Warning Labels

Here's what I know NOW that I wish I knew THEN about . . .


Road Trips . . .

1. Do NOT allow the Easter Bunny to put "whistle pops" in your kids' baskets--especially if you are planning a 12 hour car ride.

2. Just because it's April, do not assume you will have nice weather. Be prepared for road conditions that include rain, strong wind, hail, snow and blinding sunlight. All of these will likely occur within an hour or two.

3. Do not allow the driver to listen to 12 Jack Johnson songs in a row when she is already feeling drowsy. You might even need to break out the whistle pops again. (Really, I was only resting my eyes for a second!)

4. Allow unlimited passenger use of those things that are usually off limits--Cell phones, cameras, ipods, laptops, DS etc. And don't forget the car chargers!

5. Stock up on giant jawbreakers. They last approximately 5 hours and it is impossible to argue with your sister with one in your mouth!





Missionary shopping . . .

1. Feel free to stop by Missionary Mall to pick up your free tie and mission flag . . .

2. But steer clear of those "industrial suits" guaranteed to last two years. The suits look as bad as they sound. Do we really want people thinking that's how Mormons dress? Yikes!

3. Prepare yourself: You will need cash, checks, credit cards and possibly even trading stamps.



Wedding Festivities . . .

1. Be sure you have plenty of cousins to play with while all the grownups are inside the temple.


2. Have at least two cameras handy so that you can take dozens of pictures of the lovely temple grounds and the even lovelier bride and groom. Then you can post them on YOUR BLOG

3. If the reception gets a little boring you can make another trip to the chocolate fountain or use the jewels decorating the tables to spell words, draw pictures, or write mathematical equations.


Now you know!!

Easter Before and After

Before

My nephew Heath absolutely loves to swing!
He really didn't want to get off for our egg hunt,
but he reluctantly grabbed a basket . .

After
. . . and it was worth it!
He had a good time hunting and filled his basket
Isn't his green shirt perfect for Easter?!

Before
Evan arranged these eggs so beautifully
and he really can balance an egg on one end!

After
We had a great time trying some new egg dyeing techniques
These tie-dyed ones were lots of fun!

We used rubber bands to get these stripes

Before
This picture cracks me up!
The cousins are on the go and racing off to find those eggs

After
The baskets are full and the candy trading is about to begin!

Before
Look at my thin, lifeless heart!

After
Easter is a beautiful opportunity to:
Think about my Savior, Jesus Christ
and ponder his gift to all mankind and to me personally.

To listen to beautiful, sacred music

To remember my loved ones who have died and
think with joy of the day we will be reunited.

To spend time enjoying and loving my family.

My heart is full!

I hope your Easter was joyous!

Upside Down

Life is full of ups and downs!

For instance . . .
Down: I haven't posted to my blog in several weeks!
Up: Now I'm trying to make up for it with a mega-post about last week.

Disclaimer: While all of the events contained in this post are true, they did not necessarily happen on the day listed. I'm not trying to lie, I just can't remember!

Sunday
Down: Took John to the airport. He's flying to Philadelphia for training for his new job. I hate it when he's gone. I don't sleep well and I worry more than usual.
Up: I came home to watch General Conference. It was inspiring and uplifting. I loved Elder Oaks' talk about service. "Acts of Service" is my Love Language you know!

Monday
Down: The missionaries never showed up for dinner. I fixed a nice dinner with lots of food and then we sat around and waited . . . for nothing.
Up: While we were waiting, I spent a few minutes outside with Evan. He found the coolest little leaf bug and we had a great time observing it.
More up: My house is picked up and my frig is full of leftovers!

Evan's new pet (see that tiny green spot?)

Here he is up close

Tuesday
Down: Marianne has been really sick for over a week now.
Up: She's now on antibiotics and finally seems to be improving. Plus she's let me snuggle with her a little bit--something she usually resists!
More Up: I went out to dinner with some friends from church and my kids had plenty of missionary leftovers to eat.

Wednesday
Down: It was almost noon and I still hadn't taken a shower or gotten dressed when the doorbell rang. (In my defense, I had exercised, read my scriptures and taught my kids all morning so I'm not completely lazy, just a slob)
Up: When I answered the door, it was my friend Kim with this adorable little box she made as part of her Pay it Forward post. As a bonus, it was filled with chocolate!


Thursday
Down: My kids do their own laundry (yes I know this sounds like an "up", but just wait!) and they tend to drop or forget a stray sock, shirt or washcloth. All of this added up to my garage floor being completely covered with laundry. So I took matters into my own hands. We discovered that Aaron has TWELVE white t-shirts and he only wears one once or twice a week. I also ended up with about 30 unmatched socks! How is this possible?! I finally trashed them.
Up: Our homeschool friends organized an Easter party at the park. I was sooooo grateful because I really needed an escape from hours of laundry! We had a great time decorating eggs (and even learned some new techniques), playing games, hunting for eggs and even holding chicks!
More Up: John's flight came in around 9 PM. I slept well!

With next year's egg layer.

Friday
Down: The weather was cold and rainy. It looked like we were in for a dreary Easter weekend.
Up: We headed to a park with a nice covered pavilion to keep the rain out. We met some new friends and traded some amazing art cards.
More Up: I got to go out to dinner and shopping with my husband. Sushi for him & California roll for me. Yum.

I was brave and attempted another set of art cards.
Theme: Seasons of Joy

Here are the cards I came home with.
My favorite is the millipede in the middle!

Saturday
Down: Marianne and I discovered that making Bakerella's cake pops is harder than it looks. We ended up with chubby chicks and lumpy eggs. It didn't help that our edible ink pens weren't working.
Up: Aaron was heading out on a ice skating date and was in charge of bringing the snacks. We found our best cake pops and they didn't look too bad once we wrapped them up and added some ribbon. The girls thought the cake pops were adorable.


What ups and downs have you had this week?