Sickness.

Last Sunday, we were walking into the chapel ON TIME, (that VERY SELDOM happens in this family), when all of the sudden Mr. Braden acts like he's about to throw up! Thank goodness he warned us, I grabbed a garbage can that so happened to be right next to me and he puked all of his breakfast. My poor little man! Scott took him home and Brielle and I stayed, since I was in charge of running things in nursery that Sunday. He slept pretty much the whole day and had a fever. We gave him Motrin and his fever was kept under control. On Monday he woke up and was pretty energetic...I thought that it might just have been a 24-hour bug...he was a little hoarse but I didn't think it was much of a big deal...

Scott had school that day and the kids and I got ready and decided to take him all the way to D.C., generally, there is hardly any traffic going to D.C. on Mondays...since we were already in D.C., the kiddos and I headed to the Marine Corps War Memorial, they also call it the Iwo Jima Memorial...I have been wanting to go there since we moved here and I never could figure out how to get there and I didn't know what it was called. But somehow, I figured out the name of the place, I plugged it into GPS and made it!

That statue is so INCREDIBLY HUGE and it captivates so much emotion. I've always seen it in pictures but seeing it in person was just amazing!

It is such a beautiful big open area, the kids ran around and explored for a while...

It was the perfect day to just be outside...

Braden was enjoying it too...until he started to complain that he wasn't feeling well and that he was thirsty...he started to tell me, "hold me, hold me mom. I don't feel good."

I picked him up and he was so hot...right then, I decided that I had probably pushed my little boy too hard...what a terrible mommy...I just didn't want to waste such a beautiful day inside the house...

We headed home right away, I had him on fluids the rest of the day. I kept checking his temperature and by 4 it had reached 104.4...and he was also coughing, it sounded like a croupy kind of cough...you know those barking kind of coughs? That's how it sounded...I didn't want to freak out, so I gave him some Motrin and called the pediatrician to see if I could get him in but they were about to close, so I made an appointment for the next day, hoping that his fever would get under control with the Motrin...I gave it about an hour and a half and by 5:30pm. his fever had gone up to 104.8!!! Almost 105!!! That's when I called Scott and told him that I was headed to the ER. Scott told me that was probably a good idea, since 105 is pretty bad...

We got there and they tried to give him Tylenol (cherry flavored) which he HATES! He would not take it, I tried and tried...got Tylenol all over my hands because he'd spit out any that would get in this mouth...finally the nurse brought a suppository! My poor boy! He cried so hard...but by the time the actual doctor came by, his fever had come down to 103.

Thank goodness.

The doctor ordered tests for RSV, strep and pneumonia. He was a trooper through it all...he even got a rectal reading of his temperature!!! It was so sad!!! I felt so bad for him! He was so cute though when he had to go get x-rays of his chest...he did everything the radiologist told him to do...while we waited for results we watched movies and ate popsicles...he was acting a lot happier than he had been before...

Two and a half hours later...every test came back negative!

What a relief!

By the time of discharge, his temperature was down to 100.5...It sure scared me though, when I saw 104.8 in the thermometer at home!!! The doctor diagnosed him with bronchiolitis, which is basically a virus.

For the rest of the week, we just took it easy at home. He had hardly any appetite but was willing to drink fluids. He has been so needy and cuddly...more than usual!:) By Friday, he was acting more like his usual self...it was so interesting throughout the whole week to watch Brielle...she seriously did NOT know what to do without her healthy little brother to play with...she'd go to his bedroom and try to get him to play with her but he was so sick, he did a lot of sleeping...Brielle missed him. They are such good friends...

When my kids get sick like Braden did last week, I feel grateful for modern medicine and the accessibility that we have to it...and for the blessing that overall I have two healthy children.

{Today, I feel thankful.}

A 24/7 Job Forever.

We have been outside almost every day the last 2 weeks...life is much more fun when we can go outside to play!

...so this is what we've been up to lately...writing with chalk on the sidewalk...

we've been having picnics outside...

...Blowing bubbles...

taking pictures...

Since I got my Nikon I don't use my little point and shoot that much, so I let the kiddos take it around to take pictures one day...

They both had sooo much fun! and I had fun watching them take pictures...

Here's photography by Braden...a picture of his shoes...:)

One day we went out and they just kicked the ball around...I must say that Braden was a natural...I may have a soccer player in my hands??? may be? he may just be the next Pele? Maradona? hmm...

This last Saturday, our stake had a Women's Conference. It was amazing! Words cannot describe how inspired and uplifted I felt in the two classes I went to. I went to "Be Your Best Self" class about women's health and a "Raising LDS Children in the Latter Days" class. Both were amazing and I learned so much!

From the health class I basically learned that turning 30 is indeed as SCARY as I'm thinking it's going to be and that getting old is just plain a tragedy!!!:) and if I don't die of breast cancer I will most likely die of heart disease! and if it's not heart disease I will probably get osteoporosis! Crazy! I also learned that sugar is bad bad bad for you! The average American consumes 135 pounds of sugar a year!!!!! What? If that is not crazy, then I don't know what is!!!!!!!

No. But in all seriousness I was enlightened by EVERYTHING that was said in that class...sometimes we don't think we have power over our health but we do...and so much of it is in our diet. We have power to live healthier lives...we just need to make the choice...I feel so inspired to eat better. More protein, more whole grains...less carbs...less sugar...drink more water...

The parenting class was equally as enlightening...and in the words of President Faust:

"There is no greater good in all the world than motherhood. The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation."

And yes, it is a 24/7 job FOREVER...it will never end...we don't retire from parenting...and even though there are times when I just want to pull my hair out when I'm at home with my kids all day, every day, day after day...not everything is perfect...my house is often a mess, there are dishes in the sink...etc, etc, etc...this is where and what I need to be.

I watched Elder Uchtdorf's talk the other night, that he gave to the Young Women. If you are in need of some MAJOR inspiration today you can READ it HERE, it's called "Your Happily Ever After"

The talk made me think of my Brielle because she loves princesses so much...

"Happily ever after" is not something found only in fairly tales. you can have it! It is available for you! But you must follow your Heavenly Father's map."

...and that map for me right now at this point of my life is this 24/7 job.

I'm employed by my children.

"...be strong and of good courage. You are truly royal spirit daughters of Almighty God. You are princesses destined to become queens. Your own wondrous story has already begun. Your "once upon a time" is now."

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

...and can someone please tell me...

How and when did this happen?:

How can they change so much?

Seriously...when...where was I? Was I really here witnessing this change?

Now, I understand why they say to SOAK up every second of this time...because this is what happens my friends...they grow...WAY. TOO. FAST.

It may seem slow day in and day out but it really is happening in the blink of an eye...

I don't want to miss it...

Easter.

I think besides Christmas and Thankgiving, Easter is my next favorite holiday...wait. 4th of July is up there too...but Easter is special because we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The whole week before Easter Sunday we had "A week long of Easter". I didn't come with it myself but I found it on HERE. I didn't do most of the activities, we did just one but it was nice to have the scriptures and the pictures all outlined for you of the week before Christ died. The kids really got into it and it was so good for Scott and I as well.

It made Easter so much more meaningful for our family.

Our good friends Justin & Stacey with their cute boys Jack and Anderson came to spend the weekend with us. Stacey entered in to win tickets to go to the White House Easter Egg Roll and she WON! So they had tickets to go to that on Monday but came the Friday before to spend the weekend with us.

We had a weekend full of FUN! We ALWAYS have such a great time when we get together with them! and I think our kids had the most fun playing and running around and being mischivous together! It makes me happy to know that they are such good little friends.

...we started our weekend heading to D.C. to see the cherry blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Festival weekend is one, if not, THE busiest time of the year here in D.C. It was INSANE! Sometimes you forget that there are 6 billion inhabitants who live on this planet...thank goodness they were not all there but it sure felt like it!!! :) We fought the crowds though and had SUCH a fun time walking around admiring these beautiful trees.

It was definitely worth it!

The Jefferson Memorial.

Justin and Scott.

Beautiful.

After a few technical difficulties...(Braden and I getting lost and not being to find anyone for almost 30 minutes...) I finally made it to the steps of the Jefferson Memorial and met up with these guys for lunch.

...and as always Stacey makes me laugh...we both had some good fun people watching and saw some really interesting people walking around, it really is inevitable to not notice certain people...

So here, we are just having some fun posing for pictures like we saw a girl do earlier that day:

ha ha!!!!...we are such geeks!

Oh my heck! I can't even believe I'm posting these picture of myself on here! ha ha!!!

I think we were having way too much fun!!!:)...

But then came the metro...

...NOT FUN! soooooooooo many people! We had a few more technical difficulties...

But we finally got to our next destination:

The Arligton Cemetery.

By now the kiddos were about ready to call it a day...

...you can tell by these pictures...

they were getting tired...

But I think they still had a little bit of juice left...so we decided to keep going...

...and in almost every picture at the Arlington Cemetery you will notice this little boy holding sticks...

They would NOT look at the camera! Brielle decided to pretend she was a statue...

The beautiful view of the city from Arlington House.

Brielle and Braden having fun playing with rocks.

After a long day of walking and fun we got home, got everyone fed and Scott and Justin headed to the Priesthood session of General Conference. Stace and I put the kids to bed and attempted to watch the Saturday morning session of Conference..."attempted" is the key word...we were exhausted!:)

On Easter Sunday, we watched the Sunday morning session of General Conference and felt so uplifted. There are no words to describe how much I LOVE General Conference...it is always just what I need! Elder Uchtdorf's Sunday morning talk was AMAZING! and the prophet's talk was just very emotional for me for some reason...very inspiring, uplifting and plain amazing.

After the first session, Stacey had brought some Easter eggs and we had a little Easter Egg Hunt for the kiddos...

They had so much fun.

These three definitely have their little personalities!:)

Brielle was trying to give Jack a hug, and he let her for one second and then came that face...simply HILARIOUS! Every time I look at that picture, it makes me laugh out loud...:)

...and then Brielle had to show off her sass...

...then came the candy eating...

...and how could I forget this little boy! Anderson. He is THE best baby! I just wanted to squeeze him and hold him the whole time he was here. I just wanted to keep him...but I don't think they thought that was such a good idea...:)

Braden got a Buzz Bubble Blower Gun in his Easter basket, I think that's what is called...

It was a hit.

Braden and Jack.

And then came this:

Oh my...these two decided to climb a tree and be funny!

...and since Brielle and Braden saw their daddy climbing the tree, they wanted to climb it too...

We watched the afternoon session of Conference and had our Easter dinner.

I made this:

{photo courtesy of The Pioneer Woman}

Best roast I have EVER made! By far...

Monday, came around all too quickly and it came time to say goodbye!

But as ALWAYS, we had such a wonderful time spending time as friends...and among the craziness of kiddos and D.C. metro, traffic and people...we managed to eat lots of yummy food, talk, laugh and create memories.

Thanks for coming Heaton's!