Happy Birthday Trance!

Today is my nephew's birthday. I can't believe he is already 11! He was the first of our nephews or nieces, and since we didn't have any kids of our own when he was born, I would spend as much time with him as possible. I got the opportunity to have him over once a week for a few years while his parents were both at work. I had had some horrible experiences with kids when I used to babysit as a teen, but my time with Trance really helped me realize how wonderful kids could be. I have loved to watch his personality develop as he has grown. He is a very smart kid, and has a great sense of humor. He is also so sweet with his cousins, despite his being so much older than them. I hope you have a very Happy Birthday Trance!! We love you!

Rocky Point

That's the view I was fortunate enough to wake up to last weekend. I just got back yesterday from 5 days in Rocky Point. I had so much fun with my friend Kelly, her sisters Kristen and Kara, their parents, and Kara's friend Shannon. We rented a condo at Las Palomas resort, right on the ocean, and spent our trip relaxing by the pool, at the beach, or floating on the lazy river (apparently on inner tubes that we had innocently stolen). We played cards and watched movies every night, and I got to sleep in later than I have in YEARS. It was great! Check out the pool. They had about 3 different pools, plus the lazy river, and a water slide. 5 days without laundry, cooking, dirty diapers, schedules, or stress. I think this should be an annual thing!

Meanwhile at home, Dave did a great job holding down the fort without me. I would get an occasional email from him that included pictures of the kids swimming or eating donuts or something. When I got home, the house was picked up and our bed was made. He even fed the kids and gave them baths last night. He's such a great guy! I'm a lucky girl! I'll have to get some of the pictures he took while I was gone to upload.

Father's Day!!

I am so grateful for these guys:



I am so thankful for the wonderful relationship that I have with my dad. I love and respect him so much and truly cherish the friendship we've developed. He has been there for my family and helped me through some really difficult times. He was at the hospital almost every single day when Collin had his heart surgery and recovery. My dad had so much going on with his work during those couple of weeks, but he put much of it aside to be with us. His faith and strength (and the priesthood blessings he gave Collin and I) really helped us get through the ordeal. I really admire his honesty and the love he has for his grandkids.








I am thankful for my father-in-law Ralph too. I love to hear Dave talk about his Dad. It is obvious that he has so much respect for him, and I know that played a big part in the good decisions Dave made growing up and the person Dave is today. When Dave and I first got married, we lived at Ralph's house for a few years while Dave got established in his career. I will always be grateful to him for that. He was always so aware of our need for independence despite living under his roof. He is also an amazing grandpa to Brynn and Collin. He knows how to deal with their little quirks and can find humor in the little things they do. They both love him so much, because they know that he loves them for who they are.




Of course, I am also grateful for Dave. He is an amazing dad to our kids. He is very involved in their lives and loves to spend time with them. He is always planning fun little things to do with them. He even shares the nighttime responsibilities, since our kids don't always sleep through the night. They love him so much, and it makes me so happy that he does what he can to have a close relationship with them.

I hope Dave and our dads have a very Happy Father's Day!!

Happy Birthday, Dave!!

Today is Dave's birthday, and I wanted to take the opportunity to let him know how much I love and appreciate him (you know, just in case he reads this). He is an amazing person, who can make me laugh more than any other person I've met. His intelligence and creativity in business continue to impress me, even though he doesn't even realize just how gifted he really is. He is always honest and he is a great example of so many qualities I am still working on in myself. I feel so blessed to have him as my husband. I hope you have a very Happy Birthday Dave!!

Let's Swim!

Today we finally all went swimming as a family. Collin hasn't really been swimming much, so it was fun to see his reaction to the water. He was completely fascinated. As you can see in these pictures, we couldn't get his attention away from the water. He was a little hesitant when Dave got him off the step and into the rest of the pool, but once he had the death-grip on Dave's neck, he felt a little more secure. Brynn was excited to show off her new swimming skills. After one month of lessons, she can swim as far as one breath can take her. She loves the pool. She would probably spend the entire day out there if I let her. Its fun to see her confidence grow by learning a new skill.

Random Kindnesses and "Mother Mercies"

I was recently reading on a friend's blog about "Mother Mercies". You know, those little moments that we as moms are given that help make our lives and roles so worth it. Since then, I have been trying harder to seek out the positive in all aspects of my life and not dwell so much on the negatives. Well, I have to admit, I hadn't been doing so well with that lately. I had been letting life's little stresses and challenges get to me. After a tough plane ride home yesterday with two tired and cranky kids, our carseat getting lost from the flight, our dog being sick, some business-related problems, etc, I was at the end of my patience and positive attitude yesterday. When I woke up this morning to face the piles of laundry that needed to get done from our trip and the fact that there was pretty much no food in the house, I was already feeling grouchy and overwhelmed. I headed out to the grocery store and dropped Brynn off in the kid care area (yeah, a blessing right there). Then I began my race to get all I needed before the imminent crying that I was sure to face with Collin. This time was different though. My sweet little man was SO good today. In fact, he fell asleep in the cart as I was shopping. As I would pass people in the store, most of them would comment about how cute he was or how seeing him asleep like that made them miss their kids as babies. This was one of those "mother mercies" that brightened my day as a mom. Then, I paid for the groceries and went to get Brynn from the kid care area. The woman there said how sweet my daughter was being and that she wanted to keep her. Another little "mother mercy" (such a nice contrast to the embarrassing plane ride the previous day when I don't think anyone on the plane would have made me that offer.) As I was quickly loading the kids in the car, a woman parked next to my car. She walked over to me and offered to help me put my groceries into my car. I told her I would be fine, but she sweetly and quietly started unloading my cart and putting my groceries into my car. I thanked her, and she said she understood it must be a challenge to go shopping with two little ones. After we unloaded all the groceries, she even took my cart back to the designated spot in the parking lot for carts so I wouldn't have to leave the kids alone in the car. That lady literally changed the whole tone of my day. I went from being irritated and stressed out to feeling more optimistic about everything. It was a good reminder of how important it is to get beyond my own concerns and see the needs that others around me might have. There are so many opportunities to help someone else if I would just quit getting so consumed with my own little problems and worries. That lady really helped remind me that Heavenly Father is aware of each of us and our challenges (big or small), and though He may not take away the obstacles we face, He often sends reminders of His love for us and helps us get through those challenges.

What a week!

This past week, the four of us headed to Utah to visit Dave's dad Ralph and Ralph's wife Ida. We had the best time! Ralph and Ida are the sweetest hosts and are so much fun to be with. The kids thought it was Christmas with all the toys Ida got for them to play with. We were also spoiled with Ralph's cooking. Danish pancakes with powdered sugar and strawberries for breakfast, steak and spaghetti for dinner, and a huge feast for the dinner they hosted on Sunday. I always feel bad for Dave, because both of his parents are fabulous cooks and then he ends up marrying someone who can burn a pot of boiling water. I think Brynn's got the cooking gene however. She loves to help out her Grandpa Ralph in the kitchen, and she is one of very few people that he doesn't mind having in his space while he's cooking. And Ralph lets her lick the bowl and taste all the sweets he's making.
While we were there, we also went to this place that had a skating rink, a jungle play area (kind of like a McDonald's play area but 4 times the size), a bouncy area, and an arcade. The kids (ok, and Dave and I too) had so much fun burning some serious energy there. Shortly after we got there, the school group that was there left, and we had the place almost to ourselves. We rented a couple scooters, Dave got some roller blades, and we went around the skating rink. Reminded me of elementary/junior high again.

The kids also had fun playing in the arcade. It was funny to see Brynn with that same look of intense concentration that Dave gets.Collin wanted to play the games too. He was trying to play a hunting game with a plastic gun that was bigger than him.

The next day, we all went to the Hogle Zoo. Here is most of the gang on the zoo train (Ida's daughter and grandson were also able to go with us to the zoo).

Collin looking like a little tourist:

Brynn and her Grandpa Ralph checking out the animals:

We also got to see Dave's grandma while we were there. She is such a sweet lady, and it was nice for Collin to finally meet her.The kids had fun chasing bubbles in her front yard. In fact, we are already missing the nice weather we got to enjoy on our trip. Playing outside, going to the park, and going for walks will not be happening for us here for awhile. One afternoon, I took Brynn out in Ralph and Ida's front yard to play. She was loving it so much she began singing and dancing around on the grass. I got these pictures of her.

Brynn taking her dog for a walk in the stroller

Ralph with the kids loaded up in the wagon for another trip to the park

Meeting a dog at the park. (Collin LOVES dogs, as you can tell).

Ralph and Ida--thanks for letting us visit. We had so much fun seeing you guys! We appreciate all you did and how sweet you are with the kids. We already miss you both! Thanks again, and see you soon!

Happy Birthday MaJesta!

Today is my cute niece's 6th birthday! She is such a sweet girl with tons of personality! She is the most outgoing and social little girl I've ever met, and always makes everyone smile. We love her so much and hope she has a Happy Birthday!