Sunday Smiles

i smiled when i noticed clarissa's calendar which reads:
"keep your eyes
open...you never
know where
you'll find surprises."

i smiled when basketball season ended for our boys...not because i won't have to run them all over [LOL] but because it was such a fun season; full of many surprises, Lots of LAUGHS, funny antics and memorable moments!

Bring on soccer/baseball season....

i smiled because we had so much SUNSHINE.
i NEED the sun, and crave the shine!!!

it felt like Spring this week.

beautiful surprise.

behind all this hair...i am SMILING....because it wont be long before....

i get to HUG him....

i smiled for the rest of the day because we got to hang out with Uncle Jesse, Aunt Jessica, and Nate Nate!!!!

i wasn't the only one SMILING!!!

we smiled so much that we didn't even have to go ' once around the block* '
on our drive from Sheri and Aaron's home where we hung out with Nate and had a delightful Sunday dinner....

...they were ALL fast asleep!

*once around the block
is an inside family heckle.
We use to drive once around the block
for the kids when they were close to sleep
and we could just carry them into bed.

In the days when I brought toothbrushes,
pajamas...etc,
so they were ready for bed
before we left for home.

These are the days
of who needs to brush teeth,
just throw them in bed
in their germy clothing...LOL

However, back in the day...
when we would drive around the block,
our best made plans
did not go unnoticed.

One day when we thought Gavin
was almost out...he piped up,
"Are you going once around the block for Gavin?"

LOL

i smiled when i took the boys to Parent Teacher Conferences. what a grand time it is to be one on one with each of them and to hear their teachers insights in their lives.

we have awesome kids.
they are active,
cheerful contributors to their classes.
each bringing something
unique to the table.
i love to learn what
their teachers see in them,
things i would miss without their input.

what a laugh we had!

....and laughing i was to see that Sam's locker is indeed LOCKED!!! The only one in the school with a lock, what a kid! [to his defense he says he brings his trumpet and needs it to be safe while he is at recess
---thankful he LOVES his trumpet]

i smiled when Jeremy was putting on his shoes and gasped at the 'dust bunny' in the vacuum. "that is the HUGEST dust bunny ever!"



i smiled [a SIGH of relief] when i finished this list on this day!

i smiled when rushing out the door to my presidency meeting i was able to snap a quick picture of these smiles! HAPPINESS was mine to offer them the usual special St. Patrick's Day dinner, even if it fell on a crazy day, even if I was feeding the kids in shifts!


i smiled from the inside out when upon returning from my presidency meeting i was greeted with this:

a thoughtful note thanking me
for the dinner.

made my smile!!!

i smiled when we had a moment of funny fotos prior to Gavin's

Green and Gold Ball!

Teenagers really are where its all at!!!!

i smiled when arriving home from my date with Brian i found these:

i LOVE carnations,
and his thoughtfulness
to bring me flowers
on my favorite holiday...
♥♥♥ thoughtful!
just the thought that he thought
to think of me got me thinking
i am pretty spoiled.
oh the thinks you might think

i SMILED when the next morning i found this....ya THINKs the kids had a little TOO much sugar on st. paddy's day???





i smiled when Jeremy cracked out the box of flip flops!
Sunshine, crocus', box elder bug season....it all makes me smile!

[even tho it was raining outside....?
he didn't notice
LOL]

i smiled when i braided clarissas hair and we watched a few minutes of Star Wars together on TV. she asked me, "what is this show????" ....and i realized that we have NEVER watched the star wars series with the kids.

What is WRONG with us????

Hundreds of Family Night Movies and we haven't watched the BEST of the BEST!!!
I suppose I took it for granted, we own them,....thinking they had certainly SEEN then.

You wonder WHY i smiled????
I just found the next few weeks of movies for our Family Movie Night!!! YIPEE!!

i smiled when clarissa wore these. Love these, could NEVER wear them, but it makes me SMILE when she does. I think they are so funny!



i smiled when i found this on my open blog. LOL. I was born in American Fork, and it was like HOME to see that someone from AF stopped by.

Don't know who....but thanks for stopping by!!!

i smiled when picking up new Homework prizes!
I love to surprise Jeremy and Sam with new booty!

...and i SMILED when it worked!
Jeremy was eager to finish his homework
and pick a prize!

i SMILED....

...when Jeremy told me that i was
the meanest mommy...

I told him I was "going for the meanest mommy award"!

And he replied, "Well when you go for it let me go with you. I would like to talk to them about how you really should win it. You make me do my homework, eat broccoli and go to bed at my bedtime."

YEAH FOR MEAN MOMMY AWARDS!!!

i am STILL smiling about the fun Girls Night OUT with Aunt Liz, Clarissa and some of her friends. Movie....some laughs while riding in the White Stallion, past some 'reindeer' and horses...these city girls thought they were in the country for sure...none of them even knew what a Chick Fil-A was. LOL!!!

i LAUGHED when they wanted to be sprayed down after climbing in the
above kids play area!
$7 bucks at Chick Fil-A...who needs Disneyland!!!

thank goodness Aunt Liz has the BIG
bottle of Lysol!!!


On the way home the girls saw the famous billboard:

...and said, "Hey, we've been there!"
LOL - doesn't take much these days!

i smiled when Brian called me during out Girls Night Out to tell me that he had picked up a microscope for Jeremy to give his friend at the Birthday party the next day. When he told me he got and what he spent I said he could have gotten something different...

Brian replied: "Well Jeremy told me
to get him a Math Book
or a Microscope,
and since Toy's R Us
is fresh out of Math Books,
we have a Microscope!"

LOL --- seriously, a MATH BOOK,
for a Third Grade Birthday Party Present...

Dear LeShel,

Can Jeremy join
the NERD club???

Please!!!

i smiled when we had our Relief Society Birthday Lunch and Humanitarian Activity. We have an assignment to quilt 200 blankets. Thankful that women are willing to sacrifice time and serve together,....making it possible to fulfill our commitment, together! ♥

These awesome treats were
hand made by Stephanie!
What a woman!
SMILE ☺

i smiled when Sam took so seriously and willingly his JOB to help in the nursery during the Luncheon.

He kept the kids and the Elders in check!

Way to go Sam!!!

i smiled even more when he single-handedly cleaned up the cultural hall!
He wanted to play basketball and said he could "wrap this activity up"
and get us out of the gym.

I said go for it...and he did.

While we quilted, he cleaned up!
All the chairs and tables....
and when thanked by one of the Sisters he replied,
"Don't thank me,
I am doing this for my own good!"

Funny kid!

i smiled when Sam got Baxter to SMILE for my Sunday SMILES!!!

Thanks Sam!

i smiled when we helped Clarissa get her poster ready to run for Student Body Officer...

this is BEFORE the mess! ☺

[clarissa above is opening the glitter....
let the FUN begin!!!]

and AFTER...we will be finding glitter for MONTHS!

i love opportunities to support the kids
in things that they enjoy trying.
Good times!
...and the glitter was pretty FUN as well.
even the mess ☺

i smiled when Brian took the kids on a Sunday Bike Ride so that i could have a LONG winters nap...

he sent me these pictures,

beginning with this one of Jeremy's alfalfa!!!

...and i smiled when i awoke to the sounds and smells of a quick
family dinner....hungry tired kids, and my Brian, tending to all their needs...

...sending me back to my winters quarters,
my nap was followed up with an early bedtime,
and a LONG nights sleep!

thx, SMILING, i needed that ♥