Autism Awareness...

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/news/autism/

Dear Family and Friends, I would like to encourage you to check this out and learn more about Autism. Autism is a growing trend among our children, and chances are you will come into contact with a child (or adult) with autism at some point. Please check it out! It is dear to my heart as we have a child who is on the autistic spectrum.

Shoes, shoes, oh, and shoes....

Bethanie is so funny. She caught wind that the new summer sandals are out at Walmart. Apparently the girls have been talking about it at school. So, after dance class tonight, guess where we went??? WALMART so she could use her Easter money to buy two pair of summers shoes. She is hilarious. One day she will get married.....Her poor [broke] husband. She will always love shoes. LOL!

Little Miss Big Girl...

Madison doesn't know that she is little. She thinks she is big like her big Sissy and Brother. She now thinks she doesn't need her high chair. She is really good at folding her arms for prayer (and it lasts through most of it). She is amazing. I cant believe how much she learns from her older brother and sister. She is so funny.

Bethie-Beth is totally enjoying her role as big sister. She wakes up every morning and cant wait to wake up Madison because she knows she is HER (Bethie's) girl and she wants it to stay that way! After school each day it is like a family reunion-you would think they have been away from one another for ages! Matthew is really great with Madison too. He is always kissing her, carrying her around. I love that my kidlets have such a strong bond with each other. That makes me happy.

HAPPY EASTER!

This was us this morning before Church. It is so hard getting everyone to smile, but oh well. I love seeing us all together in a picture. That is a rare moment. I love Easter, spending it with the family, and seeing how happy the kids are, going to church on Easter morning, going to our parents to have a nice Easter feast. I cant imagine a more perfect way to spend a sabbath day.

It has been a very long week with spring break and house changes going on, and it was a special day to top off the end of Spring Break. Tomorrow is school (and routine!!!). We spent the evening watching a movie together that the kids got for Easter (The Bee Movie) and it was just really nice. What a nice weekend.

A Wonderful Memory, Forever In My Mind-Heart...

Yesterday was March 22, 2008. For me, it was a very sacred day. My mom and dad, my husband and I, our niece Heather, and dear friend Binny drove to Omaha Nebraska. My parents have worked very hard over this past year at becoming worthy to enter into the Temple and they were there to take out their own Endowments, and to be sealed for Time and All Eternity. After they were sealed, Binny {who stood as proxy for my twin sister, Spring} and I were sealed to my parents. We are a forever family. I cant help but note that, this isn't a complete family yet. I still have my brother and his sweet family to work on, because we want to all be together forever. I pray within my heart that this happens, in my life time.

My parents really enjoyed the day. Mom just looked so beautiful---and happy while she was in the Temple with my dad. I never thought that I would see the day happen that they would be IN THE TEMPLE with me, and to see them sit together in the Celestial Room just etched forever in my mind-heart.

I just LOVE this picture. My dad especially just looks so aglow! They are both happy. I am so happy for them [and for me!!!].

This is me, my dad, my mom and my sweet husband Jeff. He {along with David Luckey, a man from our Branch} were witnesses of the sealing that took place.

This is a picture that was taken of my parents and the twins (Binny stood in place of my twin sister in the Temple). I feel so honored that she sacrificed so much out of her time with her family and all of her various responsibilities to go that far to be with us that entire day.

This one has our sweet niece, Heather. She was not able to go into the Temple to be a part of the sealing, but it was really nice to have her there with us on the trip!

I cant forget to note that in Omaha, Nebraska this day, it was MISERABLY COLD. We nearly froze our legs off getting these pictures done, especially Binny. It was much warmer back at home, and we even had some snow flurries.

I just feel that this weekend was a very sacred and special weekend. Not only is it the day before Easter, but to be sealed forever to my parents, and have it the same weekend that we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I cant imagine much more of a spiritual high! I feel so grateful for these blessings, and so grateful to my parents, and my Heavenly Father for helping them along this path, and to achieve such a big goal in their lives. I am so happy.

Today was a big day...

Today was the day that I took Matthew and Bethanie to get their [birthday] pictures done. I waited a month to do Matthew's and Bethanie's is a month early so that I can combine it all on one disk. Of course, I couldn't do this without getting a group shot with Madison. This one was cute. Miss Madison was NOT a willing participant in getting her picture taken today. My FAVORITE thing in this picture is that Matthew has his hands in the I LOVE YOU sign, but he didnt realize he was doing it. It is so sweet!

I loved this one. Matthew & Bethanie are really close, and good friends [most of the time]. I thought this one was special because it is just the two of them.

Can you believe that Matthew is **gasp** NINE? He did a great job this morning getting his picture taken. Usually it is a stressful time for him because he is very sensitive to the flash of the camera. He did well though.

Just look how big he is getting!

Bethanie is so pretty. She is just shy of turning 6 (in two months). The last two years she went through this phase of NOT smiling for pictures, and I was glad to see that sweet smile today.

She is such a DIVA!

I couldn't leave her out! She was NOT in the mood for pictures today, so there are only a couple of her.

This one was OK but I thought it looked a little crooked. I love the expression on her face though. Its like she is saying, "I'll only half way smile if you will hurry and snap the picture"!

I am so glad this task is over!

More Easter fun...

Today, our sweet young niece (who is nearly 13) Heather came by to visit! We had a great time with her. We colored Easter eggs with her, went to the park and also just hung out. I miss her as we dont get to spend a whole lot of time with her. I hope we can more this summer. Here are a few pictures of our fun...p.s. please ignore the clutter in the back ground, we are in transition of painting, flooring and so on in our poor house, stuff is everywhere!!!

Home Improvements...Kitchen Style

So finally, after living here for five years, we have managed to replace some things we have needed to fix in our house. To start with, we had new flooring put into our Kitchen. The vinyl that was down was nasty, stained, torn, and down right un-pretty!

Other things we are working on that is simple (well, as simple as it can be with a one year old helping) is painting the living and dining rooms, because they are a horrid purple/pink combo, including a really dark ceiling. The breakfast room floor was also replaced from a sickening carpet (and that floor was really cold and drafty, and it is now fixed). The flooring in the breakfast room now matches the kitchen. I am so happy to get rid of the icky stuff that was down. I will share pictures as I can take them of the breakfast room and living room and the dining room. The Breakfast room has dark paneling and I am seeking a color to change it to.

BEFORE

AFTER

Easter Festivities...

Easter is early this year, and it is actually a week from tomorrow, but today we had planned our Primary Activity for the kids at Church. We didn't have a very good turn out, but the kids had a really great time any way!

Here is Matthew. He is really concentrating on this basket that we showed the kids how to weave. They turned out really cute. He did a great job. He thought he couldn't do it on his own, but really he did just great!

Bethanie is also weaving her basket. She did a great job too, and she loved doing it. She is very crafty. In the back ground, you can see some of the eggs they dyed. We finished the activity off with a light lunch and an Easter Story and it really was a great time.

After we had the Primary Activity, we went to the city park (with the help of grandma and grandpa of course). The kids all participated in an Easter Egg Hunt. I didn't get a picture of Matthew because he was not where we were :O( But this was Madison's very 1st Easter Egg Hunt. She had a BLAST. She enjoyed picking up the eggs on her own and putting them in her very own basket. She must have got about 20 eggs! Oh-she learned about Suckers today. Loves 'em! Look at all the colored eggs in the back ground! It was so cold out today that we just didn't stay long. I wish we could have stayed longer!

Here is Bethanie and Madison. We thought at first that the girls would be in the same area, but later found that they had an infant and toddler area for their hunt, which worked out best so I left Bethie with grammie and took Madison to the toddler area. Matthew was in the 3rd-6th Grade area.

It was really neat. They had animals there to pet, free popcorn and drinks, and the Wesleyan Church really does a nice job putting this event together!

Not so blog...

I have been swamped with all of the changes to the house. Yesterday and today we had our flooring replaced in the kitchen and breakfast rooms. I LOVE the change, and feel so glad to get rid of that icky carpet in the breakfast room. Carpet should NEVER be where kids eat all the time!!!

I will try early next week to update more. This week was also Parent Teacher Conferences, and the beginning of Spring Break, and so things are really hectic. I will get some pictures posted as well!

Night of 1000 Dances...

Last night was a fundraiser at the High School. Bethanie's dance group (The Dance Company) was selected to perform (they had their routine ready, and their costumes). They did "Twinkle, Twinkle" and it was adorable! Bethanie is the second from the right. They have about 13 girls in her dance group. Next month they will perform this dance, as well as the dance in the Lady Bug costume, and the song for that is "She's a Lady".

While we were sitting in the audience waiting for Bethanie's group to come out, Madison was in the pile of High School Dance team playing with their Pom Poms. She was so cute, and I have a picture of it, but I cant get it off of my camera at this time. I will share that when I can though!

We have been working hard on painting our living room and dining room. I am very excited about the changes we are making to our home. Next week the kitchen floor and breakfast room floors will be replaced. They need it bad!