To Resolve, or Not To Resolve...

...and if I do resolve to make changes in my life, what resolutions do I make? I realize that the beginning of a new year is naturally the perfect time to make the decision to do better, be better and keep being better longer than the first 2 weeks of January. But instead, this year I am overwhelmed at the number of things I could and should do better at. I'm also somewhat confused as to which goals should be a priority over many others I have listed in my mind. There are the goals that would make improvements to my mind and my body, those that would keep my house cleaner and myself more organized. Then there are the things I could work on that would improve my spiritual side, hopefully making me a better mother and wife and making my home a haven for my family. I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. What changes are you resolving to make this upcoming year?

My Birthday

There have been a few requests for a post about how my birthday turned out. I do have to say that it was the best birthday I've ever had. And since most of it was a surprise to me I'm sad to say that there are no pictures. Still Keith did a super, fantastic job making me feel special.

I got to sleep in which is always a nice way to start off any day although, I was a bit puzzled at the lack of a nice homemade breakfast which has been the norm in years past. I was able to open a couple of presents pretty early on thanks to the anxiousness of the kids and received a gorgeous pair of earrings and a new addition for my Christmas Village, which is also an expected surprise for my birthdays. It's a surprise because I never really know what the new piece will be and this year I got the Post Office I'd been eyeing.

Then we put things in high gear to get ready to go out for a Birthday lunch, just the 6 of us, at Brick Oven, YUM! The rush supposedly was to get done eating by noon when Keith had something planned for me. As we entered one of the banquet rooms I was met with about 20 of our family members minus my sisters who couldn't come because of the snow. There was presents, a huge chocolate cake, awesome food. But the surprises weren't over.

We had been planning to attend Keith's work party that night at the Grand America Hotel up in SLC (see pic below). The rest of my surprise was then given to me by my sneaky yet so wonderful husband. We weren't just attending the party, but were staying overnight at the hotel (very fancy) and he had arranged for a sitter for the kids, a substitute for my Sunbeam class and had talked to the Primary President to reschedule my week to do sharing time. Who could ask for more?!?

But there was more!! Keith had also been able to acquire tickets to the Christmas, Music and the Spoken Word for the next morning. It has to be my favorite part. Because it was the Holiday version, it was in the Conference Center and we had great seats. Even President Monson was in attendance which made it even more special. We had a wonderful time.

Thanks to all of my family who battled the snowstorm to come and surprise me with lunch and for keeping it a secret, that had to be hard. Most of all, thanks to my bestest friend and husband for giving me a great day! It was so amazing to actually have some alone time and to get to dress up again, just like our first date! I love you!

Random Pics

Piled on Dad's lap. All 4 of them barely fit!
I thought this was a cool shot, on the way to Thanksgiving dinner.
Rach and Dustin dressed up in the hats Dad brought them back from San Diego!

Rachael lost yet another tooth and now is missing THREE in a row! I've never seen that before!

CHEESE!

Dustin devouring a Thanksgiving drumstick!

Claire's picked up this habit of taking the couch cushions off and using them for her little trampolines. I guess this time she got too tired out!
Keith and I before heading to his work Holiday Party, more like an extravaganza!

DONE

Just thought I'd let you all know that as of Tuesday night I am completely done with my Christmas/Birthday shopping! WA-HOO!!! It's so hard having our anniversary, my birthday, Keith's birthday and Christmas all within a month of each other. Now I can turn my attention to fun things like treat making, playing with my kids and enjoying this time of year! So, be happy for me, be excited for me, or even be jealous....either way, I'M DONE!

A Few Days Left

Well, in a few days I will exit my 20's and begin my downhill slide into my 30's. Only it doesn't really feel that way.... I know I'm supposed to be all depressed about this dreadful year, but I still feel like I'm 21, maybe 22... and seeing how I still look young (maybe not 21 or 22--humor me please!) and sometimes I still act like I'm a teenager..... it isn't going to be nearly as traumatizing as it is for some people! Maybe it has to do with the fact that if you've never really been cool, you don't feel like you're losing something, right??

Let see, my 20's brought me many great friends and countless good times. I got my degree and was able enjoy being single for a year or so. Then I married my favorite guy, we made 4 of the cutest babies ever, and are still in love!!! We also bought our first house together lived there for 5 years and recently moved to our second home which hopefully will last longer than the last!! Looking back there are many times I love to remember (and many times I choose not to remember). So much hard work went into accomplishing goals and I am thankful for everyone I was able to meet and for what they added to my life. I am also grateful because I think it was during this time that I began to develop the relationships with my family & my Heavenly Father that I cherish so dearly now. I was also welcomed into a new family with loving arms and love being part of them. If my 30's can be any better than my 20's, then I say...whoo-hoo!! Bring it on! (We'll see if I feel the same way on Saturday)

Proud Mama

Indulge me this second to brag about my kids :) Rachael and Dustin came running through the front door after school yesterday, both so excited. Each of them have been named student of the week. What are the chances of them being selected at the same time?!? The part they liked best was having their pictures taken with their new principal (who they think is awesome, I wonder why?). I'm so happy at how well they've adjusted. They are obviously doing well at their new school. It makes me so proud to be their Mom!

T'was the Night Before our Savior Came

T'was the night before our Savior came and all through the house not a person was praying, not one in the house.

Their scriptures were lain on the shelf without care thinking that our Savior would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed, not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.

And mom in her rocker, with baby on her lap was watching the Late Show, while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter, I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but angels proclaiming that our Savior was here.

With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray, I knew in a moment it must be the day.

The light of his face made me cover my head. It was our Savior returning just like he had said.

And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth, I cried when I saw him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which he held in his hand was written the name of every saved man.

He spoke not a word as he searched for my name, then he said, "It's not here," and my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love; he gathered to take to his Father above.

With those who were ready, he arose without a sound, while all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees but it was too late. I had waited too long and this sealed my fate.

I stood and cried as they rose out of sight, "Oh if only I'd been ready when our Savior came tonight."

Home for the Holidays???

Last night as we were driving home from visiting Keith's parents we took a small detour and drove by our old house (per the kids request). I'm going to try and express the impressions I've been having related to this visit and hope it will be cathartic for me. So, please bear with me and my ramblings.

As I have drudged my way through the weeks since we moved, I've come to an important realization....I completely overestimated my readiness to begin a new chapter in my life. In fact, I completely forgot to get ready. I spent so much time preparing my kids, talking to them about the changes that would take place and assuring them that everything would fall into place and turn out just fine that I didn't take a thought to preparing myself for what lay ahead.

There have been days this month that I've just wanted to move back to our old home; to be able to see familiar faces both around the neighborhood and at church, to know where anything was around the house and to have my old routine back, not to have to drive the kids to school and to have friends of mine and my kids that I trusted and felt comfortable with. Also I've missed strange things like knowing which light switch turns on which light, walking down the stairs without all the lights on because I instinctively know how many steps it is, and knowing how long something will take to bake or cook on my stove. I know I'm looney.

But there's no going back and deep down I really know our family is where we are supposed to be. I'm slowly starting to recognize people I have met and teaching Sunbeams yesterday was much better than last week. Then a comment Keith made last night caught my attention. As we pulled away from our old house he said something to the effect of "I feel so much better driving past that house now. We have a lot of great memories from living there, but it's not our home anymore. So, are you ready to go home?" He immediately realized that I didn't quite feel the same way.

One of the things I remember telling Rachael and Dustin as we told them about the move was that it didn't matter where we went, where we lived or where our house was. What matters is that we'll always be together and wherever that is, will be home. Was I lying? Why can't I feel that way inside? What will it take? I still feel like I'm playing house in someone else's home with possessions that look an awfully lot like mine. Will tomorrow be the day that I wake up and feel comfortable in my bedroom? When will this changeover take place for me so I can truly feel like our new house is our new "home"?

Then last night I had another thought. Maybe I need to have some big or special occasion to break in this house and start new traditions while maintaining the old ones. In which case, could the upcoming holidays help ease this strange aching I have in my heart? Does this sound crazy? Anyway, I am looking forward to Thanksgiving this week. Hopefully my favorite holiday will help me bring my struggles into focus and put all things I have to be grateful for to the forefront of my mine. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Nine Years Ago Today....

...I married the most wonderful man in the world!!!



Happy Anniversary, Honey Bunches!!! I love you, miss you and can't wait to see you tomorrow!!!

Gonna Be a Long Week

Well, it's a strange thing to be sitting in front of the computer on a Sunday night after my kids are in bed. Instead of Keith and I getting some alone, down-time with each other, I'm waiting for a phone call from him telling me he arrived at his hotel in San Diego. I don't know how other women do it, those who have husbands that travel all the time. I'm having a hard time not thinking that this is going to be a horribly sad, lonely and tiring week. Truth be told, it probably will be, I just need to pray for an attitude adjustment and make it a point to have a great time with my kids. Still, I just want to let Keith know, I already miss you, honey!

On another note, I received my first calling in our new ward, the Sunbeam teacher. I actually heaved a huge sigh of relief once I heard that the bishopric wanted me to serve in Primary. There are definitely bigger callings that could give me much more stress. And once the new year comes around I will get to be Hillary's first Primary teacher which makes me very excited. So today I was sustained and put right to work. For those of you from my old ward you'll understand my shock and surprise as I walked into Singing/Sharing Time for the Jr. Primary and found only 20 children (4 in my class) and this included the CTR 8 class. Back in Lehi when I was the chorister I think there were close to that many sunbeams alone.

Anyway, things went pretty well although I came out feeling discouraged. I thought I had prepared a pretty good lesson but struggled to fill the time and to get participation from my class. And I really thought my recent previous experience as the Primary Chorister would give me a head start. Hopefully things will get better as we become better aquainted. I'm making a goal that during my excessive free time this week (at least at night) I'll take the time to read the scriptures and pray a little harder and maybe I'll gain a little extra insight to the children that I have been given a chance to teach. I would appreciate any words of wisdom any of you might have that might give me a little edge.

Another side note....I want to wish my wonderful sister Michelle a Happy ??th Birthday since I wasn't able to get in touch with her today :)

I wish you all a good week and hope that you are taking the time to prepare for the upcoming holiday by reflecting on the many blessings in your life. We received a challenge in Sacarament Meeting today to try reserve one prayer a week for thanksgiving only, not asking for any blessings, spending the time on your knees in gratitude only. I would share this challenge with you and pray it may make a difference in your lives.

High School Tag....Becky Says I'm It!!!

1. Did you marry someone from high school? Yes, we met in good old Miss Lambert's Calculus class.

2. Did you car pool to school? No way.

3. What kind of car did you have? I drove an 80 something yellow 4 door Suburu that my little brother and I dubbed "the Urine-ator" It had no AC or even worse for me, no radio. I always kept a little battery operated boom box in the passenger seat that I could jam to.

4. What kind of car do you have now? A BMW (Big Mormon Wagon, aka Suburban).

5. It’s Friday night…where are you? (then) Depends what time of year it was. During basketball season I was either playing a game or watching the boys basketball team. They were much better then us girls.

6. It’s Friday night…where are you? (now) Usually at home. I regain a little bit of freedom every night at 8:30 when the kids go to bed.

7. What do you do now? I am the classic domestic engineer. Now that we've moved, my new schedule involves driving my kids to school everyday instead of the 1/2 hour bus ride they used to have. I am not a scrapbooker, craft goddess although nine times out of ten I make a pretty good dinner for my family.

8. Were you a party animal? Absolutely not!!! I know that will be a huge shocker to most people :)

9. Were you considered a flirt? Again, no. Most of the guys I knew were my buds and nothing more.

10. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Choir, and in my senior year I was a member of the Encore Choir, which was considered the best choir in the school.

11. Did you get suspended/expelled? Not in a million years.

12. Can you sing the fight song? If I thought long and hard I might be able to come up with the chorus.

13. Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)? I would have to go with Miss Lambert, the aforementioned Calculus teacher. She made a hard subject to easy to understand. Also the choir teacher, Ms. Sekona.

14. Where did you sit during lunch? In the commons area if I was at school. I have memories of going to Tricia Peterson's house and having her make tomato soup and cheese toast for me (still one of my favorites).

15. What was your school’s full name? Lehi High School

16. What was your school mascot? Pioneers

17. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Yes, but I'd do a few things differently. I wouldn't have been as afraid to just be myself and quit worrying so much about what other people thought.

18. What do you remember most about graduation? Wishing Keith were there to see me graduate (he was in Chile on his mission).

19. Who did you go to prom with Sr. year? Alas, I was asked and didn't want to go. I had gone with Keith to his senior prom the year before and knew it couldn't be topped. After some strong urging from my mom I went with Craig Loveridge.

20. Did you have fun at Senior Prom? No comment (if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all).

21. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? Every single day, if you count prom my Jr. year.

22. Are you planning on going to your 20 year reunion? Probably not. I haven't been to one yet so why break a perfect record?

23. Do you still talk to people from school? Talk, blog.....as long as we stay in touch.

I tag anyone who went to the same HS as I did, and you know who you are!!!

Almost a Week Later

Below this post are the kids Halloween pics, so take a look. Also here are a few awaited pictures of the new house. I think I already put one of the outside on this blog, but I'll put it on again. There are still a few boxes and empty shelves but for the most part we're unpacked. I'm just glad it's not one week ago!! I hope you all have a great weekend!

Halloween Pics

The kids with Keith after visiting the Halloween party at his work. Keith went as the 3rd member of ZZ Top with a couple of guys in his department.

Rachael as a "good witch"

Dustin as "The Hulk"

Our Pretty Purple Princess

Claire, a cute as a button Lady Bug

I had to throw this one in. I took this on the way home from Keith's work party, it was 5 in the afternoon and we weren't even halfway done trick-or-treating.

Alive...But Barely Kicking

Just a quick note to let you all know that the move went off with out a hitch and we are starting to settle into our new home. Things have been quite crazy with plenty of unpacking, organizing and getting the kids started at their new school. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pics soon, Keith is still working out the kinks with our normal PC and so today I'm using our faithful old laptop. Many of you have requested to see what the inside of the house now looks like and I'll oblige as soon as I can. Thanks to all those who worked so hard on Saturday, we are truly blessed to have such supportive families. We started loading things up at 8 am and were out of our old Lehi house, cleaning and all by 11 am. If I haven't sent you an email with our new info, let me know so you can be in the know too. Until next time......

The Last 5 Years

In a way I've been dreading this post because I knew it was eventually coming. And since I'm not exactly sure when Keith is planning on dismantling the computer I figured today was as good a day as any to write down my feelings before this week gets hectic. As we've prepared to move I've had at least a thousand or so thoughts come and go about what I could write that could sum up the past five years in the life of my family.

A few days ago I sat at my kitchen window and watched my four kids gathering up and then destroying piles of leaves in my backyard and thought back to the first fall in our home. We were lucky back then to even have enough leaves falling off the gangly, tiny trees to accumulate into a pile. Rachael was 2 and Dustin was barely even crawling around. We were so happy to be able to buy our first home. It came at a very rough time in my life and I was excited to have a fresh start.

We moved in about 1 month before our current ward was created and it was nice not to feel out of place, there were many new additions to get to know. Our family has made such wonderful friendships and memories with the families in our neighborhood. It's the first time we've been in one place long enough to have more than just acquaintances. Keith and I are grateful for the callings we've been able to serve in and for those people we've met who have made lasting impressions on our lives.

Now here we are, 2 more children later and our little house isn't quite big enough for us anymore :( Hillary and Claire are now older than Rachael and Dustin were when we came here. We are so very blessed and recognize the hand of our Heavenly Father in guiding our family to it's new destination. We know we will love it just as much as we have loved this home, ward and neighborhood.

The most important lesson I think I've learned while being here is that our worldly worth and the possessions we accumulate in this life doesn't matter nearly as much as Satan would have us believe. This past month or so as we've prepared our kids for the move we tried to stress to them that it doesn't matter where we live and where we go.....we will be together and will always be a family. That's what is most important. I wish I could express the amount of love I feel for the 4 sweet spirits that have been entrusted to my care and the man who I am fortunate enough to get to spend eternity with. I am so excited for what's ahead!!!

On a lighter note, I want to thank all of those people in advance who are planning to spend their time this week in helping us out, whether it's cleaning, using their muscles moving or watching my kids. We couldn't do it without you! There still plenty for me to do so now, I'll sign off and hopefully I'll see you all next week on the flip side of moving!!

It's Pumpkin Time

Due to our impending move, we (meaning Keith and I) elected to only carve one pumpkin this year and let the each of the kids colors faces on one of their own. So, for FHE we spilled some guts, pumpkin guts that is. Here are a few pics of the fun we had. The idea for the carved pumpkin came from Grandma Robertson.

Get it.....Pumpkin "Pi"!!!

One More Time

Hopefully this will be the last lost tooth for awhile. We've been keeping the tooth fairy too busy. What a cute smile!!!

Another Jack-O-Lantern Grin

We now have 2 Tooth Fairy beneficiaries in our house. Dustin's first tooth popped out last night (with a little wiggle help from Mom). I'll never understand how my kids want to let the loose tooth dangle until it practically falls out. Either way, there's one more toothless smile to make us grin!!!

Cute Primary Moment

During sharing time, we were discussing what the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve do everyday. Here's one of the things the kids came up with!

Child: Did you know that when I was at Lagoon, they made an announcement over the speakers that President Monson was there?

Teacher: OOO, Do you think he likes to ride on the "Wicked" ride?

Child: Nope, only the spiritual ones!

A Little Too Much Attitude!

Last night, Keith and I had been laying in bed for about 15-20 minutes when we heard a blood curdling scream coming from the little girls room. After being nudged by my "helpful" husband I went to see what was the matter.

Claire was all tangled up in her blankets, tears streaming from her face with her arms outstretched crying, " Mom-MAY, Mom-MAY". So I picked her up and while calming her down asked if she had been having a bad dream. Hillary the precedes to roll over in her bed, open her eyes and with more attitude than I would have liked told me, "Um, DUH, Mom!" I'm sure she was half asleep because in no time she was snoring again. I can't believe I'm getting lip from my 3 year old while she's sleeping!

Halloween this Year????

Tagged By April (aka The Dish on Keith)

What's your husband's name? Alton Keith Braithwaite

How long have you been married? 9 years on November 20th

How long did you date? That's a tough question. We met when I was 16 and dated a little bit in 96. He got home from his mission in Feb '99 and we got married 9 months later. So, in other words, you figure it out.

How old is he? 30 years old

Who eats more sweets? I would say Keith does, only because my only weakness is drinking Dr. Pepper.

Who said I love you first? Keith did, but does it count if he says "dang it" afterwards?

Who is taller? Keith is, by a good 4-5 inches. I love having a taller man!!

Who is the better singer? Another good question. I think as far as musical knowledge goes I take the cake, but I'd say we're both pretty good singers.

Who is smarter? Overall I think we're tied. We both have our areas of expertise but I think we're "evenly yoked".

Who does the laundry? Me. Makes sense, I'm the one who's home all day. Although, Keith is willing to help fold if I ask.

Who pays the bills? That'd be me.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Is there a right or wrong side? If there is, then Keith sleeps on the right.

Who mows the lawn? I actually enjoy mowing the lawn if I have time (which I usually do). It's nice to have a visual reminder that you have accomplished something that day, plus it makes my yard look nice :)

Who cooks dinner? Most of the time, I do. Keith is a mean cooker of breakfast, though. And again, if I ask for help, he is most willing to help out.

Who drives? Keith, I think he gets it from his dad.

Who's the first to say they are wrong? Probably Keith.

Who kissed who first? Before the mission it was Keith. After the mission it was me.

Who asked who out first? Keith asked me to his senior prom to save me from having to go with Rob Allred.

Who's wears the pants? I liked April's answer so I'll steal it. We each wear one leg.

Toothless

In other good news, Rachael finally lost her first top tooth. It's only been dangling there for 2 weeks now and this morning she finally let me wiggle it a little and in no time at all, out it came! She looks so cute!!!

Going, Going, Gone....

...Well, we will be by the last week in October. That's right, we've sold our house. Can you believe it? Things just fell into place and we have less than a month to pack up and head to our new home (see picture below)!!! We'll be moving to Orem, about 6 blocks from Keith's work. I'm so excited to be that close. We're so grateful for this blessing in our lives and hope that everything goes smoothly, although, I'm not really looking forward to packing with 4 kids wanting to "help" but I'm stoked nonetheless!

Needed Some Uplifting

I came across this quote today. It's from the Oct. 1987 Ensign, a talk by Sister Patricia Holland, wife of Elder Holland. I sure needed to hear it, I hope it lifts some of you as well.

"If I were Satan and wanted to destroy a society, I think I would stage a full-blown blitz on women. I would keep them so distraught and distracted that they would never find the calming strength and serenity for which their sex has always been known. I believe we can find our steady footing and stilling of the soul by turning away from physical preoccupations, superwoman accomplishments, and endless popularity contests, and returning instead to the wholeness of our soul, that unity in our very being that balances the demanding and inevitable diversity of life."

The Pukes and Runs

Sorry for my lack of discretion and propriety in the title of the post, but that's literally what I've been living with for the past 5 days. Dustin got hit first and luckily his only lasted 1 day. Hillary was the next victim and is still to this very minute suffering from it, sleeping up in her bed. Yesterday I had to rescue Rachael from school, she threw up in the hallway on her way to lunch. And myself, I've been dealing with it off and on since Wednesday. I'm grateful to Keith who let me catch a few extra zzz's this morning before I had to face the day. Everyone just keep your fingers crossed that Claire stays immune to this bug. There is no brand of diapers that could hold what my family has been dishing out these past few days and she doesn't understand the concept of throwing up in the toilet (or anywhere I don't have to clean up) yet. So, until there's more exciting and not so gross news to report, this is all you get.

The Rumors Are True

In case you haven't heard, seen or found out yet....Yes, we are selling our house! So, if you're bored and care to take a look, or if you happen to know anyone who would be interested in our home, here is our virtual tour. And now, you all know!!!

My Weekend Away

So, this is a few days late considering I got home Sunday afternoon, but it's been a busy week. Last Friday I took off with my sis-in-law April to Southern Utah, more specifically BrianHead. We had been hoping to plan a weekend away sometime this fall and then we compared schedules and realized that this past weekend was one of 2 we could manage to get away. We had to plan it pretty quick but it turned out great. The hardest thing for me was getting used to the fact that I could go anywhere, whenever I wanted.....NO KIDS, NO HUSBAND!!!

On our drive down we stopped at a great little mexican restaurant in Beaver called the Kan Kun Restaurant. I'd recommend the shredded beef chimichanga. The first thing we did once we got to BrianHead was a trip to the Cedar Breaks Day Spa. I had an appointment for a "Navajo Mud Wrap" while April was getting an "Ultimate Facial." As we were sitting filling out the paper work in walks Helga, She-Man of the day spa and asks me in a gruff, low voice what size my feet are. Deep down and knew that I was going to end up with the Big Bad Masseuse Mama while April was lucky enough to get the cute, perky Ricki. It ended up being fine once she left the room and let me relax with my body covered with mud and I must give Helga credit (actually, her real name was Susan, it just didn't seem to fit) she did give a great massage.

Once we saw that the only open restaurant up there was the Bump and Grind Cafe (see photo)we hopped into the car and drove into Cedar City for dinner and a movie. We saw the Dark Knight and it wasn't nearly as scary or suspenseful as I was expecting. Then we headed back to the condo for some sleep.

The next morning we decided to go on a Scenic Chairlift, they run it during the summer for mountain bikers and those who want to see some pretty views. It was actually quite relaxing and a little chilly, good thing we brought jackets. Then it was off to St. George for some shopping at the outlet mall. We both got some deals at Old Navy and made a stop at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Even though April and I differ on our soda preferences, it was fun to find out that April and I share tastes on a few things that I had never realized. We both love mint truffles and each bought one at the forementioned factory, and we both love Meat Lovers pizza from Pizza Hut. So, we bought a pizza to go on our way back up the canyon and chilled out that night in our room watching House and Catch Me if You Can....I'd wanted to see that movie since it came out. We stayed up late talking, it was just like a teenaged sleepover only the topics of discussion were a bit heavier and dare I say more spiritual than what would have been shared in my youth.

Sunday morning came all too soon. One more day would have been great, but we were both missing our kids and hubbies. So we packed up and headed for home. It's so wonderful to get back to reality and find that you truly have been missed and that all you do is really appreciated. Thanks to Keith and Rob for letting us go, but mostly to my honey who took charge as Mr. Mom for the weekend. And to April, I had a SAWEET time and I can't wait for next year!

Riding the Chairlift.

Hitting 11,000 ft at the top.

View from the top.

The Bump and Grind Cafe (and the special of the day).

Our romantic, pizza dinner by firelight.

Our "fishy" bathroom.

Off She Goes...

Today is the last, first day of school this year! Hillary started preschool this morning. The excitement really didn't hit her until she got to put on her red "Little Learners Preschool" shirt and after that she started running up and down the stairs every minute asking me if it was time to go. She also requested that I curl her hair so she'd be the cutest girl at school today. In my biased opinion she sure was! Hillary still seems so small to me, she's such a petite little girl. I'm actually not feeling very emotional at all. It's hard to feel too sad or worried when her preschool is right across the street from us and she'll only be gone for 2 hours. I hope she has a great first day of school. What a BIG girl in such a small body! I love you Hill-Billy!

Memo to Mommy

My good friend, Stephanie put this on her blog and since it has definitely been one of those days, I thought I'd share it with you. It's nice to have the reminder!

Memo to Mommy
You have a lot to teach your little one, but he has a few words of wisdom for you too.

* Stop freaking out about the mess! There's always time to clean--but how often do we get to make mud pies?

*Love me, even when I'm naughty. I'll only be this age once.

*Be patient. I do everything for a reason, but I don't know enough words yet to give you an explanation.

*Let me do it. I know you can do it faster and better, but sometimes experience is the best teacher.

*Don't expect too much of me. I want to do what you ask and make you happy, but I'm still little.

*Don't try to reason with me when I'm having a tantrum. Trust me-I can't hear you over my own screaming.

*Keep your promises. It's all about trust. When I'm a teenager, you'll understand why it's so important.

*Don't keep asking me if I've been good. I'm not even sure what that means, but if I was bad I'd never admit it!

*Don't let me think that you're perfect. I feel a lot better knowing I'm not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes.

*Set limits. I can't actually eat a whole box of cookies-I just want to see if I'd get away with it.

Dustin Goes to Kindergarten

This picture pretty much says it all. Dustin was so ready to go to school! Mom, however was not as ready for him to go. He spent all morning pacing around the house waiting for lunchtime (he is in afternoon kindergarten). When the time finally came to go to the bus stop he sprinted to the corner of our street only to wait a little more. As soon as the bus drove up he walked up to it with his hand in mine, got to the top step, turned around, let go of my hand and winked at me. He is such a cutie. Good luck, buddy. I hope you have a great first day of school!!!

A Pathetic Triumph

Today I did something so seemingly insignificant and yet it gave me a sense of accomplishment all day long. My laundry room now stands clean and organized. It seems to be the room where everything gets stashed away until it finds a place of it's own, including toys that find a temporary resting place there because of the kids lack of motivation to walk up the stairs and put them in their rooms (which would still end up short of being "put away") but that's a story for another day. As the day wore on I found myself pausing to look through the doorway into that room, the only clean room in my house. And the magical wonder of it all was that it was somehow staying clean, not like every other space in the house that is spotless for a mere 5 minutes before it's covered with toys, fingerprints, etc. As a busy mother it's so nice to have actual, physical proof that during the course of a day you do make a difference and today mine was my laundry room. Have any of you ever felt that way?

Back to School!

This morning, Rachael left for her first day of 2nd grade! I wasn't able to watch her get on the bus because Dustin had his Kindergarten assessment at the same time her bus picked her up. Oh, well! Daddy, Claire and Hillary sent her off. This is the first of 3 kids going to school this year. We get to have 3 first days of school over the next 3 weeks. So next Monday I'll post about Dustin. Growing up my mom always put a note in our lunch the first day of school and I started that tradition with Rachael last year. Hopefully it will be a nice reminder to her that Mom loves her and is thinking about her today!

Happy 7th Birthday, Rachael!

Seven years ago this morning I was handed one of the biggest if not THE BIGGEST surprise of my life. My first baby was born 5 weeks early, little Racha-Frecha. We were so not ready, had no diapers in the house, clothes were not washed, and had only days before finished our childbirth class. At 10:00 the night before Keith had come home from Scofield to find me already in bed (no big surprise) and since I was awake I figured it would be a good time to use the bathroom. I stood up and felt a gush between my legs and the first thought that came to my mind was "Have I lost complete control of my bladder?" Nope. We got to the hospital about 1:30 am and 8:02 am I met my daughter, the skinniest most gangly thing I had ever seen. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of dark, curly hair she had (where did it go?) But most of all I was amazed at how instantly the love you have for this new little one completely washes over you and fills you until you are about to burst.
I don't know where the last 7 years have gone. I have learned so much from you and consider it an honor to have you call me mom. I hope you have a wonderful birthday, sweetheart!

Here are 7 of the things I love about Rachael.

1-She is the best helper in the world. She is like the 2nd mother in our house and never complains when I call on her to help with a task.

2-She loves music, singing and playing the piano. (Don't know where she got that from :))

3-She is an excellent student and enjoys learning new things. She can't wait for school to start on Monday.

4-Rachael wears her heart on her sleeve and is so sensitive to those around her. I appreciate how she knows when I need a hug and a kiss.

5-She is the best big sister you could find. Whether she admits it or not, she loves to play with her little sisters and wrestle with Dustin.

6-I love that Rachael is so like me. On the outside she may look like her dad, but I'd say she has more of me in her.

7-I'm grateful that she chose us to be her family.

I'm Pooped

One more busy week has passed and I feel like I might pass out! Thanks to Keith's work we received a week long pass for our family to visit each of the attractions at Thanksgiving Point. On Wednesday I came down with a bug that seems to be traveling through the Braithwaite side of the family and I still don't feel great. To top off the week, Keith took Thursday and Friday as vacation days so we decided to do our first official camping trip as a family. It went well, and we have acquired some knowledge as to what we should and shouldn't do next time. I hope you all enjoy the pics, I'm off to get some rest!