Alivia: Kicks and Karts

Alivia had her first swim class today.

At first she was hesitant and nervous,

but you know her...
Curiosity is much more fun than fear:

I really wish I knew what she was planning here.

 I see this sneaky look all the time:

How can I overpower my instructors and take over the pool?

After swimming we took a quick trip over to the grocery store. I don't usually go to this particular Safeway, so imagine my surprise and Alivia's delight when we saw these carts:

This baby has a TV in it!

And locks on the outside of the doors!

I was astonished:

Alivia got to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 

while eating a donut. And I got to shop for a few groceries with inflated prices because she gets to watch Disney Jr. 

We are so lucky:

Shopping will never be the same again:

Princess: Peas and Ponies

How many of you are familiar with The Princess and the Pea Fairytale?

Here is a modern adaptation of the story:

I had my own version last night:

 For the past few days I've been fighting a bug, 

but it's been winning.

So, last night I took a 'sleep aid' 

and floated off to never-never land...

At least that's what I was hoping I would do:

I tossed and turned and then 

I tossed and turned some more.

The little blue pill that I took to help me sleep 

only kept me in that state of 

"I can't get up and do anything because I'm 

so foggy and tired",

but something else was keeping me from full repose:

Finally 7:00am came around and Alivia wanted me to 

"go downstairs right now and turn on Disney Jr."

Ugh.

As I was trying to roll out of bed 

my aching back hit something sharp:

Alivia likes to line these up and have them talk to me:

 One of these little buggers had been in bed with me 

all night:

It may not have been a pea, 

and I may not have been on 

20 mattress with 20 feather blankets, 

but I surely felt like the princess

who had been fooled into sleeping on a bed 

without broadband:

Curse you My Little Pony:

6 Days: A Review

It has been a busy week:

Monday was the only day I had to get things done around the house, 

although nothing seemed to really get done...why is that?

Tuesday Alivia and I went to lunch with some sisters from my ward.

All those kids went crazy with having fun!

Wednesday I tried to get a passport, 

but ended up spending a lot of time in the car with a good ally instead.

Thursday I caught up with an incredible friend that I've known forever...

Alivia and her granddaughters found a dead turtle. 

Alivia said, "It was so dead". She made me laugh.

A cohort and I kidnapped a buddy to get a milkshake. Yum.

Friday I had some very dear friends over for a birthday lunch.

Eryn got engaged.

I also had my hair done.

Saturday I painted two rooms, went to a bridal shower, 

went for a walk with a mate and prepared for my Sunday School lesson:

Oh! That's right...

Eryn got engaged on Friday:

Oh, what happiness. Oh, what excitement. Oh, what joy:

Eryn and Andrew are beyond the moon in love

and brimming with excitement for their future together.

September 1st is the Big Day.

And, I am thrilled to hear my sweet daughter is so happy:

 I am also, once again, in awe of the people who surround me.

I truly love and appreciate the 'kindred spirits' in my life, 

whether they are near or far...

There are so many inspiring women who have become my 'bosom friends'.

So many who rescue me and keep me afloat:

It has been a busy week:

A wonderful week:

"A bosom friend, a really Kindred Spirit." 

Anne of Green Gables

Cakes: A Feast

 

It's been Birthday Bang around here:

We've had a lot of cake bingeing lately:

I ordered some LadyLove Cakepops for Josh's 17th birthday.

I asked for 'manly' colors and told my friend that he loves Mustangs.

Vroom:

Next up was MeKenzie. She turned 14:

She requested a strawberry cake with lemon frosting,

and can I tell you that Josh, that's right...Josh..

made this amazing cake for her...from scratch!

I was so impressed.

He even pressed and strained strawberries for this cake.

It was the bomb:

Here's Tony's cake:

I mean, here's Tony's Lemon Poke Cake:

And here's 'The Big Moment'

I hope all their wishes come true:

Maybe next year we'll have pies:

 

Mother's Day: Whatever

I have a friend that I served in Primary with that use to say, 

"I just don't have a testimony of..."

It always made me laugh because it was always something 
that she didn't really think we needed to do. 
I would tell her that this is a good opportunity for her testimony to grow on said subject:

I'm telling this story because 1: I really love my friend and have been thinking of her,

and 2: I really don't have a testimony about Mother's Day.

Every year I always think that this will be the year I appreciate Mother's Day.

This will be the year I gain my testimony about why we have a day set aside to say, 

"Thanks, Mom. You're really swell." :

Sadly, another year has passed and I just don't get it.

Don't get me wrong. I love being a Mom. I'm so thankful to be one.

To have my Eryn, my Joshy, my MeKenzie and my Alivia is everything to me.

I wouldn't be me without them:

Having said that:

I just think that one day a year, after sacrificing everything for our off-spring,

is just not enough:

We start off by throwing up all that is good and yummy and call it "Morning Sickness"

What? Are you kidding? 

It lasts all day and all night, and for some (me) 9 consecutive months.
There are still things I can't eat!

Then we move on to our bodies getting huge. 
Stretch marks to mar our once flawless skin.  
We can't even walk without waddling. Or tie our shoes. 

And with the hugeness comes mind numbing soreness. 

All over:

I'll try to save the horror stories for someones baby shower and fast forward a little. 

If you're a mom you know all this factual information already. 

If you're not, I don't want to be the one responsible for scaring you:

Sleepless Nights:

Diapers:

More vomiting. Not from you, but on you:

Loss of brain function...for the rest of your life:

Creative meals 3 times a day:

Tears. Sometimes yours:

No more alone time:

Clothes that will never fit you again:

PTA:

Being in your car 15 hours a day:

Homework:

Middle School:

Teenagers:

High School:

Driving:

Dating:

More sleepless nights:

Prescription drugs (again, yours):

I know there's more here, but refer to my lost brain function:

So, let me just say that Mother's really are swell.

We totally rock it.

We give up everything and we know we will never ever get it back:

But, would we have it any other way?

Maybe a little more alone time would be nice:

Me and my beautiful Mom. 

I love you Mom. Thank you so much for all your sacrifices for me.

Shoes: The Assassins

Yes, I know I never finished Spring Break Blogging, I know...

And maybe I'll get back to it, but until then enjoy:

What is the deal with shoes?

I spend day after day after day picking up someone else's shoes:

This is just last weekend: 

This is our porch. I get sick of picking them up so I throw them outside:

One side of the steps in the garage:

The other side. Just in case I don't trip on the one side, I can trip on the other:

I put a basket out so I wouldn't pitch over anymore and kill myself:

Only Alivia was appreciative and excited about it.

 "A basket for shoes? Oh, thanks Mommy! You're the best!"

Her enthusiasm was short lived though: 

Yes, that is under a table:

Oh! There's that other shoe:

The biggest clipper is my busy husband.

He just doesn't have time to think about where shoes should actually go. 

He just drops them where he is at the moment:

It's like a minefield everyday making the bed and using the bathroom:

This does not include all the shoes that are laying around in closets or in the kids rooms, so you can imagine how I feel like shoes are walking all over me:

 I'm thinking we should all just start going barefoot, 

let a third world country have all our shoes,

but then we'd have to clean up all the other junk on the floor:

Answers:

One pair of shoes each? No matter what occasion? 

Umm, I don't think that would go over well with the troops:

Make the family pick up their own shoes?

Sure!

It will probably take me breaking my arm first though:

I'm willing to sacrifice: 

If it gets me out of picking up shoes for a while: