Questions

Soooo, this is a little late but it's too cute to pass up........
For Mother's Day, Sienna's teacher asked all the Moms to come to school for a Mother's Day Tea Party. After several cute games, songs, and homemade cookies her teacher gave each of us a "question & answer" sheet of paper. Before the party started, Sienna's teacher had asked each child certain questions about their Moms and this paper was their answers.

Sienna:

What is your mommy's name?
Jessica


How old is your mommy? 5


What color is your mommy's hair?
Brown like mine


Where is your mommy's favorite place to eat?
At the pizza place


What is your mommy's favorite thing to play?
Dress up

What is your mommy's job?
She works all night in her office downstairs

Why do you love your mommy?
Because I love her really much

How much does your mommy love you?
Too many

A Picture's Worth

What I love about photography is that although everything before and after the picture is taken might be a disaster......the photo itself shows not what my mind can see or recall (ie: the mess, tears and tantrums) but what I can see- that one beautiful moment.

I love taking pictures of my family and looking at them over and over again. I guess this is my way of looking at the world through rose-colored glasses.

Sparkles

Sienna has just gotten home from preschool and is showing me her art projects:

"Sienna what is this one?"

"I don't know."

"It looks like a firefly."

"Oh yes- it's bum sparkles."

Happy Father's Day love-
you're the best.

To my Dad

Happy Father's Day Dad! What a great father you are!! Ok- so we didn't get along so great when I was a teenager...but it was only uphill from there! We thought we were so different from each other- but ironically these last few years have proved the opposite. We are so similar it's scary. I inherited not only your good looks but also your neuroses!
When I got into B.Y.U. after high school I knew you were proud of me. And it made me happy to know that I made you happy by going to your Alma Mater. And you were supportive the whole way through. By supportive I mean that you sustained me all my years there so I could focus on my school work. Thank you, thank you Dad.
And you supported me when I got married. You truly embraced Nathan as another son. He has always felt loved and accepted by you. And again, you paid for my beautiful wedding and reception. And you've helped us build our life and family over these last 7 years. Thank you so much Dad.
And most of all when I was struggling the most in my life and everything was at stake, you sacrificed for me more than most husbands could- you lent me Mom for months on end when I truly needed her. You have been alone a lot these past few years. And I'll never forget that Dad.
What I am trying to say is that nothing important or meaningful in my life would have been possible without....you. I love you Dad. XOXOXO, me

The Letter

When I was dating Nathan and things were getting serious, I wrote my Grandma a letter to tell her about this boy. I was absolutely freaking out about whether to get engaged to Nathan and head down that path toward marriage or if I should let "this one go." I was petrified of getting married. I didn't want anything to do with it (for awhile-I was only 22). But I had this sinking feeling that I'd never come across someone like Nathan again. So simply, this was my dilemma.
My Grandma wrote back to me and told me that if the main purpose in life was to come to Earth to be sealed and have our own family, than the most important question I had to ask myself was, "What kind of father would he be?"
It seems so simple and obvious to me now....but at the time it was the most profound advice I received from anyone on the matter. That's when I knew. When Grandma put it that way, the answer was obvious. That's the moment I decided to marry Nathan.
I could feel it. I could see it and deep in my heart I knew it. I knew that Nathan would be the most amazing, loving, most wonderful, huggable, get down on your hands and knees "play-with-me" Dad.
And he is.
Thank you Grandma.
It doesn't get any better than Nathan.
Happy Father's Day honey- we love you more than words can say.

Happy Father's Day

Me and the kids tried to come up with every imaginable way to say.....HAPPY

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Diddy For Dad

Learning to Love Chaos

Ya know that really old movie with Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman? Where he learns he is terminally ill with cancer while his wife is expecting? Oh it is so sad and so good!! I cried for days after watching that. Well, in that movie there's a part where he talks about his deep fear of riding roller coasters. His therapist/healer friend tells him he needs to come to terms with this fear because it analogous to life in general and specifically with raising kids. The healer tells him that learning to love a roller coaster is a way to learn to love life and enjoy the chaos- or at least be o.k. with it. I've thought about this a lot since having children....trying to find meaning and happiness in the chaos.....and every year I get closer and enjoy it more. That's why I love this picture of me and Sienna screaming while riding on this roller coaster together. This was my favorite part of my Mother's Day weekend.

Mother's Day Weekend

This Mother's Day weekend was by far my favorite. I loved, loved spending the day with the kids at the local Peach Festival. The best part was probably riding the "old-fashioned" roller coaster (whose structural integrity was questioned with every dip and turn). Each time we've gone to the farm before it's never been operating. We had such a blast.

Sienna is just like Nathan- an absolute thrill seeker, adrenaline junkie, or roller-coaster "enthusiast" as Nathan puts it. She went on the roller coaster 6 times in a row, and only stopped because we forced her. Sheesh! The first two rides were with Nathan. He taught her to raise her arms the whole time! I very reluctantly got on the ride with her and showed her how to hold the bar with a death hold grip. I actually loved it. So I went on it again. Poor Wesley, he was just roasting in the sun watching us scream and laugh.

Wesley loved picking the peaches the most!

Me and Pooh Bear in the flower garden at the Peach Festival.

More of Peach Festival

After all the peach-picking we grabbed some frozen treats and made our way around the rest of the farm. The first picture is Sienna hiding in the gorgeous garden so I can't take a picture of her, or get any more bites of her treat.

We of course, have to, have to, have to ride the Carousel at least 32 times before we can see anything else. You've never seen two kids love the Carousel more - that's why I have so many pictures like these! We go to this farm throughout the year but I've never seen the flowers as pretty as this weekend.

Peach Festival-the Scoop

The weekend of Mother's Day I really wanted to do something fun as a family on Saturday instead of our typical "duds" (try and clean but usually bicker and get on each other's nerves while the kids climb the walls). I really wanted to have one of those days where you're happy to be a Mom- a fun "Mom" day as opposed to all the ho hum, run of the mill, make you wanna check into an asylum kind of day. I was thrilled to have a reason to get out of the house and go to the local Peach Festival.



It was hot, not gonna lie, but we had so much fun. Nothing was perfect......but overall it was probably the most fun day I've had with the kids and Nathan this whole year. We went on a "hayride" down the the peach orchards where we could roam around and pick our own peaches to buy and eat. Wesley loved doing this.....Sienna not so much. Wesley was all over the place picking up every overly ripe and under-ripe peach within his reach while Sienna moaned about the heat and having to do "too much work."