Random

First off I am a loser on figuring out computer and website stuff.  I was proud of myself for downloading a document to a site where people could print off a high resolution copy.  Well unbeknown to me, when you have 1,000 downloads they put it on hold until you start paying them.  So basically, it’s not free for me anymore.  Which means I get a lot of requests for me to manually send a copy - Oh the Summer.  All of those comments don’t even include all of the email requests.  I need my Stephen to help me figure out a site to download it to that is free.

I do have the Easter cards, and don’t mind at all sharing.  However it’s the same problem.  I’m dumb at trying to put them on a download link.  If I just post them on here the resolution changes and I get complaints.  I WILL post them when I figure out a good way to do it.

Here is one of those cards, you can see that the resolution just doesn’t make it possible from the blog.

My husband’s sprained ankle that he insisted on putting in ice baths for 30 minutes at a time, now looks like he has frost bite on his toes.  Poor guy just can’t win! 

The big girls are now into the YMCA’s volleyball season. Volleyballs are being bumped, served, spiked, and set at an all time high over here. 

 

Loved this sheet I found on Pinterest .   It’s amazing how questions bring out things otherwise not discovered.  Here is this “smart person’s” download for it - After School Talk

I have SOOO enjoyed all of these lunches that I have been having with my friends, STILL celebrating my birthday.  I’m so blessed to have such sweet friends!  Today I went with a friend from high school.  We can’t believe we are as old as we are.

And last but not least is a picture of my baby…

She is in a stage right now where she LOVES to remind us that she is the baby of the family and LOVES being the baby.  I told Stephen the other morning that I wanted to adopt a baby from China.  (My friend is in the process and after seeing pictures of her baby in the orphanage my heart just breaks and makes me want to do the same).  Well, Stephen freaked out because we don’t have that kind of money to do that and Jerrica started crying that she doesn’t want another baby in the house.  The two of them pretty much ended that!  I guess Jerra will just have to be MY baby!

And yes, I know that was a lot of random stuff all mixed together!

The Lilacs

My lilacs are beautiful this year…

I have six bushes that border around my raised bed boxes…

 

The smell out there is heavenly!  I love seeing how much the lilac bushes grow each year.  They are turning into a nice little wind break for my garden.

This weekend we also went to Phelan Gardens.  They were having their Arbor Day festivities.  My girls did a little scavenger hunt around the gardens and each got a little pine seedling.  I let them each pick where they wanted to plant their seedlings when we got home.  Excited to have FOUR more trees growing!

I absolutely LOVE planting and gardening!

The Kite

Stephen is still limping around with his ankle.  It still looks REALLY bad!  However, he is a sucker for his two little girls.  They begged him to fly a kite after lunch.  So out they went in the back and there he sat flying a kite with his girls.

Last Friday Night

Last Friday Rebecca spent the night over at her best friend, Neely’s house.  The two boys had a fun late night party in the forest last Friday with 40 other kids.  When I went to pick them up at my friend’s house it was filled with boys and girls laughing, eating, enjoying a bon fire, and just having a great time.  Nathan told me that I shouldn’t have picked them up on time (even though it was 11!).  Kaylee was home having a sleepover of her own with two of her friends from church. 

Tonight they are all mine!  There are no friends here and they aren’t out with friends.  They are home.  I know they won’t be mine for too much longer because they are growing so quickly.  Yes, I’m grateful for good friend, but oh how I enjoy these family nights every chance I get!

Yard Work

I sooo enjoy working outside, I just wish that I had a maid cleaning inside.  ;)

We have been working hard in the yard and garden.  I love seeing how much things have grown and changed since we moved in.  Last week we went and picked up some llama manure.  I try each year to add a little of this and that to our garden soil, trees, flower beds….  Jerrica went with us, and spent most of the time thanking the llamas for their poop.

We then dug and worked the manure into the soil around our trees and bushes.  Jerrica said A LOT of times that it was “really gross” to be using poop.

My peach and apple trees are loaded with blossoms.  The spring flowers are so bright and add such beautiful color around the yard.  It really is so colorful!

 

My little garden girl helped me while talking non-stop.  She asks such sweet questions.  She found a pair of yellow garden gloves in my seed bucket, and thought that she was definitely a garden helper when she put them on. 

   My tomatoes have grown soooo much since they went out into the wall of waters.  I can’t believe how fast they grow when they get outside.   So much to do and so much fun in doing it!

Anyway, yard is getting pretty… house not so much!

Soccer Girl

This girl LOVEs soccer…

She came home from practice tonight and immediately went out with her brother to practice a little longer.  Nathan was teaching her a few of his foot moves.  I’m so glad that they are close in age so that they can play soccer together.

Drowning FHE

We have the April conference that we can glean from for FHE and studying.  I loved this message and analogy from Ronald Rasband -

‘If you come upon a person who is drowning, would you ask if they need help—or would it be better to just jump in and save them from the deepening waters?  The offer, while well meaning and often given, “Let me know if I can help” is really no help at all.’

Isn’t that so true!  We wouldn’t stand at the side of the water watching someone drown.  NO, we would be jumping in, calling for help, or throwing a line in to pull them to safety.

So why do we stand on the side watching others drown in their problems.  Can’t we jump in and be their friend?  Can’t we throw them a meal or two?  Can’t we help a family member with their chores when we see they are having a tough day?  Can’t we find a way to ease their problems so the trial isn’t drowning them?

We must ask ourselves what we can, do AND THEN do it! 

(Of course Swimming is always a fun family activity for FHE after talking about drowning ;)  Oh how I enjoy my family!

My Actress

Ashley has always been very animated.  She loves to do little shows for our family.  So, we put her in a little acting class at the first of the year.  They would act out scenarios, play games, and practice their act for the show.  Well, Saturday was finally the show.

Their act was Mary Poppins the musical. They each had lines to say. They also danced in two little different dances while singing.

Her friend Sarah was in the class with her.  Friends always make classes extra fun.

   

Ashley was awesome!  She had the permagrin on her face.  She spoke all of her lines and solo part nice and clear.  I asked her if she had any stage fright during the show.  She rolled her eyes at me and said, “Mom, why would I have stage fright?  I LOVE this!”

The Ankle

Stephen loves to play volleyball.  He has a jump serve that is amazing, and he knows how to put the ball down with his hits.

However, he still hasn’t learned how to come down from those big hits…

This picture shows how black and blue it is, but doesn’t show the swelling.  Saturday after hobbling around to Ashley’s acting performance, volleyball and soccer games, his ankle was HUGE.  I wish that I would have gotten a picture of it. 

He has been good to elevate it, wrap it, ice it, and thanks to Elaine’s crutches, has kept off of it.  Injuries just take time to heal.  I feel bad for him when I see him do his little ice water bucket baths.  It has to hurt!

Stephen IS Stephen though.  Our family was in charge of cleaning the church building with another family on Saturday.  We were going to do our portion on Friday, but the four older kids were off to parties and sleepovers.  I told Stephen we would just have to fit it in on Saturday.  Stephen woke up at 5:30am and went to clean it by himself to get it done.  I don’t know how he did it hobbling around on those crutches, but he did!  He is always so quick to serve without an excuse.

Anyway, his ankle is getting better, I keep telling him that it can only get better.

My Book

My sister IS really amazing.  She made this incredible book filled with sweet notes from people in my life.

 

She took 40 words and had notes that fit under the word.  There is a page that says “Daughter” with notes from my mom and dad, “Wife” with a note from Stephen,  “Sister” with notes from my siblings, “In-law” with notes from Stephen’s sisters and parents, “Missionary” with notes from companions, “Basketball Player” with notes from my basketball group… you get the picture.  It’s just amazing that she was able to get in contact with so many different people without me knowing.

   

Alesha had notes from people that I have had callings in church with, roommates from college, and even blogger notes that she had taken out of some of the comments section on my blog.  SOO, maybe some of you are actually IN my book.  :) She had cute pictures and graphics for each section.  The “Blogger” section had My Mix of Six header across the top and the “Roommates” section had old notes that a past roommate, Missy had saved from me. 

The “Friend” section made my cry with all of the memories that were filled in the letters.  How am I so lucky to have such incredible friends?!?!

I cried as I read the book.  I felt like I really do know a lot of people and I really am loved by many.  Thank you Alesha for this treasured keepsake!  You made me feel loved!

40

This is what 40 looks like…

Yes it may look old and tired, but it still feels young to me. 

I love soooo many people, and today I felt loved by so many of them.

I enjoyed so many thoughtful gifts, messages, phone calls and cards.  Lunch dates are on the calendar to celebrate.  AND, Alesha made an incredible book for me that so many contributed to.  It deserves a post in and of itself.

TODAY was a great day!  :)

Pinecone Birdfeeders

We make these two different ways.  The first way is very calm and precise with the peanut butter.

The other way is WILD and crazy with thoughts of using dad’s red Buffalo Wing sauce….

Jerrica told her, “Ash, you can’t use that.  It would burn the birds’ beaks”  Ashley was then quick to respond that they would be fine because birds don’t have tongues and their beaks are too hard to burn.   Their conversations just make me laugh.  Needless to say, we stuck with the peanut butter!

These two girls are so cute together.

The picture I needed to get was when they went outside to hang them in the pine tree and Shadow jumped up and stole one of the pinecones.  Those two girls ran after her, yelling like crazy.  Stephen came to the rescue.  He helped get it and hang them up high in the tree.

Another Teenager

Nathan turned 13 last week.

Every birthday involves a ball and itunes gift card.  He has to have his music and sports.

He requested Tucano’s for lunch, Papa Johns pizza for dinner, and an Oreo ice cream cake from Baskin Robins for his birthday cake. 

Nathan has such a funny personality.  He loves sports and is always asking for a ride up to the gym to go practice.  He loves snowboarding, soccer, basketball, and running.  He keeps us up to date with the latest and greatest tunes.  He is very clean and organized.  He loves our family pets, and can be found outside petting and talking to them.  He enjoys teasing and playing jokes on his sisters.  He plays the piano, with always a “Nathan twist” to his songs.

We love you so much, Nathan!

The Hill’s

My sister and her kids came last week while they were on Spring Break, which meant PAR-TAY!  There is nothing like being with a sister and cousins.  We loved every minute of it.

The first night they came was filled by going with my kids to mutual and achievement days.  We then headed out for ice cream.  Of course Chinese fire drills were involved.

I told my sister about the awesome archery course at the Air Force Academy that the boys had done a couple of weeks earlier.  We took the three boys up there one morning.

 

We played late night games which involved the animal game, do you love your neighbor, board games and a pillow jump contest.  The kids are STILL talking about the pillow jump contest.  Alesha started by everyone in a line and one pillow.  If you could flat foot jump over it you moved on to the next round with the another pillow.  Jacob and Dalton were the champions.  I’m sure one of them beat the other, but I can’t remember which one.

  

One of the scripture cards for the week was about all of the blind that Jesus healed.  We decided to let the kids pick out their own sunglasses to go along with the card for the night.  It was so fun to see the different styles.  They were so cute with each other.  

We ate MORE ice cream.

 

Hayley and Kaylee were cute with each other.  They stayed up WAYYY too late with each other EVERY night, painting nails, giggling, and doing who knows what else.  They are pretty close in age yet look funny together because Kaylee is so short for her age and Hayley is so tall for her age.

We did photo shoots…

We went to Focus on the Family’s slide with the little girls as Alesha took the big ones to do the incline, we jumped on the tramp…

 

We squeezed in an Easter breakfast at the church Saturday morning and a tour of the Olympic Training Center.

Let’s just say from Wednesday night to Saturday morning we PACKED it in.  We sure love you Hill’s!!!