Wisdom of the Ages...

I was reading the story of King Solomon to Sam.  It's a picture book and when we got to the pictures of Solomon's temple, Sam asked if it was the Seattle Temple...

me - "No, sweetie.  This temple was built a really, really long time ago."

Sam - "So it's where Grandma and Pop Pop got married?"

Hahahahahahahahahahaha...  But aren't we glad they got married? =)

Love you guys!

Pinkalicious

Due to excess whining (not really, but it was mentioned in passing...) that the cub scouts get to "do more fun stuff,"  I organized a Pink Pine Wood Derby for our ward.  The girls had a blast. We had an amazing turnout.  21 girls, including Brooke, made and raced a car.

I love how girly they all turned out.  Mostly.  Brooke's is the one that is yellow and covered in flames...

 More cuteness...

 Brooke after the race.  She took 5th place overall.  And won the "Hottest Car" award.  (The "pink medals" were DingDongs, wrapped in pink cellophane and hung with a ribbon around their necks.  I made pink paper circles to glue on that we wrote their award on.  Cute.  And delicious...)

The dads and daughters had a fun time doing this together.  I love any time Tom gets to work one on one with Brooke.  

And Pop Pop even got in on the action, helping Brooke cut out her car while he and mum were visiting

 And the "concession stand". Popcorn, pretzels, licorice and water.  Perfect to keep the little race fans occupied...

Bowl Me Over

Who wouldn't want to take this crazy bunch (+ 1 more) to the school skate night?

It was on crazy hair day, so after the girls got home from school we crazied up the rest of the girls. (Brooke goes to a different school than the rest of the neighborhood kids, so the twins and the friends weren't all crazy-haired yet)

 Erin loves her rollerskates and is really smooth on them.  Best $1 I spent at a garage sale...

 Brooke brought her own rollerblades and looked really tall and really old.  She and her friend Adrienne really made quite an impact.  It gave me a little peak into what the next few years will bring.  And one 6th grade boy sent his sister over to see if Brooke wanted to couple skate with him. It must have been the awesome hair...

 Alix is amazingly good on rollerblades.  And falls over on roller skates.  It's funny.  She took 2nd place in the race for girls that were 7-8.  She's speedy!

LSHIC...

You've heard of ROFL, right? (Rolling On Floor Laughing - for you "oldies")  I'm making up a new one.  LSHIC.  Laughing So Hard I'm Crying.  That's how my children left me this morning.

And all because of Brooke's hair.

 It was crazy hair day at Brooke's school and this is our best crazy hair yet.

 The sheer volume of it is astounding and the color and sparkle are truly spectacular.

And later, I might just be crying when we try and comb that crazy hair...

Forever

Today is my brother Michael's Birthday. 

 He would have been 30 today.

 But Michael died shortly after this picture was taken.

And it's ok.  My mum sent me these pictures of Michael and our (much) younger family and I was touched by a real feeling of thanksgiving. I know families are forever.  I am thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  As a parent myself now, I cannot imagine what my own parents went through, losing 3 sons.  But because of their faith and testimony in eternal families, I have faith and a testimony of eternal families.  I really do know that families can be together forever.  It's not just a song. =)  So Happy Birthday, Michael.  Your family loves you.

Crazy Train

Sam and I were chatting in bed one morning and I asked her why she was so crazy...
Sam - "I got my crazy from Alix.  Alix got her crazy from Erin.  Erin got her crazy from Brooke, who got her crazy from dad."
A little thinking pause, and she finished with...
"And we all get our crazy from YOU!"

Siiigh....

This was last year's Easter Egg hunt....

Here is what this year's looked like...

Siiiiigh. 

We've done a Family-Home-Evening-Day-After-Easter Easter Egg Hunt for 6 years now.  It's one of my favorite traditions.  This year, I just wasn't up for it.  In my head, I was totally planning on doing it a week after surgery.  The reality is, I'm just not that tough... But as bummed out as  I was, I think the girls had fun.  

And it was the first year we didn't get rained or snowed on...

Sam

Alix

Erin

Brooke

 And I promise this is the last whiny post about my knee problems....

My Heros

Mom and dad have swooped down to our rescue following my surgery.  It's been bad enough, but it would have been SO MUCH worse if I didn't have their help.  They really are my heros...

And my surgery went fine.