Trying hard for Spring...

Chris had the day off on Saturday, so after I came home from my long run in the morning, we packed up a picnic lunch and the fishing poles and headed out in search of someplace to spend some time as a family.  Initially we had hoped to do a some fishing on a reservoir a little further up in the mountains, but as we got closer to our destination, we started to realize that there was way too much snow on the ground and the probability was high that the reservoir would be frozen.  So we turned around and headed to a different reservoir, with hopes that since it was not as high in elevation that it would be thawed.  No such luck, but the sun was shining and although it was a bit windy and cool, we decided to go ahead and eat our lunch at some picnic tables near a little campground.  After lunch, we continued our drive in search of a fishing spot, and eventually ended up at the sportsman's access of the Portneuf River, about 10 miles from our house.  We fished for a little while, and even though no one caught anything, the kids had a lot of fun.  When we came back home, Chris gathered up what he could find of some dry wood and built a fire in the fire pit.  We had a hot dog roast for dinner, made s'mores and made a raspberry cobbler in the dutch oven.  Once we were all tired of being outside, we came in and watched a movie as a family.  On Sunday morning, after losing an hour to daylight savings, it was a bit tough getting the kids up and ready for 9am church, but we did it and enjoyed our first Sunday in the newly built Inkom ward building.

My world in pictures...



At the Blue and Gold Banquet...

Three of the men in my life...

Chris getting ready for work...

How I spend most mornings...

Where I run sometimes (part of the Pocatello Marathon route)...

My favorite 5 year old...

The funny girl...



Cheer day - Go Eagles!

 Today Sophia had the opportunity to attend her first ever mini-cheerleader camp.  She got to spend all day with the Marsh Valley High School Varsity cheerleaders learning a couple of cheers, a dance, cheer basics, painting signs, and just having a fun, girly kind of a day!  Then this evening we were able to see her and the other little girls do a short half-time performance during the varsity basketball game.  She was one happy little girl.  She's never done any dance or gymnastics classes, so this was all new to her and she loved it.  She is such a little sweetheart.  On the way to the game she was saying how nervous she was, so I reached over and touched her cute, little rosy cheek.  She said: "Well, that basically made me A LOT less nervous!"  :)  She did a great job and she said she can't wait to go to the next mini-cheer camp.

(In the video below, Sophie is the one in the upper right corner with a white shirt.)

Everyone has a birthday.

 On this day 5 years ago, I had gone in for a routine prenatal check-up and somehow ended up in the operating room a couple of hours later for an emergency c-section. Our little guy decided to make his appearance about 6 weeks early, but after a couple of weeks in the NICU he made his way home with us as a healthy little 5 pound baby boy. On that day 5years ago, our Heavenly Father saw fit to bless our family with one of His sweetest spirits. When Nicolas was an infant, he was the best baby. He rarely cried, and was often so quiet that we constantly were checking to make sure he was okay! Now he is a rambunctious little guy, full of life, constantly going at full speed, a cute little bug filled with endless amounts of love.

Basketball.

 Today Noah and Sam had their first basketball games of the season. They did a great job and had a lot of fun. Sam scored a basket toward the end of his game and he was all smiles the whole way home. We're so proud of them!

How things change.

It's so weird to me how life changes so much in what seems like such a short period of time.  Lately I have been thinking about how different things are now than say, even a couple of years ago.  I know everyone says life gets busier and more complicated as your kids get older, but until it's a part of your own experience, it's kind of a hard concept to grasp.  It feels like we've suddenly been tossed from the age of babies, toddlers and little-child mentality, to having four little people in our house with opinions, attitudes and personalities bubbling all over the place.  Gone are the days of giving a simple answer to questions.  Now we have "discussions".  Now we're faced with teaching our children how to deal with situations and issues in their lives that have an actual impact and possible lasting consequences.  Yikes...when did we become the parents here?  I'm not sure I'm ready to handle what I fear may be facing us in the future.  I'm not sure I'm prepared with all the answers or will have the right guidance, advice or even disciplinary knowledge.  My mind is strong, but my heart is soft.

Thankfully, I have been blessed immensely in my choice of eternal companions.  I have felt some relief recently from my insecurities as I've watched my good husband in action, being the man I've always known he is, putting his money where his mouth is, so to speak.  He actually is my "help meet".  He is my partner, and in times of crisis - large or small - I can count on him to have a steady hand, calm demeanor and to know what to say and how to say it.  Knowing we are all in this together is what gets me through the rough patches.  Knowing he and I are equally driven by our understanding of the Gospel and our purpose here on this Earth gives me solace.  Not only solace, but happiness.  Recently Chris made the statement that his goal is for our home (wherever we may be at any station in life) to be the place that our children will always want to be, always want to come home to, always feel comfortable and happy.  If we can accomplish this, then nothing else matters.  None of the petty, day to day annoyances and other junk that floats in and out of our lives has any lasting meaning if we keep an eye single to this goal of creating a peaceful, eternal family.

I love this doctrine of the church:  By divine commandment, spouses are required to love each other above all others. The Lord clearly declares, “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else” (D&C 42:22). The proclamation states: “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families [see D&C 83:2–4; 1 Tim. 5:8]. [By divine design,] mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.” By divine design, husband and wife are equal partners in their marriage and parental responsibilities. By direct commandment of God, “parents have a sacred duty … to teach [their children] to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens [in the countries where they reside]” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102; emphasis added; see D&C 68:25–28; Mosiah 4:14–15).

Makeovers, sledding and the new year!

 New Year's Eve in our home with young children is typically uneventful.  This year was no exception, especially since Chris was working the night shift.  So, to pass the time, the kids did a "mommy makeover", complete with a massage, painted fingernails and numerous hairstyle changes.  Sophie said it was the "best day ever."  (It doesn't take much for her to say that.)  :)

Today, the first day of the new year, Chris was home from work so we took the kids up the road into the mountains for a little sledding.  Unfortunately, the temperature was hovering around 10 degrees and the wind was blowing fiercely, so none of us wanted to stay out there too long.  I would have been content to sit in the warm car and soak in the beautiful scenery.  Right now, the kids and their dad are playing hide-n-seek using flashlights.  Let's just say there's a lot of screaming going on...;)