Cute Quotes

I know I have been so bad about keeping up with my blog posts and will someday get caught up but for now I have some inspirational/cute quotes that I found laying around my house and I want to remember them so I'm going to type them up here :o) Enjoy!!

1: "A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires." -Paulo Coelho

2: "If life give you lemons, KEEP THEM because, hey, free lemons"  (LOL that's so me ;o)

3: "I'm the type of girl ... who will burst out laughing in dead silence at something that happened yesterday..."  (again, so me!!)

4: "Make today ridiculously amazing!"

5: "The secret of happiness is not in doing what one likes, but in liking what one does"

6: "Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself" -Ralph Waldo Emerson

7: "Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections"

9: "There comes a time in life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus solely on the good. After all, life is too short to be anything but happy"

10: "One day at a time-- this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful it will be worth remembering"  (One of my favorite!!!)

"Home Sick"

I know it hasn't even been that long since I started working full-time (6 weeks to be exact), but today, for some reason, got me "home sick" to be a stay at home mom again. I know it's a hard job and sometimes moms may feel like they aren't always doing enough with their kiddos or feel bored with it after awhile and feel like you want a break (the mom I'm referring to is me) but I so cherish the times I've had at home with my kids! I miss it all!! So other SAHMs out there- treasure every single day with your kids! There's nothing like being with your kids and seeing them grow every day!
I've also been around a lot of "daycare kids" (who have been in daycare for years), and I can tell some of them struggle with lack of attention or not the right kind of attention at home and it shows at school. Parents need to be there child's first teacher, not the other way around! I'm glad I can help support my family's needs but I would never want to be a full-time working momma for long (by choice). And don't get me wrong about working mothers; many, many women do it and if that's what their situation requires at the time, because of whatever circumstances, (like me for instance) then so be it. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that!  I just personally would rather be at home to raise my kids if at all possible.
I found a quote from an article in the Ensign magazine (June 2013) that I found especially relevant to my life right now. It said, "Trials come to each of us. Living righteously does not mean that our lives will be free of problems or sorrow, but no matter what hardships we face, we can always rely on Heavenly Father and His Son. They will not forsake us, and They will give each of us strength to face whatever may come..."
One trial I am facing right now is having to work full-time. But I know that it is for a short time (relatively speaking) and that I really Can do "hard things through Christ which strengtheneth me".

Colorado!!

Many of you probably know, but we moved to Colorado and are settling in just fine! We left Texas on April 13th, made it to Dallas, spent the night, drove to Salina Kansas April 14th, had a tire blow out on the trailer pulling our other car, but managed to fix that after about 1.5 hours of killing time while it was getting fixed, stayed the night, then finally made it to our destination, Aurora, CO, on Monday April 15th. We only had to endure the snow and ice for the last 45 minutes or so , but other than that the drive was quite pleasant. Preston was the only other passenger we took since Alexa had flown back with Grandma Kathi, so dealing with only one child was a lot less stressful! He honestly did pretty well! The only thing that really got to Pat and I was that Preston kept sliding his arms out of his car seat straps and we had to keep pulling over to fix it, or just try to fix the straps while driving, and in our little Subaru car, it wasn't the most comfortable thing!! Oh and about a few hours before we arrived in Aurora, Preston had a HUGE poo poo blow out!! Up his back, clothes, out the diaper, (somehow his car seat stayed clean) so we had to strip him down at a rest stop and change his entire outfit! I washed his clothes out but somehow the clothes ended up getting thrown away, but oh well, they were pretty nasty!!

We were welcomed by a light "winter" snow storm when we first got here, but the snow quickly melted! Then just a few days ago it was nearly 80F degrees!! BEAUTIFUL weather!! But now it is snowing again, and COLD!! I think the high was in the 30s? I'm really looking forward to the warmer spring and summer weather! (I can actually say I look forward to summer, because it will be quite mild compared to what we are used to in Houston!! :o)

We are staying with my sister and her family until our new apartment becomes available on June 10th. We LOVE our new place, but the unfortunate part about it is the price! It's a couple hundred $$ more than our place in Texas but I guess that's just the going rate here in SE Denver :o/
And because of the increased living expenses, we've had to face the fact that I'm going to need to work at least until Pat gets hired on as a full-time regular employee and has a decent salary. He is getting paid for his internship, but we don't know what will happen at the end of his 12 weeks. They might asked him to stay on, or the might ask him to come back to them after her graduates in December, or maybe not at all? We just don't know what the future holds, so for now I will be a full-time working momma.

Pat's internship will be at the Sprint Corporate office, just a few miles away from our apartment, and I will be working at a Primrose school in Aurora. I'm excited to start working again, but not at the same time. I really have enjoyed staying home with my kids for the past few years, but I know this will only be for a short while and that it will significantly help my family in the mean time. I really will miss being with my little Preston boy all day since he is definitely a momma's boy! And also Alexa because she is such a sweet girl (most of the time ;o). I will only get to see my children for a few hours each day, but I guess I will just cherish that time even more!! I just keep having to remind myself, "I can do [hard] things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13)

Baybrook Ward Camp out

My ward went on a camp out (they do every year before it gets too hot) and our whole family actually went this time, even though we are not much of a "camping family". When I went back to Idaho in 2011 to finish my degree, my parents took Alexa with them, which is the same place they went this year too. It was pretty fun I will say. It was beautiful weather and it only lightly sprinkled once or twice. This was Preston's very first camping trip and he did quite well! He loved "hiding" in the tent when the men were trying to set them up. He also saw other people go inside their tents and he said "hide"... as if they were "hiding" too. LOL :o) Alexa also had a special treat while she was there- her first sleep over (kinda). My parents brought an extra 3 person tent and since Alexa's very best friend (and family) set up there tent right in front of ours, I suggested the girls have their own tent in between our tent and theirs. So Alexa and Maddie had there very own "girls tent". Of course they talked until late in the night, and woke up super early to go pee and just stayed up talking. But she had lots of fun and she kept saying "I just LOVE camping!!" They also had an Easter egg hunt Saturday morning for all the primary kids. Here are some pics

Sarah Lindt, Jack Macchi, Maddie Smith and Alexa playing in the sand. Alexa got horribly dirty by making the sand wet, but she loved it!

Preston helping Nana and Gpa with the tent

Hiding!

Jackson Smith and Preston playing in a tent

After the sand

Nice Pat! ;o)

Preston LOVING corn on the cob from Hoda Simpson

The girls tent (along with little bro, Jackson)

Making S'mores

BIG Changes

Some very BIG changes are happening in our lives! Pat got the Sprint internship he was hoping for in COLORADO!! WA-HOO!! :o) His title will be "Project Manager Intern". We will be moving there Mid-April!! (moving truck is set for April 13) We are really excited about it, and that Pat is One step closer to finishing his bachelor's degree!! It is a little out of my comfort zone to shake up our lives again once more, but I know this is what needs to happen in order for Pat to finish his degree. We have lived in 7 different apartments (including our stay in my parent's house) and will have lived in 4 different states, but I've never felt more at home and welcome here in Texas! I never thought I would say that, but after living in Texas for a little over 2 years, I can say (BESIDES the awful weather), this is my favorite state! I love the conservative Christian values here and how friendly people are. I'm sure it is part of the "Southern" personality, but I think it's funny how many people have called me "baby" or "honey" or whatever.
Having my mom be Relief Society President has enabled me to get to know so many more people than I otherwise would have, which has been a wonderful experience! I absolutely love my ward family here and I will miss everyone so much! I am hoping that we can find another amazing ward where ever we end up, and I am so glad that my church values and organization is the same now matter where I go!

Never having lived close to family before we moved to Texas, it has been so nice to have my family near by to babysit our little ones, or to go over to their house just so we can have more playing space instead of our tiny apartment! My family, especially my mom, has been able to have more of a close connection with my kids, and I'm sure they will miss her very much! Preston especially has a close relationship with her since she has been with him since birth, and for the first 8 months or so, spent much of every week babysitting him. Preston also loves to "announce" grandpa Rich everyday when he comes home from work. He hears Gpa coming in the side door and runs over to him, pointing his finger and yelling, "Aahhh!" (As if to say, "GRANDPA'S HOME!") It's so cute! (Preston also has an announcement for my brother, Chris. He says, "Aaaahhh"- a longer one than Gpa's ;o)

On the upside, we have my sister and her family, as well as my in-laws that will be close by in CO, but no church friends as of yet. I guess that is something we have to look forward to.

After telling Alexa that we are moving to Colorado, she said, "are we going to stay there forever?" (She likewise has moved just as many times as we have and I'm sure she is tired of moving just as much as we are!) I told her that I Really hope so because I'm tired of moving!! She is also looking forward to getting a house, just as we are! We are really hoping to buy a house in the next year or so, but if not, it will be soon after that!! :o)

Good Bye Texas, Hello Colorado!

Bayou Wildlife Park

This week starts our school's Spring Break. We started the week with a trip to Bayou Wildlife Park in Alvin, TX. It was a little chilly, especially with the wind, but it was so fun! I've never experienced anything like it! We bought a couple buckets of food to feed the animals and as we were entering the park, there were all sorts of deer and llamas attacking our car and wouldnt let us pass until we fed them some food. It was hilarious! Even when we drove a few feet ahead, they just followed us with their head poked in our car. Preston and Alexa thought it was hilarious! When we finally passed the "gate keepers" who would only let us pass if we fed them, we parked and were walking up to the building they had, a deer just came up to us, looking for some food. So Preston and Pat took a food bucket we had, and he just started munching away. Preston loved it! We then hopped on one of the trams for a tour of the park and it took us though the whole thing showing us all sorts of animals from buffalo, zebras, giraffes, llamas, ostriches, alligators and more. Some of the animals came up to the tram looking for food. After the tram ride, we went into the petting zoo where there were baby goat, some pigs, and a few other animals. Lex and Pres liked this part too! Oh and Alexa got to ride a horse, which she loved! It was such a fun day and a good way to start the break!

Preston and Pat feeding a deer

Grandpa and Preston

Taking a tour

Such beautiful creatures!! I Love zebras!

It's hard to see but sitting next to the ladder, there were 2 ringed tail lemurs from Madagascar.

 

Alexa got to ride a horse! And she did GREAT!

The fattest pig I think I've EVER seen!!

I love giraffes!

Cirque du Soleil

Last night Pat and I went on a much needed date, to Cirque du Soleil. It was so fun! I've never been to one of their performances before so this was a first and it was definitely entertaining!! I can't even begin to describe the things we saw! Some of it was kind of random and a lot going on a once but it really was SO cool! Since we were not allowed to take pictures, I'll post some I found on the internet so you can get the gist of it :o)

 

 

The Cirque du Soleil performance was called "Quidam".

 

Here is a synopsis-

The entire show is imagined by a bored young girl named Zoé who is alienated and ignored by her parents. She dreams up the whimsical world of Quidam as a means of escaping the monotony of her life. The show's title refers to the feature character, a man without a head, carrying an umbrella and a bowler hat. Quidam is said to be the embodiment of both everyone and no one at the same time. According to Cirque du Soleil literature "Quidam: a nameless passer-by, a solitary figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past. ... One who cries out, sings and dreams within us all."

Little girl Zoe, her father and "Quidam"

 

 

There was also this silent clown between acts that would invite people from the audience to come up on stage and do silly things with him. This picture is of when he took a woman from the crowd and pretended to be riding in a car... they end up "parking" and the clown very over dramatically wants to "make out" with her, and so you can use your imagination on how the rest goes...it was pretty funny and entertaining!!