Sunday Grains of Gratitude....

I have not been a very good grains blogger lately :( Trying to do better - because it really does make my week go better and I have so very much in my life to be grateful for!!!

This week I'm grateful......

that I got to go to girls camp!!! What amazing and darling YW we have in our ward - especially the beehives - they're my favorite - but of course since I am a beehive advisor, I could be a tad biased ;) It was just beehive camp since the older kids in the stake are going on Trek - so just a small group of 17, 12-13 year olds camping for 4 days :) It was so fun, and they are such cute, good girls! LOVED IT!!!

for my bed, flush toilets, showers, and electricity ;) Love camping, love sleeping under the stars, and hearing the crickets and rushing water of the river - but I sure do love my creature comforts :) Taking a shower after camping for 4 days sure did feel heavenly!!!

my family who looked after each other and watched out for Brady while I was gone. It was nice to know he was taken care of, even if Daddy did forget to do a number of things - like take him to summer school - etc..... ;)

that our cute neighbor girl who was hurt in a 4 wheeling accident is doing better and will hopefully be out of ICU and home this week. We came home last weekend to several police cars and eventually ambulances, firetrucks, and a life-flight helicopter in our front yard, and at first thought maybe Brady had drowned in our neighbors pool (which many other people in the neighborhood thought, as well, judging by the number of phone calls we had ;) And, while I am sooo grateful it was not Brady, our prayers have been with Savannah all week that she may recover and gain the most mobility and healing of her hand as possible. If you have a moment, could you pray for her too please? She is just barely 14 and such an athletic and vibrant gymnast and cheerleader, so this is very difficult for her.

for beautiful, gorgeous weather - no rain, warm temps, and just overall great sunny, summer days - I LOVE them!!!!

for all the birthday wishes from my friends on FB last week - they made my day!!! Birthdays become less and less special it seems, the older you get! My hubby kidnapped me away for an overnighter and it was the BEST :) Dinner, Pirates, and sweet hotel, and shopping - he couldn't have picked a better birthday present :)

and last, but not least, all the sweet testimonies of the beehives at testimony meeting on bishops night, or in our case - bishopric night LOL The girls were so sweet and tender and I loved hearing them share their thoughts and watch them work up the courage to do so and what it meant to them after. About half the girls were 1st years, so this was really their first experience with a camp testimony meeting, and it really was special! Oh how I love those girls!!!

What are YOU grateful for today?

Exhausted!!!!

motherhood is exhausting! Summer is exhausting! And - they are two of my favorite things! I think I just need to go back to when summers were RELAXING instead of filled with soooo many things. Soccer camp, swim team, summer school, EFY, Engineering state, girls camp, trek preparations - they are all a little overwhelming right now!!!

I am hoping things slow down soon!!!! How is YOUR summer shaping up????

Mothers Day 2011!!!

Look at me - only a month behind now :) ha ha ha

We spent mother's day this year with my MIL and the hub's brother's family :) We went up to their ward, then for a picnic, on a somewhat blustery day ;) Imagine my surprise to see our old pediatrician in their ward - it was so fun to chat with her and meet her family! It was good to get together with cousins and share this special day with Oma :)


H and M swinging - guess they aren't too cool for that just yet ;)


Cute Brady-man - he decided he would pose for a few pics before heading to the playground equipment :)


Darling cousin O :) He is such a cutie patootie - I realized I mostly have pics of him and Brady - the youngest in each of the families - I guess they must move slower than the other kids ;) ha ha ha








Aunt J and the cousins!


Oma and most of her grandkids ;)


Me and my bunch :)

Sunday Grains of Gratitude.....

Sunday grains.... Soooo much to be grateful for over the last few weeks :) It's hard to know where to start ;)

This week I'm grateful......

that my Dad turned 80 and took us kids on a cruise to celebrate :) It was soooo fun! We did a Mexican riviera cruise and it was soooo great (and warm and sunny :) It was so fun to spend time with my brother and sister and their spouses and my parents - and no kids ;) It has been a while since we've all been together, the last time right before my brother's accident - and the last time I saw him he was in a coma and on the vent - so I am soooo grateful that this time around he is recovered and up and around! I sure love my family!!!!

that my big girls did such a great job babysitting the other kids while we were gone :) Even though they are ungrateful and whiny and don't listen :) I told them that was just prepping them for parenthood ;) ha ha ha I am so grateful that they were safe and everything was good while we were away :)

for my sweet hubby - he is awesome and I am grateful everyday for him!

for Brady's aide - Nicole and his teacher Mrs. N and class TA, Mrs. S :) They were so wonderful to my little guy and helped him grow and progress so much this year. I am grateful for them and their acceptance and willingness to go the extra mile and think outside the box to work with Brady :)

For Teacher Heidi - one of our most favorite preschool teachers, and our beloved summerschool teacher :) She is soooo awesome and I am soooo grateful she is working with Brady again this summer! He loves her so!

that the boys had a great and uplifting time at EFY. J went on his own this year again, and that always freaks me out because I never know if he is going to get a good roommate or not :) He did and he had a great time - said he danced like a fool at the dances and socialized with the ladies ;) It was H's first year and he went with a friend from our ward and had a grand time - no worries with him and socializing with the ladies - he found some cute girls to hang with and now thinks his life is a little more complete because he got to get a facebook account ;)

that the girls traveled safely to CA to visit a friend. They will be back home soon and I am praying for their safe journey home :) I missed them while they were gone. You would think I would be over that, with them having been moved out for 1 and 2 years, but I really do still miss them when they aren't here - go figure :)

for good friends who lift me up, listen to my vents and fears, and support me and my family - you may not think it is much, or even know that you are doing it - but you are - and it means so much - and I am sooooo grateful!!!

for people who have and show integrity - who are honest in all their dealings and do what they say they are going to do. This isn't always the case with everyone I deal with, so I am so grateful for the people it means something to, and who accept responsibility for their actions and strive to be honest in all they say and do.

for my Heavenly Father, who knows and loves me. Who sees through my faults and knows the true intents and desires of my heart.

What are YOU grateful for today????

Spring Family Pictures :)

cause I am just that torturous ;)

H :)


Little K :)


Big K :)


J :)


C :)


Brady - not that thrilled with the flower locale......





apparently this rocky background is much more to his liking..... more manly maybe???


The boys :)


The girls :)


The kids :)








The family!


Oma and the grandkids :)





Mom and Dad :)





Oma :)

Easter 2011!!!!

celebrated on time, but blogged a little late :) I figure better late than never ;)


The easter bunny came!!!

and left yummy lindt chocolate bunnies - mmmm mmmmm good!


and new movies!


and he even knew that Brady doesn't like candy - so he left goldfish and pringles instead ;)








Waiting til dad says ---- GOOOOOO!!!!!


I got some!


The boys waiting their turn......


Giving Bubbles some love while the other kids fight it out hunting eggs :)


Divvying up the eggs :)


Look what we scored? That Easter bunny sure picks good candy ;)



Oma brought us her traditional Dove Easter peace bread :) Yum Yum!!!

Dying Easter Eggs :)

Soooo - I really did take pictures of our events over the last few months - I just haven't had time to post them -soooo - back on the blogging wagon I go ;)

Easter Egg fun!


Brady really got into this year - please excuse his yellow hand - it took a few tries to convince him that the egg dipper really IS better :)





So fun that the girls came home from college to participate!











Dad's hairy eggs - proof that men really DON'T read instructions.....

















That hairy egg ended up working out afterall ;)





Little K missed our egg dying time with an alternate committment - so she got her own dozen!