BELLA AND NATALIE

Bella has a BFF....Natalie Narducci. These two girls LOVE each other. They have so much fun together playing all kinds of games, riding bikes, playing dress up. All of these pictures are courtesy of Karla, Natalie's mom, who is awesome at taking pictures and being so creative with her kids. She is always capturing these great moments, which, thankfully, I benefit from. Bella adores Natalie and asks for her all the time.

PARK DAYS

When Gage has early release from school, he gets out at 9:45am. This particular day I decided to keep him out and take the kids to Freestone park to play. The weather has been awesome and it's a huge park full of all kinds of things to see and do. We started out rolling down the hills and then racing up the hills (a good trick to get them and me some exercise). They played on the playground for a while and then Gage wanted to follow the train track all the way around the park. So we sang songs and acted goofy while we walked on the track. We stopped to look at the ducks, watch the waterfalls and then on the way back to the car we played "Follow the Leader". We had so much fun! The icing on the cake was there was a track team there doing drills and the coach gave the kids popsicles. It was a perfect morning!

There is this great park by our house that the kids LOVE. It has tons of green grass full of dandelions that they run around and pick to make wishes.

We have to squeeze in as many park days as we can before it gets too HOT!!!!!!

FUNNIES

APRIL FOOLS

Gage wanted to play a joke on his teacher for April Fools Day. Rob suggested Gage tell her that he just found out that we are moving and today is his last day in class. Gage pulled it off without a hitch and his teacher was so sad. Until he revealed the joke. She sent me an email telling me how convincing he was. Gage loved it!

SMOOTH MOVES

Gage has a little crush on a girl in his class, Madison K. One day he was so excited when I picked him up. He told me that Madison L. had told him that both she and Madison K. had crushes on him. I said that was really nice and it's because he is so kind and a good friend. He was beaming and then asked, "Mom, what does crush mean?".

About a week later I was helping out in Gage's class and I complimented Madison K. on her picture she was coloring. She said, "Thanks! Gage tells me I am the queen of colors because I'm so good at coloring." What a flirt!!

They were celebrating Gage's un-birthday at school, since he has a summer birthday and I brought in donuts for the class. His teacher relayed a funny story from the morning. Apparently they were making ladybugs and each child could name their ladybug. When she asked Gage, he said, "I want to name my ladybug 'whore'". His teacher asked him to repeat it because surely she didn't hear it right. But he repeated, "whore". She thought it was so funny because she knew, of course, that he had no idea what that word really means. So I did some discreet investigating to find out where it came from. He said, "Mom, my ladybug had fangs and was scary so I named him "Horror" like a scary movie. When he says it, it sounds like the other word. I still don't know how he knows about horror movies because he's never seen one. But hilarious, nonetheless.

Bella: "We're gonna just cook up this dog and eat it!"

Gage: "No we're not. We don't live in China."

UNIQUE

Bella has a little friend, Liam, that goes to Joy School with her. She really likes Liam and talks about him a lot. "Mom, I really like Liam. He is so unique!"

Bella is so, so sweet and has a happy heart. She tells everyone how beautiful they are, she sings and dances around, she gives unexpected hugs and kisses and tells you she loves you 50 times a day. She readily obeys with a good attitude and will ask, "Am I a good listener, Mom?" Every day she has a new name she wants us to call her. Today it was "Flower". Yesterday it was "Alexa", and another it was "Brooklyn". She is the first to give up a toy, or her chair, or spot on the couch if someone wants it. (Usually Paisley).

Bella recently came up to me and said, "Mom, I have to tell you something very important. Remember that time a long time ago when Paisley cut my hair? (This was about a year ago when the two of them were in the kitchen and part of Bella's hair was cut.) Well, I told you it was Paisley who cut my hair, but really it was me. I lied and I'm so sorry." The funniest part is that Paisley admitted to cutting it when she didn't. Oh, the power of suggestion.

Bella: "Mom, does Ursula on Little Mermaid wipe her bum when she goes to the bathroom?" (Thankfully, she answered her own question)

"She probably doesn't because she's mean and bad."

Bella: "Mom, let's play Paper, Cut, Scissors." (instead of paper, rock, scissors)

Paisley is growing more and more independent. She wants to do EVERYTHING by herself and for herself. And, boy, does she have a temper. She'll get frustrated trying to do something and start to rage, but she still doesn't want ANY help. I actually think it's a good quality if she can learn to control the temper. She still "leg-locks" her blanket every night. She LOVES the movie "Tangled" and wants to watch it all the time. She'll say, "I want my hair long like Rapunzel" and she'll flip her head over and brush her her hair. She always wants me to do a "down ponytail" which means she wants her ponytail to go down her back as long as possible. But it has to be just right....OR ELSE!! She wakes at the crack of dawn, which now is pretty early and brings me the brush and ponytail holder to do her hair. She is one determined girl. She loves to sing and dance, but also loves to play catch and wrestle.

FIRST SWIM OF 2011

There were a couple of very hot days in March and it made all of us want to SWIM! I still didn't brave it, but the kids sure did. They had a ball and didn't even care that the water was still freezing. I remember doing that same thing when we were little. We practically swam year-round. They haven't gone back in yet since, but those hot days are right around the corner!

BLUES

I feel sad today. It seems for me that when something makes me feel really, really sad, then I feel sad about a lot of things in my life.





Today, I learned that a dear family has lost a loved one, much too young. Again. This family is my second family. I grew up with them and lived with them at a time when I needed it. They were my adopted sisters, mother, and grandmother. Over the years we have gotten busy in our lives and haven't maintained as close of contact as we should have or as I would have liked to. But I think about them all the time. Facebook has proven to be a great way to talk to them whenever I want to, which has been fun. Their young cousin died today at the age of 29. He was on life support with ups and downs, and eventually...down. This family is grieving and mourning and all the while so faithful and strong, knowing it is Heavenly Father's plan.



My 2nd Mom had four kids: her oldest was a boy, and three girls to follow. Her husband left the family when the kids were young and she was left a single mother the rest of her life. Her son was my best friend. Her daughters were like my sisters. Especially the oldest. They were so fun. Crazy, rambunctious, fireballs. Never a dull moment. He was kind, respectful, introspective, funny. So funny. He told me all the time about a recurring dream that made him believe he wouldn't live to be 21. He was right. Two days after he turned 20, he was killed in a hit-and-run accident. I was up at Camp LoMia with his mom and three sisters, having a grand old time. Until the sheriff came.



They remained strong and faithful. The oldest sister had a best friend, who was also a friend of mine. A spunky gal who was a friend to everyone. She came off as a little shy, but she was so, so fun. She was at camp with us on that day. Not too many years later, while giving birth to her first baby, she died. My friend/sister took in this grieving husband and newborn baby and endured him going on dates much too soon. Strong and faithful all the while.



I had made plans to meet for lunch with these great women. They had to cancel and we didn't reschedule as of yet. The night I went through the temple for the first time, I came out of the dressing room and who is there? Of course, my 2nd mom and her mother, an equally amazing woman. I had been thinking about all of them so much and wanted to invite them, but in all my weirdness (which only I can understand), I didn't. Well, there she is anyway. She had come with her mother as they did every Thursday night, as it turns out. We embraced and I lost it. Like sobs and blubbers. I was so emotional and felt so embarassed by that. I invited her and her family to come to the sealing on Saturday. She did come and it meant so much to me.



And now they have lost this young man at such a young age. And yet, all the while, knowing that whatever happened it was the Lord's will and they would accept it. Strong and faithful.



It makes me sad for them. It makes me feel sad about all sorts of things. I'm sad that I'm not doing enough in any aspect of my life - particulary motherhood. I'm sad because I'm unsettled in this house, I'm missing park playdates with my friends and their cute kids. I'm sad that I'm losing patience too often. I'm sad that I'm not as strong and faithful.





But, tomorrow is a new day.........................

WINTER FUN

I am so grateful for all the time the kids got to spend with Grandma and Papa. Paisley and Papa have a special relationship. They tease each other and play a lot. Just look at how she is looking at him in this picture. Priceless!!

Grandma is always cold!!

Papa's still got it! Even after just having a stroke, he still horses around with the kids.

Not sure who is heavier: Paisley or Gage? Ha! Ha!

This hot air balloon came so close to the house - it was so cool to see it up so close.

The kids love their little cousin Mack. They fight over who gets to hold him. Mack wishes none of them would hold him. He just wants to get down and explore.

Gage is so good with him. He keeps a really good eye on him and makes sure he stays away from the stairs.

Love this picture! They are so happy.

Lots of special time with Grandma and Papa.

They love their backyard playground. They always dress up in some sort of costume and go outside and play.

SLEEPING BEAUTY

I love when they go, go, go and just can't go anymore. Bella has been fighting taking naps anymore and most of the time I let it go. But every now and then it catches up with her.

Love it!!