Girls Colorado Trip

My Mom, Sister Tawnya and I planned a girls trip. We have seemed to get it in about every three years (when my babies are old enough to leave them with Dad for an extended period of time). We left early Saturday the 23rd and drove straight to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It took about five hours. I loved it there and it is a great kid destination. We shopped the main street and took a walk that night. On our walk Tawnya and I were stopped by a group of four less fortunate people that asked for change. Tawnya gave what she had in her pocket and was very kind. As we walked away Tawnya asked if I was a little uncomfortable and I said I was and asked if she felt that way as well. She said a few months ago yes but now these people are just like my clients and I know that they are harmless and pretty good people. Tawnya is a Defense Attorney. She likes her job. The next morning we visited the Glenwood Caverns that were great. We then drove up over a Mountain Pass to get to Denver. We stayed at my Aunt Charlotte's house and it was really nice to have the comforts of home and family. On Monday we went shopping and to a movie and just relaxed. Then on Tuesday we drove to Steamboat Springs, and ate at the worst place of the trip. The Ore House, it just wasn't good. On Wednesday, We shopped again and then came home late that night. It was a overall great trip filled with relaxation and all the fun things that we like to do. Here's to the next trip in three years.

Anikka has her last day of school today and next year will be a third grader. She is such a trooper to be fine starting a new school next year. I really appreciate her and her ability to adjust to new things. Yea! For Summer!

Mother's Day

Usually Mother's Day is not my favorite holiday. It is because my birthday is on the 11th and so I get one present for both celebrations. Ryan really doesn't mind that. He really likes the two for one deal he gets. On Sunday, We were sitting somewhat quietly during the Sacrament and I experienced a major spiritual prompting, I am talking the whole bosom burning thing, That we need to have another baby. I turned to Ryan and told him "we are supposed to have another baby, " and he took one look at me and said "okay". For some time we had discussed being done and I had been praying about being done and asking if there was another spirit up there that needed to come to our family to let me know otherwise we were done. So I guess we are not done. It is neat how right it feels and I am getting more excited. The kids have always talked about us having another baby, I guess they knew something that we didn't know. Ryan joked a few days later that it was a good thing that I recieved that little inspiration because if it had been him he would not have done anything about it. So my hope is to get pregnant in September so I can have another summer baby because I sure love that time of year to have a newborn. Whew four kids seems like so many. I hope we can handle them all.

Ben's Futures

On the way home from Pre-school Ben told the carpool his futures. He told everyone that he and Anna (a girl that lives behind us and is in the same pre-school class) are going to marry because it is in their futures. They will also live in a basement when they get married. He also let everyone know that poor Mac does not have any futures. When I asked Ben why Mac does not have any futures, he said "I haven't seen any". Anikka said "that is not true I did his and he is going to marry Samantha or Holland, I can't remember." Then it clicked for me and I got it. A month or so ago I showed Anikka how to play the game MASH. That is a fun, silly game that you play to see who you are going to marry and where you will live and how many kids you will have and so forth. Anikka has been playing the game often and also plays one for the boys and that is how Ben got his idea of futures.

Mac's Birthday

Mac turned two on April 30th. We had the hardest time trying to decide what to get him for his birthday. He has so many hand me down toys. We settled for bath toys and chalk.

He seemed to have a good time. When you ask him how old he his he will always say "three".

He already thinks he is older than he really is.

On Friday May 1st we attended Ryan's MBA graduation. We are very proud of him. The kids lasted all of twenty minutes. Good thing Ryan was hooded and walked in those first twenty minutes. My children are all very, very active. They have a really hard time sitting still. Even Anikka who is nearly 8 just can't sit still. I often look around at church and see all these other families with their quiet little children quietly looking at books. Then there are our children who need to break out the snacks 5 minutes after arriving at church (keeping in mind this is 30 minutes after eating breakfast.) Ben needs Ryan to draw some highly irreverent pictures of Mario brothers characters, evil He-Man characters mainly Trapjaw and Skeletor, and "Dark" Vadar. Then Ben will color and he will mostly be quiet unless Mac gets too close to him or colors on his picture then he will breakdown. Anikka just seems to never be comfortable. She is always shifting around like her underwear is always riding up or something. She just can't sit still. Mac is always trying to go out of his way to entertain who ever sits behind us. He has to stand up and smile, and climb on the arm of the bench and "ride" it and then he will hang on the back of the bench in front of us, he also likes to poke the poeple that sit in front of us as an attempt to get them to turn around and smile at him. Just any way to get attention. I still have some hope that my kids will grow out of the wiggly stage but Anikka has made it hard to imagine that any of them will ever sit still EVER. Oh, well They are my children and I do love them.