Dayners

Happy Birthday Dayne,

Dayne, you are the greatest. Thank you for always singing songs, waking us up, making sure our cars start, and making sure you're the center of our attention. There's no better way to wake up then having your scratchy voice in my ear telling me that you want cereal. Thank you for always dancing, and distributing your beautiful smile to all of us. I love you very much and can't wait to take you on a birthday date.

Honestly, I just found her like this, cheesy grin and all!

And last, but not least, Daddy's video from Junie. Sorry it's sideways!! How DO you fix that??

wearehappy

Just want to make it clear that I'm extremely, EXTREMELY, excited to be moving back to Richmond. We enjoyed out time so much out there and can't wait to experience more (now that gas isn't $4/gallon and hopefully Geof. will make enough money to afford a few trips here and there)!! We love our friends and can't be more grateful for this opportunity the Roberts have given Geof. to become a home appraiser. He's very happy so far and is learning a ton. He feels very comfortable with what he's doing and says the job fits him perfectly. YES! So, I guess the kids and I are flying out May 8th-ish. Wish us luck! We ALWAYS need it.
~about the kids: Cole is 6, doing Tae Kwon Do. Not really lovin' it. Wants to do soccer. Enjoys school but fights going every day. Hates the rain. Trys really hard to be a good big brother. Adores little June bug.
Dayne: 4 on Friday. Wants balloons, bandaids, and a date with mom and dad (oh, and I musn't forget the bike we've been promising her). Has the greatest smile ever and my goal SHOULD be to get it out of her at least 20 times a day. Still has a rough, low,alto voice that everyone (except for my brother Bevan and his wife Camille) love. Talks my head off all day long and follows me around the house making up all sorts of dialogue. Quite the funny girl.
Juney bug is nearing 2 (I mention that a lot, don't I?). She's still finds herself wrapped up in my arms on my lap often, and I can't complain, but the whining HAS to stop! It must be a girl thing. She and Dayne are within a few feet of me most of the day and I'm slowly accepting this difference between my daughters and my son and I know will greatly appreciate it when they're married and come back to visit.

Why I'll miss Washington..

Having family so close by, the beautiful spring and summer weather, friends like Nikki, and the swing on grandma's porch.

to you, Daddy

today

Got up this morning at 5:15..so very sleepy. Drove to the Portland Temple, tried to be alert and attentive and inspired. Drove home to my darling kids who my mother in law so graciously watched.

It was good to get away, even if I was mostly asleep it seemed. I was a complete witch yesterday. My in-law's plumbing is getting completely redone. It's a good thing..., but quite a pain for us folks living downstairs (where much of the cutting, draining, adhesiving (word?) is going on). My living space is a complete unorganized disaster! And now that we are possibly, hopefully-won't tell you much more than that, right now-moving back to Richmond, I'm in clean out and pack up mode, and the fact that I can't do it is driving me nutty nuts. Let life take me, not me take it-that's what I'm learning.

Dayne's 4 on May 1st. If anyone wants to send a bag of balloons, she'd be thrilled (yes, I realize that might contradict my newfound desire to be less wasteful). As you can see in above pics, my kids LOVE balloons. I bought a bag at Fred Meyer on a whim the other day, and it was hours before they stopped tossing 'em around, filling them up with water, fighting over them, etc. I'm thinking it's time to buy another bag since we ran out on Sunday and they've been asking for more ever since.

listen and live!

Tell me this doesn't make you wanna just get up and dance?!! I first heard this song when Geof. took me to a BYU beginning of the year dance performance. I almost fell off my chair watching the ballerinas flitter and float (and rock!) around the stage to this amazing piece of music!! I was in somewhat of a daze for days afterwards..that's what good music can do to me. Vanessa-Mae is incredible.

This is the FIRST thing they should show in high school World Gov. class

Can you BELIEVE I'd post this pic of myself?? This is what I've looked like for the last month. Yucky, allergy ridden eyes, no make-up, no contacts. What CAN I do?? Enough about that, though...read below.

My mom sent this short video which I believe gives us a very clear definition of government and what ours was intended to be! Please take the 10 minutes to watch. In the end you'll hear the line "Trade freedom for security". That's how I'M feeling right now!! I don't want to be dependent on the government, but I'm feeling no choice! How can we get back in control and gain our freedom back, people?!

Politics always stir things up..

Maybe the following question won't be so offensive to some of my blog followers....
"Do you think June's eyebrows look weird in the above pic? Should I start plucking them?"

Got me thinking..

I read this article yesterday in Newsweek. I grew up in a very strongly conservative family and have had the feeling lately that conservatism is not what it used to be and needs a change. I agree with the author, that Rush Limbaugh should not be the mouthpiece of the Republican Party/Conservative movement. He IS self-indulgent. And this coming from someone (me, not the author) who's mother was obsessed with Rush. We went to "Dan's Bake Sale" back in, what?..'93?, in Ft. Collins, CO. Yet, he's become too confident for his own good and is damaging more than inspiring. Read and let me know what you think...., or not.

spring!

We'll miss you Sister Kelly!! Sis. Clarissa Kelly was transfered last week. She'd been living upstairs for more than 7 months. She taught June to walk (really!), she played with Cole daily, she LOVED my kids. I love her. We can't wait to see her again.

Getting ready for the photo shoot with Sis. Kelly. We took a bunch of cute pics and made a book for her.

Last week (I think Monday?) we had the most beautiful Spring day ever!! I've never experienced a more perfect day. Or could it possibly be the fact that it'd be rainy and overcast for so long and we were so happy for sun..??! We went to a nearby park, and it felt like heaven.

What Cole does at parks. No swings, no slides.., just climbs.

On our way to the car, they saw this blossomed tree and had to throw their shoes to the ground and climb it.

Geof. met us here after work. He's making fun of this particular photo shoot (if you can't tell by the look on his face).

Cole trying to give me a "manly" pose out by grandma's pink trees.

gratitude

I don't read her blog very often, but once in a while I'll see it on someone else's blog and I can't help but be curious about her recovery, her life, her emotions. Read this post and tell me you aren't grateful for the breath you take.

~I decided to add to this post. Not to take Stephanie's experience lightly..at ALL, but I can somewhat relate to her feelings when her plane was crashing. When Geof. was almost done with school, finishing up his final hours, and doing quite a bit of cross country flights, one weekend, he invited me to go along with him to Seattle. On our way back, Geof. and the other pilot were up front (of course) and a mechanic and I were in the back. This plane was BRAND new and the reason we were flying a mechanic back to Provo was because Geof.'s school had had to fly him up to Seattle to fix the plane when we got there because some poor ignorant fool had poured the wrong kind of gasoline in the engine...woops.
So, we were stranded a few days more than planned and were finally on our way back. While flying over some part of Idaho, the other pilot calmly mentioned that one of the engines had gone out. I tried to talk to Geof. and ask him what that meant, if we were okay, etc.???, but he was quiet, busy working the instruments of the plane, and didn't respond. That was my first clue that something was not right. I looked at the mechanic, as well, who also had a troubled look on his face. He didn't respond to me either. That's it, I knew we were crashing. The same thoughts ran through my head-"Who will take care of my kids?", "Have I done my best here on earth?"..etc. And all I could see was my kids' faces. For what seemed like an eternity (probably only a few minutes), Geof. finally responded and told me he was landing the plane. Still not really positive about whether that meant they would 'hopefully' land the plane safely, but I did try to trust that all would be well either way, and prayed like crazy that it would!! We did land safely, and as soon as we got out the tears came. My heart was beating like crazy. Geof. hadn't realized that I was this nervous and didn't know that he should of clearly stated that airplanes CAN fly with only one engine. Just not forever.
Why hadn't he told me that in the beginning??

sad day for Cole

Yesterday was a difficult one for Cole. Don't really know why, but many things brought him to tears and utter frustration (and destruction, might I add). At one point, we had all hurt his feelings and he drew this picture. I thought it was so sad (and amusing) that I had him take a pic with it. Yes, that's me next to crying Cole yelling at him. When I showed Geof. the pic, he laughed and said, "All that's missing is some fangs on you..". ha..ha, Geof. );

We did a very bad job this year of listening to General Conference. No excuses, it just didn't happen for us. Today, I decided to start from the very first talk and listened to it while working in the kitchen. SO wonderful. What a perfect talk to start out conference. Very humble, very sweet, very NEEDED for all to hear. Elder Hales quoted Nephi:

"Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness". 2Nephi 9:51

What a true, pure, scripture. I love the scriptures. I go through spouts (right word?) where I love to read them and really try to study them.., and then I get lazy and read them late at night when I'm falling asleep. Yet when have that desire to read, I pray for it..and it helps. I get more excited to study and learn. It's a wonderful thing.

If you haven't heard this talk, listen to it here:

Spring break

Geof. took a test on Friday just north of Seattle to apply for the police department. We decided to go with him and fit some time in to visit a few of my cousins who live up north. The latter end of the trip (Sat. and Sunday) were spent with my cousin Jordan and his family. Here are the kids during the break between sessions of Gen. Conference. There's nothing like an abandoned field with all sorts of debris to climb over. A sweet moment between Dayne and Geof. Good thing he's around to balance things out between crazy me and crazy Dayne. Like mother, like daughter.

Cole and his little cousin Dottie were quite fond of each 0ther. Dottie's almost 3 and generally Cole shows no interest in kids younger than him.., but there was actually a little flirting going on between the two (if you can actually call it "flirting").

Jordan, Megan, Dottie, and Emma.

Thursday and Friday were spent up in Duvall, WA with my cousin Brian and his family. The kids had so much fun in their great 4-wheeling yard. Thank you Brian!!

Makaela and Dayne. These 2 girls (Isabel pictured up top with June) were so good and patient with my kids. They made it very enjoyable for me who usually stresses with these kind of visits (any kind, actually).

Cole was THRILLED to ride the 4-wheeler all by himself!! So thrilled, in fact, that he ran right into Brian's new Toyota truck. ugh.

Impaired vision? This is how Dayne looked most of the time. The helmet was way too big and she was too scared to let go with one hand to hold it down.

Love this pic.

Oh, Dayne..

Yesterday we were driving to Uncle Bryan's for dinner and Dayne was in the backseat with her baby doll. "mom," she calls out, "will you take my baby doll's hair out?" (let me make it clear that I've done this well over 15 times, and her dolls hair is now knotted beyond repair with multiple rubberbands). "Not now, honey." To which she replies, in a whiny voice, "Yeeesss! Please mommy! I'll give you a donut..., that I have in my pocket."
hm...how do I pass that up?

April Fool's Day!

Most mornings Geof. wakes up with a dream he wants to tell me about. This morning wasn't different. He woke up and told me he had a very real and vivid dream. I asked him if it was about what decision he should make in regards to our future (can you tell what's been on our mind?). He responds with, "Well, yes. I think it does", very seriously. He goes on to tell me that he thinks there's another baby for us. I said, "When?" and he said, "now." (still very serious, mind you). I'm thinking "WHAT? This is crazy!" For any of you who know Geof., having another baby right now and him being the one to bring it up is unheard of!! The only baby he was okay with us having was Dayne. So, to make me believe him even more, he asks, "What do you think?". I just tell him I don't know. And then he goes back to the dream and his feelings of holding a baby and looking at the calendar. "What'd the calendar say??", I ask him.
"April Fool's Day."
I just laid there and smiled. And then I hit him.