My Birthday

It was April 5th and let me say that it was a lot better than last year, when I was in a "don't look at me" kind of mood. Do you remember that? I pretty much hope you don't. This time my birthday was great and I feel pretty awesome for 29. (Plus 10.)

That's me.

Highlights of my day included spending the morning with Bryce (though we were both sick--super lame), getting pedicures with Mary, having our family party, getting tons of nice messages and wishes from loved ones, and going to Red Robin with my girl friends. I felt happy and loved the whole day.

Mary getting pretty next to me.

The family decorated for me!

My treat to myself: cheesecake with sliced strawberries.

I really do feel blessed to be alive another year, especially now that I am taking the reins on living a healthier life. My outlook is brighter and I feel physically more energized. It is also nice to have something I can control when much of my life is in chaos. At one point I kind of tried to control cleaning the house but it was not as rewarding as this.

I have awesome friends and a super loving extended family. My husband is my rock and my best friend--I don't think there's anything he wouldn't do for me. I know that God blessed me with a good man. My kids have brought me the highest joys I have ever known, and they humble me as I try to understand how to deal with their issues. And Lord knows, I love them with all my heart.

I used to to think I had the power to make things happen but I now know that I only have a small, minor ability to change anyone but myself. I used to think it was totally up to me to ensure that my kids "turned out" a certain way, that it reflected on me if they did or didn't. They can do, say, and create things that leave me gobsmacked--both positive and negative--that have nothing to do with me. Sometimes I'd like to take credit for their talents and good deeds, but then I'd have to take ownership for the flip side, too. I'm still coming to terms with that--but I guess one benefit of age is experience and wisdom. That's a gift Life gives to me every birthday I'm still here.

Spring Break and Easter

After you see the number of pictures you'll cut me a break for not posting sooner, right? Highlight include: an afternoon to This Is The Place Monument in Salt Lake, our annual Easter Egg Hunt, a family baseball game, Easter dinner, going to church, and just hanging out and enjoying the Price cousins (Kess, 10; Kira, 6; and Natasha, 2).

1. The trip up. It was a million times better than our last trip. Bryce made a genius move in buying that DVD player. He also had little presents to hand out hourly. You'd think the kids would be easier to travel with as they got older, but not so.

Our trip up. The kids watching Les Miserables on our new DVD player.

Mary was especially annoyed that I took this picture during "the sad part" of the movie.

2. We love Grandma and Grandpa's house. They have an amazing back yard. This cousins built this fort and ate lunch there. We also had a fun time at This Is The Place Monument in SLC.

Kids and their lunches.

Mary, Kess, and Kira feeling brave and visionary, just like Joseph Smith and Brigham Young.

Natasha and Tyce.

The kids loved walking on stilts.

It was pretty hard to master.

Cam is up!

Tyce helped the girls.

Almost there, Kess!

We learned that 13 people lived in this cabin--the parents and 4 girls slept in the main room and all 7 boys climbed an outside ladder and slept in the crawl space of the roof. Mind-blowing.

Riding horses! Cam was not a fan.

Harrison loved it.

Kess looked like a pro.

How cute is that Kira?

Mary and Kess.

Kess was a good big sister and helped Natasha.

Petting baby chicks and bunnies. I absolutely love these pics of Harrison!

How cute is he?

Tyce made friends with a guy who worked there. They talked about riding horses.

He's a handsome young man.

Mary is a cute CHICK herself. Haha,

She and the other kids spent a long time loving those little animals.

Kira and a chick.

Harrison and a bunny.

He was very sweet to those creatures.

Some good-looking dudes.

I love Kess's pretty blue eyes.

Who knew that Grandpa Al had a soft spot for bunnies?

Showing off some of  their favorite babies.

Little Miss On-the-Go!

Sweet Kira.

The (Richard and Mary Goble) Pay Family cabin. This are Bryce's people. The cousins minus Harrison.

In typical Harrison fashion, he was off doing his own thing.

There were nearly a dozen people in the Pay family, living in a house the size of my living room.

Later the kids panned for gold.

Natasha held still long enough for me to snap this cute picture.

Kira was dedicated and her hard work payed off.

Tyce, Grandpa Al, and Bryce.

My love and I.

Riding the train back to the entrance.

Miss Kira.

3. Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday! The kids look forward to this every year.

Gathering together to get instructions. This year the kids had clues to follow.

Tyce helped Cam with his clues.

Natasha was ready to hunt.

Bryce and Grandma Judy helped Harrison figure out where to go next.

There were a ton of places to look!

Go Cam!

He would have done better not to follow Mary.

Kess cleaned up.

Pretty Mare.

Even Katie got a new toy, a dragon with 16 squeakers.

Since Tyce was too old to care about plastic bunny toys and jellybeans, he had a treasure hunt made just for him.

What did he get? iTunes gift cards. Thank you, Easter Bunny.

4. Post-Hunt baseball game. After enough sugar had been consumed we indulged in America's favorite past time. Tyce played Little League for several years but the other kids knew surprisingly little about the rules of the game. Luckily Grandpa Al, Andy, and Bryce were on hand to do some coaching.

Grandpa and Kess.

Mary rounding to first base.

When Harrison connects with the ball, it's out of the park.

Kess got some tips from her dad.

Harrison stealing 3rd.

It's a serious game when someone loses a shoe and the dog runs on to the field!

Cam up to bat.

Kira at Saturday's pre-Easter dinner.

Check out Natasha!

Pretty Kess.

 

 

5. Easter Sunday we went to church with Bryce's parents. Wish we could have stayed another day but we had to leave that very afternoon.

Sharp-looking twins Harrison and Cameron.

Mary and our Easter dog.

The whole family take 1.

The whole family take 2. I think they both have their merits and issues but hey, there we are.

It was a great trip as always and so hard to leave. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed celebrating the joy of Easter with wonderful family.