Turning that Frown Upside Down

I had high hopes for a fun morning out with my family this morning.  I researched different Easter-themed activities going on around Gainesville today, and ultimately decided on the one whose description read: "This is our 15th annual Easter Egg Hunt, featuring over 3000 eggs.   Children will hunt for the eggs in groups divided by their age.   In addition, there will be a huge bounce house with a slide and a maze; 2 little choo choo trains; a fire truck, a dump truck and a Model A, balloon animals, and more.  Kids will be able to get inside and explore all the vehicles.   The Sheriff's Department will be there to do finger printing with the children AND the Easter Bunny will here!"

To me, a bunch of trains and trucks and places to bounce, on top of the egg hunt, sounded like tons of fun for my kids! I tried my best to ignore the fact that it was being sponsored by a funeral home. Hey...if it had stood the test of time of 15 years, it'd have to be fun!

But I think my day just started off on the wrong foot. Stace was cleaning the church this morning, and giving rides to others who were helping, so we were going to be late. Also, it's just a dreary day outside. It was raining on the way there, and right when I talked myself out of going and going to the gym to a class I love instead, it stopped raining, and we'd already told the kids we were going to an Easter party, so we continued on to the festival.

We arrived.  All I saw were four stations set up, maybe, and huge lines everywhere. The egg hunt was already finished, but a kind man who worked there saw us pull up, and came up and let Julian choose lots of eggs out a bag he had.  So nice. The lines were staggering. But waited we did for some balloon animals. For an hour. I felt bad for the poor guy making all the balloons by himself. Ella Grace was not happy about staying put, and Julian wasn't in a great mood either.  Daddy walked them around for a while. Nobody there seemed too happy! :( I kept thinking we should just leave, but I'd already been waiting for so long.  Finally, it was our turn. Julian got a train balloon, but cried because he also wanted tracks. Ella Grace was quite pleased with her Ariel. (She LOVES Ariel, but has never seen the movie...she knows her from her princess book). The Easter bunny was so dang creepy.  Why do those bunny masks have to be so scary? Then Stace showed me a pic he took of Ella Grace and the Easter bunny...in front of a hearse. He posted it by accident to my instagram. (I deleted it.) He thought it was funny, but I absolutely detest it. My friend Katie said it would give her nightmares, and I couldn't agree more.

Why did I think going to an egg hunt sponsored by a funeral home would be a good idea? Ugh. Saturdays are precious. And I was mad because we'd wasted our morning, and so I was in a bad mood. 

This has been my first legit bad mood in a while. We're all entitled to them every once in a while, right? But I'm trying to get rid of it.  I am trying to be grateful on this dreary day for my many blessings, and trying to not let this morning get the best of the rest of my day. Hey! We are going to Hawaii in a couple weeks-- anyone going to Hawaii in a couple weeks shouldn't be allowed to be in a bad mood. I also have a girls trip coming up at the end of April that is going to be super fun! I have friends (in and out of my family) who know me and love me unconditionally, and who don't judge me. I have two beautiful children who are alive and well and we love each other lots. I have a kind, supportive husband who sees me in a better light than I see myself most days! And tonight I am going on a date with him! (This is a new development since said bad mood occurred.) I have parents who love me unconditionally, and who I can look up to for strength, support, and guidance. I have the best siblings I could ever ask for-- they warm my heart and make me laugh like crazy. I have the cutest little nieces and nephews. I have the best in-laws I could ever hope for. I can also look to them for guidance and support, and they adore my children and that brings me the most indescribable joy. I have my faith, and that's so important to me.  I have my health and I can run and exercise and feel good. In fact, that's what I'm going to do now.

Sorry for the somewhat of a downer beginning to this post.  I just reread it...probably my train of thought is hard to process. But that's the mood I'm in right now:) Hopefully this run will help me kick my bad mood to the curb for good. :)

Last Week According to My iPhone

I got an iPhone 4 for 99 cents after Christmas.

To quote one of my favorite blogger's, Shauni (a professional photographer) at 71toes.com:
"Man, the camera phone sure was a great invention.  Sure the pictures are grainy and not-so-hot, but that handy-dandy thing obviously happens to be there to grab more often than a real camera.  So it tends to capture a bunch of little things going on around here."

I think it's a blessing and a curse. I've found I am not taking as many photos with my regular camera because, like Shauni said, the phone is so handy (plus I've fallen in love with that little social media site Instagram).  I'd like to try to get better photos more often, but for now, here is life according to my iPhone lately...

Last week at the park Julian helped up his baby sister. 

 And I thought this was so cute and clever. This little toddler was trying to make it up the slide. Julian leaned in and called down to him "here! I'll give you a hand." Then he called back to me, "Mama, grab my leg!" The little boy and Julian clasped hands, then Julian said "now Mama, pull me up!" Then we pulled the little boy up! Julian felt quietly pleased with himself, and I was so proud of him! It was a sweet little moment.  That...that fleeting moment...I wouldn't have caught with my bulky camera.

I have a picture on this same slide of Julian doing the same thing

  except he was four months younger than her...

Ella Grace took my hand that afternoon and led me from our home to the poolhouse. She wanted to go in so bad! Poor little thing.

 

 Everything in store was an additional 30% off. I told myself, for $3.68, I will MAKE it fit! It's a wee bit snug (said in my best leprechaun voice) in the arms, but oh well!

 Stace took me to Red Lobster. We'd never been there together, and Stace claimed some Facebook coupon. We had a great time, and I tried to enjoy the food because I know it's a favorite spot of one of my BFF's.  Y'all, I gave it my best shot, but I just don't like this place. Gross.

 Afterwards we went to TJ Maxx to return something. I fell in love with this mirror. LOVE! Real love. But it was about $130. Sad face.

 This girl is totally in her element and happy place when she's exploring outside!

 Loved this Saturday afternoon. Loved it a lot.

My children adore their father.  We have so much in common.

 

 The fact that St. Patrick's Day was happening truly didn't phase me this year.  That's kinda crazy because last year I had so much fun getting festive with this holiday!  This year...it went straight over my head.  It wasn't until Stace and I made a pitstop at Publix on our way home from stake conference Saturday night that I realized it was the next day!  We went into Publix for one thing and came out with two bags. Then I went home and got all my decorations and leprechaun tricks out. (We enjoyed them for one day until I took them down for my Easter decorations!)

Julian woke up and was so excited to find out it was "Green Day!"

He followed the leprechaun tracks...

And found that his little leprechaun had gotten out all of his green toys and threw a little party.

I tried to get snacks that were on the healthier side.  We pump these kids so full of sugar and there's always a holiday, birthday, and reason to do so.  And don't get me wrong, my kids are no strangers to that sugar. Julian is obsessed. So there comes a point when we just gotta pull the reins a little bit.  Easter is coming up, after all. I think Hershey must sell more candy this month than any other besides October.

Anyway! Julian had a treasure hunt that led him to find his pot of gold! 

We read him the clues, and he also wanted to read them.  He'd take them and pretend to read what the clues said. It was pretty cute:)

 

 One clue told him to skip to the next place.  Here is Julian skipping hopping to the next spot!

He found the jackpot! 

Here he is a little video of him going through his treasure!

 He also saw that the leprechaun used the toilet...

 

After his bath he got a green breakfast! Ella Grace slept through it all, and we had to wake her up to get ready for church.

 About to go to church...

 Stace is wearing a cute four leaf clover tie we got at Goodwill!

 We normally have to take Julian out at least once during sacrament meeting, but during this two hour meeting, we didn't have to take him out once!  Ella Grace only had to go out once to eat.  It was fabulous!  I was so proud, my friends.  She really loves to "cohwah!"

 Filtered...

 Stace was called to serve in Stake Young Men Presidency during this meeting.  He is excited, and I am excited for him:)

 Later that afternoon we went on a family walk/ bike ride to the neighborhood park.

 Julian found a litle path to follow!

 Julian's first go at the monkey bars...

 Julian insisted on playing hide and seek.  It's so funny. He doesn't mind if he's the seeker and can see the hider in plain site. He still acts as if he can't see the hider at all. Here is Daddy "hiding". Julian was pretty much right calling "Daddy, where are you?!" next to me when I took this photo. Julian hid too.

Ella Grace loves to hold Daddy's hand while in the stroller. She calls out for it. Aren't they the cutest?!

Later that night I couldn't help but snap some photos, with flash and without, of my girl's luscious locks!

 Last night Ella Grace went to town on a box of grape tomatoes while Daddy & Julian danced to a punk cover of Michael Jackson's Beat It. She paused her tomato fest briefly to join in the dancing fun.

 This morning we had preschool at my house.  Ella Grace LOVES having all those kids around.  She really just loves it.  Here she is walking around like she owns the place with a puppy in each arm. 

 Here is my little Easter vignette...

 When all the kids left my house after preschool, I fed my children and then went to send an email to the preschool moms.  I came back to find what happens when I don't put the ham away.  Julian said "Mama! I have a ham sandwich!" Good.ness.

 I wish I could take photos during preschool, but it's too tough to capture images while I'm trying to teach/herd six three year-olds.  I took these of Julian after all the kids had left with one of the things they did during craft time today.  We also made bunny masks, made bunny tails with cotton balls, had a science experiment (sinking/floating egg), sang Easter songs and read Easter books, played pin the tail on the bunny ("T" is for tail, you know), talked about and acted out Jesus' resurrection and read books about it, made a triangle (shape of the day) / church with our hands and talked about going to church is one way we celebrate Easter to remember Jesus, had a Easter egg hunt with eggs numbered 1-10 (10 was our number of the day) and then put them in order, and just had tons of fun!

 And that catches us up a bit.  I still haven't blogged about New Beginnings last week.

Thanks so much for wanting to read our little corner of the internet!