Life Goes On...

Christmas in a Nutshell

2012-01-23T08:59:00.002+07:00

I love Christmas. Especially Christmas Eve.

Here's our holiday week in a nutshell.

Gingerbread house building with more eating than building.

A new tradition... so yum. I love Alice's face.

Nativity with an animal this year. A first for us.

Annual Pajama pictures...

And being a little silly...

Christmas morning anticipation...

Santa brought us a new member of our family, that Jack has named Comet. (Santa left Jack a note asking him to rename her since the elves were all calling her "Princess Flower Pants". We thought Comet was more fitting.) We are all madly in love with her. This picture pretty much encompasses what we did all day Christmas.

Not only did we add Comet, but we also found out Christmas afternoon that our baby will be another girl! We are thrilled! (Although, Jack is feeling pretty outnumbered)

First ice skating experience for the kids at our annual Rich gathering at Noah's. It was short and sweet, until Jack feel hard and hit his head. He's learned how to recover fast. Years of practice!

And we said a "see you later" to Elder Alaguretnam (top left), who's on his way to North Carolina! We couldn't be more excited for him and his family!

Hope your Christmas was merry and bright!

Some Holiday Firsts...

2011-12-22T05:23:00.004+07:00

Christmas time is nuts because everything around Christmas time is fun, right? Ok, Walmart on a Saturday in December is the exception, but when is that NOT horrible?

This year, the kids did their first Christmas Suzuki Concert with their new violin teacher. Up until this summer, I had been the sole teacher for both of them, and it's been heaven to pass off some of that responsibility to a friend/fellow violinist who we all adore. Ms. Ruth has held a Christmas program for the last 15 years, and Jack and Jane were lucky to be a part of it this year.

This really was one of Jane's first performing experiences, so we learned we need to work on her performance etiquette a bit. Thank goodness she was the youngest, and smallest, so it was a little more laughable than it will be in a few years when she may still be biting her nails and coming in 2 notes later than everybody else!

Really, the kids worked extra hard to prepare for the performances, especially Jack who played almost all the pieces the big kids played. They did GREAT, and were really excited about playing. They were especially grateful for the support of loved ones who braved downtown on a very busy weekend!

This performance was in the downtown library auditorium, a fantastic venue. Their afternoon one was at the Joseph Smith Memorial building, and since Jeff was doing the single dad thing from 2pm on, there were few pictures. Understandable, Super Dad.

Alice enjoyed her first dance recital and did great. We had to bribe her to get her costume on ("Alice, want a cookie?", and I quickly turn her into a mouse. Voila!), but she loved the dancing! We've loved our little neighborhood dance group, and it's been a GREAT introduction for the really little ones, like Alice.

In the Green Room, Alice loved the attention from the older girls. They were all dancing to selections from the Nutcracker. Fun!

I'm a street musician lover. During my long days/evenings downtown last week, I had a short break and ran to do a bit of shopping. I ran into these guys busting out their brass. Not a huge brass fan, but honestly, it goes GREAT with the season. I was so happy to see a little variety downtown. Love the bagpipers, but really... one on EACH side of temple square? Enough already!

Any favorite firsts this season? Or, favorite street musicians you've seen? I remember seeing a girl belting it out with a mandolin when I was about 13 at Pike's Market in Seattle, and I've never forgotten it. Awesome.

Halloween... seriously.

2011-12-17T02:31:00.003+07:00

Found fun pictures I didn't want to forget...

The annual Pumpkin patch trip is always a highlight for us. The mud this year added an interesting aspect.

I think every kid likes getting one "just my size".

Trip to "Little Spooks" at This is the Place. Very fun, and even with cousins and Mimi this year!

Carving those pumpkins was fun and messy. I did my usual copying of a pattern from a book I bought 7 years ago (so creative), Jack (and Jeff) gave his a nose like Voldemort, and our 3rd was done by our special guest. His FIRST pumpkin carving experience ever!

Crazy cousin time at Mimi and Papa's.

Cousins at Grandma and Grandpa's who have apparently been all "fun"ed out. Maybe we should have done pictures FIRST?

And, the kids on "the big night". No trunk-or-treats this year, so we did it the old fashioned way, and I loved it. Nice weather, walking around, seeing friends and neighbors, FUN! Alice went MUCH further than expected, and Jane got too tired of asking at every house "do they have a dog?" and ran home to pass out candy with Daddy.

The girls pretty much changed their costumes THAT day, so thank goodness for good dress ups! Jane decided she wasn't ONLY a princess (until this dress was hand-me-downed to her by a dear neighbor friend, she was going to be a witch), she had to be a short-haired Rapunzel. Frying pan and all. Jack wasn't great with his timing, but the expression would have been about right.

Alice fell in love when our neighbor opened the door in THIS. I felt like we were in Disneyland! It was a challenge to get her off the porch!

Having kids has made Halloween one of my favorite holidays ever. And next year... we'll have ONE more kid to enjoy it! Baby is coming in MAY!

Pinewood Derby

2011-11-27T03:31:00.003+07:00

As far as I can tell, the Pinewood Derby is the height of the Scouting calendar. It did NOT disappoint!

Jack and Jeff worked on his car for several evenings spanning the weeks prior, and Jack was beside himself.

This picture was after a couple of races. He wasn't all smiles as he watched his car though, which made me wonder if he realized that he was winning each heat. He told me later he knew he was winning, but didn't dare hope to actually WIN.

We think Jane was his lucky charm. She quietly went to the kid's corner and made this sign for him. She's the best sister ever.

When WE realized that Jack might actually take the cake, we realized we'd only prepared him to be a good loser, not a gracious winner. (We'd heard too many stories of disappointment and tears!). Jeff ran over to brief him, and he was fine. I guess we need to have a little more faith next time. We knew he'd spent a lot of time and effort, but you just never know! There were some REALLY fast cars!

Jack was glowing all evening, and we were so happy that all his afternoons of sanding had paid off!

Jane is 6

2011-11-27T03:16:00.004+07:00

Or, turned six in September. It's been a while, but I didn't want it to go undocumented...

Here's Jane with her poster from her Kindergarten class. She LOVED this. They obviously asked her great questions because everything they wrote down was absolutely accurate!

The morning of her birthday, I don't know what she liked more: her treasure hunt with presents in obscure places, or the actual presents!

She'd been begging for a Rapunzel cake. This was the best I could do. It was fun, but stressful to decide how to do it. I ended up copying it almost exactly off of a blog I found. Someday she'll realize I am not creative... what will I do then?

Jeff took a half day and we went to the city pool, one of Jane's favorite activities. We swam for hours. It was a fun and tiring afternoon. Jane was in heaven!

The week after her birthday, our big 6 year old performed in her first violin recital with her new teacher. Jack had a small accident with some scissors while making a birthday present for Jane that didn't allow him to participate, so she was the big star of the night. She did GREAT!

We only got these two pictures, because we videoed the actual performance. Wish we could do both at once!

School days

2011-09-02T12:33:00.003+07:00

School and I have a love/hate relationship.

I LOVE back to school shopping, the excitement of that first day. I just HATE knowing I won't have my kids with me as much as I want.

Jack, however, was all LOVE. He couldn't WAIT for 3rd grade!

This has become his typical "I'm so excited I can hardly contain it!" photo.

I LOVE the structure of the school year, yet HATE to give up my freedom of taking off somewhere whenever we want!

But, this IS a big year. Jane FINALLY gets to start school! She's been counting down the days. (I love how Alice is looking at her)

Jane is a big Kindergartener, and finally gets to play on that playground she's talked about for 2 years!

I had no idea what to expect with this unpredictable child. She gave us quick kisses and the aides let her in the door, and she was off! NOT ONE SECOND of HESITATION. I almost cried. But instead, I was overcome with gratitude and pride for my independent girl.

I still feel like taking pictures of her every day. She is such a darling little school girl. And, in the last week she's gone from preferring dresses and skirts, to refusing to wear almost anything else. Hopefully those knee-high socks will keep her warm enough in the winter!

Alice and I now have 2 hours in the afternoons. After a summer hiatus, I've started sweeping my floors again! The possibilities are endless!

Everything is better with Cousins...

2011-08-03T12:50:00.005+07:00

... and aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, and siblings.

(JUST found this post, and didn't realize I never published. I'm so on top of it!)

We've enjoyed family, family, and more family time this summer. This is why we love Utah. Family!

Jack and Ellie in a partici-play at the Ogden Treehouse museum...

Jason, Ellie, and Jeff (in that order) on our almost-hike to Donut falls...

Almost the whole crew...

Partially-dressed 2 year olds blowing bubbles...

Movie night...

I can't believe Jane and Mia actually slept here... (our under the stairs dress-up room)

A trip to the Copper Mine with Hawkin cousins and bonus friends...

Alice loving the carousel with Mimi, but NOT the actual horses.

Pioneer cousins trying to look authentic with a non-smiling picture. It was harder for some than others.

Of course, the true personalities come out...

They asked us to play a few numbers in preparation for the shoot-out show. It felt just like old times.

More silly pioneers.

Alice and Drew waiting for the big kids at the dentist...

Jane and Ellie enjoying Memory Grover together...

Alice and LuLu were hilarious in the tub. I love how Alice is looking at her.

Donut falls attempt #2. End of July = no snow (thank goodness). We made it this time!

1st annual Rich Family Fun Run starting line...

It was INTENSE. Ok, the Rich's aren't super competitive, so it was a nice, happy run for all.

Oh, the blessings of family and cousins!

Pioneer children

2011-08-01T10:28:00.006+07:00

We continued volunteering at This Is The Place this summer.

We rarely get pictures while we are in the village because we try to keep any technology tucked away. It was nice to have family visit and shoot some photos for us.

Grandma and Grandpa Ottley with us at the Charles C. Rich home. Love you, Grandma and Grandpa.

During our Rich reunion, we made the entire family dress up and come with us.

Alice eating snack outside the house.

This day, I took the children to the school house. While the others were practicing the Deseret Alphabet with chalk and tablets, Alice found this doll and played "mommy" for a while.

The amount of pictures of each of my children tells a story. Alice is always in my arms or by my side, so almost all the pictures are of her. Jane wanders around the yard and house helping with chores, watering the plants, and playing with cousins. She keeps busy! Jack is hardly ever around. He is either coming or going, always planning the next adventure to the Indian village, train park, or the General Store. There's been something for everyone this summer, and we've loved our time there once again.

Early Summer Fun

2011-08-01T06:55:00.005+07:00

Our summer has been so full, blogging got knocked completely off the priority list! But, I have taken SOME pictures, so for those of you who we don't see or text constantly, this might be news to you!

Our Alice turned Two years old in May. She's turned into our little parrot, repeating everything we say. Then saying it over, and over, and over. TWO definitely has its challenges, but it's also my favorite stage of each of my kids because everything seems new and exciting. I love it.

It's hard to believe our "made in Thailand" baby is already TWO.

Jane had her very first dance recital in June. I had no idea if she would love it or burst into tears and refuse to go on stage. If Jane was a character in the "Little Miss..." series, she would be"Little Miss Unpredictable".

Luckily, she loved it.

Jane also had another first... her first lost tooth. I don't remember losing my first tooth, so I made sure we recorded it in her journal because it was a good story. (She lost her 2nd tooth exactly one week later, almost swallowing it along with a grilled cheese sandwich!)

We went on a short hike with the Hillmans during our reunion, which was made even shorter because there was still SNOW in mid-June. Seriously.

Jack has been loving scouts. This year, his troop did Aeoronopolis. It's basically where you build an "airplane" and race around the gym. He was taking it very seriously, except when it came to the pit-stop where you have to snarf a saltine cracker and water. He doesn't like to eat quickly. Other kids were running off with their mouths stuffed full, and he was standing there chewing each little bite. His book might just be titled "Mr. I'm in no hurry".

We had a fantastic 4th of July this year. A spontaneous getaway, small town festivities, and great friends/neighbors for fireworks and s'mores. Alice even enjoyed the loud fireworks once our neighbor busted out her ear protection. This may just be my favorite 4th of July photo ever.

My girls have done a LOT of chalk art this summer. The usual masterpiece always includes at least one Rapunzel. This one had the genuine hair length.

Alice loved her first golfing experience during our Rich reunion. She was much better at looking cute than actually golfing.

Jeff and I ran on a RAGNAR team sponsored by his company. Except for losing one runner during his first leg, it was a perfect weekend. We ran, we ate, we got a little bit of sleep, and had a great time with a really fun team. One thing we didn't do... take pictures. Pathetically, this was our best photo.

Jack wanted money for scout camp so he could buy things that break. My words, not his. He and Jane sold snow cones for 2 afternoons and he earned as much as he needed. It was one of his first entrepreneurial ventures, and I was amazed at what he learned from day one to day two. They had a great time.

Jane finished up her online preschool last month. We LOVED it and would recommend it to everyone. Although, in some ways, I wish I would just have kept my mouth shut because the waiting list now holds over 400. Darnit. These are the characters, Rusty and Rosy, that took her through her lessons. She was so thrilled to graduate! On to Kindergarten!

A good day

2011-05-27T05:38:00.005+07:00

Jack is now EIGHT. On April 30th, 2011 he was baptized. 23 years to the DAY that I was baptized myself.

(Alice just had to sneak into this one)

It was a good day shared by family and dear friends.

Things Jack does now that he's SO grown up...

Goes to scouts each week. He even rides his bike to his den meetings (with me watching him from the porch!) He could hardly wait for this rite of passage. And he's counting down the days until his day camp in July. What could be more fun?

He used birthday money to buy a pocket knife. He's been waiting for this day since he was five. Scary? Yes.

He has his own scriptures and scripture case that he loves.

He's having "the guys" over for a movie/play/end of school party that will most likely go later than 8pm. Hoping we don't regret that one!

He mowed a big portion of our front lawn this week and only missed a few spots!

And, he helped Jeff move a sprinkler head on Saturday. You wouldn't believe how excited he gets when Jeff asks him to help!

He's a big 8 year old, and we're loving every minute of it!

Here's a peek at his Harry Potter birthday cake, which I'm pretty sure is my favorite cake so far. They were pretending to be scared of The Monster Book of Monsters. Except Jane, nothing phases her (when she's not hot, cold, tired, hungry, or has lost something. Love that girl). How could you be scared of something that tastes so good anyway? Notice the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and the Golden Galleons. I was trying really hard to be creative. Thank you creative moms that post ideas online... it was FUN.

Spring Break

2011-04-14T10:27:00.006+07:00

Spring break took us to California in celebration of Jack's birthday! Can you believe I have a child who is almost EIGHT?

We've wanted to do Sea World for some time now, and we were not disappointed. May I indulge and relive a few favorite moments? Maybe a few more than a few.

There is so much fascination under the water. Jane watched these Beluga whales for as long as we had time. Then, we went back three more times.

It was awesome having a one year old who will sit and enjoy shows. In fact, she probably said the word "show" (show, show, show, show) thousands of times.

Alice totally knows how cute she is. We found this little nightgown shortly before we left and were not surprised to discover that Alice adores it as much as Jane did!

Our hotel was ON the beach, so we rolled out of bed and enjoyed! Pretty sure Jack was pretending to be Calvin nailing Suzie with mud balls.

We'd heard mixed things about LEGOLAND, but mostly that it was awesome. I can hardly resist doing new things, especially since I knew our birthday boy would be in heaven! He was.

Parents wait in line, kids play... (at least for some of the rides, but we'll take it!)

The Lego city was fantastic! We even found our Vegas hotel! I went back at the end of the day with just Alice and she stared at "New York" for at least 30 minutes. Completely amazing.

The DUPLO area won Alice over as well. In a park with rides, shows, and all kinds of things, it was a SLIDE that was hard to get her away from. Just goes to show... kids don't need fancy things to have fun. Don't need it, but it sure is fun!

Jane and I spent an afternoon at Sea World, just the two of us, and had a great time doing whatever SHE wanted to do. Such a fun time together. On the walk home, it started to pour! By the time we arrived at the hotel, there was the most gorgeous double rainbow. If I didn't already love San Diego, I did after that afternoon. What a beautiful part of our country.

We love humid climates, and this one did a number on Alice's hair. Her hair was curlier than ever!

One of our favorite days was spent in Old Town San Diego. We started out at the Mormon Battalion Museum, and were SO impressed. I won't ruin it for you, but if you're in the area, it is not to be missed! Jack was sporting some of the Battalion's gear, and feeling pretty cool.

We panned for gold, and actually found some!

Then, we headed to the center of Old Town and had an awesome experience visiting the first San Diego courthouse, a darling candy shop, and eating delicious Mexican food. The musicians had just left our table. You can almost make out that GREEN fiddle.

The weather reports predicted thunder storms. Look at those blue skies!

We spent a morning at the San Diego Children's Museum. It was a completely different museum than we've experienced before. Besides these fun little carts, it was mostly art-related exhibits. It was fun to see a different approach, and the kids had a great time.

Why not make a big sculpture, put paint in buckets and hand out gigantic paint brushes?

Alice was so happy.

Bubbles with pipe cleaners. Simple and brilliant.

They had a lesson on perspective, then made cardboard creations, and ended with taking pictures of each child and their creation with "perspective". We couldn't get the right angle when they did Jack's, but essentially it looked like he was hanging onto the bottom of his airplane. We thought maybe they knew we were coming and created this table just for Jack.

We loved our hotel, especially the pools and landscaping. Gorgeous. Alice even warmed up to the pool after a bit. I'm anxious to get her in the pool more often this summer.

This girl only took two naps out of the eight days we were gone. Before this, she's only missed a nap once. I couldn't believe how well she adapted! Since then, she's been sleeping in until after 9am, AND taking naps. Making up for lost time!

The best part of the trip? Watching our kids have fun, fun, fun. They love each other, and play so well. It was fun to be able to sit back and enjoy it with very few distractions for a full week.

They are so silly.

And sweet.

And if we hadn't already seen enough fish to last us a lifetime, THIS was in our Vegas hotel on the way home. The kids were still intrigued, especially when the Mermaid came out. Kind of weird, but it's Vegas, so what do you expect?

Now for adjusting to real life once again...

Peter and the Wolf

2011-03-14T09:33:00.005+07:00

As a mother, I find myself assuming my kids will love what I love. I can't imagine why someone wouldn't absolutely LOVE watching musicals, playing basketball, or listening to the Beatles. Sometimes I know exactly what I'm doing, other times, I don't realize it until Jeff give me the "are you sure they like it?" look .

I hate to think I'm only exposing my kids to what I love, so I like to give them fair information, and let them decide. Except that one time when Jack started saying he wanted to learn how to play a brass instrument. I told him they weren't very fun, and just too loud. Not a huge fan.

The reality of it is that kids are mostly a product of their environment. So, we expose them to things that we think will be good for them. Obviously, music has been a big part of Jeff and I's relationship from the beginning. We met in an orchestra, became friends in a bluegrass band, toured to Europe in said band, and have since played several gigs, and supported each other in various musical interests. Most of our favorite date memories come from going to the Symphony. We catalog our date details by what concerto or symphony was played that evening. If you haven't thought we're nerds by now, then you probably are one yourself. We know we are, and we're fine with it.

So, as we sat in Abravanel Hall with Jack and Jane yesterday for one of the "lollipop" concerts, my heart was overflowing. I loved being able to sit in that concert hall with not just Jeff, but with my own kids. I have so many memories there, starting when I was not much older than Jack, performing with hundreds of Suzuki students. We had high hopes that their attitudes of that morning...

Me: Jack, are you excited about the Symphony today?

Jack: Not really.

Me: Jane, are you excited about the Symphony today?

Jane: Is there going to be any singing?

Me: Nope, just the Symphony. There will be violins, cellos, basses, drums, flutes...

Jane: No singing? BOR-ING!

... we were hoping this concert would change their ideas of the Symphony.

Jane was a bit fidgety as they began, wanting to get just the right view. Luckily, in concerts intended for kids, this is okay. Lucky for us, because Jane always has commentary and only has one volume. She and Jack got through the first two short pieces (Jack more interested than Jane) by anticipating the reason we came: Peter and the Wolf.

As it started, Jack was completely captivated by the story unfolding before him. And Jane couldn't take her eyes off the dancers. (She started a ballet/jazz class last month that she can't seem to get enough of. She now prances down our hallway.)

I was so tickled to watch them enjoy the performance wholeheartedly. It was short and sweet, and the narrator, symphony, and characters from Ballet West were just right.

As we walked out into the hallway after the show, Jack asked, "do they have shows for kids like this all the time?".

I promised him we'd be back. This time because he wants to.

Jane doing her duck sound, and Jack letting out his pent-up sillies...

Another great memory created.

Lots of Locks

2011-01-18T10:24:00.005+07:00

Said the mother, tired of split ends,
To her daughter with hair full of bends,

Our long hair we will doff,

Yes, we'll cut it all off,

And give it to our bald-headed friends.

Poem by Jeff.

Answer: A year

2011-01-08T00:40:00.008+07:00

I really wanted to get everything we could out of this holiday break. My success in doing so has been confirmed by us having a VERY rough week getting back to real life. It's fun to lose the routine, stay up late, sleep in, visit family, get projects done, eat loads, and have entire days of being out of the house, right? RIGHT?

We've reminisced a lot this week about the holidays, like it was ages ago. Thank goodness we caught a few of our favorite moments with the camera. Ironically enough, my very favorite moments all had to do with music, and you just can't quite do them justice with pictures!

Here's one...

I took the kids to the nursing home my Grandma lived in for the last several years of her life. I love my Grandma and will forever think of her at Christmas time. We met many nice residents there and the kids (especially Jane) loved playing their violins and singing for them while they lounged, got pedicures, and ate their lunch.

And another...

Singing Christmas carols on Christmas Eve with our Christmas crowd. Love that. My brother was smart and married a pianist, something our family has definitely lacked! But that's not the only reason we love Aunt Danielle.

And of course... I'm still glowing from this whole experience.

How about my kids and their cousins (and myself, my sisters, brothers, and mother) dancing their little hearts out to my sister's new Wii game. I haven't danced and laughed like that in a while! I love (hate at first, but in the end love) things that break through our cushy bubbles of comfort.

Jack's favorites most likely revolved around two things... cousins and toys. Pretty typical kid. His grandparents and Santa sure know his style. They spoiled him with a science kit and legos that he's hardly put away. He and Jeff built all kinds of things with his Circuit board kit and even were able to transmit their own voices through the AM radio stations with it. Very cool for a budding engineer!

Jane loved her new dress-ups and her adorable doll, Rainbow. She names all her dolls to sound like Care Bears (which she has never even heard of) or My Little Ponies (which she has almost every one of). My vote was for Molly, or Suzie, but no. Rainbow, it is!

Another favorite of Jane's... Sledding.

Of course, sledding it always more fun with cousins who join you in (and encourage) doing crazy things on your way down each time. These two were nuts.

Alice's favorite moments... using her new doll crib for herself. Doesn't she look cozy? Thank goodness she barely breaks 20 lbs!

Eating all the goodies we received from neighbors, or just made ourselves. I couldn't/didn't resist either.

Lounging with Papa at our 2nd annual Rich Family holiday gathering on New Year's Day at Noah's. If you ever go there, ask for Jesse. He's the best. Of course, I might be a bit biased since I grew up being mom #4 to the poor kid. That's what you get when you have 3 older sisters! We ate all the holiday leftovers, and played raquetball, pool, arcade games, wii games, rock band something or other (I was an awesome drummer)...

...and discovered that Vanessa is by far the better ping pong player out of the sisters. Who would have guessed? Look at that form!

Jeff's favorite holiday moment... our date night on New Year's Eve with Joanna and Laren. As close as I am to my sisters, I'm amazed that we've never gone out together like that before! We had dinner, went bowling (where we ended up trying to beat our speed record rather than knocking pins down), and then welcomed in the new year at Comedy Sportz in Provo. I expected to have fun, but I honestly haven't laughed like that in years.

Other fun pictures... Christmas eve in front of the tree. Seriously... my kids are so fun.

Tired, but too excited to admit it on Christmas morning. Oh, that was fun!

And everyone, minus my mom and myself, on the stairs waiting to go see if Santa came! It was so fun to share our home with my parents and Jesse and Danielle this year. It reminds me of why living in Utah is great... family.

So, after a rough week of dragging ourselves out of bed, trying to practice again, catching up on housework, church calling stuff, homework, projects that have been on hold, putting decorations away, and the worst, sending Jeff back to work, there have been times where I've wondered if it's worth it! In the end though, I think we'd all agree... I'm just dramatic. Of course it's worth it!

The other day:

Jane: I know how many more days until Christmas!

Me: Great. (Thinking we're going to have to start the countdown already!) How many?

Jane: A year.

It's almost here!

2010-12-20T04:23:00.008+07:00

Along with the rest of the world, we're counting down the days to Christmas. Which, in reality, isn't the fun all in the anticipation?

Forgive me for reliving a few of our favorite anticipatory activities.

Day after Thanksgiving... out came the Christmas tree, on came the music (I think Jeff will scream if he has to hear Christmas music even one day past the actual day), and we ventured to one of our favorite places to start the season off right.

Have I shared how much we love This is the Place National Park? I'm kidding. I know I've talked about it (and talked and talked), but in the last 6-7 months, we've made a LOT of memories there. We added another evening of memories when we went to enjoy Candlelight Christmas the night after Thanksgiving. It was the first time we'd been, and I dare say (which I don't do lightly, because I have a problem with committing) it's a new tradition. We all loved it.

Jack signed the "nice" list. Mostly true. Jeff was lured into signing the "naughty" list though, since the candy was better for the "naughty". Go figure.

We spent the evening wandering from house to house hearing stories, making crafts, and dancing around the Christmas tree, to live music, I might add. We enjoyed a live puppet show...

...drank hot chocolate

...and couldn't get enough of their amazing carolers. They wandered around the village, so we were lucky to hear them a few different times. The kids were a little more interested in their craft at this moment, but I could have listened to them all night long. And I loved the costuming.

We drove home to the kids singing "Up on the Housetop". Or at least the words that we actually know of it. It was such a nice, low-key evening, that reminded us of the simplicity of Christmas. Everyone was happy.

Or, should I say... we were all happy, until we discovered that our picture with Father Christmas was BLURRY! Very disappointing. Although, we felt everything else was so perfect, we could let this one go.

My favorite part about Christmas shopping... Amazon. Love it. Anyone else giving their UPS man a present this year? I've seen him more this month than some of my neighbors!

We've enjoyed two different evenings on Temple Square this year. One evening was to listen to my niece's choir sing. It was a lovely evening, only to be enhanced by Mimi and Papa taking our kids home to bed, and Jeff and I enjoying an evening at the Symphony. Oh, I love a good date with the hubby.

Alice... during our most recent light-seeing evening/one hour I got to see Jeff that day. She finally let me put mittens on her. Well, one.

I just finished playing in my favorite Christmas concert series yet. Oh, what a joy it is to play my violin with such accomplished musicians! I feel a bit unworthy to be surrounded by such high-caliber people, but at the same time so grateful for the opportunity. Jeff's been a rock this week in letting me run off to rehearsals and concerts.

He stayed up one night to help Jack finish off his poster project... (Jack was dressed up for "famous person day")

... he took the kids to Jack's school Christmas concert... (they're beating along to a very lively version of Feliz Navidad.)

...the ward party last night (please note Jack's version of a shepherd's crook)...

... and all month he's been a single parent for most of the church block. Talk about amazing.

Then, Jeff lets me come home and tell him every detail about how fun it's all been. Wish I could say MUCH more.

These are two of my favorite girls in the orchestra. Talk about high caliber people... these girls are leading the pack.

It was a busy, exhausting, fun, and spiritually fulfilling week of Christmas spirit. Now, I get to actually be HOME and enjoy downtime with those I love more than anything.

We hope you enjoy these fun last few days of anticipation! Merry Christmas!

10 years

2010-11-22T11:08:00.003+07:00

As much as I don’t love to admit it, Jeff is right a lot of the time. He has a good, common sense, realistic perspective that usually makes more sense than whatever direction my emotions are tugging me at the moment. Or the next moment, which is usually an entirely different direction all together. When the idea of going away for our anniversary came up, we were both on board from the beginning. We realized that this could be our “perfect storm” to get away. Close to all the family, not pregnant, not nursing, vacation days to spare, and everyone is well adjusted and sleeping through the night. Then, I started having cold feet about leaving the children. Jeff said it would be worth it. He promised me the kids would be fine, and we would have the time of our lives. Of course, he was right.

Reasons why I’m glad Jeff was right:

1. We had an entire week of uninterrupted conversations, and even enough time together that we could simply enjoy shared silence. Who knew that could be such a treasure?

2. We both love big cities. We love places we can go and NOT drive. We love to walk and make use of whatever public transportation cities have to offer. We’ve ridden trains, buses, trolleys, and monorails in cities all over the world, and we love seeing how each city has a unique take on moving its people.

3. I mentioned walking. We walked and walked and walked. Miles and miles, hand in hand (not four hands in between us), over bad sidewalks at times even, but we didn’t notice because we had NO stroller. We love walking and exploring.

One of our discoveries while walking.

4. We visited the local market at least once each day, bought raspberries, watched them throw fish, ate delicious deli sandwiches, and enjoyed street musicians. I love street musicians. Good or bad, you gotta hand it to ‘em. That takes guts.

6. We wandered into thrift and antique stores and browsed all we wanted. We even found some amazing polyester ties to add to Jeff’s collection. We couldn’t believe our luck!

7. We visited museums and stayed as long (or as short) as we wanted. One we stayed for only 30 minutes, but our favorite (the Museum of flight) we stayed for several hours. We even walked through a retired Air Force One.

8. We went to a comedy show one evening and didn’t even need to find a sitter.

9. We didn’t stop our day for nap time, or to eat at places that serve chicken nuggets. We didn’t pack snacks, and we didn’t carry sippy cups. We ate wherever and whenever we wanted. Good food partnered by conversations with complete sentences. How do you beat that?

520 ft up

10. We lay in our hotel bed, watched movies, TV shows, ate yummy things, and went to bed late. And then, we slept in.

11. What should have been a 30 minute trip to find the temple, took us 2 hours. And we loved it.

12. We found a trail along the waterfront and ran on it. Together. Twice. In all the years we’ve enjoyed running (more years for Jeff than for me), we’ve never, ever run together. We had two very nice 10K runs that we agree are two of our favorite memories of the week. (Cue the fantasies of when our kids are old enough to leave behind, and we get to do this regularly.)

13. We were mistaken for honeymooners. That was fun, considering it’s been 10 years. And at the same time, our tour guide sang a lovely rendition of “Popcorn Popping” when he found out we were from Utah.

14. We ate breakfast in a “hole in the wall” diner. Generally, I think it’s a waste to eat out for breakfast because I’m quite happy eating simple things for breakfast, and breakfast food for lunch or dinner (a staple in our house). But, we have a very specific memory of our time in San Francisco that included a breakfast diner we all fell in love with. So, we reminisced with food, and were not disappointed.

15. We watched glass blowers. We never would have dared go past the front doors of that shop with the children.

16. We found a candy shop. We kind of like candy. We felt like two kids in a candy shop. Oh wait… We picked two of every candy that looked good and sampled them all as we walked along the pier. Fun.

I wasn’t going to blog about our trip because as we think back on it, that time feels almost sacred. That time together was so priceless. Then, after talking with our home teachers (who we adore), one of them was telling us about how he can’t get his wife to leave his children to take the 10 day trip to Rome he just won from his work. WHAT?!? Okay, I get it. It’s definitely hard to leave the children. And sometimes it felt like it would almost have been easier to take them. But, honestly, it was worth every bit of planning, coordinating, packing, and changing schedules. So, if you’re debating about taking a little time out for you and your spouse, do it. Make it happen. Because Jeff is right. It’s so worth it.

P.S. Thank you, family, for taking time out of YOUR busy schedules to make it possible. Let’s talk about our number ONE blessing: it’s YOU.

The biggest thing lacking in our trip with no kids: no pictures of kids. They are much cuter than we are, as I'm sure you've already discovered.

Halloween, of course

2010-11-01T04:19:00.006+07:00

I love Halloween more and more each year. Thank goodness for children who keep the innocence of Halloween in tact.

Oh, so many Halloween outings this year! Jane was the only one who wore the same costume each time. Alice gets the award for variety. Jack gets the award for being the only bloodless Dracula in town.

The annual pumpkin picking event.

They just HAD to try doing a wheelbarrow together, of course. I love fall. Shorts and sandals, topped off with a sweater all in one. Love it.

Jane may appear to be helping hollow out the pumpkins, but don't be deceived. This is the closest she came... holding up what I scooped out. A bit slimy for this child!

Jeff and Jack did the scooping, while Alice and I did the dishes. Jane's a good cheerleader. Did I mention our dishwasher leaking, floor warping, and mold issue? No? Lucky you.

This is The Place does a "Little Haunts" over UEA that was brilliant. My kids could have walked around that pioneer village and listened to that Story Witch for hours. Oh wait, we did. Alice was Jane's black cat, and Jack was Batman. I only had my phone, plus the lighting was weird, but I loved Alice's grin. I couldn't resist.

If it's her idea, she loves the camera!

For story time at the library, Alice was Dorothy, so I just kept her in her dress all day. Why not? I'll tell you why not...

Not long before leaving for Grandma Hillman's Halloween party, I caught Alice doing this...

... to the candy dish.

She's got a sweet tooth. I'll claim that one. This resulted in a very sticky, spit-y Dorothy costume.

So, she was a witch, just like her sister. And apparently Grandpa!

The kids counted down all month to the NIGHT they got to dress up and go to the ward's Trunk or Treat. They were giddy with anticipation. They even tried taking off on Jane's broomstick, but didn't get very far.

We put Alice in the warmest thing we had, Tigger. The only time she's been fat in her life. Notice Jane opening her mouth at the same time as Alice. We all know that helps babies open up wider, right?

Alice enjoyed the evening's bounty.

Our neighbors put on a haunted house that Jack thought was awesome, and I have to admit, it was fun. Jane wanted to go through at first, but she ended up in my arms and screamed like crazy when the masked kid came around the corner. It was a scream like I've never screamed. The kind they should bottle up for the movies. Then, after assuring the mother of the home that she was okay, while at the same time preparing my thoughts of what to tell the therapist we'd surely have to take her to, Jane announced she wanted to go through again. She said she'd be brave this time. And she was. Then she wanted to go again, but I had to draw the line somewhere.

We actually did go door to door on our street and to a few select neighbors a few streets over on Saturday night. We were worried the whole neighborhood trick-or-treating was a thing of the past, but were glad to see others out, even in the rain.

Did you have many trick-or-treaters at your house? Did you go door-to-door? The mall? The grocery store?

I'm a dreamer

2010-10-18T06:42:00.006+07:00

Generally speaking, I'm the dreamer in this marriage. Jeff is what I like to call "my reality check". I talk all the time about all the places we'll visit, the things we'll do, how I'd like certain situations to go, experiences that will come our way, what we'll be like when we're older, and so on. I know I don't have control over what life throws my way. And it must be said that sometimes things come our way that are much better than I've dreamed (I'm really not that creative!). Regardless, it's fun for me to dream and hope things go accordingly.

So when I heard from our friends that they might be coming to Utah for Conference weekend, I hardly dared hope it would really happen. If fact, after talking to "my reality check" we determined there's no way they could get the proper paper work and plan their trip in such a short time, so we hoped that they would make it in six months for the next conference. THEN, it started happening. Visas were given, passports obtained, flights purchased, and temple dates set.

When we had to say goodbye to Napa and Dipu in Thailand, (the post in this link is long...you've been warned) I bawled. I felt terrible for taking our children away from people who loved them so much. We promised we'd be together again, that they'd come to Utah, and we would stay in touch. I knew staying in touch was a given, but could they really get to Utah? Really? I hoped, but I remained skeptical. It's amazing what the Lord can make happen though, is it not?

We weren't sure what Jane (our extremely unpredictable child) would do when she saw them. Would she remember how much she loved them? All the memories? She was only three! Jeff took her to pick them up from their hotel, and she ran right into their arms, just like no time had passed. We spent the evening assembling 3-D puzzles they brought for the kids and catching up on their traveling adventures.

They arrived just in time for conference weekend and attended all five sessions. I was lucky enough to attend the temple when they went through for the first time, and the following morning, they were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.

At the Oquirrh Mountain Temple, we were surprised to meet the man who would be sealing them the next day. Turns out, their son is the one who taught their temple preparation class in Bangkok before coming to Utah. Small world.

You'd think coming from Thailand, they wouldn't know too many people, but these two have people who love them all over the world. Missionaries, parents of missionaries, ward members, and even the branch president of Nepal (Dipu's country) who just happened to be in town receiving a humanitarian award. Talk about the stars aligning. It was one happy gathering.

This is shortly after coming out of the temple. Napa always smiles, but this was an entirely different plane of happiness.

The happy couple.

The whole thing was such a whirlwind, but we did have some time just to be together at home as well. We played a little soccer in the backyard...

The kids gave them a concert... (Jane hadn't started violin yet when we left)

... Jane discovered that there was a reason Napa is still learning to read English... because she usually reads in Thai! Jane was AMAZED Napa could read the Thai books we have around the house that we usually just look at.

... and I even caught Napa and Jane passed out on the bed from pure exhaustion. If it seemed like a whirlwind to us, I can't imagine what it felt like after all the traveling.

When Jane first met Napa and Dipu, she wasn't much older than Alice is now. Those memories seemed so fresh as we watched Alice fall completely in love with them, just like Jack and Jane did.

I think this is my favorite picture.

Jack: Mom, Dipu and Napa are our family, right?

Me: Absolutely.

Pioneer Day

2010-08-02T11:27:00.008+07:00

I think Pioneers have been more a part of our life this year than ever before. We've loved our time at This is the Place Heritage Park. Jack keeps making me promise that we'll do it again next year. I fully plan on it, if they'll have us.

This is Elora, the hired BYU history major who keeps things moving at our "home". We all adore her, but Jane in particular is a big fan (although from Jane's face in this one, you might not know it).

We had a special Pioneer Day weekend, starting with our usual Friday at the park, but it wasn't usual at all. We had a bunch of our family come up to visit, and as we arrived at the house we realized the Mormon Battalion (reenactment) was camping in our back yard! The Battalion gathered from all over the country for the weekend, and it was fun to visit with many of them as we enjoyed the festivities of the day.

My sisters, their husbands, kids, my parents (including my mom who was only 8 weeks out of getting a portion of her lung removed), and my grandparents all came to play.

We got out our fiddles, guitars, and mandolins, and tried to remember how we used to be able to play a mean "Devil Went Down to Georgia". It's not so mean anymore. Actually, there was a lot of laughter, but it was fun nonetheless.

Our pioneer neighbors (a family of 9) came down with their instruments and we all danced the Virginia Reel with whoever would join us. The kids were loving it. Wish I had a picture of that, but I was too busy dancing with my boy. Jack, not Jeff. Do you know my husband at all?

We left from the pioneer village to Lake Town, UT to stay with our friend Wyatt's family. We loved our time with the Lamborn's last time and just couldn't stay away, especially since the Quan's were in town. During their trek from Bangkok to DC, they made a stop in Lake Town. Who doesn't? So finally, little Alice got to meet big Alice. All five feet of her. Maybe Alices are just supposed to be small?

We spent the evening and all the next day with these two sweet families. Jack and Jane couldn't get enough of Sarah and Emily, and I could have visited with the Quans, Wyatt and his family for days.

We took the kids for a quick horse ride, and got some pictures...

(The locals thought it was hilarious that we thought hay was a great backdrop for pictures. Yes, we are city folk.)

A family portrait where you can actually see everyone's face. Almost.

... and the next day we enjoyed a delicious pioneer day breakfast with the one and only Lake Town ward. I love small towns. Plus, we figured out that Wyatt's sister-in-law is my childhood friend's cousin. Did you get that? I knew there was a reason I liked Amy so much.

Wyatt volunteered all of us to play in their town's Pioneer Day talent show. Thanks Wyatt. Sarah and Emily Quan, at the ages of 10 and 14 are much better musicians (violin and piano) than I'll ever be, so I basked in their talent and passion and loved how involved and supportive Alice and Steven are with them. Jeff and I did play a little piece. Just because we've decided we'll pretty much do anything for this family.

Keeping little Alice happy during the program.

Then, we enjoyed probably my favorite parade ever. There were about 10 floats (tractors, 4-wheelers, trucks, plus some) and they threw TONS of candy. So much candy that there were no tears and no clashes between kids trying to get the same piece. Then, after the floats had passed, we cut through the block and met the floats all over again as they went around the other side of the block. Short+no crowds+all smiles = best parade ever.

We just had to get a photo of the whole Bangkok crew. Quans, Wyatt, and the Hillmans. We might look a little nervous, because to be honest, we were all a little worried about the trampoline not holding. Thank goodness one of these families has small genes.

These three sure made a connection. It was hard when Jack had to say goodbye, knowing it would be a while before he gets to see his friends again.

It wasn't just Jack that hated to say goodbye. Who knows when we'll see our world traveling friend again.? Luckily, we at least know how to see Wyatt.

Island Park

2010-08-02T11:07:00.003+07:00

We enjoyed several days in Island Park last month with the Hillman crew. It was fun to catch up with Jason and Heidi who spent the previous 2 months in Canada, let the cousins play 'till they dropped, see beautiful Yellowstone, and enjoy uninterrupted time with the adults after bedtime. Sam was the MC for our "not-so-newlywed" game, and I think he really could be a game show host. Who knew?

Darcy and Alice are five months apart, and I fully plan on them becoming great friends as they grow up. Do they not both have the cutest grins? Toothless and toothy.

Jane doing her best Bison impersonation. Notice Mr. Bison in the background.

Two months apart, but they picked up right where they left off. Hot and cold, these two. But, we're learning to dwell on the tender moments more, because they really are sweet together.

Enjoying the picnic.

Yellowstone's Grand Canyon.

The whole gang eating our picnic at Old Faithful. Can't believe this was the only one I got of all of us!

Just as we were starting our campfire, the rain started, and these two made the best of it. I love little girls.

Alice just had to have a bite.

Silly cousins.

Can't remember who's night it was for story time, but they were INTO it.

I loved this view. And this boy.

We really didn't take too many photos. It was such a relaxing vacation I almost hated to ruin it by pulling out the camera. Lots of memories can be made in just four days. Thanks, Hillmans!

Summer

2010-07-26T10:17:00.005+07:00

Summer wasn't nearly long enough. Now with school starting, our slow days and spontaneous outings will start thinning out, until the holidays fill our calendars once again. Something I both look forward to and dread. We did have a fantastic summer though, and for the most part, stayed right here in Utah. Do we not live in a wonderful place?

Here are a few of our 2010 summer memories...

We hiked to Timpanogos cave and had a great time. The kids were surprisingly perky for the entire thing, and Alice loved her ride. We all decided we don't do nearly enough things like that. Something to work towards.

And Alice's close-up...

After the tour, the kids lingered and helped the geologists sort through dirt for a while. They were both completely fascinated.

Are these not the most tired, yet happiest hikers you've ever seen?

We LOVE Freedom Days in Provo. Definitely one of my favorite celebrations of the year. We enjoyed another great reptile show, crafts, bouncy toys, and cousins. These two are so sweet together.

Neither Jack nor Jane could leave without a wooden sword. Sometimes I wonder what Jane would be like without a big brother. She's such a fun mix this way.

We spent a couple of days in Rexburg visiting family and BYU-I campus before meeting the Hillmans in Island Park. We were excited to see Uncle Rand, but he may have regretted the visit the next day.

Aunt Jana made us feel so welcome, as always. We love how we feel in their home. We talked about buying an acre from them so we could live next door. Oh, the fun we could have.

Although, Rand might not love me after I make him sing me to sleep every night. Isn't that what neighbors do?

The kids loved the pools at the hotels. Although Alice enjoyed watching more than actually swimming.

Is she not the most precious thing you've ever seen?

We had a great visit with Grandma Max. One of my favorites, actually. I wish she lived closer.

The kids played for Grandma (or you could call it my cop-out on practicing for the day. Hey, they're playing, right?)

We attended a concert in Harriman State Park in conjunction with Mountains and Strings that I used to help with. It is the most gorgeous concert setting I've ever witnessed. We listened to Jenny Oaks Baker, surrounded by breathtaking scenery, and with plenty of room for the kids to listen and wander.

Oh, I love that place. Plus, Alice took her first steps during the concert. She's still working on it, but making progress!

Can you beat this view?

We've discovered the best dollar store item EVER. Jack and Jane spent hours in our backyard catching bugs, observing, and letting them go. (I love how Jane has her arm wrapped around Jack.)

I was even surprised to discover one day when they each had a friend over that the friends were playing together because Jack and Jane had decided to catch bugs together instead of play inside.

We love that we have ready-playmates right across the street. They've saved us many times when we need to switch things up a bit with the friend dynamic in our house. This day we just let them frolic through the sprinklers. Jack said this was "the best day ever". Really? All I need to do is turn the hose on? Done.

We enjoyed a Bankok ward gathering in Mapleton at our dear friend's home. It was fun to see so many families and catch up a bit. I've missed so many of our Thailand friends. Mary Jane has always been such a great friend, it was a treat to spend some time with her and her girls after not seeing them for a year.

Jack picked up right where he left off with the twins. They were wrestling, climbing trees, and eating all the desserts.

A few days ago, we were reflecting on our summer and Jack said, "Mom, what about our summer fun ideas envelope?". I checked the side of our fridge and sure enough, there was the envelope we had filled with ideas, coupons, free passes, etc in anticipation of summer break. How did we do? Well, the envelope hadn't even been touched. Full. I guess we weren't lacking ideas on how to fill our days.

Is it terrible I'm already counting down until next summer?

What do you love to fill your summer with? Anything your kids (or you) couldn't get enough of this summer?

Oh, Peter

2010-07-05T09:08:00.009+07:00

Every once in a while something comes along that helps me remember that I can do more than just change diapers, wipe counters, and fold laundry. This was one of those weekends.

While Jeff was home being super-dad (or should I say super-super dad), I got to run away for a few days and play in a small orchestra with none other than the Peter Cetera. Who's Peter Cetera, you say? To be honest, that's what I thought when I was first asked to play. Then, like any normal person would do, I googled him. Then I got excited. (although in this picture, I think he looks like the villain in the first Spiderman movie)

I spent Wednesday evening, Thursday, and Friday, in rehearsals and concerts in Logan, UT and Sun Valley, ID basking in the talent of some seriously cool musicians.

From the left: Gene (guitar), Peter, Kim (vocals, percussion), Bruce (guitar), and Boh (piano).

Logan was fun, because as I've said before, I LOVE Logan . Plus, it was fun to walk the halls of my old stomping grounds and remember when my violin was a fifth appendage. I did love those days. Plus, I got to stay with my cousin and his wife, who I completely adore. We stayed up too late talking, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Plus, their daughter is the same age as my Alice, which helped with the withdrawal.

I'd never been to Sun Valley before, but hope to go back. The venue there was incredible. A good part of it was covered in these cut rocks that actually play a tone when you slap them. This is my friend, Sara, demonstrating.

I really didn't take many pictures, but I got a couple during our Sun Valley sound check. This one is from where I was sitting.

While the band was doing their sound check, I sat in the audience and dreamed of what it would be like to tour around the world (they just returned from South America) making music. You can see the venue a bit better from here.

I was kicking myself for not getting a picture of Sarah and I when Boh (the pianist) joined us on our trip to the deli for dinner. We talked at length about his schooling, touring, and time spent playing for Rascal Flatts. I couldn't believe how down to earth he was. He was so friendly with everyone, learning our names, and even gave me a big ol' wink during the concert.

I also wished I would have gotten a picture with the guitarist, Gene, because I know he's going to be famous soon. He won me over when he busted out an amazing version of the Beatle's Lady Madonna. I told him later that I wanted his album, and he assured me he was working on one. If I wasn't already in love with his style, while he and the band were waiting around on stage he started into a James Taylor song. I was dying.

Peter, in general, was about what I expected: a fabulous performer. He did not disappoint. It's clear he knows what he's doing and the audiences loved him. LOVED him. Even male voices were shouting "Go Peter!".

I would have loved to see that show. If I would have been in the audience, I would have been looking at the violinists thinking "I could do that. How do I get to do that?" like I usually do. The difference was, this time I was doing it. I seriously wish I could brush this off like it was nothing because I do it all the time. But I don't. I'm a mom. I've played gigs here and there, seen a few famous faces (Willy Nelson DID wave at me during the Olympics gig, and I did get to "pretend" to play while Harry Connick, Jr. was serenading the audience to the pre-recorded minus track, and such), but this seemed different. I loved watching how the band interacted, how they doodled on their instruments, and how they laughed at musical humor. I was super impressed with how humble they all were.

I wish I could say I've done a million of these, but I haven't, so it really was something I loved. Even half-way through the Sun Valley show when my teeth were chattering from the cold, I was still excited to be a part of it. Even when I climbed into my own bed at 6am to go to sleep for the night and the kids came in at 6:15am, I was still happy I did it.

So now, who's next? When is James Taylor coming to town? Did I already miss Michael Buble?

Anyone YOU would love to see the behind-the-scenes?

Summer in one word...

2010-06-28T02:31:00.004+07:00

COUSINS.

Before last year, we didn't know what we were missing not having cousins so close by. NOW we get it. What would we do without them?

Cousin camps have been great this summer so far. We toured the Sweet's Candy Factory (highly recommended, and totally free, unless you can't leave without lbs of candy afterward like we did),

had a sports/work day in Provo,

and watched a children's dance theater perform at the Sandy amphitheater. This one was with OUR cousins and their kids, which was a special treat! These girl cousins sure loved playing together at the park afterward.

We're looking forward to a tour of the Bean museum this week, and a reptile show (my kids' favorite).

One of my goals this summer is to eat lunch outside as much as possible. We get our work done and out of the house doing something fun before lunch, and we've loved it. We've had a picnic of some sort almost every day, even if it's just in our backyard. But, I've noticed that the part of lunch that normally would end up on my floors, now ends up on my pants. Do mashed raspberries, granola bars, and peanut butter sandwiches wash out okay?

We got some family pictures taken, most of which I have yet to see, but I got a few with my camera. Oh, how I love my sisters and mom! (P.S. Somehow I missed the memo on the white shirt.)

Alice sure loves her dad.

Jack and Jane finished soccer. They both loved it, but it is SO time consuming, we're not sure if we'll do a repeat. We'll see.

Did I mention we've been to a lot of parks?

We've loved the Wild West Jordan park behind City Hall. SO big, and lots to do!

A cousin sleepover with a visit to the park, of course. Christian had them laughing about something. Who knows? That kid's a nut, and we LOVED having him!

Fun time with Grandma and Grandpa Hillman.

Here's a typical visit lately:

US: Hey guys, mind if we drop in?
G&G: Sure, we're just sitting down to eat, hungry?
US: Um, sure! While we're eating your food, can we ask you questions about fixing ________ on our car? How about you watch the kids for us next week while we ______? Mom, could you help me mend this? I'm thinking about making this, but have no idea, can I come over and you can show me how? Dad, ever fixed a water softener? Oh, and our garage door is doing something funny. Any ideas?

And so on, and so on.

Our requests seem to be endless these days, and they still love us. Thank goodness for family!

Speaking of family, we celebrated Grandma Munk's 80th birthday last week. We snatched her away from the endless flow of friends and well-wishers for a shot. It was a fun day, and we were so happy we could celebrate it with her. Love you, Grandma!

The birthday celebration was in the one-room school house my mother-in-law attended as a girl. The best part? The girls room. Jeff and Jack thought it was hilarious!

And every Friday morning, we're still pioneering, and loving it more each time. I did sneak a couple of pictures a few weeks ago. Here are the pioneer babies in the Rich home, enjoying the shade.

This day was a special day where everyone got free ice cream cones. The kids were in heaven! And a little silly, but what's new?

Each day we volunteer, the kids get to fill out a worksheet teaching them something about life as a pioneer. They then turn it into the bank to get a Deseret Dollar they can spend in the ZCMI General Store. Most of them buy rock candy, unless it's Jack and he buys a gumball as big as his fist. Sigh. As we left the store this day, we had this conversation.

Me: Okay guys, now we need to head back home.
Jack: Home to the Rich house, or home-home?
Me: No, back to our home in West Jordan.
Jack: You mean back to 2010? Ugh.

Jack wishes we could go to the village every day, not just once a week. In a way, I feel the same way. It's nice to get away from reality for a while and enjoy the simple life. The kids play with sticks, hoops, and rocks. They visit their friend at the tithing office who tells them stories. They make necklaces in the Indian village, and pound leather at the tannery. They help at the farm house on the corner. We eat under the shade of a cherry tree. We talk about our ancestors. And we meet fascinating people who come through our house. It really has been an amazing experience so far.

Hope your summer is full of whatever you love most.

A few of my favorite things...

2010-06-01T11:10:00.010+07:00

Everyone has a few favorite things. If you're like me, they change like the seasons. So here are a few of my current favorites.

1. We spent Monday morning as pioneers at "This is the Place", our first of many days to volunteer this summer. No doubt, this will be a very FUN way to spend summer days. My FAVORITE part of it? The pace. It's slow, simple, and lacking in electronics. Love it.

Didn't take many pictures as we try not to have modern things out while guests are around (hence the lack of electronics!), but honestly, how can you not want to capture cute pioneer children?

2. Can I just sum it up by saying SUMMER? And all that goes with it. Jack home from school (YAY!), longer days, good running weather, working in the yard, swim lessons, morning walks, cousin camp, and less busy-ness.

3. It's no secret that I'm not much of a cook. Luckily, there are other ways to Jeff's heart, because I certainly didn't get there through his stomach! I listen to the Dave Ramsey show (also a favorite) whenever I'm in the car in the evenings and heard his advertisement for e-meals. Finally decided to give it a go. We've LOVED it! I look at the weekly menu, choose which meals my family will like, buy the stuff (shopping list supplied), and stick to the plan. It's inspired me to try meals different than our usual, and we've discovered several we've adopted into our rotation that even Jane eats! I've even selected a healthier menu option, which doesn't seem to sacrifice the taste. It just seems to eliminate the planning and decision making portion of the meal prep, but since that was my least favorite part, it's a great fit. In the words of my mother-in-law when speaking of Scrubbing Bubbles, "I'd do a commercial for them!". Actually, I think I just did.

4. Alice is learning her signs now, thanks to my two wonderful helpers, she's catching on quite well. New this week: cheese, hot, treat. Is anything more fun than watching a baby discover and learn? If I had to choose, I think THIS would be my favorite stage.

5. I know I always brag about my family. Here's just another reason I am in awe that I know such awesome people. My sister, Joanna, got on a crocheting kick. She's always been really good at this stuff, but seriously, I can hardly comprehend all the fun stuff she makes now. She named her elephant doll after my Alice and made her one for her birthday. Such a treasure! Definitely a favorite thing that we'll love forever. She's recently opened up her own etsy shop too. Go Jo!

(this is the best picture I could get of this elephant when Alice wasn't mauling it with kisses!)

6. Netflix. Anyone else in love? If we sit down to watch something, you can bet we're not going to mess with commercials! Just discovered you can watch Brian Regan streaming. How can you not love having him on demand?

7. We've been doing a lot of pass-along stories in the car lately. These generally consist of the "super siblings" on a Spies, Inc. mission with amazing gadgets and creative weapons. Then it's Jane's turn. In come the flying ponies, ballerina powers, and rainbow shooters. Her storyline has very little, if anything, to do with the story that was passed to her, but she doesn't mind. And I don't either. Her contributions are always my favorite... and even though Jack's pretty serious about his stories, he's learning to see the charm as well.

What are YOUR favorite things right now? Discovered anything new that you LOVE?

Birthday girl

2010-05-20T00:51:00.003+07:00

My little Alice is ONE today! Could she be any more edible?

If you like THIS photo, check out our photographer's website. We're big fans!

We did it!

2010-05-17T06:19:00.007+07:00

I finished my classes in December, as you may remember. Four months shy of being 30, which has been my goal for several years. Unfortunately, after so much work, it was feeling a little anti-climactic. December was nuts, so walking wasn't an option. I wasn't going to do it at all, but Jeff assured me I would be happy I did. As is often the case, he was right.

We drove up the evening before so we could spend the night at our friend's house in Laketown. Never heard of it? No surprise here! It's a tiny town on the south side of Bear Lake.

You may remember Wyatt from some pictures in Thailand. From the first time we had him over, he told us about the view of the lake from his porch. It was awesome to finally witness their little piece of heaven ourselves (as usual, when I visit somewhere rural, I never want to leave).

His parents are gems, and made us feel right at home. We left looking at our calendar, trying to figure out when we can go back! "Camping" at Bear Lake now has a different meaning for us! The kids threw sticks in the fire, jumped on the trampoline, played air hockey, played with Wyatt, slept by the fire place, and were spoiled by Sally with an amazing breakfast the next morning. Wyatt is an uncle to many, so our kids feel right at home with him.

Jeff's parents and my parents joined us in Logan for lunch and the graduation ceremony.

Who doesn't love a good graduation ceremony? I'll tell you who... my kids. They were happy before, but there's a reason we have very few pictures afterward!

Jeff's my hero. He should have been wearing a cap and gown too. If I would have married someone who didn't believe finishing was important, I never would have been able to stomach the bill each semester. I felt selfish guilt each time, but he always convinced me we would make it work. We always did, and now I've finally done it!

We said goodbye to the parents (who drove clear to USU for this really LONG ceremony just for my five seconds of walking across the stage. They should receive some kind of prize for that alone, right?), then decided we at least wanted to walk through campus to see the changes that have happened since we left.

They needed a little perking up though. Nothing a little hill rolling can't do.

We showed the kids where we used to go to class, where we used to study, the libraries (Jack couldn't believe how big they were), the rehearsal room, and the practice rooms that I spent hundreds of hours in, and most importantly, the creamery. Can't be in Logan without treating yourself to a little Aggie ice cream! This was our best attempt at a family pictures. Sad, I know.

It was a very fun weekend. Too short though. We loved Laketown (thank you Lamborns). And every time we go to Logan, we daydream about moving and raising our family there. We LOVE Logan.

Since we didn't get many pictures in my cap and gown, I asked my friend, Jade, to take a few for me while she did our family pictures yesterday. She did a great job, and I was glad this one turned out so fun, even though the kids were spent. Would you even know that by the look on the kids' faces? THAT'S the sign of a good photographer!

Spies, Incorporated

2010-05-03T00:38:00.003+07:00

Here is the video that the boys at Jack's party watched at the end of their "mission":

Birthdays

2010-04-30T00:56:00.005+07:00

So, I am now the mother of a 7 year old. Yes, SEVEN! It seems like just yesterday I was carrying him around in the Bjorn and rocking him to sleep. No one ever told me how fast time flies when you are a mother. Okay, that's a big, fat lie. Everyone talks about how time flies...blah, blah, blah... and as much as I dislike writing the obvious, they're right.

If you know me well, you know I like to keep things fairly simple. Or, at least I like to think I keep things simple. Jack's birthday was no different. I decided [since Jack had been talking about it since his last birthday and already told his best friends all about it (and how do you back out from that?) that] this was the year to have his very first friend party. Jack is very into gadgets and spy stuff right now, so the theme to the party was obvious. Plus, Jeff and I were completely inspired last fall by the "missions" the kids loved at the Epcot Center, so we had some ideas we were excited about.

He invited a cousin and a few friends from church and school over for food, games, and a secret mission. I was thinking we were keeping it really low-key with five friends, but seriously, my ears were ringing afterward. These boys are as loud and obnoxious (hello, they're SEVEN!) as they are darling and sweet. Luckily, that turned out to be a good balance.

The highlight was definitely the MISSION where they went from clue to clue through the neighborhood and school using keys, cell phone messages, and decoding clues, which ultimately led to a video message from the head honcho of SI (Spies, Inc.). Thanks Grandpa!

These boys were NOT messing around. Once they heard where their "field agent supplies" were located, they took off, missing the last few seconds of the movie entirely.

They loved their supplies and it kept them going until the sugar high wore off on the way home.

Speaking of sugar high... we did the birthday food a little non-traditionally this year. I'm a big fan of decorating fun cakes each year, but in the spirit of simplifying we opted for cupcakes for the party, and guess what? No one even missed my hours of hard work that just gets slaughtered once the candles are out! It was great!

Jack also wanted an ice cream bar and was happy as a clam that he made this beautiful creation all on his own.

Although, let the record show, he made it, got distracted somehow, and the majority of this huge dessert is still in our freezer, one week later! I guess there are advantages to having a seven-year-old's attention span. Maybe I should stop getting frustrated when I can't keep his attention, because ice cream can't even do it!

Oh, the age of wearing extra underpants to keep warm (three pair yesterday to be exact) and having the status symbol in your crowd being who can make the best armpit noises. We'll enjoy this simplicity as long as we can!

I love this picture of Jane and Clark. Seriously, cousins are the best, right?

This was a big birthday for myself this year. I know I'm getting old this year because I started doing something only old people do. Reflect.

I was remembering where I spent my 20th birthday. I was on choir/orchestra tour with Rick's College in the North West (seriously one of the most beautiful parts of our country). I spent my birthday cruising Pike's Market in Seattle with dear friends and putting on a concert that night. It felt weird to not be with my family, but I enjoyed the change, because as I've said before, I do love change. There was one thing that wasn't allowing me to feel completely happy. I missed my "friend" who I'd spent hours and hours with the week before graduation, and just left, with no definite plans to meet up once we were both back in UTAH. Somehow on that very trip, I got up the nerve to just call to say hello. I'd never even called him before. We'd always just happened to run into each other and have a few free hours to chat. I got up the guts (thank you roommates) and called the boy. We talked for longer than I dared admit to my host-mom the next morning (no, it wasn't on their bill) and planned to go out once I got home. I was elated.

So, that was the beginning. The week of my 20th birthday was the start of my best friend becoming much, much more. 10 years later, he's still my best friend and everything else. I look back on my 20's and he was there through everything. Being 20 was fantastic, but I'm excited to see where 30 takes me!

How could the years not get better when I'm married to someone who wraps a present this well? (seriously, I'm not showing this to make you all feel bad that you don't look this super-hot in the morning, but to show off Jeff's mad wrapping skills).

Some people might consider buying kitchen things for your wife a little lame, but I was SO excited. My first good pan, ever! Now to learn to cook...

A good chunk of the day was spent at the doctor's office and pharmacy trying to figure out Alice's severe eczema. Luckily, we're on our way to getting my poor girl some relief, and her happy disposition seems to be returning. I was happy to spend my day helping my baby because when the baby's happy, mom's happy. And when mom's happy... you know the rest.

We had a crazy evening with two soccer practices across town from one another, but Jeff still had time to prepare (read: unwrap) my FAVORITE kind of cake and we all snarfed it before we ran out the door!

My 30th birthday was a bit different than my 20th, but I'm right where I want to be, and that feels pretty good. I'm a regular old mini-van driving, three-kid hauling, snot wiping, diaper changing, homework helping, violin practicing, book reading, laundry folding, dinner making, bargain hunting housewife. Isn't it great?

Spring, please stay!

2010-04-22T08:24:00.007+07:00

A few weeks sure make a big difference in the weather here.

This was not too long ago...

and just last weekend...

It seems Mother Nature is as indecisive as I am.

Seriously, what's better than a lazy Sunday afternoon in the backyard?

Trying to get a picture of these two monkeys is a circus! Although looking at the way they're holding each other, I realize I've got nothing to complain about.

In the spirit of what we hope is soon to come, we've been pretending the weather is good no matter what it looks like outside.

Jane's been loving her swim lessons this month and has made some good progress. More than anything she's just enjoying the water, even if she has no idea what she's supposed to be doing.

Her teacher even took her class off the diving board last week and Jane was thrilled at first, nervous at the moment, then so excited when she finally did it. The 2nd time was all fun though.

The girls and I spent a morning with Grandma and Grandpa Ottley and as usual, it was hard to leave. My goodness, I love them! My heart melted when Grandma started singing "A, You're Adorable" to my Alice, the song I have fond memories of her singing to me when I was little.

We spent Saturday at This is the Place Heritage Park, where we'll be volunteering a bit this summer. The kids loved learning pioneer songs, playing games, and being out in the beautiful sun. No doubt, the highlight for Jack was finally finding a good climbing tree. Can you say "heaven"?

Jeff's been busy, busy, busy at work and I'm getting excited about the next project for the orchestra in May, and we're ALL getting excited for school to be out. Can't wait for that summer flexibility, and more time with my boy.

The computer...

2010-03-31T08:52:00.006+07:00

.. is no longer my constant companion. Since our basement has been done, and we moved the computer downstairs, I find myself forgetting about it completely. Last week, Jeff came home from work and about died (or Jeff's equivalent amount of drama which really is just a "what?") when he discovered the computer had yet to be turned on for the day. This really is not like me. Or "me" during the last several years anyway.

I kind of like the new me. I like not having my browser open all the time and hearing the "ding" when an IM pops up. I like having less distraction while I'm getting the kids lunch, reading books, or just playing. It's kind of nice.

So, you may or may not have noticed my blogging absence. I feel it hanging over my head sometimes. Then I realize (or should I say, remember?) that I'm a nerd. I let things hang over my head that in the end really don't matter. I let my mind feel overwhelmed when there really is no reason. So, blogging, although it's fun, isn't necessary. But, I have to admit, this way of keeping a record is fantastic. Plus, when I do sit down, it's fun to read your blogs! So, thanks for doing something that's extra, so I can enjoy small glimpses into your lives!

We've been full of sickness in our house. Everyone but Jane, that is. It makes sense. She's the one with the least amount of germy contact on a regular basis. I'm sure that will change when she starts school. Alice, unfortunately, has seen the worst of it. She's on round 3 in about the last 4 weeks.

Jeff celebrated his birthday last Friday, and was sicker than Alice for the few days surrounding it. It probably would have been fine, but we've discovered the way Jeff likes to celebrate his birthday is with food, and his taste buds were on vacation for the few days a year when our house contains chips, donuts, soda, and fried chicken all at once. He was pretty miserable. Luckily, he perked up enough that we could still enjoy dinner and an evening at the symphony.

Here are the birthday boys, with two of their girls. These twins really are looking less and less alike these days. Anyone agree?

We've enjoyed several fun days with family lately. That's why we're in Utah, right? So, why not enjoy it?

Mimi and Papa took all the girls to Disney on Ice for their birthdays this year. The girls loved the show, but even more so, just being together.

Another one of Mia and Jane because these girls are two peas in a pod! They're 18 months apart, but have become the best of friends, and it is SO fun to watch!

Another cousin day, this time at the Children's museum. These triplets are a little young, but still enjoyed the action. Can you guess (or remember) who's the youngest? Looks like my Alice, but actually it's Ruthie. Alice is a little runt, and it's a whole new adventure to have such a petite little one! Although Drew looks like he could eat the other two, he's actually only 3 months older than Alice!

Jane was so proud of her creation. I love those building tables. My kids could play there for hours!

Also included in our family outings, is an evening celebrating Dharshan's 21st birthday! We enjoyed having Family Home Evening with them, eating amazing food (as always. And right in theme with Jeff's birthday week!), and meeting their new friend from their ward. Unfortunately, this was the best picture of everyone (minus Nitharshan the photographer).

It was a fun evening, as usual, and we loved hearing about their adventures in school, playing soccer, and going to English classes. My favorite quote of the night was from Abby: "We did science in school. It was like MAGIC!"

Oh, we love this sweet family!

And because I'm a proud mama, here's what I spend my days looking at...

Are you not jealous? Through fevers, colds, and cutting teeth, she's still an angel.

I took this one of Jane this morning. It struck me how fast she is growing up! Playing her violin in her newly hand-me-downed bath robe with her cute facial expressions. She's turning into a good little violinist, and I love practicing with her. I also love that she hums along when she's concentrating really hard.

Where's Jack, you may ask. He's much too busy to stop for a picture. He's loving school, doing great with violin, losing teeth, getting excited about the upcoming soccer season, and reading everything he can get his hands on. All on his own, he made a "ring holder" that he stuck on our bathroom mirror for Jeff's birthday. Give this boy cardboard, toothpicks, scissors, and (of course) tape, and he can do anything. Just like his daddy.

So, that's that. We're living life, and not recording much of it, but we are sure enjoying it! I'm not online as much, not posting much, but feeling fine about it. Fine, I tell you.

With love from Jack

2010-03-01T11:09:00.003+07:00

"To Alice, you are so cute I want to eat you. To Alice with love from Jack"

What more could a mother ask for than to have her children love each other so much they wish they were edible?

We've fallen in love all over again...

2010-02-17T10:44:00.008+07:00

...with our home. There was a lot of talk about LOVE at our house over the holiday weekend

"I LOVE this carpet"

"I LOVE having a play room"

"I LOVE the space!"

"I LOVE that my husband can do ANYTHING!"

"I LOVE putting the computer downstairs"

"I LOVE getting rid of all this stuff"

and most commonly mentioned from both of us...

"I LOVE OUR STORAGE ROOM!"

Our storage room was the first big project after we bought our home. It instantly became my favorite room in the house. Since we moved back, our storage room has been less than pretty. Starting exactly one year ago on Valentine's Day, Jeff bought me the best gift ever and has spent the last year working on it.

We're THRILLED to say it's complete! We'll post more pictures as we get more settled. Unfortunately, during the process, my beloved storage room took a beating. Every loose thing not used daily was crammed into that poor room, and retrieving a can of soup or a box of granola bars became a dangerous endeavour.

This was shortly before this weekend...

It took all week to get things in order (working order, not finished order). Two days just on the storage room. But, here she is...

(same view)

and now that I can actually go INSIDE, here's from another angle. I'm a little excited, can you tell?

Aren't those empty shelves just begging for wheat, sugar, and flour? Oh, I can't WAIT to keep filling them up!

The other highlight of our weekend was spending Sunday with our sweet Alaguretnam family who recently arrived from Thailand. Through a number of miracles I have yet to fully comprehend, they were accepted by the USA (which is extremely rare) and arrived with tired eyes and endless smiles last month. I apologize to those of you who have been waiting to see pictures of their arrival!

We were treated to an amazing dinner of Thai and Sri Lankan food at their apartment with Matt and Jesse (both Elders who taught the family and we all fell in love with).

Oh, the food. We miss the food!

It was a happy evening to see them adjusting, learning about the culture, and just being a family. Until they left Thailand, the dad had been in the Immigration Detention Center for over 11 months, which meant he didn't get to see his family except for one visit to the hospital while preparing for their journey. This family deserves to be happy, and it was so wonderful to see them able to live a very normal life. The children are even preparing to start school this week and are SO excited about it.

Jack and Jane loved playing with Abby and Mithu, not to mention the rousing games of "Simon says" with the Elders.

We were completely taken back to our days in Thailand, except we now have Alice to add to the mix. It was nice to remember. Although Jeff and I talk about some aspect of our time there nearly everyday, we usually end our conversations wondering if it really happened. It just seems a little surreal. Spending time with our Thailand friends confirms that yes, it was real. And it was wonderful.

We miss you Thailand, and everyone that made our time there so unbelievable!

Here are a few more bonus pictures for all those of you who love the Alaguretnams like we do!

I loved this one from the day after their arrival at our home. Alice was perfectly happy and comfortable with everyone. Just like her sister!

Of course, they unnecessarily brought everyone gifts. Jane was in HEAVEN! Do they know little girls, or what? This dress matches one that Abby has, making it their second set of matching dresses.

Speaking of friends moving to Utah... who's next?

And in case you were wondering if Alice keeps getting cuter. Yes. Yes, she does. Here's proof:

I have a picture of me sitting on my mother's counter like this when I was a bit older than this. My mom called me her cookie jar.

Alice loves her bed. She often reaches for it and doesn't allow us to finish rocking her before bedtime.

I wanted to show off the cute vinyl art I bought from my cousin's etsy store. Ann is the kind of person that can pretty much do anything. If I didn't think she was so amazing, I'd probably be madly jealous of her. But, I'm really just proud to call her family. I've got a bunch more to put up, but this was my first round and I thought it turned out pretty cute.

Evidence

2010-01-19T22:39:00.004+07:00

I pulled into a gas station two weeks ago with the kids. It was windy and freezing and I didn't want to get out of the car. (Some days I wonder if I'll ever readjust to this weather.) I opened up the gas gauge with my fingertips because our car was dirtier than ever. DIR-TY. As the gas was pumping, I resisted the urge to jump back in the warm car and thought I could at least squeegee off the windshield and driver side window. I did it as fast as I possibly could. Like I said... freezing. I put the nozzle back, got my receipt and hopped back in the car in record speed. Alice greeted me with screams (not like her), Jane was dozing, and Jack said, "mom, that man is touching our car". What? What weirdo is touching our car?

I turned around just in time to see a big, rough looking fellow step from our car to his pick-up after washing my back window for me.

-----

Last week, a neighbor stopped by that we don't get to see much. Jeff and I chatted with him for a bit about the holidays and his family. He then explained that he'd recently felt he needed to bring me something he'd been working on. He had no idea why, but just knew he was supposed to. I was speechless (which honestly doesn't happen very often). I was stunned he would give something to me for no reason that either of us was aware of, besides his feeling that it should be in my hands.

-----

On Saturday, I finally resorted to cleaning said dirty car on my way home from the gym. (Kid-less... the only way to do it.) I vacuumed it out, then pulled into the self-wash stall and put quarter after quarter in until the vehicle was again recognizable. It was freezing. Cold mist is not fun on bare ankles and hands. I hurried to hop in, anxious to get home to relieve Jeff. Just then, a man knocked on my window. Again, WHAT? Why is a man outside my car and knocking? I cautiously opened the door, only to have this kind man ask if I need tow rope. He explained how he gets them free from work and had a few sitting in the back of his truck. I thanked him, took the rope, and drove away.

-----
I remember moving to Salt Lake from Logan shortly after Jeff's graduation. It was the first time in our married life that we had channels on our TV. Jack was only 1 week old, and having left school, work, friends, and all other responsibilities behind, I found myself using the TV for company. I watched a lot of news (and Dr. Phil) and was shocked that we were going through such a terrible spell of crime, child abductions, and violence in our country. I honestly thought, "why is this all happening at once?". I'd been living in a bubble, completely unaware of the world around me as I had spent every waking hour for the last five years studying, teaching, or practicing. This wasn't a bad spell. This was the real world.

Some days it's hard for me to remember that amidst all the bad out there, there is still a lot of GOOD in the world. I believe this to be true, but sometimes it's nice to have some evidence.

My babies

2010-01-10T10:27:00.007+07:00

Quite randomly, Jane will come to me with outstretched arms and say, "Look Mom! I'm growing up!"

I think, "Yes. Yes you are" with a tinge of sadness.

My babies are growing up.

Being a mother is a mix of emotions. Of course I'm happy they're growing up, but can't they just stay small a little longer?

This week Alice started sleeping in a room other than my own. We moved her into what we now refer to as "the girls' room", and she slept all night long. And guess who else slept? Me. Not all night, but most of it. It was nice.

Jane is really becoming her own little lady. She has very particular preferences and isn't quiet about them. She's always been a picky eater, at one time eating almost exclusively cereal, chicken, and sticky rice. She's slowly started expanding her food repertoire. The other night, she even ate CARROTS in her soup. CARROTS! This may sound a bit ridiculous (not to mention malnutritious, if that is even a word?) but it's been a struggle, so we called this a victory! Next maybe we'll work on her obsessiveness over having her bedtime blankets completely flat (I mean completely) before she can relax. Maybe.

Jeff picked Jack up from a friend's home last night. Here's a snippet of their conversation on the way home:

Jack: Dad, don't tell anyone, but Nicholas has a girlfriend.

Jeff: Oh, really? Does he KISS her all the time?

Jack: No.

Jeff: Does he hold her hand?

Jack: No. She is his girlfriend, but he isn't her boyfriend. She doesn't know.

First graders are already experiencing the confusion of young (young, young) love? What? Seriously?

Initially it seemed WAY too young, but I could tell you the name of the boy I "liked" as a Kindergartner, so maybe it's not so bad? I turned out OK, right?

It's a new thing to have my children experiencing things that I actually remember experiencing as a child. Oh, the joys of motherhood!

It was perfect

2010-01-03T11:15:00.005+07:00

A holiday filled with...

kids in pajamas...

happy babies...

playing in fresh snow...

quality cousin time...

a few days in warm weather... (check out that gorgeous Mesa Temple, oh my!)

one-on-one time with great-grandparents...

and personal Christmas day visits from other great-grandparents...

and playing with my dear sisters...

...is just perfect.

Hope your Christmas and New Year were both wonderful.

Do you say it?

2009-12-21T12:16:00.009+07:00

Being in the States for Christmas once again is nice. Thailand had all the decor, the music, and the lights of Christmas in the big city, but it was missing one BIG thing. Cold.

Another thing I missed was something I remember loving as a kid. It seemed I was the one picked to shop with dad many late nights while I was younger, or was it that I just loved to be with my dad so I volunteered? Same reason I was always the one that took him up on tickets to a ball game. Love my dad. Anyway... that's beside the point. I loved how when we would run into old acquaintances (my dad knows people everywhere) or we would purchase something, or even wander out of a store empty-handed, people would always wish us a "Merry Christmas".

While in Thailand, I didn't find that people said "Merry Christmas" very often. It's much more common to wish one another a "Happy New Year", a Thai phrase we learned quickly and used regularly to spark extra smiles from our taxi drivers. We wondered if saying "Merry Christmas" to strangers was mildly offensive in an almost completely Buddhist country, so generally we stuck with "Happy New Year".

Since this is our first Holiday season back in the states (we missed all but a few days last year), we've been enjoying the festivities, the decor, and the weather. I also love the holiday shopping. I love shopping. I love being out and about, checking off my list, looking for deals, and getting excited about finding just the right gift. I've just recently noticed that no one says "Merry Christmas" anymore. Is this just me?

I decided to try it out on people I'd run into and people I deal with in the holiday rush, just to test the waters. People I knew returned the sentiment without much hesitation. Most employees at stores seemed surprised, occasionally wishing me the same, but about the same amount would ignore me all together looking to help the next customer.

Isn't this the reason for the holiday? Christ? How can we not include him in our happy wishes to those around us?

Here's my question: Is it offensive to wish someone a "Merry Christmas" regardless of religious beliefs? Is it not politically correct enough to be acceptable? Are we supposed to stick to the more generic "happy holidays" or "happy new year"?

Here's another question: Do YOU wish people a "Merry Christmas" or just get on with your business?

I'd love to hear your take on this... leave a comment or just vote on the poll (clear down at the bottom). What do you think?

Finally!

2009-12-01T03:22:00.005+07:00

What does...

11 years

32 roomates

9 apartments

1 house

4 Universities

161 credits

3 children and

1 amazingly supportive husband

EQUAL?

One happy mama who finally finished what she started oh, so long ago.

And if I can ever find my notebook which contains my life's "to do" list, I can write that date in... at last.

Loved my time with USU, but I'm happy to say... I'm done!

How I'm feeling

2009-11-18T00:36:00.002+07:00

I'm feeling a large quantity of OVERWHELMED right now. Anyone else get that way when the holidays begin? I pretty much feel that way every Monday.

For some reason, this week it's hitting me on a Tuesday. Why am I doing something so unnecessary as blogging with my free time, you may be thinking? Posting has been hanging over me, for some reason. Isn't it funny how things you usually enjoy can easily turn into a task when there are other things on the priority list?

I'm letting myself off the hook for a bit. I've got a project keeping me busy until at least Thanskgiving. So for now, that's what I'm going to focus on. So, enjoy your Thanksgiving. Be grateful. Do something good. And know that the Hillmans love you.

Halloween and such

2009-11-09T10:08:00.005+07:00

I realized this week that this was Jane's FIRST Halloween in the U.S. where she's actually gone trick-or-treating. Her last one was when she was about five weeks old, and although she looked darling, she wasn't really into treats then. We had some great Halloweens in Thailand, thanks to some dear ward members that let us pretend we live in their pseudo-American neighborhood for the evening, but this one really felt like the good ol' days.

An evening with family (always the best part for all of us), food, and lots of treats.

Alice with my darling sister-in-law. They have a special bond, and I love it.

Some of the boys at dinner-time. Can you tell they have a good time together? I was sure Jack was going to bust a gut.

Sweet sisters, Jane and Alice.

Mrs. Potts (Mimi) and my pumpkin.

Jane and Mia (18 months apart) sure have connected lately. They love to play, and even talk on the phone sometimes!

One of my favorite pictures of the night. It was just fun.

Even the "triplets" enjoyed themselves.

Other random things we've been up to... we've been sick. BUT, we did hit a couple of good days in the park with friends. Thank goodness, because I think this good weather is on its way out!

Alice loves to swing.

Three of Jack's favorite girls. Does he keep good company or what?

This is what kids should be doing in the fall. I loved watching them.

A lunch date with Grandma and Grandpa Ottley, Mom, and Vanessa at Gardner Village. Jane sure loves her great-grandparents. She kept cuddling right up to Grandpa and wanting to hold his hand.

Occasionally, Jane says, "Mom, take my picture!". This was such a time, and I'm glad I did. Why fight it?

One of Jack's creations: Sail is down.

Sail is up. Can you tell what happened? It was a little better when you could see how he made it. (No his room isn't always this messy, but it's definitely NOT uncommon!)

This is Jeff's eye after a night of rolling primer in our basement. He got PAINT on his contacts. We're finally to that point and we're getting anxious to be DONE. It will still be a while, but we're getting there!

Hope you all have enjoyed your fall and are loving this wonderful season of gratitude.

I'm not afraid

2009-10-23T11:54:00.005+07:00

I went to the dentist this week.

I hate the dentist.

I get queasy when I walk into the office and breathe "the smell". I tense right up when I hear the drill. And I leave with relief when I know I don't have to go back for another six months.

I don't want my kids to hate going to the dentist. So, this visit, I took them back to see the special chair and all the fun things for their own visit in a few weeks. (Jack's been a few times, but this will be Jane's first.) I got them all excited about how FUN it will be, and how COOL all the tools are, and how the dentist is SO awesome. Do I really feel this way? Nope.

As I sat tensely in the chair having them tear up my gums (it's been far too long since we've actually been this time around, two years in Thailand, some time before, some time after... you do the math), I thought of all the things I do so my kids will have positive thoughts about the things I don't.

The first one I thought of... swimming.

I'm a terrible swimmer, and it's always made me nervous. All my childhood nightmares have to do with water or fire. Yet, as soon as Jack was old enough, I put him in a mom and tot class so he wouldn't have any reason to be afraid. Living in Thailand, we could swim year around, so we did. We swam constantly. I put the kids in swim classes and they learned to love the water. I considered this a personal victory in a way. One down.

I love lightening, but thunder has always made me nervous (still does sometimes). This makes no sense since lightening is actually the one that can do some damage. Growing up, I remember my parents allowing me to sleep on their floor occasionally because it made me so nervous during the night. When Jack started to show signs of fear due to thunder, I made up a very elaborate story of a giant in the sky who was telling hilarious jokes with friends and how the thunder was them all laughing at the funniest jokes of all. Two down.

Do I love spiders, snakes, and other crawling things? Not my favorite, but I definitely try to put on a brave face. My mom was the BEST at smashing any spider we ran screaming about. She was so tough (or was she just a good actress?). I remembered our trip to Malaysia where Jack dared me to hold the snake he SO wanted to hold, yet didn't have the guts. I did it because I wanted him to know it wasn't a big deal. I wouldn't have done it for anyone else, because I just didn't want to. But, in an attempt at being a good mother, I decided not to limit Jack's experiences because of something I don't care for. He held the snake.

I also remember dreading Sundays while on vacation as a kid. Being the "visitor" was never fun. As an adult, I love visiting other wards and meeting new people. We always try and stay the whole block and make our kids go to their classes, where they experience being the "visitor" and seem to thrive time and time again. What was my problem? Who knows how long it will last, but for now, another one down... and how many to go?

I just discovered a new one that's coming right up... loose teeth. It's hard for me not to cringe. Obviously, I have something with teeth. Jack's teeth are going to start falling out any day now and as exciting as it will be for us to watch him hit this milestone, I'll have to practice my happy face.

Am I the only parent who does this?

What happens when my kids discover all the things I've done to make them love things I hate? Am I doing them a disservice? Or, do they ever really need to know?

I won't tell if you don't.

PS While looking for a funny joke to put in Jack's lunch box, I came across one that I couldn't stop laughing about.

Q. What's brown and sticky?

A. A stick.

I know, I'm a nerd.

A way to give

2009-10-14T08:12:00.004+07:00

This time of year, life gets busy. School programs, soccer games, rehearsals, homework, family gatherings, holiday events, shopping, winter preparation, sick days, the list goes on. It's easy to get caught up in ourselves. I know, because I seem to do it every year.

If you know me at all (or have even read 2 sentences of any of my posts) you know I adore my family. Yep, every single one of them. Here's just one example of why they are so awesome. Heidi, my lovely sister-in-law and her husband (who kind of looks like Jeff) have taken nine different foster children into their home in the last couple of years. They worked through The Christmas Box House to help these children have a safe haven during their transition periods. The last child they cared for, they brought home from the hospital after his birth, and have now closed the adoption and are sealed to him forever. It's obvious why they feel a desire to do something to help this organization.

So, here is your opportunity to do some good for someone else amidst all the craziness, even before a lot of it begins (good timing, right?).

Heidi is working to collect a large number of hygiene items to assemble kits that will go to children as they transition from one home to another. She is in need of these items:

Children kits:

Child size toothbrush

Children’s toothpaste (full-size)

Children’s shampoo w/conditioner (2 in 1)

Sensitive Skin body wash or full-size bar of Sensitive Skin soap

Comb

Teen kids:

Toothbrush

Toothpaste

Shampoo

Conditioner

Body Wash or full size bar of soap

Deoderant

Brush or comb

She has already received some items, but in this case, more is better! Many of these items are available at the dollar store (toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, etc), sometimes several in a package. Other things will be cheaper elsewhere. If you are a couponer, you probably have loads of that super-bargain shampoo or free toothpaste and brushes in your storage area. Now's the time to use them! If it's easier to donate money, she (or myself) is happy to go and buy what we need to even the amounts up to complete the most number of kits possible.

This is a great chance to let the kids go shopping with you to pick out the items, knowing they are going to children in need. Children that don't have nearly what we have.

Heidi is working hard to gather everything before Thanksgiving, in a hope to assemble the day after. She'll need help putting them together too, so if you're up for the task on that day, that's another GREAT way to put your little one's hands (and your own) to work to help others. What a great time of year this is!

Here's Heidi's post about this project, where she's offering up her own fresh produce from her garden in appreciation for all donations. Not sure if there are still tomatoes out there, but if not, you could put in an order for next year, I'm sure. She's quite easy to work with. Like I said, my family is great.

Feel free to email me, or Heidi herself, if you have questions. I'm happy to pick up and deliver things to her house, or like I said, if money is easier, send a check. It will definitely go where it's needed most. Believe me, we know how to stretch a dollar.

Thanks to Heidi for providing an opportunity to start out our holiday season remembering what it's really all about.

Fall fun

2009-10-12T05:16:00.004+07:00

I'm not a fan of the cold, but there are some fun things that happen this time of year.

Papa's birthday is just one week after Jane's. I made the cake in honor of our recent trip. We're still on our Disney high. Conference weekend at my folks was nice and relaxed. LOVE conference weekend, love birthdays.

Luckily, this doesn't only come at this time of year, but if you would have asked me two months ago if I would have been spending an afternoon with my Grandma Ottley in October, I would have said no. We were losing her a while back, and I never thought I'd have another normal visit with her again.

I took the kids up for a visit, and hearing her greet us with "come in, dears!" when we walked in the door made me almost burst into tears. I've adored this woman my entire life, and it's such a blessing to have each day with her. I count her as one of my reasons to love this season. She's here, and I love her.

Jack's finishing up his second season of soccer, and he's still loving it! He's off and on with how much he focuses on the game, but I can already see improvement in his game, and so as long as he's having fun, I'm all for it! I LOVE watching, laughing, and cheering. He loved playing goalie, and believe it or not, he would jump into action as soon as they got close.

After his game yesterday, we took a trip to the pumpkin patch next door to Jack's school. My kids aren't used to these fall activities, and I have to admit, I've found an excitement for it I didn't remember from a few years ago. I LOVE the colors of fall. Thank you, Mother Nature.

The kids loved picking out their own pumpkin, and it was a gorgeous day for it.

Check out those beautiful blue skies! Even Alice seemed to get into the fall fun.

I can't decide if Alice looks like a boy in this sweater, but honestly, I LOVE blue on my girls, and don't have nearly enough of it. If she looks like a boy, she sure is a cute one.

A few other fun things we've been up to... guess who is just DYING to learn violin? She begged and begged until I started officially giving her a lesson just like Jack. So, here's our little violinist. She's just now starting to put the bow on the strings and is extremely excited about it. She reminds me when it's practice time, which is a change from her brother, so I'm loving it.

Last weekend, my family all got together for a jam session with another musical family we admired while we were growing up, the Miners. They are amazing musicians, and actually still perform and PRACTICE even while they're busy parents, business men, soccer moms, etc. I am so impressed. Even though we are all a little rusty on my side of the family (sorry ya'll, but you know it's true), it was still fun to see what we could remember, and see what we could will our fingers to do. Plus, we got to bask in the unmatched talent of none other than the Craig Miner from Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband. We've loved Craig's music since I was about nine when he helped us record our family album with his brother, Curtis. It was a fun night of friends, food, and lots of music!

This is Craig serenading the kids with his Rainbow Connection in his famous Kermit the Frog voice. The kids even got their fiddles out and played with all of us. (Notice Jeff's beautiful new bass on its side in the middle. This is the newest addition to our family. He's waited for that bass for years, and we are all loving it!)

I hope you're all making the best of this cold weather. Like I said, I don't love it. But, there are too many other great things about the season to not love Autumn all together. Anything in particular you love to do this time of year?

Florida - the rest

2009-10-09T23:59:00.004+07:00

We spent one more day at Epcot, mainly in the World Showcase part of the park. I love this place because in one day you can tour the "world".

We saw the acrobats in China...

I loved the perfectly manicured UK... (someday I'll get there for real)

The kids laughed like crazy at the clown/juggler in Italy...(another day, I'll get there too. Someday, I'll be blogging from Venice. Someday.)

...and the detail was amazing in Morocco. I think Jeff was a little disappointed we didn't schedule in the belly dancing show.

There was just too much to fit all in! I think Germany was my favorite "country" because it seemed so familiar. Maybe it was the smell of beer that made it feel so authentic! Love Germany, hate the smell of beer. Also, B.O. always takes be immediately back to my summers in Europe. (Too much information? Sorry.)

We were all so worn, we decided to take a break this day and head home for naps, so we could stay late for the fireworks that night. Jane was happy to be getting a ride to the car. I loved this photo of her and Jeff with the Epcot icon behind them.

Alice is our little angel. She was so pleasant and happy the whole time! Unbelievable.

Disney was extremely creative in finding ways to make the "countries" fun for the kids as well. Jack's favorite (notice his "I'm on a mission" pose) was a Kim Possible challenge where kids received a communicator with ongoing clues and challenges, where he entered codes and made things happen throughout the park that no one except "special agents" would know about. He was loving it. We wished we would have known discovered it earlier and done it all day!

Epcot was awesome. So was Hollywood Studios, but the pictures were limited with our low battery! I think the highlight of the park for Jack was when he was able to participate in the Jedi training course. Oh my. There were so many little ones who wanted to do it, we stuck around for two shows trying to get him a chance. Luckily, it paid off! He was taking it very seriously, and will proudly show you his Jedi certificate when requested. The Jedi master here was hilarious, and Darth Vader has turned into one of Jane's favorites since this.

One of the newest attractions is the American Idol experience. People can actually go through the entire audition process right there in the park, and at the end of the day the winners from each session compete for a chance at a real audition for the real show. It was fun, but I'm pretty sure we didn't discover any stars that day!

Our last day at Disney was actually Jane's birthday. I'll be the first one to tell any parents that kids don't need extravagant things for birthdays. Honestly. She would have been thrilled to have a day at the park with a cake and candles. But when we were scheduling it so close to her big day, we decided to try and just make it her birthday celebration. We must have been inspired, because later we found out you get free admission on your birthday this year, OR, if you've already paid for a multi-day pass, they'll give you the price of the ticket in merchandise. So... we let Jane go on a bit of a shopping spree and left there with more loot than ever before. We totally looked like one of "those families" that goes WAY over the top. It's fun to do it once... and with Disney's money rather than our own, it was awesome!

The one present we did bring for Jane was this little Cinderella dress, and she was thrilled with it! Here she is in front of her castle.

Since we'd already done Magic Kingdom the week before, we took a slower pace and it was nice. We spent a lot of time on kid rides Jane would love, plus Splash mountain again where Jeff and I did our best to keep her dry (she didn't like the idea of getting all wet again), and thunder mountain, which she adored. Alice was having a great time this day on all the rides we can include her on. So happy!

The kids loved the dinky rollercoaster in toon town and were so excited when they got to go together and even sit in the front car! Yay for no lines!

And of course, we waited to see the princesses for Jane. I think Cinderella was by far the most lovely princess, but I just loved how this picture with Aurora turned out, even if she in real life wasn't quite as impressive as I had hoped. When Princess Aurora found out it was Jane's birthday, she told her all about how on her birthday her aunts tried to make her a birthday cake without their wands and what a disaster it was. Jane was just soaking it all in! This attraction was SO well done.

This was our only day really eating IN the park, and they even came and sang Happy Birthday to Jane! She loved the extra attention, and we loved the air conditioning!

Mimi and Papa, as always, were champs at catering the day towards the kids and making it fun for everyone! It's so fun to go with such Disney connoisseurs!

We fit in what we wanted that day and felt done, so we were home in time for a swim and cake and ice cream! Thank goodness Jane took cupcakes as a substitute for the "Hello Kitty" cake she's been talking about for a year. We had a nice little party and put the kids to bed in preparation for our early flight home.

We had to say an early goodbye to our lovely little vacation home. How could you not love a PINK house? Mom and Dad dropped us at the airport, and we were off. Back to Utah, back to reality.

We planned a few days of recovery afterward, since honestly, vacations with my family require it. Disneyworld with the Rich family isn't exactly a leisurely vacation, but it sure is FUN! And absolutely exhausting. Jane was attempting to get a head start on recovering while we waited in Chicago. Jeff was just faking, but caught up soon enough.

Thanks, mom and dad, for a dream vacation and loads of priceless moments together. Disney is great, of course, but the TIME with you was what really made the trip the best. We love you.

Disney World!

2009-09-28T08:36:00.004+07:00

How do you document 8 overflowing days of FUN? I couldn't possibly share it all, so here are a few favorites... from the first half anyway.

Frequent flyer miles are great for free flights, but NOT great for flight times. It took us most the day to travel, but we did it! Luckily, my kids have a little travel experience which tends to help. Or is it that I know, as a mother, what to realistically expect from a three and six year old? Maybe. But probably it's the fun travel kits Mimi prepared for the kids that kept them busy for hours. Jane was feeling pretty cool in her new shades.

First day, Epcot center! And in case you're wondering, yes, we matched our shirt colors on purpose almost every day, which we highly recommend. Definitely made it easier to keep track of each other, and with my kids and Mimi (mom, you know it's true, you are just as curious as Jack and Jane) who tend to wander, it was so nice!

We walked on almost every ride with less than a 10 minute wait. We did wait to see a whole slew of characters all at once, and it was worth it. The kids loved it!

Pretty sure Alice didn't really get the whole Disney thing, but she sure was happy while we were at the happiest place on earth!

The back half of Epcot is a world showcase, featuring several different countries and their cultures. I love this part because you get a little taste of a world tour, my dream come true! This is Jane in Norway. Have you ever seen a more striking viking princess?

Second day, Magic Kingdom! How could you not smile in a place like this?

In line for our first ride of the day... Peter Pan of course! "Line" is a loose term because there really weren't any lines at all, especially first thing in the morning!

Storytime with Belle was a lot of fun. Jack even got to be her father, the inventor (how appropriate!), as the children acted out Belle's story on stage. She was awesome.

We got so many pictures with characters, it's not even funny. The kids were loving it, even pictures with the villains! This was right before Jack did his pirate training course with none other than the Captain Jack Sparrow.

While Jane was with her fairy godmother (she was brilliant!)...

Jack actually found a friend to have a duel with. Papa told me that it ended in his opponent getting a good hit and Jack playing dead. Both these boys were really getting into it, it was awesome.

Mandatory Mickey bars!

Disney with my family has never been for the faint hearted! We get the MOST out of each day that is humanly possible. We wore these two right out!

The Buzz ride is a favorite for everyone. If you don't get a good score, you're punished with the enemy Zurg. Papa even went back on this one later by himself to improve his score! Everyone feels like a kid at Disney!

For some reason, this is one of my favorite things at Disney. We had to get the classic picture.

When I was in Florida 10 years ago with my parents and brother, we didn't get to the Animal Kingdom. I knew my kids would love it, since they are so fascinated by zoos, farms, and anything bug related! It did not disappoint!

While everyone else was running to the biggest attractions, my kids (of course) had to stop at each little cage and learn about each spider, scorpion, and bug inside. We went against all our "get it in" instincts and let them enjoy each one and ask all kinds of questions. It was great!

Jane kind of likes her sister. Even when Alice doesn't get it, Jane thinks she's hilarious!

I love bridges like this. It reminded me of some from Thailand. But lots stronger, wider, and it even had side rails! This equals less stress for me!

The kids loved the great drum display in the African part of the Animal Kingdom. There was just so much to do!

While dad and Jeff took the big kids on the rafting ride, mom and I took Alice to cool her down a bit. It was HOT, but she was such a happy girl, as usual.

Jack's favorite ride was the rollercoaster Everest, which I regret not getting a picture of. He went on it three times in a row and begged for more. Jane would have loved it too, but it was one of the few rides the whole trip she wasn't tall enough for. It was SO fun having kids who love rides! Jane tried everything, although didn't want to repeat a few of them. If you ask her what her favorite was, she'll probably tell you the Tower of Terror. Who could have guessed?

This trip was our turn in my parents rotation of taking each of their kids' families on a trip. We felt SO spoiled to have all this time with them all to ourselves (sorry sibs, you know we love you, but we all like our Mimi and Papa time!) They were the bests hosts ever, and it was fun to be in the position of "kid" rather than responsible adult once again! Dad has a thing about taking charge of tickets and anything important, and Mom pretty much planned the entire thing. We pretty much just showed up ready to play. I haven't been on a trip where I didn't plan every detail myself in a while, so this was AWESOME!

This is how Alice slept the entire trip. Yes, it's a drawer. She slept awesome. If you can't tell, she's a swaddler and likes things quite cozy.

Mom and Dad rented a house for us all to stay in, and it was incredible to come home exhausted each day to a place we could really relax in! You'd be amazed at the cheap places you can find to stay in Florida right now. This four-bedroom house was cheaper per night than our very average hotel room in Rexburg, Idaho!

The kids loved the game room, but we were so busy, we didn't play in it nearly enough!

We got home early on Saturday and the kids headed straight for the backyard for a swim! This pool was just right for an evening dip!

Even though they could have had their own rooms, they chose to share. They thought it was heaven to have a TV in their room, and we found them cuddled up together in bed watching a show (even though they really had their own beds). I love that my kids love each other.

Our Sunday consisted of church meetings (and if you can believe it, we ran into the mission president of the Bangkok mission also on vacation in Florida. Small world, right?), having my aunt and uncle over for dinner (which regrettably, I got NO pictures of, can you believe me?), and the kids building forts all over the house. It was great! We loved visiting with Glen and Sherry, who we rarely get to see. How can I be related to so many great people?

The kids loved having a "down" day, and we ALL needed it to recharge for the next three days!

What a trip, and this was just the beginning!

We also love Florida

2009-09-25T06:55:00.003+07:00

We're home now ...and we had a GREAT time.

Pictures to follow when I'm feeling a little less overwhelmed.

Don't hold your breath.

I love Idaho.

2009-09-14T10:21:00.002+07:00

I always forget how much I love Idaho, until I get there. THEN, I remember.

Jeff and I fell in love in Idaho. Shouldn't that be enough?

But, that's not all. We also have family in Idaho that we adore. All the small towns, open land, fresh air, and the stars. Oh, the stars.

We just returned from a quick trip to visit that family we love, and on top of that had a two day trip down memory lane. We reminisced about our first meeting, our first walk, our favorite places to escape my 16 roommates (during engagement), and our first apartment. Gotta love that pink front door.

This was our first roadtrip in our van, and it was a success! The girls slept, and Jack read TWO chapter books on the way up!

This is Jack at the rest stop, ropin' the garbage can.

We spent the afternoon with Grandma Hillman, who hadn't seen us since Jane was about Alice's age! WAY too long. Alice took to her right away. I love how she's looking at her.

We went back for pictures on Sunday, since we were a little distracted with all that visiting on Saturday. Grandma was an excellent host, chef, and also very patient with our curious little ones.

We spent the evening at Uncle Rand and Aunt Jana's home, where they somehow always know how to make us feel right at home. Every time we visit, I think of how much I would love to live there. I wish I could give my kids that kind of land to play on, and trees to climb. Even their dirt seems more fun.

The kids loved Rand and Jana and wasted no play time at all. Rand was helping Jane find all her favorite rocks and washing them with soap for her to take home, and Jack was dragging Jana around outside asking all kinds of questions, I'm sure.

They took the kids out to see their horses, and went for a little ride. They were in heaven.

Jeff said Jane was nervous at first, but by the looks of this picture, she warmed up pretty fast to the idea.

When we first walked into Grandma's place, Rand was sitting on the couch. She ran right into his arms, and hardly left his side the rest of the night. She must have been going on instincts, because she hasn't seen him since she was six months old! (They were also both calling him Grandpa by the end of the night. He does look a little like Jeff's dad, but honestly, I think he just took on the role so well they couldn't resist!) I loved this picture of Rand trying to get a good shot of Jane.

Once upon a time, I played in a band in Island Park, ID. Rand, Mark, a fun bass player named Dave, and I performed every weekend throughout the summer. I fell in love with these guys, and I'll admit, it's still there. They are fabulous.

They forgave me for not bringing my fiddle (but, only this once), and still played and sang for us. Jack, however, DID have his fiddle, so he played his one fiddle song, and was feeling pretty special playing with "the guys". They proceeded to play and sing all my favorites, even "Kansas City" which I think Rand only plays when I make him. I love that one.

Jack's been singing their songs ever since. He was thrilled to finally make it home and be able to get out the recording we made during a gig in Jackson Hole years ago. I love the memories I have with these guys and their wives (notice Mark's wife, Becky, in the background). I could visit with them forever, and always leave looking forward to the next time we get to visit.

We had one brief stop on our way out of town. The Rexburg, ID temple. It's about three blocks from our first apartment, but wasn't built until several years after we left. It sure is beautiful, and I feel a special attachment to it, even though we've never been inside. We're hoping we can change that next summer when we go back.

Love the town, love the state, love the air, love the space, and love the people. Just wish we would have had more time to see more of them. I really do love Idaho.

What we're keeping busy with...

2009-09-12T08:44:00.005+07:00

Jack... LOVING his new school! He's got a fantastic teacher, fun friends, and we are getting the carpool situation worked out so we're ALL happy with less drive time! (for those who have asked, yes, this is his FOURTH school he's attended, and he's in FIRST grade! We're trying out a new Charter school, and so far, we're sold!)

Jane... a lot of this...

She's such a fantastic sister. She fills her time with lots of books, helping mommy (honestly, she made me teach her how to change Alice the other day), playing outside, and learning to write her letters! Oh yes, and one princess party.

Alice... being happy and cute as always...

and getting acquainted with her new cousins. (6 1/2, 3 1/2, and 3 weeks)

Me... lots of fun, kids, and in the last two days, lots of THIS:

8 hours, 2 moms, 5 kids, and 4 boxes of peaches. Crazy, but a good day. I'm still working on de-stickifying my kitchen! Thanks for all the help, Heidi!

Jeff... he's been working harder than anyone. He's recently completed ALL the drywall in the basement. I married an amazing man, I tell you.

We decided to hire something out (mudding and taping), and it's been awesome to have it progressing during the DAY for once! Jeff gets a little break from evenings in the basement, while he does this...

... or at least is on his way to play a 9/11 memorial concert of Mozart's Requiem.

And his bass he's been saving for FOREVER comes in two weeks! YAY!

The kids have been working on our "service jar" lately.

Simple, but effective.

Changes

2009-09-01T02:55:00.004+07:00

I'm a change lover. No, I don't mean the kind of change that makes your pockets heavy. Although I will admit, the idea of swimming in a pool of gold coins looked mighty enticing to me as a child watching DuckTales. But, that's not what I'm talking about. I mean change. Like the only thing in life that's constant. Change.

Like anyone, I like to have some things stay the same. I like to be on a consistent sleep schedule so I can get up on time and go to the gym (which, by the way hasn't been happening lately). I like to do my laundry on the same days of the week. And, I like to know when to plan on Jeff arriving each day. But, overall, it's kind of nice to mix things up once in a while.

One thing I love about Utah is the change of seasons. It's such a natural way to "recycle" things that have lost their luster. Like having a routine. I was SO happy to hit summer and have a free-for-all each day. That was fun. But honestly, how fun would it be to have that forever? It's nice to get back to a routine.

Or how about clothes? Coats will soon be as fun to get out as those sundresses and shorts were just four months ago.

Food? I've spent the summer eating sandwiches and fruit. Yum. But as it gets colder, I look forward to staying home and making yummy soups and breads that haven't sounded good to me since tulips made their appearance.

I look forward to watching the leaves change color and the scenery on a mountain drive looking like a bowl of Trix (how I thought of it as a child) once again.

Activity choices change with each season. Swimming isn't quite as enticing, but bundling up and going sledding... oh, that will be fun.

This time of year, there are a lot of changes. As I sent my boy off for his first day as a first-grader, I had a quick moment of panic. "What am I doing sending him ALL DAY? Can't we just go back HOME?" Then, I realized... it's time. He's ready. Why shouldn't I be?

He was so excited about his new school. New clothes. New backpack. And especially a lunchbox. SO excited, in fact, he almost forgot to say goodbye. I was so happy he still wanted to give me a kiss. I'll take it as long as I can.

Now that I'm past the initial "goodbye", I'm realizing good things. Like spending more time with my girls. Alice and I laid on the bed together today, smiling, cooing, and taking pictures before her nap. Who wouldn't love to spend time with this smile?

Jane and I colored, traced letters, read books (that only she picked!), and had more conversation in one afternoon than we've had in a LONG time. Jack's always exciting to have around, but he tends to dominate the conversation a bit. Especially over his sister, who just now is starting to have more to say. I learned a lot about my little Jane today. I miss my Jack, but I think I'm going to like this arrangement.

I'm pretty sure this will be another good change for us.

And maybe now my kids will stop singing, "What time is it? Summer time!". Come on, you closet High School Musical fans. You know you love it.

Super hero/fighting pose. Their favorite.

This is how excited Jack was.

Winter wear?

2009-08-10T10:35:00.005+07:00

Summer is fun... even if it's cold and you have to dress like it's not summer.

It was cold at the ward camp out. Thankfully, we were prepared and the kids had a great time. And Alice slept longer than anyone at camp. Two reasons we'll be trying this one again. Or, maybe we should quit while we're ahead?

Jack took this one himself. Can you tell?

He also took this one of Jane eating a once horrifying burnt marshmallow. Honestly, she acted like it was a banana or something, or for most kids, how they act when presented with a spoonful of whatever makes your kid whimper in fear. Someday this girl will eat fruit, and the whole world will hear about it. At least she got over her fear of roasted marshmallows, right? One battle at a time.

Anyone else taken advantage of $2 Tuesdays at Thanksgiving Point? (It goes through the entire month of August!) We planned for the Dinosaur museum, but it was incredibly overcrowded, so we retreated to Farm Country. We enjoyed the open space, cows, pigs, feeding the horses, and even the wagon ride where the most exciting thing we saw were corn stalks. It was $2... I'm not complaining.

I loved how Jane wrapped her arms around Jack for this photo. It almost made me forget that I had horse slobber all over my hand from feeding them corn!

Alice has turned into quite the smiler. She is so enjoyable, and if you can't tell, her Daddy can't get enough of her.

Our weekly cousin camps are unfortunately coming to an end. We've so enjoyed the extra gatherings of sisters and cousins! This one was just at Mimi and Papa's house with a picnic and games in the backyard. I made the kids all line up for a game, but decided I needed a picture before it started. These kids are so comfortable with each other and honestly, there's no one else they'd rather be with. We were missing Mia and the babes in this one, but the "triplets" on the end sure look cute.

Speaking of cousins... we added one more this week. Joanna had her fifth on Sunday and she is absolutely beautiful. I'll let her share the details. We're just glad she's here and Joanna can start feeling like herself again! Whew! You made it, Jo!

That smile...

2009-08-03T06:40:00.003+07:00

We had some fun Hillman family time this week, starting at Pineview reservoir.

Water, sand, and family, what could the kids possibly love more?

How about a boat ride? Jack remembered three years ago at Bear Lake when he got to ride in the neighbor's boat and was ecstatic to go for another ride. This is Ellie, Jack, Jane, and Megan (a friend).

The reason Jack never forgot the boat ride with "Brother Kitchen" is because he let him DRIVE! Jack couldn't wait to get behind the wheel again and took it quite seriously.

I was a little surprised when Jane jumped up when asked who else wanted to drive. She was excited to do it, but took it a little less seriously. She actually wasn't watching where she was going at all and was pretty content to drive us in circles for several minutes at a time (probably the reason behind Megan's mom getting sick near the end! Oops!).

I LOVE Jane's smile. Have you ever seen such beautiful teeth?

If you can't tell, Brother Kitchen was the HIT of the day! If they didn't love him for the boat ride, they sure did after they built TWO big sand castles. He's just a little baby hungry to have his own grandkids (which are still a few years off), but my kids are sure enjoying being stand-ins for the time being! What a great guy!

Meanwhile, Alice was a complete angel all day. She slept, ate, and hung out in this camp chair looking cute as ever. My, I love this girl.

After geocaching with Dad Hillman, Jack, and Jason, Jeff enjoyed a little time with Alice. He was getting her laughing a bit, which is our newest favorite thing with her. I loved this picture because you can see little Ethan in the background enjoying the show as well!

We spent Saturday with some of the women in my mother-in-law's side of the family. The kids sure enjoyed being together, even when they don't get to see each other very often. (left to right: Jordan, Landon, Joey, Jack (holding Ethan), Jesse, Savannah, Jane, Lilly, and Emma.)

The last couple of times we've been together, Jane and Emma have really gotten along well. Jane hasn't really found a "best" friend since we've been back, so it's fun to see her really take to someone her own age (instead of older guys, who she's always drawn to!).

By the time we slowed down to eat, Alice was tuckered out!

Speaking of tuckered out... it's been a busy week. Jane thinks she's not tired until she just passes out.

The highlight of our week was Alice's blessing today. Our family joined us at church and at our home afterward for a simple lunch. It was a nice day and Alice was amazingly calm during church. Whew! What a blessing it is to have Alice be a part of our family. It's been a good day.

Dear Grandma,

2009-07-30T10:42:00.006+07:00

I went to your funeral today. It was a lovely meeting that you would have enjoyed. As my dad said, you would have been embarrassed by all the nice things that were said about you. I was so happy to be able to participate by playing with my sisters. Many of your 72 great-grandchildren sang about families being together forever. Dad and Uncle Gordon sang, just as you had requested. As they sang, I remembered Grandpa’s beautiful tenor voice. I have few memories of him, but his voice is something I’ll never forget (along with his alarmingly loud sneezes).

Jack and Jane were happy to “celebrate” you. We particularly liked the slideshow of you they had going as we walked in. I thought of you as a young mother and all the fun visits we had when I was just starting out as a mother. I loved that you got to see Jack grow from week to week, and how you loved watching each new step. I’ll always remind Jack of how much fun he had rooting through your toy drawer, or how whenever you would get him a cracker, you always gave him “one for each hand”. When he was older, you were such a great audience when he’d play his violin for you.

When we came by to see you recently, I loved how Jane ran into your arms. We worried she was being too rough with you, but you smiled and welcomed her onto your lap with a kiss. She may not remember, but I’ll never forget when we visited you for the last time, to say our final goodbye. How she climbed right up on your bed to be close to you. I’ll remind her how happy you were to have her there and how she didn’t want to say goodbye.

For years you’ve wondered why you were still here. I’ve always known it was for us, not you. I’ve felt spoiled that you were here long enough to meet our little Alice. She won’t remember, but I will. I’ll tell her about your eyes lighting up when I asked if you wanted to hold her, and how she smiled the whole time. I’ll tell her about when I offered to take her back, and you wouldn’t let me. Seeing you with my baby reminded me of the first moment I connected with you as a mother, and how my love for you really blossomed. You weren’t only “Grandma” anymore. You’d become even more.

As a kid, I remember the fun New Year’s Eve “parties” we had with lots of treats and board games while we watched the ball drop on the television. I remember hours of playing air hockey in the basement, jumping rope with one end tied to the doorknob, bottles (bottles!) of soda, jumping on that indestructible orange couch, eating individually wrapped cheese slices, and the Almond Rocas you always had in your freezer. I very clearly remember that Grandpa loving to eat peanut butter on his toast for breakfast, yet it was only a few years ago that you told me it was only he who liked it, and you hadn’t bought peanut butter in the 22 years that he’s been gone. How did you not like peanut butter? As a teenager, I remember not remembering to spit out my gum before visiting your house. You have never liked gum, and finally, I get it.

I’ll remember a lot about you, but most of all, I’ll remember the years we had together relating as mothers. Thank you for sharing that time with me. Thank you for being excited for me as I started my family. And thank you for doing such a great job raising yours. Your influence as a loving mother has rippled through five generations already, and many more to come.

I love you,

Mindy

P.S. Give Grandpa a hug for me.

Summer fun

2009-07-20T08:23:00.004+07:00

Summer is great, isn't it? No school (at least for Jack), a carefree schedule, sleeping in a bit, seeing family more often, and not having to worry about icy roads. Plus, Jeff takes a LOT more days off work than he normally would.

Before Thailand, I leaned more towards liking the colder months than the warm ones. Now, I'm much more accustomed to the heat, although this is a completely different kind of heat. I'd much prefer moist air, but we'll take what we're given.

Here are a few things that are taking up our summer time...

Jane's taken to picking up every potato bug she finds, and there are a lot!

We spent an afternoon walking/riding to our nearby park, which the kids loved. For me, it felt GREAT just being able to get somewhere without having to get in the car.

We've done a session of swimming that the kids have loved. Jack even cruised onto the next level... he's an animal! Jane's a great swimmer, but still learning to actually listen to the teacher. She just wants to SWIM! This is a common scene lately...

Jeff has been reading a lot with the kids. They are cruising through books so fast, I can hardly keep up! One of Jack's favorites was Mr. Pudgins and now they are into the Ramona series that Jeff and I both liked as kids. (Note: Jack is actually wearing pants, hah!)

Jack's been going through audio books during his "quiet time" faster and faster. This week he listened to Tale of Despereaux and Black Beauty and really liked them both. I almost hate that he's going through so many books without me!

I took this picture of Jane in an attempt to capture her sun-kissed cheeks. As much as I like to keep my kids OUT of the sun, I'll admit I love to see a little on her cheeks. I think it makes me feel like they're enjoying all the things that are wonderful about summer... the outdoors, sun, bugs, dirt, and all that good stuff.

I feel so blessed everyday when I look at my kids. And how lucky is Jane to have a SISTER? Few things are better.

Last Saturday we were lucky enough to spend some time in the temple while Jeff's brother, Jason, and his family were sealed to their son, Ethan. It was a special day, and long awaited for! Here's the group outside.

Here's the lucky family: Heidi, Jason, Ellie, and Ethan... now a forever family. They were all laughing at Dad Hillman trying to balance his suitcase on his head. He knows how to get the smiles.

At the luncheon afterward, were were able to visit with family and eat delicious food. I didn't take many pictures, and this one isn't even that great (Alice was ready for her nap!), but I was happy to get a shot of Grandma Munk with Alice. Grandma makes a special blanket for each of her grandkids/great grandkids, so she had brought Alice's down. It's BRIGHT pink with hearts. I love it, and Jane's already tried to claim it as her own!

I feel unworthy to be related to Grandma who can easily whip one of these blankets out in a week. Is this a lost art?

Enjoy your summer!

Jack's pockets

2009-07-17T03:46:00.005+07:00

Laundry can be such an adventure. What will I find in Jack's pockets TODAY? (After washing, of course.) Here's the latest...

allen wrench
flashlight
plastic stegosaurus
dime
multi-tool
CTR charm
3 marbles
2 glow in the dark stars from his ceiling
popcorn kernal
screw
some kind of "points" card from school
2 rocks
bean of some sort
and a paper clip

Is he a boy or what?

PS I finally decided the hidden "just-in-case-I-get-hungry" crackers in his pillowcase had to go.

Independence Day

2009-07-08T10:27:00.012+07:00

A few highlights of our Independence Day activities...

Cousin camp was held at the Freedom Festival this last week. The kids activities were fantastic, and best of all... FREE! If you didn't get a chance to go, I definitely recommend it for next year.

There were BIG blow up toys, dancers, jugglers, arts and crafts, and Jack's favorite... the reptile show.

This guy had about 15 different reptiles for the children to see, touch, and hold, while delivering an awesome dialogue that had us all laughing. Yes, even the adults! I think Grant (9 years old) enjoyed the guy more than anyone as he was BURSTING out with laughter at the kid and adult jokes. His laugh is classic!

Notice Jack standing behind the other children. He was so excited he couldn't sit, and for a lot of the show was pacing back and forth mirroring the guy who was presenting. He couldn't take his eyes off of him, and spent a good part of the next 1-2 hours asking questions, holding the snake, and telling him everything he could remember from his reptile and spider books.

I thought this was a pretty good way to end the show. Who wouldn't like holding a GIANT snake?

Last week was also Jack's final week as a Kindergartner. He has LOVED his class and teacher this year, and made the transition from Bangkok so smoothly. It's been nice to have him be thrilled to go to school each day, and even a little upset on the days I had to pull him out for one thing or another. I got this picture of him with Mrs. Peterson on the day she asked him to bring his violin in to play one last time for the kids. She really is as sweet as she looks.

Jane and the girls loved getting their hair done at the Paul Mitchell booth... very fun.

The festivities downtown were fantastic. I was even tempted to go back the next night with Jeff so he could at least see the reptile show. Jack wouldn't have minded seeing it again, that's for sure.

Saturday morning, we got up early and enjoyed watching the balloons take off in Provo. I LOVE this event, and haven't been for years. I can't get past these vibrant colors... so gorgeous. Mimi was a good sport to carry Jane much farther than she probably should have!

Jack took this one while we were watching the balloon competition. Those blue skies and morning air just couldn't be beat.

We took a few pictures of our Patriotic little Alice. We're no photographers, but how bad can you do with such a cute subject?

Barbecue #1 at Mimi and Papa's along with a little pool time with the Rich cousins...

and barbecue #2, crafts and fireworks at the Hillmans. The 4th of July, along with Christmas Eve, is my favorite holiday. What could be better than relaxing with family, eating good food, remembering how blessed we are to be Americans, and letting kids be kids?

Alice is so lucky to have so many cousins to look after her!

Jane loved the fireworks, but they do get a little loud. This was my view as we did the first part of our fireworks. (Jane's sporting Ellie's fireworks hat)

One of the highlights of my day was watching Jane and Ellie on the seesaw. They don't always get along, but when they do, they sure have a great time, and Heidi and I can't stop smiling either!

It was a beautiful evening for an early fireworks show with the kids.

(Napa and Dipu, notice Jane's little puppy purse you gave her on the ground. She LOVES that dog and takes her everywhere! She misses you!)

I LOVE our country, and love celebrating it. Of course, there will always be something to complain about with our government, policies, and such. It's not perfect. But when it all comes down to it, our country is amazing and I can honestly say I've never felt so blessed to be an American!

I found some lovely pictures on my camera as we left the Rich family gathering. I thought I'd share so everyone can see how beautiful my family really is... enjoy.

I just can't decide which is my favorite... can YOU pick?

She smiles!

2009-07-06T09:43:00.005+07:00

Alice has really started to share her smile this week. If we loved her before... my goodness.

Hope you had a fantastic Independence Day.

Happy Birthday, America!

This and that

2009-06-29T09:09:00.003+07:00

Summer is fun. I love getting out of our routine a bit (and equally love getting back into it when the time is right), and doing a little of this and a little of that. Here's what we've been doing lately...

Jeff had a concert last night with the Murray Symphony he's recently started playing with. It was really fun to enjoy music in the outdoors and the kids enjoyed the music from movies that they are familiar with. Jeff's loved playing with a group again (it's been since we were in college, 6 years ago!), and I'm sure they're thrilled to have such a good bass player! You can't really see him, but he's on the right, behind Larry, the other bassist.

Kids don't last through entire concerts, at least mine don't, so thanks to my awesome in-laws for coming and helping with them. They went for walks, listened to the river, played with their shadows, read books, and of course, played with sticks, a favorite in our family. The best part was that we could still hear the music through it all.

These kids love their Daddy. Jack was even carrying his backpack in a way that it was like he was carrying a "bass".

Alice's first concert. Despite the yawn, I think she liked it.

Jack had his final Kindergarten concert last week. Jane, Alice and I sat on the front row and Jack was so excited/distracted, I kept having to motion to him to watch his teacher! It was fun to hear these kids sing and recite poetry about the seasons. Jack's had a great experience this year and has made some really fun friends.

Cousin camps have been fun so far this summer. The kids are always thrilled to be together and we can hardly leave without confirming the next time we'll all be together. We lined all the kids up for a fun group shot. This is all 12 of my parents' grandkids. They've done pretty well, I have to say. Joanna was doing something hilarious to get all of these laughs. I probably should have gotten a shot of her too, because she's pretty cute herself.

We walked to the park and had a fun picnic (thanks Jo), and got to visit while the kids played all over the place.

I think this is one of my favorite photos. Vanessa always laughs at Jane's laugh, which is quite unique! This is them doing their "Jane laugh" together. My goodness, my kids are lucky to have such fun (not to mention beautiful) aunts!

We had our Rich family monthly get together last Saturday afternoon. Since it was the day before Father's Day, the kids prepared to sing some "Dad" songs for them. This isn't the greatest picture of the kids and Mimi and Papa, but I think sometimes pictures like this end up being the biggest treasures!

While the adults were visiting, some of the kids decided to put together a rock band. They performed (really) "Eye of the Tiger". Grant (far left) was the singer, while the other kids played guitar and bass, with Andrew (in the background) was on drums in all his beat-boxing glory. I discovered that all of a sudden, Grant can sing! He was adorably monotone for years, which I was a little sad to see is now gone, but probably better for him to have caught on!

My little angel sleeping in her swing, her napping location of choice.

We spent Thursday at Lagoon with the family. I couldn't believe I caught this picture of Jane and Papa on a moving carousel! Jane was one happy girl.

Jack and the cousins loved the bumper cars, just like me and my siblings growing up. They went on it again and again thanks to almost NO line! It's the only way to go to Lagoon... when it's not busy!

Although Jane had some frustrating moments on these cars, she still loved them! I think she'll get better as she gets a bit older. I was impressed all day at how adventurous Jane was. I never know what to expect from this girl. I knew she'd love most of the rides, but thought she'd be nervous about some as well. Nope. She was an animal and wanted to go on EVERYTHING! She laughed and giggled through the entire day!

I love going to Lagoon with my family because we all love to go on rides. It was apparent that we're getting older because near the end of the day, all the adults had hit our "done" point, while the kids were still going strong! At this point, we were ALL still going strong, even after everyone getting soaked (except me and Mimi of course, who so willingly offered to stay with the babies)!

The highlight of our week was attending the Oquirrh Mountain Temple openhouse. Jeff was able to work a morning shift at the temple, then we met him afterward so we could all go through together. I love this temple. I usually feel an attachment to things that I have a long-standing relationship with, but this was different. After driving past it so many times and finally being able to go in, I really feel like this is our temple. It is beautiful. If you get the chance, GO! Get online and get tickets, it's easy and you don't need to be a member to go inside before the dedication.

The kids were in "silly" mode at this point. I love the way Jane's looking at Jack in this. Aren't siblings such a blessing?

Stay tuned for more summer fun coming up!

TWO trophies!

2009-06-15T05:22:00.007+07:00

I love being a mom. And I'm loving having three to be mom to. Alice has been an awesome addition to our family. Jack and Jane continue to adore her every move; so much, in fact, that I beg them to give us a little space while I nurse her, or while she's trying to sleep. They can hardly keep their hands off her. I'd be lying if I said I didn't know how they feel. I LOVE to hold her and have her cuddle right into me. It's a whole new thing (at least in the last three years or so) to not have my hands free. I have eliminated so many things from my life since Alice arrived, you'd think I have nothing to do. I'm busy all day, yet my house continues to get dirtier, I keep forgetting important things (like Jack NOT having school on Friday, oops!) and dinners aren't even started until Jeff gets home.

Luckily, I am married to Superman. He's amazingly patient and on those days when he could totally come home and say, "what did you do all day?", he never has. Thank goodness! Some days I want to ask myself that question!

So, in addition to every-two-hour feedings, trying to squeeze a bath in, loads of PINK laundry, and my absolutely necessary power nap each day, here's a little of what we've been up to.

When Abbie was here, the kids played and played. Abbie kept them busy with projects for hours on end, and we all loved it. They were thrilled when it started to rain, so of course ran out to play. I LOVE the rain, and if I wasn't holding my babe, I would have been out there with them in a heartbeat. Jeff was out, although he was just trying to finish mowing the lawn, not necessarily trying to play in the rain. What a guy.

The kids were super-heroes for three days straight, with their own super names with individual powers and everything. Bad guys didn't stand a chance at my house.

Jack and Jeff decided last week they wanted to build a periscope. So, off to Lowe's they went and in no time, they were enjoying their new toy. I love when my boys get going on a project, and this one was super easy and hours of fun.

Papa (my dad) came to visit on his way home from work this week. The kids were thrilled, as always. When preparing to go to Provo to play with all the Rich cousins earlier in the week, Jane exclaimed, "Papa is my favorite cousin!". Although not quite clear on the definition of cousins, this shows how much she really just loves her Papa! We loved the visit, and I loved how immediately cozy Alice was with Papa.

She still has her hair! I worry every time we wash it that it will be gone, and it will eventually if she's anything like her siblings. For now, we're loving it! She really is as sweet as she looks.

Jack had his "Soaring Eagles" award ceremony this week at his school. The children were sent home with a list of 20 things they needed to be able to do 15 of. When he heard he could earn a trophy by completing it, he was all for it! He was thrilled to get to go on stage and receive his trophy. This is Jack with his friends as they were lining up.

And the sillier side of these cute kiddos...

About 45 minutes into the ceremony, they were only just finishing up the Kindergarten students, so we were happy when Jack said he wanted to go home as opposed to waiting for the other six grades to be named. It was like a high school graduation! He had his trophy and honestly didn't care about anything else.... much to our relief! He was happy, and that's all we cared about! Are we terrible? I was overwhelmed by how handsome I think this boy is. I can't get enough of those green eyes and perfect smile!

Jack's been finishing up his soccer season this week. He's loved playing on this team, and I have loved watching him. I've been happy with how the focus has remained on learning and having fun, as opposed to winning. I'll be sad when that emphasis changes because right now Jack is really enjoying himself, and it's not because they are winning! They have come a LONG way during this short season, thanks to an extremely patient coach. Hopefully, in the fall, he'll get the whole concept of moving FAST! We think he thinks too much, and then suddenly, the ball is gone! We get quite a kick out of it.

He was so excited to discover he gets a trophy from soccer too. His first two trophies in ONE week!

Jane and Phoenix are little soccer-watching buddies, although Phoenix wasn't too thrilled about his mom and me taking their picture! Hopefully next year, these two will be playing on their own team.

I've been feeling the pressure to finish up my second-to-last class before graduation, so a good deal of my time has been spent on the computer working on assignments and now studying for my mid-term. Taking classes with a family is certainly not the easiest way to get that diploma, but I'm determined to finish this up and feel like I haven't wasted the last 11 years of my life! I will feel a HUGE relief when I'm done and can spend my free time learning things I really want to learn about, rather than finishing up these last required classes that have nothing to do with my major. If all goes as planned, I'll be done in December. THAT will be something to celebrate!

Clever blog post name.

2009-06-01T09:01:00.004+07:00

We've had a great week back to reality. It was hard to let Jeff get back to work on Wednesday, but honestly, I was counting my blessings that he got as much time off as he did, so no complaints here! He was more than a Super Dad while he was home. He was running errands, doing dishes, laundry, floors, reading books, taking the kids on outings, and still squeezing in some basement time while allowing me to rest as much as possible. He prepared me pretty well to handle the three on my own. Plus, I've still had a lot of help from my fantastic moms, and even have my niece here staying for a few days, which has been GREAT!

I feel like this transition to three children has been smooth so far. Alice is an absolute angel. Even after rocking her several times a night, every night, I still adore her every move. I love watching her eyes roll back in her head as she goes to sleep. Or the subtle smiles she gives as she's waking up. Or, my favorite, her satisfied expression as she comes up after nursing with milk dripping from her lips. Irresistible. I really should catch that one on camera sometime.

I forgot last week to write much about her name, and have had a lot of questions as to what her middle name is. It took us a while to decide, as we wanted it to have some kind of tie to Thailand. Thanks to all our Thai friends (and cousins Rikker and Kao) for all of your suggestions. Although it wasn't the most astrologically correct name, we decided on Malee for a middle name. It means "Jasmine" in Thai, which we thought was nice and not too unusual for an American girl. With all these unique names people are coming up with nowdays, we probably could have chosen anything and it wouldn't have stood out amongst her peers! So, our little Alice Malee finally has her middle name!

We'd known that our baby was going to be "Alice" for a while now, but we didn't want to say it until she was born, for some reason. I've always liked the name, especially knowing it's my great-grandmother's name. It wasn't until we knew our friend, Alice, in Bangkok, that I really felt like I wanted that name for one of our children. I admired Alice from the first time I met her and anyone who knows her will tell you she's amazing. I've met few people who are as humble, generous, and loving as she is. If my Alice turns out to be anything like this Alice, she'll be a much better person than I'll ever be. I think everyone could use an Alice in their life! And, since I'll probably never live in the same state (or maybe country) as big Alice (she's probably five feet tall, really) I needed to create one to remind me of all I've learned from her. So, there's the story on our little Alice's name. Any questions?

I took the kids to my Grandparent's house this week so they could meet Alice. It's Grandpa Ottley's mother whose name is Alice, and I think he liked that. I wish I could have known my great grandmother, but I'm sure she must have been amazing to raise such an incredible son. My goodness, I love these people.

We celebrated my nephew BJ's fourth birthday this weekend. He's the first of the "triplets" to turn four. John (left) will turn four in July, and Jane in September. These three will be fun to watch grow up together so close in age. Who would have known there could be such dramatics from this smiling bunch though? So much fun, in not enough time!

Jack and Clark are just nine months apart and I love watching them together! They were doing incredibly in their first three-legged race, galloping down the yard in perfect unison. The following races were a little less successful, but they never lost their grins. Cousins are so great.

Meanwhile, the babes, Alice and Drew, were snoozing away. It's amazing how much they can grow in only three months! I don't expect Alice to be anywhere near this 18-pounder in only three months. He's a chunk, and hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. He's also one of the best natured babies I've ever known. So sweet.

Drew even woke up while we were all gawking at them and just smiled as his mom started talking to him. Seeing these two together is getting me excited to add one more (from Joanna) in August. This will be our second set of "triplets", all just three months apart.

Jack wanted to make sure he got one with Alice as well. He is such a sweet brother.

Jane loves her Papa and who can blame her? My dad's incredible.

Something funny happens when you welcome a new baby into the family. The other kids suddenly seem HUGE. Has anyone else noticed this? Jane and Alice were laying together while I sang Jane her bedtime songs (which, I might add, have been the exact same two songs for at least six months), and I noticed their hands. When did Jane get to be gigantic? She used to be my baby!

I loved this picture of Jack with Alice smiling in her sleep. Jack loves to hold her, and Alice never hesitates before cuddling right into him. For all those who like to tease me that every picture of Jack is in his underpants... yes, you're right. Here he is again!

We discovered this week that Alice doesn't need to be tightly swaddled in order to sleep well. This is new to us, as Jane couldn't sleep a wink unless swaddled so tight that she couldn't move her arms. We did this until she was nine months old when she finally could sleep without it.

It's fun to see her sweet body while she's sleeping. Especially to see that she loves to sleep with her arms up over her head, just like Jack used to do. Another photo I need to get.

I said before that my niece, Abbie, is here for a few days. My sister, Joanna, let me borrow her, and she's been so fun to have around. She and Jack kept each other busy for hours and hours today as they created "research kits" together. We found an old box and they designed their laptops, blackberries, clipboards, and research journals all in their own styles. Abbie was especially thorough and made a table of contents in her journal, as well as making her laptop look as close to her dad's as possible. They even looked up Octopuses on the real computer (probably Jack's 10th time on that subject) and recorded some of their favorite facts. Did I say cousins are great?

Thank you for all the well-wishes from the last post! We feel so blessed to have so many people rooting for us as we start this new chapter for our family. Please keep in touch, all of you, and let us know if you've started your own blogs! We try to keep up with everyone's that we're aware of. We love to read about all the fun things you're up to, and find it inspiring to be surrounded by such exceptional people, all of you.

Lots of love from the Hillmans.

Introducing...

2009-05-25T06:53:00.003+07:00

... our little Alice. She arrived at 3:06am on Tuesday, May 19th. She weighed in at 7 lbs 15 oz (our biggest one yet, but only by an ounce) and was 20 1/2 inches long.

We'll give you the quick version, as I'm sure none of you (particularly the men) are interested in all the details! I started into labor Monday afternoon, yet still had a lot to do! I ran downtown to deliver something, pick up Jeff, and eventually, we dropped the kids off at the Hillmans. This picture was taken right before the kids were to go to Grandma and Grandpa's and they were a little excited about everything. I was excited too, and as you can see, very pregnant!

The whole thing went pretty smoothly, even when we thought my contractions weren't coming fast enough and we might be going home (which I had come to peace with), the doctor decided he didn't want to send me home if I was already nearing a 5. He broke my water and we were on with it! We always do a post-epidural "feeling like a million bucks" picture because honestly... being numb feels like a million bucks after working through all those contractions. Especially after your water is broken. Ouch.

About 4 hours later, she was born and I was SO thrilled to hear that little cry. She was just perfect.

Alice was our first baby born in the middle of the night, and we were exhausted! We had the best nurse who just took care of everything and thank goodness, because some of it is still a little blurry. We all slept once we were up in the recovery room, but I couldn't wait for my kids to come early that morning so they could meet her. I'd promised Jack he would be the first one to hold her after Jeff and me. They were SO excited. As you can see my mom just brought them, pajamas and all, and I was glad she did. I missed my kids all night long, but I was so glad they were at home in their own beds.

If I was worried about anything, it was how Jane would receive not being the littlest anymore. Much to our relief, she's been completely protective and attentive to little Alice. She doesn't like when we have to take her away (which could mean out of the house to a doctor's appointment or just out of her arms), and she loves to check on her while she's napping. Jane and Jack both want to be by her as much as possible which does make it hard when I'm trying to feed her, but I wouldn't change a thing! Notice Jack's mischievous face in this photo... the kids loved that hospital bed!

The hospital care was fantastic at Intermountain Medical Center, but I couldn't wait to get home to my own bed, my kids, and nurses not coming in every couple of hours to check my vitals. Enough already! So, we left the next day and it felt SO good to be home! Especially since my Alice was coming home for the first time. After we named her, my mom went home that night at embroidered this little blanket for her. Very fun.

Jeff's been off for the week and it's been so nice to all be together as we start the adjustment. The kids have loved the company and have done well with all the changes. They loved playing in the sprinklers in this beautiful weather, and I loved that we can enjoy an almost-done backyard where my kids stay close by! I remember loving when it got above 80 degrees (my mom's requirement) and we could run through the sprinklers.

Alice, overall, has been my healthiest child yet. She passed all her tests the first time and we just learned today that her billiruben count is low enough that she won't need lights to fight off her mild jaundice. We had to do lights for a few days with both of the others, so this was a special surprise! But, we did need to take her to the lab yesterday to get her count checked, so we decided to make it our first family outing and picnic at a nearby park afterward. It was such a beautiful day, and the Murray park was the perfect place. They had a really unique playground, ducks along the little river, lots of shade, and plenty of space for Jack and Jeff to throw the frisbee. It was so nice to be OUT! I can't stay in very long and keep my sanity! Alice slept in her seat the whole time and we got home just in time for her to eat (it takes me a while to master the art of discreet public feeding each time!). It worked out perfectly. Jane LOVED this spinning ring and stayed on it most of the time. There were all kinds of spinning toys here, I kept waiting to see someone get sick, but everyone was having a great time!

I love Sundays. Today was no different, except Alice and I didn't get to attend church, of course! Jeff and I got the kids ready and as I was scrambling to iron Jeff's shirt (we're so out of our routine!) and get things ready, I let Jack watch Alice for me. I could hear him and Jane from the laundry room singing something to her, and as I got closer, I realized they were both singing "Feliz Navidad". Why? I have no idea, but she wasn't complaining! Alice is SO lucky to have an older brother and sister.

Overall, we're doing really well. We feel really blessed to have such wonderful families who are so concerned with our well-being. Jack and Jane have loved being with Grandparents and cousins through all of this and I'm sure it's helped make this whole change a lot smoother. I am feeling quite good and am looking forward to getting back into a routine as Jack starts school on Tuesday.

More than anything, I've been overwhelmed by feelings of absolute gratitude for our little Alice. She's already become such an important part of our family. When she was gone for a lab test with Jeff the other day, Jack was complaining that it was "just like before" because she was gone. I didn't think we were so bad off before, but he's right, it's even better now. As he was holding her the other day, he even confessed that he felt bad that he had said he wanted a baby brother because he loved Alice so much. It's amazing what a six year old can feel and express.

When Jack was born, I remember being SO excited for all the things he would get to do in the coming years. I was anticipating all his firsts, and although I loved him as a baby, it seems like I was so excited for him to grow up! Now, since I have two kids who are older, I just want Alice to stay little. Can she just stay one week old for longer than a week? I just can't get enough of my almost-edible child. She lets me kiss her endlessly and reminds me of everything good. I know I can't keep her little, so when I really think about it, I do look forward to watching her little personality develop as she gets older. Wish me luck as Jeff returns to work this week and reality sets in! Mother of three... really?

It had to happen sometime...

2009-05-14T10:42:00.006+07:00

We initially started this blog simply to keep in touch with family as we ventured to Thailand for two years. We've been home for almost five months now, and although we miss and think about our priceless experiences in Thailand daily, we also realize it's time to move on.

We know that Thailand will always be a part of us now. We will never forget the kindred spirits we met, or the way our lives have changed because of them. We came home a different family than when we left, and not just because we were two years older. Our focus on each other has intensified, our view on life has become broader, and our priorities are clearer than ever. Our experiences gave us a fantastic boost in the right direction, and we hope to continue that way as we learn together and grow with each new challenge that comes our way.

So, although it's hard to leave anything Thai behind (seriously, we still have chopsticks the noodle guy on our soi gave Jeff one night), such as the origin of this blog, we realize that life goes on. I thought this was probably a good time to officially start our blog makeover, well, at least it's title (so I can actually read it), as we start an entirely new chapter in our lives. One that we know will also motivate us to become a stronger and more balanced family. Life goes on... and what better to do than simply enjoy it?

Last minute fun

2009-05-11T08:59:00.004+07:00

A lot changes when a new baby enters a family. Don't get me wrong, we can hardly WAIT! But, the same thing that happened just before Jane arrived, happened to me recently. I started to feel a little guilty about how my time will be divided when this little one arrives, and how it will affect my other children. A big part of me has been wishing I could make time stand still, while the other part is wanting to get on with this birth thing so I can hold my baby girl outside my body and introduce her to her big brother and sister. It's been a great time for Jack to be off track, as we've enjoyed an entire week of playing outside (can I officially thank the man upstairs for this beautiful weather?), enjoying no-schedule days, and just doing whatever we want on a whim. My kids are so fun.

Among many, one highlight was going to our first, real soccer game. Jack gets tickets for playing in the city league, and although Jeff had a rehearsal that night (he has started playing with a community orchestra and is really enjoying it), the kids and I had a great time together. I don't know anything about soccer, so me trying to explain what's happening on the field to Jack was comedic. Anyone that has any experience with the game would have had watery eyes (at least that is what happens to me when I'm extremely embarrassed for someone else) as they listened to me try and answer Jack's question about what was happening. But, there really is something exciting about live sports (even if you don't know what's going on), and I was happy to see that Jack was soaking it all in.

I also had a fantastic Friday-Saturday getaway downtown with the girls in my family. If I was on top of it, I would have gotten all kinds of pictures. I wasn't. Thank goodness I know Joanna was, so I'll link to her blog once she gets all the fun pictures up (hint, hint). It was nice to visit uninterrupted, eat at a quiet restaurant, and shop until we were ALL done. I felt so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing women, particularly as we celebrate motherhood today.

I think this was my first night ever sleeping away from Jane, but luckily, I knew she was in good hands. Jeff filled them up with donuts, soda, a movie and a whole day of fun. How could they possibly complain about all that? Plus, it will be good practice for when I'm at the hospital (minus the junk food, I hope).

I thought about not posting tonight because honestly, our next big thing will be when our baby arrives. Plus, there's something about being nine months pregnant that makes a girl tired. I've been waiting and waiting for the "nesting" stage, but it just hasn't come. I haven't even painted ONE thing (unless having my mom do it counts). For now, I'm just trying to enjoy my family of four, because we've been four for a while. We've experienced a lot together in the last three and a half years. We're pretty comfortable as four. This will be our biggest adventure yet, no doubt. But as we all know, with change comes growth, so we say, let's get this show on the road. We're ready for her.

We'll keep you posted.

Birthdays galore

2009-05-04T09:37:00.005+07:00

April and May are big birthday months for our family. Joanna's is first, then Grandma Rich, Jack, and me. TODAY is my father-in-law's, followed by my sister-in-law, and hopefully not TOO far away will be the actual birthday of our new little one. We've had a GREAT time celebrating together, as always.

For Joanna's birthday, she met Vanessa and I at the Discovery Gateway Children's Museum. We had a fun time letting the kids play and play until they had seen all they could see. That museum is fantastic, and even with the Monday morning crowd, we all loved it! This was the first in our series of "cousin camp" (which one of you Ottleys coined this phrase?) days together that we hope to really get going once the kids are out of school. I'm already getting anxious for the time together!

Do these kids look like they're having fun, or what?

Grandma Rich turned 98 on the 20th and is doing amazingly well! We were so happy we could celebrate with her and a lot of other family members who were in town. We've lost count on how many great-grandkids Grandma has (they're still coming!), but I think she's going on 4-5 great-great-grandkids, which is pretty impressive! Anyone know the number for sure?

She's aging so gracefully, and although she keeps wondering why she's still hanging around, I'm certain she's here for a reason, and I LOVE still having her as part of my life. It wasn't until I lived ten minutes from her home and was suddenly a stay-at-home mom with Jack, that I really realized how much I love this woman. We had weekly visits where I got to hear all about her days as a young mother, while she watched my son grow little by little. I loved hearing her stories of how she would tie my Dad and little brother Gordon to lengths of rope and attach them to the front porch so they would be safe while they played in the front yard. I'm going to have to try that one.

We took lots of pictures at the birthday dinner, but none really turned out great. I did love the way Jane and Grandma are looking at each other in this one. Jane really loves her great-grandma and even requests to go and visit her.

Is it just our family, or is there a program at every gathering in other families too? Here, we got some of the grandkids to play the twinkle variations together, which they'd never done before, so it was quite a hoot to watch. Vanessa kept them together pretty well, and it definitely made me think I need to start our cousin group lessons.

Have I ever said how much I love my sisters? I do. They are incredible. And aren't they beautiful too? We have too few pictures as adults together (although when you consider how many we have as young girls in matching dresses, maybe this is just to even things out). I was happy that dad took this one of us, even if we (meaning myself) weren't looking or feeling like such hot stuff. Pregnancy can do that to you, I guess.

Jack had a great birthday. It was nice that it landed on a Saturday so we could have as much time to do whatever we wanted. I did, however, take ice cream cones into his school class the day before, which was pretty exciting for a bunch of six-year-olds to be eating ice cream at 9:30am. I'm such a good mom [to be read with sarcasm]. I feed other people's kids ice cream before lunch. Jack was ecstatic.

For Saturday, we had a nice, relaxed morning where Jack and Jane could play with his new birthday stuff, build forts, watch a movie just because, and NOT need to even clean their rooms. They were in heaven. He had a soccer game at noon, which Jack was very excited about. His team even scored a goal this game, yay! We're not even sure who bumped it in, but you can bet we rejoiced that they could have that small success! We'll post soccer pictures as we get more into the season (this was only game two).

Jack chose to go to Jumpin' Jacks for the afternoon where he and Jane jumped all over everything until they were all worn out, which of course, we love. Jack's a little crazy on this stuff, and as you can see, simply sliding down wasn't an option. He had to jump as high as he could, so he'd touch the slide only at the very bottom. He was loving it.

We had a nice, quiet evening at home, eating homemade hamburgers and watching the movie "Holes", the movie based on the book Jack and I just finished reading. If we hadn't read it first, I don't think we would have watched it, but Jack loved seeing all the characters that we'd read all about (the book is awesome, by the way), and was only disappointed that in the movie you can't see the black teeth and white tongue of the yellow-spotted lizards. He remembers WAY more details than I do.

He requested a Batman cake about six months ago, and didn't change his mind until last week. At that point I decided it was too late to switch to the Green Lantern. Batman it is! That will give me a year to think up something fun for the the Green Lantern (and find out more about who he even is!), although I'm sure he'll change to something even more unknown to me by then! I was happy he was so excited about the Batman cake, despite how simple it was.

Mimi and Papa spoiled Jack with a chainsaw, complete with safety goggles. Any kind of tool is a hit with this kid (just look at that mischievous look in his eyes!). He even slept with it for the next few nights until he realized there were just a few other things that are a little easier to cuddle with! I have a feeling this will be one of those toys that's always out.

Grandma and Grandpa Hillman created a "genius kit" for Jack which consisted of a big bucket filled with things for Jack's inventions: rubber bands, pipe cleaners, twisty ties, yarn, scissors, cardboard, stencils, fasteners, paper clips, and even a sign for his door that reads "genius at work". It's kept him busy for hours already, and he's come out with some really fun things. Talk about putting his imagination to work! I'm sure we'll have some good invention pictures coming up in the near future.

My birthday was just three days after Jack's and I can honestly say it was one of my favorites. Jeff took the day off, made me breakfast in bed, and was super-sneaky (I mean, SUPER sneaky) in planning a fun-filled day. We even enjoyed a nice, quiet lunch eating Thai food, which I've missed terribly. It's a whole different thing to pay $8/dish here vs. $1/dish there. Ouch! But, I have to admit... it was good! Jeff got BIG points for pulling this day off without a hitch. He treats me way better than I deserve! Our camera, at this point, was MIA, so no pictures of the fun day, but still LOTS of good memories.

Jeff and his dad spent two evenings this last week working on the plumbing in our basement bathroom. Dad's a pro, so this was the first thing Jeff hasn't had to learn how to do himself. Jeff loves working with his dad (and who wouldn't? He's completely enjoyable!), and even with the few set-backs they had, they were still all smiles. It's awesome to see Jeff get that satisfaction that only comes from succeeding at something challenging. Or, is that just happiness from getting to use a blow torch? Either way, I love watching these men happily at work.

Amidst all the fun, I'm still quite pregnant. I'm officially due in just under two weeks, and I'm feeling pretty good. This pregnancy has no doubt been harder than my other two, but I'm so close, it's hardly worth complaining. We're all very anxious to meet this little one and start a new chapter of our lives as a family of five. I'm also anxious to lay on my stomach once again. I love that feeling. We'll keep you updated!

Easter fun

2009-04-18T06:09:00.007+07:00

I know we're way behind, but we had a fantastic Easter weekend last week and my school work was a little more than I care to talk about this week, so this is my first chance to really sit down and reflect on all the fun.

Saturday, we enjoyed a ward Easter breakfast and egg hunt. Jack loved seeing his friends that morning. Here's Avery, Jersey, Jack and Sage. I couldn't believe I got them all looking at the camera! I still can't figure out what was all over Jack's face.

Our ward here is VERY young, so there are tons of little kids, which makes it fun and slightly overwhelming for the hunt. Overall, I think they did a great job, and thankfully, the big kids who collected a LOT of eggs willingly shared with the little ones who didn't quite catch on until it was too late. Jane was one who benefited from the sharing going on, as she was a little overwhelmed with the initial rush out the door.

Jeff and the kids enjoyed a few trips rolling down the hill, and who can blame them with nice, green, grass like that? Well, green for April anyway.

We got to spend the rest of Saturday morning at the Hillmans visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Monk who were on their way back from their winter home in Mesa to their summer home in Howell. I tried, I really tried to get a good shot with Grandma and Grandpa. They were not the ones who made it difficult. Can you guess who? Unfortunately, this was the best I could do. Luckily, my family is cute, even if they have their mouth full, tongue out, or are looking away. Lucky me!

I loved this one of the Hillman boys with Grandma and Grandpa. Aren't they just a good looking bunch? From the left: Sam, Grandma (obviously), Jeff, Scott, Jason, and Grandpa sitting down (I love his grin in this one. He's adorable).

My kids are so lucky to have such great aunts and uncles. I especially love seeing Jack and Scott together since I hear so much about how Scott was so similar to Jack as a child. If Jack grows up to be anything like Scott, I'll be in heaven. Scott's very near an angel in my eyes.

Mom Hillman planned a fun egg-hunt for the grandkids that they loved. They each had an assigned color of egg to find, which made it nice and calm. A common characteristic of the Hillman household. Jane's color this year was blue, which she wasn't too excited about at first, but honestly, there's little to complain about when she's finding eggs with candy/stickers/toys inside.

These two cousins are a year apart, almost to the day. They sure are fun to watch together, although there's a LOT of hormones some days! I'm sure it will calm down when they're teenagers, right?

This is one of our newest cousins, soon to be adopted by Jason and Heidi. It didn't take long for this happy guy to win our hearts, including Jane who wants to hold him whenever we'll let her. It's good practice for when our little one comes in less than four weeks. Who's excited about that?

Sunday was especially nice. Since we don't have church until 11am, we could have a nice, slow morning. We enjoyed using our special Easter Eggs to talk about the real reason we celebrate, while the kids ate a yummy breakfast. I decided doing it while Jane's mouth was busy might give me a chance at keeping her attention too, but honestly, I don't think I needed to. She was very engaged as we opened each egg, wanting to see what was in it and what it represented. It was fun to spend that time together discussing our Savior and his sacrifice for each one of us. It's pretty deep, but as they grow older, I hope they'll have a real understanding of this special holiday.

We also surprised them (they really don't know that it's pretty normal to have Easter treats on Easter) with their very own baskets of goodies, bubbles, and books. They were thrilled for these simple little things, and luckily weren't phased the next day on the way to school when all the kids were talking about all the elaborate things they got from the Easter bunny. I had no idea people go all out for such a simple holiday! They were just excited about getting something! Can I just bottle that up?

I always make my kids take pictures on the front porch before church on Easter Sunday in their new Spring duds. They just keep getting sillier, and combined with my total lack of photography skills, we produced the following...

I hope Jack never stops putting his arm around her.

This is what I get when I ask them to look at me... yeah right.

This was probably the best, yet the lighting is weird, the door is open, and Jack's mid-something. Oh well. Don't they call these "personality shots"? Or, is that just what terrible photographers say?

We enjoyed a special Easter dinner at Mimi and Papa's house that evening with all 10 adults, and 11 grandchildren. I can't believe we could all sit down to eat! Easter egg hunt #3 got underway without delay. I kept thinking my kids would be tired of the hunts by now, but nope.

This is all the grandkids except baby Drew. From the left: Clark, BJ, Christian, Jack, Grant, smiley Faith, Jane, John, little Mia, and Abbie at the bottom. Oh yes, and notice Jeff's part in this picture. This was bum picture #2 of the day. He just can't help but show off his best side!

As is becoming tradition with the Rich's, we ended with a fun grandkids talent show. We had a lot of violinists (five to be exact)...

Some great singers...

and Grant even attempted to show off his beat-boxing skills, yet was laughing too hard to get much out. It was hilarious.

We had a lot of good pictures, but THIS is the photo of the night...

I put my camera up and Mia turned right towards me and posed until I took the picture. How did Joanna teach her so well? That curly hair and toothy grin is irresistable. She is one happy little girl, no doubt.

Also, the weekend wouldn't have been complete without a few hours of Jeff and Jason digging a hole in our basement floor (on Saturday anyway). They got to go at it with a circular saw and sledge hammer. What could be more fun? Jeff's on plumbing now, and I continue to be amazed at how he knows how to do any of this, let alone all of it. Amazing the things you can still learn about each other even after being married for over eight years! I can't wait to see what I learn after 30! And in true Jeff fashion, the edges are even nicely trimmed. How does he do that?

Hope everyone's Easter was fantastic.

What a week!

2009-04-06T07:51:00.004+07:00

We have had a fantastic week, and I even have some pictures to prove it!

Last week, Jane and Ellie (her cousin) started taking a community ballet class together. I assumed that being there together, they would both dance their little hearts out and laugh and giggle together. Turns out, Jane doesn't have the attention span yet to participate the entire 50 minutes, and Ellie was a little hesitant at first. The girls made progress their second week and overall it's been a really fun thing for them. I have to admit that it's been fun for Heidi and I to giggle at these little three and four year olds prancing around the stage in their leotards and tights. Few things are cuter. I particularly enjoy watching Jane, who loses her footing unexpectedly several times during the class (I'm laughing just thinking about it!). Luckily, she's been trained (thank you, Jack) to take a hit and keep on going! Aren't these two ballerinas adorable? The teacher first asked if they were sisters or twins. Heidi said, "cousins". I guess they look alike?

I took this picture later that night after Jane had shown off her twinkle toes to Jeff. Jack came out with their "toy of the week" (we JUST pulled it out since Thailand and they've been out non-stop!), and she immediately switched from sweet, girly ballerina, to accomplished swordswoman. The influence of an older brother is priceless! She's so lucky.

As I've said before, Jack is really enjoying his school here. One thing he's missed since we've been in the States though, are his special Friday mornings with Daddy. Jeff used to go in late every Friday so he could walk Jack to school and they could have some extra time together. So, I was happy when Jeff made it work to take Jack to his "Breakfast with Books" morning at his school. Jack was thrilled (although the picture really doesn't show it well!) to have Jeff all to himself, and to do something they both love... eat donuts. Oh, and they both like to read, so that was a good bonus as well.

We had one of my favorite visits with my Grandma Rich this week. I love this woman. She is turning 98 this month and still doing really well and is always fun to chat with. She is losing a bit of her short-term memory (hello, she's almost 98!), but I discovered this week that it's not all bad when visiting with the kids and me.

For example... Jack and Jane were SO excited to show her their newly acquired stickers they had received from the valet at my doctor's appointment just before we arrived. As kids do, they showed her again and again, explaining WHY theirs was so cool and where they got it. Each time, Grandma responded with absolutely genuine excitement for them. (As a mom, maybe some short-term memory loss would perk me up a bit for the 20th time I've heard about something!)

Also, we decided to take Jack's violin to play for her this time. She was SO excited when he first got it out and played a few numbers for her. She was a fantastic audience. When Jack was done, we visited for a while, then I asked him to put it away so we could get going and let Grandma rest. As he started to put it away, she asked, "is that Jack's violin?". I answered, "Yes, it is". She excitedly asked, "well, would he like to play something for me?". Jack was completely flattered that Grandma wanted to hear more and happily played her a few more.

My kids really enjoy going to visit their great-grandma, and it is so fun to see Jane JUMP into her arms and happily kiss her on the cheek. Jack's a little more casual about the visits, but he was excited to share his talent, especially after I shared with him the countless memories I have as a child of playing my violin in old folks homes and how happy it makes them. My one regret... NOT having my camera with me. I hate these poor quality photos, especially with something as precious as spending time with Grandma.

We had a special treat on our way out of Grandma's place. An older gentleman was just finishing up a Marimba performance for a group, so we stopped so the kids could see his awesome instrument. He was a doll and stopped everything to greet the kids and even pulled out his mallets to give them each a try. He even had me play "chopsticks" on the marimba while he accompanied me on the piano. He said, "I could have you ready to perform in a MONTH!". I was terrible, so I'm sure it would take a lot more than that! It was fun nonetheless, and great for the kids to see a completely different kind of instrument.

Can I just say I hope I'm as enjoyable as an old person as the old people I've been surrounded with? My goodness, they are all priceless!

Saturday was the start of our Conference Weekend, as we call it. It's where our church, world-wide, gets to hear from our church leaders. Here in Utah, we can stay at home and just watch them on TV on both Saturday and Sunday. It's a fun weekend to be together, learn, grow, and enjoy traditions we've had, or start new ones.

Our day started early for a weekend, so by about 6:30 the usual ritual of Saturday morning began. The kids were crawling in bed with Jeff and me. We all cuddled and visited until the three-to-five year old wrestling tournament inspired Jeff to get up and head to the gym. He was gone, so the fort building started to take place in OUR room of course, involving every blanket and pillow in the house. And this time, most of the stuffed animals as well. I LOVE when this is a part of our mornings because the kids are busy, happy, and together. Their fort wasn't turbo-creative this week, but I just loved the expressions on their faces in this one.

We had a big snowfall that night, which created a GREAT chance for the kids to get out and burn a little energy before the first session. At least someone was excited about all that snow in APRIL! By the way, toy dumptrucks are a great snow toy.

We enjoyed a crepe breakfast (my first time, and quite successful, I have to say, except for the serious lack of strawberries!), and the kids LOVED their Conference BINGO cards. Thanks Carol! It was hilarious to watch them try to find anything on the TV that meant they could eat a treat. Jack was so easily distracted that Jane was the one who was mostly finding the right faces, topics, and pictures. She was right on, and it made Jeff and I laugh to watch her helping Jack find the right squares at the right time. Maybe she just really wanted those chocolates!

Jack being a nut...

And Jane doing her version...

Jack and Jane definitely didn't last the entire two Saturday sessions, which was all right with us. They disappeared into Jack's room for a long time (which turned out GREAT because Jeff and I really did want to listen!), and we discovered what Jack had been working on a little later. This is his latest invention. He tied his surgical tubing, which he does almost everything with, to his top bunk in very impressive knots, and then made a zip-line for his bucket to the doorknob. He also had it just right so he could tie the bucket to the top until he needed it. He's currently working on a way to pull it back up without having to get off the bunk. This kid has never needed more than string/rope/tubing to keep him happy!

We also enjoyed a little outing to meet Jason (Jeff's twin) and his family at the park for the big launch of Jason's birthday rocket. Very cool! The kids were SO excited, and it was fantastic! Here are a few more pictures of our rocketing experience, if you're interested! I LOVE pictures of these two together. What could be more fun than two grown men acting like 12 year olds (which they usually turn into when they're together anyway!) and shooting off a purple rocket (Ellie picked the color)? The rocket was awesome, but watching these two together was by FAR my favorite part.

The kids and I headed to the Hillmans to visit while the men were at the Priesthood session. It was fun to all be together (I have the best in-laws). The kids especially enjoyed the tumbling demonstration by Scott, which I still can't believe he did in his suit, and the horsey rides to follow. Jack and Jane are pretty physical, so they love anyone new to wrestle around with. Jason and Scott were great sports!

We had a wonderful Sabbath today with my side of the family as we celebrated the blessing of sweet baby Drew at the Croshaw's home, followed with conference and lunch. It is so awesome to have family so close by and be able to be together for these special events. The cousins couldn't be happier than when they're together and I just love being involved in the everyday ins and outs of my sister's and brother's families, and all my nieces and nephews. Isn't family what it's all about?

It was a GREAT day.

Jeff turns 31!

2009-03-30T08:55:00.004+07:00

Our big event this week was Jeff's birthday! My goodness, some days I feel like we are getting so old! But honestly, has 31 ever looked so good?

Jeff's not really one who's big into presents, so we decided to make Jeff a super-duper candy birthday card. Jack totally got into it and was SO anxious to be by my side for every step. He even designed the front cover! (that's a bird, by the way)

I was hoping he'd add a little to the inside as well, as I'm definitely not a creative person, but by that point, he'd decided he'd contributed enough. This was a fun and simple way to do something for Jeff on his special day, and if you know my husband, you probably know that food makes him happy. Although, you certainly wouldn't know that by looking at him!

We also enjoyed meeting him for a birthday lunch downtown, which ended with us all going home after for naps, seeing as Jeff has been feeling pretty sick all week. But hey, naps? Sounds like a good day to me!

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of either of our birthday dinners with Jason (Jeff's twin brother) and his family. Why is it I don't get pictures with the people we see most often? Note to self: get some of those.

Our whole week really was quite nice, except for the snow almost every day. Weather here is so unpredictable this time of year, so we're trying to enjoy what days we actually can enjoy leaving the house.

Jane and I spent some time at a baby shower for my cousin on Saturday. It's not too uncommon for her to fall asleep in the car during a longer drive, but I always feel bad with these built-in carseats because there's nowhere for her to lay her head during the journey. She works it out okay in the end. I couldn't help but get a picture of her. Goodness, she's sweet.

Saturday ended up being one of the only good afternoons for getting out all week. I made everyone go outside to keep me company while I planted the pansies Jeff bought last weekend. I haven't the least idea what I'm doing in a garden, but can I really make it worse? Jeff gave our garage a much needed makeover, and the kids rode bikes and smashed rocks with some neighbor girls. What could be more fun? We ended our productive afternoon by making the most of this dang wind. We took the kite to the school and flew it as high as it would go.

I took so many pictures while we were out. When we do things like flying a kite, I can't help but ask myself why we don't do it more often. Flying a kite is such a simple pleasure. It's such a small thing, yet brings 100 times more smiles than any of those fancy toys kids think they want. On a windy day, why would you need anything else?

Jack was so thrilled to show Jane how to do it. (And Jeff and I were thrilled the wind was just right to take it up as soon as we let it go. Although I was prepared to do the "up, kite up!" routine that got Frog and Toad's kite flying so well. Anyone else Frog and Toad fans?)

They got pretty good at taking turns by the end, but maybe two kites wouldn't be a bad idea.

They were so enthralled with it. And notice Jane's sweater mis-buttoned. I love it.

Jeff and I were happy we didn't need to run with it to get it up, but I guess that's half the fun!

I love the look on her face. Joy.

And, of course, they wanted to fly it home. I love Jack in the background.

What a GREAT way to end the day! What kinds of activities do you have in your "simple pleasures" category? What are you looking forward to most this summer?

And one last random picture from this morning...

After getting the kids ready for church, and then letting them play while Jeff and I tried to get ready, they called us in the see their pirate ship. Jack was quite proud of his "sail" (notice the blanket spread over the ladder, bottom right), and Jane and Jack had each come up with a way to make a canon for the top of the ship. Jack's is a vacuum attachment (that thing has done WAY more things than just keep our carpets clean), and Jane's was a spool of wrapping ribbon that apparently doubles as a telescope.

I LOVE hearing them giggle and play together. No sound could make me happier.

Goodbye, training wheels!

2009-03-23T08:42:00.007+07:00

Lately, I'm feeling like a blog slacker. I am terrible to take pictures of what we're doing, and currently, my life just seems pretty uneventful. Don't get me wrong, sometimes uneventful is what I would prefer. That usually means that things are running pretty smoothly in our home, and generally they are. What a blessing it is to live a very ordinary life! It just doesn't make a blog very exciting! So, this one is for people who must love us a LOT to want to read about our "ho-hum" little Utah lives that right now seem quite nice.

Probably our biggest event this week was relieving one of my biggest sources of "mom-guilt" that I accrued while living in Thailand. That would be... Jack not having a good place to ride his bike. Since we've been here, any day that didn't have snow on the ground, he's been out riding. Finally, we had a week where it was sunny, warm, and we could take those training wheels off and let him go. He learned SO quickly, and we had a blast outside together helping him! (Notice Jane in full winter gear. She's just now figuring out that even though we're in Utah, she doesn't ALWAYS need her coat, mittens, and hat, because occasionally it's not necessary!)

I have a very vivid memory of my mom taking me out and teaching me to ride my sister's banana-seat bicycle when I was about Jack's age. After telling Jack that story, he really wanted me to run along side him. I did for a bit, but being 32 weeks pregnant, my body was not agreeing with it for long! Luckily, Jeff was super-dad and stepped right in. He even wanted a turn of his own.

Since Jack has become so independent on his bike (and the weather's been so beautiful), we've been out every day of the week for as long as we possibly can. It's been fantastic. I even got a small start on the yard work while the kids rode all over with the neighborhood gang. I loved it.

We had a fantastic weekend spent with family and close friends. My parents were nice enough to take the kids for the evening and let Jeff and I enjoy a night out. It was wonderful to spend the evening with my best friend and enjoy uninterrupted conversation. We didn't have to talk 90 mph to finish before we forgot what we were talking about!

I loved spending time with my nieces and nephews the next morning (which of course, I didn't get pictures of because I'm a slacker), but I LOVED holding my newest nephew Drew and kissing him as much as he'd allow. That's the good thing about six-week-olds, they don't have much say in the matter. He made me really baby-hungry, so good thing I've got one on the way!

We spent the afternoon at our good friend's home, the Heatons. When we left for Thailand, they lived just the next block over and we spent hours together visiting, letting the kids play, and they fed us a lot of delicious Italian food. It was a little weird to come back and not have them close by anymore. We finally worked our way down to Orem (only about ten minutes from my parent's house) and went to visit.

The kids had a blast playing with their four boys in their neighborhood playground, and with all their fun toys. Jack was in awe with how many remote-controlled toys they have! This one was a spider, and made Jane quite nervous at first.

Jack and Jane rode around for a LONG time on their little motorbike. Jack was feeling pretty tough, and Jane was just loving the ride. I could watch them play and laugh together like that all day.

Next time, maybe I'll get a picture of everyone together? I told you... slacker.

Today we had one of our Bangkok friends come to visit with his mother. It was fun to see Wyatt and catch up on his life and happenings. Since he left Thailand, he spent another semester abroad in China, and is now just looking for work (and according to his mom, he's also looking for a wife!). Of course, no picture of Wyatt who was busily stringing bead after bead on some string for Jane's necklace, but I thought this was a good one of Jack with his mom, Sally, who was helping him crochet a bracelet for me. Jack sure takes to Grandmothers! Who can blame him, he sure loves his own!

We (by we, I mean Jeff, because all I really am doing at this point is trying to make it so he doesn't need to do anything but the basement!) continue to progress on the basement. Jeff's slowed down a bit, as he isn't finding duct work to be nearly as intriguing or as fast moving as the framing. But, he's almost done now, and is looking forward to starting the wiring this week. Isn't he awesome?

I've really been enjoying feeling like we're in a routine at our house. I love filling each day with something different. I love having enough activities to keep us happy and busy, yet time enough to be flexible when need be. I am also loving being pregnant. I guess I should have expected this pregnancy to be different than the others since I'm a bit older and each pregnancy takes its toll. I've hurt a little more with this one, but because of that, I feel extremely aware of this baby. My other pregnancies were a BREEZE and besides my babies moving inside of me and the usual excitement and anticipation, I didn't feel even all that aware of being pregnant (or at least that's how I remember it!). I already feel really close to this little girl inside of me. I love talking with Jack and Jane about their sister and having them talk to her and give her kisses goodnight. Jane loves to lay on my tummy and feel her kick her own tummy. How could I not love having my two girls so close? To say the least, we are VERY excited about her arrival in less than two months. We aren't ready, but we are excited. I know I say this a lot, but honestly... life is good.

Very helpful

2009-03-15T04:09:00.006+07:00

My super-husband finished framing our basement last Saturday, yay! He did it in less than three weeks and it looks awesome. We are SO excited. I was also excited to have him take a little time off this week so I could have him do some upstairs repairs I've been waiting on. (While Jeff never fails to rise above and beyond my expectations with home-repair, I continue to get worse and worse at it because I just end up saving that kind of thing for him, knowing his perfectionist self will do a MUCH better and faster job than impatient ol' me. Very similar to my outlook on computer issues. It's a cycle I do NOT recommend starting!)

We bought some new faucets to try and refresh our bathrooms to a less rental-looking state. Jeff decided to not waste our post-bedtime time together and do it while the kids were still awake. Brave man, he is. This is what I found.

I couldn't have replaced the faucets with an instructional DVD and all the time in the world. Here he is doing it in no time with two very curious helpers. Can you even find him?

And, here's a little bonus of Jane after making her self extra beautiful with my make-up. She felt so darn pretty I couldn't possibly wash it off, so it remained until it rubbed itself off on who-knows-how-many things throughout the day.

Pardon the poor pictures. Until just a few minutes ago, I was unaware of where the new place I picked for the camera was, so these were taken with my phone. Thank you, Jeff, and your very un-pregnant mind that remembers things like that.

Too fast

2009-03-10T03:04:00.018+07:00

Jack started back to school today. Unlike me, he felt extremely ready. I started really feeling it yesterday when we had some nice, quiet time in our home while Jane napped and Jeff was at Choir practice. We pulled out a deck of cards and I taught him how to play "war" (he clobbered me). We proceeded to read the comics together on the couch, which is a favorite Sunday activity in our home. It's fun to see which ones Jack thinks will be cool (spiderman), and the ones that actually get him laughing out loud (this week, Family Circus, did you see it?). I started feeling like I wanted MORE time with my boy, when in reality, I'll have two to three hours less each day, once again.

I started remembering the week he turned four. It was a big week for a mother. Jack started school, then had his fourth birthday the next day. I was SO excited for him to go to school, something he'd been talking about for at least a year. He had already done a trial day, and we both felt very confident he would have a fantastic experience and meet many friends.

I rode the bus with him in the morning, although I got the impression I was cramping his style more than he wished. The next day (his birthday), I took in cupcakes that he could share with his friends. It hit me that night that my boy was growing up too fast. Even though Jack had been been in bed for hours already, as I lay in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about the day's events. I let myself remember when Jack first joined our family and how absolutely welcome that change was. I loved his big, bald, softball-shaped head, his ever-increasing chub, and as he got older, how he would hold onto Jeff's ears as he traveled on his Daddy's shoulders.

I couldn't help myself. I sneaked out of my bed, and slipped myself into Jack's, just to look at him. He was, and still is, just too perfect. In his sleep, he cuddled right into me and I got to hold my big baby boy once more before accepting that he has to grow up sometime. I still haven't accepted it completely. As much as I love watching his personality develop, his independence increase, and his experience with the influence of the outside world, there will always be a part of me that wants him all to myself. His poor future wife, who's going to have to deal with a mother-in-law who has tendencies to pull her boy in closer, rather than let go.

Knowing that I was going to have to share him once again with school, I felt I needed some extra time together again last night. This time I crawled (or whatever would be not graceful in my very pregnant state) into bed with him while he was awake so we could have a little chat. It was fun to lay with him and talk about our day, something we used to do nightly, but has somehow gotten lost in the shuffle of the last few months. We talked about the baby and how fun it will be to care for her together. He asked me if I was comfortable on his pillow (how nice is that?), and we discussed the latest books he is listening to. We listened a little more to his current book and he recited the funny parts. I tell you, this boy has my heart. He's a little crazy, very independent, and gives me a heart attack whenever he acts surprised that I don't want him playing with Daddy's BIG tools, but I love him. So, why is it so hard to let him go?

To you experienced mothers, is it ALWAYS going to feel this way? All it was this time was him going back on track. I dropped him off across the street, for heaven's sake! What is going to happen to me when he leaves for college? Or a mission? Or, honestly, when he gets married? Does it get easier to just let him keep growing up?

So, you'd think I was sending him off to boarding school or something, wouldn't you? I tend to go about my business and don't feel too emotional about things, but once I take a step back, I can hardly contain my emotions. Poor Jack is going to have to deal with me for years to come.

I can't even imagine what it will be like when my Jane is ready to date! Can anything prepare a mother for that?

My kids

2009-03-03T08:27:00.002+07:00

So, I love my kids. And by my kids, I also mean my sister's kids. Because honestly, the more time we all spend together (since we're now so close to one another) the more the lines between cousins and siblings seems to fade. I love having my nieces and nephews over to play, or sitting with my darling sisters (sisters-in-law included) and visiting while the little ones run around and happily pull out every toy out of each sorted bin in the house. Of course, there are more sorted bins in my sisters' houses than mine, but I do have a few.

This last week could be titled a cousin marathon. We spent almost everyday with one cousin or another. One day even going from my sister's house in Draper up to my Aunt Fay's home in Layton where I got to visit with MY cousins, aunts, and grandma while those cousins played. (Jack informed me that this day was just like Disneyland. We got to go right from one fun thing to another!) What would my cousins' kids and my kids even be... second cousins? First cousins, once removed? Who knows? The point is, they sure enjoyed being together.

So, here's where my regret comes in... I have been terrible at taking pictures. Did I get burned out in Bangkok since I never left home without my camera? It was more in fear that I'd miss something I'd never see again, and I probably did. But, I don't remember what I missed because I don't have a picture of it to remind me. So, maybe ignorance really is bliss?

I DID have my camera on Thursday when I stole Vanessa's two boys for the day, while she filled her time with all kinds of productive things. Most importantly, spending time adoring her three week old baby, Drew. And that boy is worth every bit of adoring.

So, I got to take Clark and John home with me to be my numbers three and four for the day. We played at home, played at our favorite park (who could resist the sunshine?), and played outside with the neighbor kids on everything we own that has wheels, which unfortunately isn't much.

John and Jane loved sitting together in the van, and requested I take a picture of them being happy and holding hands. John was loving that he was "in charge" of the soccer ball on the way to the park. (Are built-in car seats the best or what?)

Unfortunately, after all that anticipation Johnny never quite made it to play soccer at the park since he fell asleep in the car five minutes before we pulled in. He had a nice two hour nap while the other kids played and played, and woke up happy (this kid is always happy) as we loaded ourselves back in the car to head home. Luckily, cousins also distract from missed opportunities so he didn't even complain about not playing on the very cool toys.

It was still cool, but did you notice that gorgeous sky?

Jack and Clark loved our simple picnic and gobbled up their sandwiches and crackers so they could enjoy the main event... gummy worms. It WAS a special day!

Jane would have stayed on these swings forever and was happy as a clam.

Another exciting thing from the week was having Jack home from school. He gets two weeks off (year around school) and I am loving having him home. I signed both the kids up for swim class at a local indoor pool and they've been loving them. (I discovered that my lens was all foggy, hence the blurry picture)

They go MWF mornings for their 40 minute class. The best part is, even though they're in different levels, they can have their classes in the same pool at the same time! Yay! One trip, two lessons, and I get to watch them both without having to worry about entertaining (or containing) anyone. It's a great system.

Jane has found a friend in her class, and it's hilarious to watch them together. He's a bit more hesitant, but she doesn't hold back. Whenever they all sit along the wall, she squeezes herself in so she can sit beside him. She encouragingly pats him on the back just before he jumps in, and I overheard her inviting him on her "adventure" today, which I'm afraid might mean to venture past their set boundaries. She's had to sit on the side by herself twice for swimming too far. She has no fear, but is still learning she has to listen to the teacher, so I think this is good for her.

I love seeing my kids all dressed up in Sunday attire, but I have to admit, my favorite is seeing them in their swimsuits. Do you just want to gobble Jane up, or what?

And look at this kid's muscles! How handsome is he?

Jack and Jane are always FREEZING when they get out of the pool. Luckily, they think it's hilarious to chatter their teeth and laugh at each other's purple lips. This is them showing me just how freezing they are before they jump in the shower.

It's been a good week, although quite exhausting! I decided we'll take it a little slower this week and just enjoy NOT having too much of a schedule while Jack's out of school. Do I really have to send him back? Sometimes I know exactly how my kids feel when they have something they don't want to share. In my case, it's my Jack I don't want to share!

I'll leave you with two things: A) a picture of Jane with her friend, Lilly, at our ward talent show on Saturday night. This little Lilly is so independent and has been key to Jane being able to separate from us each Sunday as she goes to her own little primary class. Thank goodness for good friends! Notice the nutritious refreshments. Jane was in heaven.

and B) a video of Jack performing "Allegro" for the talent show. He was really hesitant to do it at first, but he did a GREAT job. More than anything, I'm realizing the reason I keep teaching Jack violin. It's not because he loves it, because, let's be honest, what child loves to practice every day? It's because he is SO proud of himself when he does it. He realizes it's a lot of work, and performing is such a great opportunity for him to succeed and feel pleased with all that he's done. Every day is an accomplishment when we get our practicing in and have fun doing it. I'm so proud of him for keeping it up. Enjoy!