Happy Anniversary!

Our 8th year anniversary was on Tuesday. As I mentioned in a previous entry, we celebrated over the weekend and into Tuesday. On Easter Sunday, we both wore the same suits that we wore to the temple the day of our wedding. It wasn't planned but it got me thinking about the events that led up to our wedding and the years thereafter.

April 26th, 2003

April 24th, 2011

I don't know if we should be proud that we still fit into those clothes or embarrassed that we still have them?!

Our marriage has strengthened my testimony in Christ. I know that He not only knows who we are but who we can become. The choice to get married was a big leap of faith for the both of us. We had a rocky courtship that included two proposals. We felt through prayer that we should marry but felt odd because we weren't ever really in love. Close friends and family probably wondered if we would "make it." It has taken time to see the Lord's plan unfold. RJ and I have really grown together and fit each other perfectly. He's quiet and listens well. I talk and like to be listened to. He's so patient with the kids and gives them the fun, silly, rowdy attention they need while I provide structure and discipline. He's a good saver (maybe too good) and I love nothing more than a great bargain. He loves to grow healthy food and I love to eat healthy food. We both love our families and the gospel. The list goes on. We both feel lucky to have each other and know that the Lord has and will continue to lead us.

RJ brought me this beautiful, big boquet of flowers home from work on Tuesday. He specifically requested that some calla lilies (my favorite flower) be added. They didn't have white but they had some gorgeous deep purple ones. Aren't they great? Here's to the next eight years and beyond.

Easter

Hunter lost more that a few Easter eggs! He's almost as toothless as Reagan!

The Monday before Easter, McKenna had the lesson. I helped her talk about how bunnies, flowers, and eggs are symbols of Christ. We had a friend and her children join us. McKenna sang "My Heavenly Father Loves Me." I was so proud of her. I thought shyness might get the better of her but it didn't. We decorated some hard boiled eggs and raced them down the hill in the back. It was a neat kick-off for Easter.

The kids woke up early on Easter morning and were excited about getting started with whatever it is we do on Easter (we don't have exact traditions in place yet). We decided to forgo the whole Easter bunny idea and told the kids that we would eat breakfast together then do an easter egg/basket hunt. Each of them had six plastic eggs to find filled with chocolate or jelly beans. I hid my eggs well and Hunter quickly found the easy ones that daddy did. Poor McKenna needed a lot of clues to find the remaining six and Hunter was quick to help.

Hunter's basket!

McKenna's basket!

Reagan got this dress. It was $4.25. What a steal. She looks like a million bucks in it.

"Forget rice cereal. I'm going for the good stuff!"

We played baseball after church with Hunter's new wiffle balls. RJ wanted a picture of me and Reagan in our matching pink hoodies. It reminded him of a picture I took six years ago with me and Hunter in blue hoodies.

I made funeral potatoes, ham, steamed veggies, salad and an icecream pie. It was an enjoyable Easter. We are so grateful for the resurrection of Jesus and what it means for us as a family.

April Dates!

RJ planned two dates for April. The first was a bike ride and picnic. The second was to be on our anniversary and was a murder mystery dinner. Unfortunately, it snowed the night before our bike ride/picnic. We decided to go to the community pool and swim laps together instead. We figured we had better start hitting the pool if we don't want to drown in the swimming portion of the triathalon in August.

We celebrated our anniversary over the course of several days. On friday, we did sealings at the temple and bought Easter basket fillers. Saturday was our big date. It was a murder mystery dinner at the Romada Inn. It was great fun! We were at an "employee appreciation function" when our "boss" was killed. We had to figure out who dunnit and why. It was fun to take part in an interactive show and was a great break from the usual redbox and popcorn. Below is a picture of my favorite character, Harriet (who happened to be the murderer)!

Time Out For Women

For Valentine's Day, RJ had me purchase tickets for Time Out For Women (a pow wow for women). My friend Mila was going to join me but had to cancel at the last minute which was a bummer. She was able to reschedule her visit a couple weeks out. I gave her ticket to Cheryl and we went with Lisa Hillyard. I enjoyed simply being with friends as much as I enjoyed the actual program. My take aways from the program were these: I need to make scripture study a priority (preferrably before bedtime), I need to start and finish my book idea whether anyone else ever reads it or not, and I need to choose to be happier. I'm affraid I have turned into the nagging, mean mom that no kid wants. As dumb as it sounds, I'm affraid to be nice to my kids because the second I am, they walk all over me and I feel out of control. If I listen to them tell me "one more thing" at bedtime, it takes an extra hour to get them down. If I ask rather than tell them to do something, they flat out say "no." If I tickle them, they will ask to be tickled until my fingers fall off and fight over who gets tickled next and how many tickles the other one got. If I help them get dressed, they all of a sudden need help with everything. The list goes on. I pray to be a better mom every night and to not ruin my kids but I find myself asking for the very same thing the next night. Oh yeah, back to TOFW. I took Reagan with me on Saturday and at lunch time, Cheryl and I walked over to Hell's Kitchen. I have been wanting to eat there since we got to Minnesota. We ended up finding two spots at the bar. There was a horrible live band playing but fortunately, Reagan slept through it. The food was yummy though! It turned out to be a really fun weekend. Thanks RJ!