Proof:

Theory: your prayers are answered through another person.

Proof: Tonight Lucas was saying his prayer (we’re working with him on not saying repetitive prayers)

Starts out great, then gets to a thank you.

‘Thank you that I can graduate (from preschool). Thank you that mommy can come to my graduation. Thank you that mommy can make me cupcakes with chocolate frosting and sprinkles for my graduation’

Looks like I have work to do. And if I didn’t do it, would the cupcakes with chocolate frosting and sprinkles get made?? No. Therefore I need to make the cupcakes to help the Lord answer my son’s prayer.

Theory proved to be correct. (I knew my Statistics major would come in handy some day!) And I’m grateful for the simple faith of my son.

Scooptacular!

Dear ,

Thank you for letting us come on a tour. We love ice cream!! We had soooooooo much fun! Thanks for letting us add oreos to the ice cream, taste the pre-ice cream mix and stand in the really cool freezer. Well, I just watched, but next time……next time I’ll be big enough.

Lucas had bubblegum and he ate.it.up. No really, we had a great time……..see:

My sister especially loved it – seriously. Tears of pain that our mean mom made us leave the store and wouldn’t share the ice cream she bought for dad and Lea. Even though she’d already eaten a cookie monster ice cream cone and didn’t share with me. I didn’t complain.

Love, Ammon

Happy birthday - Reynolds/Risenmay style.....wait for it.

420

Nope, not a pot-smokin’ junky, this just happens to be my birthday. (which I just discovered this year is an actual celebration all over.the.world - Yes I’m very naïve in the ways of the world, but I’m okay with that.) Lucky me right? It gets better.

Not only do all the pot smokers celebrate, but I share my birthday with the Fuhrer of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler and the Columbine shooting in Colorado back in 1997 (happens to be the year I graduated from high school…..but don’t tell anyone I’m actually that old).

So lucky for me these are the events that have transpired on my birthday. On a better note, I share my birthday with one of my good friends from elementary school.

I’m sure there are those who curse that day, and for very different reasons, celebrate it. I happen to love it and well I’d like to think my family does too. haha!

To celebrate my birthday, I made cupcakes. For two reasons: 1 – it’s my birthday and I can. and 2 – Lucas needed something to take for an Easter party at preschool – done and done. Oh and teacher appreciation week was an added bonus as well.

I dropped off Lucas and Lea at their respective schools, then dropped the other two off at Bundy’s, Lucas would join them later. I decided to do something fun, but apparently I was the only one available, so I went to the movies – yes, by myself. Me, 4 little old ladies in the front row and 3 guys behind me, 2 of which left half way through. At first I was THE. ONLY ONE THERE. A little weird to pay 7 bucks to watch a movie by myself – kept waiting for them to come tell me the movie was canceled because noone was there. The 4 ladies gave me a glimpse of my future should I live to be that age – how fun!! BTW, I saw 'Limitless' with Bradley Cooper - love it! (Fav actor Will from Alias)

Dear spouse brought me flowers, a friend in the ward brought me the most delicious cookies and Lisa gave me a almond/chocolate bar – not just any chocolate, Belgian chocolate, and of course, lovely cards/signs made by my kids.

Jeff told me he would like to take me shopping for new clothes. My mom had already done this, but I’m still not super excited about the extra pounds from the last baby. So I told him I would rather have a bike and trailer to be able to enjoy the clothes I have. Deal. For the first time since I was 16, I have my own bike. yeah me! And I have to wear a helmet, what’s that all about!?

This was our first bike ride together – we borrowed a trailer and hooked it up to Jeff –Ammon cried the entire time…….not looking like a great idea here…… and when we were on our way back, we hooked the trailer to my bike. All of a sudden, I hear this horrible scraping noise and a little voice “MOM!! Wait up!” haha!!! The trailer fell off and she was afraid I would leave them. hardly.

Another ride to the scary, abandoned, haunted house. There was no crying this time and our new trailer stayed on.

Easter Egg carnage

We decided this year to have a roller egg derby - (inspired by the Shermans). I bought some dye kits last year on Easter Clearance - out they came. And I was feeling a little guilty that we weren't making fun memories with the kids. As a last ditch effort and something to keep them occupied, we dyed eggs for the fun of 'crashing' them into each others eggs.

 

Where's Abbey?? She was grumpy after church and was taking a nap.

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!!! LIVE, LIVE, LIVE!!!! 

The boys vs. girls

 Apparently I don't know how to boil eggs - there's always next year. maybe.

Ewwwww and double EWWWW! Thankfully though I didn't have to smell egg salad everytime I opened the fridge.

Easter 2011

Either I’m not a fun mom or I just don’t care to do all the extra stuff that comes along with most holidays.

We’ve never been to a pumpkin patch, we’ve never dyed eggs (until this year), we don’t go to Zoo lights for Christmas, no egg hunts and I don’t make my kids search for their baskets, nor are they filled with candy. So if you do any of those things, go ahead and give yourself a round of applause for treating your kids to fun times. And we only go trick-or-treating to see the Halloween house at the end of the street.

I do however, go to the Temple for Christmas lights and we drive around the neighborhoods looking at any and all lights. For Easter, they get a few items in their baskets and hopefully we are teaching them the true meaning of these holidays. Last year we went to the Easter Pageant at the LDS Temple in Mesa. I loved it! Loved it. It was a little chilly, but we had a great time with Beckers.

So we tried again this year. This time I got to go early and not save seats, but spread our stuff out enough to have seats for Beckers and her sister’s family. This year was much warmer, but when the sun went down, it was perfect. We brought the umbrella while we waited til 8 pm for the program to start. Did I mention we got there at 3:30……but the kids were great and we enjoyed some time just us before everyone showed up. Loved it this year too. My favorite part is when the angels sing and when the children visit with the Savior, oh and when Mary sings about her baby and the end when the whole cast is rejoicing because Christ is resurrected and he appears (this part is freaky just because of how high he is.) above the angels and is raised up another 10 feet above them. It’s beautiful!

Abbey & Ally

group shot…….close enough

Afterwards the actors were out and about (they are before the show too, talking with visitors and some have the animals too)

Lea wanted a picture with this cute Angel

Lucas did not want a picture with the angel, but the soldier – absolutely!! And he got to hold the sword. sweet.

Abbey chose her favorite actress……okay it was just me, but still her favorite.

No pictures of Jeff, but he was there – at about 7:00. Actually he's in the group shots of the kids wearing the white Cozumel shirt, just no face shot.