Easter Bunnies on the Go

Here are some photos from the trip we took over Easter to Washington, D.C. where Oma (Chris's mom) lives:

First stop: Air and Space Museum.

This is Harrison staring up a space

capsule. You can tell he was

pretty impressed.

Cheese.

Another cheese.

Dying easter eggs at Oma's house.

More Cheese.

Oh look, the Easter bunny left a basket

full of fun things!

Checking out the goods.

Yes, we all wear Easter Bunny ears for the egg

hunt. What? You don't at your house? That's weird.

More bunnies.

Did I mention the cherry blossoms out in

full bloom, so beautiful. Look, wait...

Did Amy plan that? Shirt matching with the

blossoms? We got all the details put

together in this family, I tell you!

Proud moment here, there were fireworks at the

Cherry Blossom Festival and Harrison

is overcoming his TERRIFYING fear of

fireworks, he can now watch fireworks

with his hands cupped over his ears.

This is HUGE progress, and makes

for a really cute picture.

After very carefully planning and strategizing

how to get tickets to the White House Easter Egg

Roll it was a success! We all entered the

yearly lottery and Natalee won tickets and got

to have the boys and Oma go in with her!

So, while they were enjoying that event....

We ran off to Opening Day for the Nationals

Baseball team where THE President threw

out the first pitch which was also very cool.

And...

We were all exhausted by the end of the trip.

THE END.

***Special thanks to OMA for making Easter such a fun and memorable time for all of us! We love and appreciate you so much...no really...I mean really...REALLY. :)

Easter suits

Since we had General Conference on

Easter Sunday and not our normal

church schedule. I decided to

dress the boys up the Sunday

before Easter.

Here we have our two cute little boys

before they head off to church.

Harrison loved his little suit and obediently

posed for pictures. He was so excited to go

to church in a suit like his Dad.

Carter on the other hand, while also

somewhat excited about the thought of

a tie and jacket, pulled off the jacket

the minute we got into the building

and the tie was off about fifteen

minutes into the service,

never to return. Sigh.

So, thank goodness for pictures and the ability

to document the few minutes of put-together-ness

we had on this lovely Sunday afternoon. Cuteness.

Four

HARRISON IS 4!!

(Please be prepared for the usual gushing birthday post about my child)

I don't think I can even begin to tell you

how excited Harrison was for his

birthday weekend. It was bigger

than Christmas!

We had big plans including:

Friends party at the bowling alley on Saturday

Family party at the house on Sunday

Here we see Harrison setting up his own

bowling set to practice before the party.

No suggestion was made by anyone, just my

very methodical child getting ready for the

big event. I mean, wouldn't you do a warm up run?

He is definitely Chris's child...

Here are the party-goers or as Harrison

affectionately refers to them...

"my pre-school friends."

We made it to the party room for a

cupcake sports tower that everyone enjoyed

and Harrison successfully blew out his candle...

the second time around after his

little friend Bowman did it the first time!

Too funny, we all had a good laugh at that one.

The token parent shot. I've decided Chris and I

don't get enough shots together, so here ya go.

Afterall, not that long ago it was just us.

Okay, the Family Party started with the unveiling

of THE cake. There was a lot of back on forth

on what this should be and as you can see I caved.

Yes, I had to put the "Y" on the basketball.

I know it's a bit pathetic at this point...

But oh wait! The "Y" was the chosen piece of cake

by the birthday boy himself!!! Ca-chow!

The Family shots.

Oma and Amy

Natalee, Chris, and Carter

Helen, Leland, Alicia, and Brandon

Our little family in action. Harrison got

a bike and Carter had to also bring out his

bike to make sure there was fair and equal treatment.

Anyways, great weekend. Harrison is one

special boy. Some things of note about him:

1. He's a sweetie.

2. He's a good friend to others and my buddy.

3. He's a sports nut and loves doing sports stuff with Dad!

4. He's an old soul.

5. He's a lover not a fighter.

6. He's a good big brother.

7. His eyes are crystal blue and they hold my world.

8. He's a big boy for his age.

9. He's creative.

10. He loves his family and we love him.

Right now.

So, we've been off having fun! Busy days full of friends, playdates, dates with my husband, and all the in-between stuff of life too. It's been a great start to the year! I, of course haven't downloaded any of the pictures, but I did take this quick pictures of the boys tonight. Some notes about my boys:

Carter - Cannot get enough of him right now. He's an adorable 20 months and I love the way he walks, talks and just generally ooze love for him 24/7. He's in love with Harrison (pronounced Hair-see), but also has a strong opinion that anything Harrison gets he should have equal treatment on as well. He often uses the word "whoa," like "whoa" I got a ballon or "whoa" I fell down. It applies all over the place, I can totally appreciate that. The only un-adorable thing about him lately is that he's loving playing with his poo-poo, that's right, poo-poo. Lately if I don't catch it fast enough his hand is in the diaper pulling out and smearing poo-poo everywhere. Want to come to my house for a visit?

Harrison - Almost 4 and so excited about it. We just finished the big friend b-day invitations today and he soooo excited to have a party! He talks about it incessantly and I can only hope it lives up to his expectations...he's pretty easy to please though, I'm not worried. Just seems to be so big lately...sniff, sniff.

Chris - Super busy with work. But, we have managed to get out skiing this year twice! Some people would think this is pathetic, but for us this is living it up!

All is right in the world.

More Fun

I'm not one to just do something because it's suppose to be done and this is how I feel about New Year's resolutions. Not necessarily the first item on my to-do list for the year, but I think I found one that I can handle and totally think is necessary. Here it is:

HAVE MORE FUN.

Yep, that's it. Think I can handle it. Last year was more about keeping my head above water, take it as it comes and make it though it and I'm proud to say I did that and learned a lot about myself in the process. But, I'm ready, this year, I'm ready to have more fun. We work hard in this house if you didn't know that, and I'm actually a true believer in the value of hard work. But, more and more I realize that this life is not necessarily about surviving, okay, well sometimes it is. But, there is nothing wrong with having some fun and I plan to have lots of it!

So here are some of the things I plan to do in accordance to this tough, tough goal. (I know, how will I ever accomplish this, hope I don't throw my hands up in frustration and give up! The agony!)

Have fun with Chris - Totally already on track with this one. I bought him the COMPLETE series of Seinfeld and we are currently making our way through season 7, if you have any favorites let me know and I'll track down the episode, pop in the disc and laugh the night away with Chris. HA!

Fun with the kids - I admittedly am a worrier when it comes to my boys. Am I too strict? Am I strict enough? Are they spoiled? Are they eating enough vegetables? Do they get enough sleep? Am I teaching them enough? I plan to worry less about the little things and enjoy the big picture and repeat to myself often, "I am a good mother and everything will work out. Have fun! Have fun! Have fun!" Also on track, bought a membership to Discovery Gateway and have been barreling through the fun every week!

Remember the fun times - Whether this is documenting the current good times on this blog or taking stock of past good times this is something I can do. I still think about my Mom a lot and I'm trying to make sure it's the good stuff. The stuff that makes me laugh or smile when I think about her. That's important to me.

Fun with the family - My Dad is smiling more lately, after a tough year for him that I can only pretend to understand, he is in a better place. Blessed be! His chuckle is back to normal and there's some sarcasm coming though. He is working on all sorts of projects and talking about the here and now, all really good signs that life is starting to feel good again. Anyways, I have all sorts of family around and that is a blessing. I just need to make sure the emphasis is on fun!

Did I miss anything? I think I covered it. Fun. Fun. Fun. I'm funning myself to death. As a matter of fact we're off to see the Harlem Globe Trotters tonight with some family. Now if that's not fun, I mean really...FUN!

Sweetness

I know it's mid-January, but there's part of me that is still basking in the holidays and I felt the need to post just one last insight from my holiday experience. Last year the holidays were a little somber for me, my Mom had just passed in November, and gratefully we scaled way back on the festivities. There were great moments, but admittedly I was a little numb. I had a lot of sleepless nights and reoccurring images of my mother in her last moments and well, it was just heavy stuff.

Anyways, fast forward to a year later. A much different picture, Harrison is the grand old age of 3 1/2 and well aware of the meaning of Christmas and so excited about everything that comes with that. So, in turn, I'm excited, the preparations were well under way early on and my ability to do these things was in a much better state. And I'd have to say I noticed a sweetness to this season that I haven't in any of my past Christmases. I'm sure that this had to do with my mother's passing and now, this year, my being able to accept this spirit into my Christmas celebrations.

So there is one event in particular that had me soaring in this sweetness, Chris got invited with his board at West Mini to the MoTab (Mormon Tabernacle Choir) Christmas concert with VIP treatment! I have never been to one of these concerts before and I was REALLY excited. My relationship with the MoTab has grown over the years and that relationship relates directly to my mother. She was always a big fan and revered them, I might add. Me, not so much. But, in more recent years, I've started to have an appreciation for them as part of my heritage and a treasure. I started recording their program on TV, "Music and the Spoken Word," a few years ago when Harrison was a baby. We sometimes listen to it on Sundays when getting ready for church.

I will always be grateful for one Sunday program in particular. It was October 2008, I had it on in the background while getting ready and I was drawn in by a song. I sat down on the couch, listened closer and started to cry. These were the words of the song:

HOMEWARD BOUND
Words and Music by Marta Keen

LOVE IS SPOKEN HERE album - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

In the quiet misty morning, when the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing and the sky is clear and red,
When the summer's ceased its gleaming, when the corn is past its prime,
When adventure's lost its meaning, I'll be homeward bound in time.

Bind me not to the pasture. Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.

If you find it's me you're missing, if you're hoping I'll return,
To your thought I'll soon be list'ning; in the road I'll stop and turn.
Then the wind will set me racing as my journey nears its end,
And the path I'll be retracing when I'm homeward bound again.

Bind me not to the pasture. Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.

In the quiet misty morning when the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing, I'll be homeward bound again.

I felt so strongly that this song was talking about my mother. I cried and cried that morning and looked up the words to the song later and cried again. She passed away a month later. I often listen to this song and it gives me great comfort that she had been ready to go. Sometimes you just know things are there for you, this was one of those times for me.

So, as I sat in this year's Christmas Concert with the MoTab I once again was wrapped up in the gentle spirit of this choir and the sweet spirit of the season. My mother would have loved to have been there with me and I somehow felt that she was....

Mom's Sugar cookies

One of my favorite holiday activities this year was making sugar cookies with the boys. This sugar cookie recipe goes back to the early 1900s and my Grandma Helen McDonald Livingston, she brought it into the family and it is one of those recipes that you really should have someone coaching you through the finer points. For me, that was my mother and I so excited to start the tradition with my boys. It just felt good to me, the smell, the texture, the old family cookie cutters and most of all vividly remembering of my mother helping me when I got stuck with lumps in the dough or couldn't get the right consistency and her hand mixing the dough with me. I've made and consumed more of these cookies during the holidays than I care to admit, and ask any of my siblings, the taste of them is like going home. Anyways, here are a few shots of the task in action:

Harrison was actually a great little cookie

maker and stayed on task for at least the making

of the dough and a dozen or so cookie cut-outs.

But you can see he was really drawn to the flour

part of the whole deal. At some point I looked up

and saw flour EVERYWHERE and had to just press on

realize this is what making memories is all about.

Even the messy part.

Success!

My little taster.

Carter loved the cookie tasting too.

This is the tin can that mother kept all of the special

cookie cutters, flour sifter, and rolling pin. I will continue

to keep them in it.

So much flour that Carter pretty much was covered

in it just by playing in the kitchen.

The cookie cutters, the ones with the metal handles

are the really old ones, cool huh.

Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of the decorating part, but of course Harrison loved it! He DUMPED sprinkles on the cookies and they did look pretty neat. Should have taken a picture or two, but don't worry many years to come of this recipe, I assure you.

The holidays in pictures

Some of the good times from the holidays--

My dad, if this picture doesn't say "Happy Holidays" I

don't know what does!

Harrison bonding with Riley over the iPhone.

My cute niece and I...

The night before Christmas, note the leg lamp in the window...Chris's pride and joy of Christmas Eve, it only comes out for the one night a year.

Another thing you can kinda see here that Carter has a black eye...I know, poor child. Honest truth, Wrigley the dog ran past Carter on Christmas Eve and whacked him in the eye with his tail! Can you believe it? Or should I ask do you believe it? Too rehearsed? Too much detail? Anyways, just in time for Christmas, so sad.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care and looks

like Santa already visited at this point...just waiting for the morning to come. I'll have you know Harrison slept fine and even slept in until about 9 on Christmas morning. Me on the other hand, I was so excited I didn't sleep well at all!

Harrison and Carter enjoying the big gift from Santa this year.

Harrison asked for a Utah helmet from Santa, but I

have heard from a reliable source that Santa is

actually a Cougar fan. I know shocking right!

Carter showing off his artwork.

Harrison so proud of his first painting. One of

the few times he has been totally up for posing for the camera.

Carter and Dad opening a favorite present for him this year.

Anything "Melmo"(Elmo)is a hit.

And on to Uncle Dane and Aunt Amy's house for more fun!

Wrigley's big gift! Wrigley AKA Carter's black eye offender.

Harrison and Carter's big gift, wow, a train station from Oma. So cool, they LOVED it and now you're probably wondering why Harrison is naked. Well, long story short, he was so busy playing with his train set that when he had to go to the potty he kinda forgot where it was and ran into the laundry room instead. He ran in, not a moment too soon, just in time to make it and well, the laundry room got a nice surprise wet spot on the floor. On the bright side the washing machine was right there ready to wash his very wet Christmas jammies.

I have a video of Harrison and Carter opening their train station and it's really cute. Harrison when he rips off the wrapping paper yells, "Oh my goodness!" All I know is we are so fortunate and I loved the holiday magic through the eyes of my children...

Mom's To-Do list

I love the idea of making a blog holiday To-do list, so here it goes:

-Decorate house - check

-Order Christmas cards - check

-Have a better attitude about the holidays - check

After a flood that put the house in shambles and with Chris working a ton more this month I was starting to show some signs of holiday UN-cheer. But, when he worked 'til 2am Friday night, 6 hours on Saturday, and was then totally exhausted Saturday night...Well, I was plum worn out too and needed a little better perspective. I woke up on Sunday and decided, "This is just a little bump in the road and my time to put in some more elbow grease to make the holidays work for all of us!" Sometimes that's all it takes...a better attitude (and more organization on my part helps), imagine that! :)

-Holiday shopping for the boys - check

Things still to do:

-Exercise at least once during the month of December

Winter makes me want to just curl up in a ball and eat! Fight the urge! Fight!

-Go to the spa and do something relaxing for myself

Anyone want to join me? Anyone?

-Address and mail cards

-Complete neighbor gifts

-Help with RS dinner

-Make my Mom's fabulous sugar cookies and share them

I've been known in years past to eat ALL of them completely by myself! Fight the urge! Fight!

-Assemble and wrap gifts

-Help the boys with their Christmas gifts

-Mail gifts to family and friends

-Do something special for my hard-working husband

Any great ideas?

-Oversee the contractors tearing down and putting my plaster walls back together before mold starts to grow. Happy Holidays?

There it is, the good and the bad! All in all, I'm starting to feel a little more cheery as Christmas approaches. Afterall, how can you not love Christmas and all that it represents? Merry Christmas!

Thanks 09

We had a great Thanksgiving, special thanks to Oma for all

the help with the feast! We are so blessed, I can't

say enough of how grateful I am this year.

Harrison got to build his first

gingerbread house and he was so excited about it!

Really one of his happiest little moments

EVER. Oma and Natalee were great teachers on

how to decorate.

We also got to go on the Polar Express while

up in Midway. Harrison was worried

Santa was "too busy," so when he came to

talk with him he was a little star struck. Since

then Harrison has been walking around the

house saying, "Santa loves me and I love him."

Carter was so good on the train, and so cute!