loved it

I've gotten out of the blogging habit and I'm having a hard time getting back into it, I will though, don't you worry.  Even though I haven't been posting on my own blog, I defiantly haven't abandon my personal favorites, I still read them daily.  One of my favorites had a great post yesterday.  Very thought provoking and I couldn't agree with her more.  It is a little lengthy but stick with it- it's a goody!

My comment to Sarah (and I rarely comment on a blog unless I personally know them)
HeidiAnn said...

I couldn't agree with you more, AMEN! I have a 13 year old daughter and I sometimes feel I am the only mother fighting this battle. It is so nice to read something to bolster me up and make me know that I am doing the right thing when the world around me seems to be mocking my every choice as a mother.

and because I don't want to do a post without a picture (too boring)- here is Chloe

green

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

I always loved this day as a girl, maybe because I like the color green.  Even though I loved it as a child, I did nothing special to celebrate the day for my kids :(.  Austin did have green milk in his strawberry cereal.

Hope your day was enjoyable and maybe a little more exciting than ours and I hope your dinner does not include corned beef and cabbage.  I used to want to throw up when the school cafeteria would make this meal, the stink is unbearable.

nic's birthday part 678

I just found this old entry that I never posted in all the commotion in February.  I want Nicholas to know that I WILL NOT be discussing his birthday for exactly 11 more months from today, on 2/2/2012 we can talk about your 11th birthday and what you want for a present.  Love, Mom

I had to post the last of Nic's "real" birthday photos.  Nic is ten and we have celebrated that thoroughly, although he begged me to invite some friends over for a party tonight, when we got to the real reason he wanted to have the party - PRESENTS, we had to have a little lesson on greed.

Nic so generously shared his birthday night with the missionaries who had requested that we take them out for breakfast food.  When we got to IHOP, Nic looked at me and said, "I thought we were going to Texas Roadhouse?". I too wished we were at Texas Roadhouse.  But what the heck...more bacon. 

Nic loves bacon but he also loves donuts with chocolate so I made him this huge donut cake with bacon inside (just kidding, no bacon!  hee hee hee)

where was I?

I just posted my Valentine's Day pictures on March 1st and a friend sent me a e-mail the other day and said, "where are you?".  Yes, I am severely behind! But I have good reason.  Just before Valentine's we received a call the Travis' Grandpa was in the hospital and that he would probably not make it. We had Valentine's Day.  We ho-hummed around deciding if Travis should fly there to say his final good-byes, he booked a ticket on Wednesday and he passed away that night.  I continued trying to get ready for a week long vacation or possibly a drive to Idaho to go to the funeral. We had a family vacation planned to Disneyland and Southern California that we were supposed to leave to on Friday.  We waited to see the funeral arrangements. We left on Friday to our vacation.  Travis and I left CA on Sunday morning flew to SLC, drove to IF attended the viewing on Sunday and funeral on Monday, drove back to SLC and flew back to CA on Tuesday morning. Disneyland on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday and drive back to AZ on Friday.  My parents came from CA to visit us on Saturday and left this morning. 

Back to life.  I will be catching up because I have a lot of pictures!

love day

14 THINGS I LOVE

1. mint chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin Robbins
2. the Gospel of Jesus Christ
3. a perfectly clean house
4. climbing into a bed with clean sheets
5. sitting outside with the sunshine warming me (like about 78 degrees)
6. reading a good book that I can't put down
7. finding a pair of jeans that fit me perfectly
8. the color pink
9. going out on dates with Travis
10. my family
11. spending a week at Bear Lake every year
12. when my kids don't fight, I see them playing togther, or I hear them say something kind to their sibling
13. going for family bike rides
14. steak

Valentine's Day was a little on the hectic side.  Here is the loot the kids brought home from school.  The cute white bear is from Keona, remember she is the girl the gave Holden the duct tape rose.  She also sent this note.

We did pull off our annual "fancy dinner" to celebrate the day of love...that was about all the celebrating we could squeeze in.