Retirement Weekend...let's start with Saturday!

It was a FABULOUS weekend!  My mom retired from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir after over 20 years of singing with them.  We tried to make it a big deal and I think we succeeded!  Friday night all of our family (besides Ris) got together at Goodwood BBQ in Ogden for dinner.  It was yummy and we all ate way too much!!!  Matt & Nat were leaving to California for vacation so they weren't going to be there the rest of the weekend so it was nice to get with everyone before they left.  

Marisa and her family got there around lunch on Saturday and we fed everyone noodles before we did some shopping for the party.  Once we got all the food and decorations ready for Sunday, we had pizza for dinner and then headed to the Hampton Inn Hotel just up the street from us to do some swimming.  My mom had reserved two rooms so everyone would have a place to stay!  It was such a blast!

After we wore the kids out swimming, my sisters and mom and I did a quick walmart and target run followed by some orange leaf.  Most of the little kids stayed at the hotel (even though most of them slept on the floor!) and Chris, Austin and Braydon stayed in the trailer outside, so we only had the two babies at home Saturday night!  It was such a FUN day but we knew it was going to be an even bigger and funner day Sunday!

A week in review...

Let's see if I can remember what we did last week!  I really need to blog daily just so I can remember the details!  But I do know it was pretty good weather most of the week since Carson rode his bike every day, which has been great!  We love to open the blinds in the morning and soak up the warm sun in the family room.  Then the kids love to play outside while I teach piano.  Preston would spend HOURS outside if I would let him!  Here are a few pictures from the weekend though that I found on my phone...one of Alivia enjoying some yummy brownie batter, Preston who found the lawnmower and went for a ride, and then Alivia who loves to take pictures on my phone of very random things, especially her fingers.  

So Monday was a rough day though since it started out by taking Preston to the Dr since he had been a few days with a fever.  My visiting teachers were supposed to come at the same time I was able to get an appointment, but luckily they were able to come later in the day.  I just knew he had another ear infection and so the Dr confirmed my suspicions.  He spent most of Monday and Tuesday wanting to be snuggled, which has hardly ever happened since he was born.  I actually enjoyed just spending time holding him since he normally won't let me.  However, it has also made him very binky dependent, which I am not too pleased with.  He normally would only have his binky in his crib at nap time or bed time, and I was planning on taking it away very soon even for that.  But after last week, I did everything I could to keep him happy and not fussy, so that was one battle I wasn't going to fight.  Here are pictures of the poor little guy last week.

Carson had Pack Meeting Wednesday and Kaylee had a fun field trip on the front runner (see future post of Kaylee's activities).  Thursday, the kids had a performance at a retirement home in Bountiful with the Bountiful Children's choir.  They did great!  They are getting ready for their year end concert in a few weeks.  

 We finished out the week with a typical Friday of school and dance.  Preston still wasn't 100% and the proof was when he fell asleep on the couch, which again, NEVER happens!  Livy insisted she pose for a picture after I took the picture of Preston asleep.  She is so funny!

I am also feeling pretty good after my nose surgery and I am happy that most of the bruising is all gone!  I feel like I finally look like myself again!

It was a fun busy week which all led up to a fun weekend spent with my family for my mom's retirement from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  (See future post).  It was a fast and busy week!  (But aren't they all!?!?)

Because of Him

We had quite a long night last night.  Preston woke up shortly after going to bed with a fever and threw up while he was in my arms.  He got up several more times throughout the night and Nick and I tag teamed it all night.  We were exhausted since we didn't get to bed until after 11 and then didn't sleep very well.  Carson and Kaylee were up first and played until we finally rolled out of bed at 8:30.  Preston and Livy slept til almost 9.  During breakfast the kids were being silly with some silly glasses they got at the egg hunt Saturday.  

 Once everyone was awake and fed, the kids got to see what they got for Easter.  The older kids got rip sticks, Livy got some roller skates, and Preston got a new wiggle car.  They also got some candy and bubbles.  They were pleased!

After we got them out of their pj's, they went out back and got to get all the eggs the Easter bunny left.  Preston was acting like he felt a little better and was happy to be outside.  But within just a few hours he was temped up again and went happily down for a nap!

 We decided Nick would stay home from church with Preston since I needed to be at church.  The Primary sang "I know that my Savior loves Me" for sacrament meeting.  The ward choir also sang a song "It was for Me".  Then we had a lot to practice in Singing Time to get ready for the Mother's Day song we are singing.  Next week is Stake Conference so that only leaves us one more week in between to be ready for it.  Once we got home from church, we attempted to take pictures of the kids in their cute Easter outfits.  Grandma Karen had made the girls' cute dresses and bought them cute shoes and then also got the boys cute coordinating shirts.  I loved the colors!  Unfortunately, Preston and Alivia were not happy about it at all!  So it didn't go very well and I may have ONE picture I can edit and post later.  We will see.  But here are the ones that were pretty comical.

Once we got back to the house to play the kids were all happy.  They played for a bit and blew bubbles while I finished getting dinner ready.  Now miraculously they were all happy!  

We had ham, funeral potatoes, stuffing, corn, and lots of easter candy for dessert.  It was all delicious!  We got the kids to bed early tonight and poor Preston still isn't feeling the best.  He fell asleep in my arms, which isn't like him at all.  I hope he sleeps better tonight!

Overall, it was a pretty low key Easter this year.  But that doesn't mean it wasn't special.  I saw this really good youtube video about Jesus and how because of him we are blessed in so many ways.  I loved it!  So because of him, I get to have an eternal family, be a mom, be a wife, have a wonderful loving family and have hope for so many more wonderful things!  I am so grateful for my Savior and the love he offers me and my family.

Easter Egg Hunt

Yesterday, after Nick got home from working a few hours, we all headed to the school for the annual easter egg hunt the WX Youth Council puts on every year.  We always try to play games and see the bunny before the hunt starts.  This year was no different, but we were just a few minutes late for the 1-4 year old egg hunt, so the kids got to all participate in the 5-8 year old hunt, which was fine, but a little crazy!  The kids still got a lot of eggs and candy and with only some complaining from Kaylee how she didn't get as many eggs as Carson, it was a success.  Preston even won the cakewalk!  And then right after, Carson won it!  

 It was funny to see Preston's reaction to the bunny and he wasn't about to stand close to him.  So Carson held him for the picture.  It was pretty funny!

It was such a beautiful day too!  The kids spent most of the day playing outside and we enjoyed a walk around the block after we enjoyed some pizza for dinner.  Nick did some yard work and we took out some bushes that were either taking over the flower beds or were dead.  It was a nice calm Saturday at home!