Happy Easter!

Easter was magical. Besides the fun egg hunt, bubbles, flying kites, & finding baskets (the bunny must've come while we were at church). I've enjoyed teaching my kids the true meaning of Easter. I am so thankful for our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Spring Break II

Who knew St. George could be sooo fun? (Well, I hoped, had a great time here 3 years ago with friends and our kids). Here are the highs and lows of our trip...

• Hiking to the Emerald Pools in Zions. So beautiful there, and the weather was close to perfect. It got a little chilly at the last pools, so Sophie & Sage squeezed into my jacket. The hike was great and peaceful.
• Biking on the awesome trails through the outskirts of town. What a workout. Besides the scare Nick gave us, it was so refreshing (false alarm with Nick, he's fine). We biked at least 10 miles that day. Sophie and Sage enjoyed the bike trailer, laughing & giggling, then falling asleep on each others laps. At least the trail was smooth & paved. Wish I could do this everyday! I love the climate here, at least this time of year, it's really hot in the summer.
• Friday night at "Fiesta Fun". We had a good time on the driving range and batting cages. Sophie and Sage proudly hit their first golf ball, it was so cute to see Trevor helping his little sisters. Paul was the pro at golf, Lindsay & Trevor did awesome at the batting cages.
• Checking out the exquisite St. George temple. The girls walked up and touched the doors. At first, they thought it was "their" temple (Manti Temple). Very similar, but not quite. It brought back good memories!
• We stayed in a nice 3 bedroom condo- kitchen, patio w/ grill, murphy bed, 2 TV's, 2 baths, swimming pools... Very nice and comfortable for all.
• It was sooo fun having Danny & Lindsay join us! They have such a special bond with Sophie and Sage, the girls couldn't get enough of them. They're also very close to our boys. They're a joy to be around and such good role models for our kids, turning them into BYU fans (we hope)... The boys would ride with them often, didn't take much with that fun group and some good music to have that car bouncing up and down right to the beat. They put on a show and had others around them laughing & dancing in their cars. That was the fun car.
• Swimming, hot tub, games, good movies (Yae for Red Box), yummy Nelson's frozen custard, Pizza Factory (best breadsticks in town), and a little shopping. We drove through Zions and watched "Enchanted" on the way home, great show!
• It was so fun spending Easter there! One last slide show coming :)
• The only lows were forgetting sun block and getting a little burned, bought some later, thanks for the Aloe Vera D & L. The gross meal we had at JB's (should've known) after our long bike ride when we were famished. Oh yes, only a 40-50 gallon water tank, we all took quick showers but sorry if you got a cold one:)
• The best part was spending fun time with family & friends. The weather was great and the kids are great travelers. We had a delightful time, can't wait until next Spring Break!

St. George & Zions- Awesome Spring Break!

We had a fabulous time, after a long, cold winter- we were ready. Enjoying my new camera, thanks hon! Hope everyone had a great Easter! pics coming

Thankful Thursday

First, I'm thankful for my thoughtful husband! For awhile now, Paul has talked about getting me a nice new camera. I always told him the one I have is good... fits well in my purse, easy to take with me and takes good pics. Well, I mentioned I might want a new one for my B-day (in August) and before I knew it, he showed up with a new Nikon D40 and a new lense. They even sang Happy Birthday to me, What?? Wow! I'm thrilled! I'm still learning, but here are my first pics on my new camera... Paul, you're awesome! I'm going to have fun with this!

I'm thankful I survived this week-end with two rats in our house. Yes, RATS! Trevor's taking care of his class pets for the week-end--- As much as I loath mice & rats, I have to admit, Cocoa & Oreo were pretty cute, from a distance ;) Having sons, we've had our share of slimy, creepy, fascinating pets- from a Horned Toad to Slither our snake. Right now, I'm happy with just our cute cuddly black cat, Shadow- of course we had to keep her from eating Trev's class pets this week-end.

Sophie holding baby Turkey at Grandma's, I like how she holds him with her dress :)

We went to an awards dinner for Nick's swim team last night. I'm thankful that Nick's involved in such a great sport with a good group of people. This was his first year on the High School team and it was a great experience, a lot of fun, very positive, and kept him in shape. He received the "Most dedicated Sophomore swimmer" award. Kudos Nick! Keep it up! He also had his first job interview today, he's growing up fast.

Last, I'm thankful for my children, that all is well, that they are happy and healthy! I had another bad dream (nightmare) about Trevor last night. This time it was so real and frightening, I woke up in tears. I'm not much of a worrier and I rarely have dreams like this, but this is my second one in a week. The first dream caught me by surprise and helped me make sure Trev was getting the attention he might need right now, but this one has scared me. He probably wondered what was up when I gave him the biggest hug when he left for school this morning. I'm sure everything is fine, just shook me up. I am so thankful for my family, each one of them!

Beautiful Mountain View from Mom's backyard

Oh ya, I'm very excited for Spring Break, leaving tomorrow, Yahooo! Leaving our jackets behind and won't miss the snow a bit.

Thankful Thursday

I'll quickly do my thankful Thursday post, so much to be thankful for...

Since the girls were all dressed up to see the Bunny at the mall, we got some precious pictures afterwards. Love their smiles! Sophie with bow, Sage has headband.

This week I am mainly thankful for great people in our lives, especially my childrens' lives...

• First, I'm thankful for friends like Kathy- she called at the right time to catch up after being out of town... after chatting awhile then discussing "double T" (Kathy's nick name that stuck for Trevor, stands for Tough Trevor:) I shared that he is doing well but worry he sometimes feels overlooked since our family has grown, he was the youngest for so long, 8 years. I had a scary dream about Trevor the other night and woke up feeling sick, I'll share later. She instantly remembered she promised him a treat and asked if she could take him out for a special treat that night, just her and Trev. They had a great time at "Boondocks" then came back with ice-cream & cones. She joined us for family night and we enjoyed the ice-cream and chocolate dipped cones TT picked out for refreshments. Kathy-your the best! You're so fun and have a special bond with children! Wish I had pictures of that fun night.

• I'm also thankful for the great one-on-one time I had with Trevor the other day. Being the youngest of three boys, he has a few hand-me-downs. He's never complained, but it was time to give his room a fresh new look that is just for him. We spent an afternoon at Ikea where TT picked out his favorite bedspread with funky pillows, a retro floor lamp, and a cool sheepskin rug to compliment his room. It looks great and Trevor loves his cool updated room- he's sleeping now but I'll share a picture soon.

• I'm thankful for Lindsay, a lifesaver a couple Sunday's back and a great friend! At Jade's nice baby blessing brunch, Sophie accidentally got poked in the eye with scissors-- oops, from Sage. There was a very small scratch on her cornea. As protective parents, Paul took her to get checked out while I took the rest of the family to church, waiting anxiously to hear back. We felt everything was ok, but had to be sure. Sage felt so bad for her sis, you should've of seen their sad, worried faces as they pulled away in different cars. I knew it would be tough for Sage to go to class without Sophie, but would help her to get her mind on something else. It didn't take long before I heard her innocent sobbing outside my Sunday School door, with her teacher. I was comforting her in the hall and ready to take her to class with me when Lindsay was right there with her cheerful smile inviting Sage to go to her primary class. Soon Sage was her happy self again and, of course, she loved being in Lindsay's class again, they have really missed having her as their teacher since they changed classes for the new year. Lindsay is such a joy and always knows how to brighten your day. She's always telling me to call if I need anything, so considerate! And, Sophie's eye is fine, she just needed drops for a few days- thank goodness, I felt so bad for her.

• I am very happy to have another driver in the house! Of course it can be unnerving, Nick just turned 16 last month, but he is doing very well! He's starting to look for his first job and loves the independance of having his own wheels. He and Josh look for any opportunity, errand, or excuse for Nick to drive his car. Needless to say, I'm enjoying having a chauffeur on hand as much as he is liking his new car ;) Love my boys!

• I'm thankful for the new DVD players we just purchased the other day- "Clear Play". We enjoy good movies but have a hard time finding many family appropriate ones. Now we're able to filter all the unwanted stuff and watch at our own comfort level. The boys and dad watched "300" the other night. Although a lot was filtered out, shorter movie, they were able to enjoy it.

• Last, I am thankful we are NOT moving... (our "big news" I didn't share yet) Since our adoption, we have felt a bit crowded in our home, and the girls' bedroom is small, especially for two. Not to sound selfish, this is a beautiful home, one we built to raise our family in, but we're larger now and it's been difficult to keep up on while trying to find a place for everything... Anyway, after finding another dream home we were going to build in a nice neighborhood nearby, and getting our house ready to put on the market, we just didn't feel good about it. We were relieved, after much thought and prayer, when we decided to stay here. We love this neighborhood, ward, and house. It wasn't all in vain, we did a nice facelift on our home, repainted, cleaned carpets, tile... Now I've been dejunking and finding inventive ways to keep it all organized. It feels great to keep up on it all and I'm thankful for my family for keeping up on their chores and doing their part. I'm so glad we're staying!

• Yae! One more thing, I'm thankful for my thoughtful husband. He was on late tonight so we were very quiet and let him sleep in late this morning, he's been working hard and could use the rest. He just called on his way home and offered to take the kids to school tomorrow, get the girls breakfast, etc. so I can sleep in. Sure, I'll go for that, what a sweetie! Thanks hon!
  
  

Guess who did their own hair today? Simply Beautiful!
Sage- left, Sophie- right

They make everything more fun!

Well, except maybe grocery shopping and a few places that aren't very kid friendly--- S & S are a JOY!

Sophie green and Sage pink, very excited to go to their brothers' school skating party...

An ace on the scooter! Should've seen them strategically weave in and out of the crowds, so cute & funny with their handle bars up so high, just how they like it.

They were a crowd pleaser and gave us all a show!

But not so sturdy on the skates... They were like rag dolls at first and could barely stand. It was their first time trying "real" roller skates and they gave us a workout- but they didn't give up and liked them so much Sophie asked if they could take them home :)

We ran into Carolyn my cute cuz. Paul had fun taking pics as we caught the girls. They were full of giggles, especially when they fell, too funny!

But it didn't take long before they got the hang of it. Notice the look of concentration on Sage's face top left and Sophie made me laugh as she would spread out her arms and stand there proudly balancing, waiting for her skates to go... she looked at me like they were broken.

We only saw glances of our boys and their friends throughout the night, until they smelled the pizzas. They had fun at the arcade & lazer tag after a little skating.

Good Job Sage! & Sophie

Have I mentioned lately how much I love having daughters, along with my boys!

Farewell to the snow...

As much as we're looking forward to Spring- warm sunshine, green grass, ice cold lemonade and eventually days in the pool- we can't resist having fun in the snow while it's still here. The girls had a great time sledding with their brothers, they couldn't stop smiling and giggling! They were very proud of each snowmen they made throughout the year. Yes, I enjoy living in a place with a definite change of season, but I am welcoming Spring with open arms!

"Just Like Daddy" & Tagged again

When Sage proudly came out with her top tucked into her pants, I told her she doesn't need to tuck in her dress, she happily replied, "But daddy does". So I grabbed the camera--- should've seen the back!

" Does this make my hips look large? "

--Thanks for the tag Emily & Jade! Here goes...

Two Names You Go By: Di and Mom
Things You Are Wearing Right Now: Yoga pants & T-shirt
Two things you Want (or have) in a Relationship: A best friend/love and someone who makes me laugh/fun (thanks hon!)
Two of Your Favorite Things to do: Eat & Sleep. OK really- boating & biking, but eat and sleep take a close second, must not get enough.
Two things you did last night: Went to Jade's baby blessing (in the morning) Made a pot roast for my family while sharing jokes and watched "Becoming Jane" after the girls went down (Great chick flick!)

Two People you Last Talked To: Paul & Lindsay

Two Things You're doing tomorrow: Taxes (thrill!) and starting a reading program with my girls.
Two Longest Car Rides: - Driving to Lake Tahoe, pulling our boat- seemed to take for-ev-er! but worth every minute and driving to and from California when we want to save airfare, which we'll do more often now with our larger family, we'll break it up by staying in Vegas.
Two Favorite Holidays: Christmas & The 4th of July- we spend it at the Gorge
Two Favorite Drinks: Fresh squeezed OJ and Jamba Juice- their strawberry smoothies.
Two Things About Me you may not have known: I can't clean my house without good, loud music throughout; I'm considering running a triathalon this summer with friends, better start preparing!
Two jobs I have had in my life: In college, an assistent to the head professor in my field, learned a lot from her. After high school and before college, I was a nanny in LA for a close family with two fun boys, ages 2 & 4.
Two Movies I would watch over and over: My Big Fat Greek Wedding & While You Were Sleeping, can't watch my all-time favorites too often or they become dull.
Two of my favorite foods: Lasagna & Chicken Enchilada's
Two places I'd rather be right now: On a Disney cruise with family or in Maui at the Wailia beachfront with my sweety!

Seven People I'm tagging, other cute twin families adopted from China or Guatemala...

Cindy at Double Lucky , M3- mom to the Salsa Twins, Kristi- mom to Kenna & Michal, Rony of the Ghelerter twins, Diana's Twins, Dirk at No More Work Than One, and Emily at One Hope One Heart

Great twin blogs! click on name for link