Temple Teachings

About a week ago I was teaching a Young Women's lesson on the temple and wanted to give the girls a framed picture of the Boston Temple. The ones I had taken last Fall didn't print well so I sent Johnny up to the temple to take pictures for me. Trouble was, it was nighttime and it was raining. (And he was using a fixed lens because I dropped our other lens and broke it...) Despite all his limitations he did an amazing job. Johnny is getting pretty good at photography and I'm worried he's going to leave me in his dust. Either way, he took some great pictures of our beautiful Boston Temple. The last one is the one I framed for my girls. (Remember to click on the picture, if you want to see the bigger versions.)

Front Door Friends

One of the coolest things about our little New England house is our old front door. Add in a few friends and a few good laughs, and it's almost perfect!

he's laughing...

Walmart Wildlife

In order to avoid the long check out line at Wal-mart, Johnny took the kids outside. I assumed he was being helpful and getting them in their seats and ready to go. Turns out he had another plan. While out exploring they discovered this little retention pond down the hill on the side of the store. Turns out we don't need to go to the aquarium, and the zoo to see wildlife. They're at our local Wal-mart!

Strike a pose...

They initially followed a duck down a little trail to the pond. While they were looking at the duck this HUGE turtle came walking by. A few minutes later we saw a little bunny and followed it for a while. The little voice you hear in the video is Abby.

Apparently Zack needs to get "uncitified."


Video: Walmart Gator Turtle

Finger Lickin' Good

I'm really not one to mind my kids getting dirty much, but since we've started spending so much time outside we've encountered a new problem.

Abby & Zack are finger suckers!

We're hoping "if it doesn't kill you, it just makes you stronger!" (The pictures don't quite do it justice!)

Zack

Abby

At least they aren't licking the ground on purpose.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Park Place

We've been spending a lot of our time at the park these days. It's been so much fun and the kids LOVE it. Zack especially loves it outside and he is heartbroken every time we walk through the front door... or, every time I drag him in the front door is more accurate.


Here's a few of our favorite park activities... (and to give credit where it's due, Johnny took a lot of these pictures. The good ones, at least!)

Snacking

Sidewalk Chalk

(Notice Lila has written her name "LiLa"
at the bottom left of the picture)

Climbing


Sliding

Playing with friends

Bouncing

and just plain having fun!
(Here's Abby in Zack's hat)

and don't forget digging in the dirt and biking... more on those later!

You Are My Best Mom Ever!

Lila has candy. Mommy doesn't have to do anything, and we have to do the dishes. We got Mommy some flowers. Me-mommy doesn't have to do anything. Me-mommy mommy-me mommy-me has a little and has a little. We are thankful that we have nice body. And Mommy has nice hair. We went to church and Emma Lee and Bob gave me some dirt and Emma Lee gave me some seeds to put in the hole in the dirt. And Bob gave me some dirt so that Emma Lee could give me some seeds, so that I could put them in the hole in the dirt. I want my mom to be happy. I love you and I ate my orange. And Mommy and Daddy love Lila, and Abby, and Zack. I will go and leave the forest. And Mommy is a good mom and she has lots of parts of her body. You are a very good mom. I love you so much that I wanted to get a swimming pool. And you are a good mom. I simply know that you are my mom. I love you, you are my good mom. Home is where the heart is. Thank you, I love you, I love you, you are my light mom. You are my love it, light, burned mom. My mom is a good mom and I love her so.

[This part is sung in verse:]
"I love you and I would love you if you were my mom, and you would go to bed and has gone to bed, and has gone to bed, and in love it the momma, you love it in the the tomma, you love it in my comma, you love it in my comma. You are my besssssst mom eeeeeever!"

Best mom ever is the last part. You think what I think. Mommy thinks what I think. And Abby and Zack love me so much that they want to play with me if I am in the bedroom. That is why Mommy wants me to go out of the room sometimes.

Smooches

New Do Times Two

The kids and I spent a few weeks in Utah. It was a great time to catch up with family and Lila is already begging for the next trip. I took TONS of pictures and we had tons of fun. While I was there I got really daring and decided to get a haircut. I've never had highlights before, but thanks to my cousin Amber I'm loving my new hairstyle. I gave her free license to do whatever she wanted with the cut and I love it. I've given up the wet ponytail look (hopefully for good) and even bought a round brush! The kids barely recognize me! I'll post more pictures soon but thought you might like to see the new me.

This is just to give you a rough idea of how long my hair was.
This is the day before I got it cut.

and this is now...

And... I'm not the only one who got a haircut. My haircut inspired Lila to
let me cut hers for the very first time. She's quite proud of her new do too!

and now if we can just figure out what to do about Abby's hair...