Easter

Wow it has taken me long to post about my Easter weekend. But to sum it up it was wonderful, especially after I was done talking in church. Yes, Ryan and I both got asked to speak in church on Easter Sunday. I didn't think it was right, aren't you suppose to have the best members in the ward speak on Easter Sunday? But once I got the assignment, which was how to develop Christlike attributes, I realized that I needed to give this talk so that I might become more Christlike and focused on the Savior. Preparing for the talk really gave me a different perspective and I hope has helped me focus on attaining Christlike attributes. It also helped me focus on Easter and all that Easter means.
Saturday we went to Ryan's grandparents house for their Easter egg coloring and hunt. The kids love it and enjoy seeing their second cousins. For the hunt real and plastic eggs were hidden. Kate figured out pretty early which eggs she wanted, only the plastic they had candy.
Jack, Jay and Kate coloring eggs.

Sunday morning we woke up bright and early, Jack figured out that the Easter bunny had come and wanted to see his basket and find eggs. Jack and Kate got goggles and Jay got a swimsuit. It seems like every year the Easter bunny brings something the kids need for the summer. That Easter bunny is one smart woman, except she brought way too much candy. he he he.
Jack, Jay and Kate all dressed up for Easter Sunday.

After church we went to my parents house. It was so enjoyable. I think my kids are getting older and less needy. I only had to fix two plates of food, mine and Kate's. Then the kids all play outside and have so much fun. We did an Easter egg hunt out front. And again the kids all got way too much candy. But it was so enjoyable. I love my family.
Most of the cousins, we missed Dale's family, getting ready for the Easter egg hunt.

Annie, Keelie and Kate getting ready to race. Joe wanted the girls to race so we lined them up and off they went. It was so funny because Kate was so intent on running. Apparently she got a head start but she still won by a mile. She might be my little runner or at the very least my little competitor.

It was such a great weekend. I love Easter and the reminder of all that our Savior did for us. I know that He lives and atoned for my sins.

Good Read.....or maybe not

This is the scene I got one night when I went to check on my kids. Jack loves reading in bed so we let him most nights. I guess this night he was just really tired cause when I went to check on him he was sound asleep. I asked Jack about it the next day and he said I was done with chapter two and thought I will just keep reading but then I fell asleep. Like I said maybe it wasn't such a good book afterall. I hope he always loves to read and continues to learn everyday.

On another note with Jack. The other day he was playing and I heard him start crying. I went into check on him and he had a plastic rope wrapped around the pull-up bar and was trying to swing on the bar. He managed to bonk his head on the wall and decided it wasn't a good idea to swing from a rope on the pull-up bar. Ryan tells him everyday to wear a helmet. Gotta love boys.

Potty Trained

After eight years of buying diapers I am done. I potty trained Kate. I know she is old but for me it is so much easier to have my children be older. I don't have to fight with them as much and it takes all of a day to potty train. I started on Monday as soon as Kate woke up. I took her diaper off and set her on the toilet. She cried so I offered her chocolate to sit on the toilet. After that she became smarter than me and would sit on the toilet every five minutes just to get chocolate. A little later we were at the table and she started to pee. We ran to the bathroom and she went the rest of the way on the toilet. It was smooth sailing after that. A little later she wanted to watch "Tangled" so I said you have to poop in the toilet so she did. "Tangled" was her big prize for pooping in the toilet. That night we went to my in-laws and she did just fine. I was worried about dance on Tuesday but Kate said "Miss Beverly has a toilet, I don't need a pull-up." She went at Miss Beverly's, she went at the restaurant, she did great while we ran errands, never needing to go and so far she has had no accidents. She is still in diapers at night but at all other times no diapers, not even underwear. Yep, Kate goes commando everyday. I am hoping this changes but I haven't fought it. I switched to the smaller purse and I am loving no poopie diapers. Why didn't I do this sooner?

Great Weekend

I had a fabulous weekend. It started Friday with a surprise call from my mom offering to babysit. Which worked out perfectly because Ryan had gotten tickets to the Suns game. Usually Jack gets to go cause it's last minute and we don't have a sitter but this time I got to go. It is always fun to go on a date with my husband. We chatted watched some basketball and enjoyed each other's company. Even better that the Suns won and were blowing out the Clippers so we left early. Saturday I watched the morning session of conference then we went out to Goodyear to watch Rathen play baseball. I love watching baseball and being outside. The weather was nice if you stayed in the shade, which we did. Show Low won the first game to make it to the championship game but then they lost to Florence in the championship game. But it was a great day, really any day watching baseball and being outside is a great day. Sunday was too much fun. I love watching and listening to conference. I love the speakers and how each talk is directed straight to me. I loved all of the talks. President Monson's talk on temples was such a reminder that I need to go more often. I mean really is it 15 minutes away, tops, not 2500 miles like the examples he gave. I loved Paul V. Johnson's talk on affliction. I feel like I have had a very blessed life but I know others who are going through some tough times and I thought of them and prayed that as they listened to this talk they felt peace. My new calling is ward missionary so President Uchtdorf's talk on serving others and being a good example in order to preach the gospel was especially for me. Of course I can't forget the Sunday afternoon talk by Lynn G. Robbin, on parenting. I starred the notes and will be rereading that one again and again. I love conference. Conference also means that on Sunday we get to go to my parents house for beans and bread. It is a great tradition that I love. Maybe it's more about the family all getting together than the food. It is so much fun watching the boys, Jack, Jay, Jake, Durham, Raulin, Ty, and Wyatt all play whiffle ball until the big boys, Ryan,Dale, Matt, and Joe kick them off the field. It is fun to hold the babies and to just be together as a family. I am truly blessed with a wonderful family.

Like I said my weekend was great!!!!

My boys

I know my boys won't always get along but the other day Jay came home from school so excited and told me a story about seeing Jack at school. Then Jack came home from school and told me the same story but with better details. Here is the story as told by Jack with some help from Jay. "I was heading in and starting to line up from recess. Jay was on the swings and I said get down I want to give you a hug. So Jay got down and as soon as he did about 10 girls, Jay interrupts and says only 5 girls, start chasing Jay. I thought Jay can handle this so I walked away. I later thought no he needs me help so I roared at the girls and they all started giggling. But some of the girls got away. I then had to go in to my class and I looked back and the girls had all tackled Jay. I then heard the aide say now girls get off of Jay. So I knew he would be okay." I love this story. I hope my boys always have each others backs. Like I said both boys were so excited to tell me the story so I had to document it.