The Highlight of my Day: July 2013

Something good happens every day. Here's what happened in July 2013:

Mon 7/1/13: I'm going to miss having the big kids gone for two weeks. They make such yummy desserts while they're here. Tonight we had berry shakes. YUM! Perfect for a hot sunny day.

Tue 7/2/13: The kids were excited about sleepovers with their cousins tonight. It's nice having the Bruce Clan home for the 4th of July week.

Wed 7/3/13: Shopping without kids is a real treat for me. It was nice having Emma and the girls watch Lizzy and David while I shopped at Walmart and Sam's Club.

Thu 7/4/13: I had a very enjoyable time face painting at our ward's Independence Day Breakfast at the park. It was my first time face painting, and I thought it was fun doing that for the kids. In the afternoon, we headed to Marian's house for our annual pool party and BBQ. I brought a fruit casserole ("Buried Treasure"). Turned out really yummy! Definitely a hit!

Fri 7/5/13: We had dinner with the Hills tonight. I made enchiladas, Spanish rice, homemade salsa, and black beans. It was good! We had fun playing Ticket to Ride (Brad won for the first time), and watching Plan 9 From Outer Space.

Sat 7/6/13: Brad and I took the little ones to Murray park to go for a walk and swing on the swings. We had Wendy's for lunch, and spent the rest of the day watching the 5th season of Lost. Such an addicting show! We are loving it.

Sun 7/7/13: My husband was definitely my highlight tonight. He's almost always the true highlight of my day, but today was even better than usual. All I can say is WOW-- I love watching movies with my husband alone, without children around. Nice stuff happens.

Mon 7/8/13: Brad and I went for walk with the little ones for FHE and came back with a bag of fresh radishes. Thank you Hydes! I love living in our neighborhood.

Tue 7/9/13:  I had fun watching a video Bradley took of me reading to Lizzy and David last night.  We have been reading a lot of Charlie and Lola lately.  I've noticed that Lizzy likes to mimic my not-so-excellent British accent sometimes.  It's cute to hear her.

Wed 7/10/13:  Scott and Emma stopped by tonight after they went to their youth activities.  I love them!  They are such wonderful kids.  I'm glad their mom lives close by so they can still attend their Wednesday night activities during the summer.

Thu 7/11/13:  I appreciate all the things Brad does for me to help me feel happy.  Today he helped clean up the messes Lizzy and David made.  He's such a good husband and father.

Fri 7/12/13: I harvested some beautiful tiny red bell peppers from my garden today. My very first pickings!  We also had a fun evening with the Moons tonight.  We had dinner, played games, and had fun watching the children play in the backyard together.  We played one of our favorite games, Forbidden Island, and a new game called Lost Cities.  It was fun!

Sat 7/13/13:  The little ones and I went with Brad to get his eyes checked today.  Brad wanted me there to help him pick some new frames for his new glasses.  I like being his wife.

Sun 7/14/13:  Michaela Clark helped babysit Lizzy and David this morning so Brad and I could go see the Stake Presidency.  They wanted to see us to get to know us better.  I'm glad we weren't there for them to give us a big calling on the spot, but that doesn't mean we won't get one in the near future.  Scary! As we were leaving we saw that the Moons were waiting in the waiting room, too.  Michelle looked at me with big eyes like, oh crap, what are they calling us to now?

Mon 7/15/13:  We got to see the Polaks tonight!  They have temporarily moved into Brad's Dad's house until their new place is cleaned up.  Amanda made a spaghetti dinner that she shared with us, which made Lizzy and David happy.  It's so nice having them back!

Tue 7/16/13: David made me laugh this morning when he grabbed a zucchini, held it up like a wand, and said: "b-bop-boo!" (bibbity, bobbity boo). Definitely Lizzy's influence.  Charlotte and Aksel came to visit us today so Amanda could shop and get some things done around the house.  The kids watched movies together and played games, like Operationand Mouse Trap.  It was nice talking to Amanda later in the evening.

Wed 7/17/13: This morning I made my very first vegetable omelette with fresh produce from my backyard. It was delicious!

Thu 7/18/13:  Brad and I finished watching Lost together.  Kind of a lame ending, but it was still enjoyable and worth watching.  What are we going to watch now that it's over?

Fri 7/19/13: It's so nice having Scott and Emma home again! To celebrate, we headed to Provo and watched the first live taping of Studio C, season 3. It's going to be another great season! Lots of laughs for sure!

Sat 7/20/13: Brad, Scott, Emma, and I headed downtown to watch "An Evening of Music," the live Pioneer Day Concert at the Conference Center. It was awesome listening to Nathan Pacheco sing and Lindsey Stirling play the violin. Beautiful artists! It was great watching them perform it all in person.

Sun 7/21/13: Scott received his patriarchal blessing today. It was a beautiful blessing. Amanda and the kids came over for dinner and games in the evening. Amanda, Brad, Scott, and I played "Ticket to Ride" while the younger children and Emma played hide and seek and watched Narnia. Brad scored the biggest score he ever has on Ticket to Ride: 138 points. Amanda just barely came in 2nd with 135 points. Great game!

Mon 7/22/13: Brad and I challenged Emma to a round of Ticket to Ride for FHE tonight. It was fun spending time together.

Tue 7/23/13: I taught the Activity Day girls a quick and easy way to make homemade ice cream. It was a fun activity, with a delicious reward.  I bought too much whipping cream, though, which means I'll have to think up some delicious things to eat in the near future.  YUM!

Wed 7/24/13: Today was Pioneer Day. We had a great time at Aunt Marian's house, swimming with the Polak kids, eating good food, and playing Ticket to Ride. We did fireworks in the evening at our house. We introduced Lizzy to smoke bombs and ground flowers. She loved that! David was in love with the pop-its, as usual.

Thu 7/25/13: Brad and I started a new TV series, since we finished watching Merlin last night. We are now watching "Alias." The pilot episode was pretty good.

Fri 7/26/13:  Brad and I had some time alone tonight, which was nice.  I love my husband!

Sat 7/27/13: I got done a van-full of shopping today, in preps for our California trip. Can't wait!

Sun 7/28/13: David has figured out how to open the fridge.  He opened it, grabbed a baby carrot, and took a bite.  Me:  "David, did you find a carrot?"  David:  "Mmm... YUMMY!"  I'm glad he likes carrots.  Not so glad that he figured out how to open the fridge.  As long as it's the carrots and the the eggs, right?

Mon 7/29/13: Kaylie and Emma are excited to go to their first YW camp. We did a lot of packing today, and I drove the girls to drop off their stuff at Sister Taylor's house. They spent the rest of the evening having fun together and planning their trip. They are very excited.

Tue 7/30/13:  Lizzy was sad to see Kaylie and Emma leave this morning, but I'm so happy that Emma gets to share her first Young Woman camp with her cousin.  I know they will have a fun time together.

Wed 7/31/13:  Looks like Jason got his mission call in the mail today.  Brad found it when he picked up Bruce and Loralee's mail.  I'm assuming we'll find out where he's going when the Bruce-Clan come home this weekend.  YAY!  So happy for Elder North!

The Highlight of my Day: June 2013

Something good happens every day. Here's what happened in June 2013:

Sat 6/1/13: Today was Del Sol's annual Lagoon Day! We had a great time with all four children coming with us this year. We went on lots of rides, including The Sky Ride, Ferris Wheel, The Ody-Sea, Rattle-Snake Rapids (not Brad & David), merry-go-round, The Roller Coaster (Scott, Emma, me), and the train ride. We got a lot of free Del Sol t-shirts at lunch time that were Marvel themed. Pretty neat!

Sun 6/2/13: Jason received his Eagle at his Eagle Court of Honor tonight. We helped the family transport people and items to the church to set everything up, since they were having van issues. Luckily they found out what the problem was with the van at the end of the night.

Mon 6/3/13: We celebrated Brad's birthday for FHE tonight. Loralee made a fabulous pina-colada cake for us, which we all loved and devoured quickly. Scott drew an awesome "Super Papa" sketch with Brad in superhero gear. Emma made him a funny card, accusing him of cheating at card games even though we all know he doesn't really do that. Both of them together made decorations using Batman signals with U2 signs. Pretty neat! I bought him some new clothes, which he asked for. It was a good night.

Tue 6/4/13: I finished painting Lizzy's "Lights" painting, inspired by Disney's Tangled. It's a rendition of the painting Rapunzel paints in the movie.

Wed 6/5/13: So excited that my mom is coming tomorrow! Started cleaning the house a little today. Still got a lot of work to do tomorrow!

Thu 6/6/13: My mom arrived at the airport tonight! Lizzy squealed with joy when she saw her. She has been talking about her coming every day for weeks. We took Grandma to Virg's for dinner and stayed up late having Lizzy model some new dresses Grandma bought her, as well as looking at photos from my mom's trip to Chile in April.

Fri 6/7/13: We had fun going places with my mom today. The little kids and I drove Grandma to the Jordan River Parkway and went for a walk. We also went to Jamba Juice and had lunch at Sam's Club. In the evening, Brad joined us and we went to the International Peace Gardens in SLC. My mom and the kids especially loved the gardens. They seemed to have so much fun running around together and exploring all the pretty spots.

Sat 6/8/13: Rachel had Baby Claire today! She was born at 5:16 pm, weighing 8 lbs, 9 oz., and 19 1/2" long. She's a beautiful, healthy-sized baby! Rachel had to have a c-section this time, since Claire decided to go breech at the last minute. Naughty girl. But we are very grateful that everyone is doing fine.

Sun 6/9/13: Today my beautiful daughter turned 4 years old! Happy Birthday, Lizzy! We had a Rapunzel-themed birthday party. I made a cute tower cake out of white donuts, a cupcake, and an ice cream cone, with yellow frosting flowing down the tower like hair. My mom of course was there, and we also invited Grandpa North and the Moons to come over. Lizzy loved having Brooklyn there. They were so cute together, running around the couch with Nolan. Lizzy loved all her presents, including the hat and painting I made for her. It was a cute party.

Mon 6/10/13: We drove Grandma to the "mountain park" in the morning. She loved the pretty houses there. We spent most of the afternoon eating empanadas while watching "Cranford" together. We didn't have enough time to finish it before Mom had to leave for the airport, but it was fun watching it, and she told me she wants my dad to watch it with her sometime.

Tue 6/11/13: I've started crocheting Emma a Grumpy Cat hat so she can wear it next week at the Mad Hatter Tea Party. I'm looking forward to that!

Wed 6/12/13: Watching Jane Eyre with my husband tonight was lovely. I love watching classics with him. The newest Masterpiece Theater version of Jane Eyre is our favorite.

Thu 6/13/13: Emma loved the Grumpy Cat hat I made for her. I took photos of her and Lizzy trying it on. Turned out really cute!

Fri 6/14/13: I had a busy day driving the kids around. The big kids each got to see their friends from our old neighborhood, which made them very happy.

Sat 6/15/13: Swimming party at Aunt Marian's house was a blast! Emma's friend, Makenna, joined us this time. The older kids and Lizzy had lots of fun playing in the large rubber boat together. David had the most fun climbing in and out of the pool.

Sun 6/16/13: Today was Father's Day. We gave Brad a big breakfast in bed and showered him with little gifts throughout the day. Grandpa North came for dinner. We had chili and homemade salsa. Scott and Emma made a cake for their dad and grandpa. They used fruit slices to make a shape of a tie on the cake. It was yummy!

Mon 6/17/13: Brad and I celebrated our Wedding Anniversary today! 7 years together! It was nice playing Ticket to Ride with Scott and Emma tonight. The game was my present to Brad this year.

Tue 6/18/13: The girls and I went to the Madhatter Tea Party at church tonight. Lizzy and Emma looked adorable in the hats I made them. They received many compliments and won a prize for the their hats.

Wed 6/19/13: Brad and I started watching the 3rd season of Lost tonight. Could it possibly get any more strange and confusing?

Thu 6/20/13: We took movies of David saying, "Bess 'ou" tonight. He's just so cute and funny!

Fri 6/21/13: Brad and I took Lizzy and David to Hunter Park for the first time. We liked swinging on the swings and climbing the hills at the park. It's a good size park. We liked seeing the early version of the super moon. It will be even bigger on Sunday.

Sat 6/22/13: Brad and I spent most of the day watching the third season of Lost again. My purple crochet blanket is almost done!

Sun 6/23/13: I made my yummy fresh topping pizza for my family today. Emma loves it when I add extra ingredients to the pizza. I added mushrooms, bell peppers, fresh basil, cheddar cheese, olives, and Parmesan cheese. It was fun eating lunch with them while watching Studio C and Divine Comedy.

Mon 6/24/13: It was fun going to the library tonight and eating ice cream together as a mini-family. We missed Scott and Emma, but it was still fun.

Tue 6/25/13: I had fun editing photos from Marian's pool party on the 15th and photos from Father's Day. I love taking photos of my family. They are my favorite subjects.

Wed 6/26/13: I woke up this morning with the idea that I wanted to count how many times Brad kissed me today without him knowing I was keeping track. He kissed me 8 times before he left for work, and after he came back I counted 7 more times before I lost track. Too many kisses! Pretty good for a typical day, if I do say so myself. I love being in love with my husband.

Thu 6/27/13: I bought some wreath making materials at Michael's today. I'm going for a nest theme, with purple flowers and vines. Totally my style. I'm excited!

Fri 6/28/13: Scott and Emma came home tonight after being gone for a week. We had yummy homemade tacos for dinner and played Ticket to Ride as a family. I'm happy I won this time. Yeah!

Sat 6/29/13: We had a fun Saturday! We watched Monster's University together as a family, then we had a water fight in the evening. I had fun chasing the kids around the backyard with the hose and water guns. They had fun getting me wet, too. I was soaked by the end. It was a great way to stay cool on this very hot day.

Sun 6/30/13: Heat wave today! It was nice having the AC running in the van each time I climbed in. My husband is very thoughtful.

Lizzy Turned Four!

My little girl is now a four-year-old.  I still can't get over how fast time has gone by!  Lizzy is a very happy and energetic preschool-age child.  She stays busy all day long, running around outside with the neighborhood children, and using her imagination skills at home.  She has developed a knack for memorizing lines from movies and books, and she is very good at remembering lyrics.  She reminds me of myself in many ways.

Lizzy loves to watch movies.  Her favorite movies are Brave and Tangled, but she also likes all of the Pixar movies, and even some more mature movies like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Princess Bride.  She also likes to watch PBS Kids in the mornings.  She loves Curious George, Super Why, Word World, Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, and Sid the Science Kid.

One of Lizzy's favorite time of the day is bedtime.  She loves me reading to her and singing to her every night.  Her favorite book right now is Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies.  That was one of Scott's and Emma's favorites when they were young children.  They would check it out at the library almost every week, so Brad and I bought a copy for Easter one year.  Lizzy and David love it when I read it to them every night.

Lizzy's favorite song list right now is:
"A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes," from Cinderella.
"All the Pretty Little Horses," my grandma's version.
"Animal Crackers in my Soup."
"Baby Beluga."
"Baby Mine," from Dumbo.

 I love my little girl so much.  She certainly puts a smile on my face every single day.  She follows me around the house and always makes it a point to stay close to me.  I'm not allowed to close any doors on her, including when I'm using the bathroom or taking a shower.  I guess she likes knowing that she has full access to me whenever she wants it or needs it.  She likes having conversations with me, and talking about how she thinks and feels.  She's a smart little girl with a great sense of humor.

We celebrated Lizzy's birthday on her actual birthday this year.  Scott and Emma were with us this time, and we invited Grandpa North, the Moon family, and my mom to come.  It was really fun having my mom in town for the weekend.  Lizzy had been looking forward to her coming for weeks.  The party was a Rapunzel  themed birthday party.  I crocheted Lizzy a Rapunzel hat, made her purple sun banners to decorate the room, braided a long yellow braid out of yellow yarn, painted a lantern painting for her room, and made an adorable tower cake out of donuts, a cupcake, and ice cream cone.  Lizzy had a blast playing with her friend, Brooklyn, and Brooklyn's little brother, Nolan.  They were all very cute together.

Lizzy's Tangled painting.

I love you, my sweet Lizzy!  You are such a sweet little girl.  You amaze me every single day.

I love you!

My Highlight of the Day: May 2013

Something good happens every day. Here's what happened in May 2013:

Wed 5/1/13: I have committed to following an all-juice diet today and tomorrow. I did very well today. I made juices throughout the day, and stuck to it the whole time without giving into temptations. I made juices with strawberries, mangos, blackberries, bananas, pineapple, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, and kale.

Thu 5/2/13: Brad and I enjoyed talking with Bruce & Loralee, and later with Mr. Horsecroft at Emma's "Year of Service" event at her school. Mr. Horsecoft was impressed with Emma's display poster and Scott's artwork of "The Lorax."

Fri 5/3/13: Brad and I stayed up until one o-clock in the morning watching the end of "Our Mutual Friend." Such a good show! Charles Dickens is a genus.

Sat 5/4/13: We bought all of gardening supplies from Home Depot this morning. Some of it will be arriving in the mail, but most of it we brought home from this morning. We also enjoyed visiting Marilyn & James tonight at their house tonight. Marilyn made some BBQ steak, corn-on-the-cob, and strawberry shortcake. It was yummy!

Sun 5/5/13: All of us ended up taking naps today after getting back from church. It was a nice, relaxing Sunday afternoon.

Mon 5/6/13: We made Mother's Day cards for all of our grandmas tonight. It's an annual Mother's Day tradition in our family. It was cute seeing Lizzy and David get involved this year.

Tue 5/7/13: The girl cousins, Emma, and I went early to school this morning so we could help set up breakfast for the teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week. I brought bagels and a container of mixed berry cream cheese.

Wed 5/8/13: The little ones and I had a busy morning shopping at Walmart and Sam's Club. David was so tired by the end of it that he feel asleep in his car-seat.

Thu 5/9/13: The little ones and I walked to the park today. They had fun playing in the sand, going down slides, and collecting dandelions.

Fri 5/10/13: Brad and I went shopping at Lowes tonight to gather up some more garden materials. The weather outside was beautiful! We saw a rainbow on our way to the store, and on the way back the pink, gray, and purple clouds made everything look like a different shade of color. We drove around the block and stopped to talk to the Westerns who were also enjoying the sunset. Beautiful!

Sat 5/11/13: Brad and I went to see The Piano Guys perform live at Abravanel Hall tonight! They were AWESOME! Jon and Steve are so talented and funny, and very entertaining to watch and listen to. I'm so glad we went! It was a great date night!

Sun 5/12/13: I loved Mother's Day this year! My Bradley is such a good husband. He gave me a handmade gift this year-- a framed Proclamation of the Family to hang on our wall. He designed it himself. We had yummy blueberry coffee cake from the Bake Sale yesterday for breakfast. So yummy! I liked every meeting of church today. Brad sat in my Sunbeam class to make sure I wasn't alone. He's so nice! I liked cuddling with him in the evening and watching movies. He made my day so awesome! I love being his wife and the mother of his children.

Mon 5/13/13: We had a fun FHE tonight! We caravanned to the park tonight, with Scott driving the Toyota and me driving the van. Scott did an excellent job! We drove to the park in the neighborhood west of us. The kids loved the playground equipment. Much nicer than the standard kind we normally see at parks. Lizzy especially loved climbing the "mountain."

Tue 5/14/13: Tonight was the Activity Days temple, testimony, and treat night. I loved seeing all the pretty flower pens on display and all the girls temple pictures. It was nice to see.

Wed 5/15/13: Brad and I are hooked on watching the TV series "Lost." The show continues to entice us, even though we've already learned it leaves you with more questions than answers. It was fun watching two episodes tonight.

Thu 5/16/13: The little kids and I went to the park today, to have lunch and play together. I love being a Mommy!

Fri 5/17/13: We drove to some nearby canals and ponds, trying to find some ducks to feed bread to. We didn't have much luck, but it was still fun driving around together. We stopped at Harmons and bought some treats and produce.

Sat 5/18/13: Brad and I went on a date to watch "Star Trek Into Darkness" this afternoon. Very well done! After the movie, Brad and I went to get my hair done. It looks cute!

Sun 5/19/13: My sunbeams did well in church today. It was helpful having Sister Coombs in class with me. The lesson today was on taking care of our bodies. The kids liked me bringing apples and showing them pictures of foods.

Mon 5/20/13: We talked about patriarchal blessings for Family Home Evening tonight. Scott suggested we focus on that topic. He gave the lesson, with me helping him when he needed it. He wants to get his patriarchal blessing soon.

Tue 5/21/13: I had a busy afternoon weeding my front flower bed. It took two days for me to dig up all the morning glories in the hard Utah clay, and I was very tired by the end of it. I was able to get away from the house this evening and spend time with a few of the Relief Society sisters at church. We drank Italian sodas and talked about our favorite music.

Wed 5/22/13: I took David and Lizzy to the park this morning. They love going to the "mountain park" near our neighborhood. In the afternoon, I continued weeding my front yard where the two fences meet on the west side. I want to plant corn, pumpkins, and sunflower seeds there.

Thu 5/23/13: Nothing in the world makes me happier than being with my husband. He is wonderful. It's been fun watching episodes of Lost every night together. Tonight we watched some while he rubbed my sore shoulders for me.

Fri 5/24/13: Brad and I went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse (using the $30 certificate we got from Entheos Academy), then we stayed up late watching Lost episodes all the way until the end of the first season. Creepy show, but very interesting.

Sat 5/25/13: Today was a great day! Brad and I finished the garden box in the morning. Scott, Kaylee, Rachel, Brad, and I had an enjoyable time mixing the soft soil and filling up the box. We planted three tomato plants and pepper plants, and sowed some spinach, wax beans, lettuce, and sugar snap peas. We went to Marian's house in the afternoon and had lunch and played Uno. Brad won.

Sun 5/26/13: We had a double home-teaching visit at the Hyde's house this afternoon. Brad gave the first lesson on speaking kindly to children, and Brother Hyde gave the second lesson on making covenants.

Mon 5/27/13: We celebrated Memorial Day at Wheeler Farm with Brad's dad and the Bruce Clan. Brad's dad brought his bocce set, and I played it for the first time. I think I scored more than anyone else did. It was fun!

Tue 5/28/13: I have been working on crocheting a Rapunzel hat for Lizzy's birthday. Today I worked on the flowers. It's going to be pretty!

Wed 5/29/13: Another incredible sky tonight!  The little kids and I, especially, have been enjoying the rainbows and amazing-looking clouds that we've been having almost every evening.  I love rainy weather.

Thu 5/30/13:  I love having Scott and Emma home, but it's also nice having them gone on Thursday so I can have some alone(ish) time with Bradley.  Tonight we watched more "Lost" and enjoyed our time together.

Fri 5/31/13:  We had a family night learning how to play Poker with Scott and Emma.  Brad bought three large bags of candy for us to "bet" with.  It was fun!  Brad ended up with the biggest stash.  I would have gotten out a lot earlier if he hadn't been my sugar daddy.

I Love Being a Mother

May is a good month to remember how much I love and appreciate being a mother.  I love having Scott, Emma, Lizzy, and David in my life.  They are such wonderful young people, and I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to mother them in whatever capacity I can.

Here are some cute photos of my kids in May 2013.  I loved creating memories with them this past month.  They are wonderful!

Jordan River Parkway

FHE at the Park

Memorial Day at Wheeler Farm

Blanket for Claire

My little niece, Claire, will be arriving in this world shortly.  I thought it would be fun to make her a blanket set to welcome her, so I bought some cute yarn from Michaels and began making my very first granny square blanket.  I call it my Neapolitan blanket.  It looks like strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla ice cream all together in rows.  After finishing the blanket, I knew I wanted to make Claire something cute to wear with it, so I made a cute little hat  and diaper cover set.  I think it turned out adorable!  I can't wait to see my little niece use it soon!

Piano Guys

Brad and I went to see The Piano Guys live in concert at Abravanel Hall on the Saturday before Mother's Day.  It was lovely! Jon and Steve are extremely talented and entertaining.  I love the songs that Jon and Steve have arranged together, and I love the way they perform as a team.  I was very excited when they performed the very first song they ever did together, "Love Story Meets Viva La Vida."  It's sill one of my all time favorites.  I happened upon their YouTube video of that song back in 2009, while I was reading one of my friend's blog post.  That was even before they became The Piano Guys.  I'm so glad they decided to team up later.  They are awesome!  I'm looking forward to watching them in concert again in the future.

The Highlight of My Day: April 2013

Something good happens every day. Here's what happened in April 2013:

Mon 4/1/13: Tonight Brad and I enjoyed a quiet Family Home Evening with Lizzy and David. We used church artwork to tell Lizzy the story of the life of Christ. She seemed to like the pictures of Baby Jesus the best.

Tue 4/2/13: The Montgomerys arrived tonight! It was lovely spending time with my sister and her family. Little Eric is getting so big! He's taller than David. Lizzy had fun playing with a new Rapunzel doll from her Grandma Whitcomb.

Wed 4/3/13: Brad and I took the Montgomerys and our little ones to Veteran's Memorial Park. Eric was obsessed with the swings and wouldn't try anything else. David liked walking on all the different surfaces at the park: wood chips, sidewalk, wooden planks, grass, etc. Lizzy loved doing a little bit of everything. She really liked riding the tire swing with Uncle Craig and Eric.

Thu 4/4/13: We spent a good portion of our day at This is the Place Heritage Park. The kids loved seeing all the baby animals. They held bunnies and chicks, and saw baby goats and sheep. Lizzy and David rode on ponies, and all of us loved riding on the trains at the park. It was a fun day.

Fri 4/5/13: We spent a lot of time at home today. It was too wet to do much, although the little ones still managed to play out in the backyard a few times. Eric loves playing in the backyard.

Sat 4/6/13: We watched the first two sessions of General Conference today. Brad picked up Scott this evening and all the menfolk went to the Priesthood Session while the girls had some time together. Marilyn, Loralee, and the cousin girls joined Rachel and I at my house. We had spaghetti and salad, and Loralee brought a pastry for us to try.

Sun 4/7/13: It was sad seeing the Montgomerys leave after the morning session of conference, but it was fun visiting Marian this afternoon. We played a round of Nerts. Brad won. We also ate lasagna and watched "The Big Bang Theory." Brad helped move a couch into the garage.

Mon 4/8/13: It was lovely having Scott and Emma come home tonight! We had a good family home evening watching new episodes of Studio C.

Tue 4/9/13: I'm having fun making Rachel a baby blanket for her soon-to-arrive daughter, Claire. The blanket reminds me of Neapolitan Ice Cream, so I call it the ice cream blanket. Strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. Looks yummy, according to Emma.

Wed 4/10/13: Poor Emma busted her foot today while playing Sharks and Minnows at school. She has a stress fracture on her fibula. I loved the way Emma coped with her injury today. Her cheerful personality still shown through, even though it was hard for to get around and do things. I loved her desire to be independent and do things on her own. She's such a wonderful girl.

Thu 4/11/13: My highlight of the day was Brad and I singing to our little ones at bedtime. Lizzy and David were used to just hearing me sing "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes," but this time Papa sang along, and both their eyes and smiles got really big as they heard his voice. We also sang "All the Pretty Little Horses."

Fri 4/12/13: Tonight was Art Night at Entheos. Scott brought a bunch of art to put on display, which included some of his elvish writing. Emma had some items on display, too, including her Egyptian painting of Baal. We won two auction items in the lottery: a dinner for two to Texas Roadhouse, and two baskets full of gardening supplies.

Sat 4/13/13: Brad and I went to see "Oz: The Great and Powerful." When we got home, we found all the kids playing ball in the backyard, including Emma. I'm glad Emma is healing up so fast!

Sun 4/14/13: It was nice having our home teachers visit us this evening. The topics we discussed were on fasting and the resurrection. I loved it when Scott paraphrased Alma 11:42-44. I've noticed how much more knowledgeable Scott has become of the scriptures since he began attending seminary. I love it.

Mon 4/15/13: We watched, "The Empire Strikes Back," and Studio C for FHE tonight. It was Emma's and Lizzy's first time watching the second Star Wars film. Lizzy really got into it, yelling when the bad guys attacked the rebels. She also really liked R2D2.

Tue 4/16/13: The kids and I watched "Wreck it Ralph" after we got back from the library. What a cute movie!

Wed 4/17/13: A week has gone by since Emma had her foot accident. She has healed up so nicely! She no longer needs crutches or her boot, and the only discomfort she feels is when she stands on her tip-toes. I'm happy she's doing so well so quickly.

Thu 4/18/13: I talked to my mother on the phone for about an hour tonight. She had a lot to say to me about her recent trip to Chile to visit her family. She was so happy! I'm so glad that she was able to go and spend two weeks in her homeland, seeing all of her brothers and sisters, and nieces and nephews. She was treated as a celebrity there. Everyone came to see her, and feed her, and take her places. She loved the attention and hospitality. I am so happy for her having that experience.

Fri 4/19/13: Brad and I went on a little date to donate blood together, and eat out at Ab's Drive In. It's been a long time since I've eaten a hamburger like that. YUM!

Sat 4/20/13: We grabbed some goodies at the Missionary Bake Sale this morning before heading over to see Marian. We spent most of the day cleaning up the fish tank and playing Nerts. We celebrated my birthday in the evening. I loved it when David sang to me: "Birf-day to you. Birf-day to you." He was very cute.

Sun 4/21/13: Today was my birthday. It was fun getting birthday wishes throughout the day from family and friends, and talking to my parents on the phone. We had peanut butter pie for my birthday "cake." I enjoyed Brad and the kids singing to me.

Mon 4/22/13: I liked having Family Home Evening with the family, watching the second half of "Empire Strikes Back" and another episode of Studio C. I loved the sketch: Literally Man. Hilarious! I love Matt Meese.

Tue 4/23/13: I loved Lizzy holding back the automatic doors for me at the library tonight, and talking to them as I made my way towards them. "Wait for Mama," she told them. When I walked through, she dismissed the doors, saying, "Okay! Good night, doors!"

Wed 4/24/13: I've been having way too much fun crocheting blankets lately. Today I spent most of the afternoon watching movies and shows on my computer while crocheting. I'm making a purple blanket now.

Thu 4/25/13: I liked my visiting teachers stopping by tonight. It was nice talking to them and hearing a General Conference message about speaking softly to children. Brad, the kids, and I enjoyed eating the grape-flavored purple candy vines they brought. YUM!

Fri 4/26/13:  I got a high five and an applause for my dinner tonight.  I made chicken drumsticks with homemade BBQ sauce, brown rice with tomatoes and cilantro, and fresh green beans on the side.  It was yummy!

Sat 4/27/13:  I went shopping with Emma and Lizzy today.  I bought Emma some new black walking shoes, which she picked out herself.  I liked spending time with my girls.

Sun 4/28/13: The sunbeams were so well behaved today!  Even Tommy sat down in his seat the whole time.  That made me very happy.

Mon 4/29/13:  We ate ice cream and watched Studio C tonight.  I love our family traditions. 

Tue 4/30/13:  I got a bunch of DVDs from the library tonight.  I've been watching a lot of British dramas lately while I crochet.  This week I checked out "North and South" and "Our Mutual Friend."  I'm working on some presents for Baby Claire.

David's 18-Month Stats

Weight: 25 pounds, 36% for his age
Height: 33.5 inches, 80% for his age.
Head Circumference: 18.9 inches, 55% for his age. 

18-Month David

David is the most easy-going baby I have ever met.  He is calm, mellow, and very happy.  He makes people smile wherever we go.  His smile is contagious.

New Developments In The Last 3 Months

• He has become a climber.  He loves to climb on chairs, couches, stairs, the table, and his highchair.
• He has a growing vocabulary: "PLEASE!", "what's that?", "ewww," "hello," "yesss," and "'uck" are some of the new things he says.
• He he has three more teeth, including one molar.  He has 9 teeth total.
• He had his first haircut.
• He can scribble with crayons now, and he knows how to stack blocks.

Favorite Foods

Bananas, grapes, broccoli, cheddar cheese, rice, pasta, black beans, canned green beans, yams, apples, turkey pastrami, hot dogs, and lots more!  He's not too fond of chewy meats, like beef strips, and he doesn't care for fish much.  He has decided ham isn't his favorite anymore, either.

Favorite Books and Songs
David loves it when we read "Goodnight Gorilla," "Green Eggs and Ham," and "The Three Little Pigs."  He loves it when I sing "Little Bunny Fo Fo," "Open Shut Them," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Batman," "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "Baby Mine"--- basically any song I sing.  He loves music.  It calms him down and soothes him instantly. It always puts a smile on his face.

Little quirks:

• He loves to say: "Please!  Please!  PLEEEASE!" He can be very intense when he says that, with his eyes getting bigger, and his voice getting louder.  That's his way of saying he wants something.  Sometimes it takes me a while to figure out what he wants.
• His favorite song is from Divine Comedy's music video, Good.  He can watch that video over and over again, and tries to sing along with it. He sings, "I gooo, I gooo, a maaa."
• He is obsessed with climbing things.  He loves to climb up on his highchair.  He scares us sometimes.
• He likes walking on different surfaces.  He loves walking from grass to concrete, or from foam to wood shavings, and he's obsessed with steps.
• He loves to say, "hi," when he or someone else walks into a room.
• He is definitely left-handed.
• He laughs when he gets his teeth brushed.  The bristles make his gums tickle.

The Highlight of my Day: March 2013

Something good happens every day. Here's what happened in March 2013:

Fri 3/1/13: Brad and I had fun learning some new dance moves tonight. We checked out a beginning ballroom dancing DVD from the library a few days ago.

Sat 3/2/13: We had a blast watching Studio C film LIVE in Provo tonight! Scott and Emma got to be in the live audience while Brad and I were in the overflow. Brad got to shake Matt Meese's and Stephen Meek's hands before the show. It was awesome!

Sun 3/3/13: We had a wonderful afternoon and evening with Rosie, the poodle! John dropped her off so we could watch her overnight. We took her with us to Bruce and Loralee's house for dinner. Loralee made a delicious lasagna dinner, with salad and homemade rolls, and we had banana and lemon cream pies for dessert. It was a lovely Sunday.

Mon 3/4/13: We had a Dr. Seuss themed FHE tonight. The highlight was eating homemade cupcakes with light blue frosting, with Cat-in-the-Hat marshmallow hats on top.

Tue 3/5/13: Tonight was library night! Lizzy checked out a bunch of DVDs this time, including Bob the Builder, The Lorax, and Kim Impossible.

Wed 3/6/13: I took a long walk this evening while Scott and Emma were at their youth activities. It was a beautiful night, and I loved walking through our neighborhood and seeing the SLC lights in the distance. I love living where we live.

Thu 3/7/13: I've gotten hooked on a new TV series called "No Ordinary Family." I've been watching it on Hulu while crocheting Thing 1 and Thing 2 hats for my friend, Gina's twin boys.

Fri 3/8/13: Tonight was the Elders Quorum dinner at our church building. We sat with the Matthews, Moons, and the Sandersons. It was fun visiting with everyone, eating potatoes and chili, and playing a new game Kathi taught us called "Chinese Writing." Kathi had us all stumped with the game, which made it more funny at the end when we were told the trick.

Sat 3/9/13: Brad, the little ones, and I went to play games at Marian's and Gordon's house this afternoon. We played Ticket to Ride again. I won with 120 points. We would have stayed longer if Lizzy hadn't thrown up while we were there. It's a good thing we went home when we did, because all of us were sick by the end of the night.

Sun 3/10/13: Brad and I stayed home sick with the little ones while Scott and Emma went to church today. Brad and I enjoyed watching Downton Abbey together.

Mon 3/11/13: We were feeling much better today. We went for a walk down our street, collecting rocks, for FHE. Lizzy was very excited about collecting rocks. It's amazing how the money-free activities can be the most fun.

Tue 3/12/13: Scott stayed home sick from school today, and Brad took off work to volunteer in Emma's class this afternoon, so the three of us watched the final episode of Downton Abbey Season 3 together in the morning.

Wed 3/13/13: It was Emma's turn to be ill today. I spent the entire morning taking care of her and cleaning up after her. I was feeling overwhelmed by the end of the day, so Brad gave me a little mini-mommy vacation. He did the dishes for me and watched the kids while I went on a nice long walk through the neighborhood and took an extra long hot bubble bath. I went to bed feeling happy, warm, and fresh. My husband is so good to me.

Thu 3/14/13: Bradley-and-Me time tonight was lovely! I love my marriage. I love my husband. I love having him to myself on Thursday nights. My life is good!

Fri 3/15/13: Bradley and I watched a documentary called "Hungry for Change." It was very well done. I learned some things I didn't know before.

Sat 3/16/13: We loved having Scott and Emma home this weekend. Brad and I did temple sealings in the morning while Scott and Emma babysat the little ones. Later in the day, we took all the kids shopping at Harmons and Trader Joes. Scott and Emma love Trader Joes, and we are so happy there's a store in Salt Lake now.

Sun 3/17/13: We had a big St. Patrick's Day dinner tonight. I made corned beef and cabbage, with carrots and red potatoes on the side. It was yummy! I also made some green leprechaun punch.

Mon 3/18/13: The kids and Brad had a great time playing soccer in our big backyard for FHE. I took lots of pictures and videos of them playing. I LOVE our new home with our new big backyard.

Tue 3/19/13: Brad and I went to watch Emma in her school recital tonight. She did an excellent job as a mustache fairy. It was fun seeing Kaylie, Rachel, and Jessica perform, too. I love the Discovery program at Entheos.

Wed 3/20/13: Took a nice long walk on the first day of Spring! The weather was perfect. I ran into Scott twice while he was on a photo scavenger hunt with the other Young Men in our ward. I loved the way Scott smiled and waved at me when he saw me. It made my heart happy.

Thu 3/21/13: The two little ones loved seeing the snow fall outside our bay windows this morning. They kept running back and forth to each window, looking outside. Lizzy had to go outside to make snow tracks in the snow. "Look, Mom! My feet!"

Fri 3/22/13: I was a successful health-nut today. I exercised, ate right, and recorded everything in my journal like I was supposed to. I felt wonderful by the end of the night.

Sat 3/23/13: Lizzy and I went with the Activity Girls to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple today. I took lots of photos of the girls.

Sun 3/24/13: Today was Stake Conference. Brad and I sang in the choir while Scott and Emma took care of the little ones with their cousins. I absolutely LOVED it when David saw Brad and me in the choir. He had the BIGGEST smile ever!

Mon 3/25/13: We celebrated Easter for FHE. We dyed eggs and made Easter treats. Scott had fun dying our traditional "ugly egg." It ended up a brown/green/gray color with cracks. Emma's eggs were My Little Pony and Nyan Cat themed. One of Brad's eggs, of course, had U2 on it. Lizzy loved coloring her eggs and putting them in the dye. David colored his first Easter egg. He made lots of cracks in it, but it was still cute. He tried to eat it after we put it in the dye. He did not like the vinegar flavor.

Tue 3/26/13: We saw the most beautiful sunset on our way home from the library tonight. The clouds were orange and majestic, towering over the mountains. I love that we live on a hill. We have such a scenic view when we drive places.

Wed 3/27/13: Brad and I took the little ones for a walk while Scott and Emma were at their youth activities. It was nice getting the exercise and spending time with my family.

Thu 3/28/13: I love my Nutribullet juicing machine! I've been drinking some every day, and today I went the whole day drinking nothing but juice until dinner. It was yummy.

Fri 3/29/13: Brad and I got done a large amount of shopping tonight at Sam's Club. We bought bags of oranges, pears, apples, and some bananas and grapes for our Nutribullet.

Sat 3/30/13: We picked up some baked goods first thing this morning at the cousins' house to help support Jason going on a mission. Brad and I ate pie this afternoon while watching "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey."

Sun 3/31/13:  I loved Easter Sunday this year.  We celebrated at Grandpa North's house.  I made a honey-baked ham, potato & Easter egg salad, spinach/strawberry salad, and Loralee made cheesecake, angel food cake, and rolls.  YUMMY!  It was fun watching David and Lizzy hunt for eggs with their cousins.  David still doesn't know how to hunt eggs yet.   He grabbed the first one he saw, shook it, then said, "PLEASE!  PLEASE" until we let him eat the candy, and that was the end of his hunt.