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(self portrait taken on my birthday with phone
after realizing I don't have many pictures taken with just me :)

Here is how a birthday for a mother of four goes in our house-

7:00- Get up for the day. Shower and get ready before waking the kids up at 7:20 to start getting ready for school

8:15ish- after dropping of kids for school, come home to find a beautiful scarf on my porch that one of my friends made for me. The day was full of kind gestures from friends and family in candy being dropped off, phone calls made and facebook (which makes you feel so popular on your birthday).

10:45ish -
tell the two little girls home with you that mom wants to go out for a "birthday lunch"
-Daughter named Lilly throws a fit instead because she wants to "play with her dollhouse".
-Lilly then decides to scream and cry for the next 1/2 hour despite mom saying no crying on her birthday.

11:15-Mom puts a screaming/ crying girl in the car.

11:30-
Once we get to Kneaders she is fine and I have a delightful lunch with my two little girls. By the way the turkey/ artichoke panini and snowflake sugar cookies.... DELICIOUS

3:15
Eat birthday cake that my mom delivered.

3:45-
Help Ethan and his friend work on a science fair project. In case you were wondering a pink candle burns faster than a white, yellow, blue, light blue or purple candle that were all lit at the same time.

6:20- Take dinner to a friend that just had a beautiful baby boy.

6:30 to 8:00- Spend time with my kids while husband is scuba diving with Young Men.

8-8:30-
read to the kids and put them to bed

10-11-
Watch the Big Bang Theory on DVD while eating caramel popcorn. Yum!

Birthday Eve was celebrated by a family trip to Leatherby's. Ah, Traci's Peanut Butter Cup.... you are always delicious.



Family Birthday party will be this Saturday. Yeah for parties!

A sheep

15 years ago today I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I was 20 years old (so yes, you master mathmaticians can figure out how old I will be on my birthday).

A lot of people impacted me in some way or another as I came to this decision BUT I will FOREVER be grateful to 3 people that I know were put into my life around that time for a very specific purpose. I would walk across the world for those three because they helped me in my testimony and to find eternity. How do you thank someone for helping you and your family be eternal?


Today is one of those days that brings me to tears if I think too much about it. It is kinda like finding something that you didn't know was lost but once you find it you realize you don't want to let it go. It becomes your most valued possession. Then you wonder how you never realized it was missing.

There are not enough words to say how humbled I am to have been born of amazing parents, to have been been blessed with good friends, to have been baptized, to have married Jim for eternity in the Salt Lake Temple and to watch my children grow up in the gospel.

I have a testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ, of Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the church, the power of prayer and eternal families. I know without a doubt these things are true.

Bedtime

I still read to all my kids at night.

It is something (most nights) I really enjoy doing. It is something I have done since Ethan was a baby and continued with each kid. Now with four kids it just takes more time.

I read to Afton and Lilly each night then put them to bed. They enjoy the simple books. You know picking the SAME book every night for like 2 weeks in a row :)

After I read to Afton and Lilly, I read to Ethan and Lizzie. They are into chapter books which is so much funner on my end to read.

Anyways, we are currently reading The Candy Shop Wars. The kids really enjoy it and I like it because we are able to compare it to situations in real life and how sometimes evil can look deceptively enticing and how honesty, courage and goodness are great qualities to have.



Last night we had a really good discussion about the book and things in life. One of those few moments as a parent when you realize you are having a positive impact on your children:)

I have to remember these little moments because most times I feel really inadequate.

*At no point in these scenarios does Jim avoid bedtime with the kids. He is usually the help get pajamas and help brush teeth person. He makes it a game which they really love.