Finishing Up March

Everybody loves a little dance party during the captions of the movie, right?

He is all about doing weird things and asking me to take a picture of it.  This is a prime example.

They got to go with grandma and grandpa to get some new baby chicks which was super awesome.

Both of their expressions in this one are so funny to me.

Eden loves the chicks - holding them and doting on them like little babies.

Bentley is happy to watch and leave all the touching to Eden.

Our stake put on a really amazing production about the Savior. It was so well done and I was so impressed with all the talent and work that went into it.  The music and costumes were beautiful!

I love these two babies, unfortunately they aren't too fond of going on long walks.

Bentley is now in a tape phase, just like Eden went through.  This is a smiley face he colored and then secured nicely to the flagstone outside.  Cute boy.

I love this family of mine!  How did I get so lucky?!

Eden's Karate Promotion

Eden had her first tae-kwan-do testing to get a yellow stripe on her belt.  We weren't quite sure what to expect so she was really nervous, and let me just be frank here - I was totally nervous for her! Her self-confidence is so fragile right now!  ha ha  They had to attempt to break a board (which no one in her class could actually do yet).  They did some choreographed kicks and punches, and then there was an oral part of the test where they asked the kids all sorts of questions about what they have learned.  This was the part I think we were both nervous about.  We practiced a lot at home, but she was still afraid she would forget.  She was particularly worried about remembering the word "misuse" when giving the student oath and they say "I shall never misuse Tae-Kwan-Do." 

Attempting to break the board.

This was when she was waiting for her turn for the oral test.  She was so cute and nervous.

As she spoke with the instructor for the oral test, I could only see her back but she had the cutest little nervous sway back and forth as they talked.  As soon as they were done, she spun around with the biggest smile on her face, gave me two thumbs up and skipped back to her seat.  She looked so happy and relieved! Her whole posture and body language was completely different.

She was so excited that she became a little chatter bug and was telling her friend Breck all about it apparently.

It was so cute to see such a dramatic change in her.  She was so happy and excited and she wanted to tell everyone all about it!

Getting the stripe put on her belt!

Her portion of the class - these students all got a yellow stripe.

I feel like putting her in this class has been such a great decision.  There are things (like the jumping) that she doesn't like and has to be pushed, but I have already seen her confidence and strength grow so much.  She was so excited and proud of herself and it was awesome to watch her sense of accomplishment.

Way to go Eden!  I really hope you stick with this!

The Clown Fountain is out!

You gotta love the spontaneous decision to go from playing in the backyard to realizing we are hot and breaking out the water toys.  There's no time for me to get the little ones in to appropriate attire before they are already wet so we play as we are!  :)  I can't wait for summer!!

Cousin Time!

During spring break we were able to meet up with the Harding's at the aquarium and botanical gardens.  We had such a fun morning together that they even decided to come play at our house for a few hours after.  I love that we can get the kids together so they can build memories with their cousins!

Eden and Lincoln have been very affectionate with each other lately.  They play so good together and Lincoln is like the perfect little protector for her. They love spending time together.

Poor Olive got sunscreen in her eyes and I tried everything to help her out.  She was pretty miserable for most the morning.

Though her eyes were still really bloodshot and puffy, she eventually became a happy little explorer again.

Eden and Lincoln just hanging out in the sandbox. 

We even splurged and got Dip'n'Dots ice cream.  That was a treat for sure.

Living near family is the best!

Baby Yoga and discovering her bellybutton

Adorable....  :)  I'm so grateful for all these little moments and that I can be home with my kids. They grow too fast...

Cutest Boy Ever

Cinderella Date!

Having a daughter is so much fun!  The new Cinderella movie came out and I couldn't wait to make it a special date with my girl.  She was so excited!  She wanted to get dressed up just like Cinderella, complete with her hair in a bun and makeup too. She looked beautiful. She wanted me to dress up too, but unfortunately I just couldn't get myself into a Cinderella dress.  We settled on doing my hair in a bun with a headband too though.  :)

First we started our date out at lunch.  She wanted tacos so that's what she got!

We were so happy that grandma decided to join us for the movie!  Eden was so excited, and she got a lot of compliments from the other people at the movie because she looked so cute.

We loved the movie and the opportunity to make these fun memories together. The message was so good, and since then I have been reminding Eden to have courage and be kind.  I love that.

I'm so grateful for these opportunities to spend some quality time with Eden.  I'm sad that she is growing up, but also so excited for all the new experiences we can have together.  Thanks for joining us grandma!

Phoenix - Award's Ceremony, overnight dat

The Northwestern Mutual Southwest Regional Award's Banquet was held in Phoenix (at the Biltmore Resort) and thanks to my wonderful mother, I was able to fly out and attend with Brad this year.  He was already in Phoenix finishing up a few days of training, so on Saturday morning, I left the kids with grandma, boarded a flight and joined him there.  The afternoon was lovely.  The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed a nice lunch and walk around the resort, and then we even took a nap!  I guess that's what we do with our time when we don't have kids to take care of.  ha ha 

Later that evening we got all dressed up and went to the banquet. It's always really fun to get fancy and go to these types of parties.

Brad was in the top ten again this year. I'm so proud of how much he has accomplished!

He also received the "Mountain Top Award" which is basically the "you're really awesome award."  He gave a very good speech and I'm so grateful I got to be there for this.

We spent the night in a cute little "cottage." And the next day we enjoyed a nice leisurely breakfast and then we sat poolside and read (and Brad swam a little).

It was such a fun little getaway. It's amazing how rejuvenating just 24-36 hours away can be. Brad and I had a blast enjoying one another's company, and getting a break from our usual routines.  We can't thank grandma enough for her willingness to watch our little ones!