Eggs Grow on Trees???

We decided to take a whack at making an Easter egg tree instead of folding laundry this morning. It was a fun activity for the kids. Brooke really got into it. Ben was helping for a while, but then he had more fun hording all the eggs and making us pay a toll every time we wanted another one.

Ta-Da! This is Brooke's Easter egg tree. Nice work kiddo!

My Little Man!

Check out my little man. He was all spiffed up for church and I just couldn't help snapping a picture of this. I love little boy's church clothes... they are just adorable. (He felt cute that day too... you could tell by the way he would pose and smile at everyone). This little guy has been my snuggliest baby and although he is a daddy's boy... he loves to just sit and snuggle with mommy. Sometimes that's all I need on a tough day!

Famliy Gettin' Together

My older brother is being deployed to Afghanistan for a year. So my family had an impromptu family get together to say goodbye. We had a great time. Almost all of my siblings were there... and that is getting more and more rare. My six brothers can be a little... well, 'crazy' is the word that comes to mind. I was so busy laughing at them that unfortunately, I didn't take a lot of pictures. They were playing games like "sting pong," "Chip and bleed," and "painful sixes." As you can tell by the name of the game... they almost all have to do with injuring someone. So while the guys were doing "manly" things the girls went shopping, the cousins got to play, and there was a lot of just hanging around and chatting. Thank you to our sister-in-law Melanie for hosting the WHOLE CIRCUS at her house.Everyone loved the new puppies at Aunt Melanie's house. This bin of fun was the hub for all the little ones... they were usually to be found next to the puppies. Brooke and Madi just couldn't get enough of them.
My oldest brother Mike and his daughter Emily.

Uncle John taking advantage of the back rubs offered by Ben and his cousin Jeffy. I love how these two cousins are such good friends now. (During church they were laughing and giving each other bear hugs).

And the hit of the party was of course 1st Lieutenant Uncle Shon and Aunt Roxanne. We are sure going to miss you Shon! Roxanne you are one amazing lady!!! Hooray for our soldiers and double hooray for their supportive wives surviving at home! We love you guys!!!!

Spring Cleanup

Spring is so close I can smell it! I have held back on my yard spring cleaning because I knew after one day in my garden I would get spring fever. (And you thought this post was going to be about spring cleaning the house. HA! Not likely!) Anyway, I couldn't help it today. It was so beautiful outside and we were playing in the front yard anyway, so I just had to do a little gardening. Now it has HIT me... I can't wait to get my gardens going!!!! I have been planning layouts on and off for the last two months but now I am getting really excited. I have been reading about the "square foot garden" and it sounds too good to be true. I am still pretty skeptical of the raised garden thing. But I guess I'll give it a try this year. The only thing I have a hard time with is... I really like the creativity that comes with landscaping and sculpting the gardens. Who wants boring old square ones? But they say you can produce way more with a lot less space. Any advice? Have you tried the garden boxes or raised gardens?

I know there is more snow coming our way, so I'm not going to plant yet anyway. It has pretty much been every other day: sunny and nice then 2-3 inches of snow, sunny and nice, more snow....
So I have a lot more tine to "prepare," but I would love to hear how any of you have done your gardens. Happy spring!

Girls day out!

My mom and sister paid me impromptu visit this last weekend. It was so AWESOME!!! (Sometimes "me time" is few and far between around here). Mom and Amy said they were coming to give me some girl time. So when they showed up we had a ball... Brett watched all the kids while we went shopping and out to lunch. (The word 'shopping' is used very loosely seeing as how we really only have about three store, but what the heck!) It was fun just to walk SLOWLY and BROWSE... you know, with out having to chase kids out from under the clothes racks or to speed shop because one of the kids are wailing at the top of their lungs. And even though it was only a couple hours, when I came home I was refreshed and so excited to be the mommy again. What a difference just a half an hour, for only YOU, can make in your day. Whether it be a run in the early morning, a little quiet time to study the scriptures, or even just one of those really long luxurious showers. So thanks again girls! And may the rest of you enjoy a little "you time" today!

A nice spring day... and then it snowed!

Yesterday was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine so the kids and I went for a hike in the hills behind our neighborhood. Isn't that cool that a block away we have THIS!

Ben found a stick to be his gun for "shooting lions" but he was just as delighted to find that it also helped him "climb the mountain."

Madi and Brooke loved the freedom of running far ahead and deciding what trail to follow. I just loved this picture. My two little adventurers.

We really had a fun little hike. The snow had finally all melted and it was beginning to feel like spring. But.... This morning we woke up to snow blanketing everything, even the tree branches. I do love snow, but it really smelled like spring yesterday and I have really been getting itchy to garden. Here we just have to get used to the freak storms that keep coming back until summer. (Apparently its not unusual to get snow in June here).
Oh well, we will enjoy what sunshine we get!

No sick days for moms!

Being a mom has got to be the most rewarding job in the entire universe! I am saying that in all seriousness... I totally love my job! In what other job do your co-workers love you no matter what you've done? In what other job are you the most popular person around? (That can be good and bad... the word popular is used very loosely here. I thought about this "perk" long and hard one day as I was trying to find a hiding place to have a quiet phone call and ended up locking myself in the bathroom with children pounding on the door just to be in my presence).The benefits are "heavenly." However, with all the perks and rewards of this totally coveted and amazing job, there is one slight drawback... no sick days. That's right applicants. Not one. From the moment you "sign on the dotted line" you are on call 365 days a year.

So this last week I was really really REALLY wishing for a sick day... a lot of them. My husband showered me with sympathy and then kissed my poor little sick head and left for work. (Bless his heart, he even took our oldest to school so that I didn't have to worry about the carpool). So blah blah blah... very sick and all that jazz.

A few of the highlights from this week:

1. My oldest was a wonderful little nurse!
2. After 6 brothers (with really nasty brotherly habits) I still can't... ew, I hate to say it... hawk a loogie or cough up that nasty stuff.
3. Sympathy from (I'll generalize it to protect his innocence) my family and then, "So when will dinner be ready?"
4.To see how concerned my kids are for me when I'm not my usual self.
5.Its amazing to know how much we women really can endure and still do our "jobs."
6. The comment that my hubby and kids have made the minute I am starting to feel a little better: "Wow, look at that mountain of laundry!"

So to all you ladies out there who have joined the ranks of motherhood and have marched on through sickness and health... cheers! And may the fun continue. (PS... I thought about taking a picture of the laundry just to show you all, but I couldn't fit all of Mt. Stink-a-lot in the picture).