Mr. L is 37, and other Hulabaloo!

Happy Birthday to my best friend!  I am so thankful for this man that I proudly call my husband and father to my children.  He has never-ending energy and wisdom, and love.  He is quick to forgive and to say he's sorry.  Anyone who knows him is blessed!  He is a loyal companion, faithful saint, and intelligent resource for any trivia or general conversation.  He is a hard worker and spends many hours serving the community..right now as the Baseball President, and as the County and State Delegate.  He is a very handsome and talented man, and I am still in love after 20 years of knowing him!

When both of your families live in town you get to celebrate your birthday 2 sometimes 3 times!!  So we celebrated with Mr. L's family on Saturday and had an impromptu easter egg color and hunt.  Then had another party with my family and general rumpus on Sunday.  So that 's why we had half eatin cake, we didn't need another cake.

Then we had another party with the Stout and Murdoch-Durkin Families, we had Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner and played a game of baseball!  a very fun and memorable birthday!

Dippin the egg in all the colors=some unknown color on the egg and the hand.

Here's 3 year old Tank, tankin up on the Easter candy! 

It's so hard to say good bye

Have you ever wondered what heaven would be like?  Maybe you already have an inkling.  You may imagine a place where all your loved ones are...a place where, maybe new people are...people you met a long time ago, but don't quite remember how you know them, but you love them anyway.  A place where there is no comparison, no keeping up with the Jones's.  I believe heaven is a place where we can learn and grow from each other by helping each other, understanding, and inspiring, and loving each other...UNCONDITIONALLY.  A place where there is no fighting and all the gaps are filled in because we are drawing from each other's strengths.  I believe it is very possible to have Heaven on Earth....when all the stars are aligned and God is smiling. 

I reflect every day on my little piece of heaven .  It has only been a week, but I have been so uplifted from a very special visit.  We were blessed to have Stephanie and Vince and their 2 beautiful daughters stay with us for 1 1/2 days...not long enough but, enough time for us to:

Rekindle and renew relationships...

...go to grandpa's farm...

...go shopping, and shooting...

...squeeze in a big family gathering...

and of course...E.A.T.

...watch the Olympics...

...play on the computer...

or rather...

laugh our heads off while playing on Ronnie's

computer...

...and stay up really late to make up for lost time...

Pretty much take time out to play, play, play. 

A friendship and sisterhood revisited and strengthened...and all the beautiful and familiar feelings that come  with that. 

It's hard to say good bye...I say hello and good bye to that deep feeling everyday....

take a breathe...shed some tears...let the air out in a slow sigh...

sniff...and try to control it...remembering that profound gladness that quickly turns to sadness...yearning to be with someone that you know is really living but you can't see or touch them...sniff...SNORT...b u c k  u p...

find your strength,

and revel in the joy and be grateful that you have been able to have such a special memory to share with such special people.  

Christmas 2009

The reason these photos look so nice is because
Ronnie from blubellephoto took them. 
It is his precious baby girl posing as the baby Jesus. 

Christmas Eve with the LeBaron's packed with lottsa stuff...good food, good music, good conversation (if you could hear over the good rumpus goin on), and really good kids...no one even fought over who would be Mary in the Nativity.  Well 4 year old Loo Loo's on the other hand...well we just didn't have a camel outfit for her to wear....not good = a good old-fashioned temper- tantrum....  Goood Fun!

The Best of Christmas at home

At g-ma and g-pa LeBaron's

At g-ma and pa Evans's

Notice I'm holding my first Easy Bake Oven.

My favorite gifts:  great memories of course.  My thoughtful husband for wrapping me up some more dough enhancer, and vital wheat gluten, oh and yeast.  My very first pressure cooker, we're gonna have some fun.  My red coat. 

The most useful item a Sharp Steam Mop, and Sharp Rechargeable Sweeper.   Oh, and the Sharp hand vac.  Hmmmm, someone wants me to be cleaner.  How thoughtful!  Something I wouldv'e never bought myself.  Oh and my favorite was the long over due Easy Bake Oven!!!

What.... 13 years old?

Before

After

Yup!!! 13....Eaph said just the other day, "First falling on the ice and getting stitches and now this broken plate....my 13th year has been very unlucky so far....well, I did get my Eagle, and I guess that was lucky!" (Which is another post for another day:)

For his party we used the GPS. The boys would find the coordinate and end up at one of their houses and their mom would have them do a service project. Most of the projects were raking up leaves as you can see. It ended up being a very fun day, plus it made everyone feel good because they did service too!!!

Another fun birthday I did with a GPS was for Mr. L. I hid birthday presents all over town and he found them by following the different coordinates on his GPS. It was really fun. The funnest part was when my friend, (ahem...Lorilee) replaced the DVD gift and wrapped up some lingerie in it's place, and made it look like the original DVD package...very inventive indeed...and hilariously unforgettable.

Hangin' in Hatch on the 24th

Our first trip as a completed family. As you can see we had a blast in Hatch. We had waaaay too much fun!!! Oh and the weather was so so nice.


Hangin' at the park, jammin' with grandma & pa and uncles, and cousins, ridin' & fishin' and just havin' a good ol' carefree time.


One of my most precious memories is the pic of Levi holding Julia. Right before he fell asleep he said, "I just never get tired of holding Julia". So sweet, why do they hafta grow up?