Easter

We had such a fun Easter this year!! We decided to do the Easter Bunny stuff on Saturday morning and really liked that! I really loved having Conference on Easter... it just made it so easy to remember why we really celebrate Easter!

Ian getting the eggs ready! He loved finding them!

Miranda got this panda and she LOVED it! She is so funny with stuffed animals... she just hugs them, laughs at them, rolls on the ground with them, kicks them with her feet, kisses them... it is SO DANG CUTE!!

Ian got an umbrella (or "numbrella" as he calls it) and a little remote control car! He was so excited about both!

Miranda also got this little pig that vibrates and plays little songs and makes pig noises!

On Easter Sunday we headed over to our friends house to have a great breakfast and watch conference! It was such a nice weekend! Thanks guys!

Fun visit from friends!

Well these are our new sunglasses... Ian loves that we both have some!

So just before Easter we had a fun visit from our friends Heidi, Boston & Carter!! We love these guys and have been so lucky to see them every couple of months!!

Miranda looked so cute that day, but unfortunately she was not in the mood to smile at the camera!

Miranda and Carter were happy to play on the blanket by each other (or on each other), but didn't really play together! It was funny to watch them!

We love you guys!! So glad we've been able to hang out so much!

"Thank God every morning when you get up that you have something to do that day which must be done, whether you like it or not. Being forced to work, and forced to do your best will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle wil never know."

-Charles Kingsley-

Photo Shoot

I've been wanting to do this for a while now... I got out Miranda's blessing dress and it still fits her (in fact it fits her better now than it did when she got blessed). I wanted some pictures of her in it now that she is smiling, sitting, and standing up to things!!

...little miss attitude...

she loves stuffed animals!

We wore our EASTER clothes this week since conference is next week! They looked so cute!! Miranda had her first ponytail today... it's just little, but so fun!! I love doing these girly things!

Happy Easter (next week!)

A few Random thoughts

We have found Ian like this on multiple occasions. Neither Nik or I drink out of the carton like this so I'm not sure where he got the idea!

My sister Rachael came to visit for about 30 minutes on her way to Texas with her friends! That was fun to see her even though it was so short! Ian had a blast!

Ian can make his bed all by himself and even likes to do it! You can't really tell, but under the monkey and bear is the pillow that matches the comforter. It's not really in the right spot, but I'm just glad he is trying!

Ian and his friend "Lukey" eating icecream outside Chick-Fil-A. Shortly hereafter the icecream falls out of Ians cone.

Mesa Temple

This last weekend was our ward Temple day. Nik and I have not been to the Temple since we have been down here (sad I know) because it takes about 5 hours total and we just can't leave Miranda that long becuase she is still nursing! BUT a family in our ward invited us to join them and took their kids (Andrea 14, Travis 10) to watch our kids on the Temple grounds. I was so excited to finally be going!!

On the way down we took a wrong turn and ended up in Gilbert. Our session was supposed to start at 4:00pm and we got to the temple at about 4:05pm. We were still able to do Initiatory work, but I was so sad we had missed it. In fact when I got into my dressing room I just had to sit down and cry for a minute. We had left plenty early so we could get there and not be rushed, I had been planning it for a couple of weeks, and I even had my kids spend time with their kids so they would know them... just a lot of planning and hard work to get there, but we were still rushed and missed it. It must have been a culmination of my day, but I just couldn't hold it in any longer. I just felt so sad!! I composed myself (or so I thought) but as soon as I started doing the Temple work and those sweet ladies would look at me and I would loose it again. I think I cried through the whole thing! Nik and I got done about the same time and he noticed I had been crying. He said "Well you haven't had a melt down for a while." =)

We couldn't find our kids (but knew they were in good hands) so we just held hands and walked around the grounds for a while. The Mesa Temple is so beautiful and the grounds are really neat! Lots of fountains and fruit trees and flowers and large areas of grass! We saw at least 5 groups of people getting photographs taken (engagement and family pics). I felt better after a while! The Temple offers so many wonderful blessings and I know I need to make more of an effort to get there more often! I know it would bless my life! While we were waiting for our kids we went in the visitor's center and watched the family presentation. I felt the Sprit so strongly and the Love our Father in Heaven has for each of us! Families can be together forever... How I am so glad I know that and so thankful that we have a loving Savior who was willing to suffer and die so that we could be with our families forever!

Not always happy...

A while ago someone left a comment on my blog about how Miranda seems to always be smiling and how nice it is to have a happy baby. I figured now would be a good time to set you all straight!! This little girl has attitude... way more attitude than I thought possible for a 10 month old!! I just have to laugh because I find myself giving her whatever she wants just to avoid a tantrum of throwing herself on the ground and rolling around crying! =) I love her so much and I really think it is quite funny when she throws her little tantrums! Some of you may think I'm exaggerating a little bit, but there are others who have seen it and I'm sure are laughing right now too! =)

This is one of the ones where she has thrown herself on the ground, rolled over and is crying!

No don't take my picture!

I love this picture because it shows her awesome bed hair!

So sour!

Come on mom... I'm not in the mood!

Oh so sad!

Oh dear...

So we were at the pool today with some wonderful friends and Ian comes running over saying very loudly..

"Mommy that lady has a big belly (and he pushes his belly out as far as he can and wiggles around) like this."

me- "Ok Ian, lets not talk about it."

"But she has a big belly."

me-"Ian it's time to go, get your shoes on."

"Mom she has a big belly... see over there, she's over there."

me-"Ian let's not talk about that because it's not very nice."

"But she has a big belly. Hey, where'd that lady go with the big belly?"

Oh my gosh I thought I was going to die! I'm positive she heard every word and I couldn't get him to be quiet about it. I guess that's a 2-year-old for ya!

Grandma for a Day!

So we went to Chick-fil-A today for lunch (free kidsmeal on Mondays in Surprise!!) and Ian found himself a Grandma. This lady was seriously crazy, but I just wanted to hug her. Just one of those cute old ladies that didn't quite have her head anymore! =) Anyways they were sitting right behind us and she first started by pulling Miranda's highchair over by her and rubbing her face and talking to her, but Miranda started crying because she was scared. Then Ian came over and just smiled at her. Pretty soon he was sitting on her lap, getting lipstick kisses, getting fed, getting his mouth wiped after each bite, getting drinks, getting more hugs and kisses and loving every minute of it!! I could tell she was just the sweetest thing so it didn't bother me, and Ian was eating so that was also a bonus!! I don't think she ate at all... I'm pretty sure Ian ate all of her chicken nuggets! I was seriously laughing so hard! She was so funny!! I think Ian was just happy to get a "Grandma hug!"

Fun day at the park... PICTURE STYLE!