The Room

This post is about me making good on a promise... or a threat, however you want to categorize it. Taylor is an interesting girl. She likes things to be organized and neat, but if she doesn't have time to do it 100% she just doesn't do it at all. Therefore, her room often looks like a complete explosion. I have blogged before about how much this bothers me (and Ed) because as we walk up the stairs we look straight into her room. I insist that she make her bed and at least pile her clothes in one pile until she gets home from school.

A few weeks ago her room looked like this for several days straight and I told her that if it wasn't cleaned up by the appointed time I would memorialize her mess in our blog book for her future children to see. She neglected to clean and I am giving her children something to use against her someday:) It really is all in good fun and she has since done a great job. I still can't figure out why the sheets are almost completely off her bed every morning. Talk about a restless sleeper!

Is a messy room really that big of a deal? No. Taylor is a wonderful girl with so many talents and abilities. She is kind and funny and so many other things. Ed and I are so proud of the person she is and the person she is becoming. I just think that a room this messy is so inconsistent with the rest of her life that is cracks me up. Taylor, you just never cease to surprise me. I love you... messy room and all.

Sleep

Dallin has been sleeping constantly lately. I mean all the time. His answer to every question is "I'm just so tired!" After school naps, sleeping until we force him out of bed on the weekends, and catching a few winks while waiting for anything are the norm right now. It only makes sense that he spent the month prior to all this sleeping eating us out of house and home. I have a feeling he will emerge from this hibernation phase a little taller.

In the mean time, Hudson loves it when he falls asleep on a couch. He hops on top of him and snoozes without Dallin even noticing. Ed took these pictures the other day. Hudson was wiggling around getting comfortable and Dallin didn't even notice.

Taylor Orchestra Concert

Taylor's orchestra concert was amazing as usual. I feel so blessed that my kids are able to have these great musical programs at school and such wonderful teachers. This spring has certainly been full of concerts.

She also accompanied the select string ensemble on the piano.

Grammy was here for a visit and got to see the concert too.

Taylor also had a piece of artwork on display - a moose from If You Give a Moose a Muffin.

Grammy and NYC

My mom had never been to NYC, so we decided it was about time. The only problem is that I was to be her guide:) If you know me, you know that I am always lost and navigating NYC without my dear husband is about my worst nightmare! However, I really wanted to take my mom to a show and so we braved to drive to Staten Island, rode the Ferry past the Statue of Liberty, and took the subway to Times Square to see Mary Poppins. Everything went smoothly and we loved seeing the show. I hope that we can take her to see more sights the next time she comes - maybe with Ed as our guide:) Thanks for coming and being so patient with me as I nervously led you around the Big Apple!

These are pictures of the outside and inside of the theater.

The Statue of Liberty is in the background - taken from the ferry.

Dallin Choir Concert and Art Show

Dallin has really enjoyed being part of the choir this year. The director is a great teacher and the competitions and trips are a lot of fun for the kids. There are tons of talented kids in this school and the performances are amazing. The end of the year concert was combined with an art show and Dallin had THREE pieces chosen for the show. His digital imaging teacher only chose fifteen pieces from over 100 to display and three of them were Dallin's. He had to take all the pictures and then alter them to fit the assigned theme. It's neat to find these hidden talents in our kids as they explore new classes and interests.





(FYI... the boy next to Dallin has mild autism and really loves music. He gets into the songs so much that he has a very hard time standing still. Dallin is such a patient and gentle kid that the teacher put this boy next to him to ensure a good experience for everyone. It is a little distracting, but you can clearly see how much he is enjoying the music.)

The Sister Hairdo

Taylor has been really into curling her hair lately. Cami's hair has a little natural wave and holds curls very well. Taylor spent almost an hour creating this look just for fun. Cami thought it was great and it still looked beautiful the next morning for school!

Purple Flowers

I just love these flowers too. They grow right in the middle of my daisies and disappear shortly after blooming.

Mother's Day

I had a fabulous Mother's Day. After church the kids let me relax in the sunshine while they did all the cooking and clean up. They made a delicious meal and gave me very thoughtful gifts (including lots of tomatoes from Trader Joe's). I am so blessed to have such wonderful children and to get to watch them grow. They amaze me.

I am also grateful for my mom and Ed's mom and all the wonderful grandmothers who have played such important parts in our lives. Being a mother is the greatest job in the world and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Rainbow Connection

Taylor had the chance to play with the 8th grade choir for the Spring Concert. She was given the music only a couple weeks before the performance (after two other people failed to be able to play it) and had to work REALLY hard to master it in time. At one point, she considered giving up and telling the teacher she just couldn't do it, but that thought didn't last long. Taylor is very determined and hates giving up on anything. She stuck with it, practiced constantly, and did a great job. I was so proud.

Ian Band Concert

Ian stayed with us for a week while Liz went to see her new grandbaby. I was determined to get some good pictures of his band concert for her. I showed up early and sat up front in the middle. I was thinking how I felt sorry for these other parents who wouldn't have good pictures. Then Ian walked out, sat down, and disappeared. I literally got a picture of his eye. That's it. Just his eye.


We did enjoy the concert and I know Ian was back there somewhere. Here are a few short videos from the concert.

Cami Lacrosse Season

Cami decided to try lacrosse instead of softball this year. I wasn't sure if she would like it, but I was wrong. She loved it! Taylor helped her with some basics and she was awesome! She had a friend of ours as her coach and got a chance to learn all the positions. I think we'll be sticking with lacrosse for at least a few more years. Here are a few pictures from her season.

This coach is hilarious. Taylor has had her for a few camps and she is no-nonsense. I LOVE her shirt!

Taylor Lacrosse Season

Taylor had a great lacrosse season. She really improved this year and it was fun to watch her enjoy playing. Part of her improvement came from getting contacts (she refused to wear her goggles) and part from getting really healthy, putting on some weight, and growing a few inches (thank you ice cream diet!). I love lacrosse and hope that she'll be able to play at East next year. I'm sure Walt will have a training schedule for her to follow over the summer:)

CBAA Hoorah!

There is nothing better than a bright spring morning watching your kids play at the fields. I mean look at how beautiful this is!

Happy 18th Anniversary

Ed was chaperoning a trip with Dallin's choir on our anniversary, so we finally went out to dinner a few weeks later. Ed took me to Legal Seafood in King of Prussia because they are known for having a great GF menu. The food was delicious and the company was delightful. However, something went wrong somewhere along the way to my meal being GF. There is no delicate way to say that I was throwing up all night and wishing I hadn't eaten seafood. I finally crawled out of bed the next day around 11am, missing Women's Conference where I was supposed to be singing in a small group. I've had better anniversaries.

Anniversary dinner aside, we have had another wonderful year together. I can't believe it's already been 18 years! We spend a lot of time laughing and enjoying our little family. We're still learning and growing and trying to be better people every day. I know I am loved and am grateful for each day we have together. Here's to another year filled with love and happiness. I love you Ed.

Recorder, Cello, and Art... All In One Show!

Cami's talents were on full display at Bridge Valley. We were able to see some of her art projects, listen to the 4th grade recorder concert, and watch her first Cello concert. She was fabulous! I was one proud mama.

Here she is in front of her artwork:

Honor Society

Taylor was inducted into the Junior Honor Society. She works really hard in school and we are so proud of her. She takes pride in everything she does and continually amazes me with her talents. I feel blessed every day to be her mother. We love you Taylor!

Happy Easter

We had a lovely Easter. We had a wonderful day at church and feel so blessed for our knowledge of our Savior's resurrection. We also decorated and searched for eggs, ate a yummy dinner, and spent time with some friends. Here are a few pictures from the day.

The girls filled the plastic eggs with candy and decorated the boiled eggs to perfection.

Dallin helped (a little)

Cami planned a big egg hunt for Zoey. She was so excited to be the only one searching for eggs:)

Taylor had the best job of all... holding baby Kaia!