Happy Late Mother's Day

many of you may not realize this, but I was adopted at two weeks old. i 've always known about my adoption, in fact, my brothers were adopted as well, and it just seemed normal to me. i would laugh when people would say that i looked like my parents or my siblings.

so, (even though i'm 2 days late) i would like to honor my mom today. thanks, mom, for taking me (even though you thought you wanted a boy) and for loving me and raising me.

thanks for showing me the beauty in the world, in the sunset, in pebbles, in the flowers in the yard, the color of someone's eyes. thanks for noticing details and pointing them out to me, so that i learned to notice them, too.

thanks for teaching me right from wrong. for setting the example in how i should talk, act, dress and treat others. for stressing the importance of following the prophet, reading the scriptures, praying and serving others.

thanks for teaching me how to sew, how to cook, how to wash clothes, iron, clean a bathroom, feed a baby, mop a floor and all of those other things that i needed to know to prepare me for the calling that i have now.

thanks for showing me how to be a good wife, to support my husband, to love him unconditionally and appreciate all that he does for me.

thanks for being a good mom, so that i could follow your example.

Oliver

The holiday season was so busy, that I never had a chance to blog about E's latest drama adventure. She played a pickpocket and an orphan in the middle school production of "Oliver" back in November. As a parent, I got the opportunity to help out, and I got the really fun job of working with another parent to decorate the courtyard entry into the auditorium. Now, you may think this is unnecessary, but it really adds to the atmosphere if as an audience member, you walk through the streets of London before you get to the orphanage.

I got this great idea to make these streetlamps from my friend's husband, who had made some a few years ago for a dance, but they had been so abused that he tossed them out. My father-in-law was in town to watch our children while we were in Paris, so he helped me (translation: he did all of it himself)

We used PVC pipe sunk in cinder block that was filled with concrete for the base and pole, and then my husband used foam insulation from Lowe's to construct the lamps on top. Father-in-law fitted them with lights, and the cord came down the middle of the pipe and then plugged into extension cords. We painted them black.

That's London Bridge over the door in the background - made out of 2 sheets of foam insulation as well.

We also used a left over aluminum pipe gate as a prop, standing it up in the dirt with a sign that read "Workhouse: Home for Paupers & Orphans" It turned out pretty neat for very little work.

E was adorable as one of Fagan's boys. Here she is in her costume - for some reason I don't have any shots of her the night of the play.

Eating Oreos

J and his Grandpa Ellis had an Oreo eating contest one night. The objective was to get the cookie, split open and frosting side down, from the center of the forehead to the mouth without using the hands. Face muscles and gravity only. Five year-old J almost won...

Moab Boy's Trip Slideshow

Here is a slideshow from the boys trip to Moab. They had a blast playing in the dirt and exploring Grand Junction and Moab. C and J got their first exposure to white-water rafting. The river was running high and water temperature was 42 degrees. J caught one wave full in the face and decided early spring rafting was not for him.

The boys also got to shoot pistols for the first time, and J got a bottle from 15 yards. Not bad for a 5 year old. The biggest hits of the trip were the hotel swimming pools and Taco Bell.

Single mom, with only 2 kids

Eric took the boys out to Grand Junction, Colorado and Moab, Utah for the weekend. He's getting together with some college friends for some jeeping fun, and his dad is meeting him there. I'm so excited to do girl things with E and A! It is very quiet around here tonight.