Finally

I finally found a day to update this blog! I have a nasty cold (sore throat and all that jazz) and had to keep canceling plans this week. Missed out on playing cards with my sister and hanging out with a friend today. I just want to feel better! Hopefully it will be over this weekend!

What's new you ask???

Well...Alli and Sam are starting t-ball/baseball this week. Both have been really excited. All though Allison was starting to get nervous. The first 3 times we went out to the park to practice she got hurt. A split lip that stayed fat for a couple days. She batted a ball into her own head (even though she had a helmet on it still managed to find her bare forehead). Then she smashed/jammed her finger trying to catch a ball. Luckily she made it through her first practice with out an owie...we might have been quitting had she gotten hurt. Sam's first practice is tonight, we'll see how it goes. Kimber says she would have played but only if she could play BASEball...she wanted nothing to do with SOFTball. Who knows!?! She's 11. That explains it right?

Speaking of Kimber. Kimber takes piano. She has for 3 years now. She still acts like the fact that she has to practice everyday is a surprise. I have to tell you a story from this weeks "I Don't Want To Practice" episode (episode 1,322 out of 1,325).

She was mad. We fought about it upstairs for awhile (I will let you know that she was trying to convince me that she didn't need to practice b/c she had practiced at school. They are learning piano right now and b/c she can play already she gets to do her own thing while the rest of the class learns. I explained that while she did play at school she still had to do it at home following the notes of her teacher and actually using her piano books. She didn't agree.) Thus the episode began.

She finally headed downstairs to begin playing. I got downstairs and she is looking around in disgust. I asked her what was wrong. She says: "Everything in this room is TOO HAPPY. The pictures. The songs I have to play. Everything. Everything is TOO HAPPY! I don't want to look at happy things. I want it all GONE!" She didn't like it when I suggested getting her a mirror to look in while playing....

(I love you Kimber!)

Kimber went to 5th grade camp a few weeks ago. It was weird having her gone. I can not tell you how grateful I am for her. I didn't realize how much I rely on her help until she was gone. She's an amazing girl and so helpful! She had so much fun at camp though and has told me many times that she wants to go back (normally when she is mad at me) . She also checked out some books on babysitting as well as a video. She is getting prepared for babysitting in the "real world" rather than just for us. She memorized those books and re-told me all of the video. She can't wait for her first "real" job! She loves little kids and really shines when she is with them...it's fun to watch! Still can't believe she is 11!

Other than that, not much is going on. Same old, same old.

I finally went to the first baby shower since missing my own last year. Yeah, I know, I'm pretty brave. It only took 1 year and 1 month to get me to one. Glad that "first" is over with! Not many "firsts" left....that is a good thing!

I've been following the blog of a friend of ours who lost their little boy Xander. It's so hard to read all of her posts, because it brings it all back. But also amazing b/c I remember feeling so lost and so confused and so scared. Now I miss my baby, but I am in a good place. My friend Kristen always told me I'd get to a good place. I thought she was crazy. She wasn't. :) I hope I can give that hope to Jaime as well.

A friend that I grew up with also just lost her husband to cancer. I can't imagine. My heart still breaks for her.

Those few things help me to remember to be grateful for the things that I have and not to worry about the things that I can't control. My life is pretty good, even if not exactly what I planned on it being. I have to love it for what it is and just be happy for the people I get to spend my days with.

Okay, I am feeling pretty yucky. Time for a nap (or at least a rest while watching some pointless TV show!...all though I'm super sad. I just finished all seasons of my fav show on Netflix...Flashpoint. Guess I'll have to start something new!).

Sam's School Musical

Yesterday Sam had her 3rd and 4th grade musical at school. The 3rd graders just get to sing (the 4th graders had the speaking parts) and do all the actions. As always it was a cute show!

Sam and her friends before the show:
Singing:

The musical was all about taking the MSP...the big state test...it's happening in a couple weeks. Wish them all luck!

Las Vegas

For Christmas Konrad gave me a trip to Vegas. He bought a Groupon for us to stay at the Hard Rock Hotel. It worked out perfectly for us to go over Spring Break. My mom and Steph watched the girls (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU)!

One of the 4 pools and where we spent our time lounging in the sun. Notice the brownish color of the water? Yeah, that is because there is sand. Seriously, do you think we like sand??? Talk about annoying, but I guess it made it feel a bit more "beachy". But, wasn't really counting on having to worry about brushing sand off of me before leaving the pool!
Our room was gorgeous!

Konrad's oldest brother lives in Vegas so we were able to see them one night for dinner (Thanks again Tiff!). Their kids are so big and I am so sad that we don't live closer to each other b/c my girls would love playing with them.

Ellie (one month younger than Alli)

Cute Holland!

Weiland

Quinton...sporting his favorite thing ever...his robe!

I also got to go shopping with Tiff and the girls, which was really fun as well. Thanks for doing all that driving Tiff (she had to pick up at our hotel each time we saw them)!

We also got to have lunch with my cousin Kallie and her husband and baby Max. It was fun to meet Max and catch up a bit in the airport (we flew in and they were flying out). Mad I didn't take a picture!

We spent most our time by the pool, but also walked around the strip as well. We saw Penn and Teller's show and enjoyed it. They are magic/comedy act and were very entertaining. We ate some yummy food. Most of all we just hung out and enjoyed being on vacation.

I love being on vacation!

Easter

Coloring Eggs....

Easter morning. Because we have 9:00 church we had the girls get all ready for the day before they could go down stairs. Pretty much equaled TORTURE!

The Easter Bunny hid plastic eggs filled with candy and the hard boiled eggs we colored the day before. I think also ate a hard boiled one, or at least took it with him, b/c we were one short and have yet to find (or smell) it!!! That stinker should have left a note letting us know he was taking one!

He brought Alli the movie she has been wanting and wanting and wanting...

Samantha got some much needed roller-blading gear. She had to try it out right away...you never know when eating cereal will turn dangerous.

So Sam....beautiful and tough all at the same time :)

We went and visited Ian's grave.

And took some pictures there:

I can't believe how grown up and beautiful Kimber is!

After the cemetery we headed to my parents for the annual Easter Party. The Noels, Reams, Dances, Davis', and us were there. There were 185 money-filled eggs to be found this year...we didn't find them all, but had fun looking!

Thanks for the fun party Mom and Dad! Always a blast!

Egg Hunt

We had our big egg hunt with church friends at Lake Meridian again this year. Let's just plan on the Friday before Easter at Lake Meridian from now on....that way when I forget to send out an email until the night before it will already be on your calendars and you'll all say "We know, see you then!"

I realized how old my kids are...only one or two others as old as them (well except Alli - there are quite a few her age)
Yeah for a sunny Easter weekend!

Thanks for hunting for eggs with us!

April Fools Day

Want an easy but HILARIOUS Aprils Fool's joke?

Do this to your kids....
while they are sleeping.

I can't tell you how much we laughed! Konrad could barely draw them on the sleeping girls without laughing out loud.

The best was hanging out with Allison for 15 minutes after she woke up and she had NO IDEA she had a blue mustache! It was so hard to keep a straight face.

We finally heard Sam moving around in her room so we sent Alli in there to see if she was awake.

This is what we heard:

Alli laughing: "What is on your face, Sam?"
Sam: "What is on your face?"
Then we hear Al run into the bathroom, a pause while she looks in the mirror, and then her cutest belly laugh ever. She came running in our room, with her hands covering her mouth b/c she was laughing so hard and said "Oh, yeah, I forgot it was joke day!"

Hilarious.

Don't even wait for April Fools Day. Do it tonight...especially if you are in the mood for a good laugh!

Konrad also: rigged up a cup of water in the fridge (Sam found that), put lotion on the toilet seat (no one sat on it they are saw it before sitting), vinegar on their toothbrushes (by this point they were on to him and actually smelled their toothbrushes before using them), unplugged the waffle maker. The girls then re-rigged the water on the fridge door and put a cup of water on the top of a cupboard (I found both of those! Yeah, me!!!)

Happy Aprils Fools Day!

Heavenly Father Loves Me

Yesterday a decision was made in our house that can/will effect the rest of our lives. It's not a decision I wanted, but nevertheless it happened.

Yesterday these things happened:

• I got two emails from friends asking how I was doing.



• I received a box in the mail from a dear friend who moved away.



• I was invited to hang out with some friends just in case I needed a "distraction"



• I had a good conversation with my sister while we played Hand and Foot



• A friend dropped by the yummiest bread and peach honey butter on my doorstep.



• When reading the scriptures the first 2 versus, were meant for me and our situation. This a place I stopped reading about 6 months ago...only to pick them up and restart the Book of Mormon reading program I had been doing back then. (Actually that isn't completely true...I was reading in my journal from the last year and noticed that I had been writing down notes from my scriptures study. I noticed that I stopped at a certain point so I thought I must have left off right there. That is where I started up again. In the end I realized that I had just stopped taking notes b/c it was from back in June when I read the entire Book of Mormon in a month. Why I stopped taking notes I don't know. The fact that I couldn't remember doing that sums up my past year...I have no recollection of what happened to me March-July of last year. None. In fact, I had a crown put on a tooth last June...first I didn't realize I even had a crown (thought my tooth was dying b/c it felt so weird) then I thought it had happened years ago. My mind was fried. I guess the death of your child will do that)



• We got a letter in the mail that we didn't think would come for weeks. Something that I feel gave me some clarity on our situation.



• I also felt calmer than I had in weeks, even though I knew my life was changing.

Heavenly Father knew what I needed yesterday and He made all those things happen so that I could feel comforted and loved, as well as know that I am not alone.