Memorial Day

As I said before, we headed to STG for the memorial weekend.

We had a busy few days unpacking my parents new house.

I am going to miss their amazing Idaho home and all the fun memories,

but I am so excited for their new place!

(it is so roomy and pretty and perfect for them)

sorry no pics :(

On our way home we decided to stop in Springville and visit Sonny's

Grandparents' graves.

 We taught the kids some cemetery etiquette

(I'm amazed at how many people walk right on top of the graves)

and told stories about some of our ancestors who have passed.

I tried my darndest to talk about my own grandparents, but every time I started

I burst into tears.

pathetic.

I just miss them so much.

 The kids were so great and they loved hearing some of their heritage.

They wanted to walk around and find some little graves.

It was very humbling to find them.

I really don't want to miss a memorial day doing this.

It was a great moment to take some time out and think of the great people are family has come from.

*If you are wondering what the Rockstar has tied around his legs...

wet wipes.

It's amazing what kids come up with to entertain in the car.

awesome.

Better than Christmas?

Mother's Day.

Okay, maybe that is a stretch, but year after year this is becoming one of my favorite holidays.

And this year, my sweet family blew me away!

They treated me like royalty and it was fan-stinkin-tastic!!

All week long, Lulu was prepping me for the upcoming day.

She kept reminding me that on Sunday I was to stay in bed ALL DAY LONG

and not do ANYTHING! Ha. Someone is teaching her well.

The morning all started with them serving me some breakfast in bed.

They were so disappointed to see me already awake and getting ready for the day 

(darn 9 am church...and can you tell mascara only made it on one eye? stink.)

Daddy had them all wear aprons to show that it takes all of them working to do what I do each day.

Cute.

On the menu was watermelon and a green smoothie.

My kind of breakfast.

 Lulu surprised me with the sweetest little book all about

yours truly.

Definitely making the treasure box.

I loooooved it. 

 Her interpretations of me were so great.

What is my mom good at? cheerleading.

(what!??)

 And the Rockstar! He gave me a handmade noodle necklace.

Gosh. I love it. I really don't think it would feel like mother's day without one of these babies draped around my neck!

Thank you baby boy!!

 The last page of the book cracked us all up.

Notice the ending.

 Lu's teacher's name is Diana, so somehow she got a little confused. Ha. I adore her.

The presents ended with a flower pot painting with Rockstar's handprint,

kisses from Gigi, and Sonny gave me the loveliest card full of mushies and a gift card to 

Forever21.

(yee-ha!)

 A few pics snapped before church with the best kids I know.

(and I know a lot ;))

That afternoon we drove out to the UP house.

We hadn't ever been to see it and we live a few miles away.

It was Darling!

 The kids and I decided we want to live here.

(sonny's still on the fence)

 We spotted a park and spent the next couple of hours playing and resting on the grass.

 Such a glorious day.

And I owe everything to this sweet man.

Thank you Sonny,

for making me a wife and then a mommy.

I felt so special this day

and really every day.

I love my life.

Lets Play Music

The two oldies enrolled in a music class this year with our neighbor, Miss Kara.

I have to admit that I didn't absolutely love every second of the work,

(A LOT of parent involvement...talk about the deaf leading the deaf!)

but I was so impressed with how much they learned over the year.

It was fun to see it all showcased in their recital

May 3rd.

 The future of America :)

 The Rockstar and Tyler playing 3 Blind Mice.

 Lulu and cute Genna playing 

"A Frog went a Leaping"

 Miss Kara (such a great teacher!) gave out awards and roses to the kids.

Love her passion.

 I was one proud mama.

Good job Lu and Rocks!

You guys blew me away all year long.

I think Beethoven would be proud.

*side note: did you know that doe, re, mi actually means something musically??

I didn't. I really just thought they were rhymes in a cute little song from one of my favorite movies.

But no! Each one really means something. I don't really know what, but at least I know it's not gibberish now.

Hot Dog!! Maybe there is some music hope for me after all :)

Tulip Festival

{April 16th}

One of our favorite families (Love the Gouldings!) invited us to the Tulip Festival this year.

I can't believe we have lived so close for 4 years and we have never checked this event out.

I think I was just expecting a small little garden of tulips, but there was SO much more!

Gosh. I fell in love with this place.

and so did the munchkins.

Rockstar + Ray

Lola + Lu

 The kids had a ball playing on the hill.

   And Sonny and I tried to figure out how much a waterfall costs...

cause seriously, I want my yard to some what resemble this one day.

It was so pretty.

Tony got cute baby Pepper out and I think my baby girl's heart grew 2 sizes!

Can you see the joy in that girl's face! 

She LOVES everything about babies....that is until I hold one.

Ha. Hope she grows out of that eventually :)

 so precious.

I think we are open for babysitting :)

I have to say the absolute best part of the evening was the Goulding's introducing us to fried doughnuts.

Oh. my. goodness.

They were the BEST little morsels I have ever (and I mean ever) tasted!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of them (too busy stuffing my face) except for this one...

I think we bought 3 bags...and there were even some dipped in chocolate!!...

K I gotta stop and get some control here.

*breathe*

They were just so good. Sonny asked the lady if they were healthy.

Hahahaha!! She gave him the weirdest look. He was serious too.

Yep. All natural ingredients: flour, oil, butter, sugar, butter, sugar and cinnamon.

If you go, you gotta get em.

Thank you for inviting us Goulding Family!

Such a great night.

Oh,

And in case any of you fashionistas were wondering...

yes. boxer-bum is totally back in style.

yep

you're welcome :)

One week Ago...

I was out on the town celebrating this handsome man's 32nd year.

We celebrated in St George town.

(there helping my folks move into their new place...yippee!)

Sonny worked all day and the kids and I shopped all day.

I know. Such a procrastinator like always.

I have to laugh, because I was at Ross Dress For Less trying to decide which sealed cologne looked like it might smell appealing and whether or not Sonny was a money clip kind of guy (he isn't).

I was struggling so I called my brother to get some advice.

Here it is...

"Ross Dress For Less!? Stop thinking like a girl and start thinking like a Dude!

Run to your nearest bike shop now!"

Haha.

I quickly put down the curve and followed his advice :)

5 hours later...I became the "raddest" wife ever when Sonny opened up his new pair of

mountain bike shorts and special "sweat resistant" shirt (I know. and they think our stuff is ridiculous.)

I really have never seen him so excited over anything. honestly.

thanks bro.

The night followed with a date of Thai Food, shopping, hanging out up at the airport

 and Hunger Games (love!)

It was one of those rare special nights that just take you back to when you were first dating and 

all in love and stuff.

Seriously.

I am still smiling about it.

Nothing too over the top special, but one of those nights where I looked at my husband sitting across the table and thought-

Gosh, How did I get so lucky?

I've met a lot of amazing people throughout my life, but I have never come across

someone as sincere, loving, kind, fun, and dedicated

as the man that I am married to.

I just adore you.

Happy 32nd Babe!

You're awesome.

Hope you enjoy your new padded shorts :)

Blogging

I'm stinking at it.

I know.

Do you guys remember a time when I used to keep this thing up...

posting multiple times a week??

No?

anyone??

Oh, none of you are reading anymore huh.?

It's okay. I wouldn't either.

(thanks for still reading though mom:))

I've lost my spark. I've lost my zest. I've lost the blogging enthusiasm.

I just don't ever feel like sitting at the computer and documenting life anymore,

because let's face it....blogging takes soooo much time.

Time that could be spent doing other things like actually living more of the moments instead of trying so hard to capture them.

I convinced myself that was the real reason I was letting my blog go by the wayside.

*inside my head...careful...it's a scary place*

I want to just spend time playing with my family not sitting in front of the computer.

I don't want my kids growing up with a camera in front of their face.

I don't want to waste another second frustrated that Sonny didn't reach for the camera and capture 

gigi and me playing ring around the rosies...cause dang it, it was darling!

(he is a pose only kind of guy)

So with all that in mind, I was slowly giving it up.

Taking way less pictures, not writing nearly as much, letting gigi's new word-isms,

lulu's first field trip, and the rockstar's baseball games (so good btw) go by the wayside.

And I was fine with it.

Afterall, my parents didn't document every second of my life and I turned out okay. (my opinion:))

BUT then the other morning, my theory was shaken.

I heard soft voices and giggling taking place in the other room while I was making my bed

(totally wasn't making my bed...just wanted you guys to be impressed)

I walked around the corner and found this....

My 2 girlies looking thru one of our 5 blog books.

They were laughing and pointing

and remembering.

Remembering lots of memories that would probably have been forgotten had I not sat at the computer

hour upon hour writing, posting, and putting them in a book to sit in our family room available for 

their little hands to reach up and thumb thru their lovely life.

It revived me.

I grabbed my camera and snapped a pic.

It touched my heart and I realized,

I want to keep this up.

I want to post as much as I can,

because I want to remember it all.

I will continue to leave my camera at home from time to time and I definitely will choose

playtime over computer time,

but I am back in the game.

I'm blogging. 

So keep reading mom :)

It's Bachelorette Monday y'all!!!

I have been tuning into the Bachelor since Andrew Firestone (season 3), which means I have wasted

 enjoyed approximately 528 hours of my life watching the show.

I used to be a "closet Bachelor Fan" You know, a little embarrassed to admit that I dedicate 

 so much of my time and heart to a show that infamously produces no happy endings!

(I am still in the healing process from Emily and Brad's split) 

I also tried to give it up a couple of seasons...I figured Ashley Hebert's season was a good time to start, 

(that needs no explanation)

but as hard as I tried, I couldn't kick the dirty little habit.

And then I thought...WHY TRY? Afterall, there really is no better television.

25 guys/women falling all over one bachelorette/bachelor.

Every Monday night is a party of every possible emotion...

Fights + Charm + Beauty + Amazing Dates + Tears + Crazy Girls + Bentley (am I the only one that loves him??) 

+ LOVE (K not really....but I swear one of these times it's gonna work)

Plus Monday is my laundry day, so I fold my huge mound while I tune in which has made 

Pavlov's classical conditioning a little personal...

Disgust for Laundry + 2 hours of watching Bachelor (ette) while folding apparel = 

new Love for Laundry (what the??)

Anywho, this is getting way too lengthy. 

The reason for this post is to remind you all to TUNE IN tonight.

Seriously, even if you're one of those "I'm too good to watch that silly "trendy" show" 

STOP IT and TUNE IN, 

because Emily is back and going to be the Bachelorette this season

and she is basically everything I want to be in my life...

Haha. Okay, I know I don't have a chance in heck, but I adore her.

She is Beautiful and Classy and Southern and sweet and Beautiful :)

As I said before, I watched her and Brad fall in love a few seasons back

(oh the tears for them!)

It didn't work. She's back and I can't wait to tune in.

PLUS, one of the dude's on the show I know.

Jef Holm.

Okay, I don't personally know him at all, but he's from St George and Sonny is really good friends with his older brother,

so I'm married to a guy who knows a guy who's brother's with a guy.

Did you follow that?

No?

K. Basically, I'm famous :)

So don't forget tonight at 830!

DVR it.

Now.

Happy Bachelorette Monday!