Guess who

I'm thinking of someone:
who usually has a dirty face
who tries to talk to everyone, though it's sometimes hard to discern most words
who's often missing important items of clothing (a shoe, a shirt, etc.)
who sometimes takes things that don't belong to them
who walks funny because their balance is off
Did you guess a hobo?

Very close guess. Actually, I was thinking of most toddlers. Well, maybe MOST mothers keep their toddlers fully dressed with clean faces, but those tasks seem to frequently elude me.

Now you might see my label for this post & wonder "who would have more than one post to warrant a label like that?" The answer would be me.

I am a Mormon

If you haven't seen these videos, they are worth watching:
http://www.mormon.org/people/
I think it's a great media campaign since the LDS church is often perceived as a localized religion (i.e. Utahans). But, with over 12 million members- the majority of which live outside the U.S.- we are a faith of diverse individuals who are striving to raise strong families, develop personally & serve others according to universal principles which transcend time & culture.

But I love how they announce their religion like it's an AA meeting. Is being a mormon as taboo as being an alcoholic? Hahaha. It's like "I'm strong enough to admit it... I'm a licensed attorney. I'm a busy mom. I adore my husband. I love my life. My name is Julie & I am a Mormon."

Excuses

Here's why I haven't been blogging:

Since the bar finished, we've been busy getting our townhouse ready to sell. We've added a new sink and countertops, painted the kid's room, replaced a few interior doors, hung new window treatments, & packed away things for staging. We still have several things more to do (plus more packing & minimalizing). We hope to have it officially on the market soon.

Due date

This is the week I was due to deliver the baby we lost. We plan to go on a family hike & plant a wildflower in the mountains.

I found a quote I like from a website on grieving:
"We don't move on and forget -
we move forward and remember."
Vicki Pond

Florida

My nephew was baptized last weekend. We really wanted to go & see my brother's family before he deploys again. My husband stayed home to work, but it was still such a fun trip & I survived 4 flights with 3 kids.

Mothers Day

I adore my mom. She's amazingly patient. She's my friend and example. I'm also grateful for my mother-in-law who raised the greatest gift in my life. Here's a video for them from the kids...

I'm blessed to be a mother- silly giggles, slobbery kisses, messes, tantrums, and all.

Spring pictures

Some spring happenings...

My brother's family came to visit- the kids loved having their cousins come for a sleepover.

We "attended church" by listening to Easter messages at home in our pjs. I also made these cute cards to send to our great-Grandmas. (I very rarely make cards anymore, but the few I do make are usu. for them b/c I know they love them enough to justify the time it takes to make them.)

Also, D just started another hockey season. His games are so fun to watch.
One game, I told him he'd done a good job & that I saw one of his shots was SOOO close to scoring. His response, "I had two close shots, Mom, weren't you paying attention?!"
Here's a picture of the last time he played goalie.

Enjoy the sunshine! (or the rain or wind or blistering heat or whatever signifies spring where you live!)