sometimes it's messy

Winter seems to be struggling with the 'taking turns' concept.
Sorry dude, move on... Spring has a hard enough time getting a fair shake around here.

Lilly waiting for her 'mommy' to come back from the 'mid-wifez' with her new fairy baby

They don't need it. You don't need it. Life is WAY better with out it.

...are something I am terrible at.
Meals... appointments... laundry/chores...
It's bad (that is why I am working on being diligent, right?).

The one thing I am good at. I mean REALLY good at, is sleep schedules for my kids.
See
3 Months old.
Lay him in the bed between 9:30 am and 10:30 am... his eyes will close.
Again between 1-1:30pm... see you at 2:30 Gid.
2:45, lay him bad in bed after a snack.
He'll be awake at 3:30.
And if you don't have him in bed at 7pm, be ready to suffer the wrath...
Well, actually he doesn't really have 'wrath', but there might actually be tears, which basically never happens.
Wake him up at 10:30 to feed him one more time and change his diaper and he will be happy as a clam until 7am.

Now, I know the truth about this 'gift'...
1 part Kari, 1 part Kathi- "Happy children sleep.", 2 parts awesome kids, 6 parts God.

The trick is getting myself to bed on time.

Look at those blue eyes

and cute little mouth... and those chubby fingers...

I'm feeling pretty good myself.

I have been thinking about this for the last two weeks.

We've cut out TV.... and I moved my computer to a place where I have to stand.

Somehow, when I'm standing I remember that I have things to do.

This is a good thing to remember.

Diligence.

And someday we'll get there.

A little bit at a time.

And the Angels Sing!!!

(isn't she adorable?)

Three blind mice, three blind mice.

See how they run. See how they run.

They all ran after the farmers wife who was about to cut their tails with a big knife....

...but the Lord said no.

He said no.

HA.

My husband basically grew up on the same piece of property his entire life...

In his heart, that is what he would like, a piece of property without neighbors that we could just stay on....

I have to say generally that sounds lovely to me.

Except for when I need to go.

Like now.

I want to move.

No particular reason.

We have family and friends, a lovely home... we're happy.

But he also has a job that only needs highspeed internet!

WHAT WAS I THINKING BUYING A HOUSE?

We could live ANYWHERE!

Whew... okay, I got that out of my system.

I'm going to go plan my garden.

Today is Easter.
The celebration of Jesus Christ's Resurrection.
How entirely unreasonable does it seem when taken at face value- a dead man, raised from mortality to perfected immortality.

But it is true.
Jesus Christ is the literal Son our Heavenly Father.
We are spirit children of God, the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.
He came to earth, to be obedient to our Father, to gain a body, and to show us the way home.

He suffered for us, paid out eternal debts, because he is our brother and he loves us.
I know that is true. I know that just like our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ wants nothing more, that for all of us to return home.

I am grateful for that knowledge today.
It is the knowledge that has carried me through the hardest times of my life.

Havah was teaching Lilly how to do 'thumbs up'.

She figured it out.

He plays dinosaurs at the park

and 3 billy goats gruff

How often do you find a dinosaur/troll impersonator who also bakes bread and makes fresh blue berry jam?

He's one in a million.

The beginning of this month was General Conference: which means instead of heading to church, we spent the weekend parked in front of our computer getting a good dose of inspiration and encouragement.

Next week (Easter) is Stake Conference... similar to General Conference, but local instead of the whole church.

6 months ago at our last Stake Conference our Stake President asked us to focus on developing an attribute of Christ. I prayed about it and thought about myself and then chose diligence. Because as my semi-annual goal/nap indicate, I am consistent... not diligent.

Can I just be honest. The only thing I have been diligent at the last 6 months is probably not being diligent. I didn't forget what I was trying to do. I am just not good at following through- my laundry room is an unfortunate testament to that.

So even though I am sure that President Francis is going to give us another assignment this coming weekend- I am going to keep working on my diligence too- because that is diligent...

You can play pretend together...

or tease your Mom together...

What more could you ask for?


Yes, a pirate baby brother is an excellent addition.

And I already own it!

And it didn't cost me a penny... (traded with my awesome sister).
(this is not a satirical post just so you know)It's not fancy. It can't even take your picture.... it can barely send a text... but I didn't ask for a mobile device.
I just asked to call people.
On a telephone.
This one just happens to fit in my pocket (when I choose to take it with me).

And I love it.

For $14.99 you to can be as cool as me, and Contract free.