Lately....

 

 

What have we been up to lately?

We've been playing outside a lot.

We went for a hike on the Grotto Trail.

We've been playing at the park.

Loving splash pads.

Hiked Stewart Falls

And celebrated this cute girl's 4th birthday!

Aileah with her gift from us, Merida shoes.  She's been asking for them since Christmas.
Our little doll loves to sing.  Loves to read.  Loves to make friends.  Loves to be outside, running, doing sidewalk chalk, blowing bubbles, playing balls.  Her favorite places to go are Classic Fun, Nickle City, Provo Beach Resort, and Kangaroo Zoo.  She has a smile that melts my heart.  She is a sweet, sassy little lady.  And I am lucky to spend everyday with her!  Love her little face!

Our Spring.... so far

We have been trying to keep busy this spring.  Here are some of our highlights so far.

*We moved to a newer, bigger apartment about a block away from our old place.

*Tom quit Pep Boys and started back at Provo Airport. 

*Tom's truck died and an amazingly generous coworker gave us a 2002 Hyundai Accent.  For Free!  We now are the proud owners of 2 Accents :)

 

We colored Easter Eggs and celebrated our Savior's resurrection.

We went for a hike.

I took the kids to Utah Lake.

We hiked up Bridal Veil Falls.

* We also hiked Grotto Trail in Nebo Loop.... pics to come.
 

Winter Getaway

Our getaways usually consist of going to visit family in Nevada, which is nice, but we wanted to get away to a new place.  We considered going to Spokane (since that is where we are considering settling after school) but I was nervous to drive north in the middle of February.  So we decided on the Phoenix area.  It was wonderful to get away and enjoy some family time and some WARMTH.  (This winter has been brutal!)  It was a lot of driving but we enjoyed ourselves.  We saw a lot of new things, made a lot of wildlife sightings, and had a lot of fun!  Are you ready for picture overload?  Ready or not, here it comes.

Day one we drove to Las Vegas, stopping in St. George for a short break. 

The next day we drove to Mesa, making a few stops.  Hoover Dam.  We were here 6 years ago, on our honeymoon :)

Some Big Horn sheep we spotted near the Dam.

We stopped by Bearizona in Williams, AZ.  It is a drive thru animal experience.  The animals can walk right up to your car.  Tom got this sweet shot of one of the bears there.

Day 3 was pretty chill.  We went to an aquarium and then an indoor amusement park.

We made a short stop at the Mesa temple.

Day 4 was spent at the Phoenix Zoo.  This place is HUGE! 

Day 5.... 12 1/2 hours of driving to get home.  Exhausting!  We saw this pretty sunset.... too bad the sign was in the way.

 This little guy turned one yesterday.  I cannot believe it!  He is such a happy little guy.  We love him so much and we are so glad he is part of our little family!  Here are some fun facts about Eli.

  *He can say Mama, Dada, Uh-oh, and he tries to repeat I love you.  He gets the syllables right 
    anyway.

*He claps when we say, "yay!" He waves.  He blows kisses.

*He walks around our coffee table.  His little head has taken quite the beating... but no walking yet.

*He LOVES to make people laugh.  He is such a ham!

*He is a huge flirt!

*He gives really good hugs and very energetic kisses.

*He ADORES his big sister!  He thinks she's the greatest person ever! 

Nothing new

 

We haven't been up to much lately.  Just kinda chillin' at home.  My friend I babysit for was on maternity leave... so I had a break from work.  I thought I would get so much done around the house.  HA!  Funny me :)  Spending time with these 2 is worth a mess, unorganized house.  They are growing way too fast and I don't want to miss a second!  They are pretty great kids... even on ornery days.  They help me smile on days when I want to cry.  They make me cry with happiness (and frustration sometimes).  They melt my heart many times during the day.  Aren't they cute?!

Do you ever look at your kids at think, "Wow... they deserve so much better than I am."?  I have been feeling that way a lot lately.  I have been feeling fairly overwhelmed, and feeling, frankly, like I am failing at many things.  My situation hasn't really changed, so why am I feeling this way more often?

I think a major reason is that I am stubborn.  I think that I can do everything on my own, no help.  This is clearly not the case. I have been blessed with a wonderful, hard-working husband.  But he is often gone from home, at work and school.  The kids and I are lucky to see him more than an hour a day during the school year.  So, there are times when I feel very alone. I have come to realize that I need to rely more upon my Savior for His help in raising these amazing Spirits.  I cannot do it alone.  I know that He can and will help me.  I only need to ask, to listen, to obey. I pray that I will be the mother my kids deserve.  That they will remember a fun mom... not one constantly stressed, or short tempered. 

I debated for quite awhile about whether or not to write this post.  But it has been on my mind lots lately.  So please forgive me.  I've heard it helps to write goals down....so here is one of mine.