Yesterday Was...

...not the best of days. For 2 reasons, really.

1st, Bentley called me from school around 1:00 with so many tears he could hardly speak. His teacher told me had been miserable all day with a headache and when I gathered him up to bring him home all he wanted to do was snuggle his blankie and go to bed. After a 2.5 hour nap he came to find me and was burning up. Poor little boy. Thank goodness for Children's Motrin and for hot rice bags to help ease his chills when they hit him off and on in the evening. We are skipping out on the 1st grade fieldtrip to Red Butte as he was running a temp of 101 again this morning. I will have to take him up there on a beautiful summer day instead...

2nd, my trusty Acura didn't pass emissions testing because the transmission is on its way out. And yesterday we found out it will cost (gulp) $4500 to replace it. Now we are forced to get more estimates, research auto repair insurance, and look into trading it in for something else. It all just sounds so stressful and expensive and not at all what I had planned on doing this weekend.

Today needs to be better, to offer better news and brighter outcomes. 2 happy things of note already:

1) I finished a truly beloved novel in the early hours of the morning since my baby decided to start her day at 6:30 am. She watched Dora and I read the last few chapters of Jane Eyre. I love that book so much. The language, the description of the English countryside, the mystery and suspense, the heartache, and surely the truest and most endearing description of love. I cried more than once during Jane's journey and feel more enchanted with the story than I ever did as a teenager (but I was quite taken with it then too).

2) Wills and Kate--now officially Princess Catherine and Prince William. Trite and removed as they are, it's still a lovely real-life fairytale. Caroline was in awe that Prince William could marry anyone he chose and that Kate was never a princess until today.

An Egg Hunt and a Hike

Our Easter Saturday:

The early morning egg hunt.
Max, Olivia and Bentley had been waiting for hours already! We finally woke miss Caroline up right around 9:00 so the kids could head out together.
I love her sweet morning eyes--that girl can sleep!

Olivia's first "real" egg hunt (which she adored...who wouldn't though, right?!)

Livs was explaining that she had found "2, 3, 2, 3 eggs."

Our Little Snow Canyon Hike:
Livs and my dad using his new backpack.

Before the hike my dad was getting excited about buying his own grandchild toting backpack. I told him to look somewhere like Babies R Us rather than REI or an outdoors store because the prices would be better at a baby supply store. His response (classically my dad) "but why would I want a backpack from a baby store and not REI?" So true. So true. He ended up with a stellar pack--and happily carried Livs so he could test out his purchase!

Wildflowers in the desert

My cute posing girl

Not my favorite picture of me...but I sure love my little family
(and that they enjoy outdoor adventures with me)

Lava tube explorers (just like last year).

The rest of the day was spent at the pool (Joseph and the big kids with Heid and Max and Grandpa), reading in the backyard while babies slept (moi), a delicious dinner out on the patio enjoying our last night of vacation, and Heidi schooling everyone in Mormon Bridge late at night.

In the Kitchen

It has been a long time since I treated my family to a delicious homemade dinner. Don't get me wrong, we have eaten at home plenty, things like pasta, pancakes, and even chicken enchiladas (ala Costco). But I haven't felt motivated to cook or bake since our return from Phoenix. I think it has to do with soccer practices picking back up and the fact that we only have 1 night a week when there is nothing going on.

Last night though, we feasted on chicken crepes and carrot cake (thank you for the new recipe Krista!) Both were amazing and the kids ate tons. But I was tired last night! I realized that for a meal like that I was in the kitchen from 2:00 pm on (with a school and soccer practice carpool mixed in). I am so jealous of anyone who has a hubby around early in the evenings or older kids who can actually help without constant supervision or entertain children--equally important. Bentley and Cares set the table, as well as young ones can, and thankfully, Joseph did all the dishes once he was home (and there were tons...)

Later that night I told my hubby that I had no idea how his mom ever had the energy to cook lovely meals for 10 people every night. I also said I would never be like her and able to make amazing dinners night after night. He replied that they totally had nights eating mac'n'cheese, eggs and bacon, and fast food too. I felt quite relieved to hear that. I do take great pride in creating a savory meal for my family but it's a lot of work (and let's be honest, not my most favorite thing to do). I think I need to aim for one great meal every week and the rest can be quick and easy, or Cafe Rio of course.

Good Friday

**All these pictures are making me miss the sunshine! We did see it off and on throughout the day today but all it brought with it were feisty winds and temps barely pushing 50. And I am headed to Red Butte Gardens with Bentley's class on Friday with a forecast of 43 and rain/snow...thank you Utah spring...

Friday brought along more park playtime, dying Easter eggs, and most importantly, Joseph. The kids and I were so eager to see him that we got to the airport way early and decided to go inside to greet him at the gate. We came back to the house, put Livs to bed, and then went to the pool for an evening swim--love that idea: the pool was deserted and no one needed sunblock :)

SG Thursday

Hitting the park and the swimming pool, wandering on the grass and running around outside, and blowing bubbles on the patio--reasons why we head to St George every spring:

Grandpa to the rescue! My dad arrived on Thursday and while Olivia and Sadie napped at the house with Heidi, the rest of us went to the pool. The kids loved playing with my dad in the water and he happily indulged them for quite a while. Without my toddler to entertain, I just sat in the sun and read. Heavenly.

I always love the aqua color captured in pool pictures...

The night before we met up with the Hayes family for dinner at Don Pedro's.
Heather and I have been friends for 20 years now! Oh, how she has seen it all...
And our kids all match up in age with our baby girls having the very same birthday. Love their cute family.

Later that night Miss Olivia and her trusting buddy Max made up a cute follow the leader game in the backyard. They carefully wandered around the whole yard together inching along the curbing and looking at birds and planes and clouds and plants as they went. It was so sweet to see them become friends this year as Olivia has grown up enough to "be so fun," as she would say.

With Horsleys

Livs and Connor--little cousin buddies

Sugar cookie pros

Livs just wanted to eat them up
(I am just like her in that regard...love homemade sugar cookies!)

Wednesday morning bubble fest!

And then our dear cousins had to drive back home as another fun vacation awaited them (off to see their grandparents in Phoenix). Luckily we still had Max and Sadie to play with for the rest of the week.

**My mom and I went for a bike ride earlier that morning and I wish I had brought a camera. The views along the road to Snow Canyon were so stunning against the rich morning sunlight--a huge reason why I love biking.

Cousins!

A gorgeous, busy, silly slew of cousins in SG.
All 10 of them (plus 3 moms and a grandma) were only all together in the house for one night. Crazy or not it was well worth it.

Guess who had grown weary of smiling for yet another picture? Love that sweet girl...

Spring in SG

We left a very rainy Salt Lake valley yesterday morning and drove south. We found gorgeous weather down here as well as fun cousins and Grandma! A glimpse into our Monday (for my hubby who we left at home).





Sidewalk chalk, golf cart rides, spring flowers, an afternoon swim and dinner out on the patio: a great start to our spring break.

Friday Dates

Livs and I met Joseph for lunch on Friday (Beans was at school, Cares at Grandma Bobbi's after a special sleepover)

Olivia has certainly been loving on her baby doll lately. Joseph thought it was funny to feed his baby while she "fed" hers.


My hubby and I went out with some friends on Friday night for good old fashioned bowling . I don't think I have been on a bowling date for over a decade. I'm happy to say it's still loads of fun; gutter-balls, silly player names, sweet shoes and all...