Easter 2012

Easter egg hunt in the backyard 

Eggs that were rubbed with some sparkly goo instead of dyed.

Paige (7 1/2 years old)

Ashby (almost 5 years old)

Levi (2 1/2 years old)

Cody (7 months old)

Let me know if I can help...

The offer, while well meaning and often given, “Let me know if I can help” 
is really no help at all. 

 -Ronald A. Rasband of the Presidency of the Seventy

"Let me know if I can help." I've said it myself a hundred times. But now that I'm on the receiving end, I'm keeping a list of all the nice things people have done for us, so I can do them for someone else in the future.

• Plate of cookies
• Well-wishing card
• Run errands
• Basket of fruit
• Mow their lawn
• Pull weeds
• Make dinner
• Fresh bread
• Watch kids for the day
• Send the couple on a date
• Listening ear
• Travel snacks
• Wash their car
• Package of gum
• Extra travel money
• Bubbles
• Coloring books/markers
• Bag of rolls for kids who don't eat anything else
• Do their dishes
• Take out the trash
• Easter egg hunts
• Pick up mail
• Box of thank-you cards to hand out
• Travel knick-knacks for kids to open in the car
• Frozen meals
• Sweep their porch
• Mop their floor 
• Hold a baby 
• Good thoughts and prayers 

If you have other good ideas to add, let me know.

"It is my hope and prayer that we will continue to bear nobly our burdens and to reach out to those among us who are suffering."

We were egged!

Our first swim lessons

When I signed the kids up for swim lessons earlier this year I picked March. I looked at the calendar and it was completely empty. I picked Saturday mornings because I don't usually have a car during the week and on Saturday's I would have Brian to help divide and conquer. Plus March was a month when nothing really happens, right (its not warm enough for a lot of activities, but it was close enough to Summer that they might actually remember how to swim when it comes).

Well, March didn't turn out the way I had intended...

Week 1: I had YW regional basketball tournament in which I was heading up. Brian was brave and took all 4 kids to swim lessons. That was difficult since he couldn't go in the Ladies' locker room and Paige couldn't go into the Men's.
Week 2: I was on a Stake YW camp retreat all weekend. Again Brian was brave and Paige and Ashby were grateful. They've never had swim lessons before, so this was much needed.
Week 3: We skipped lessons to run as a family in the Rex Lee Run (race for a cure).
Week 4 & 5: We were in California on a last minute, week long trip to visit Granddad and Grandma.

Not such a successful swim lesson month. Think there's a way to get our money back?

Professor Long-ears

Yesterday Paige participated in her First Grade Program.
It was called, "Professor Long-Ears Saves the Day". Guess who was Professor Long-Ears?

It was a cute, short little play where some bunnies were worried about getting to the Bunny Hop on time but they couldn't read the clock. So they asked a chicken, a turtle and a frog for help, but none of them knew how to tell time. Eventually they asked Professor Long-Ears.

Here is what Paige got to say,

Sit down, dear children. It is really very simple. The big carrot points to the minute. The little carrot points to the hour. When the big carrot is on the twelve, it is exactly on the hour. So you see, (holding up the clock) the minute carrot is on the twelve and the hour carrot is on the two. It is exactly two o'clock!

She did a really great job and was a very serious and studious professor. The rest of the program was filled with cute springtime type songs and even doing the bunny hop with family members around the gym. Very fun!

Who's knocking on my door?

Jehovah's witnesses keep coming to my door. I've talked to them in the past and they've given me their handouts. I smile and listen cause I don't want to be rude and I know they're sharing nice messages. But now they just keep coming and coming! I'm afraid I'm their golden contact. I don't know what to do!!