Happy Easter.

Andrew and I have been married for 3 years and we have never really done much for Easter. So this Easter I thought it would be fun to surprise Andrew and Luke and do a Big Easter Surprise. Growing up, Easter Baskets came on Saturday morning. That was the day we did all things Easter Egg/Bunny-ish. On Sunday we did Easter dinner and LDS General Conference, etc. I liked it. Having a huge basket of candy made it much easier for an 8 year old to stay focused on the Saturday sessions of conference.

So this year began with a week of hiding my plans from my cute husband and setting everything up for Saturday Morning. It was so so fun. I got up a couple hours early made the smoothie and set everything up. This is a little movie on how the morning went. It was so fun. I didn't mean to but we this Easter had almost an Alice in Wonderland theme. The basket outside Andrew's door said "Use Me" and this is what our counter top looked like. The RedBox movie was ALICE. It is a SciFi adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Andrew and I have wanted to see it for a long time. We watched it in between conference sessions and made ourselves ill off of Easter Candy.

Later Andrew and I decorated eggs. Andrew got this awesome metallic egg decorating kit in his Easter Basket. It was actually much harder than it looked. I liked the pink metallic foil, to bad it didn't like me. I was super sad that Andrew's egg turned out better than mine. He has a talent with the dye. I also made an egg that Andrew said looked like the image of the Virgin Guadalupe, but it broke, sad day. Andrew named his Egg "The Charlie Brown Egg" I named mine "The Lavender Brown Egg" Which do you like better?

And today we enjoyed General conference, homemade chicken pot pie, family time! It was an absolutely wonderful Easter.

Legally Blonde

A Couple weeks ago Andrew and I went to see Legally Blonde the Musical in Salt Lake. Basically it was amazing and made me very happy. It is such a fun high energy musical that you can't help but smile. We had amazingly fantastic seats (thanks to my cute husband) and went with our dear friends Megan and Ben which made it even better. Love it. I can't wait for Lion King, Mary Poppins, and Spamalot. (Yay for tours that come to Utah) Oh this is Megan trying to talk to Baby Hill. I LOVE her:-)

Happy Thoughts

I have started three blog posts this week . But apparently you get a brand new one today. It has been a wonderful week. Life is happy, Luke is napping so I get to Blog and here are my

happy thoughts...

Luke Loves Me!!!

You might think this is obvious but Luke actually has had little to no preference toward me in past months. He will go to me over a stranger but other than that it is always Dad, Grandma, Kim etc. ......... But not this week. He wants to be with me, read with me, hug me, kiss me and he says my name!!! Well no, actually he doesn't. He calls me Elmo. But hey, I'll take it. It makes me so happy.

Andrew is Awesome.
I could probably put this on every happy thought post. I love him.

Sunshine

Oh, it has been beautiful here. I have tried to take Luke out for at least an hour every day. He loves to run and swing. I love to just let him go outside and run free. (I was just introduced to Pushing Daisies, and love it. So I thought it would be my sunshine picture)

Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping

by Miriam Lukken

I love this book. I got it at a bridal shower and it has become one of my favorites. It is a simple book about sweetness, beauty and the joys of housekeeping. It was written in 1866 by a well bred southern woman named Caroline Dunwoody. It began as letters, housekeeping instructions and etiquette training meant to be passed down to each generation. It was later compiled into a book. It makes housekeeping not a chore but an art. I just think it is fabulous and so much of it has worked for me. I also like that it has the feel of watching an old movie. I love the section on "Calling on Others". I love how it explains the proper thing to do with your parasol and gloves. I know I am a dork but the formality and beauty of that time just make me so happy. I probably won't ever use the section on the "language of flowers" but I love that too. If you are a dork like me, read it, you will love it.

Our bed has been made every day for almost two months
This is probably not a big deal to most people but it has been an achievement for me. We use to use our bedroom as a dumping ground. But Andrew and I have made an effort to make it clean every morning and we have succeeded. I hope we can keep it going.
Fairy Tea
This actually happened a couple weeks ago and I haven't written about it yet. But it is my favorite event. Hundreds of little girls dress up as fairies and come to a formal tea party at the Library. The story tellers dress up as fairies and do a little performance. I dyed and made my dress again this year and I am so proud of it. It was the first thing I did on my sewing machine. (I will write a whole blog post about it but I had to put it in my happy thoughts.)

I am Showing!!!

I know I probably won't love it as much at the end of my pregnancy but I absolutely love it right now. With Luke I didn't show until so late. I always felt the need to inform people I was pregnant. But this time it makes me absolutely giddy inside to have people turn to me and ask "when are you due?" Love IT!

I want to go to church!!!

I know I don't usually write uber personal posts but today... Well lets just say, today I feel the need to share some of my feelings. Luke is such a good little boy. I love him so much! He is so affectionate and so obedient. I really couldn't ask for a better dispositioned child (aside from the occasional tantrum :-)

And...... I love church. I love it. I have for a very long time. I love meeting new people each week. I love the friendship that comes with Relief Society and I really love learning new things about the gospel. And most of all I love the emotional and spiritual boost I receive each time I attend. And even though having a child has changed my attention span, going to church has always still built me up as it always has.

Now you would think these two great loves wouldn't conflict with one another, but they have.

In a couple of ways...

First, Luke is incredibly prone to respiratory infections. He gets sick quite a bit. Even after he gets well he holds onto his symptoms for quite a while and since runny noses and coughs should not be taken to Nursery, many days I end up taking him home after sacrament meeting so he doesn't get the other children sick.

Second, Luke has a little anxiety in large groups so parts of church have been a little uncomfortable for him. He usually does well in sacrament meeting but nursery has been really difficult for him. I have been staying with him in nursery and trying to sneak away in intervals. But we have been trying to phase me out for the last 10 months and it is just not working as well as we would like. Andrew is unable to stay with him because he has to be with the young men in the last hour of church. So I have been unable to attend Relief Society for most of the past year and I miss it so much. I think I would love to be in nursery if I had been called to serve there but I haven't and I worry that people do not understand why I don't attend relief society.

So here is my conflict. You might wonder.. Why did this come up today? Well today was well...

AWFUL! But kind of funny at the same time. I was very excited for today. I was so excited to go to church. I was so excited to go to Relief Society, sign the role, read scriptures, and tell every one I am having a LITTLE BOY. And I was set that no matter what, I would only stay with Luke as much as I absolutely had too. And if I planned it correctly, I might be able to stay in Relief Society for a while before they came to get me for Luke.

But alas it was not to be.

Today during Sacrament Meeting Luke became upset and vomited all over every where. I mean every where! He isn't even sick! Luke is protective of his airway and can through up at will and like today, if he gets upset or gets something caught in his throat he chooses to through up in response. So he wasn't even sick!!!! But after throughing up all over the chapel I knew people would not want me to bring him to nursery. So I came home to take care of Luke, while Andrew went back to teach his lesson. I was mad, we are home and he isn't even sick. GRRRR :-) Which is what sparked this post today.

I know I shouldn't complain. I know how lucky I am that I am able to take Luke to church. I look at some friends who's children can't go to church at all for other health reasons and I realize how blessed I am. We have spoken with Luke's therapists and they recommend we ask the Bishop to call someone specifically to help him. They say it is much better for him to learn to depend on someone else. But Luke's special needs haven't seemed serious enough to warrant an assistant. And I'm a little embarrassed to ask. So I thought if I stayed for a few months eventually Luke would learn to sit, follow directions, and be just fine in nursery. But he hasn't and it has almost been a year. I don't want to be selfish and yet I want to do whats best for Luke.
But last week my mother was here and offered to go with Luke into the nursery when he needed help. It was such a wonderful day. I sat beside Andrew in Sunday school answered questions, and looked up scriptures. I was able to go to relief society and look at the binder, read the announcements and bear my testimony. It was so wonderful and so needed. I guess I am just realizing it is probably time to make some sort of change. I am just not sure what to do. But on the upside. At least Luke's not sick :-)

Did I mention I am a total Geek?

I have a secret obsession. Maybe not so secret. But I love Project Runway. Yes, it is reality TV and yes it is over dramatized but I love it. I love that everyone goes out, gets fabric, and creates something beautiful (well usually beautiful). But it makes me super happy because I secretly have a desire to be able to design clothing or costumes or just to make myself clothing from vinatge patterns. (oh my vintage housecoat someday I will make you) But there are a couple problems with my secret desire....

1) I can only sew straight lines 2) I don't own a sewing machine

So.... This Saturday is my birthday and I am getting this. Mostly because I have to finish sewing my Fairy Tea Costume for the library. But I have needed a machine for some time for basic stuff and now seems like the right time. Also how can I learn to sew if I don't have a Sewing Machine.

And I have another obsession that is cosely related to Project Runway.

Heidi Klum (the host of project runway) just came out with a maternity line.

I AM IN LOVE WITH IT.

I love it.

This is my favorite peice. It comes in both Blue and white

I also got these jeans but they are at the tailors. (I need them to be hemmed- I think they where made for someone 5'11') But I love them!!!!! I got a couple other peices that also make me super happy!!!!!!

It's so funny with Luke I always wanted to look pregnant but wanted to stay wearing normal clothes. With this baby I want to wear my maternity clothes now. Each day I bring them out and ask Andrew if they fit yet. But they don't and probably won't for a little while. But they are in the front of my closet and I look at them every day

Very Long Days

I just had to post this picture because it made me laugh. Yesterday was stake conference and Luke had a super hard time sitting through it. When he got home, he was so so tired but didn't want to sit still. Life can be so hard when you are 2. I love this kid!

Happy Thoughts

I am so sorry this update has taken so long, I started this about a month ago. Thank you so much for sticking with our Blog and our Family. It's been an exciting couple of months.

Happy Thought #1

We are expecting our second child!

Yayyyyy! We found out on Luke's Birthday and we are so incredibally excited. We are due at the end of July. Did I mention I love being pregnant. This is probably my happiest thought. I am so grateful and excited to have another baby. I have been doing really well and despite loss of appetite it was a fabulous first trimester. I am feeling great and am so excited to have my energy back. We are having our first ultrasound on March 9 and I couldn't be more excited.

Happy Thought #2

Luke is the best little kid ever!

Luke is doing super well. He has been amazingly healthy and hasn't had any respitory problems since August. We are so grateful .
And this is one of my favorite pictures. He came in one night trying to tell us something and we realized his diaper had come out the bottom of his pants. The Strange thing was... both his diaper and his pants were still done up? Who knows. But I love his face!

This is him falling asleep kneeling beside the couch. I love it when He does that!
And he is doing super well with his therapy. This is his "Bean Box" his new favorite toy.

Happy Thought #3

Andrew's job has been wonderful and kept him super busy.

I am not sure if his crazy schedule is a happy thought. But it makes me so happy he is able to do something he enjoys. He is heading out on a few buisness trips in the next couple months and his company has announced a couple of new X-box games so you will have to check them out. Andrew is also one of the scout masters in our ward which also keeps his busy. Basically, he's amazing and I love him lots!

Happy Thought #3

My new cell phone should come soon.

For those of you who I haven't talked to in forever, I am so sorry. I lost my charger in the end of November and haven't been able to get any of the numbers out of my phone. So I haven't been in touch with some of the most important people in my life. But my sister Cori, bought me a new charger!!!!! Thanks Cori. However it has been lost in the mail for almost a month, so we will have to see when it will actually get here. In the mean time know I love you and want to talk to you soon!

Happy Thought #4

I love my job.

I work as a StoryTeller and it makes me really happy. It's fun to do something that fills my performing need. And more than anything I love the people I work with. They are so creative and energetic and make each day seem much more like play than work. It's definately a happy thought.

This picture was taken afew weeks for the Daily Herald. And this was my storytelling partner Jen.

Happy Thought #5

Office Night and Florida Friends

This Florida tradition has moved to Utah and brings me great joy each thursday night. And I guess the friends aren't technically FL friends because we knew most of them before FL. But basically they are a group of people who make life better every time you see them. And we where so excited when we got to meet up with some of them at Ben and Luana's blessing for their son Elliot. It was awesome!

In truth I am not a huge Office fan. But it really is my favorite night of the week. Our dear friends Chuck and Amy open their house each thursday and a bunch of our friends get together and play games and watch the Office. Its super fun because it is a mix of friends from Disney, School, and here in Utah and I love it.

We love life. I will take more pictures and post more info! Happy Day!