Easter Sunday

Being a mom is hard. It is wonderful and fun, and fulfilling but it is hard. When I look at the four of them I sometimes wonder where the time went. That makes me feel old even saying that and I don't usually feel old. But really where did they come from and how did they get so big so fast! I mean I know where they came from but how on earth did I get here, here where I am a mom with four kids. I could not be more grateful for the kids I have. They are so wonderful. I just want to do everything right. I want to be the right mom for them.

Easter Egg Hunt!

We invited our neighbor to come join us in our hunt. It didn't last long, but they had fun of course! I loved the hunts we would have in our front yard every year. Something special about that was so much better than the city hunt. I can imagine, the four of us running out and finding the eggs, some in plain site, some in the bushes, some on tires of vehicles near by. The excitement of just finding one. I honestly don't remember what my parents put in the, some years it was candy, sometimes coins, sometimes we just hid our hard boiled ones. The coolest feeling ever was when it was weeks later and we would be playing outside and someone would come across a long forgotten plastic egg full of treasure. Oh to be a kid again! I know that is why our loving Heavenly Father gives us these opportunities. To re live them, maybe create new memories, replace old. Live is good.

Easter Eggs!

Dying Easter eggs is also one of those favorite memories. This year I boiled them the day before and I just put them out with old fashion food coloring, vinigar and crayons and let them lose, I think it took them all of about 10 minutes to get them done. Daddy talked to us on the phone while we did it. We were all sad he wasn't there, but it was nice for him to hear all the crazy happiness!

Easter Baskets

I love Easter. I think I just love holidays in general, especially the ones that we have such great childhood memories. My mom always had Easter baskets for us, every year. She was so good as to actually keep the same ones around, and we would turn them in and store them and use them again the next year. Since I am not so good, this year I had planned on doing our Easter baskets on Saturday morning, of course, but actually got all the stuff and forgot baskets. So Saturday came and I never decided what to do, so Sunday morning it was! I gathered these baskets from places around the house and emptied there contents only to be borrowed for the day and here they are! The kids loved them of course!

Passover Like Dinner

This year, even though daddy was gone, we went ahead with our traditional Preparing for Easter, Passover like dinner. This year Aunt B made meat cabobs, and we had grapes, and olives, and saltine crackers (didn't have time to make unleavened bread, they worked :)) and we had asparagus. We drank grape juice too. ( do you think they used the smart balance and paper plates! hee hee) We did have a discussion on if all of that was what they would have eaten, but it didn't seem to matter, we had a great time. The costumes the dinner and everything was great.

Check out my Slide Show!

SPA DAY!

Wednesday, I experienced my first real spa day! I mean of course I have had pedicures, manies, etc. I get my hair done regulary like most women, and yes I have even had massages, but never the true spa day expereince. OH MY! I am a new woman. In fact when Brita first saw me comeing back, she said my eyes were on fire! Its true! No don't get worried, I will never be one of those women who think it neccesary to spend hundreds of dollars every month to do this, but every few months might be nice! hee hee!

Anyway, I have to write it down so I don't forget any detail!

Brita and Dara, gave me this incredible gift along with some other great girly things, for my birthday. I had no idea how great it would be. It was a package, but we could only scheduled half for the week she would be here to watch the kids, which I am so happy about, since now I know that I have the other half to look forward to. So, I got there and they had me get in the great white comfy robe, in this massive dressing room and put on some flip flops. Now most of you that know me, know that I HATE feet. Not just me own, but especially other peoples! Don't ask me why, some crazy childhood thing I am sure, but somehow, I just simply can't stand it. I love a pedicure, but it is a bit stressful for me at the same time, anyway, back to the story. My sweet friend and hair stylist Mellissa happened to be there getting a massage, so we got to wait together and she told me about the great herbal tea they had so I got some of that. Then they came out with this huge bowl for a foot bath. So I sat there for about 10 minutes in the hot bubbly bath, It was so nice, and then she cam out and massaged and scrubbed them. I got over it really quick and it was so nice. It was an interesting time, since we had just talked about the Savior the night before washing the deciples feet. I am sure it wasn't the same but it was interesting to think about. Anyway, I get off track really easy!

Then they took me on to a beautiful, quiet room, with low lights and soft music and smelled like Heaven! This was going to begin my day with a two hour facial! Crazy me I couldn't figure out what they were going to do to my face for two hours!! OH it was so much better. She did quite a few layers of masks and such, but inbetween each she massaged my feet, my legs my arms my scalp! Oh the scalp was the best! hee hee. It was so relaxing and just simply amazing. When she was done, she had me come out, and get some tea and just wait a bit, and then the next lady came and got me. Her room was just as beautiful and the bed was heated! I love heat! I truly should live in Southern California! I always have, I love, love, love heat! Anyway, so this was my true treat! I got a hot rock massage for an hour! It was amazing! I know I need some new describeing words but I seriously can't come up with anything better. The great thing is I was already so relaxed I was able to just enjoy every bit of the hour. So when it was over, they brought me back to my huge dressing room and said help yourself to anything you might need. So I took a wonderful, quiet, interuption free shower, blew dried my hair of course using there wonderful Aveda products! Then I got to use all this wonderful Aveda make up they had out! It was all so awesome! And now I get to go back next month for a two hour pedicure! I can't wait!

I can't thank you Brita and Dara enough. It was more than a treat!

Lunch ideas!

Aunt B, came this week to help out with Kjell being in London this month. She has been simply awesome! I can't say enough. Because she was here I was able to surprised Vance at school yesterday and brought him chinese for lunch! It was really fun, but I sat at our table with aproximately 35 other kids I would say were on our table, and I was simply shocked. The lunch looked pretty good, our school raised prices this last year so they could provide healthier options. It didn't look that different, but it still looked good. It was a chicken sandwich, and macaroni salad, that looked pretty good. They even had a cookie. Well anyway, when the time came for the kids to go, I would honeslty say only two of the little cups of salad had even been touched at out table and not one single sandwich was finished, most only a couple bites out of them. Even most of the cookies were left. I watched the kids, they picked at most of it, but didn't eat much at all! NO wonder our kids come home rafished! I don't think the schools can do anything different about it really, it looked good, it wasn't that, but I think that is just the way kids are. I think kids in general like thing the way they get them at home, what they are use to. I ask Vance and I said would you have eaten that, and he is a good eater, he said, oh probly not the chicken sandwich! I was shocked. I realized that that money I was sending in every month was just paying the dumpster bill! Anyway, so even thought I think honestly making a great packed lunch can be almost as expensive, would my kids eat it any better!!? So I went on a hunt this morning and found this great site. I think for a lunch box the price is crazy, but I love the idea and I think I could do it in the boxes they have. Just thought I would pass it on!

http://www.laptoplunches.com/

Answer to my stomach issues!

Ok, wierdest thing ever, but I tested positive for Giardia! Who the heck knows how I came accross it. Usually people get it from drinking infected lake water! I haven't been camping lately, so who knows. But I got on an antibiotic now, that of course the side effects cause cramping in the stomach and nausia! Not much different than the last three weeks, but this morning I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel! I just hope that none of the kids or Joe got it in the mean time!

Daddy and his Girl!

Brita just sent me this pic she took this weekend! I LOVE IT!

Happy Monday!

I had a great weekend! My 33rd birthday was last Wednesday, which wasn't the greatest days, I am still going on 3 weeks now of this awful stomach craziness, and that day was one of the worst, I went into the doctor, but who knows. That day when I cam home I found out, Sam had fainted in class that day at school, so I turned around and brought him back to the doctor, and of course we didn't know much, "lets just keep watching him." My stomach hurt enough that night that I didn't eat anything. Joe was planning a good dinner for me, but I told him not to bother. Thursday I was starting to feel a bit better, and good thing, because my sweet sister in Law, surprised me by showing up with Rachel that night! It was so good to see them both! Rachel has grown up so much!! They stayed for the weekend and totally spoiled us all! Kjell and her planned a "surprise" dinner for me on Friday night. Well, I figured it out, that shopping, and such gave that away, but we had a really fun time with lots of good food and friends. Brita, even cooked some Salmon!! Oh, my goodness, even though my stomach was dieing the whole time, I had to eat some of that! It was wonderful! What a great surprise weekend!
Well, I took Joe to the airport yesterday morning early. We all stayed home from church yesterday, Sophie and I both sick. The rest of the day, the two of us slept and the boys did pretty good by themselves. I still haven't heard from Joe, and he should have arrived in Manchester about 8 hours ago! I get nervous until I hear he landed on the ground, preferable on a nice airport runway! I know I am paranoid! I already miss him though!