What's a Tax Season Widow to Do?

I took advantage of some cheap tickets to go home and spend a couple weeks with my fam.  The only bummer was that Virginia got the biggest snow storm in history so Scott was home some of the time while I was gone but what do you do?

While home we took advantage of the snow and Smith Park.  That was always a highlight growing up, sledding and going home for Hot Chocolate.  Ella was not interested AT ALL which is why she hung out at the top of the hill with my mom.  Kayt loved it until she went off a jump three times in a row and crashed on her face three times in a row.  I tried to make her miss but it never seemed to work out.  She was done after that.

This picture collage made with Smilebox We also got to watch Sarah and Cassie play their last few games of Basketball.   It has been great being able to cheer them on.  Crazy that it is all over.  Here are some shots of the super stars. My personal favorite: crazy we are all grown up!

In March I took a road trip to see my friends from Columbus.  I still have such a fondness for Columbus.  I can't put my finger on one reason but I could list about 100.  This was our first long road trip by ourselves.  We traveled for 7 hours.  The girls did great!  They are such great travelers.  Thank goodness. 

It was so good to see everyone and spend some time with Sarah Crockett.  She is one of those friends that literally saved your life.  Someone that should have been born a sister so you had more chances to get together.  Here are a few highlights.  Of course I didn't take many pictures, a big problem I have, but there's enough to remember the trip.  The big highlights, The Columbus ZOO-there is nothing better and GRAETER'S ICE CREAM.  We brought a whole cooler packed with dry ice, home to be enjoyed later.


At Graeter's we met up with some friends. Kayt got to her sole mate Leah Nelson.  The first time they met, all that was said was 'do you like princesses?' they grabbed hands and were connected since.

I got to catch up with Shirley Cooper.  One of the finest women I have ever been able to visit teach.  My view of visiting teaching will forever be changed because of her.  She taught me what is was really all about.

All in all, a great trip back Columbus.

A free digital collage by Smilebox

Grandma and Grandpa Flamm

I was very fortunate to have family come visit during the last bit of busy season for Scott.  It helped me make it through.

The first visit was from my Grandma and Grandpa Flamm.  They are incredible.  They drove from Rexburg to Washington D.C. and stopped who knows how many places in between.  These two are animals (in the most respectful way).  I only hope I have as much fire in me as they when I am their age.

It was so nice to have them visit.  For my own personal remembrance I am going to list the highlights and tell about them.  Sorry for the poor flow.

1) The picnic by the Potomac.  I have told many people that airplanes land every 90 seconds at Reagan International Airport.  Thank you grandpa for taking the time to figure that out.  The picnic took me back to the day when I would go as a little girl with them.

2) Playing cards: I can think of nothing better to do with my grandparents.  This time we learned Kings Corner.  It is a great game!  And as always they had to reteach my grandma rummy.  I need to write that one down.

3) Taking them to King Kabob.  My poor grandparents will never want us to pick the restaurant again.  We took them to an Afgani Kabob restaurant.  My grandma's words exactly "I ate it all but I don't want to go back."  Thanks for being sports.

4) My grandpa playing domino Thomas the Train with Kayt.  I have to say this is one thing I admire about both my grandparents, they have always taken the time to sit with us and just play.  Even when it was not what they wanted to do.  Thank you for doing that with Kayt.  She still talks about it.

5) A project!  A visit with my grandparents is not complete without a project.  My grandpa helped me make some food storage shelves for my little closet.  My grandpa is a construction genius.  I just sat there as he measured and figured and cut and measured and figured and we ended up with this wonderful set of shelves that is PERFECT!

6) Continueing my efforts to crochet.  My grandma is the Queen of the old arts, sewing, knitting, crochet, quilting,  everything.  I am the Queen of none.  Crochet is the one art I thought I could maybe learn and be okay at.  I am still working on baby booty number 2 to give to my sister.  Thank you for your patience grandma.

After they left I said to Scott, you know I understand why I am the way I am.  So many of my little quirks, watching movies while doing a craft project, always scheming some project to work on, caring about how often a plane lands, they are inherited, not my fault.  I blame it all on my grandma and grandpa and I say with the most sincerity possible, THANK YOU!!!

If I could only rewind

So Scott is working late and me being the dutiful wife have decided to stay up and wait for him.  I could be getting loads or productive stuff done, like work, cle3aring out the closet for food storage, etc.  However, I have decided to lose myself in the blogosphere. 

I love reading blogs.  They are always so happy.  Rarely do you come across one that is depressing.  It is page after page of happiness.   As I scroll through these blogs, the world seems to be a bit brighter.  There is so much hope and happiness written on the pages of the internet diary.

As I read of all the little things that people want to share, and watch their children slowly grow up,  I reflect on my own day with my beautiful family.  It helps me to pause and realize it is all passing so quickly.  I want to push rewind and watch it all over again.  Experience the anxiousness but excitement of my first date with Scott, seeing him at the airport after two years of being apart, rushing into the temple 20 minutes late for my own wedding,  the adventure of learning you are expecting my first baby and second,  holding Kayt and Ella for the first time, watching them take their first steps, or enjoy their first bites of nasty rice cereal.  Listening to their soft little voice sing their first song, color their first picture, smile their first smile.   It all happens so fast and I can't help but feel like I missed it.  I didn't cherish it all enough, take enough pictures, write enough thoughts.  It is the opinion of a close friend of mine that when we get to the other side and all things are brought to our remembrance, it will not just be those things we wish we could have forgotten but the cherished memories we never wanted to forget.  I certainly hope so.

Ella Hugs

So the other day Ella came up to me and gave me a hug and started growling.  I said, "Ella, what was that?"  "A bear hug Mom!"  Then came another hug, another growl, "A lion hug mommy!"  Then came a nice soft hug, "a butterfly hug mommy!"  Does life get any better than that?

Princess in the House

Kayt has always been a dress up girl.  However, there are three items that have become permanent acessories.  From sun up to sun down this is what you will find Kayt wearing.  (I do make her take off the dress when she goes out.)

 Ella gave her some make up for Christmas.  This is Kayt's latest attempt and making herself beautiful.  Not bad for a four year old! 

New Jackets

There is something about the first warm day of Spring that makes you itch for something fun and springy.  Well, I happen to run across jackets and Kohl's that were 90% off and picked them up.  Last week was the perfect day to bust them out.  The sky was clear blue, the sun was shining, the birds were singing and Scott was home form work!  I think the pictures tell all the euphoria that was being felt at our house!

Working Girls amd Hair Cuts

So, this spring I decided that I could handle teaching two government classes.  That was the wrong decision to make!  However, we are muddling through it.  To get my work done without it cutting into mom time, I get up really early and work during naptime.  Lately however, Kayt has decided that she is getting two big for naps and has settled on quite time.  Today after quite time I still had a few papers to grade so Kayt suggested she do her own work.  I thought this was a great idea.  We set up her office and got out her preschool book and she practiced her letters and shapes!  It was a gerat time.   We chatted and talked about fun it was to work together. 

Kayt is growing up so fast.  Another little update on the princess...we cut her hair.  She had decided it was long enough to donate to Locks of Love and was ready to kiss it goodbye.  I cut the braid a little shorter than anticipated but was happy with the end result.  Kayt spent two days walking around flipping her hair everywhere.  She still loves to do it all by herself in the moring and beams whenever anybody mentions it. 

I still have to take a double take when she comes around the corner.  "Is that my Kayt?  She looks so grown up?"  Time flies.