I'm so Fortunate

The last couple of weeks I went out to two different Chinese Restaurants....as always, at the end of our meal, out came the fortune cookies :) As we all know, last year was pretty much one not to repeat! Here's what my cookies say is in the cards for me :)

"You will soon win a contest" Hmmmm...definitely NOT in the beauty department....maybe for the mom with the highest laundry mountain? Or, perhaps my grand award will be for the most miles put on a mini-van between here and Seattle? I know...I will win the grand prize for the most creative tape design on her daughter's face! All good possibilities :)

"Everything will now come your way" Well, this could have two different meanings. Either everything good, or everything bad is coming. We'll go with the good....after all, I did my part with the latter already! Can I vote for "everything" meaning money? OK, I won't get greedy :)

This last one, I can't remember the exact wording, so I am apologizing to the Chinese Gods who come up with these predictions ahead of time if I am taking too much creative licensing with what it said...

"Happiness will come your way" Okay, I can handle this one :) So far, so good...life is definitely much happier lately :)

A couple of weeks ago there was a knock at my door. I wasn't expecting anyone and was still in my PJ's. As usual, my 3 year old daughter ran screaming to the door...beating off anyone and everyone who tries to open it before her, not having any regard for my lack of clothes! I managed to buy some time to throw a sweater on since the deadbolt was locked, hehehe...

Morgan opened the door to find someone I hadn't seen in a long time. A girl in my ward who lived just over my back fence. I have been wondering what happened to Rita...I hadn't seen her since I went on bed rest and was now back into life. Apparently, she had gotten re-married in Dec (congrats Rita (: ) and moved away. She was here checking on her Condo she is trying to sell and had a feeling she should come check on me. She basically told me, with a smile, that she was coming in to help me for an hour and I was not going to deny her the inspiration! How could I argue with that? I let her in and she, along with her old roommate she brought with her, proceeded to help clean my house. They did my dishes, took out my recycling, put away laundry, and packed up the Christmas decor that was still adorning my mantle (yes, it is March). She said she has been thinking about us so much these past few months and has wanted to help in some way. It was so sweet of her :) I am so lucky that so many people have been so kind and generous with their rime for us! I truly am fortunate! :)

Summer's blessing day

This last Sunday, we blessed Summer during Sacrament Meeting at church by her Daddy. This is an ordinance performed for babies in the LDS church. The baby is given their name and blessed with inspired words to live their life by. My husband, along with a few of my very talented friends, performed a musical number, "Be Thou My Vision" On a gray and snowy(yes, snow in March!) day, the clouds parted and the sun shone through the big windows in the Chapel while they sang (and it happened during the blessing too) :) It was a very special day. We had friends and family come with us, then we had a family dinner at our house after church was over.

Summer was so pretty in her blessing dress. My mom had a dress for her that matches the dress Brooke was buried in. My mom worked with a friend to alter Brooke's dress to fit her tiny self. She just happened to get a set of two, when she bought them over 10 years ago (anticipating granddaughters :))...amazing how those things work out. Brooke was given this beautiful afghan from the NICU at Seattle Children's Hospital. It was donated by a generous organization called Project Linus. Summer loves it...being cuddled by her guardian angel :) It was a special way to honor both the girls.

Daddy getting Summer ready for her big day

Our beautiful girl

Me, Summer and my friend, Melanie

Grandma Julie cuddles

Summer is always good for a big smile!

Aunt Rachel

Morgan, Summer, and mommy

Ryan entertained us with his enthusiastic piano playing

Uncle Charles

Grandpa Tom Cameron

Tom is a great big brother!

Daddy cuddles in Summer's room...to escape the 10 kids running around the house! :)

Aunt Debbie, Summer, and Micaela...notice the March snow through the window!

Grandpa loves the babies :)

Jared...

...is so cute, I can't resist his face :)

He poses for me when I pull out the camera :) Good boy!

Summer makes a good pouty face...she inherited this from me :l

Family photo

Andrew 6 1/2, Morgan 3 1/2, Tom 10 1/2, Summer 8 months

Nice socks!! They ARE clean though :)

Another outing with the cousins

In Feb., during Mid-Winter break, we renewed our Science Center Pass and spent the day playing and watching an Undersea Imax movie. As usual the kids had a great time!

Crazy kids come in pairs!

This is a cool shadow wall...my kids usually spend a minimum of a half an hour in here every time we go to the Science Center!

Now they are getting REALLY creative :)

Connor, Tom, Micaela' friend Katelyn, and Micaela getting ready to watch the 3-D Imax movie

In the butterfly house

Tom and Connor waited a long time for a butterfly to land on them...no luck this time :(

Summer and mom in the butterfly house

Morgan watching the butterflies eat

Connor tries on Debbie's glasses

Now you see her...

...now you don't! Camoflauge wall!

Andrew flexes...

...more muscles

Andrew

The kids in the water wheel

Morgan

Morgan

Little Tom...

...he's happy...he just bought a Venus Fly Trap in the gift shop :)

Tom and Connor

Morgan, the girly, girl

Morgan and Pinkie Pie making a quick escape...

She is so silly :)

Morgan is growing up so fast! She has had most of her influence from her older brothers until recently...she has a friend, Sadie, who is showing her the ropes of being a girly girl. When Sadie comes to play, they pull out all her dresses, shoes, necklaces....etc. The other day, they were holding hands and spinning around...giggling the whole time! Wow, girls certainly are different! They are very cute together. My husband even loves the girls around here...he wasn't so sure he would know what to do with them, but they have wrapped him tightly around their little fingers!

We used to have to fight with Morgan for hours to put on a dress...Sadie can get her in one in under 2 minutes flat!

Silly girls

Playing the piano is a team effort...

Sadie does the melody...

...while Morgan works the pedals.

Good friends...

...I see chocolate fountain parties in their future! (Sadie is my friend, Angie's, daughter after all)

"Happa, Nappa, Yeeeaahahahaha!" The current theme song...Morgan has been watching my hubby play the piano and sing. She has been composing her own one girl show :)

She walks around the house singing this ballad...even her stuffed animals know the words!

Despite this recent discovery that pink is the greatest color ever, it's ok to wear accessories in your hair, and My Little Ponies are the greatest thing since buttered toast, Morgan can still hold her own in our house. She loves dinosaurs and Legos, she wrestles and growls, and loves Pokemon! Maybe she will be like I was and wear her cute pink clothes while using the saw on the scraps of wood outside to build a tree house! We can only hope :)