Happy Easter!

Happy Easter Everyone!!!

We celebrated Easter early this year.  Ashlyn got Good Friday off of school and we celebrated this long weekend starting off right... doing a scavenger hunt for our Easter gifts.  They had to find sticky notes throughout the house that led them to their gifts: Peacock tube, new swimming suits, and cover-ups.  They were beyond excited!

The girls usually strip down out of their swimming suits after we swim.  I remember having friends over to swim in our pool last summer and after our girls just stripping down (good thing my friend only had girls ha ha), but it made me realize that I probably need to teach them about what is appropriate in private and public.  So that experience is what inspired the swimming suit cover up where they can still take off their swimming suits outside while wearing their cover-ups.  

Dying Easter Eggs

Lately have I been reading and experimenting with a post blog that I came across on pinterest called 31 Ways to be a Better Mom.  I have only read/experienced the first four, but it has been really great for me.  I want to share my experiences...

1. Before School Rule- having a happy, positive attitude in the morning to set up the day on a good note for your child. (I have felt pretty good in this area and so I continued to move on to #2)

2. Unplug and Plug in- this was all about putting my phone away and really be in the moment with my kids.  For spring break I made a special effort to not use my phone and to unplug and enjoy the here and now.  It was so awesome!  I enjoyed my kids a lot more! I think they enjoyed me a lot more too! The phone is something that I need to constantly be in check with because it is so easy to get distracted and miss out on precious moments (the look on Claire's face while swinging, Desi falling off a chair while trying to help out her sister, Brinley opening up and sharing a story about something that happened at preschool or Ashlyn giving a hug to Brinley).  Time is flying by and I want to soak up this precious season of my life with my littles.

3. Step Away from your Child- this is letting your kids be bored.  This is where creativity comes in.  Reading #3 made me realize that I have used Netflix too often lately.  I used it to babysit while I took a quick shower, make dinner, "my" naptime, and more.  Netflix was being used too often lately.  I like to limit tv time to an hour/day and I was exceeding that amount.  So I made a goal for that day (take one day at a time, right ;) that I wouldn't have the tv on.  Guess what, it was so magical.  The kids used their imagination dressing up and playing princesses, they read books on the couch, they rode their bikes outside.  Not only were they playing nicely together, but there were lots of laughs, hugs, and conversations.  It was so refreshing.

4. Embrace your Crazy- life is too short so have fun!  There are so many to-dos as a mom and it is easy to get lost in focusing on that list.  So this step was all about letting myself get loose and have fun with my kids.  I read this step when the girls where at gymnastics and I immediately planned the rest of the night- to make it a night of fun!  We got dinner from Little Caesar's and swam outside until it was dark.  Derek and I always have the kids in bed before dark (7-7:30) and so it was a real treat to swim with the light on in the swimming pool with the full moon.  Ashlyn kept saying, "This is the best day ever!"  Then to top it off, we did a family movie and sleepover in the living room.  We watched the real Beauty and the Beast and the kids didn't fall asleep until 10:30.  It was so much fun to get silly, let loose, and have fun. It was a great night!    

Ashlyn's school Easter Party

They had teams that were trying to build structures out of Easter eggs.

I brought my 2 companions and they were enjoying their space in the corner.

They were delighted to get some yummy treats too.

Ashlyn has worked so hard in class that she earned to sit at the teacher's desk for the day with her friend Paige.  

She also earned a prize from the treasure box!

I took these two munchkins to Target and while I was talking to a mom from my MOPS group, Claire happened to open the lipstick that I was buying and test it out for me. I think it looks great!

We went to lunch and the play area at the mall with some good friends that are moving this week to Dallas.  We are sad to say goodbye, but so glad to be friends.

It was raining so hard these girls were so excited to use the umbrellas!

This was on our street that we live on and if you look closely you can't see that the curbs, they are covered with water.  Lets just say we had to find another route home.

Ashlyn lost her 3rd tooth at school!  It is her first upper front tooth!  She got so excited when I called her a jack-o-lantern.

I was cleaning out some drawers and came across this note that Ash wrote to me a couple of years ago.  I love how much she shows her loves by writing notes.

Nesting mode is in full swing at our house.  I was so unmotivated to do anything one morning and I looked on Pinterest for fun.  I came across an organizing post and it inspired me to clear out and wipe all the drawers and cupboards, dejunk, and re-organize the entire kitchen.  It feels so refreshing!

Thank you Grandma and Papa Martinson for the Easter package.  These girls loved their gifts.  I loved my skip-it as a kid and it is fun to watch Ashlyn enjoy it as well.  She couldn't do it the first night she got it, but she worked so hard practicing that now she is a pro. 

These girls love the water book!

Ashlyn has the best Primary Teacher.  She made her class each a felt board with the Easter pictures.  For FHE Ashlyn taught the lesson about the really meaning of Easter!  She did a wonderful job!  

Claire just makes me laugh.  She was so excited to go outside to ride her bike, but she couldn't find one of her shoes.  Well she decided it wasn't worth the time looking for the other one, so she put on a shoe from a different pair of shoes/boots.

We love that the weather is starting to warm up and we can swim again!

These two kept running around the pool holding hands and jumping in together.  I enjoy watching their friendship grow.  They are best buds.

The show has begun!  Singing and chalk art!

Ashlyn loves when she gets mail from family!

Happy Birthday to me!

My friends were so kind and came over in the morning to bring me waffles and balloons!

As a family we drove to Nac where we had a picnic at the park and then we walked the Azalea Trail at the local university.  It was so beautiful!  

Derek's new hobby is driving his remote control car.  He always has a blast with it!  As he was driving, he started gathering his own fan club.

Then after we got icees!

Late afternoon I had a few friends stop by, and one particular friend is Emily.  We both moved to Lufkin around the same time and we met through the girls' gymnastics class at the rec center.  She has 3 girls about my girls' age and we became instant friends.  Well she stopped by for about an hour and gave me this gift- candle, bath bombs, and a beautiful sign (not in the picture).  

You know how in some relationships, you are friends, but you don't know how good of friends you are? (I may be alone in this thinking), but her bringing me a gift on my birthday showed me that we are good friends!

Of course I had to have a hot bath and test this bath bombs and yummy candle!

Brinley loves her crafts that she makes at preschool! She works so hard and I am proud of her.

When we dropped Brinley off at preschool, there was a field that had a lot of flowers and so I let the girls go explore.  I love sweet moments like these!  (I tried using my zoom on my phone- i guess it doesn't work super well).

My favorite right now is when the girls play dress-up together and use their imaginations!  It usually is in the mornings when Brinley doesn't have preschool.

When I was a Young Women leader I was over personal progress and I made a promise to the girls that if they finish their personal progress and get their patriarchial blessings, I would take them on a date to a restaurant of their choice.  Haley is the first and only so far that has reached the goal.  It was fun for me to get to know her better and have her share her current life with me!  I miss spending time with the young women!

For Derek's birthday he got a guitar!  Everyone was so excited!

His rock star face!

We love how Daddy comes home for his lunch breaks.  On Monday we went swimming during lunch!  I love how during the week, we can spend so much time with Derek.

Our morning walk and finding flowers

These two can be the best of friends or Desi will be bullying Claire.  I love the moments when they get along and play nicely together.  Lately they have been the best of friends ; )

Happy Desi

We had a great conference weekend!  The girls love the tradition of the Prophet and Apostle bags!

Every time they heard Jesus Christ, they were able to get an m&m from the jar.  Oh the excitement when they heard it!  Derek and I would smile every time.

In between the sessions, we had lunch with Sable (our babysitter) and her family.  They also got a new puppy and our girls have been begging to go see it.  After Ashlyn told us that they are going to convince Derek and I that we need a dog!.....good luck.

Someone (who shall not be named) put a black crayon in the girls dirty clothes and it happened to get all over their clothes.  I researched a homemade remedy to get it out so these girls have to scrub the remedy on their clothes!  I just hope that they learn their lesson!

Ashlyn has been mastering her handstands lately.  She is constantly doing handstands and cartwheels. She has worked so hard and her hard work is paying off. 

 Conference weekend is so hard for Daddy.  He doesn't like having the TV on all day and being cooped up in house.  So he had an idea to go have a picnic at the park and let the kids run around.  His facial was a perfect description of how he felt....ha ha.