San Diego

Trent and I had been planning the trip to San Diego for Cart's wedding for months. As it drew closer and closer, he kept dropping hints that he was stressed about going.  He was preparing for a big trial scheduled for the week after the wedding and he was swamped with work. Right before the trip I decided to cancel his flight. There was no way he was going to have fun if he was that stressed out.

That's when my "couples weekend" became a "girls weekend". My friend Angela has a fabulous husband who agreed to watch her 20-month old and 5 week old so she could get some time on the beach! We had a blast!!

First and foremost, Cart's wedding was perfect. I'd show pictures, but since I was IN the wedding, I didn't take any... here are the ones Angela took:

Me & Ang

Head Table

 After all the wedding festivities we spent the weekend laying out at the pool reading magazines, eating some amazing food:

Fish tacos at Rubios

Coconut French Toast at Isabel's Cantina

Pork Tacos at Carnita Snack Shack

Giant pancakes at Hash House

Red Velvet Cupcake at Sprinkles

We took our time getting ready each morning, laid on the beach, 

 and spent time catching up with some great friends that live in the area:

It was the most relaxing, perfect girl's weekend! Thanks for the memories Angela!!

My Best Friend's Wedding

McCarten Delaney has been my best friend for 16 years. I still remember the day we met our sophomore year of high school. We were inseparable then. Technically I named my first child after her.  She was in my wedding,  and in September I got to be in hers. 

She sent an email to her bridesmaids introducing us to each other and what she said about me made me cry:

"Lindsay- Lou Lou, the first friend I ever had that showed me what it meant to have faith, love, and be positive- even when things got tough. These were hard qualities to find in someone in high school. Lindsay was liked by everyone, made us all laugh and most importantly was always true to herself. Lindsay never judged me or any of our friends when we made bad decisions and she stood on the sidelines. We all know I have a potty mouth and I try to be good when I am talking to her but even if I slip she just smiles and hugs me as if I didn't say anything bad at all. I love the way she was always there to listen and support but the reason I love Lindsay the most is she is FUNNY and a BLAST to be around. Lindsay and I have maintained (her better then me) our friendship over the years and she has become an amazing Mom of 3 and is married to one of the most amazing guys that I know."

This is how I would introduce her:

McCarten has the biggest heart of anyone I know. I remember when we were 18 years old we drove by a bad car accident and she told me that she wanted to say a quick prayer for the people involved. McCarten has friends wherever she goes. She will engage complete strangers in conversation that may reach deeper than they might have with their closest friends. She treats everyone like family.  She laughs at all my jokes then repeats them to the next person who walks up making them not funny anymore. She is completely genuine. You never have to guess what she is feeling. She makes you feel like a million bucks because she gives genuine compliments that you know come from her heart. She is kind and thoughtful and funny. I feel so honored to be her friend.

Their wedding was beautiful. I am so happy for her and Mark and their sweet little Harper. 

                                                          Isn't she stunning?!?

 I love you Cart!! Thank you for letting me share your special day with you!

wedding

Our date this week was at the Loretto for Jaime and Drake's wedding. 

Jaime is my manager at work and I just love her. 

She was beautiful, the bridesmaids were beautiful. It was all lovely.

But for some reason,

I couldn't take my eyes off THIS beautiful man:

                                        I feel so lucky to be married to my very best friend.

School Days

                                              Well, it's that time of year again!

But before we shipped them off we had our annual Back to School Feast:

Back to School Feast
The request was steak, corn on the cob, rice pilaf, broccoli, and O.J.

I can't believe how fast time flies. Delaney is now a 4th grader. She is growing up way too fast but she is still our little sweetheart. Kai is a big 1st grader this year. Apparently on his 2nd day of school his teacher pulled him aside to tell him that he was the best reader in the class. Boy, was he proud!

1st Day of School

4th grade & 1st grade

Bus Stop

Tidbits about Laney Lou:   I can always trust Delaney to do the right thing. She is full of personality! She spends most of her time upside down in a handstand or cartwheeling through the house.  She is such a big helper. I don't know if I know another child that is so kind. I love that she copies almost everything I do. She is my little mini-me.

Tidbits about Kai-Kai:     This little guy has the most killer smile. I love hearing him laugh and seeing his dimples. He is my most sensitive child and has the biggest heart. If he ever hears someone saying something that isn't nice he is quick to remind you of that. He always sticks up for the underdog. He melts my heart by giving the most genuine compliments.

I feel so blessed to have these two in our family. I have missed them while they've been gone all day.

Angela's Shower

My sweet friend Angela is having a baby today. They are naming her "June".

Here are a few pictures of the shower we threw her at my house. 

It was a milk & cookies bar

with 6 different types of cookies & five different flavors of milk.

Angela, me, Jenny, & Sam

Back at it!

I'm baaaaa-aaaack!

And oh how I've missed you. I didn't attempt to blog ONCE this summer. With all three little pigs home it would've been too much of a chore.

 Speaking of chores... I didn't do too many of those this summer... but I LOVE August because this is the time of year when I step up my routine.

 The kids start school in a week which will leave me with just Yub Yub:

I'm feeling mixed emotions about the bigs going off to school. Some of our days this summer have felt sooooooo long- others have been magical.

Despite our family's crazy life right now, I've been able to take some time to contemplate all the growing we've done this last year. I'm really a believer that you can be strengthened by your trials. I read this quote the other day that I just love:

"The most beautiful people...are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen." -Elizabeth Kubler Ros

Whoever you are Elizabeth Kubler Ros, you said it perfect. God bless beautiful people.

O Remember, Remember

I am teaching the 12 and 13 year old girls at church on Sunday about Keeping Personal Records. I just wanted to share this video with you that I am going to share with them. I love how President Eyring asks himself "Did God send a message that was just for me? Did I see His hand in my life?" I can testify that our Heavenly Father lives. I am going to take up the challenge that President Eyring did of writing a few things down every night before going to sleep. I believe what he said is true that trying to remember allowed God to show him what He had done.

A great weekend

           We just had an amazing weekend. I got my Friday night shift at work covered but it fell through at the last minute. I walked in to work at 5:30 and my manager informed me that he took care of it and I had the night off!! We had a fun night playing outside with the kids then Trent and I got treats and watched "We Bought a Zoo." I wouldn't have guessed by the title or the cover that it was good, but we watched the trailer then ordered it and I'm so glad we did. It was such a great movie. I have loved Matt Damon since high school-I should've known he'd come through.
      Usually on Saturdays Trent goes in to work to bill hours. This weekend he decided it would be okay if he didn't. We went to Kai's soccer game and he scored a goal!! That was really exciting for all of us! We hung out as a family during the day then had a babysitter come at 5 so Trent and I could attend the Cultural Celebration. Around 3,000 youth from our church performed song and dance for our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson celebrating the dedication of the temple. We had pretty good seats and it was just amazing to be so close to the Prophet. You could just feel the Spirit so strong. It was a really neat experience to see the Municipal Auditorium full of youth from the surrounding areas that all share the same standards. They did such an impressive job and there were some really moving performances that brought me to tears. Trent and I went out to eat at the Jazz afterward and ate some of our favorite Cajun food.
           The next morning, Trent and I had the privilege of going inside the temple for the Kansas City temple dedication. Right when we walked up to the front stairs we saw the security guy pull the rope across and I was nervous that for some reason we wouldn't be able to go inside. We stood right in front of the rope and were just told that we needed to wait a few minutes. I had no clue that the reason why would be the Prophet had just arrived. He walked right past us into the temple smiling and waving at all of us.  The dedication was absolutely amazing. We sat in the chapel facing the baptismal font. It was an experience that I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life. I don't feel that my words could adequately express all of my feelings and I think I will record most of it in my personal journal rather than here because it was such a precious experience for me.
          I am on a complete spiritual high right now. I feel so blessed to know that I am a child of God, that he loves me and that I can return to live with Him again some day. I feel so blessed that my family has been sealed in the temple for time and all eternity.  I feel so blessed to have a living Prophet on the Earth who receives revelation for us in these Latter-Days. I feel so blessed to have a temple- the Lord's house- right here in Kansas City. I look forward to attending often. I feel so blessed to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Date Night with the kids

For family night last week we decided to take our kids out on dates. I took Delaney (& Crew) and Trent took Kai. I think I reminded Trent like 3 times to TAKE PICTURES while on their date. Boy did he show me up. I think I spent so much time worrying about the pictures from their date that I forgot to take any good ones on ours!

The boys went to Maze Craze for their date and did laser tag, a mirror maze, and some laser mission.

 Afterward they walked over to Barnes and Noble to look at books and get a Cheesecake Factory Cake.

Peeking out of the dressing room at Justice

Delaney and I went shopping. She ended up with a new swimsuit, a pair of fake glasses (apparently those are cool in 3rd grade) and a fun little coin purse. Afterward we went and got smoothies.

I thought she'd want to do something more fun, but this was her dream date: Shopping & Smoothies

with our peach & strawberry smoothies

It was so much fun spending one on one time with the kids. I know that they loved it too! I think this will be something we do on a more regular basis.

Easter

This was an interesting Easter Sunday. Trent decided along with his Bishopric to go ahead and hold an early meeting before church because they hadn't met in a while with General Conference being the week or so before. That left me on duty to get the kids to church by 9 on my own like I normally do on Sunday... with the additional job having our Easter Egg hunt to see what the good bunny left us. Did I mention I did all that with 3 kids and arrived at church before 9??? Just checking.

Lovin' the fake smiles
 

One of the things I failed to do before 9 was get a decent Easter picture of the kids:

1st attempt: Kai is eating

2nd attempt: more fake smiles

3rd attempt: more interested in the neighbors

And we're DONE!

Hope you had a great Easter!