I Am Full

Me, Mindy Baldwin, Angie Truman, Jenni Miller, Lisa Watt, Marcy Albertson, Joy Anderson and Alice Anderson

April 30th and May 1st have turned out to be two of the most fulfilling and memorable days of my life. I headed to Women's Conference with friends, new and old, from Idaho. Little did I know how much I needed to hear what was being said. Not only was I inspired by the speakers and music, but also by those who I spent my time with. It really is true that we are here for each other, to step in where others may lack, to lift up when the going gets tough. We are Daughters of God who can do anything in the Strength of the Lord. I am grateful to be a mother, a daughter, and a friend. I love the gospel with all my heart and know that my Savior knows me personally and wants me to be happy. I felt his arms around me during so much of those two days. How wonderful it is to be a part of something so amazing. To have friends when we need them most and guidance from those who talk with God. I hope I can only be worthy of all the blessings that I have received. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior and hope to one day be like them. 

In our Savior, we have a "perfect" friend....

And through my trials and trials of others, I have learned that when God is lifting us up, we may feel he is letting us down. All we need to do is Follow Him.....

Timid Lion

A shy lion, maybe. But definitely not cowardly.

Riley had his Opera at school on the 28th of April. I remember the day he came home to tell me about the song and his part, he was so excited. He even sang me his lines! But, lo and behold, performance night comes, and he hardly spoke a word. He looked pretty cute in his Lion costume though. Oh well, at least he was smiling...

It's Been Awhile....

The Crew during Grandpa's lesson.

Pa, my brother-in-law, rescuing all the sticky reptiles that came in the Easter eggs.  All of the kids were throwing them against the house.

Mom, me, Wendy, Janica (back)

Brooke, Diana and Natalie (front)

The boys...my Dad and brother are standing.

Hanging out...

Family photo op in Grandma's back yard.

Emilee

Gracie

Ema was sharing an egg with Jake, he didn't quite get to them fast enough. :)

Ready for hunting!!!  (Jake, Gracie, Ema and Lily)

It's been about 5 or 6 months since my entire family has been together....and at least 3 or 4 years since we've had Easter somewhere other than home. What a great time it was to spend the day with my family. I miss hanging out with my sisters and it's always good to give the in-laws a little crap. :) And my brother, well, I hardly ever see him and his family, so it was a treat!

My mom, of course, prepared some wonderful food. Can't forget dessert...mmm. Thanks Mom. And the Easter egg hunt for the kids...there were about 100 eggs to find so that kept them busy for awhile, along with searching for everything inside the eggs. 

My Dad then reigned us all in for the real reason we celebrate and remember this day. Thanks Dad for being such a good example. 

And to the rest of my family, there are so many reasons that I love each of you...but the best reason, it's always a good time!!  My family is HILARIOUS!

Metal Mouth, Train Tracks, Tin Grin.....

Call it what you want...Emilee is now partial to those terms! She's actually glad to finally have her braces on, even though the first night has been a rough one. It's funny, she almost looks older to me with them on.  I caught a picture of her right after her appt. You can see by her choice of elastic colors, she was not going for the subtle approach. :)

11 years

      Delon and I celebrated our anniversary on the 20th. He asked me what I wanted to do and I said,"How 'bout you come up with an idea this time? And maybe be a little creative."  Ok, so that sounds a little cruel.....but he definitely got the message. Honestly, I'm the type that will enjoy a very simple weekend or even a night out. I don't need much. 

So later on in the week he told me to be ready on Fri. @ 4:30. Didn't tell me much at all actually...we left for Ogden, ate at the Timbermine and stayed up the canyon at The Alaskan Inn. He even requested chocolate covered strawberries and rose petals....awww. I know, are you sick yet? Anyway, I just have to tell Delon that I'm grateful for all of the effort and thought he put into the weekend. (He's learning quickly)  :) I love you Delon, and can't wait for the next 11 yrs!

And the winner is.....

The winning car...

The top four...Carson, Zach, Haydn and Ty

Pretty proud of his car.

The track....built circa 1812

...Haydn!!  (and much to our surprise). On the 18th the scouts had their Pinewood Derby. This was Haydn's first derby, so we were a little wary of making his car. Delon didn't know much as far as secrets and tips for a race-worthy car...nor did he ever win any of his races growing up! So we were off to a rough start.  But with a little research, Delon and Haydn put together a winning car. I must say, Haydn's car definitely wasn't one of the most creative....you should have seen some of these other car designs, I was really impressed! But it made for a good time and Haydn really seemed to enjoy it.  I think he's actually looking forward to next year!

10 Years and counting...

Enjoying their cupcakes..

Preparing to blow out the candles

Riley lost his first tooth during the party

Emilee's American Girl Doll....Bella

Haydn's favorite thing to do , eat junk!

Anne of Green Gables...the movie

Dig in!

Emilee had her birthday on the 3rd. I can't believe she is 10 yrs old already.  She didn't ask for much, just another American Girl doll. I wanted to give her a few other things that I enjoyed around her age....Anne of Green Gables, the book and movie, and Pride and Prejudice, the young adult version. Emilee loves to read and I intend to give her all of my favorite books.  It's one thing I really want to encourage and thankfully, she already loves to read! Emilee has really been a great kid and a good example to her parents. And I'm sure I can count on her to make good decisions and most importantly enjoy life....that's one thing she's never had a problem with. You come to a point while your children are growing up, that you do a lot of reminiscing and looking back with fondness on your days as a child. You notice the ways they try to become independent or try to find out where they shine....and you remember everything you went through and hope that in some small way, you can make the trip a little easier for them.  Last but not least, I have a wonderful husband who never fails to remind me that I could be a grandma in another 10 yrs. (I prefer not to focus on that part).   But I am very grateful for Emilee and all she contributes to our family. Happy Birthday Emilee!!!