The Latest & Greatest...

Yesterday was "game day!" Braxton had been looking forward to this day for months. T-ball started 2 weeks ago and yesterday The Red Dragons had their first game. Braxton was the home-run hitter (the last batter up). This is him waiting patiently for his turn.
These clothes are what you can find him wearing any and every day of the week lately. I'm glad I said no to wearing his shirt to bed....now at least it gets washed.
Jeff is the assistant coach of The Red Dragons. This has made the season extra special. Here is Braxton wearing his "game face."
We are all ready for Spring around here. Last Sunday we took a picnic to Hovander and played Frisbee. It was so fun to be able to run and throw and catch and get my game back after being pregnant last year! Braxton was like, "oh mom! you can run faster now cause there is no baby in your tummy." I'll have to think of a new excuse for this year I guess:)
Um, I wish I could explain this scenario but I cannot. All I can say is I was gone and I came home to this. Everyone was laughing so I guess it looks worse than it really was. Maybe Jeff is really on to something.
Adelle is crazy cute and almost 2. She has been into baseball too and Braxton was nice to hand down his last years t-ball shirt to Adelle. She gets to share clothes with both brothers. In this picture she is wearing a coat that Grammy Ashmore gave to Emmett. She found it in her closet and wanted to wear it....so I let her. It's a 2T and Emmett didn't mind.
This is her favorite place to hang out. She will stand here and watch the garbage man come, watch the many school buses go by, watch the kids walking to school and riding their bikes. It's really cute.
On Monday when Jeff and Braxton were at T-ball practice I decided to join Adelle in her favorite spot. It was funny to hear her conversation between herself and the window. I didn't say a thing. Just enjoyed the moment and the narration. It went like this..

birdie!
birdie!
yeah out there birdie
in wawer (water)
he eat it? (the bird was drinking the water)
what's that?
noise? yeah
Ahh car!
See mom, car!
more car
Daddy car (a white car drove by)

It's fun to see Adelle as the "big" sister. She's so kind and motherly to Emmett. It's funny because she has started to boss Braxton around too. She can get both of her brothers to laugh, cry, scream...She is definitely a woman in the works. Love this girl!
Emmett can roll over!! He is getting really big and growing up really fast. I always say that but it's true. He loves laying on our bed under his homemade mobile that I concocted. It hangs from our ceiling fan and is adjustable:) He is so so good. Just goes with the flow. Falls asleep when he's tired. Doesn't ask for much but gives so much. Always cooing and smiling. Now he's really into spit bubbles and will just lay and blow bubbles and giggle.
Emmett's eyes are still so blue. They are beautiful and they really define his looks. Both Braxton and Adelle had brown eyes by now so the blue eyes really are unique to our family. I like that each of my kids have our own little traits and these eyes of Emmett's just sparkle.
Emmett loves the tub too. Jeff's mom gave Emmett this sweet little robe. I think it makes him look like such a man when he wears it. Plus it shows some of his chub. Thanks Grammy Ashmore!
I think that sums everything up for now. I am trying to be more consistent with blogging. Every day there is so much I could blog about. Life is full.

I believe in Forever

We had the opportunity as a family to drive up to Langley, BC. to see a new Temple that was recently built.
It was beautiful to be there with my whole family.
It was the first time my children were able to go inside the Temple and it brought me so much peace to be there with their sweet little, innocent souls.
I love my family so much and I'm so thankful that we are forever.
Braxton and Adelle were so excited to get to come with us. The Temple was not yet "dedicated" so they were able to go inside. They knew it was a special place for them to be.

Something unique about me and my religion (Mormon, Latter-Day Saint) is the belief in eternity. I don't believe that death is the end. I believe in forever.
That being said the Temple is a very sacred place for me.
In the Temple is where I married my husband "for time and all eternity."
What does that mean? Well, during a civil marriage ceremony they usually say, "until death do us part." My belief is that death will not part me from my husband and family, but rather we will be together after we die as well. When we were married in the Temple we promised that we would be together, forever. We promised to be true to each other and to the Lord. To me this means we will stick it out no matter what. It doesn't mean that our marriage is perfect. It doesn't mean that some Temple marriages don't end in divorce. What it does mean is that I am able to see things in perspective. My life is great and all but it is temporal and there is more to come. My husband/ family, may drive me a little crazy at times but we are united in a cause to do right for the benefit of the whole family, not just to meet our own needs. It is sad to me to see marriages disintegrate. Sometimes it is necessary, sometimes it is not. However, it is always sad and I would imagine families are always harmed. I'm really thankful to have never experienced any of this first hand.
The Temple brings me peace and hope for my family. When I attend the Temple I am reminded of the importance of marriage and family. It is the most beautiful place inside and out and it helps me want to have the most beautiful marriage and relationship with those that I love.
It was difficult for me when I got married. I had a lot of really close friends and family members who couldn't come to my wedding because it was in the Temple. This was hurtful to some and disappointing to all. I had to remind myself where my priorities were. I loved Jeff and I wanted to be with him for forever. I knew that the Temple was the start of that "forever." Because Jeff and I were married in the Temple I know that we will be together forever and our children will be with us if we are all obedient and live lives centered on Jesus Christ and his teachings.

giggles

Sometimes it is so hard being the "parent."
Tonight for example....
First a little background, every night we pray with our kids before bed and we rotate each night who says the prayer.
Adelle has recently been added into the rotation.
Tonight was her night.
"I will help you, o.k Adelle," says Braxton, anxious to help.
"Dear Heavenly Father," Adelle repeated really soft and sweetly
"Thank you that you have all your teeth," said Braxton as serious as can be.
This line started the giggles. I could not hold them in. I was picturing a beautiful little girl with her teeth knocked out or something. I don't know but I could not contain myself. It was ridiculous. I tried so hard to hide the giggles and to set a good example but it was difficult and my family caught on. I glanced at Jeff who is laughing too but doing a way better job at holding it in.
Braxton pauses, "what's so funny? Are we praying?"
The rest of the prayer didn't help me at all. Braxton continued to lead and the prayer was all about him.
Thank you for my t-ball team, my friends, that I get to get my pictures taken tomorrow....
So needless to say the giggles hung around and here is sweet little Adelle, praying for Braxton.

After the kids were in bed Jeff and I were talking about how hilarious this was. Jeff pointed out that Braxton was actually being rather considerate. See, he is used to praying for what he wants but he was thoughtful enough to try and pray from Adelle's perspective. I guess he thought she must be really thankful for her teeth.

Weekend Bliss

Friday night we were in White Rock B.C. having a picnic and watching the beautiful sunset with our children. It was gorgeous and we had so much fun as a family. The kids talked our ears off in the car on the whole way up and on the way home they whined because they were tired. Jeff and I managed to have somewhat of a conversation in between the, "but dad"'s and the "I have to go potty"'s.
It got me thinking. When we dated we used to go to White Rock. We would drive up and talk the whole way. Flirt with each other, hold hands....
We would spend too much money on dinner and I would pretend I had a small appetite. Typical dating stuff I guess. We would laugh and joke and I would always work hard to look my best.
We thought we were in love.
Friday night, however, I didn't look my best. By the time I got all three kids ready and the picnic packed I was lucky to throw my hair in the usual pony tail. I wore a cute dress but when we got there it was windy and chilly so I ruined that by putting on a clashing sweatshirt. I didn't even care, it kept me warm. After I ate my own croissant sandwich I finished Adelle's because by now, he knows, I have an extremely large appetite. The picnic was a little chaotic. Emmett's blanket kept blowing off of him. Adelle just wanted to eat chips, nothing else. But, it was fun. The kids loved it. It was beautiful.
I was taking pictures of the kids and the sunset. Then I stopped and grabbed Jeff. I gave Braxton the camera and asked him to take a picture of, "me and daddy." He was happy to help.
That was our "date" and although it wasn't what it used to be, I enjoyed it, completely. I love being a parent with my sweetheart.

*Saturday night we put the kids to bed early and shared a blizzard while watching "The Cutting Edge." What a classic!*

Sisters

I love my sister.
She knows me really well.
We are different.
Like, really different.
That is why I love her most.
She puts up with me.
I put up with her.
We have a mutual respect....
the kind that say's
"you drive me insane, but it's o.k. cause' your my sister..."
I love you, Lesh.

Her family was sick this past week so I was really nice (wink), and brought them dinner. This is what I get....

I get an email from Lesha.
This is what it says, "watch this. You are the girl in the middle seat."

That's all it said. So I clicked on the link and watched. Oh my, it was me. Jeff accompanied me and laughed the whole time. "What are you laughing at?" I asked him sweetly. His response, "come on, babe. It's funny."

So, here's to my sister....the rebel
love, me.....the goody tushu

What's Cookin for breakfast..

Ok after this I will take a break from the quinoa recipes but I had to share our delicious breakfast this morning.
I cooked the quinoa in pineapple juice and coconut milk. After it was fluffy I added chopped pecans and pineapple tid-bits. Topped with flaked, unsweetened coconut.
This breakfast was warm and hearty and so tasty.
I can't wait to pull it out of the refrigerator later and enjoy it outside. Like a nice, guilt free, virgin chilled pina-colada on a hot day!
Oh, and Jeff makes me laugh....really hard. When I was thinking up this recipe last night (we had left over pineapple from homemade pizza and I was trying to think how it could be used) and told him what I had come up with and he goes, "that actually sounds really good. Top it with a little cool whip and your good to go!" This made me laugh, out loud, really hard. We are so opposite and it makes life so stinkin' fun. In my opinion cool whip would defy all possibilities of a "healthy" anything. Jeff knows this yet he still has fond memories of eating it with a spoon straight out of the freezer:)
We are really meant for each other.

Whats Cookin?

Quinoa (keen-wa)!
Yum!
This delicious food is packed with nutrients. I love it. Jeff....not such a fan. So, what do I do? Yep, buy a huge bag at Costco and determine myself to create delicious, healthy recipes that my family will enjoy.
Yesterday's recipe was a huge hit. I cooked up the quinoa with some chicken bullion. It's super fast to cook, only takes like 15 min. add one part quinoa to two parts water and boil, then cover and simmer until fluffy.
While that was doing it's thing I literally cleaned out our refrigerator. I chopped up some fresh spinach, some red bell pepper, and some olives and tossed them in once the quinoa was cooked. Then I minced a glove of garlic and tossed that in with about 1/2 cup of salsa. Added a can of black beans and a little lemon juice. Topped it off with avacado and minced chives. Jeff loved this salad! We ate it warm last night and then I had it cold today for lunch. It was so yummy. Quinoa is a grain, so it's loaded with fiber, but the bonus is that it has a ton of plant protein as well. It was so filling and satisfying.
Jeff went back for seconds. This made me so happy and convinced me that he wasn't just saying he liked it. He didn't think he liked quinoa...plus he doesn't like avacado (but he ate them both in the salad).
So try it! Have you noticed that when you eat good, you feel good....when you feel good, you act good...and when you act good.....well, that's just good!
I will post more delicious quinoa recipes once I make them up:)

you're my best

Braxton say's to me, "I love you mom, you're my best."
"Your best?" I ask, "what does that mean?"
"It means your my best mom."
"Thank you Braxton," I say...."that makes mommy feel really happy. You are my best Braxton."
It's turned into a phrase around here. If Jeff makes me really happy then I tell him, "you're my best." I have always thought the phrase was cliche' but when my little boy said it to me it made my whole world.

Huge Dilema

OK someone help me out with this one, please!

To give you some background I loved highschool. I know, you could have probably guessed, but I really loved every minute of it. I love people! I really feel like every person on this whole earth has something to give and I try hard to figure out what it is from everyone I meet. I knew so many people in highschool and learned so much from each of them. I can't believe it was 10 years ago already! Many of them I see, occasionally. Many of them I have not seen or even heard of since graduation. For some reason that bothers me.
Jeff used to tease me because when we lived in Utah and would visit home (here) I would always insist we go to Haggen. Why? Because I would always run into someone that I knew there and it would be a fun little reunion.
Are you catching my drift? This year would be my 10 year class reunion. However, the president of my class (supposedly the reunion coordinator) is nowhere to be found and has obviously no desire that a reunion even take place. I, on the other hand, feel it important to reconnect and get together with these people with whom were, at one point, a pretty important part of my life. Also, for some reason, I feel like people are counting on me to coordinate something. In recent conversations with friends I have heard things like, "you should do it," or, "we vote you."
What do I do?
First off, this is a pretty big deal and I know that it would require many many hours of energy to get going. I don't know if I have this kind of energy at the moment and I honestly am pretty choosy with the extra energy that I do have. Do I want to use it planning a reunion? Will it even be worth it?
Second, I do not have the money or the desire to put myself or my family out financially to reserve a place or assume people would pay me back. Some of my classmates, unfortunately, I don't think have changed much since high-school and I would probably never see the money.
Third, time is crunching in around me. This means a lot of work quick!
Fourth, and most importantly, I really think it should be done!
Fifth, I think Facebook is a lame substitution for a reunion and if you think you are really "connected" with all those people and don't need to actually "see" them, then you are way to tech-y!

So, who's with me?

My plan is to send an event invitation on Facebook (ok it's handy for some things) for a coordination committee meeting. If you want to be on the committee and get this thing going then show up and we can volunteer for duties and brainstorm when, where, how, this thing can happen!
Let me know if your in....

HAPPY EASTER

Happy Hunters
Sweetest Baby
Our little lady....hamming it up (as usual)
Cute little Family
Bryce and Chelsey were the highlight of the day for the kids. Does it sound to bitter if I say that they look way to good to be the actual parents? I don't mean anything by that except....it's the truth! lol These two are so cute. They are 21 (the age that Jeff and I were when we got married) and so fun.
Our lil' chicks
Easter morning
Happy kiddos
*This picture is posted so you can check out Adelle's teeth. She has gone from having 4 teeth in January, to having 12 teeth in April. This girl is all or nothin!*

One Year Down

Today marks the one year since my brother Brent left on his mission to Madrid, Spain! We miss him so much but we know he is well and having a great experience.
These are some pictures of the past year that he has sent us.
I have really enjoyed writing letters to my brother this past year. More so, I've loved the letters and emails that I have received from him. They are full of faith and grace and have strengthened me on many different occasions.
This is an excerpt from an email I recieved back in December. It's classic "Brent style" and I'm sure his tongue was out when he was typing it (he does that when he concentrates). The spelling is really lousy which I think adds character. I think the more he learns Spanish the more he forgets English. Even so his letters are full of love. Love for his family back home and love for the people he is meeting and teaching. I hope you enjoy it.

Last Sunday was the missionaries turn to give a talk in church. It´s getting a little easier, but still not so easy.
In a lesson, if I can´t remeber a word I ask my companion, or the people I´m teaching, and it´s no big deal. But in Sacrament meeting it´s a little different. It was funny, a couple members we´re trying to help me find words and mouth them to me as I talked on the stand. The funny part was that they mouthed the wrong words.
I talked about growing closer to God through obience. About how God is Love, and we need to first learn how to love God and love others before we can attempt to be obidient to any other commandment.
It´s a priciple that I´m really trying to learn and I felt that the Lord has helped me grow a lot in this aspect in my first 9 months in the mission.
As children of God we have an infinate potential to love. Naturally though we seek for our own, are easily offended, puffed up, quick to anger and slow to show graditude and love.
I´m so greatful for the Love of God, and of my Savior Jesus Christ! For the attonement and the power of repentance.
I know God loves all of us, and I feel His love in my life.