So much inspiration...so little time!

I stopped by some amazing fabric stores while I was in Utah.  I found some happy fabrics that I can't wait to turn into skirts for my girls.  I also found some darling Ty Pennington fabric in blue and brown.  They only had fat quarters for those, but I saw them and knew I had to have them. (Thanks Mom!)  Maybe I have found the new color palette for Lauren's future bedroom?

Now if I can just find the time.......

Back to the Grind

Spring break is over.  We spent an awesome week in Utah and were reminded once again 1) how much we adore our family, 2) how much the beauty of Salt Lake continues to take our the breath away with the mountain views and 3) how much we love our dear friends in Salt Lake.

It was a great trip. We made sure to take the time to go and visit Romney's Grandma Janet.  She is 91 years old and lives in a care facility.  She was doing well, but I think she is beginning to think that the whole "longevity" thing is a little overrated.  Her body is tired and she painfully misses her husband who passed away in 1991.  It was a nice visit and we all enjoyed our quality time with her.

We enjoyed plenty of time with the Williams family cousins. 

And the Thompson cousins....Thomas had so much fun with Eliza's little girl Amelia.  He kept asking me if we could have another kid...my answer was always, "Just have fun holding this baby..."

Christian and his cousin Bo collided heads while they were playing outside and he got a really nice shiner.  Oddly enough, it only seems to get worse and as the days have passed.

We also took the kids to Classic Fun Center with McCormack and Kara.  Kara is dating a really nice guy named Adam who hosted a patient appreciation night for his orthodontist practice.  He generously offered to let us all come. 

It was really fun, but it goes without saying that Romney and I left with headaches.

I always go to lunch with my two high school friends Steph Rigby and Tiffany Thomas.  Tiff was out of town, so Steph and I decided it would be fun to go to breakfast with our moms.  We have all known each other for almost 25 years.  We sat and laughed about what perfect high school teenagers we were and how we never gave our moms any trouble...

On one of our last nights, we took our parents to dinner at a delicious restaurant called, "Asian Star."

Our week home was a perfect reminder of what is most important in life.  Plenty of family time and the kids got lots of time with their favorite Salt Lake friends Ethan Romney and Annie Daines.   

Now back to the grind of homework, 5-hour Annie rehearsals, laundry and the never ending quest to make something new for dinner.

A Glimpse at Tomorrow...

Lauren's musical is just about 3 weeks away.  Her attitude about the very demanding schedule has been remarkable.  She absolutely loves it and has not complained once about the daily 3-hour practices M-F.  Every once in a while, there are signs of her beginning to buckle, but this only happens at home and quite frankly, is very understandable.

The high school where she will be performing had a huge student assembly today in their gym.  The assistant principal had peeked in on the "Annie" rehearsal last week and he said that he wanted Lauren and Daddy Warbucks to perform a couple of numbers in the assembly.

So this morning, we got to see a small glimpse of what is ahead for the show. 

Red wig,
red dress,
shiny shoes and a huge smile. 

Lauren sang "Together at Last" with Daddy Warbucks and then she sang a solo of "Tomorrow" to close out the assembly.  There were over 2,000 people there.  I still don't know how she found the courage to do that.  She did an amazing job.  We are so proud of her!!

The director of the show played "Annie" when she was a child at this same high school.  Lauren gets to wear the same red dress.  How sweet is that?

End of a Season...

Basketball season is over.  Much to Christian's dismay, the NBA did not show up with a contract, but he was not as disappointed as I thought he would be.  He played most of his games with both arms up waiting for a pass, a pass which rarely came, but...he truly loved the experience.

He still uses every second of free time at home in the basement practicing basketball. I love it.  He has now told us that when he grows up, "I am either going to be in the NBA or win American Idol."

Thomas' season is also over.  It was a great year and this basketball season was by far the most positive experience he has had in sports.  His coaches were great and it was so fun to watch his confidence explode.

Congrats T on a great season!!
 

 

End of a season.  The weather is warming...bring on the flag football!

Hands Tied

My sister Marisa is having a miscarriage today.  She is heartbroken.  You would think that because we basically live in the same state that we "live close enough" to help each other in desperate times, but truth be told, we don't.  Without traffic, the drive is 1 1/2 hours and with traffic, it can sometimes take up to 3 hours each way to drive to Colorado Springs.

But as I got the news that this was happening, everything was perfectly lined up with carpools etc, so that I could easily make the drive to be there for her and to help with her 13-month old baby.  However, as I was preparing myself to leave, I realized that I have another major obstacle preventing me from being there to help...Lauren is home from school today because she was diagnosed with strep throat last night.  She has not been on antibiotics for 24-hours.  (I am sure that bringing strep throat to her house is the last thing she would want.)

Hands tied is a helpless feeling and I hate it. 

The only comfort is to hear how so many of her friends and ward members are "acting on their impulse to do something good" and they are showering her with meals and reminders that she is loved.

This is my third sister / in-law in the past month to experience this loss.  I have had to sit on the sidelines for them all.  It sucks.

It has been a humbling reminder of my own need to step up my efforts when someone around me is in need.  I hope to more readily recognize the importance of being willing to "mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort" (Mosiah 18:9).

I am driving down tomorrow.  We promised each other that we would find something to laugh about.  I think we both need it.

Growing...no pains yet.

It is interesting to watch as my kids are maturing in different ways.  Thomas is really beginning to change and I know that I have said it before, but he is blossoming and I am loving the changes that I see. He seems to be more aware of the needs of others and he is acting on his impulses to do something good without being prompted or let's be honest, bribed by me.

Yesterday, I went to Costco with Sophie and Christian.  The car was loaded up with the over-sized boxes and food items.  On the way home, we picked up Thomas as he walked home from the bus stop.  As we pulled in the garage and the kids ran in the house, you can imagine how my heart swelled, when Thomas returned after taking his backpack inside and immediately started helping me with the groceries.  He came back twice to easy my burden and then when I got inside, he asked me where things needed to be put in the pantry.  Wow.

And then, to top it off, he has been taking a home economics cooking class at school and he asked if he could make dinner for me.  He made a South American dish called "Picadillo."  He chopped the onions and minced the garlic...himself.  He cooked the meat and then helped me to set the table.  The meal was delicious and we all enjoyed it...especially me.  (Romney is out of town, so you can imagine how nice that was for me.)

I was so touched by his simple acts of kindness.  His attitude about everything lately has been remarkable.  I am so proud of him.  I guess that I am just so grateful that he is maturing and finding his place and I know that he will gradually need to voice his independence and pull away from me (hopefully only slightly), but for now his effort to take a step closer to me is melting my heart.  Thank you T!