Emmy meets the Family!

Aunt Noreen and Uncle Ken meeting out cute Emmy!!!!!!!!!

Ice Cream!

My new Ice Cream maker from the Friedman's.  Ummmm.......AWESOME!  We made vanilla to see if I could actually make it and I did!  It was sooooooo yummy!

My Birthday

April 26th

My Birthday!  I tried to be more gracious this year about accepting gifts.  I don't normally like my birthday.  It makes me nervous to have that much attention.  Taylor spoiled me with decorations and chicken coop equipment! My sister Heidi and her husband Ron also spoiled me with lots of gifts!  John gave me a chicken coop, flowers, balloons and candy!  Flowers from Aunt Noreen and Uncle Ken.  Gift card from Mary. Lot's of calls, messages and texts from my awesome friends and family.  Gift card,photo frame and cards from the Oliva's.  Treats from Nicole and I was sung to at church on Sunday!  Quinn went to a scout camp and didn't get to go to dinner with us.  Adam, Alicia and Emmy are in California but gave the cutest photo key chain before they left.  Taylor, John and I tried to go to McGrath's that night but apparently we haven't been there for a while because it changed to another restaurant 4 years ago!  So we decided to try the mexican place Dave keeps telling us about called Mama Chu's.  The food was awesome and it was the hole in the wall that was promised!  Taylor liked it so much she wants to go there for her birthday next week!

My Aunt Noreen

There is something about talking to my Aunt Noreen that comforts me.  She is so much like my mom. Sometimes it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about how close they were.  I miss mom so much.  I even dreamed today during a nap that she, my Aunt Noreen and I were on a cruise.  We were having so much fun!  There are times that it's also so hard to hear her voice too...not because I don't want to talk to her but because it brings back a flood of memories of my mom and causes me to cry.  No one can bring me to tears like that....she must think I cry to everyone that way!

My Aunt Noreen is so special and thoughtful.  I don't know what I would do without her!  I just love her to pieces.

Yucky Week

Sometimes it seems like you take one step forward and then two back.  I am so happy to report that my ankle is getting so much better!  It's not pain free but I have come so far! I can walk around my room and some of the time I can walk around the house with just a brace.  I still wear the boot out of the house because I'm a scaredy cat!

Last week the weather changed here in Utah as it often does in April.  It feels like winter one day and spring the other.  My lungs do not like that.  It throws them into a downward spiral.  I kept forging forward but to no avail.  I'm in bed today and it's hard to talk.  I have lots of meds at my disposal but with each one you take there are other consequences and effects on other parts of your body so I hesitate to take them.  If I were a person that reacted normal to medication, I would take some low dose steroids and get on with life.  I'm not and so here I am.

I'm upset because I have a lot to do and it also leaves a lot on my husband John's shoulders.  He already works a ton and goes to school at night.  I have great kids that help a lot and can fend for themselves quite a bit.  I have a great support system with family,friends and my awesome ward family and I know I can ask them if I need help but it is just plain YUCKY!

I will get past this but if you are someone I disappointed this week now you know why!  I also have had too much time to watch the Boston and Waco tragedies unfold on the news, I pray for those involved.

So it's Saturday tomorrow and a new day with new possibilities!

Boston

On the way to pick up the Junior High carpool, I heard about the Boston Bombing on the radio.  My first reaction was..."Is Heidi and her family ok?!".  They live in a suburb of Boston and probably would be no where near downtown but maybe they went to watch the marathon?  I got a hold of my brother in law Ron and he reassured me everyone was ok.  

Watching the sad news on TV...what stands out to me most is how fast the people around the bomb reacted to help! They didn't even seem to care that they themselves could possibly be hurt as well, they just ran to help! We often feel the world is a horrible place when things like this happen but it also highlights the core goodness of people too. Heroes emerge and goodness will defeat evil every time!

We can't fix the world.  We can work on ourselves and help the people around us.  If we look for troubled individuals and give them our time and love perhaps there will be less 'evil' in the world?  I can't change the world but I can change 'my world'.  We can be active in our goodness and hope!

Way to go Fred! Thanks Vicki for the picture!

Easter!

My little grandbaby is almost 5 months old and she loved her first Easter!

Alicia, Adam and Emmy!

Adam, Daniel and Quinn trying not to smile.  Daniel, Alicia's brother, has 5 more weeks until he goes to the Missionary Training Center and then on to his Mission in Eugene Oregon!

Why is Kristin looking in her shirt?  Why are her hands so white?  She used her shirt as an Easter basket and that's probably why she won the hunt!  She wears gloves when she bikes and got a sunburn on Saturday!

Emmy got 4 eggs in the hunt!

Alicia is the best Mommy!

My cool hubby on his bike with his Bowie shirt...he's pretending not to care!

Taylor is not finding any!

Wait a minute! This is not a real carrot!  I've been jipped!

My son Adam is so happy to be a Daddy!

Emma was not liking Enky the chick!

Are they tired or screaming?

Grandpa Jo Jo and Emma!

David and Dave!

Quinn got ready for church really early and then got us all up to find the baskets!  I love his horn and bow tie!

My beautiful Taylor!