Spring

  St. Patty's Day

Easter

Strawberry Pickin'

Cohen's Swim Lessons!

Anniversary/Jerry's Birthday Trip!

Jerry and I got away for a wonderful 5 days to Orlando- just the two of us.  I had gotten him Braves spring training tickets for Christmas, and we decided to take a couple extra days as a birthday present / Anniversary getaway trip!  We went to 3 games ...Braves vs. Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros. We had AWESOME seats!!! 3rd row on the 1st base line!

 We also got 2 day passes to Universal Studios.

We slept in every day ate desert every night.  It was exactly what we needed.  A couple highlights..... We saw Hogwarts at Universal Studios!!!

 Love me some Harry Potter! Jerry got some autographs, Dan Ugla threw me a ball that someone INTERCEPTED ew! Jerry is not convinced that he threw it to me....but he did....he looked DIRECTLY at me! Such is life.

 Mickey Mouse threw the opening pitch at the Phillies game....the kid behind us yelled "I didn't know HE was going to be here!!!"  lol.  It was adorable.    Anyway, it was a ball.....Hope we get to do it again someday SOON!

Time Out for Women

 I had the amazing opportunity to go to Orlando with 10 fabulous chicas from my ward.

  No kids....no hubbies aloud....just a Mommy timeout. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids and my hubs more than ANYTHING But I needed this!

We went to the Orlando Temple right when we got into town and it was beautiful.

Time out for Women was phenomenol.....Amazing speakers and performers, from Hilary Weeks to the "Our Best Bites" girls....to Jericho Road, and Sheri Dew.  And a ton others whos names are escaping me but their amazing messages of love, hope, forgiveness, optimism are ringing in my ears and my heart.  The thing that hit home the most, was the concept of not being able to give water from an empty well.....that keeping our own wells full is what makes it possible to share with or "serve" others. Sometimes I'm so busy seeing to the needs of everyone around me that I neglect the things that give ME strength...and I start trying to give water that isn't there, resulting in feelings of falling short, and anxiety and guilt that I'm not more.  But when I'm doing things to fill my well, I find it is so much easier and fulfilling to give OF it.    I learned  that service is the RESULT of charity not charity itself....remembering that charity is the relationship with my savior and my father in heaven, through that relationship we are given moments of clarity on how to BE loved and to recognize it by the pure love of christ, and in turn learn HOW to love, because we learned from example, with that same pure love of Christ.  It starts on your knees, in a quiet moment, with an open heart, and faith to know, and hands, feet, heart and mouth to act. I was reminded that I'm going to know my children for an eternity as adults........but I have 18 short years to know them as children.....It makes me want to soak in everything.  I am reminded to have optimism that trials will work themselves out through time.....that character is refined in the furnace of affliction.   That living life greatful for everything I have now is so much more enjoyable and productive than thinking that I'll be happy when THIS happens or when THAT happens. I was reminded to be kind, that everyone is carrying around something that at times feels too heavy.    I reminded of  the importance of apologizing.....Not "I'm sorry...but,".... a simple and sincere apology can go a long way.....It may not make things comfortable or as they were....but it can make things right.  In turn I was reminded of the importance of accepting apologies....and forgiving even if no apology has been issued.  That Christ himself forgave those even in his hours of agony in the garden of gethsemene and on the cross.  "Forgive them for they know not what they do"  ...he gave the gift of the atonement as much to them as he did his apostles...Keeping grudges, betrayals, injustices........bottled up inside of you is not a peaceful way to live. Let it go.  I came away with good friends, deeper insight on what makes those friends tick.

 I ate a lot, laughed a lot, cried a lot....slept hardly :) lol.  And I felt full and happy to go home to my sweet family.  Whom I love with every ounce of my heart and soul.  I love the gospel, I love my savior , I love my family, I love the precious precious gift of the temple.....And when I'm feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or alone.....

I will remember a quote from Thomas S. Monson

"Courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says : I'll try again tomorrow" 

Cohen Turns 4

Okay this obviously didn't JUST happen...I have been SOOOO behind on my blogging lately. His birthday was Feb. 4th, and it's hmmm.....May13th! LOL!! But I'm finally getting my act together. What do we say about Cohen. He is a very spirited little boy. He certainly loves life and loves giving us a run for our money! Enjoy the pictures of his birthday party (Which we had at the park on a friday morning with his friends from church -those that wern't in preschool that morning-, his little in home preschool group, and of course Grandma Skinner and cousin LaRae) , mingled with the Cohen-isms of late :).

 As you can see by his cake below, Cohen was going through a major Thomas the Train stage.  He loooooooooves Trains. 

 Cohen also loves his sister Brinley.  He is the first in her room when she wakes up in the morning or for a nap....he brings her toys and talks to her till I come in.  Sometimes he joins her in her crib.  Brinley LOVES him back.  Sure they like to torture each other sometimes....but Cohen is so sweet to her, always telling her "It's okay Binley"when she cries

Cohen loves to sing.  He is a touch behind on the communication ability....great memorizer, phenomenol empathizer....energetic joyful kid......but when it comes to asking him open ended questions (What did you do today?  What did you learn at school/church?), he tends to repeat the question.....and has no idea to formulate how to respond most of the time....We are having him tested through child find this summer. The reason I bring this up in regards to his singing... , he loves it so much and is so good at learning songs, that that has been the easiest way to get and keep his attention.  It's the way we teach him gospel principles and educational learning as well.  I'm so greatful for music and the fact that it's an avenue to talk and actually communicate with my son.  When I feel so frustrated I remember that heavenly father blessed me with that gift and passed it onto my son.  I feel progress when he sings "follow the prophet" " Families can be together" and "Choose the right" or "Reverently queitly"  that he's learning those things because of music.  I see the hand of god in my relationship with my son and I am so so so  greatful.

This Spiderman house/fortress below was his absolute favorite present he plas with it every day.

Okay, don't get me wrong, he is as rambunxious as they come, and at time a game of swords ends up being too rough and owies on everyone.....but Cohen is friendly, and loving, and even includes the little ones in his play.  I do an in home pre-pre school rotation with some girls in our ward.....and Cohen is very popular around the younger siblings...(1 or 2 year olds)  He is always there to greet them with hugs and kisses and brings them toys when they cry.....  He loves to play with friends his age too, he does better with one on one play dates, in groups he tends to drift by himself or to the younger kids.

We took the kids to the ward camp out a few weeks ago and shared a campsite with some friends of ours that have a son  a year older than Cohen and a daughter a year younger, and they looooooved it.  There were some woods that backed up to our camp spot and the three of them would go play.....I know I'm such a good mom lol....well they were gone for a little bit so I went to go find them....Cohen was stuck in a tree saying "mommy...mommy....mommy..." Anderson had a flashlight shining it on cohen, and Minnie had a hammer and looked at me with her long curls and glasses with a huge smile and said "we are hunting animals!!!!!" I looked at all three of them and just laughed and laughed and laughed.  It was pretty funny.

We have started a sticker award system ....he gets a sticker when he listens and obeys, or is kind to someone or if he helps around the house....10 stickers gets a movie...he's pretty hooked on Madagascar at the moment.....he calls it Alex...It's nice to have some negotiating power these days :)

He loves simon says, loves the beach, loves to dance, LOVES to be tickled.  Loves to play with friends. 

He can count to 30, knows his abc's and the sounds that each of the letters make...he doesn't really like to color but he really likes painting.

Crazy kids :)  He has lots of friends.

He is such an important peice to our family puzzle.  He brings so much light and love into our lives and I thank God every day that he trusted ME with him.