beautiful children who I love with all my heart and whose imperfections make them all the more endearing.

I couldn't for the life of me get a good picture of the boys in their church clothes, but it kind of illustrates my point...  We'd get bored if every picture was picture-perfect.  The bloopers are what end up making us laugh the most.  I don't always end up laughing at the end of a blooper-filled day, but at least I can smile with every hug and slobbery kiss and know that there's nothing more important and fulfilling than being a mom!

A couple times yesterday I thought it would be better if we just didn't have Mother's Day.  Then I wouldn't expect too much and everything would be just fine, like any other day.  But then again, without Mother's Day I wouldn't get cute gifts like the notepad holder Bryan made for me in Preschool and was SO excited to give me, or the cute flower picture Matty made for me in Nursery.  (David created the lovely flower arrangement in the back.)   Those sweet gifts, along with a number of other nice things David and the kids ended up doing for me throughout the day, made me take back my thoughts.  I needed a day to feel special and reflect on my role as a mother. It truly is a role I cherish and don't want to take lightly. Of course it's hard and frustrating at times.  I guess it wouldn't be so rewarding if it weren't!

Daily Ten

- I decided that one good thing about David working Saturday mornings is that it leaves me with good cleaning time.  I got the kitchen, living room and all three bathrooms cleaned before he got home!
- I took the kids to the park for a little bit and Bryan got 3/4 of the way across the monkey bars!  It was a proud moment for him. :)
- Bryan and I went to the Real Salt Lake soccer game to hear Heather sing the National Anthem!  Heather did a great job and Bryan and I enjoyed the excitement of the game.
- We drove up with Nathan and Allison and had a good time visiting with them.
- I got a free cupcake at the Sweet Tooth Fairy bakery for Mother's Day.  Strawberry lemonade - yum!
- I gave into Bryan's requests and made pancakes for dinner (with green smoothies and eggs).  He's seldom happy about what I make for dinner, so it was nice to have him in a good mood for a change while we ate. :)
- David mowed the lawn in our backyard so it no longer looks like a little jungle back there.
- I bought Bryan glitter glue to use on my Mother's Day card.  Yes, he insisted on having glitter. :)
- We watched an exciting Jazz game, even though it had a very disappointing ending...
- I got all of our church clothes ironed and ready to go for tomorrow!  One less thing to worry about in the morning...

Daily Ten

- Bryan made a big paper flower at preschool (as part of their week on Mexico) and it looks so bright and festive sitting in a vase on our kitchen table. :)
- I signed Bryan up for kickball!
- The boys played with play dough.
- Ariana ate peas and liked them.
- I had a small migraine but it went away after I took some medicine.  Thank goodness for Excedrin!
- David got to play golf during his "lunch break."
- We survived a trip to the grocery store.
- We read from the "I Spy" book until our eyes were buggin.'
- David and I ate dinner at Magleby's and got their yummy chocolate cake to go.  Even David, who's not a cake person, ate it and loved it.
- Ariana has learned to fold her arms during a prayer!  Last night she even fell down into a kneeling position. :)   I thought it was a fluke until she folded her arms during the prayer at dinner tonight.  And we haven't prompted her or anything!

Daily Ten

- Heather and Cami stopped by for a little bit.  It's always fun to see them and see the Ari and Cami smile and wave and grab at each other.
- I found out Mother's Day is this Sunday and not the 16th like it's printed on my calendar (Bryan and I had several arguments about the real date until I finally looked it up online)...  But thankfully I found a flower shop in Pennsylvania that delivered some beautiful flowers to my mom so I didn't end up looking like a total flake!
- I made zucchini bread - again.  I can't go without it for very long these days...  This time I couldn't give it to Ari fast enough - she loves it!
- Ariana's finally taking to milk.  She drinks it too fast, though, without taking a breath and then she dribbles a bunch out when she comes up for air.  At least she's getting the hang of sippy cups!
- Bryan and Matt played soccer a lot today, and even Ariana started kicking at the ball when we held her up by her hands.  Maybe all three of our kids will end up being soccer players!  Matt's certainly turning into a good little kicker.
- Javi got a great documentary on bugs from the library and he and the boys really got into it this afternoon. I watched bits and pieces, but I was too grossed out by some parts to sit and watch the whole thing.
- We went to the park just to get out of the house and get some fresh air.  It was chilly, but the sky was so blue and I kept reminding myself that I'll be wishing for weather like this when it's 100 degrees in a couple months and too hot to be outside at all...
- Ari started saying "no, no, no" and shaking her head.  I don't think she says it to really say "no" yet, so it's still cute at this point. :)
- I was inspired by a friend's spotless kitchen and decided to do some major de-cluttering in my own.  After rearranging some things and making room for a couple appliances in the pantry I was able to free up a lot of counter space and now it looks so much better!
- I watched this video and it reminded me how grateful I am to be a mother and have the gospel and the Spirit in my life.   And how I have so much I take for granted!

Daily Ten

- Today was a good, full day.  I hardly stopped all day long, but I liked being busy doing good things.
- I went to the cannery around the corner from us for the first time this morning.  I picked up a can of potato flakes (for future loaves of bread) and had a nice chat with the elderly volunteers there.  I'm anxious to go back and can a bunch of stuff for our food storage!  I need to take advantage of being so close to a church cannery!
- It was a lovely, warm day so we went to the park after lunch and met up with some neighborhood friends. The boys had fun and expended lots of energy, which is always a good thing.
- Bryan had a friend over for a little while and they played really well together.  I kept waiting for them to get bored or start whining about something but they never did.  They even played with the sand table and water guns without making a huge mess!  That's a first.
- I made my favorite healthy, kid-friendly chocolate-chip cookies.  This batch had wheat flour, ground oatmeal and almonds, and white beans.  They're surprisingly tasty - or at least the boys and I think so...
- I made dinner for a friend who just had a baby.  I always get nervous making things for other people, but thankfully everything turned out okay!
- We read our new library books.  Bryan and Matt really enjoy the "I Spy" books, and they always surprise me with how quickly they find things!
- I got to run errands with Ariana while Javi stayed home with the boys for a little bit in the afternoon.  I'm getting spoiled having Javi around to help watch the kids!
- I mopped my floors, which is one of those things I always have a hard time getting around to.  In my efforts to be more "green" I used vinegar, but it didn't stink at all like I expected.  It was a lot better than the stinky chemical cleaners I've used in the past!
- Ariana started saying "uh oh" and "cheese." (She really likes eating cheese!)  Makes me smile every time I hear her try out her new words.  Still no "mama," though...

Daily Ten

- I made bread!  Real bread, without using my breadmaker.  (My Kitchenaid doesn't count as a breadmaker, does it?)  It wasn't perfect, but it wasn't awful either, so I felt successful.
- Bryan and Matt made a huge pile of pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals on my bed and had lots of fun "swimming" around in it.
- We went to the library and I let the kids play on the playground there, which is actually pretty cool.  Worth the drive, anyway. And Matt was very proud of the fact that he could go on the rope web thing. He did it over and over.
- I have to admit that I was a little addicted to ebay today.  I found some great deals and it was a total rush. :)
- We had yummy bbq chicken for dinner.  It felt so summery!
- Bryan "earned" some cheap-o water guns from Walmart by doing a few extra jobs around the house.  He and Matt spent most of the day playing Star Wars and secret agent games with their new guns.  (I've given up trying to discourage them from playing with guns.  It seems Matt could make gun noises before he could talk!)
- I got to read a little.
- Javi's staying with us for a few days while he's in between apartments, and it's been nice having him around to help entertain the kids. :)  He's always so good with them!
- We watched "Biggest Loser" and loved seeing the contestants' makeovers.  And I got David to watch a little bit of "Glee," though all he did was make fun of it.  (I didn't expect anything different.)
- Ariana's turned into a good little eater!  She eats a lot more now than she did even a few weeks ago, so I hope that means she'll start putting some meat on her little bones!  She's still so teensy.  Here are some pictures from dinner.  This time it was milk all over in her hair.


And here she is after her bath. What a difference! :)

Daily Ten

Today was a little rough.  I didn't accomplish a lot of what I'd hoped to accomplish, and I wasn't as patient with the kids as I should have been.  But for what it's worth, here's our day...
- I went downstairs after waking up only to find brownie crumbs all over the family room and pee all over the bathroom floor - and I didn't totally lose it!  I remembered things from the Relief Society lesson yesterday and it helped me keep my cool. :)  (Our lesson was on Julie Beck's most recent Conference talk, which I loved!)
- I'd cleaned well enough on Saturday that the house wasn't a total wreck like it normally is Monday morning.  
- The sun was shining (and should be for the next few days) so I got the car washed, and since the manager of the car wash happened to be standing there when I realized I didn't have small enough bills for the machine, she let me do it for free.
- Matt got to ride his bike for a little bit out front while Bryan was at preschool.  It was so nice to be able to be outside again!
- I had a lady stop me in the grocery store, as I had Ari in the carrier and Bryan and Matt running around like crazy, and tell me how much she admired me. :)  I must have looked really frazzled!
- David and I went to the Hobble Creek golf course for an hour or so after dinner and David showed me how to hold a club and swing.  We played around on the putting green and it was so beautiful in the canyon!  I loved it!
- Javi and Annalece watched the kids for us while we were at the golf course and played with them in the big grass area out back.  Annalece had bought the boys a humongous bouncy ball and they had a blast kicking it and chasing it all over the place.
- Javi and Annalece joined us for our Family Night lesson and helped us teach a lesson on the Priesthood and acting reverently during the Sacrament.
- Ari took like three steps on her own!  At least that's what David and Annalece say.... I missed it!  I was looking at Bryan at the time.  Still, it was pretty exciting.
- I got fabric cut for my burp cloths.  Little by little I'm making progress...

Daily Ten (for the past 3 days)

- Friday we got to spend the day driving around with David while he did house inspections for his agency. It was fun seeing parts of Utah I'd never seen before.
- We went shopping at the outlets in Park City!  Yay!
- Bryan watched "Avatar" and loved it.  Yes, it's not exactly a kid movie, but it's been cute to see him pretending to be characters from the movie.  He even attached clip-on ties on his waist and the back of his shirt to be his tail and long hair braid. :)
- We watched the Jazz beat the Nuggets and make it to the 2nd round of the play-offs!
- I got lots of cleaning done Saturday morning while David was at work.  I had the "Saturday is a special day" song in my head all morning and I was determined to get things in order before Sunday rolled around.  I was as successful as I can be with young kids in the house...
- I got to run errands and go grocery shopping by myself.  Always a treat.
- Bryan got to go to a birthday party for one of his friends in the neighborhood.
- David and I went on a date Saturday night - kind of.  :)
- After resting all day, David seems to be getting over his bout of food poisoning, if that's what it was...  I'm just glad the rest of us were okay!
- I had a fun game night with Nate, Allison, Bree and Bree's friends.  Sunday game nights with the fam are the best.

Date Night

Last night Javi offered to watch the kids for us - always a treat - so David and I decided we'd go to the temple.  Since I had to be around to nurse Ari before putting her to bed, we just ordered Chinese take-out for dinner and ate at home.  I thought the food was great, but shortly after eating David starting feeling yucky.  Still, after putting Ariana to bed, we got dressed up and left, hoping to make it in time for the last session at 8:00.  Everything was going okay until somewhere around Center St. on University David's stomach heaved, and then he just about lost it on the other end as well!  I knew then that there was no way he'd make it through a session, so I suggested instead we stop at Jazmin and Landin's apartment a few blocks away from where we were so he could use their bathroom instead of throwing up on the side of the road, or worse, inside the car!  David said he'd feel more comfortable using the bathroom at his office, so we headed there, thinking of course that no one would be there.  Wouldn't you know, though, that the cleaning people had decided that 8:00 on a Saturday evening would be a great time to clean the bathrooms in his office building.  Poor David.  He reluctantly called Jazmin and asked if we could stop by, really struggling at this point, and we made it to their place just in time.  It wouldn't have been so bad, except that they had company over, so it was a little awkward for David (but kind of funny to the rest of us).  After that little pit stop, David felt better but still not well enough for a normal date, so we just drove around a bit and then stopped at a little cafe around the corner from our house.  I got a to-die-for chocolate gelato which made my night, and we listened to a couple people at their open-mic night.  Then we came home.  It wasn't exactly the date we'd been hoping for, but it's one we'll remember and laugh about in the future.  And next time we plan on going to the temple, we'll definitely skip the Chinese!

(David told me not to write about this, but hopefully he just won't read the blog for a while and never know ...)