(an honest) Mother's Day Post

This is going to be sort of short - and probably not so sweet.  Let's just say Miles pretty much soured the sweetness of this day.  That kid.  I, in all honesty, do not know how me and my 3 other children will survive him all summer long.  He needs a full-time job.  Or else I do (ahem, one outside of the home).  Or he'll have to be abide by the rules he currently has today:  no being in any room with anybody else.  If you are in your room and Jonas enters, you must leave, etc.  Isn't that swell.  He sure knows how to make me feel super un-good about me being his mother.

Anyways . . . here are some fun pictures:

 Me and Erin, around 1981ish?

And my 2 girls.  (I recreated the photo for fun.)

My mom and I sure make cute girls.  :)

I love my mom, my mother-in-law, and, yes even today, being a mom.

GOTR 5K

Another Girls on the Run 5k happened today in Grand Junction.  There were lots and lots of girls there!  I took my girls with me, which was fun.  But, once again, it makes it harder for me to be with the "team" girls.  I actually lost them all when I took my girls to the bathroom and we stood in line for like 15 minutes.  When we got back to our place everyone had gone to the starting line and I didn't see any of them.  We hooked up and and off with one team girl, but that was all we saw.

This was Emmy's first time walking it with me.  Usually she is in the stroller with Lucy.  But she's definitely too big for that now.  But, of course, she is not really big enough to run this thing.  So we walked 95% of it.  We finished at right under an hour.  :)  But Emmy didn't (or hardly) really complain - even though it was hot.  Emmy enjoyed pouring water over her hair and down the front of her shirt.  :)  Lucy didn't complain either and enjoyed the ride and watching all the other Girls on the Run.

Our team girls did a great job!  I would almost say half of them got 33 minutes or under.  Which is just crazy since hardly any of them ran it that fast for our practice 5K!  In fact, the girl that got "first" from our school was never one to run much nor really all that fast.  So that was surprising and awesome.  I was really impressed and happy with all of our gals.

Emmy, Lucy and I spent a few extra hours up in Junction afterwards.  We went to a park - which Lucy mainly played at (Emmy was a bit tired. . . :).  Then out for frozen yogurt.  Then to Old Navy.  Then finally home.  It was a pretty good day!

 My girls at the starting line.  Another coach bought the cute little headbands for all of us.  It's cute and fun - but it also helps us find each other in a crowd!

 Emmy and a crazy lady cheering everyone on.  :)  We were about 3/4 of the way done at this point.

She finished a 5K.  :)  In a couple of years I'm sure she'll be able to run one - or most of one.  That will be fun!

Emmy with one of her best-friends and classmate, Ava.  Ava's two sister ran it (her sister was one that finished first from our team) and her mom co-coaches with me.  Ava was with her dad taking pictures of our girls - and Ava ran in with us to the finish line.  Fun stuff.

I really enjoy GOTR, but we'll see if I do it next year . . .

Signs of Spring

(Sorry for those who check my facebook, too - this was posted there as well).

 "Spring on the Windowsill."  The girls and I made those pretty "stained-glass" butterflies today.  Miles' wild flowers that he planted are doing well in the pot.  The girls and I made a little "Jack in the Beanstalk" craft, too - we planted a bean and it should grow up the stick to the castle.  Love spring.

And here is my first rhubarb pie (the only kind I really like) of the season.  Too bad I don't get to eat it! :(  We are doing a fundraiser in our ward tonight and so I made this (as well as my chocolate mint brownies) to auction off.

A funny (and it will probably turn out to be long) story about the wording on the pie.  I shot my sister a quick email telling her about the pie I'm making and what I should say on it (I like to "write" on my pies).  I thought maybe something like, "Buy me," or "Eat me."  She emailed me back with the suggestion of "Bebop-A-Reebop Rhubarb Pie."  Of course!  So I went to the kitchen and started working on it.  Sadly, I realized, my cookie cutter letters were going to be too big for all those words.  So I started cutting by hand.  By the time I had written "Bebop-A-Reebop," I know I couldn't fit all the rest.  So I went to get the phone and call my sis to see if she thought I should just do "pie" afterwards (Yes, a silly thing to question about - thank goodness for sisters so I can ask my silly stuff to.)  When I'm in the office, I then see another email message from Erin that I hadn't seen yet:

"oooh. hahahaha

i didn't quite read your email.12:54 PM

i thought you had to write something on a card.

i would not have given you this advice had i read it correctly

but if you want to try it, well, go for it!

maybe just bebop"

Haha, too late!  I called Erin and told her what was going on and she thought I should keep it at "Bebop-A-Reebop."  Another great idea, sis.  :)

Adieu April . . .

One with Lucy and one close-up of our April:

An Okee Dokee of a weekend

We just got back from a fun weekend up in Littleton.  We got there by 6pm on Friday night - lucky us that the surgery center was slow that Friday.

On Saturday I went on a great run on the beloved High Line Canal.  Then I got back and Ben and I went on a bike ride along some awesome path system - it's just awesome - along waterways, trees lining the path, just awesome.  We had a great ride.  After that I went with Ben and his mom to the bank and then we stopped off at a frozen yogurt place that is connected to Great Harvest.  So we scored twice:  frozen yogurt and a free slice of bread.  :)  It was a fun outing.

That afternoon we headed out and met my friend Csilla and her cute family at a really cool park.  I'm sad I don't have any pictures of it (ahem, I had given the camera over to Ben to take pictures . . . ).  It was totally great being with Csilla and her family again.  As always.  Ben's folks came and met us for a few minutes and then we all headed over to Regis Jesuit High School for the Okee Dokee show!

They were so super great.  I just love them.  They do a fun and clean and totally kid-fun (but not in a way that annoys adults) show.  I love their music.  I love their jokes.  I love their looks.  Whoops, did I just say that?  :)  It was a lot of fun.  We bought their newest adventure CD/DVD combo and have listened and watched both - and I love it all.

After the show we went to Cafe Rio, then home, books, bed, etc.

Sunday was Our Anniversary - our 12th one to be exact.  We were to celebrate with Rhubarb Pie (the only pie I really like), but unfortunately no rhubarb was to be had in Littleton (we've got plenty in our garden so I'll hopefully whip up a pie this weekend!).  So the real celebration was the fact that I got to sit by Ben during Sacrament meeting!!!  (Except for the 10 minutes he left to run back home and grab Lucy's forgotten boo . . .)  It was a nice Sunday and we even went on a very cool (as in cold) walk that morning.  Good stuff.

We left Monday - and the drive was a little similar to my spring break drive.  Snow, etc.  But not quite as bad, so that was good!  Driving through Glenwood Canyon in snow clouds was awesome.  So pretty and neat!  Anyways, we made it back and hopped right back in to real life:  gymnastics for Miles, soccer for Jonas and Emmy, family scripture reading/prayer, Ben reading books to the girls, Jonas and I reading Harry Potter together, Jonas pulling out his 2-month + loose tooth, checking on our growing chicks (Erin, they are still cute!), etc., etc.

It's always sad to leave, but life is busy enough that we don't have much time to dwell on that sadness.  :)

Pictures:

 My family and Csilla's family.  :)

The Okee Dokee Brothers, who aren't really brothers.  :)

Yep, turns out we are one of those people - getting the Okee Dokee brothers to sign our album cover.  :)

This is where the boys slept for the three nights we were at Littleton.  It was really helpful in separating the kids.  :)

Our lovely hosts - Grandpa Max and Grandma Diana.

Another fun shot.  Look how happy Miles is that he gets the back row seat with "stinky" Wilson.  The joys.

And one video for fun:

Jonas' 2nd grade music performance

Jonas had his show last night.  Right after soccer practice we headed over to the school.  I had gotten Jonas' clothes for him to change in to, but forgot shoes.  Whatevs, I think the soccer cleats looked great.  :)

Jonas standing next to one of his best-friends and classmate, Ivan.

Now I've got 3 videos just because . . .

I thought it quite funny how hardly none of the boys playing instruments are singing (only 1 is).  Whereas all the girls are both playing and singing.  Girls and boys are different.  :)

Proof that sometimes, and just a little bit, Jonas will participate in singing . . .

The last one.  Cuz boys (and men) are oh-so-cute in baseball hats . . .

An Update - with pictures

Well you should all be happy to know that I don't have all the time in the world for this, so hopefully my updates will be brief and to the point!  :)  I tend to get wordy with these things . . .

Ben -
So nothing really new in terms of his bishoping.  Same stuff there, pretty much.  He is almost finished with a RNFA course/certification that he has been working on.  RNFA = Registered Nurse First Assistant.  When he "first assists" a case, he is more hands-on and can do "fun" things like suture up a patient, help prepare a graft, etc.  He finished up his tests and course work a while ago and just this past week he finished up all his clinical hours.  Now he has a case study and some doc's recommendations and then he'll be done.  He's done great with and actually likes it!  He's actually happy and excited when he comes home from work on a day that he was able to first assist.  The docs love him and thinks he's great.  He started this program a couple of months before he was called to be the bishop.  But, after learning he could not get back his refund, he decided to go ahead with it and do it.  I'm proud of him for accomplishing this!

Bishop Ben Maxwell with our beloved Elders.  Elder Hawks, Elder P. (not sure how to spell it, but it sounds like Pin-Yay), and Elder Jacobsen.  Elder P. and Jacobsen just got transfered yesterday.  We will miss them both, but especially Jacobsen.  He's been in this area, and in our ward, for 5-6 months.  He's a great kid and is totally loved and adored by my girls.  I'm mentally exhausted after watching my girls play with the Elders.

Me -
I've been doing Girls on the Run for the past couple of months.  It does make for some crazy Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.  But I do like the girls, of course, and it's a good program.  I just might need to take a break from it before I wear myself out and Emmy is finally old enough to join.  :)  Tomorrow is our practice 5K and it's a big deal - we're trying to make it even a little more special as there is a number of girls that won't make it to the real 5K in Junction (many have some practice "first communion" that day).  I made racing bibs for each girl and I think they turned out pretty cute.  We've got snacks, shirts to give them (from GOTR, not us their coaches), music will be blaring, cheering-on posters, etc.  Not much else new is going on with me.  I'm really despising my wake-up time of 5:15.  I'm tired of it.  I day-dream of Ben's work changing their schedule so he wouldn't have to leave until 6:45 in the morning - it would help so much!  But oh well.  Life will go on - it just starts earlier than I want.  Thank goodness for Sundays when I get to sleep in until 7!


Miles -
He's doing just fine.  He continues to talk in a ridiculous way that drives me completely BoNKerS.  "Me don't want to."  "Me go outside."  I told him this morning if he spoke like that again that he can have a baby's bedtime of 7pm.  Seriously.  And, unfortunatly, it's not only his baby talk that drives me crazy.  It's his talking/answering questions with made-up words.  Sigh.  His grade is getting to go on a field trip to Mesa Verde.  He's been begging to go (long before the field trip idea came to be) and so this is perfect!  I get to go and chaperon (he actually wants me to, which I'm not sure why . . .) and so that will be fun.  He had one of his art works chosen to be in the district's art show:

Jonas - 

He's been unusually super UN-sweet lately.  Sigh.  Mainly to Emmy - he's just not nice to her.  I'm not sure what it is, but hopefully he'll get over it and realize he has a pretty fantastic little sister.  He tries to show love to Lucy, but usually just ends up annoying her.  It's kind of sad, but also he needs to learn the right ways to show someone affection.  :)  He always wants to play with friends.  Life revolves around friends for him; they are a very important part of his life.  He'd be a video-game addict if he had no parents or parents who didn't care.  Luckily he just gets 20 minutes a week of computer-time.  He wants to buy an i-pod.  To which we say, "Fine, but you'll still only get 20 minutes of play-time."  I don't think he'll have enough money for a while . . .  I got a call from his teacher last week.  Apparently Jonas had been kissing girls - on the hand.  He had told me this the day before - but it was just one girl, one time, during recess.  Apparently the next day he was trying to kiss a whole bunch of hands during class.  I was encouraged by his great teacher to talk with him about the inappropriateness of this.  Which we did.  Of course it's hilarious.  But, also of course, it's not right, especially during class time.  :)  He has gotten a little better since he played his first soccer game, but still isn't the most aggressive of players.  Though his last game was much better than the first.  We are reading the 3rd Harry Potter together - he reads one side, me the other.  He's a good reader, but I wouldn't say he loves it.  He also had an art-piece chosen for the district show:

Emmy - she is pretty darn adorable.  I went in to her class this past Monday and it was fun.  She has a fantastic teacher and a class full of boys - about 8 girls in her class and 15 boys!  She's a good girl - and only once has been on "yellow."  (Green is good, Blue is above good, and Yellow is "warning" and I don't know what the last color is?)  I think for talking or something.  Her reading is coming along and it's cute to hear her read a book.  She is a great little soccer player - yes, she can improve her skills, but she's always going after the ball and isn't afraid to get in and kick it.  She's super fun to watch.  She is going to really, really, really miss Elder Jacobsen.  Her class did a music performance today.  She's been soooooo excited about it and has talked about it for weeks!  She was really sad that Ben couldn't come, so I did take a few pictures and even one video:

Lucy - 

She's pretty great.  She keeps busy with story time at the library, gymnastics, a Mostly Music program, playing at the park, grocery shopping plus other errands, making bread with me, listening to "toddler music" on Pandora while I work on something, etc., etc.  She needs to be better at sharing her stuff with friends, and taking turns, and not always declaring, "It's My turn!" at gymnastics (it's usually not and she knows it :).  She makes me smile a lot and am glad to have a cute, little buddy with me (most of the time).  I'm trying to teach her to say, "Thank You" when she gets a compliment - instead of her usual reply:  "I know." !  She always wants to be the one who says the prayer at mealtimes and bedtime.  She's going to miss Elder Jacobsen.

After Emmy's music show today we got to go to her class and the kids all had snacks and juice.  Lucy loves to be a part of everything!  Cute sisters!

Easter

We had a good Easter weekend.  Our Easter activities begin on Easter Saturday, as I call it in our family.  That's when the Easter Bunny comes and hides our eggs and baskets.  It was a fun morning:

Luckily my mom had gotten a little something for the kids for Easter - so while I was out running that morning, they still had something fun to check out.  :)

 Lucy looking lovely in her candy necklace.

As soon as I got back from running, the kids kept asking when they could go out and find the Easter eggs we had decorated the day before - and which the Easter Bunny had hidden . . .  After I ate we finally let them loose in the backyard.

 They had all spotted this one while eating breakfast.  :)  Of course Lucy was allowed to get it.

Emmy found one (with, ahem, some help) in the rhubarb plant!

Then after all the eggs were found - minus the 3 that Wilson ate - we went back inside to find the Easter baskets:

 Lucy's basket was found first - by the boys, I think.  They told the girls to come.  Everyone had to be there - you can't even see Lucy!  Silly, excited kids.

Lucy and her basket.

Emmy and her basket.

Miles and his basket.

And last of all, Jonas with his basket.

The girls started playing with their dolls.

And the boys began to put together their little Lego toy.

We grew grass again in our baskets.  I wasn't sure we'd have enough, but suddenly on Thursday the grass finally took off!  I like fresh, real grass in their baskets.  I love the natural look, but also love not having to deal withe mess of fake grass.  :)

The rest of the day was spent at Emmy's soccer game, Jonas had a b-day party, I went over to a friend's house and made some bow-ties for the boys, plus a baptism we attended.  Another full day.

The girls wanted (well, Lucy didn't want, but at least agreed to!) curlers in their hair for Easter Sunday.  Cuties.

And here are a few pictures taken on Easter Sunday:

 Before church . . . it was a little too bright.  In fact, Emmy started crying afterwards and so that ended our photo shoot for the morning.

Handsome brothers in their bowties.

A post-church photo.  Emmy had a horrible headache (sinus pressure I am thinking), but pulled through for the picture at least.  :)

We'll finish the day with the sister missionaries over for dinner, making resurrection rolls, doing a scripture- and Christ-based egg hunt/activity, plus maybe watching a video or two of Christ.  Sounds like a lovely Easter.

More Pictures from Spring Break

Yep, you read that right - more pictures!  Sorry - ha.  But my mom sent me some that she took with her phone, so I wanted to include them as well.

 Hiking in Snow Canyon.

Here we are at the pool - that's the best-friend from Virginia, Angela, that I randomly ran in to at the pool!

 This is the downtown "creek" that the kids loved playing in.

 Plus, the splash pad.  Cool!

That's all.  Not too bad, huh?

Let The Games Begin!

Well the soccer craziness has begun.  We've had a few weeks of practices (M, W, 5:30-6:30) (for both Emmy and Jonas) and then games just started this past Saturday.  It makes for some busy times, but it's good.  We've got about 6 more weeks of practices and games and then it's done - short and sweet!  :)

Anyways here are a few pictures from Emmy's and Jonas' first games:

Emmy's team is the Purple Minions.

 If she looks cold, it's because she was.  We've had a cold weekend - it even snowed today!

Emmy is the best to watch!  She's always in the game, going after the ball, trying to kick it, etc.  She's very active and just too cute to watch.

Kick!

She didn't score a goal this game (unfortunately nobody on her team did!), but did score two goals in a scrimmage a few days earlier.  So we've got some high hopes she'll score in a game.  :)  She loved playing!

 Where the ball is, there you'll find Emmy.  :)

The fun post-game high-fives!

Jonas' team is the Black Ninjas.

 Jonas is a little bit different of a player than Emmy.  His stamina is not quite what his sister's is.  Nor is he too aggressive towards the ball.  Hopefully he'll get a little more in to it as the season progresses.

He did get the ball a few times in the game.  (P.S.  His tongue is out in typical Jonas-style!)

 It was still a fun game to watch.

 Jonas got to be goalie for the last quarter.  He was excited about it.  He didn't get too much action at the goal, which was fine with me.  :)

And here is Lucy the Ewok.

It was a fun Saturday morning full of soccer!