Feeling Alive Again....

What a week! On Saturday, I came down with a bad case of the real, respiratory flu! Wow. I have never experienced anything quite like it- the fever, chills, aches, congestion, etc. One miserable mama. Well, when Wednesday rolled around and I was still not functioning, "husband" decided it was time to take matters into his own hands...I ended up at the doctor's office. Five prescriptions later (and a hunk of money!) I sacked out on the bed for several hours. When I woke up, I felt absolutely euphoric because for the first time in 5 days, I was't hurting! Ah, the wonders of medicine. Note to self...take care of self. (I was the only one who didn't get the flu shot and also could have saved myself a lot of grief if I had gone to the dr. immediately to get on the Tama-flu medicine which can prevent a full blown case of the flu.) Let the recovery begin!

Regan's Haircut

As Aunt Katy requested, here are some before and after pictures of Regan. I decided it was finally time to get her first haircut (always feels like a big step to me!). She looks really cute and felt so big and important.

Class Parties and Fun!

We had a great time at the girls' Valentines parties. They both have really fun, creative teachers. My "Valentine" surprised me with some flowers and a homemade breakfast...and my day "ended on a high note" as a friend surprised me with a visit from her fabulous singing quartet!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! This is a day of mixed emotions for me. As a school teacher, I loved celebrating with my students. As a mom, I love seeing my kids enjoy the festivities. And even as a wife, I've had my share of fun Valentines surprises. But today is also my Mom's birthday. She would have been 58 this year. I miss her so much.

Growing up, I loved celebrating my mom's birthday. We always did really fun things and as the dating years approached, I always had a convenient excuse for not having a Valentine's Day date- a better family bash somewhere else! One of my favorite memories is of the year Mom turned 50. One of her best friends, Marge, planned a surprise party for her...and there was never anyone more deserving of that party. I'll never forget how Marge told my mom that she needed a ride to her husband's work party. We all went up to Marge's and then she told us all to come downstairs to see something amazing from her daughter. As we rounded the corner going into the basement, a bunch of my mom's friends were there to surprise here. The evening was filled with laughing, eating, reminiscing and talking, talking, talking (Mom's favorite!). That moment is made even more priceless, because Mom got sick just a few weeks later and passed away that summer.

Last week, a friend and I were talking about parenting, with all it's wonderful challenges. She turned to me and asked, "What was your mom like as a parent?" As I have pondered that question, the reply that comes most readily is, "She was phenemonal." Now, I don't mean to imply that she was perfect, but she was a very amazing mother. I didn't even realize what an amazing parent she was until I myself became a parent. And I can honestly say that in so many aspects of my mothering, I am modeling myself after my own Mom. What a blessing.

Anway, Happy Birthday Mom! How I wish you were still around to meet my little munchkins and be part of our lives. You are always in our hearts. Thanks for everything! (These pictures are from 1982...I don't have recent pictures of Mom available on CD...but don't you love the couch and how about my stylin' boots that are back in style!)

More "FUN" pictures of Valentines Day tomorrow.

Regan- Roo!

Our little Regan-Roo will be 20 months old this week. My how time flies...especially with the third child. I had to sit here and figure out how old she actually is! She is really growing up and is truly the "belle of the ball" at our house. Her sisters will do absolutely anything for her and Dad is her best bud. Some other things about Regan-

- She loves shoes! Notice in the pictures, she is wearing her shoes with her pajamas. Yes, she slept in them, thanks to Dad. When anyone comes to our house and slips off their shoes, Regan immediately goes to the door and puts them on and walks around in them.

-Regan LOVES to play outside. She likes her stroller, her little bike and taking rides in the green gator.

-When Regan is in her car seat, she insists on holding the hand of the person sitting next to her. (The sisters love it!)

- She is a real "fish" and enjoys taking baths. However, she doesn't ever want to be alone in the tub! (Again, the sisters love it!)

-In case the pictures haven't given it away, Regan has a real love affair with her binky. When I took her for a checkup, I expressed concern to the dr. that she didn't seem to be talking as much as the other girls did. He tactfully mentioned that perhaps we should encourage more time without the pacifier stuck in her mouth. Good idea in theory.

-She is still a blond-haired, blue eyed beauty...very unusual for our family.

We love our baby girl!!!

Alphabet Week

As I have mentioned before, Jordan goes to a fabulous preschool and they do the cutest, most creative projects. Here are some pictures from the various alphabet weeks: L for Lollipop (remember, everything is bigger in Texas!), O for Owl (cotton glued around a pinecone) and P for Penguin (made out of a 2 liter bottle).

New Boston Ward

Last week the Young Men (ages 12-18) in our ward (church group) put on a delicious Chinese dinner for the Young Women and their parents. Tod worked with them to plan, prepare and serve the feast...and it was very impressive. They asked me to help a little bit with the actual cooking, but they did most of it on their own. Tod had ordered these t-shirts from a company in Iowa for each of the youth and their parents. They are patterned after BYU football shirts with the words "fully invested" on the front and the scripture theme on the back. He presented them at the end of the evening, and the kids were very excited!

Digital Layout

This is my first official digital scrapbook layout! I love how it turned out!

February is Here!!!

Well, I don't mean to make y'all jealous...but here's what February looks like in Texas! Yesterday, we couldn't pass up an opportunity to be out in the gorgeous weather, so we took the girls to Bringle Lake Park. We went on a bike ride, played in the sand and enjoyed the playground. We went with the Walker family (another family in the same program as Tod). Between the two of us we, we have 6 girls under the age of 5...so it's always a good time when we are together. I'm hoping that the couple of really chilly days we had last week are all that is left of our Texas winter...on to Springtime!