Beautiful Spring Break

We live in such a beautiful area. I'm glad we had spring break to spend time with the family any enjoy it. Spencer and I went on rides and saw sheep. We had great thunderstorms, but managed to stay dry when my parents were here. We enjoyed Easter egg hunts and painting and Joseph's Birthday with the Grandparents. Emmy and Brian went to Idaho to check out BYU and Utah to visit family. We got them back just in time to go to Dickie's BBQ for Joseph's Birthday Dinner. It was yummy and we like to get the soft serve ice cream and put in in our root beer for a root beer float.  We were able to shop for a new home for my parents nearby. There are so many great houses, they found a few thy liked and we will see them up here in the future, I'm sure. I'm glad they are entertaining the idea of moving here. We'd love to have them close for vacations to beautiful places nearby like Mendocino, Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes. It is still green around here even though there is an impending drought I feel grateful for this beautiful area and the pleasantness we have around us. Before Easter we found a dining set and picked it up with a u haul. My dad and I were then able to remove some broken furniture and deposit it at the dump. It sure feed up space and helped make our home more beautiful. There is beauty all around when there love at home. Even though hard times come, I am so grateful for my wonderful spouse Brian, for four beautiful and wonderful children and our great extended family. These blessing help me to be happy and feel gratefulness for the blessing God bestows upon us. My seeds are starting to sprout in my garden and i am hoping for more rain. It will be great to have my parents in town.

Planting in the backyard, A work in progress.

I went to help a friend with her yard. Next thing I know I have a beautiful hibiscus tree and ten plants from Green Acres.:) The yard excitement has continued and we have a garden box and two sequoia trees. I really enjoy working in the yard and especially when the flowers start to bloom. I'm excited to get some dirt in my garden box and plant some seeds. Joseph has been helpful and I think I'm already getting a little tan which are both bonuses. I love the smell and it seems we are getting more hummingbirds and nature's visitors already. I'm hoping to get seeds going for squash, tomatoes, watermelon among other seeds. I'm excited about having a blueberry plant. I have learned how to add to a drip system and I hope this will work well for my garden if we go out of town during the summer.

Spending Time with my Girls

It has been all about girls lately. I've been spending time with my two wonderful daughters. Celia had a Jog-a-thon at school and I went there and watched her run/walk. We went to the park together and played in the sand and made sand heart and she took me to CeliaLand. I think that term might have been dubbed by helpers at school for having her calm down when frustrated. In Celia land , you think of all the things she like whether it be bunnies, puppies, cupcakes, or the color pink. I indulged her and we had a lot of fun. I got the girls new dresses for Easter and attended a baby shower for a  girl. Celia, Emmy and I went to general women's conference together in our old Stake since we were already nearby when it began.

Emmy had been studying( AP Stats test corrections) with a friend from school . There were a lot of giggles and girl catch up. Celia came in and painted her nails and put on lip gloss during our conversations. These girls are smart. They were talking about where they got accepted to college and next thing I know Emmy is drawing a pretty accurate map of the United States. Together Kari and Emmy worked through the map and it is on Emmy's white board in their room. Leap Pad would be happy to know these girls memorized the states and their shapes from early use of their programs, who knew that would really work?!

I did get to visit with my boys too yesterday. We visiting Rah Rah and Papa and got late night treat( I got a salad ) at Safeway. I had 11 friends over for Bunco. I got a cute framed C for the girls bathroom to Jazz it up for my friends coming over and for Celia to start doing tutoring lessons in there. Maybe she will do better at her hygiene routines if it is cute! The Bunco party went went we laughed and ate and talked for three hours. I'm still not used to entertaining, but it was fun to have it at my house.  For appetizers we had mini quiche and french baguette with Parmesan jalapeno dip. We have blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and whipped cream to top brownie bites or cheese cake for dessert.I did have a giant veggie platter, but each table(3) had two or more candy dishes full of candy on them as specified for those that host Bunco. I am so over treats after the Bunco party. With a baby shower then cinnamon rolls at Women's Conference on Saturday, I want to get off this sugar high.:) Easter and birthday month are coming so we may have to rethink some treats. My folks are coming to town and we are excited to have them here!

March Madness/Busy Times

March has been busy. Celia had a chance to dance in her school performance of Starstruck. She was so cute up there, looking not nervous at all, and keeping time to the music. The song her class danced to was Rock Lobster y the B 52's. She had me download the song to her kindle to play and practice. I think she would enjoy a dance class. We've been trying to make a decision to switch school for her and after a lot of consideration she has decided to stay where she is at. The recess time and mean girls are hard on her. We will help her through it. She had a hard time in P.E. with a girl who swung a racket at Celia. We talked and played and the next day we spoiled her at the mall. Also, at activity days they took the girls to yogurt and she  had a great time with one girl he age there. Celia loves her teacher at Junction and hey talked a lot about St. Patrick's day. Celia wanted to set a trap for a leprechaun and made one herself. It was cute. It is fun still having a young one who wants to celebrate all the Holidays.
My cubs scouts at so cure too. They made terrariums and most have them have earned their Webelos badge. I love helping them each week to learn and grow.What a great program. They last earned  the Naturalist. I loved talking about nature and rediscovering my love for it. I walked every day this week and have been planting and trimming. It brings me peace and joy to be outside! We are getting a few more plants in my back yard and I want to be out there more to enjoy it.

Count Your Many Blessings

We should feel grateful. We have our health and just as I thought of last we we live after the manner of happiness. You throw a few gray clouds in the mix and all of a sudden it is hard to be grateful. I'm excited for Emmy getting to go to the Priest/Laurel dance this evening.  We watched a bit of the movie the great Gatsby for costume ideas for the roaring twenties theme. She will have steak there for dinner and I believe there will be a speed dating activity involved.

Since getting her wisdom teeth out last week she has been wanting real food. I noticed avocado is about the only thing she normally eats that would be considered soft foods. Emmy had a post op dental appointment when they rinsed out some steak she had while going out with some friends. We are so blessed to go out and about so much. Last Saturday Emmy and Spence and I went to Folsom.

We love the outlet mall and I'm really into Eddie Bauer outdoor collection. A way to be warm with thin clothing, genius. With my shorter hair my temperature seems to be lower than normal or lower than I find comfortable. So, scarves and Eddie Bauer jackets are my clothing choices lately. The last couple of days we have had beautiful clouds out. I haven't taken the time to capture them, but they have been beautiful and I'm thankful for the rain in the mountains.

So the end of February finally came. That is birthday time for my sister, tax refund time and time to decide what college Emmy will attend. She has chosen BYUI from the acceptance letters received.There were three of them, some with scholarship. I am happy for her and anxious to learn more about the school and the area. I feel a trip to check it all out coming soon. I'm glad he departure date wont be until mid September. We love having her around and I like all of us together. This will be a year of changes, but I hope and have faith it will turn out great!

Wildlife Preserve

Wildlife preserve. I couldn't believe we were gated out and the wildlife was untouched ,free. It was beautiful. I climbed up on a step used to use binoculars and took a few pictures from over the fence. There was a beautiful white crane, some sun bathing seals and beautiful, colorful coastal movement. The cypress trees there are native to Monterey area and now have been transplanted elsewhere. I'm so glad they are around. I love the beauty of those trees. It was a little bit stinky in this area, usually it smells wonderful with the pine trees and the ocean smell, the animals I think is what caused it to be a little stinky. I feel so blessed to visit a place I have never seen before that was so aw inspiring. We saw many seals on this trip, some owls, cranes, dolphins and sea creatures. Im glad these areas are being preserved.~

Our Little Getaway

I had never been to Monterey so it was a real treat when Brian suggested we go there and bring Spence along overnight! Spencer always stays home even on date nights with the kids so this was a real treat for him. He loved everything about it. The car rides, the ocean the sensory of feeling the sand and sea. He also loved the view of seals while eating dinner with a view and going to the private beach attached to our hotel. the first day was so nice seeing cannery row, checking in, relaxing at the beach and spending time together. I couldn't believe how clear the water was and how beautiful everything was. I'm so glad we got to go. Spencer was so happy we worried he would sleep that night, but he did a great job, so well behaved and such a trooper.