jelly fish.

i always have great ideas.

like, "let's all go with ellie on her field trip to the aquarium.  the little girls would love it."
my husband always starts with a "you've got to be kidding me."
but, he warms up with time.
and then, i doubt myself.
especially when all three little kids get a case of the snuffles and are awake half the night.

i begin to think i'm trying to do too much.  that my life would be better if i were content to sit at home with my little ones and let my husband do all the interacting with my bigger kids.

sometimes, i take it slow.

sometimes, i stick with my original inspiration and we JUST DO IT.

most of the time i am so glad that we got out of the house, even if it does take a little more effort.

most of the time, we are driving home with smiles on our faces, with tales of the big sharks that swam right over us and i think to myself, "that was a great idea."

have you heard this song?

my kids love it.

warning- it's 6th and 7th grade boy humor.
(i was singing it all day yesterday.)

jelly.  fish.  jellyfish.

 on a different page...  my sister sent me the most fun package ever!
new clothes, and new boots.
SKINNY JEANS and knee-high boots.
honestly, i think it's so fun-- but, i'm scared to wear them.
i'm still bigger than i have ever been- from little eve-ers.
and, i sometimes feel like i'm pretending to be stylish.
here are a few pictures snapped of me at the field trip.
forget about the frizzy hair-- i just don't know what to do with my hair in oregon.
what do you think?  does it look funny that i have a chubby middle and tight bottom?
do you wear skinny jeans?

 have you heard about this sweet little girl who got bit by a shark this summer?

somehow, it made these pictures a little less funny...

i LOVE my work.
and these guys... i just LOVE em.

great to be EIGHT!!

last weekend, ellie got baptized here in Oregon.

surrounded by our children and lots of people that will soon feel like family.

she is darling.

i'm so humbled to be her mother.

after her baptism, she received the gift of the Holy Ghost.

In her blessing she was promised that the Holy Ghost would be a guide to her when she is mothering her own children.

I thought- how I need to listen to those gentle promptings teaching ME how to mother HER!!

After her baptism, todd, eve and I took Ellie out to eat-- her choice.

(She picked Hibachi... I picked a perfect, small town, bakery for dessert.)

We had our eight year old "greatest things" conversation.

Yup, right there at the hibachi table we explained Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy and the birds and the bees-- all in one swoop. 

She took it all in stride, smiling with an embarassed "that's gross". 

(Todd assured her that someday she would love it.)

I have never regretted having these conversations with my eight year olds.  They are old enough to know right from wrong.  At school intimacy is part of every day conversation.  I know that our kids know the basics, and that they know they can talk to us about any questions they have.

Ellie is so kind and sensitive.

She is full of life and goodness.

How I love this child!!

What a special day.