Hogle Zoo

Friday morning we rised and shined bright and early to hit the road to Salt Lake City! We drove straight to the Hogle Zoo to let the kids release some energy! I LOVED this zoo, perfect size and you can get so close to the animals.

Taking a train ride!

we all had a great trip to a new zoo, we then had a yummy dinner at Cracker Barrel, did some swimming at the hotel, then finally called it a night to rest up for Lagoon the next morning!!!

Racing for the Cure!

Saturday I got to participate the Susan G Koman Race For The Cure. What an awesome feeling! I had no idea how emotional it would be. Most racers wore the same shirt and the SURVIVORS and ladies that were currently FIGHTING this awful battle wore a bright PINK shirt. So that alone being able to pick apart the crowd was just heart wrenching, then there were signs on everyones back that were racing for a specific person/persons. I was so touched to see so many (15,000) people there from all walks of life and all ages there for such an important event. I do have to say though the most heart wrenching thing was seeing a dad and 3 little boys ( maybe 7ish) running with signs on their back that said "running for mom". Words can truly not explain the feeling that day, next year were making this a family event for sure!!! So ladies PLEASE check your Ta-tas, Twins, Boobies (whatever you call them) OFTEN!!!! I have now witnessed how it doesn't matter how young or old you are!!

Me.

Dave, Betsy and little Tori racing for his Grandma!!

Melanie and I

Some of the group!

Getting ready to line up!

I had my most restful Mothers Day yet! I woke before everyone and enjoyed a quiet house, once the kids started popping up one by one Chris got up and made a fabulous breakfast, I'm so glad he likes to cook! Then I got showered with gifts AND THEN I went back to sleep for a long nap! It was heaven! I felt guilty until I realised the kids didn't even notice I wasn't in the backyard playing with them for hours on end. They were completely content with dad and the beautiful weather outside! Then in a groggy daze I read a text from the Farrells asking us if we were coming to dinner, So I made my butt get out of bed at 2:30 to get ready and off we went to a YUMMY dinner of steak, chicken and shrimp kabobs!! My mouth seriously melted! Then we spent the rest of the evening with all the kids riding bikes. Lexi was bound and determined to learn how to ride with no training wheels, it didn't happen... It was a great day and I'm so thankful I have these little munchkins to call me mom!

This is what happens every time they race for the car to leave the house!

Dinner!!

Lexi giving it a go...

Preston not too far behind!

A boy and his dad

(and that would be a Root Beer)

Lexi

Lilly

Preston

The kiddos trying out Rileys new slide!

Riley breaking out the skateboard!

A boy and his backpack!

Last week I took Preston in for some Preschool testing for the up coming year. This is our second trip in because the boy clams up and doesn't let go of my leg from the minute we walk in the door. So once again we show up and Preston did very minimal talking, he just kept saying he wanted to go home. I just have to laugh though cause "normally" he's completely opposite of how he was acting, go figure! So here he was that morning getting ready to head to school, he was excited then that quickly changed to not wanting to go cause "I was going to leave him".

arguing to stay...

contemplating hiding his backpack in the closet...

not listening to a word I'm saying...

Acting like he doesn't have a clue what I'm saying...

and this is about the time when he said " I hate school", real nice....

That's his new word of choice "hate", it drives me crazy! He currently hates anything and everything he doesn't want to do or have, even me a time or two. I'll be one happy mama when this little phase passes. It's pretty hard trying to keep a straight face when he say he hates things, he totally sounds like Napoleon!

So the school outcome is, is that he gets to start in the Fall for a 30 day assessment to see if he qualifies. It'll be nice that I know I'll at least I'll have a few weeks of some one on one time with the new baby, it's perfect timing!

Mom...

Happy Mother's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you have an amazing day, you deserve it! I love and miss you tons and I wish we together to celebrate today!

~More Than A Mother~

When God set the world in place,

when He hung the stars up in space,

when He made the land and the sea,

then He made you and me.

He sat back and saw all that was good,

He saw things to be as they should.

Just one more blessing He had in store;

He created a mother,

but whatever for?

He knew a mother would have a special place

to shine His reflection on her child's face.

A mother will walk the extra mile

just to see her children smile.

She'll work her fingers to the bone

to make a house into a home.

A mother is there to teach and guide,

a mother will stay right by your side.

She'll be there through your pain and strife,

she'll stay constant in your life.

A mother will lend a helping hand

until you have the strength to stand.

She'll pick you up when you are down,

when you need a friend she'll stick around.

A mother is one who listens well,

will keep her word;

will never tell.

A mother never pokes or pries

but stands quietly by your side,

giving you the strength you need,

encouraging you to succeed.

A mother is one who can be strong

when you need someone to lean on.

You're more than a mother to me;

a reflection of Him in your face I see,

a love that knows no boundaries.

I'm glad that you chose to be

all this and more to me.

You share a love that knows no end,

you're more than my mother,

you are my friend.

~author unknown~

Teacher Appreciation Week!

This year I had to get a little more creative with the teacher appreciation gift, since we added 3 new teachers this year and as much as I'd love to go crazy overboard with gifts to these amazing women that spend so many hours shaping my little girls into little learning machines, we just couldn't this year. So this is what we came up with, the gift that *could* truly just keep giving, beautiful flowers for them to plant in their yard! I just fancied them up a little by "scrapping" the pots and putting a little note to them, thanking them for being such great teachers!

Chris helped the girls deliver them yesterday morning and everyone loved them, Lexi felt quite special and I felt better about scrapping a pot that was going to be thrown away,lol!

Here's Lexi with hers for her teachers!

Lilly with hers!

Then last night we made cupcakes for the teachers lunch in today, although Chris said when he dropped them off in the office this morning he was pretty sure none of the cupcakes were making it past the secretary's, oh well, it's the thought that counts right??

Here's what happens when you leave a bowl of homemade frosting on the counter within kid reach at our house......

Then here's what happens when the three year old discovers theres frosting on the window and thinks to himself "well since I didn't get to lick a spoon, I might as well just sneak a lick at the window"!
I'm sure he was thanking Lilly under his breath as she got in trouble and he enjoyed some yummy cream cheese frosting before dinner!

My Retreat!

My little scrap getaway went great! I got lots done, relaxed with the girls, enjoyed some mountain air, stayed up late, slept in til a whoppin 8am (whats up with that??) and just enjoyed the very serene peacefulness!

The morning we left with some of my layouts!

My scrap space for the weekend!

Lisa the fitness guru convinced us to go on a beautiful morning walk and along the way she found this nice little log to ride, she's too funny!

(that's the house we stayed at in the back round)

We also got to see a little wild life along the way!

Melanie, Aimee, Lisa and Joni, what fun girls!

The house we stayed at was awesome, so roomy for our crazy amount of scrapbook stuff, beautiful view, perfect for a getaway!

Friday morning we woke up to these little funny gifts from Joni, all these little signs were taped on milk bottles for each of us!


The kids and Chris survived just perfectly without me. They made two batches of rice crispy treats and spaghetti with meatballs ( I NEVER make meatballs), I'm thinkin they did miss me a little though after all the hugs and kisses I got when I walked through the door!