Around Here│March in Review

I am so thrilled that winter is officially over!!! 

It is finally warming up and we've been able to go to the park, go on walks and 

play outside a lot during these last few weeks.  

The sun brightens my life in more than a literal way. 

March flew by! 

The second weekend in March, we headed to Park City to see this awesome Lego exhibit! 

It was mind blowing!

Some people in this world are amazingly creative! and patient!:)

The kissing one was one of my favorite ones!:) 

They had some legos in the lobby for the kids to play with.  

They loved it, especially Braden. 

There was this funky piano outside of the museum.  

Brielle gave us a little concert!

...and then Braden did too!:) 

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The kids' school focuses a lot in music and art.  They have an amazing art and music teacher.  I have been very impressed and we love it when their classes have little presentations.  

This time the kindergartners had a presentation.  

It was so funny to watch Braden...

Mr. Braden is not the singer of our family, along with his daddy.  They are both a little a lot tone deaf...and although Braden did what he was supposed to, he wasn't really into it! 

...but then at the end he saw me and got excited!:) 

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Ryan, Kara and their kids came to stay with us for a week, while Ryan was taking a course in Park City.  

Clay came from Idaho to spend time with his grandchildren. 

He is a good grandpa. 

Clay gave them a little golfing class one day in our front yard.  

We also went to the pool in Clay's hotel. 

The kids loved it and had a blast. 

We met up with Jana and her kids and Aunt Penny at the zoo.  

Brielle missed out, since she goes to school until 3ish.  

Looking at the seals is always entertaining. 

Emily and Brooke.  

There is a cool carousel at the zoo and the kids loved it! 

The next day Jana invited Kara and her kids to one of the fire stations where Rob works.  The kids and I tagged along.  The kids had a blast together and I'm glad that they got to spend time with their cousins and make memories with them.

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We continue to keep busy with our monotonous school routine, piano, homework, dinner, and now soccer season and everything that entails running a household.  Scott has had some insane weeks, over 15 hour days, the poor man comes home eats dinner at 9 or 10pm (or 11 or 12), continues to work from home and goes to bed, to get up at 5am and do it all over again.  He is a robot, a machine...not a human anymore...or at least that is what they expect of him.  

I have been having major husband withdrawals and my kids miss their dad.  

It's a good thing, he's a good man and gives us all quality time when he's home on his one day off.  

I'm grateful and I count my blessing although the weight of raising these kiddos while my poor husband works insane amounts of hours daily is heavy.  Although, most days I feel the huge weight on my shoulders, I know I have Scott to rely on to guide and teach our children. I keep telling myself that this season is to be enjoyed, our kids will grow and we will wish that they are this age again.  They are all so innocent and wonderful and although I have some hard days being consistent in my parenting and I have all of these expectations for myself that are so often not met, I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.  They absorb all of my energy, I have a hard time doing anything other than mothering them, especially Brooke...but also Brielle and Braden.  But I am certain, that this is what I should be doing.  

My heart is full so often, sometimes with so much joy and other times with so much impatience! I wish I could control everything, every behavior exhibited by my children, I wish I could control my time, etc, etc, etc. But the reality of parenting is that I control almost nothing! I have been reminded of this so much lately, of our Heavenly Father and what he must feel when we do whatever the heck we want and don't listen. 

We have been working on listening to each other here and being consistent.   

Opposition in all things, I guess...and that is definitely what parenting is teaching me. 

There is a season for everything and this is the season for me to mother and sacrifice.