Birthday and Graduation

Jonathan had a birthday this past week. I think he had a good day. He had to work, but we went out to dinner and he got some fun presents and the girls loved helping me with the cake. Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

And Sami graduated from preschool. Well, not really, because she is going to the same preschool next year, but ya know, they do this at the end of every year.

 She was so happy. So happy that Dad and Grandma came and that she got to dress up and be with her friends.

 They did a little program. It was short and sweet, perfect. They did the Pledge of Allegiance...

 sang some cute songs...

got her certificate and report card...

 and we were so proud!

She did have a small embarrassing moment after this picture. She was going to sit down and missed the chair. She fell and landed between her chair and her neighbor's chair and started crying. She was hurt a little but mostly embarrassed. Jonathan went up and put her in her chair and talked to her and she recovered quite well, I thought. I wasn't sure she would, I thought she might need to come and be with us. But I was so happy when she was able to stay up there and not cry. After the program we told her how proud of her we were and how things like that happen to everyone. 

 Sami has learned so much this year in preschool: how to spell and write her name, write all her letters, use pencils and scissors, memorized her phone number, and learned the Pledge of Allegience (well, mostly). And she kept her light on green all year, meaning she didn't get in trouble. There were some mornings that I would not have been surprised if she didn't come home with her green stamp, because we had a hard morning here, but she always came home with her green stamp. That makes me happy. 

Congratulations, Sami Girl!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was really fun for us this year. Sami made me the cookie flower bouquet at preschool and the booklet about her. The girls can't figure out why we aren't eating the cookie flowers. But I just love looking at it.

Sami has the best CTR teacher. She started as Sami's nursery teacher and has just moved up with her class every year. Plus, she (Sis. Harris) has sat in the bench with me every Sunday that Jonathan has had to work for the past 4 years. I just love her! And she helped her class make these cute flower magnets. And she made one for Janie, just because. Janie is a sunbeam but she knew I would want one of both. She is another grandma to our family. 

This is the inside page of Sami's preschool booklet that she made for me. I love her little self-portraits. She understands that everyone in the family has brown eyes except her so I always know when she is drawing herself because they have blue eyes.

I LOVE this page of what our family looks like and the picture of me jump roping. I have been doing an exercise video in the morning and jump rope in place, and so Sami drew me exercising.

In Primary, we had the kids fill out these cards about their Moms. Kristen, the Primary president, didn't tell me what Janie's said but she told me that she had tears coming out of her eyes she was laughing so hard. Now I understand why.

If you can't read this picture, it says: (Janie's answers are in the large type)

You rock. You are scary face.

When you dance with me, it makes me happy. I love doing things with you, especially help me do dishes. You are so good at taking naps.

Jonathan and I were both laughing so hard when we read this! The scary face must come out when I am trying to take a nap. :)

And Sami drew me another sweet picture of herself.

Being a mom really is the best. It is as awesome as I always knew it would be. I am one blessed Mama.

Happy Mother's Day 2012

Late Easter Pictures

I love dressing my girls the same and they think it's fun to be "twins." These beautiful dresses were from a friend whose girls grew out of them. I am always so grateful for the clothes from friends and one day, I plan on passing on clothes too. It is such a blessing.

And I love these dresses! You can't see the sparkles on the dresses, but they are there.

I love my girls' eyes. So fun to have a blue-eyed and brown-eyed. 

Both girls are tall for their age and in the ninetieth percentile for their height. Someone told me the other day that they thought Sami was six. My response was that I am so glad she's not! Time flies as it is, and I don't want them getting older any faster than absolutely necessary.  

But they are growing up. As made plain to me by the fact that they have started the poo poo jokes and comments and then both laughing so hard. I was hoping to skip that but I guess not. Sami will say, "Janie poo poo" and they they both start laughing. Then I hear Janie say, "lunch poo poo," more laughter. I am continually telling them that we only talk about poo poo in the bathroom. It's not working. Oh well.

This Week

Last night was Sami's first ever tumbling recital. She has been practicing and practicing for this, at home and at tumbling practice.

Janie wanted to wear a matching ribbon to practice. She is so excited to start tumbling this summer.

Of course, in my usual style, I took 100 pictures, of just the warm up. Good thing I have my new computer to store all these pictures on. I love this picture of her in warm up. She calls it "the bridge."

And this is her at the end of the her performance, with her tumbling teacher. We were such proud parents! She did SO good. We loved every second of it. (And I put in the video so you can too ☺). Sami had been looking forward to this night, because she got to tumble, but mostly because Aunt Brandi and Sydnee (cousin), Aunt Tami, and Grandma would be there. And we were having cookies afterward. The family showed up right before her performance and she was so worried they wouldn't make it. But they did. And so did Dad, who was on long call. He got out of the hospital on time but had to work at home afterwards, but it was worth it. So worth it.

And I must say that we love her tumbling teacher. She is in our ward, and is the YW president. So I know her well, and love her. She is so nice to Sami. Sami calls her "my Brenda."

And there are only 3 kids in Sami's class this year. We all go to church together and are all good friends. It has been a really fun year.

And I turned 33 this week. Jonathan was on long call (again) for my birthday so the night before, he bought me some flowers and came home and arranged them for me. He took each flower and piece of greenery and cut it and placed it in the vase. Complete with the fabric that came with the flowers. He said he missed his calling-he should have done floral design. He's so cute. And funny.

I had a good birthday. I felt loved by family and friends. And that was the best part. I am so blessed. 

Easter Weekend

We are still coming out of our sugar comas from this past Easter weekend.  We did lots and lots of fun stuff this week, and we enjoyed it all! I just love having kids. 

We did all our fun stuff on Friday and Saturday, which was nice because Jonathan could be there and so that Sunday was focused on Church.

The Easter egg hunt in our back yard.

 Then we dyed eggs.

For the first time ever, the Easter bunny hid the girls' baskets and they got to find them. They thought that was so fun. And there baskets were pretty great, if I do say so myself. :) Good thing that Easter bunny likes yard sales. 

Then we went to Grandma Trish's house for another egg hunt, dyed more eggs, ate more candy, had a wonderful meal, and had more fun!

 Jonathan's brother, Jeremy, his wife, Sarah, and their kids Elizabeth and Andrew. It is so great that the cousins are so close in age. They love being together.

And Aunt Tami came too. 

What a great weekend. And after church on Sunday, Grandma Trish and Aunt Tami came over to have a little Easter dinner with us. Jonathan was at work but it was fun with just "us girls." During dinner, Janie said, "Jesus died, but he came alive. It's call resurrection." That was a happy, proud moment for me! We had been trying to teach the girls all week that Easter really wasn't about the Easter bunny, it was about Jesus. It didn't seem like they got it. But between home and church, they did! I am so grateful for our Savior. He is risen, and that means everything.

Good Times

This past weekend was General Conference. I loved it. I cried at least once during every session. I was just so touched by so many of the talks. And I realized that I really need to print off those cute conference packets for the kids. In between begging for Cinderella movies, climbing all over me, and wandering around bored or fighting, I am surprised that I heard enough to cry at any of the talks. :)

The other awesome thing that happened this weekend is that Jonathan built me a new computer! And I am just giddy about it! Our old computer was maxed out on hard drive spaces, was super noisy and slow. I could only have one program up at a time and right when I was in the middle of something in photoshop, it would just turn off. Aggravating, to say the least. 

So Jonathan said he was going to build my dream computer. It has been his hobby for months now, looking up parts, ordering parts here and there. And he put it together this weekend and I couldn't be happier. It has tons of hard drive space and is super duper quick. I can run photoshop, itunes, and the internet, all at the same time! That Jonathan, he's a keeper. 

And the week of Easter is always fun and busy. Today the girls went on a field trip with Sami's preschool to Peter Piper's Pizza. They got a tour of the kitchen, put their own topping on a pizza, play the games, and meet the Easter Bunny.

Here are some pictures I took this past weekend. 

They Say the Best Things

I keep a small notebook in my kitchen drawer. When the girls say something that cracks me up, I try to write it down in that notebook. Most of the time, I forget to write it down. But I love it when I remember. I was just looking through that notebook and started laughing. So I thought I would share, realizing that this may not be as funny to you. And I am okay with that. I love these memories.

Nov. 17th, 2011. I was reading a children's Bible Stories book to Sami, and at the end, she said "and Jesus can come and play with me, please?" I tried to explain that he wanted to come and play, but couldn't. She kept saying, "but I want him to, please?"

Aug. 2011, There were some maxi pads on my bathroom floor, and Sami came in and pointed to them and told Jonathan, "those are Mommy's diapers."

Jan. 25, 2012. Sami was taking a bath. She started calling me. I went in and she was standing up in the bathtub. When she saw me she said, in a totally serious voice, "My name is Sami and I need to go pee pee"

Feb. 22, 2012 We were all on a walk and Sami said to Jonathan, "Daddy, you are my favorite boy." 

May 2011, I told Janie to pray for Daddy during a blessing on the food and she said, "Please help Daddy so he be a good boy."

Oct. 2011. Janie was in the bathroom with me and she said, "Mommy has a big bottom." Then she laughed and said, "Janie has a little bottom and Mommy has a big bottom."

March 11, 2012, Janie had told me a few times that I "was the best mom she had ever seen." One day, after I broke up a fight between her and Sami, she told me that again and added that I was her best friend. :)

I love being a mom to these two sweet little girls!