Just a Regular Sunday

Reagan just looked so grown up all of a sudden. I couldn't believe it. Maybe it is her being a teenager, but she looks older after having her birthday. I hate it... but I love it as well.

Well, we were all dressed up after getting home from church, so, I figured we'd better snap a pic or two of our family since we neglected to do that on Reagan's actual birthday. 

These kiddos are both getting so grown up. I need a "pause" button :)

Mariah's Wedding

Our niece Mariah was married the first week of May. She had planned on this being her wedding date, but I don't think that she planned on having it be so stinking cold! Her "rehearsal" dinner the night before the wedding was at a park and we were freezing! I mean.... we took coats and scarves and hand warmers.

Despite the cold, Reagan and Cole HAD to go on the teeter totter at the park. Silly kiddos.

The wedding the next day was sunny and, luckily, a bit warmer. The couple was adorable and we were so happy for them. Congrats Mariah and Nils!!!!!

Seriously? More Snow?

Once May hits, one would assume that we are done with snow for the season.

Well, one would be wrong.

I shouldn't be surprised. Reagan's birthday is in the first week of May and we have had half of her birthdays with snow. Well, we probably need the water, so, bring on the snow. I'm sure the summer will come all too soon and we'll be wishing we could be cold and snowy :)

Happy 13th Birthday Reagan!!!!

Reagan's birthday fell on a Saturday this year. But, her cute friends at school decorated her locker on the day before her birthday. They gave her such cute stuff and dressed up her locker for a true celebration!

Fresh off the ball she had the night before, Saturday was a bit more calm and we were able to celebrate with her. We went to lunch where she wanted to and then opened presents.

Cole gave her a present that she loved and we gave her several things that she loved. Her favorite present, though, was a set of luggage. She has been asking for her own set of luggage for a long time and she finally received it. I didn't wrap it, so, we gave it to her last and she exploded when she saw us bring it into the room. Silly girl!

After that, she went to celebrate with her sister Shannon. They went to the mall looking for something for Reagan to buy. Reagan couldn't decide on anything, so, they settled for getting a mani/pedi together. They had a great time! Shannon is always so thoughtful about what to give the kiddos. She usually tries to make her present match or coordinate or add to what ours is. Last year, on Cole's birthday, we were giving him a tool box with various tools. Well, she and Benton decided to give him a tool belt. It was perfect! Most of all, she takes the time to know them and to love them. I love her for that!

Reagan's birthday party is next week, but I don't think even by then that I'll be ok with her being a teenager. Ugh! Let's hope we all survive! Happy Happy Birthday Reagan!!!!!

The Salt Lake Children's Choir Concert

Cole's friend, Ben Bird, sings with the Salt Lake Children's Choir. He invited Cole to come to a concert last Christmas, but we were unable to make it. He had a spring concert as well and asked Cole to come. It was the same night as Reagan's 7th Grade Ball. Cole really wanted to support his friend, so, after the ball was over, Steve took Reagan home and I took Cole to the concert.

It was held at St. Ambrose church. It was a beautiful church with gorgeous stained glass windows. 

They had a figure of Christ hanging on the cross which hung at the front of the church. It was different than what I'm used to seeing since, in our church, we don't focus on the cross and have paintings or sculptures of the cross around the church. We focus on His resurrection and the fact that He lives and so the pictures of Him are alive and not dead. Also - He was so skinny and little hanging there. I don't know why, but I don't visualize Him as skinny and weak, but rather strong and tall. It was a bit disconcerting to see Him hanging in the church like that. Certainly everyone is entitled to view our Savior as they will. I just had a different view, but it was still a beautiful church. 

The choir did a great job! Beautiful singing! I guess Ben has been in this choir for some time. His sister is also in the choir and will now "graduate" or leave the choir as she has turned 15.  Ben even had a solo during one of their songs. He has a great voice!

Ben was so appreciative of Cole coming to the concert. I had to snap a pic of them at the end of the concert. Ben's mom saved me a seat and I sat with her.

Way to go Ben - you did a great job! Also - way to go Cole for supporting your friend!

The 7th Grade Ball

Reagan has been SO excited for the 7th Grade Ball. There are actually 2 balls - one on Friday and one on Saturday. We opted for the Friday ball and most of her friends did as well. Many of the students were going from the school to the ball on a school bus since it started at 3:30, but I wouldn't want to go to a ball straight from school. So, I picked her up after lunch and brought her home to get cleaned up and curl her hair, do her makeup and get all dressed up before I drove her to the ball. Steve picked Cole up from school and they got cleaned up before we all met up at the ball.

We bought three different dresses that were possibilities for the ball. This was the only full length one. She couldn't decide which to wear. Finally, I asked which one made her feel like a princess. The white one was it, so, she wore it. It only had tiny straps, so, she needed a little sweater with it. No matter - she looked beautiful!

We got there a bit early - before the Parent Honor Dance - and the teachers let us take some pics and videos of the students dancing. She looked like she was having a great time! 

They've been learning various dances at school. Steve refreshed his memory of the waltz via YouTube earlier today so that he would be able to dance with Reagan.

The all looked like they were having a fun time. I guess they had some food and some games earlier in the ball. 

Then, it was time for the Parent Honor Dance. They looked so cute together! She has always been Daddy's Little Girl!

Of course, I had to grab a picture as well.

The ball was over by 6:30, so we were done fairly early in the evening. Cole wanted to go to a choir concert that his friend was singing in. I took Cole to the concert and Steve took Reagan home. They lounged in the yard for a while and took some more pics of Reagan in her gorgeous dress.

I think her first ball was a complete success. She had a great time with her friends, we joined in for a bit and she felt like a princess in that dress. Who could ask for more?

A Spy Party

You may remember when our friends, the Kearl's, had a spy party for Benjamin's birthday party. It was super cool. Well, his sister decided she wanted a spy party as well. Booyah! Easy peasy for mom - she had it all planned out with the scavenger hunt and the clues. Order a cake and pick up some pizza and go!

The partygoers had a great time. I led one group through the scavenger hunt and Madison's dad led the other group. We ran across each other, but never got in each other's way. We solved the hunt and discovered that Madison's dad was THE SPY!!!! We ate pizza and had cake and opened presents. It was super fun! Reagan and Cole had a blast!!!! The Kearl family always has the BEST parties!!!!

I've complained before about party guests not RSVPing or coming late, etc, but the Kearl's had a party guest that took the cake. It was raining the day of the party, so, much of the party had to be brought inside because of the rain and mud outside. One little girl showed up to the door (30 minutes late mind you) and I went to answer the door so Brenda wouldn't have to, but then Brenda heard the door and came as well. The little girl on the step had her mom (or grandma) on the step with her as well as a huge dog (with muddy feet). The little girl asked if she could bring the dog to the party as well. The mom (or grandma) just stood there and waited for an answer. I think Brenda was dumbfounded - she had no words. I just totally butted in and said "I'm so sorry, but that doesn't work for our party today. Maybe another time." Then, I just turned and walked away so that there could be no further discussion. Later, Brenda commented how she couldn't even believe they would ask that 1) at all 2) on a rainy and muddy day and 3) with a HUGE dog. Seriously - people have no shame. What if one of the guests was allergic to dogs? What if we just didn't want a huge, muddy feet dog walking around the party? What if .... what if..... what if.....   People just kill me! Note to self - don't bring a dog to a party.

Office Suite for Rent

We own an office suite in the Old Mill area of Salt Lake. Steve's office was there and I even practiced law out of that office while I was closing down my firm. Well, it is over 5,000 square feet and, as Steve's software company has needed fewer and fewer employees, we have needed less and less space. At one point, it just made more sense to rent out this huge space and find other places to work than having all this empty space or trying to office share with renters taking 1/3 or 1/2 of the space. We could easily rent space from another owner in the building.

For the past two years, we have had a law firm renting for us. Then, they built their own building and moved out. So, now it is available and ready to rent. We will get a commercial realtor, but we hope it rents quickly. We'd rather have people in there than it sit empty.

It's a gorgeous space with fantastic views of the mountains. Steve was able to choose which suite he wanted first - when the building was just being built. He chose this space and specifically chose where his own office would be. If I was looking for office space, I'd love this.

Happy Easter!!!!

Happy Easter!!!! Despite the fact that Reagan and Cole know very well that Steve and I are, indeed, the Easter Bunny, that doesn't stop them from wanting to be surprised Easter morning with their baskets full of candy and lots of other goodies lying about. No matter - we are happy to comply. It's more fun for everyone!

I had to laugh that after Cole surveyed his loot, he looked over at Reagan's section of the couch and saw a cool Nerf gun that was clear. He said to us "Um - I think that's supposed to be mine." Well, you may have had most of the Nerf guns in the past, but we thought it would be fun to equal the playing field, so, we gave a super cool one to Reagan (along with another Rebelle Nerf gun that actually turns in the middle so that you can see around the corner). Nope Cole - that is NOT your gun, but you will be shot with it :) Love you silly boy!

After we played with our things and ate some candy (great breakfast, I know), we hurried and got ready for church. Reagan actually spoke in Sacrament Meeting on Easter Sunday (no pressure, huh?) and we needed to be there early. She did a great job and we were so proud of her. 

After church, we came home and had an Easter dinner ourselves - no family or friends today.... just us and it was just great. We used our glasses from Venice and I thought the table turned out super cute.

We talked about the Savior's crucifixion and resurrection and what it means for us. We talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how we should never take it for granted. Reagan gave a great talk focussed mainly on the Atonement of Jesus. She did a better job than I would have. We enjoyed having our day together and are so grateful for our beloved Savior. I hope we think of Him every day and not just on Easter, but it is wonderful to have a day set aside to acknowledge Him and all that He has done for us.

Happy Easter Everyone!!!!!

Also - since this is our own, little, family scrapbook, I wanted to include Reagan's talk from today. Like I said, she did a great job and we are so proud of her. 

Good morning brothers and sisters. Everyone often says that it is important to remember the true meaning of Christmas. The same applies to Easter. When you think of Easter, what is the first thing that pops into your mind? You may say candy, Easter egg hunts, the Easter bunny, or something similar. These Easter traditions pop into your head first because that is what stands out in your mind from what you do and have done on Easter. Easter traditions and family fun are very important, but when we think of Easter, we should always try to remember the sacred meaning of this holiday. Next time Easter pops into your mind, you may try to think of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the empty sepulcher, or something similar to these thoughts. 

Jesus bled and died for our sins. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, if we repent, we can be saved. If we don’t repent, then we are not using that wonderful gift that has been graciously placed before us. When we are baptized, our sins are washed away, but we make more mistakes. Challenges are part of life so that we can prove that we love Heavenly Father and want to be with Him for forever. When we have challenges in life, we make mistakes. Jesus is perfect, but he took upon himself the sins of the world. Through Jesus, our sins can be washed away. 

Heavenly Father knew that we would make mistakes, so He made a plan for us. He sent His only begotten son to save us all. When you feel alone or hurt, you may think that no one knows what you are going through; that no one feels the pain you are feeling. This is not true. Jesus knows and has felt what everyone goes through. Jesus experienced all of our trials one by one in Gethsemane and then again on the cross. Jesus is our Heavenly brother and He experienced so much pain and affliction so that we can be with our Father in Heaven and Jesus again with clean, white garments free of sin. Jesus loves us and knows each of us personally by heart. Jesus died for us.

The disciples of Jesus loved Jesus so much. They left their earthly possessions behind to go and follow Jesus and gain Heavenly glory. The disciples had so much faith in Jesus. They knew He is the Savior of the world. They knew that He is the prophesied Messiah. When Jesus died, the disciples mourned Him. Jesus is the light of the world and the disciples felt that the world had become dark and scary. The disciples and other friends of Jesus washed the body of Jesus, anointed it with oils, wrapped it in linen, and placed it in Joseph’s tomb. The disciples were overcome with joy when Jesus came to them after being resurrected. They loved Jesus so much.

Death is very sad, but we know that we can see our loved ones again in Heaven. When someone dies, it is very comforting to know you will see them again. Think about the people who don’t believe in the plan of happiness. They might think they will never see this person again for eternity. President Hinckley said “Whenever the cold hand of death strikes, there shines through the gloom and the darkness of that hour the triumphant figure of the Lord Jesus Christ, He, the Son of God, who by his matchless and eternal power overcame death. He is the Redeemer of the world. He gave His life for each of us. He took it up again and became the first fruits of them that slept. He, as King of Kings, stands triumphant above all other kings. He, as the Omnipotent One, stands above all rulers. He is our comfort, our only true comfort, when the dark shroud of earthly night closes about us as the spirit departs the human form.  Towering above all mankind stands Jesus the Christ, the King of glory, the unblemished Messiah, the Lord Emmanuel. In the hour of deepest sorrow we draw hope and peace and certitude from the words of the angel that Easter morning, “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said” (Matt. 28:6). We draw strength from the words of Paul, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ … all [are] made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).”

I love Easter and its wonderful, sacred meaning. It makes me so happy to think that I have a Heavenly brother who knows all that I go through. Through the sacrifice of our Savior and Redeemer, we can live together for forever with our family, friends, Jesus, and our beloved Heavenly Father. Hopefully, we can all keep the meaning of this sacred holiday in our hearts. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Reagan Gets Makeup ..... Gulp

For about a year now, Reagan has been asking me when she could wear makeup. A bunch of her friends use it. Truth be told, I used it in 8th grade. She wanted to start, but I didn't want her going crazy with cheap products or too much product. So, we booked an appointment with a makeup artist at a Lancome event. I figured the makeup artist could tell her what was best for her, help her learn to apply it and give her good tips that I may not know.

Plus, Reagan has a ball coming up for 7th grade. She is super excited and it is on the day before her birthday. We found a dress (well, several actually) and she wanted to have some makeup for the ball.

The makeup artist was super cute with Reagan. She told her what she needed and, more importantly, what she didn't need. We bought most of what she suggested.

A couple of days later, I was putting something away in the kiddos' bathroom and I opened Reagan's drawer. Well, it looked like this. I'm not going to say she is OCD, but ........

She's so pretty that she hardly needs makeup, but it will help cover her acne a bit and she has these gorgeous lashes that just pop with a bit of mascara on them. (In fact, since she was a baby, people have commented on her lashes. One lady asked me if I curled her lashes. Um..... sure.... I sneak in while she is in her crib and I curl her lashes. Are you serious?) Well, she is beautiful inside and out and if this makes her feel better about herself or more confident, it's worth it to me. I'm not sure I'm ready for her to be so grown up, but it looks like this is happening whether I'm ready or not :)

April Gets New Glasses

Steve's daughter, April, has MS. She struggles more at times than others, but she has a walker and a wheelchair to help her get around. Steve and I as well as his other two daughters rotate seeing her so that she has a visit from one of us each week of the month. We take her out to lunch or help her run errands or just take a drive. Well, this week, it was my turn to hang out with April and we went to the eye doctor. This is super random, but in the last 2 years, April's astigmatism in her glasses prescription has literally gone away. The eye doctor was surprised, but said that she checked it several times. She said it could be the MS doing weird things with April's vision. Oh well - it's an improvement, so, we will take it!

After we left the eye doctor, we headed to pick out some new glasses. She wanted something different than her last pair (which I don't think she wore very much). So, we found these babies - red!!! She was so excited that I had to take a pic. Her new glasses would be ready in a couple of hours, but she was pretty tired, so, I told her I would come and take her to pick them up in a couple of days. Maybe if she likes them, she will wear them more.

I'm glad she likes her new prescription and I'm glad that her vision is somehow improving. Yes!

Random Things

So, these are weird, random, totally unconnected things that I wanted to remember. So, I figured I'd group them together and make a post. I know - I'm weird.

For April General Conference, my friend Stacey (whom I was able to snag as a Primary worker) made up packets for the Primary children to complete during General Conference. For their first 3 talks that they took notes for, they would get a full size candy bar. For each talk after that, they would get a bite size candy bar. We bought a bunch of candy and then Stacey walked in with this cute tree. It had a bunch of the full size candy bars as well as the bite size candy bars hanging from it and was a great reminder for the kiddos of completing their packets. Love it!!!

Our largest Christmas tree (as well as our Halloween trees and the white, flocked trees) don't fold down or don't get put in a box. We wrap them in plastic wrap and then put them in the garage. It's such a big deal to do this that I need help. Steve's daughter, Shannon, is so sweet to help me. We couldn't figure out our schedules until seriously late April. So, we had a random Christmas tree sitting in our living room. Oh well. Finally, we were able to wrap it and we literally ran out of plastic wrap just as we finished the tree. Whew!

Cole competed in the Speech Festival at school and decided to do The Busy Man. He recited this in 3rd grade at Challenger with his class, but it has stood out as a great poem with a great message. The Speech Festival at our school now is different. It isn't just recitation - it is more like a performance. One of Cole's friends did a comedy routine. I've always seen the Speech Festival like a dignified, sort of proper thing. Not here! Oh well - different schools, different ways of doing things. I still love the poem that Cole recited. (Maybe I like it because I'm a busy woman.)

What IS that?

I was up really early one morning and looked out our kitchen window and saw a BIG silhouette at the top of one of our trees. I thought immediately that it was a bird, but then thought that if that was a bird, there was no way that little branch would be able to hold the weight of that bird. It wasn't light enough for me to see what it actually was, so, I just went about my business and forgot about it.

The next day, in daylight, I happened to look out of the same window and there it was again - in the light. Whoa! That is one BIG bird - especially to be on such a little branch. I think it was a hawk. We have several of them that tend to fly around our house frequently. I just couldn't get over how it could be balanced on that little branch.

I quickly snapped a couple of pics and then he was off - just beautiful. Well, Mr. Hawk, you are welcome in our trees anytime :) 

Spring has NOT Sprung

The weather has been great lately. All of Spring Break we could play outside.

Then, Mother Nature changed her mind and we were back to winter.

We thought spring had sprung, but apparently not. That's ok, we love the snow. Bundle up ya'll.

Ava's Basketball Birthday Party

Our cute friend, Ava, had a birthday this week. She is TOTALLY into basketball and plays on a team, so, she had a basketball party.

We played basketball, ate pizza and opened gifts. Ava and Cole were in preschool and kindergarten together. They live by us and even though we don't see each other often enough, we had a great time celebrating her birthday.

Happy Happy Birthday cute Ava!!!!!