Hippity Hoppity

You're the Meaning in my Life, You're the Inspirtation!

So my darling friend Heidi had this quote posted and I couldn't resist borrowing it as Marjorie Pay Hinckley is one of my most favorite people! I've seen the quote before but it hit me all over again when I read it the other day on her blog.

It's so easy (and I am completely guilty of this)to get caught up in life. I've learned to live without the vacuum marks in the carpet but I still struggle when our house looks like a bomb and I still feel guilty throwing my hair in a pony everyday as a time saving measure. Despite the fall out from this exciting life the bottom line is to really love and serve others.

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenck's lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

There is much satisfaction that comes from loving and selfless service. It does often come at a price but it's crucial that we all remember that those price tags are generally small and so unimportant.

On the B Side: I am grateful to be here and I want to really LIVE!

Baby Cakes Week 22 in Utero

Baby girl now has fingerprints of her own! This unique identifying feature will be hers and hers alone for her entire life. She has hair on her head that will likely all fall out after she is born. Her nose has a more defined shape given the formation of the soft bone in her face.

She weighs around one pound and is approximately 12.2 inches in length. In a few weeks we will enter the third trimester. To date I have gained less than 5 pounds but continue to expand anyway! Work just shelled out a very pretty penny getting me a special custom ergonomic chair which really makes life wonderful on my back. Unfortunately there isn't anything that can be done about my swollen feet or heart burn!!!

Next year at this time baby will be 8 and a half months old. To date we have agreed on Adalie (french and pronounced add-a-lee) but that's subject to change as has been the trend!

Ellie enjoys browsing online to help find girly things. She's picked out a crib set that she insists on...we'll see about that! Her favorite past time is looking for things for the baby online. She is always kissing my belly which is sweet.

As for Dayton, he's accepted the fact that he will have three little sisters and carries on by occupying his time with skiing lessons, swimming lessons, field trips, holiday parties at school and recently his lost tooth!

On the B Side: The only thing that is constant in this life is change. I am grateful for the ever changing circumstances in our lives! There's always something happening, always something unexpected popping up and always plenty to keep me busy ;)

Mommy Amy the Brave!

Dayton and Ellie have a step Mother that they have always affectionately referred to as 'Mommy Amy'. Today Mommy Amy took Dayton to get his blood drawn. This was a task that I was not looking forward to myself. She didn't have to do it but she did and she toughed it out while four adults held him down. Ugh...

While the blood work was a necessary evil I wouldn't have faired well thus making it even harder on our little dude. She braved the heart breaking moments well and on top of it all she was able to masterfully pull his very first loose tooth out tonight! This is also something I would not have been able to accomplish! Here is a short clip that she and Spencer recorded of the big event!



Needless to say Dayton was super, super excited! He swelled with innocent pride and carefully tucked his tooth under his pillow before quickly drifting off to sleep!

On the B Side: We are all grateful for Mommy Amy! Not only is she brave but she is kind and loving. She nurtures the children in the most natural manner and cares for them as her own. She is a shining example of hope in a world riddled with unexpected circumstances and she removes the 'step' from 'step parent'. Thank you Amy for being you (and thanks for the cash you let me borrow tonight...mission accomplished!!)

Funny Girl

Since Dayton got his own little post I want to make sure Beans gets some recognition of her own! This picture is one of her many self portraits!

Here are some funny things that our little funny girl has said over the past few days;

While at the bakery for Shellbait's birthday Shell was pointing everything out in the window that she wanted. When she asked Ellie what she wanted the response was this;

"I guess noffin' since you're going to eat it all!"

While still at the bakery Ellie borrowed a SLC magazine from my Mom and was paging through it. She pointed to one picture and said with a smile on her face;

"That is so tacky!"

We all had to ask her to repeat herself to be sure we heard her correctly before roaring with laughter!!!

She had a few other zingers that escape me now but I think it's clear that she's also her own little person!

This is a picture that she staged and perfected of one of her favorite toys. It took her three different shots and each time she kept getting closer. This is the final product that she seems rather pleased with;

On the B Side: I love the innocent commentary that pops out of their precious mouths! Children each have such a unique perception of this crazy world around us!

DD Cakes in his Glory!

Once again, I couldn't resist snagging this short video clip of Dayton from his Dad's blog! DD had another ski day this time accompanied by his Dad. The lessons seem to be paying off and his strong little legs have made a name for him in the ski school!

This is the first I have actually seen him ski and while I wished he was passionate by a less expensive sport I am pleased and proud he found something he loves! I underestimated him on this one!

On the B Side: I love watching my moonbeams grow and develop into their own little people. While I feel bad that I underestimated him I love that he proved me wrong without even knowing it!