Why this was a good week...

Really, all weeks are good, but there were a few things I really noticed and enjoyed this week. Here it goes:

1. We had really fun play dates this week. We had less planned, so were able to do more last minute things, and had Scarlett and Heather over, Dylan, and Anna, who's moving to Mexico while we're away in Utah. Anna has been in Jack's class, and has ridden the bus with him this year. It was sad for Jack to have to say goodbye, but honestly, I think we're all just accepting that it's part of the deal. Lots of goodbyes. Aren't they cute together? And no, Jack was not bending his knees!

2. Last Sunday night, part of the reason I was exhausted was because I got to speak at New Beginnings for our Young Women. I was so happy to be asked, and it reminded me of all my beautiful girls in Utah!

3. I've been noticing how different Jack and Jane are lately. Jane has recently been extremely independent and started to dress herself. She will NOT put things on backwards, inside out, or on the wrong feet. Jack STILL wears his pants and underpants backwards some days, and after Primary today went all the way home with his sandals on the wrong feet. Jane asks for a bandaid for most bumps. When I asked Jack if he was OK after getting rammed into a wall the other day, he said, "I'm always OK, Mom". Another typical response is, "I'm tough as nails!". Jack likes to listen to me sing, Jane likes to sing with me. Jane twirls around in front of a mirror with each outfit she tries on, Jack would be happiest if I let him wear underpants 24/7. I love watching their little personalities develop.

4. Jack and Jane love to dance together. They just figured out how to twirl Jane into Jack's arms. This caused about 15 minutes of non-stop laughter in our house. It was great.

5. I visited 2/3 of my Visiting Teaching sisters this week.

6. Jack is fascinated with animals. We found a cheap DVD about Dinosaurs on Saturday and he was completely enthralled. He didn't want to even look away, except to turn around and give Jeff the thumbs up each time they introduced a new predator. Jane sat with him a while and was getting a little nervous. Could there be a better big brother?

7. We had company over after church. We met the Pacini family at Church in Hong Kong, and then ran into them again at Disneyland a few days later. Crazy, eh? They were planning a trip to Thailand, and we're sure glad they did! Jack had a BLAST playing with Joshua and William, and it was fun to visit, eat, and have Easter egg hunts together! We also picked up Tyson and Ashley, a couple from Utah who've been traveling around Asia for the last several months. It was fun to hear more of their story and visit a bit before they head back to the States!

8. I like Easter. We broke out our special eggs that teach the story of the resurrection. Last week at our Primary Easter party, we had each family make one. After doing all the preparations for everyone else, it was nice to sit down with our own little kit and talk about each item together as a family. I always struggle with good Easter traditions, so if you've got any, please share! And, if anyone wants a copy of the story/items for the special resurrection eggs, let me know. It really has turned into a great way to discuss why we celebrate.

We had a fun little Easter basket for the kids on Saturday and found that water guns are a really good way to give the kids a nice, long, entertaining bath!

9. I think this week just started out with a bang. Jeff did his "I love you" day and bought us tickets to go see Harry Connick, Jr. It was so fun! We've seen him before, but I think this was our favorite. Since it was just the two of us, I requested that we choose a restaurant that we couldn't take the kids to. We loved this little Japanese barbecue place once we figured out what to order!

Harry was pretty subdued in the beginning and we wondered if he would talk much at all. He seemed to loosen up a lot and shared his experiences of the past 24 hours exploring the city with his daughters. It was hilarious to hear his take on grilled bananas, fresh squeezed orange juice, the spicy food, and his Thai massage. I think all the expats could relate, and I'm sure all the locals had heard it all before! He invited us to all come up at the end, and Jeff and I rushed up and were right up next to the stage. This picture was not zoomed in.

Forgive me for reminiscing a bit. While I was at this concert, I was remembering the first Harry concert we attended. I had just found out I was miscarrying (this was before Jack), and needless to say, I was a little tender. Jeff and I were at his parents visiting for the weekend when his parents decided to give me my birthday gift about three weeks early. I was surprised, and opened up the envelope and the first thing I saw was that it was in the Delta Center. I thought, "Jazz game, okay. That will be fun.". Then, I realized it was Harry Connick coming in concert, which I didn't even know about. I think I just burst into tears. I know, sounds kind of dumb. Okay, I'm sure it was really dumb. But, honestly, at that moment, I was so grateful for such a thoughtful gift. I didn't even know they knew I liked Harry! Even right now, thinking of what was happening at the time and how I really just needed something, it brings tears to my eyes. So, thanks to Mom and Dad Hillman for the pick me up that I really needed at that time, and turns out, Jeff actually really likes Harry's concerts now!

We're nerds, I know, but we really did have a GREAT time. The whole evening was fun-filled, and it was fun to be out, just the two of us!

10. Overall, I think THE reason our week was really nice was that we did not over schedule ourselves. Some people thrive on being crazy busy. I don't. I had time to be organize cupboards, rotate the kid's too small/growing into clothing, and many more household things I haven't had time for. Jeff and I really value our time that is NOT scheduled, which we just haven't had much of lately. This weekend, we both had our long runs, were out of the house for a few hours, then just played at home. It was so nice. I also discovered this weekend that Jack is getting to be quite the little UNO player!

That SLC half-marathon is coming right up, and can I just say that I'm really excited for it! It's SO hot here right now, we've both surrendered to running on the treadmill now. Even at 6am, the air is just too thick to go far. It's frustrating, but overall, I think we'll be able to train enough that we can at least enjoy the run. I know several of you are running one of the SLC races that day. How's your training coming?

I hope you enjoy your week as much as we've enjoyed ours!