Mother's Day - I'm so blessed

I am so blessed to be a mother. There are so many times that I don't feel like I do a good job, and I often wonder and worry about all the ways I am messing my kids up for their futures. God didn't allow me to become a mother so that I could fail. He allowed me to become a mother so that I could know what the deepest love in all of this world is like, and to have four little people who will (at least at this point in their lives) always forgive me and simply want to be loved and spend time with me. I love being a mother, and I love that I get to mother Maya, Brianna, Dallin, and Lydia.

Mother's Day this year was so wonderful. Ryan plays a big part in the day since our kids are still young. He started the day off by making crepes for breakfast. It was delicious!! And then he cleaned it all up (crepes makes a big mess)! After breakfast we got ready for church. My mom joined us this week - we hadn't seen her in about 2 months due to the stay-at-home order (which is now a "safer-at-home" order; a bit more lenient but certainly not what it used to be like). Maya and Brianna sang Mother, I Love You during church and it made my heart swell. I've never really listened to the lyrics before, but this time I did and they were spot on! I'm so glad Heavenly Father sent them to me. After church Aunt Wendy joined us for a chicken croissant lunch. We hung out for a few hours, and after they left our little family went on a hike to Horsetooth Falls. It is an easy hike, about 2.2 miles round trip (we inadvertently trained for that with all our afternoon walks). Dallin fell a lot but always got back up while saying, "I'm okay!" Everyone enjoyed the waterfall, and then it was time to head home for dinner. Ryan and I were not hungry due to the huge breakfast and huge lunch we had that day, so he made a chicken salad and quesadillas, and then finally we had Salted Caramel Cake and ice cream for dessert. It was a day filled with glorious food!

Bless you!

That's better.

Four of my most favorite people in the whole entire world!

My other favorite person in the whole entire world, in the pink jacket. I adore that she is so content to ride in the baby carrier for our long walks.

On Monday night we had a continuation of Mother's Day so that Ryan could make the dinner he had planned to do on Sunday. My dad joined us for a dinner of ribeye steaks, lobster, couscous, and zucchini; and then he cleaned up again. Ryan seriously spoils me and knows what I love most: delicious food and not having to clean the kitchen!

Happy Mother's Day!

April!!!!!!!!!!

April was as fun as we could make it, given the circumstances. 

One day I tried to French braid my hair. It turned out to be a Dutch braid, but I was still happy with the result.

Maya and Brianna submitted things for the ward primary talent show: drawing and creating. 

The girls helped me make cupcakes and pretzel bread one day. We turned it into a math lesson with fractions and some other general baking knowledge. We had fun and both turned out really yummy! It was my first time doing striped frosting - we loved the result, even if I'm not super awesome at applying the frosting.

Brianna discovered her first loose tooth and within a few days it was out! In fact, she pulled it out all by herself. Such a brave one, she is!

This boy, though. Such a joy.

Maya actually asked for me to do a bubble braid in her hair. I happily obliged!

We got carpet in the basement!!!! Ryan has been working on finishing it since May 2019. There are still some things to get done (mainly the bathroom), but putting in carpet has made it a truly livable space. We put up our new TV and got a new couch, and I am now exercising in one of the rooms down there instead of in a little corner of our bedroom. We are all in love. 

Brianna and Maya have google meets with their classrooms since they can't meet in person anymore this year. Fingers crossed they can go back to campus in the fall.

Sleeping babies, even when they're bordering on toddler, are one of my favorite things to look at. So peaceful, so quiet, so sweet.

We went on an adventurous bike ride! We rode from our house to Silver Mine Subs, about 3 miles. Ryan pulled Dallin and Lydia in a trailer, Brianna was on a tag-along bike attached to my bike, and Maya rode her own bike. A little praise for Maya here. She rode 6 hilly miles round trip on her little one speed bike without a single complaint. I am so impressed with her endurance and ability to do hard things.

We had Easter! It was a wonderful morning with finding baskets and eggs. We had a nice at-home church service, watched The Testaments, and ate a ham dinner with all the works. We enjoyed remembering the resurrection of our Savior and spending the day as a family.

Once she discovered there was candy in them there was no going back.

Dallin and I made an airplane out of craft supplies. 

Ben and Sarah's baby was born on April 13th. Yay for new cousins and nieces! Brianna and Maya made her birthday cards.

Oh you know, just a little doll drinking her bottle. She still gets milk four times a day, just as if she was still nursing. 

We were late doing it, but the big girls and I colored eggs. No messes were made! 

They played outside in the green grass one day....

and the next day they were playing in a foot of snow!

Early morning snuggles. These two are the cutest. Whenever Dallin gets upset and starts crying, Lydia comes right over to him and gives him a big hug. 

Pretty snow laden pines behind our house. I love spring snow because it's so heavy! (unless it breaks things. That's not cool.)

That foot of snow was gone within a couple of days (another reason I love spring snow) and it was back to our afternoon outside time. 

On one afternoon outside occasion I took the kids to Pine Ridge Trail. We walked further than I had meant to, and ended up going probably about 2 miles. Thankfully there were no complaints and no one was hungry or thirsty. Daddy was awesome and started dinner for me before we got back.

Lydia's cuteness is often documented. She gets a kick out of climbing into this castle.

They told me that they built a temple. Nice job, girls!

Dance class was held over Zoom (virtual meeting platform) for a few weeks. 

We had a day warm enough for a cute outfit like this one! I died a little over the ponytail.

We went outside again! This time as a family after dinner. We walked around a lake - probably about 2 miles. These kids are troopers! They pretty much ran the whole time (Daddy was being a monster and they were playing a chasing game as we walked). It's incredible how much energy they constantly have in their little bodies. I pushed Lydia in the jogger stroller and she enjoyed the time outside just as much as the rest of us.

Popcorn 'splosion!!

The girls made signs for Teacher Appreciation Day. They both miss their teachers so much.

Dallin took some cars and trucks outside to play "construction site". He played for two hours, and this is now a regular thing every time he wants to go outside. He's such a boy and I love every ounce of him.

Of course when he came back inside there had to be a car wash.

We had a fun month!