Michelle's 12th Birthday!

Michelle turned 12 on May 14.  How is it possible that this cute, messy little girl:

has turned into this beautiful, silly, smart young lady:

For Michelle's birthday, we decided to give her a big surprise...a trip to Nauvoo to learn more about church history and to strengthen her testimony.  Just Michelle and I are going...and since I am so slow in posting (May was crazy busy)...our trip is in just a few days.  Michelle knew she was getting a big surprise but she had no idea what that surprise was.  On her birthday, she opened a gift from my Aunt Elaine:

Then it was time for the big surprise.  It was a giant posterboard cut into a puzzle.  At first, I think she was a little bit confused/disappointed.  But then she started to put the puzzle together.

Once she had figured it out and read the poster, she got choked up and began to cry.  She came over and hugged me and hugged Alfredo.  She has been very excited ever since.  I think it will be a wonderful opportunity to spend some time together, to learn more about church history and have our testimonies strengthened and to have a special, memorable experience.  We plan to do the same thing or something similar for Ella and Gabby for their 12th birthdays.

12 Things I Love about Michelle at age 12:

1.  Her excitement and enthusiasm for entering young womens.

2.  She loves to read.  I often have to tell her 2 or 3 times to go to bed at night because she is in bed reading.

3.  She is becoming quite talented at playing the piano and violin.

4.  She loves ramen noodle soup, eggs with tomatoes/cilantro/onions (and she is getting pretty good at making these eggs), salads, and really most food.  She eats more than you would expect and she likes a wide range of foods.

5.  She is such a good helper to me.  

6.  She tries hard to keep her room organized and neat... it isn't always neat but she does try.

7.  She is a wonderful student.  She will be in Quest next year at Kennedy...the gifted classes...in language arts, social studies and science.  She works hard and tries her best.

8.  She has a beautiful smile and laugh.

9.  She loves to teach FHE and she is excited to go to the temple for the first time soon.

10.  She is a good friend.

11.  She is brave.  She likes to try new things.  (She totally gets those qualities from her dad...not me.)

12.  Michelle is responsible.

Manti Temple

At the beginning of May, my aunt Elaine was able to be sealed by proxy to my uncle Phil in the Manti Temple.  I have been to Manti before, but this was my first opportunity to go inside the Manti Temple.  It is beautiful.  It was very special to be there with so many of my family members.  It was a beautiful day.  (It was also fun to run into one of the other teachers from my school there at the temple. Lauryn was there with her husband for a family member's wedding.)

Ella's 10th Birthday!

Ella wanted to have an outdoor party with water games...but the weather was cold and windy and there was a strong likelihood that it would rain.  So we changed it to an indoor party and played some fun games.  First, each person had to use one hand and a toothpick to pick up as many marshmellows as they could.  Jolie won that contest. We also had an estimation jar with candy in it.  It had 58 candies, and Austin guessed 56...so he won the whole jar!

Then the kids used 20 toothpicks and marshmellows to build the highest tower possible.  It was fun to see their different strategies and see what worked and what didn't work quite as well.

We did a relay race where they had to keep two dice balanced on a tongue depressor, walk down the hall and back and then pass the dice to the next person.

Ella had a delicious ice cream cake for her birthday!

We did a pinata...of course.

Gabby's best friend at school is Jocelyn.  She is sisters with Kim who is a good friend of Ella's.  So both of them came to the party.  It was fun to watch Gabby interact with Jocelyn.

Ella was spoiled with lots of wonderful gifts.

Ella had a wonderful birthday.  She is such a sweet girl!

Here are 10 things I love about Ella at 10 years old:

1.  Her Spanish has really improved.  She is still kind of shy about using it, but she knows quite a bit.

2.  She is very kind to other children.   She notices when they are hurt or sad and tries to make them feel better.

3.  Even though she is TEN, she still loves to give and get hugs, sit close to me, be held, and even hold hands.

4.  She loves animals.

5.  She loves to eat pizza, pancakes, eggs, and spaghetti.

6.  She likes to ride the scooter, jump on the trampoline, play with friends, and help others.

7.  She often reminds me about things that I am forgetting to do.

8.  She has a strong testimony and a desire to do what is right.

9.  She works hard in school and is respectful and responsible at school.

10.  Ella makes her own orange julius-like creation for all of us fairly often.

Mother's Day 2015

I had a simply wonderful Mother's Day.  Alfredo cooked both breakfast and dinner with help from the girls.  Alfredo bought me two beautiful blouses and a pair of shoes.  The girls made me cards and notes and small gifts at school, in Primary and in Activity Days.  They are such sweet girls.  

We played Clue together, the girls were helpful and played well with each other virtually all day.  We had dear friends over for dinner.  I had a nice visit with my mom on the phone.  It was a lovely day.

I am so grateful to be blessed with so many amazing women in my life.  The quote by Margaret Nadauld has been on my mind throughout this day:

Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.

I have been so fortunate to be surrounded by so many women who are kind, tender, refined, faithful, virtuous, and pure.  I was raised by one of the kindest, most patient, most forgiving, gentle women I have ever met.  My mom is intelligent.  She sews, plays the piano, works full time, serves faithfully in callings and always thinks of others first.  She rarely complains and is always a great listener.  Her faith is strong, and she is a wonderful grandmother.   I am so thankful for her.   I also have wonderful grandmas.  They have both passed away, but I was fortunate to have them both live into my adulthood.  My paternal grandma lived near us throughout my childhood and was an integral part of my life.  So much of who I am today I owe to these two great women.

My sisters Suzy and Becky, my mom and I ...taken 2009

My grandma Marj Bills holding my cousin's daughter and Michelle.

In addition to wonderful family members who have blessed my life in countless ways, I have so many other wonderful examples in my ward that are amazing mothers and faithful daughters of God.  I have dear friends of other faiths who also support me and help me to be a better mother. I have wonderful college roommates who I am still in touch with that inspire me.  I am so thankful for the countless ways that others touch my life and help me.

Of course, I am especially grateful for the three girls who have given me the privilege of becoming a Mother and for my husband.  They are my greatest gifts.  I make lots of mistakes, but they forgive me anyway.  I lose my patience, but they are patient with me.  Despite my imperfections,  they love me...and I love them more than I ever knew was possible.  Being a mother is hard but amazing, exhausting but exhilarating, the most challenging but most rewarding thing I have ever done.  So, so thankful.   

Easter

On Easter Sunday, the girls and I made  Resurrection Rolls to remind us of why we celebrate Easter.  Some turned out great...and really looked like an empty tomb...but this time some of the marshmellows seemed to just melt all over the pan and make a yummy, gooey mess.  Not a perfect symbol of Christ's resurrection...but perhaps a good symbol of how our lives sometimes go.... In fact, this quote by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland  in Sunday's session of General Conference especially touched me:

So today we celebrate the gift of victory over every fall we have ever experienced, every sorrow we have ever known, every discouragement we have ever had, every fear we have ever faced—to say nothing of our resurrection from death and forgiveness for our sins. That victory is available to us because of events that transpired on a weekend precisely like this nearly two millennia ago in Jerusalem.

Because of His empty tomb and the events leading up to it, the sticky mess I sometimes make of my life can be made right again.  Because He suffered and walked that lonely road alone, I will never be alone.  Because of His Atonement, my life has meaning and purpose and direction.  How thankful I am for Him!

The girls got Easter baskets from the Easter bunny.

My brother in law, Nathan, and nephew, Evan, came into town for conference.  They came with Nathan's brother in law and nephew, Alan and Pierce.  Michelle was able to go to the Sunday afternoon session of conference with them.  She was really happy about that. She told me that after conference a man sitting near her said she had inspired him to take notes.  He hadn't been, but he saw her taking notes in her journal and asked his wife for paper so he could take notes.  She is a pretty good note taker.  And she loves conference!  She has been able to go to the Conference Center for conference at least 4 times now.  

That evening, my aunt Elaine, my grandpa, my sister Suzy, Nathan, Evan, Alan and Pierce all came to our house for dinner.  I enjoyed visiting with everyone...but totally didn't take any photos.  :(  Unfortunately, they could only stay for about an hour and half because they were headed back to Canada early the next morning.  

What a wonderful way to spend Conference Weekend...spending time with family, remembering our Savior, Jesus Christ.  What a blessing it is to know that Jesus Christ lives again.   Elder Holland expresses it more eloquently than I can, so I will close with His words.

That first Easter sequence of Atonement and Resurrection constitutes the most consequential moment, the most generous gift, the most excruciating pain, and the most majestic manifestation of pure love ever to be demonstrated in the history of this world. Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from death in order that He could, like lightning in a summer storm, grasp us as we fall, hold us with His might, and through our obedience to His commandments, lift us to eternal life.

This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that Jesus still stands triumphant over death, although He stands on wounded feet. This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that He still extends unending grace, although He extends it with pierced palms and scarred wrists. This Easter I thank Him and the Father, who gave Him to us, that we can sing before a sweat-stained garden, a nail-driven cross, and a gloriously empty tomb:

How great, how glorious, how complete

Redemption’s grand design,

Where justice, love, and mercy meet

In harmony divine!¹¹

**I testify that I also know He lives, and I am so thankful for Him!!  What a blessing it is to remember Him and to have His help each day.