common funny

It happens a lot so I just need to document this.

I love when my kids are knocking on the door to the bathroom when I'm in it or the back sliding door when they're outside and I'm inside or even just getting our attention and they say
"It's me Haeli Wilkins!" or "It's me Maili"  It cracks me up!

Thanksgiving

As a teenager, I had a quote on my mirror that I received from one of my young women leaders. I liked the quote then, but I really love it now.
"Happiness is a grateful heart"
I think as I get older and gain more wisdom that it will even ring more true than it does now.
Why? cause as I get older, I realize more and more just how much "things" don't matter. "experiences" don't matter. "Circumstances" don't matter. I always remember the book "The Hiding Place" and the author Corrie Tenboom (I think) talks about how even in the concentration camps, the one thing the soldiers couldn't take away from her is her will, her attitude, her thoughts.  No matter what life brings us, we can always find something to be thankful for.
I am very lucky to have the "things" I have. The "experiences" I do and be in the "Circumstances" I am in.
I love my life.
I totally forgot to take pictures of Thanksgiving day.....too busy eating I guess :)
We went up to Alpine and had a wonderful dinner with the gigantic Wilkins clan. I wish I could have taken a picture of the hallway completely covered with children and toys/games. It was wonderful.  Then we zoomed back home just in time for my family to arrive and have another dinner complete with humorous rounds of Wii fit. After dishes were loaded and hugs were given and kids put to bed, Kevin and I fell into bed with sweet exhaustion.
The only picture I did take was our Thankful Turkey. Throughout the month, we thought of something everyday that we were thankful for and we added a feather to good ole Tom.  I'll post it later

Fall Fun

I keep forgetting my camera of some of the fun things we've done this Fall
like Cornbelly's and the pumpkin patch 3 times! Once with the family and then
once with each girl's field trips.
But here's a few pictures of the girls playing in the Fall fun!

I love this picture.....it is the epitome of my sweet, peaceful girl!

fun on the path

you gotta love a good pile of leaves

Ashli loved the leaves!

Happy girl

weeeeeeeee

Halloween

I'm way behind on posting....if I don't get my pictures downloaded then I don't post.
Anyway, here's some fun Halloween pics!

Haeli in a "parade" with her preschool class (Maili was sick)

My cute little witch

With her teacher Mrs. Farr

My little witch and Jessie from Toy Story

Ward trunk or treat

My little Chocolate Kiss....I could gobble you right up!

So fun!

Daddy please don't put that hat on me again!

fun pumpkin carving!

Haeli's scarey pumpkin

Maili's happy pumpkin

Ashli's baby pumpkin

My croocked smile pumpkin

Although it rained just as we were about to go out, it calmed down a bit and the girls got plenty of loot!

How to host a murder

Ever since last year, I've been excited to do a host a murder for Halloween time. Last year I had just had a baby, so that was out!  So I was excited to do one this year.....(have I mentioned that I love being the Host?)We invited people in our ward that we have been wanting to get to know better. I'm so glad we did! It was the perfect mix of people that made it a lot of fun. People really got into their characters and I was so involved that I didn't take many photos. 



Lizzy borden the parent killer and The prince of Darkness' brother





The witch of dimness and the frankenstein of glum





Dr. Deth DDS and Hannibal/Cannibal/Werewolf



me, the psychic/vampire/bat/deceased and the mummy aldrinktostat

I'm sad I didn't get a photo of the food. I made baked bones in blood (manicotti with mushrooms on the ends) witch's broomchetta, goblin fingers (breadsticks) vampire blood (sparkling red grapejuice) and some other stuff!
It was a blast and I can't wait to do it again next year! Thanks friends for joining us!

Faith of a Child

Reading scriptures tonight, Haeli had to take a turn, so she opens the bible up to the maps section and says "so we go over here and ask Jesus for the Faith and he gives it to us and then we take it over here and walk on the water!"  I love it. She was talking about faith as a tangible thing. So cute. It really can be that simple.....I make it so difficult. I wish I had the faith of a child!

FIVE!

5 years old!
 Is it possible?
I have a 5 year old daughter? How did this happen?
Today is Maili's birthday. She has been waiting for so long to be five. She often talks about how she's been 4 for way too long! :)

This cake was way over my head, but she really wanted it. It turned out okay, she loved it!

My happy girl loves everything princess

 I told her that this year she could pick just 3 friends and we went to Pirate Island! They had a blast!

My posing princess!

Yummy root beer and pizza!

Getting ready to blow out the candle!

Her cute little friends helped her unwrap her presents because of her broken arm.

Maili is a spunky girl to say the least. She loves to bounce, sing and DANCE!  She's great at pretend and I often get in trouble for calling her the wrong name of the day :)  She loves to be the oldest, which can lead to being a bit bossy, but most of the time she does a great job of playing with her little sisters. She loves friends and every time we go somewhere new, she comes to tell me she has made a new friend. 

She loves to learn and is a sponge. I have never known someone to pick up things so quickly. She hears a word on a t.v. show and starts using it right away. She has an amazing memory and a great sense of humor.

I love to listen to her come up with new ideas and find out what's in that little head of hers.

She loves to gather things up and put them in little bags or bins, which is kind of strange to me, but it's her,

The other day I came up the stairs to find her setting up all her "friends" to watch her in a show....stadium style!

She's very creative and I know she will be involved in a number of activities as she grows up. She loves to try new things. (except food) 

She is our "spirited" child, which has its pros and cons. She gets into trouble a lot at she has a fire inside that we're trying to tame without putting out. We love her spunk and are so glad she has so much personality.

She keeps us on our toes and couldn't imagine it any other way. 

We love you Smiley Maili and can't wait for another year to discover what else will come bursting out of you!

Happy Birthday Babe

Kevin's alkdjath birthday was Wednesday. If we're ever opposite, which is pretty much always, it is on birthdays. I like a big old hooplah and he does NOT. So we had a quiet day with just us.  I was excited to make this android/iphone cake.  It took forever...I just don't have all the tools I need, but it was fun. He was very surprised and loved it.

Kevin is just a great person. I mean really. He really is a genuine, down to earth, great guy.  He's quiet, which some may mistake for haughty, but really he just prefers to sit back and listen. He often feels he doesn't know what to say. I think he does great. He has a funny personality and we still laugh a lot. He also is the most giving person I know. He tries so hard to give everything of himself to me and our family. Even though he is the type to never say a word, I know he feels torn a lot between family, his busy work schedule and his church calling. I know he feels he's falling short in all areas, but I  think he is doing an extraordinary job. He will go without sleep so that I can get some more zzz's. Even though we're supposed to take turns on early mornings, he takes more than his share. He's very patient with me and all my new ideas or when I'm complaining about this or that. He is the love of my life, .fulfiller of my dreams, my best friend and the best father to our kids that I could ever ask for.
Happy Birthday babe! We love you!

Bye Bye Beehives

I've had to wait a while to write this post.  Even now, I start to cry when I think about it.
I got released as the Beehive Advisor last week.  I had known for quite some time that a change was happening in the Young Women organization, but for some reason, I kept thinking it just would not affect me and my calling. WRONG!
Ever since I was teaching high school, I have wanted a calling in the young women's.  I always wanted to be able to talk to these guys about the gospel...which I never was allowed to do at work.
I got called to the Beehives, which was foreign to me, cause I was used to the 14 to 18 year olds. It was the perfect place for me.
Beehives are so excited to be in young women's. They're new and so full  of energy.  They taught me so much!
I loved giggling with them, rapping with them, crying with them and talking to them.
When I got released, instead of feeling, yes this is the time, I felt so resistant. NO!  I'm not done yet. Please don't take me out of there. It is the perfect place for me. I loved ALL of the girls. I loved working with the other women leaders and the friendships we built.  I learned so much from each of them.  I worry that those 2  short years are all I'll get working with young women. Will I ever get the opportunity again?  I feel like maybe that was all I'll get just cause it's one that I love so much. Know what I mean?

Girl's camp August 2010

I am now over the nurseries. It will be new and I hope to end up loving it like I did Young Womens, but for now I'm still in mourning.

September fun

September has been an eventful month for us. With Ashli's birthday to begin the month. We also got a chance to take in the zoo one day. Of course, I forgot the camera, but the girls absolutely loved it. They loved the monkeys and we even had a gorilla come face to face (behind the glass) with Haeli and then Maili. It was kind of scary at first, but then they just stared at each other.
We also took the girls for their first time bowling!  They absolutely loved it. I think Kevin and I appreciated having the bumper things up as well, so we got a better score than usual. :)

Haeli used a lot of umph to push the ball!

SCORE!

Ashli played with her little ball the whole time

So excited. They had so much fun!

This weekend, Kevin and I went up to Aspen Grove for a marriage weekend getaway.  It was our first time leaving our girls overnight. My sweet niece Briana came and stayed with the girls and we are so grateful!

It started Friday evening with dinner and then a lecture by Brad Wilcox. He is one of my favorite professors and I also taught his daughter Wendee who was there at the getaway with her husband as well! He spoke about the different parts of marriage, emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual.

Two other couples were there from our ward and we played some games for a bit with them, but I have had a killer cold for the past week, so Kevin and turned in early. After a night of getting no children, we headed out to a yummy breakfast.  We then went and heard Bro. Wilcox talk more about humor, the prophet and apostles and about letting go of our pasts. Then we had a great lunch. They also provided a number of activities from hikes to badminton to Foosball.  I so appreciated the opportunity to go and get away and just spend time with Kevin. I appreciate the kind of man he is with the maturity he has. He didn't automatically think this retreat was about fixing your marriage or anything. It was just a time for us to focus on us without kids and the daily grind getting in the way.  He needed it just as much as I did. We plan on doing this again in April and again next Sept!  

Tough Break

At last night's soccer game, our spunky Maili was celebrating the game by doing somersaults. One here, another there. Both Kevin and I turned our head, so we didn't see what happened, but when I looked back, Coach Matt was signalling for me to come as he was huddled over my sweetie. We ran out to see her forearm completely bent. We knew it was broken. As our friends saw it, they told us both to just run and they would take care of our other girls. We took her to the E.R. where the x-rays showed both bones broken.
I had calmed down by that point....a broken arm....there's a lot worse things, but then they had to sedate her to be able to reset it. The doctor warned us how this would be, but I don't think there's enough warning for what we saw next.  Our spunky, energetic, bouncy girl became a zombie. Still awake, but completely out of it. The doctor says the brain separates from the body so you feel no pain. (This drug is used on the streets and is called special K) I don't know why anyone would want to take that, because you can't even purposely move.  It brought me to tears to see my baby like that. Still awake, but not there at all.  He quickly reset her arm and put a splint on it. The sweet nurse wrapped it in pink hospital tape/wrap for our princess.  We have to wait a few days until the swelling goes down, so Monday she will go to the orthopedist and get a real cast. She's been very brave...except for the moment of spitting out almost all the Tylenol with Codeine because it tasted so bad and then when they tried to give her the shot, her reflexes were so fast, she grabbed the needle and yanked it out and the nurse had to poke her twice.
I'm glad the trauma is over. I think I had so much adrenaline in me that I couldn't sleep last night.
It's moments like that which remind me of our Heavenly Father as he watches us suffer. I wanted so badly to just hold her and make it all better and not make her go through anymore pain or scary stuff, but I knew what was best and had to let her go through it....had to make her go through it so she could heal.
I love my spunky, smiley girl.

quip #2

On our way to Maili's soccer game
Maili: oh goody, daddy gets to be the coach today!
Haeli: Then who gets to be the daddy?

quick quip

At scripture time last night, Kevin was telling the story of Joseph being sold into Egypt. Here's the conversation below
Kevin: So Joseph was sold to become a slave
He then explains what a slave is.
Kevin: We don't have slaves anymore
Haeli: Oh! We should buy one daddy!

Priceless

Mommy Blues-

I have the mommy blues today...oh and I had them yesterday and the day before. I use this term lightly....to some it may mean post-partum issues. For me, right now, it just means that I'm in a rut.  I'm sure after I write this, I'll feel better. It's my blog, so I give myself permission to complain a little. Blogs don't always have to be positive....do they?
So, just feeling tired of kids not listening when I ask them to do something OR to stop doing something. Getting tired of whiners. Tired of poop, wiping bums. Trying to change clothes on kids that keep trying to run away. Tired of threats (by me) that if they don't listen, they're either a) going to time out b) losing some privilege c) not getting to play with friends.
Tired, oh so tired of cleaning up my house, yet always feeling like it's so messy that I'm embarrassed for anyone to knock on my door. Tired of worrying about it.
Tired of cooking a healthy meal to just have kids say yuck before they even taste it.
Tired, of one crying cause the other hit, shoved, or took something away from them.
Tired of a 5 year old and a 3 year old talking back to me.
Basically, I think I'm just TIRED. I need sleep. But even when Kevin lets me sleep in or gets whichever child in the night, I am still so tired!
Okay, I'm done whining myself.  Is it okay to feel like this about something that I've wanted so much for so long. Is it okay to feel like this about something that I was jealous of others for having?
I truly love my life......I do....honestly!  I just have the blues this week. Kevin and I are going on a marriage retreat overnight in a few weeks, I'm so nervous to leave my kiddos overnight with someone....never done it before (except when I've been in the hospital) but I think it will be just what the doctor ordered. I need some good time with my man.  Thanks for letting me whine.

Wouldn't even trade them for a clean house!

.

Back to School

So this week was the first week of school for both girls. Maili is so ready for Kindergarten but misses the deadline by just a month. So she is in her 2nd year of formal preschool.  When I took Haeli, I knew she was a bit apprehensive, as was I.  I've been wondering if it's too early to send her to school...she seems so much younger.....I guess she is, since Maili is kind of a year behind that way.  I felt a little tear in my heart as I left her there.  When I went to pick her up, she was all smiles and had a GREAT time!  She's ready to go back!

This is already old hat for Maili

Haeli loves her backpack!

Here are the two princesses getting ready to feast on our 2nd annual back-to-school dinner.

Haeli the Ham

Sweet "S"Miles

Here's to a good year of school and schedules!  Love it!

In the Hollow of Thy Hand

My nephew Derek returned from his mission on Monday. We went to the airport to see him come home.

I cried when he arrived. So proud of him and just the fact that he served an honorable mission. I have a special place in my heart for missionary work.

The 5 brothers

Richie and Derek

Proud father and son

Sign reads Welcome Home Elder Griffin!

As we were waiting for him, I realized that another group there was waiting for a sister missionary in the same mission....that sister missionary turned out to be one of my students!  So cool! Also, there were 3 other former students of mine there waiting for her. One of which went on an ASL mission!  I get so excited when I find out that someone, to whom I taught the language, went and served the Lord using that language!  So cool!