life happenings

We've been so busy around here, I just wanted to make note of a few things as I attempt to catch up on blogging them.  Life gets so busy sometimes and I want to remember as much of it as possible.

-My mom and I threw my sister a baby shower last month.  It was so much fun!  I took lots of pictures, but haven't had time to post yet.  I think Melinda enjoyed it, and we sure enjoyed putting it all together!

-My mom and I also attended the Power of Moms retreat together.  I learned so many things that have changed the way I mother forever. I met so many amazing women.  It's truly an indescribable, incredible thing to be in a place with so many phenomenal mothers.  Two heads are better than one, and a hundred it definitely better than two!  I love the camaraderie and fresh ideas and laughter and inspiration.  I wish every mom had the opportunity to attend a Motherhood Retreat.

-We also attended the Power of Moms board meeting in-between sessions.  It was so nice to meet the board and have some smiling faces to go with the names.  It was fun to discuss all the growth and changes the website is experiencing and also the vision behind it all.  I loved it.

-I've been doing some Skype calls with a gal in Japan that is over the Rescue the Family project.  The task is daunting, overwhelming, important, fulfilling, life-altering...just to name a few.  I hope one day I will be able to meet this amazing woman in person.  I am so grateful that I get to be a part of this incredibly important project and all that it entails.  (If any of you are interested in helping, let me know by leaving a comment on this post and I will get in touch with you and explain different ways you can help.)  The world needs this project so much, and it's already changing so many lives!

-My sweet little Micah turned four.  We held a joint family party for him and Kolton at the park.  It was so much fun!  I can't believe my baby is four.

-Easter was also right in the middle of the madness.  It was a good time to have it, actually.  It was nice to have the opportunity to slow life down a little and focus on Christ.  I am so grateful for my Savior and for all the beautiful gifts and promises that are left for me if I follow him and do my best.  It was fun watching the boys' start to develop an understanding of what really happened and the magnitude of it all.  It was absolutely beautiful.

-We visited the Carl Bloch exhibit at BYU.  It was so beautiful.  It was so touching.  There is now another person that I cannot wait to meet on the other side.  His paintings and depictions of Christ were absolutely breathtaking.  The symbolism in each of them was so detailed and beautiful.  I felt the spirit so strong and my eyes were opened to things that I didn't understand before, especially about the atonement.  I'm so grateful we had the opportunity to go. 

-I rode my bike in a womens-only bike event.  It was non-competitive, which was nice.  I had signed up for this event, the Goldilocks, right before I got sick.  I had originally planned to ride 60 miles, but since I hadn't trained at all, and wasn't even sure if I could finish any length of it, knew that it was during a busy time and a busy weekend, and that my body needed just enough exercise - not too much or too little, I changed over to the 20-mile ride.  It was so darn fun!  I wished I'd been able to talk someone into riding with me, but even alone it was fun.  Women are so friendly and sweet anyway, that it felt like being instant friends with every women at the event.  I actually made the 20 miles in pretty good time, and to my surprise I wasn't sore at all afterwards.  I fell in love with road biking and am now crusading for a road bike.  I will have to ride more before I can justify that purchase of course, and I'm looking into ways to make my mountain bike (which I LOVE), more road-friendly.  I know I would have had a much easier, faster ride if I was on a road bike, but I am glad I made it on any bike!  And I was surprised to find that I was at least in some kind of shape.  Pleasantly surprised.  And excited to find something active and fun that our whole family could grow to love.

- My sweet, little nephew, Landon Bryce (LOVE the name), was born last Thursday.  I babysat 8 kids 5 and under while he was being born.  I can't believe it, but I still haven't met the little guy yet.  I am planning on meeting him and taking some picture either tonight or tomorrow.  There has been a small flurry of a cold circulating through the kids here and I didn't want to infect the little guy.  Since Wes had a busy week at work, I had the kiddos.  I am anxious to meet him....I've seen pictures and he is just darling.  My sister is amazing and is doing well.  I'm so excited for her!

-Wes' little sisters, Emilee and Lauren, had a little dance/singing performance thing.  It was a play, "Alice in Wonderland".  They did so well and were so cute!  Our boys loved watching them and were completely enthralled at the whole thing.  I was so proud of them.  I did get pictures that I haven't even had time to look at yet, but I will put a few up soon.

-Mothers' Day was pretty low-key this year. Kolton now had the cold, so we missed church (Wes had to work).  All traditions were out the window.  We had such a busy, fun weekend that I told Wed not to worry about Mothers' Day.  I said to just write me a letter and we'd call it good.  The sweet, thoughtful guy he is couldn't resist the urge to bring me some gorgeous flowers anyway and I love them.  Every day is Mothers' Day with all my boys anyway....they are so sweet to me and I love being a mommy. 
I was happy and surprised to see my mom (they also have sickies going around, it it's a terrible flu that my dad and brother have had for over three weeks now.  I did NOT want to get that.  I also didn't want to bring my cold-infected kids over there to those poor guys with weakened immune systems.).  She also had a low-key day (although slightly more holiday-ish than mine).  She brought over some delicious chocolate-dipped strawberries and one of her wonderful hugs.  I was so happy I got to see her.
Wes' Oma had just gotten back from a cruise and was too exhausted for visitors, so we just dropped by Wes' parents' last night to wish Wes' mom, Susan, a Happy Mothers' Day.  I'm so grateful for both here and my own mother.  I couldn't ask for two better moms for me than they are.  I love them both so much and feel so blessed to have them in my life, and to have their amazing examples to follow.

-I had a really good doctor's appointment recently and finally feel like I am on track.  I'm so glad I found the right doctor for me and I am eager to see how I will feel when all is said and done.  I'm starting to believe even more that this whole experience, however difficult, was a huge blessing in our lives.

-Jonah has cut two teeth.  He looks so cute!  Two down, two more to go.  He's such a little trooper. He's also standing up all the time and ready to start cruising around any day now. I can't believe how fast he is growing!

-Wes and I have been talking pretty seriously about moving to a warmer climate.  The sunshine we all got felt so good and it made us miss Nevada.  (Although we loved the climate there, with the strip and all the gambling that was rampant in even the nicest of areas, it is not going to be in the running for a place to settle.)  Right now we are debating between Arizona and California.  Arizona seems to be winning, although we would welcome reasons for California to pull ahead, so please share if you know some.  :)  We've got a little over a year to think it over and decide before Wes' contract with this region of Walgreens is up.  I think we'll be planning a few trips to visit the areas and see what we think.  It's such a blessing to feel like we have a choice about where we want to go/end up.  I'm so grateful that Wes has had a good job.  It's been a huge blessing for our family.

That's it for now.  I'm so grateful for such a wonderful life and wonderful people in it to go with it.