teaching moment

I lost it with my kids tonight...now this is by far not the first time, but as I was yelling this time, words just started coming out of my mouth and they were words that were teaching my kids. For a while now I have been praying to be a better mom and it is getting better (most days). I'm way far from perfect and I don't expect to be because I'm human, I just want to be a little better every day. So tonight when these words started coming I feel that it was a teaching moment not only for my kids but for myself and an answer to my prayers...now only if the lesson taught tonight is applied and if not at least it gives me a bases for something to work from and then we can have family night lessons about it until it is drilled into their hearts.

Now for those of you who are wondering what the lesson is, well, it's probably something you have loving taught your children already but just so I remember it I am going to write it down. We don't do things around our house because we want a sticker, because we want to go to the park, because we want a treat, etc, etc, etc, etc, we do things because we are a family, we live in this house, we eat the food, we have a bed, etc, etc, etc, etc. We do things because we want to help each other, we do things because it makes us feel good inside. We do things because we want to make others happy, which then makes us happy!

I went on and on and on but that is the basic of it. I also went as far and to say how I do things and don't expect things in return I just do them because I care and love them. Then I almost started to cry because sweet Madi and Olivia started to say, "mom, you are the best mom, we love you." Then I almost started to laugh because then went on to say, "You are such a good cleaner." (I held it all in though because I was in teaching mode)

Now I must say I understand they are just kids and they are really good kids (I know there are worse kids out there by far),  I just think sometimes I hold them to a higher standard because I know they know better and I know they can do better. I'm so lucky to be their mother and for a husband that supports me in my dream to stay at home and raise our children, what a wonderful blessing it is! (Maybe next time I will be able to have the teaching lesson without the yelling, even though most the time they don't listen unless I'm yelling......maybe they are deaf. ?  no not really we already had Olivia tested :) )

spending time with grandpa and grandma

The rest of my parents trip consisted of going to church, playing at the park, playing games, watching movies, dealing with baby raccoons, bowling, going to Savannah's school to watch her practice her solo, shopping, jumping on the tramp, and playing with the kids.

The kids always love when their grandparents come to visit! Austin especially loves his grandpas and it was very evident this time. He was always looking for grandpa, wanting to ride in grandpa's car, sitting by grandpa, you name it...if grandpa was involved so was Austin.
Austin waiting for grandpa to come back from the store.


We had a great time! Thanks for coming to visit again. WE LOVE YOU!

Kansas City, MO

My parents flew in to visit Thursday, April 12th -Monday April 16th. We were already planning a trip down to Kansas City, MO to see the new Temple and since my parents wanted to come visit in April and had never been down to MO to see the Church site they decided to come with us.

We drove down Friday afternoon, after Jason took a nap from working all night. Checked into the hotel and then went to the Temple Open House. It was beautiful!
After we ate at Wabash...something Jason has been waiting for for 3 years (the last time we went down to Kansas City and ate there). Then went back to the Hotel to swim.

Then Saturday we went to tour the Church sites...Liberty Jail, Independence Visitor Center, Far West Temple site, and Adam-ondi-Ahman.

I love Far West, it's such a beautiful, peaceful place.

We heard there was a big storm coming and we definitly were blessed because with all the stuff we did and could have done it was perfect timing, we were about an hour ahead of the storm all the way home. Although later that night Jason and I went out and driving home we were driving in rivers on the road. There was so much water at one point we could feel it touching the bottom of the car. It was a bad storm, I have never seen a road that covered in water.

What a wonderful blessing it is to have temples and know that we are together forever as a family.

Nature

Monday early morning, 2:00am to be exact, I heard a noise that woke me up, my first thought was someone was crying but it wasn't any of my kids cry, then I thought Olivia was taking in her sleep, but then I realized it wasn't coming from that direction. It was coming from the window so I checked to make sure it was closed all the way and the wind just wasn't blowing in, nope not that. For awhile I thought it was a baby and kids outside and thought, oh my goodness there can't be kids outside it is 2:00am and cold and windy.
I went downstairs to where my parents were sleeping and they were awake wondering what it was too. We determined it was coming from right outside the living room window which is close to ground level. I didn't really want to open my sliding door for fear an animal would run in my house. My dad moved the blinds to look outside and right as he did that the noise stopped and he saw something run. We determined it was two animal fighting (but it sounded just like a baby cry or kids kind of playing or laughing) and went to bed.
After we woke up and started getting ready for the day my mom told me to come look outside at our front grass because it looked like something had torn up the grass in the middle of our yard. As I walked close to it I noticed a hole with hair and grass all over...then I got closer and looked in the hole and freaked out, I saw a baby animal's little pink nose. Everyone thought I was crazy. We left it alone for awhile and then later went out to take a closer look after we all started to look closer we noticed the nose again and the claws. My dad said they were baby raccoons. Creepy!
We debated what to do, checked the Internet about "what to do if a raccoon has babies in your front yard" and determined that we should call Animal Control. They told me that if it wasn't a dog or a cat they wouldn't come out, they just "let nature take it's course" but that I could call a private company and pay a fee for them to be removed. Jason had worked all night so he was sleeping so I just thought we'll let it go until he wakes up. Well we didn't have to wait that long because about a half an hour later my dad says, "Well I think nature just took it's course, a big bird just flew away from that area." Sure enough as we went out to check on them there was the baby raccoon all torn apart. The kids were a little upset but I just had to explain that that is what happens in nature and remember when we watch the nature shows on TV and see it, it really does happen.
Then around 11am we were getting ready to go bowling and as we went out again we saw there was another baby that had been ripped out of the nest and was already dead but hadn't been eaten yet. Then by the time we got home they where both torn apart and partially eaten. It was really sad but we just kept telling ourselves it was Nature.
Jason had to mow the lawn that day before work so around 3pm he came out and took care of them and filled the hole in with dirt. I'm not sure if the mom raccoon ever came back. It didn't look like it the hole was still coved up this morning.
So the sound we heard was the raccoon in labor, then we scared her and I guess the best place she could find was the middle of the lawn, dug the hole put grass and her hair on top and left. I'm not sure if the babies were ever alive it was a cold windy night so they might not of even made it til morning. But either way we have a cool story to tell that doesn't happen to everyone and some people might not even believe it.

(Below are pictures, I know I'm kind of sick to take them but I thought, how often is this going to happen to us so I wanted to document it. So don't look it you don't want to see.)

results...or lack there of

A year ago Jason and I signed up for the gym, we felt like we were ready and it wouldn't be a waste of money plus with Jason's job we get a discount for the whole family and they have child watch for free...that was a huge reason I couldn't go to the gym in the past.
I started going to zumba classes twice a week and loved it, then I would lift weights 1-2 times a week. I thought the weight would just fall right off, since I haven't worked out for so long when in reality I gained a little and then lost that and ended up and my same weight.
I'm happy to say, despite the maintaining of my weight, I'm still going to the gym. My routine now (it's changed a little in the last year) is; zumba 2-4 times a week and a strength training class once a week.
I still weigh the same and might have lost 1/4 an inch (I'm not sure got too depressed measuring myself and not seeing any change, although I have gone to the next hole on my belt.) BUT most important is that when I went to the doctor last month to have my cholesterol checked it had dropped almost 100 points (or whatever you call it) without medication, last night while playing tag with my kids in the backyard I didn't get winded and I can do more than two jumping jacks without killing over, I really enjoy going to the gym, and I haven't gained weight (which might have happened if I hadn't started working out).
So even though I haven't lost weight and I don't look any different, I do feel better and maybe one of these days I will lose some inches and weight...we'll see, I mean it did take me 5 years and 4 babies to gain the weight.

Happy Easter!

Easter Excitement

Easter Bunny at the Valley West Mall

Train ride at the Mall after the Easter Bunny.

Local Easter Egg Hunt the weekend before. It was a lot of fun! They did it by age group so not all the big kids got all the eggs...Brilliant idea.

Colored Eggs on Friday

Finding Eggs on Easter Morning before church.

Checking out what they got

After church we went out back for another Easter Egg hunt

Then we had an Easter dinner before Jason had to leave for work. We had a Excellent Easter!

Austin jumping...galloping

2

Austin is turning into a boy two year old...something I have never had to deal with. He has his good moments and bad moments. He has been saying "no" more and more, he will hit if I say "no" or lay on the floor and kick his legs then look around for a reaction, most the time I ignore it but if it's gone on too long he goes to time out. Oh the joys of raising children...thank goodness for prayer. )

Of course these pictures are his good moments because in reality he has more good than bad...at least for now.