Easter Eggs......

Saturday was the 3rd annual Salem Community Easter Egg Hunt. Some pretty fantastic people in our community get together and fill easter eggs and round up a bunch of prizes and put this whole show on. We each contribute a little bit of candy, but they do an awesome job. I salute them and extend many, many thanks to all who helped put this together!!!

Dylan being silly with his basket, in front of my brother Blake.

Taylor putting the HUSTLE on...

Jared, being focused, but getting the hang of it.

Jared's Birthday April 7, 2009

Jared ready for preschool.

Last Tuesday, Jared turned 3. As a result he was 'booted' from the Infant/Toddler Program and transitioned to the developmental preschool in our school district. Thus his birthday was also his 'First Day of School.' We drive him into school and he rides the bus home with Taylor. He'll only go on Tues. & Thurs.

When we got there, I experienced first hand, seperation anxiety. I've never had to deal with that before because Dylan & Taylor were always happy to get rid of me. Jared was crying and screaming. He was a little doubtful because we were in a strange place with different people. So one of the aide's scooped him up, told me he'd be just fine, and told me to have a great morning. So I walked all the way down the hall, listening to Jared screaming at the top of his bloodly lungs. But they called me a little while later to let me know that he had calmed down and was just fine. When we went on Thurs. morning, I just had Taylor walk him to his class. He never looked back and me and did great.

Everyone being curious at Jareds new 'Thomas the Train' laptop

Jared with all of his birthday loot.

Jared with his new bed set, Thank you Grandma Thurber!!!

Jared blowing out his candles.

And it came to pass.....

Once upon a time I thought that I wanted a certain something. Then when I thought that I might have the opportunity to obtain it, I began to second guess myself. As time goes on I notice that I second guess myself A LOT!!! Well, that opportunity has passed and all I'm left with is confusion, frustration, regret and hurt. I haven't reacted the way I thought I would (yet) and I'm wondering how well I really do know myself. I've been told that it will be like winter and a popular phrase in the Book of Mormon....And it came to pass.

General Conference

Last Thursday morning, Jeff received an unexpected phone call, extending an invitation for a pair of tickets for the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference...if we were interested. Of course we were interested!!! So Sunday morning, (after having worked the previous four nights) I went home and got ready. After dropping the kids off with my parents, Jeff and I were on the road. I slept (of course) for about 2 - 2 1/2 hrs. We found a great parking place and headed in. We were a little early but got the hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practicing in between sessions. We've been to the Conference Center only one other time and it was just to look around. We thought we had pretty good tickets and we really had an enjoyable time. It was so awesome to stand altogether when the First Presidency walked in and listening to the choir gave me chills all down my back. I've never heard them in person before. It was well worth the loss of any sleep that was sacrificed. Afterward, we got in the van and came back home.

Even though I've been to Salt Lake many times with less than pleasant experiences with Dylan, I still really enjoy that city. Sometimes I joke that I could drive there in my sleep, but don't worry....Jeff drove the whole time, there and back. I really appreciated that experience.

"It's so hard to be a child!!!"

Today just after Taylor came home from school, she had some 5 year old stress. Her purple balloon (that she got from a birthday party on Sat.) was not acting the way she thought it should. The result? To throw herself down on the floor (cause that ALWAYS helps) and begin to cry..."It's so hard to be a child!!!"

I don't know that I remember feeling that way when I was younger. In fact as I've gotten older, I've often wished that I could go back to simpler times.....Times when I wasn't the one in charge of three meals a day or having something close to clean for all to wear everyday...... wishing that the dishes would do themselves or that the kids would wash themselves as well. Was I thankful for all the times my mom would cradle me in her arms and kiss the 'owies' better, or have dad come reassure me that there were in fact no monsters in my bedroom? I could always trust that my parents would have me practice the piano no matter how much I tried not to, and that 'someday you'll thank me for this...' I'll never forget how my dad tried to teach me that contrary to the then current belief, 'clubs' were not really that popular, and that my mom was right... I did need to learn how to clean the bathroom to a satisfactory level.

Wouldn't that be great, if the greatest distress in life were over the purple balloon!?! Oh to be like a child.