It was the BEST of times..it is the...

WORST OF TIMES!

I remember several months ago telling my

MOM

that I was loving the age of my kids!

I love that I no longer have to carry a diaper bag...

a bottle...

change a diaper...

or put three kids in car seats when it is 115 degrees outside.

I don't use a stroller...

and I don't have to go to McDonald's or Peter Piper Pizza

unless I want to!

Although this is true...

and I don't miss any of it,

I believe every "stage" or "season" of life brings us

the Best of Times...

and the worst of Times.

I spent another night in the hospital...

this time with Chris.
 

Luckily no broken bones but getting a phone call

during your daughter's soccer game

that your son who is in a volleyball game needs to be taken to the hospital...
 

isn't my idea of a good time!

Especially when I just put a cast on my daughter...

on Monday.

It is also my week to wake up at 5:45 a.m.  to drive 5 teenagers to high school,

one of the many carpools I'm in!

I don't think I can go through one week of a school week without one of my kids forgetting a homework assignment,

a lunchbox, money for a field trip 

or recently to bring "extra" clothes because hers got wet...

but she needed them for her soccer game so I run home to 

wash and dry...

to run back up again!

Let's just say the lady at the school has become one of my

dear friends!

I remember when I could put my kids to bed by 8 p.m. and I would have the rest of the night to myself...

now I'm usually asleep before my oldest three

and my youngest wakes up the next morning before me!

There are NO more nights or mornings to myself!

I also find myself fighting more emotional battles...

teaching my children how to deal with

BULLIES

who sometimes are their "friends"...

or teachers who can't see their true potential...

or coaches

who scream or yell

and make my children feel less than they truly are!

Yes there are HARD times now...

but I believe my children and sweet hubby

have given me the

BEST

of times...

no matter how tired, stressed, emotional or cranky I get!

************************

One of the exercise craze that is HOT right now is

ZUMBA!
 

Chelsea's (my awesome daughter-in-law) mom teaches it and she was kind enough to teach for

Young Women's

Tuesday night.  I was going to take pictures but I was

LOVING

every minute of it and it was such a great workout I didn't want to stop long enough to take pictures!

Let's just say I have found my new form of exercise!

Thanks Lisa Davies for kicking all of our behinds...

you were the BEST!         

************************************

Ron spent a great day at 

Willow Springs Lake

up in Northern Arizona with his bestest friend

Dennis!

The snow around the lake lets me know it was a little too cold for me but I'm glad they got to go

and catch all those yummy fish!   

   

       

Stand Together

If you are a member of

The Church of

Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints

then you enjoyed along with myself an amazing weekend

of uplifting songs and talks

from the leaders of our church.

I LOVE how President Monson speaks...he is real and personable.

I LOVE how President Uchtdorf can share stories that lift and inspire.

I LOVE how when they announce President Holland is going to speak next...that I shout for joy...

then I hang on every word as I feel a  power to do GOOD and to be BETTER than I am!

The list could go on and on but you get the picture...

I was inspired

I was comforted

I found peace

I found joy

I found LOVE!

Yesterday I listened to the words of

Elaine Dalton...

Stand Ye in Holy Ground

and be Not Moved.

During our time with my sister's family we had the opportunity to go hiking in the San Tan Mountains not far from our

home.

We were enjoying the beauty of the desert and the time we were spending together.

With my sister's baby being only 4 mos. old

we took a small break so she could nurse him.

A couple of the kids were

VERY

insistent that they could go on ahead and they would meet us at the flagpole...or the end of the trail.

I told them NO several times wanting us all to stay together.

Finally after more attempts...

I finally gave in and let them GO.

As the rest of us headed back towards the end of the trail...

we heard a voice from behind us.

The kids had gone the WRONG way and had to be turned around by a Ranger who spotted them off the trail.

Arizona desert is known for Rattlesnakes that can be deadly.

Being off a trail is not the place to be!

After being found...

the kids came crying to us and wanted to know why they had gotten lost.

I reminded them that on several occasions my answer to them had been NO...

to not go ahead but to wait with the group.

How many times do we want to do things our own way...

instead of the Lord's?

How many times do we choose to not be obedient?

How many times do we get off the trails of life...

and then wonder how we got lost?

The Lord is the way, the truth and the light.

How grateful I am for this knowledge.

How grateful I am that the Lord will go find the one

LOST sheep...

How grateful I am that my weekend was filled with this light and knowledge and a reminder to

Stand in Holy Places...

and be not MOVED!

I sure do love our FAMILY!

We ARE family...

While the exhaustion of the week set in...

I found myself

crashed out early last night,

laptop on my lap...

blog open...

pictures in the middle of edit...

and too tired to finish what I must have started.

I had spent several sleepless nights this week in worry and I had prayed hard to allow my

MIND

to let go the overwhelming stress I had felt for my son.

It worked...

I slept 10 hours last night and it felt like a 

MIRACLE!

We had too many fabulous memories of 

EASTER and VISITOR'S

not to document all that we did and all that we enjoyed.

 Peter Piper Pizza 

does have worthwhile "junk" when it is placed on Kylie in the form of jewelry!

 Only in Arizona can you swim in April because you are actually HOT!

 Cade enjoyed sneaking up on Rachel and pushing her in!

Rachel gave him "payback" several times over after that and this cute boy loved every minute of it!

 She rocks the sunglasses and floaties!

 Our Easter Egg Hunt crew!

 On your mark...

get set...

 GO!

 In an attempt to "keep up" with the big kids her feet wouldn't keep up and down she goes!

 It only slowed her down for a moment!

 So grateful that Kent and Whitney joined us for

EASTER Sunday!

Our kids LOVE them and all the FUN and LOVE

they bring with them. 

 We got these TWO boys to come outside and away from the video games to at least WATCH the fun!

Way to go Chris and Tom!

 At one point and time we had 20 of us all together!

Rachel reminded me that during

holidays and with NO family around we are usually

ALONE.

I think my kids were especially grateful to have so many family members join us this year!

 We attempted to get a picture with Jacob and myself in the picture...Jacob wouldn't be a part of it!

 These girls make me smile!

 I sure love my granddaughter...

she is a beautiful girl!

 Kylie loved hanging out with my "BIG" girls!

 We attempted to COLOR EASTER EGGS...

but no one was really interested

 They were just having too much fun with all the FAMILY

doing silly things like this:

 Whitney is a good sport!

Last year I threw away all my EASTER baskets...

I'm not really sure this year why I did that or what I was thinking.

So I had to get creative...

knowing they needed new TOWELS

I came up with this: 

 I found a FREE printable with the following saying:

HIP HOP hooray

Some BUNNY was here!

 Kylie's TWO favorite people:

Kent and Whitney!

 J.T. spent lots of time in everyone's arms as we all 

LOVED

being able to meet him!

Such a sweet happy little boy!

 They were also supportive of my kids

attending Rachel's soccer game and Chris's volleyball game!

We sure do love our family...

and we sure LOVED that they came to visit! 

We had ONE other activity but I will share those photos tomorrow! 

      

I'd rather be home eating SOUP

I had the opportunity recently to listen to

THIS.

Oh how I love President Deiter F. Uchtdorf.

I literally laughed out loud when he discussed the story of

the Hobbit known as Bilbo Baggins

and his desire 

to just stay home eating soup!

It especially rang true for me today.

We just had our visitors leave and I am tired!

We played, laughed, hiked, sang and then laughed some more and I will show pictures of our adventures tomorrow...

but today I'm tired.

Unfortunately I spent last night in the Emergency Room with 

RACHEL

on what is possibly her 8th broken bone!

I worked my little fingers to the bone (well not literally) frantically working to get work done

and ready for a meeting today.

I had more sports game's to attend  

and "fires" to put out!

So while I all I really wanted to do was be at home

"eating soup"

I had to become MOMMA bear

and fight!

Have teachers, coaches and administrator's

really become

so uncaring and unkind

that I have to send MY children into their care to be

treated so poorly?

Let's just say this MOMMA bear is tired...

and she needs some soup!