Crazy is the New Normal

I've given up trying to establish "normal" in my life. I'm trying to accept that "CRAZY" is my new normal. With Kris in the Bishopric, my calling in the RS Presidency, 3 kids and all of their activities, I feel like we are coming and going all of the time. We try to carve out sacred time for just us to be together at home: FHE, movie nights on Fridays and Saturday as family time. I love those times when we are home, just us, hanging out together.

Happy Mother's Day to me.

These 3 little cuties are my best present for Mother's Day. Abi and Tal made cards and little crafts for me. Leah just gives me loves. Then the kids set the table and got out the cereal for breakfast that morning. I felt so loved.

Snapshots from around my yard.

My yard and my little gardens make me so happy. With all of the yucky weather we've had this spring I've been aching to get out and work in my flower beds and plant my square foot vegetable garden. I finally got most of my seeds in 2 weeks ago. I'm still waiting for my tomatoes and tender annuals. Nearly everyday I get out and walk around my yard checking on the growth and changes to my plants. Today I noticed that my maple tree had suddenly budded out and it looks so beautiful. My gardens are my therapy.

Stayin' Alive!!!

Tal's teacher organized a First Grade Dance Extravaganza and throughout the year taught them all of these little dances. Last Wednesday we went to the Jr High gym where we watched him perform to "Stayin' Alive, The Electric Slide, The Boot Scoot Boogie and more. It was so funny, spectacular, and great. Tal was impressed when I showed him that I knew the "Electric Slide" and we practiced together. Whoot, Whoot for the Quad Stake Dances growing up.

Happy Birthday Abi

Abi celebrated her 9th birthday with 2 parties. The first was a late night on Friday with her friends Sarah and Elle. We didn't really have a theme but somehow everything but the movie started with the letter "P". Abi chose pizza for dinner, pepperoni with olives.
Then the girls had way too much fun with face painting. They giggled and giggled. They also decorated little ponies. It was a Meek birthday so of course we then had a pinata' outside.
Abi chose dessert pizza as her treat. She had a lot of fun helping me cut the fruit and decorating it to look like a rainbow. Next she opened presents from her friends. Abi was thrilled with the hair streaker from Sarah and the purse and flower hair pretties from Elle. Finally it was movie time. The girls watched "Aliens in the Attic" and had our special popcorn with white chocolate and jelly beans. After the movie, at about 10 pm Sarah and Elle's moms came to conclude Abi's late night.
Then on Monday night we had cake with the family to celebrate Abi's birthday. Abi asked for a strawberry shortcake pig. This is as good as it got. You can't really tell from this angle but it does have whipped cream eyes and gummy triangles for ears. It might have looked funny but it tasted delicious.
The Saturday before her birthday Abi and I went shopping for her present: rollerblades. She loved them so much in the store that she begged and begged to try them out before her birthday. But alas, she had to wait until her party. She also received a Skip-it and the complete Fablehaven series of books.
Abi was a little trepidacious at first but she soon was rolling up and down our sidewalk. A rainstorm cut her first evening of rollerblading short but she's been out nearly every day since. Today, Saturday, Abi went to breakfast with Nana and Papa Fife to Perkins. She really liked how the employees sang her "Happy Birthday." Afterwards she got to go shopping with her birthday money. She chose to go to Barnes and Noble where she bought a book holder and a clip on book lamp. Then she also bought earrings at Claire's.

9 Great Things about Abi

1. She is a voracious reader. Currently she is steaming through the Percy Jackson series but also loves Nancy Drews and the Babysitter club series.
2. She is very intelligent. She is in the Discovery program and excelled at her standardized tests.
3. She is becoming a good pianist. She earned a blue ribbon this year at her first piano festival and is a joy to listen to.
4. She is a beloved big sister. Leah thinks she is the bees knees and Abi is always good to play with Leah and to help out Tal as well.
5. She is a "chatty Kathy" as we say. Abi tells me all about school and her friends and keeps me good company.
6. Abi is deeply spiritual for nine. She reads her scriptures every night on her own. She loves Activity Days and is memorizing the Articles of Faith.
7. Abi is a planner. She likes to make lists and detailed plans and check them off. I wonder where she gets that from :)?
8. She is a graceful ballerina. Abi loves her new ballet studio and is excelling. She moves with such grace and poise.
9. Abi is a scrapper in soccer. She loves playing forward and goalie, she likes to be in the action. She is not afraid to challenge other players for the ball or to really run after it.

Happy Birthday Abi. We love you!!!