I’m still here…

I’ve been mostly posting updates on facebook recently.

Seriously, I can’t believe it’s been over 2 months since I last posted here!

Here’s a few updates:

Ashley was baptized as a new member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! We’re so proud of her! I also found a beautiful white dress for her to wear so she would feel extra special!   

My Dad got married over spring break. He’s been going back ‘n forth between here and California and wherever his new wife needs to be. She just graduated with her Masters degree and is looking for a job in several states. So, we’re not sure where they will end up.

My Sister is moving to Colorado in a week. :( She needs some fresh new scenery and will be staying with one of her best friends, so I’m not too worried about her. Although I will miss her terribly.

We had a wonderful Easter and Ashley even learned to ride her bike (without training wheels)! That was a HUGE accomplishment for her. She has been terrified to get on her bike even though Ben was always holding on. We’re so proud of her! 

Ben has been in Taiwan for the past 3 weeks (for work). He’s coming home tonight! I’m so excited!!! We’ve been using skype for the first time to talk to each other. It was fun being able to see him while we talked. I think it kind of made it seem like he wasn’t so far away. He could also show me his hotel room and the view from his window. I took snapshots nearly every time we talked, which really wasn’t that much because of the 15 hour time difference. Sometimes he was being silly, so of course, I snapped those moments, usually without him knowing. haha Sorry babe, I just couldn’t resist sharing some of these pics. *Can you tell what was on the tv one night?

While he was gone, my friend from TX, Karyn, visited me for almost 2 weeks! We had so much fun together! We went to the gym nearly every day, visited the kids’ P.E. classes at school (it was parent P.E. week), shopped, went to bunko, rollerbladed, and swam lots!

We also had a relaxing Mother’s Day {considering Ben wasn’t here, Karyn’s kids were back in TX, and my Mom wasn’t here}! Here’s what we made for breakfast – Belgian waffles with strawberries & cool whip!

And the kids made some cute gifts at school for me!

M-Marvelous, O-Oh’ So Nice, T-Terrific, H-Heart, E-Extra, R-Reads to me (that last one took a minute to figure out) By Anson

“Dear Mom, Happy Mother’s Day! I love you and thank you for helping me with my homework. Thank you for making all these yummy meals. I also wish that every day was no school so that I can spend time with you everyday. I love you very much. Love, Ashley”

M-My Special Hero!, O-Often makes me Happy!, T-The very best Mom!, H-Hugs from you makes me feel loved!, E-Everlasting love!, R-Really amazing mother! by Felicia

Awww they just melt my heart ♥

Karyn also introduced me to a new food – Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah). It’s really good and good for you! I got a small package in the health food section at Fry’s (a grocery store). I made just one cup of dry Quinoa, it pretty much doubles in size when you cook it. When it was done cooking, we mixed in sautee’d onions & green peppers, then added some frozen peas and corn – you let it sit covered for a minute or two and they get cooked from the heat of the Quinoa. I had some leftover grilled chicken, so I threw that in there too. That was our dinner the other night. Nathaniel & Felicia love it, so do I! Since I posted about it on facebook, here’s a pic:

With everything that has been going on, I decided to take a little break from digital scrapbook designing. Hopefully, I can get some mojo and get back into it soon. I really love it, but I’ve needed a little break.

I can’t believe that school is almost over for my kids! Less than 2 weeks are left!!! Next week, Nathaniel & Felicia have an orchestra concert, history fair (they’ve been working hard on a history report and presentation), and their hip hop dance recital. Felicia also has to write a short speech and make a poster because she’s running for student council President! Elections are Wednesday! Way to shoot for the stars! Yearbooks have arrived and I’ll be busy handing out preordered ones next week and selling the rest of them before and after school. Then the last week, the kids will all have their class parties! They are so excited!

Ok, so that’s a little bit of what we’ve been up to, of course there’s more but then this post would never end. haa haa A couple more busy weeks, then SUMMER VACATION!!!!! YAY!!!

Ok, this has taken way toooooo long to type this up plus add all the pics (my comp kept freezing and wouldn’t let me add the pics for a while). I need to help get the house cleaned before Ben gets home tonight! :)

Mother's Day/Weekend

I had the BEST Mother's Day/Weekend this year!!!

The weekend started out with the boys leaving for the Father/Son campout. They had a few extra people with them - Ben's friend Trey & his son, My Dad & a neighbor friend.
See how excited they are to go on their camping trip?!

Nathaniel ALWAYS has a way of finding interesting things to bring home with him. This is a DEAD crawdad. He's pretending to eat it. He ran in the house & grabbed a measuring cup to fill with water. He wanted to boil it and EAT it! I said NO WAY!!! Eeeeewwwwww! Ben made him throw it away. Whew!

Here's my fave boys returning from their trip. No need to bring a change of clothes. LOL They had a BLAST!!! They also quickly became a HIT because they all brought AirSoft guns and played around. They shared so other boys could play too. They thought it was cool to shoot at the water in the nearby creek because the way it looked when it hit the water! Boys are too funny!

While the boys were away, I had bunko! I was in the 3-way tie for most wins or losses (can't remember which one) but in the roll-off, I didn't win. Oh well, I got this CUTE door prize! The kids thought it was funny.

My sweet niece, Chantel, spent the night so she could be with the girls while I was out that night. Ended up staying out til 3am. I was soooo tired in the morning. The girls had fun getting makeovers from my niece & watching Hotel for Dogs.

After Ben got cleaned up from camping, we got some pizza for the kids. Then we snuck away on a date. He took me to Chili's for dinner and we wanted to spend a little more time out, so we hopped over to the theater and got there just in time to see Star Trek. I'm totally NOT a trekkie, but it was pretty good, esp with the eye candy!

Sunday morning, the kids woke up & wished me Happy Mother's Day right away! Awwww what a nice way to wake up! Kids hugging & kissing me while I was still in bed. So sweet!!! Nathaniel asked me if I would make Belgian waffles. What??? He quickly corrected himself, Ummm Dad can you make pancakes? That's more like it. hahaha So, he did. Ben makes the most delicious pancakes!

We got ready for church and the kids hardly fought. YAY!! What a nice morning! Ben took this pic right after church! I just told the kids to come stand by me but they immediately squeezed me with big hugs! {I almost fell over from all the love♥}

I love all my sweet munchkins that make me a MOM! They can definitely drive me crazy sometimes, but I wouldn't trade any of them! I couldn't imagine my life without them! They give me so many hugs & kisses every day, I love it!!!!

These are the fun & lovey dovey cards I got from my darling kids & Ben!

Ben loves putting my card in a place where I will find it {I do the same thing - it's fun}. Who doesn't love surprises? He usually places my card on my vanity or pillow so I will find it when I'm getting dressed. This year, I found it on my keyboard {yep I snuck in to check my email after breakfast - tee hee}. He's a sneaky one!

Ashley's card was sooo cute! She made it at school and inside it says all the things she loves about me! Awwww. She also made me a "diamond" necklace! I wore my pretty diamond to church. She was so happy!

Inside the card:

I like being with my mom most when going swimming with her.

If I could give my mom something special just from me, it would be some flowers.

It really bugs my mom when ask her if I can play. {she means begging for xbox or computer time}

My mom helps me most when she helps me make my bed.

My favorite thing about my mom is she makes dinner for me.

One of my mom's favorite places is the snow. {ummm this one is questionnable. not a huge fan of cold, but do like to play in the snow like one day a year}

My mom likes to go out to dinner.

My mom looks prettiest when she puts makeup on. {at least she can appreciate my hard work 'trying' to look pretty - LOL}

My mom is special because she's kind to me.

I like it when my mom tucks me in to bed.

My mom's favorite food is chinese food. {yep that's one of my top faves, it's a close tie with Mexican & Italian}

If my mom could have anything she wanted, she would probably have 4 children. {she said she put that answer because we already have 4 kids}

At church, all the primary kids got up in Sacrament meeting to sing a couple songs for the Moms. This is one of my favorite times at church! Even if they're not singing or don't remember the words, the fact that they get up there and smile back at me - awwwww just melts my heart!

The talks during Sacrament meeting were Awesome!! Especially Jaime's talk all about being a Mom! You Rock Jaime!!!

They got subs for us in primary, so we could go to Relief Society. It was AMAZING being with all the wonderful ladies and the lesson was incredible!

The kids also made these cute cards at church:

Ashley & Anson made some too, but they were cards that you wrote something inside about your Mom. Ashley said she likes that I have brown hair just like her. Then she drew a picture of me, I think with blue hair & brown eyes! heee heee

Oh my goodness! They totally spoiled us at church! Not only did we get the sweet cards from the kids, but this is what they gave all of us too. A super delicious cookie from Sweet Cakes {a family in our ward owns it}, caramel/chocolate dipped pretzel, primary cookbook {kids wrote the recipes with the 'real' recipe attached, bookmark & sweet quote to hang on fridge.

Ok, so I broke my almost 2 weeks of 'no treats' diet and had a couple bites of the cookie & pretzel. Shared the rest with the fam. Could you resist those?

After church, we went to visit Ben's Mom. Ben picked out an apple scented flameless candle (takes batteries) & cute mug {both from Real Deals} for his mom.

She loved them both!
Ben & his Mom

Ben made fabulous BBQ Chicken & baked potatoes for dinner. My parents came by {and brought yummy fresh corn on the cob already cooked & hot for us to have with our dinner} and I gave my Mom her gift.

I found the delicious White Cheddar popcorn seasoning {she loves getting this topping at Harkins movie theaters}, white & yellow popcorn kernels, popcorn bowl & $15 GC for Hollywood Video.

ME & my Mom

I love my Mom so much! She is the BESTEST Mom!!! Thank you Mom for always being there & all that you have taught me!

It was a fantastic weekend! Hope you had a good one too!

Mother's Day Pics

Hope your Mother's Day was Good! I had a wonderful day!

I finally uploaded the pictures from my camera (apparently, I hadn't uploaded for 2 weeks).

Here's what my SWEET kiddos got me - Sung perfume! I love this (well my absolute fave is Opium, but I just ran out of this - one of my top faves).

Here's the "gift with purchase" that came with it. An awesome pretty pink purse! I'm thinking "Summer Movie Fun" treat bag! tee hee :) I can fit my purse plus lots of goodies inside of it. LOL
Me & the kids
I love how this one turned out!
Awwww me & my honey
In the afternoon, we visited Ben's Mom to deliver her cards & present.
(Heather, Ben, Joy & their Mom)

Grandma & some of her adoring grandkids.
Ben cooked me a fabulous dinner - Grilled Chicken, Wild Rice & Broccoli. Mmmm! It was delicious!! Thank you bunches!!

After dinner, we walked to my parents' house (w/ the dogs) to deliver her cards & present.

Me & My MOM!! (She's the BESTEST)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Hope all YOU mothers are having a GOOD day!!! Sometimes I feel like I over-hype this day & my kids still quarrel a little (ok the normal amount) and I have to strongly urge them to stop playing around & get ready for early morning church, but in the end, my kids all shower me with sweet homemade & store-bought cards, lots of hugs & kisses and TONS of "I Love You's"!!

Today at church, they had men (who weren't already teaching) volunteer to help out with the classes taught by women, so that all the ladies could go to the adult classes. Ben taught my class for me. {Thank you Honey!!}

Oh and the kids in Primary filled out a little questionnaire about their Moms. Apparently, my kids aren't quite sure if I'm 32 or 23. {a little hint - neither one is right, but one is close} They all knew my eyes are brown, 3 guessed red is my fave color, but Felicia guessed pink. {they're both right} They all love my cooking and love spending time with me! YAY!! Guess I'm doing something right. :)

Sunday School was good & Relief Society was AWESOME!! As we walked into Relief Society (class for ladies 18+), we received HUGE muffins (the kind you get from Sam's Club). I got the chocolate/choc chip one. Mmmm! The whole room full of wonderful ladies and an incredibe lesson - all about being women & moms! A few people also told us about a mom or aunt or grandma who influenced or touched their lives in some way. Lots of inspiring quotes & stories! I was teary-eyed for part of it.

Here's a few of the quotes that I got from class:

"I felt humbled...but I also felt great joy."

"Children...pearls of great price."

"Example...stronger than words."

"When troubles come...and they will!
When challenges mount...and they will!"

"I learned that day that my self-esteem could not be dependent on my children."
{this was from a funny story about a mom asking her grumpy son to name 3 things that he likes about his mom. He came up with 2 easily but 3 was hard. ha ha}

"...blissfully normal!"
{this was about how sometimes we look at other people at their best & compare them to ourselves at our worst. In a story, a few ladies had chatted after church and actually realized that they are all normal}

"I'm glad Sister Nelson has not tried to be a "supermom."
But she has been a "soothing" mom.
This she has done simply by being herself."
-Elder Russell M. Nelson

"To My Children"
You are the trip I did not take;
You are the pearls I cannot buy;
You are my blue Italian lake;
You are my piece of foreign sky.
- Anne Campbell

"To be a righteous woman is a glorious thing in any age. To be a righteous woman during the winding up scenes on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially n oble calling. The righteous woman's strength & influence today can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times. She has been placed here to help enrich, to protect, and to guard the home."

- President Spencer W. Kimball

"Each of you is a daughter of God. Reflect on all the wondrous meaning of that one paramount fact. He who is our Eternal Father has blessed you with miraculous powers of mind & body. What marvelous potential lies within you. By divine design, women are blessed with nurturing instincts."
-President Gordon B. Hinckley


All I can say is WOW! Can you see why I might have had a tear or two? The women in our ward are truly inspiring & amazing & blissfully normal! I love all of them! Thanks ladies for this wonderful lesson & words of wisdom!

I enjoy being a MOM (most days anyway)! I LOVE & CHERISH all of our kids. I couldn't imagine my life without any of them! They bring life (and chaos) to the house! I wouldn't want it any other way {well maybe a little more peaceful on some days, but hey, I'm not complaining}! I'm grateful that I'm blessed with 4 wonderful children! {Ben took a few pics of us after church, one of them has to turn out, so I'll post them later}

I want to add that I LOVE & really appreciate my MOM and Mother-in-law. My Mom has always been there for me no matter what!! She's the BESTEST MOM in the whole WORLD!!! Thank you for being my Mom & my Best Friend!!! I LOVE YOU!!!