Happy Mother's Day!

I had a good Mother's Day. Nathan made breakfast for me, the ward had a munch and mingle for all the sisters in the ward, my mom and sister came over for dinner, and then I got to spend some time with some of Nathan's family. I'm very grateful for my mom and her continuing example, support, and influence for good in my life. I want to be like her. Recently she agreed to go to Women's Conference at BYU with me. We spent the day traipsing around campus listening to various speakers. We had a good time and I'm glad she was willing to go with me.

No trip to BYU is complete without some
BYU Creamery ice cream!

Mom and I. We took the shuttle to the parking lot.
Altogether it took us 1 1/2 hours to get home!

Mom and I on Mother's Day (yes, she's on the phone--
with 9 children, she's in high demand on Mother's Day!)

My sweet girl and I.
How thankful I am to be a mother, too!
It is not an easy job, but I wouldn't
trade it for the world!!!

What a pretty girl!

And a silly girl, too ;-)

party it up!

Yesterday was my wee little sister's birthday (Hi Lor) and we gathered with the family in the area for a barbecue to celebrate. The day was lovely so we enjoyed our burgers outside (in my world barbecues require eating outside!). It was great to be together and enjoy a yummy meal.

the lighting of the candles

the eating of the candles ;)

my brother's cute foster child

my adorable great-niece, and my sista
Happy Birthday Lori! Love you!

But I would be remiss if I didn't also post about Lori's dog, Stella's, birthday party. It's not every day you have a birthday party for a dog. Actually S asked Lori about a party for Stella and that's where the idea originated. Seems like as good a reason as any for a party! We had a fun night together.

The guest of honor (trust me, that tiara didn't stay on for long)

S loved the party blowers

Nathan was also a good sport :)

New dish for Stella

Mom, getting into the party spirit

S didn't mind the tiara so much ;)

another trip to the tulip festival

Yes, this is my third time to the tulip festival. But I'm still not sure I'm done! I love it! And it's so nice having a membership so we can go whenever we like. This time we brought Nathan's parents along and his brother, John, and their family. The novelty this time was the golf cart we rented for getting around in. The kids loved it! I loved being there with everyone and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

Let the golf cart ride begin!

but, for some, it was a shoulder ride

Tulips in the sunlight

My cute niece has chicks at her house so she could
relate well to this statue of Christ

Nathan's parents

that's us

I loved this variety

a wedding

Nathan's good friend got married this past week and a couple other friends flew into town to be here for it. We had a party the night before the wedding and spent all of the next day at the sealing, dinner, and reception. It was fun getting to know these good friends of Nathan's better. And it always makes me especially happy to see people who are older get married. Having been in those shoes, I have felt the heartache and it's just wonderful to me to see people finding someone they love and can share their lives with.

The bachelor (and spouses and fiances) bash.
The guy taking the pictures was hilarious and was
totally making us all laugh.

The newlyweds and friends (2 of these
things are not like the others :)

We were trying to stay warm--it was really chilly

We went to the Bean Museum at BYU to kill some
time. This is S and I admiring the giraffe.

Love this one Nathan took of the elephant!

Beautiful pink tulips on every table at the reception

And I loved these arrangements, too!

Cutting the cake

S and Nathan's friend (I love her expression)

S waiting with the other young girls for the bride to
throw her bouquet (thankfully, she did NOT catch it!!)

SPRING!!!

Somehow spring crept up on me this year and that is so NOT how it usually goes for me. Usually I'm begging and pleading for spring and looking for any little sign that it's coming. I think it must be due to my dad's passing and how that just started out this year so different. And I guess I have to get used to the new different. :(

Family picture in front of our house with our lovely
crabapple in blossom

We've made 2 trips to the Tulip Festival already and we aren't finished with it yet. Our new camera takes great pictures (and it helps that Nathan knows how to adjust the settings ;-). Our first time there S fell asleep in the car as we drove there. We decided to just let Nathan carry her so she could sleep as long as possible.

aww

I love the crisp focus on the daffodils and the light

How I love trees in blossom in the spring!
They are just gorgeous and smell divine.

The Italian Garden (one of my favs)

And let's not forget the tulips...

My sweetie pie

This one cracks me up because she was just getting ready to sneeze!

And the winner for prettiest tulip at the festival
(in my book)...

One day S and I had a picnic at a park
and then just took our time to play
and explore. Loved it.

The second trip to the Tulip Festival was with my mom and brother. They were both excited to see it and I enjoyed giving them the opportunity.

Mom and my brother at the Secret Garden.
This one is my favorite. I wish I had this secret
garden in my backyard.

The water and bounce houses had the most appeal
for my little one.

pink tulips

fun at the mall

My mom, sister, S, and I spent one Friday afternoon at the mall. We each found something we liked and bought it! (Nothing major, but what fun is a trip to the mall without buying something??) We had lunch there and looked around a furniture store afterward. Nothing extraordinary, but it was a good time together. I love shopping with my mom and sisters!

S's hair is static electricity central! But my favorite
part is Mom laughing :)

The picture doesn't do it justice. Her fine hair
gets static in it so easily.

She's gotta try on any hats we see

Happy Easter!

We had a nice Easter. We often visit my sister, Lynda, in Idaho for Easter but she had a lot going on that weekend this year, so we just stayed home. Saturday we had an Easter egg hunt for S. She found the first egg and stopped to eat the candy. We had to encourage her to look for more eggs! Silly girl. It was also General Conference weekend so we enjoyed being home together and watching conference. I always look forward to it, and then always wish I'd gotten more out of it. I've been reading the talks already, though, and love the spiritual boost they give me. I'm so thankful for a living prophet on the earth today to guide and help us face the challenges of our day. Sunday my mom and sister, Lori, came over for dinner and we had a nice visit. For dessert I made a strawberry-lime-coconut shortcake that was so delicious!

Before Easter I read the account in each of the gospels of the Last Supper, the Savior's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, the mock trial and cruel treatment He received, His death on the cross, and then His miraculous resurrection. What stood out to me this time is how little the people around the Savior understood about what was going on. They didn't realize the prophecies that were being fulfilled right before them. They were heartbroken, believing that their Messiah had failed them. I think maybe all of us feel that way at times. But I love seeing how that confusion and fear and doubt and pain began to erode as the realization that Jesus literally arose from the dead began to dawn. What a miracle! I love the words "He is risen!" They bring hope to all of us!

Digging into the first egg she found

What a load of loot!

Me and my cutie