Classic ANNIE moments...

Sometimes, I am convinced this GIRL...will be the END of ME!!!

If she wants something (in this case, it was a juice box) and I'm busy (switching the laundry), she just finds a way! She is DETERMINED and SMART! She can also be SASSY! She is CONFIDENT about who she is and what she can accomplish!

She is a great BIG sister, here: she and Elisabeth are, after Annie decided they needed whiskers, since they had spent the entire hour before this crawling all over the house pretending to be CATS...she plans activities like this almost every afternoon and Elisabeth is always happy to oblige and goes along with whatever plan ANNIE has in mind!

I could publish a book with pictures like these! This GIRL, this GIRL...I wouldn't trade her for anything...I just need to remind myself of that, at least once a day when she has her CLASSIC "ANNIE" moment or two or three! AHHHH!

Troubling Ticket Tuesday

I am becoming a BELIEVER about this text messaging thing! Today, I sent the following text to Andy and it helped ease the major guilt I was feeling for a major mistake I made.

me:
"i regret to inform you i got a traffic citation this morning. and no, i was not speeding, i did something worse. i had no idea why he pulled me over at the time, but admit i am completely guilty of the violation that he informed me of. honest, complete mistake on my part and i feel just awful because i didn't even realize what i had done. apparantly, i did not see the crossing guard out in the crosswalk with her big, red, stop sign this morning while dropping the boys at school. very BAD move."

andy:
"you probably didn't see her because she was diving out of the way, sounds like you will be pulling weeds."

me:
"yeah, i won't even go into my reasons for not seeing her...though some are quite valid, i made a big mistake and i accept responsibility for it...i did not see her, obviously, or i would have stopped. i am very sorry for what i've done and will tell her personally this afternoon."

andy:
"WEEDS"

me:
"yeah, i know."

Yes, I know it's hard to understand how I didn't see her...all I can say is I honestly didn't. SCARY...that there are people like me who make mistakes like this around school zones. One things for sure I won't ever forget it and I do feel awful, I fell apart while apologizing to the sweet crossing guard lady. Alec was ducking down, so as to not be seen with me, when I returned to the car. All in all, very important reminder and lesson learned. By the way, pulling weeds, tumbleweeds, that is, has become the boys chore if they want to earn some money around here, we have an empty lot next to us, with huge, abnoxious weeds. I am grateful for a husband that just left it at that, after a very emotional morning, I needed some humor to lighten the load.

So...what do you think? Certainly, a conversation over the phone could have ended with a very different tone, I was already very emotional and I think texting helped me get everything I wanted said before I pushed send. Just a thought, but I am a believer.

Happy Birthday to BRENNA!

This young, wipper-snapper here is my niece, BRENNA! Today she is officially a teenager and I CANNOT believe it! I mean, yes, she looks the part, but it makes me feel OLD.

This is my older sister, LORI...she must really be feeling OLD today! Aren't these two too cute together? This summer after we got a bit settled I convinced them to come visit SG and go to see Lady Antebellum in concert with me! Loved it.

The concert was awesome and it was so fun, it was a good, ol' small town country atmosphere. They sounded just like they do on the radio, I seriously love all their voices.

Lori and I thoroughly embarressed Bren, as this was her first concert and she was with her MOM and aunt, who were dancing and singin along...she still had a good time though!

During a the whole show, we kept our eyes peeled for the grand prize of "worst UTAH hair" this may be a bit blurry, but I think you can probably imagine who won and let me tell ya...there were plenty to pick from!

Love this picture...love these two! Brenna, I hope you have an awesome birthday and that this year is filled with wonderful opportunities for you! You are an amazing young woman, the most kind and generous with others that I know! Annie and Elisabeth look up to you and love you SO MUCH, thanks for being such a wonderful example to them and letting them FOLLOW you EVERYWHERE when we're together! I have NO DOUBT you have incredible things ahead of you and you will GO FAR! So...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEENAGER, we sure LOVE YOU!!!

New Callings, never can tell what you're gonna get!

I was sincerely and honestly ready to accept anything I was asked to do. I had substituted in Primary twice and there were two openings that I knew needed to be filled...then, I got "the telephone call" and I was just positive my time had come...primary teacher. Now, let me just clarify, I am intimidated by primary...okay, so I am afraid. I have never served in the primary, well alright, I just remembered Andy and I had the short six-month nursery assignment in our BYU married ward. From the time we moved to VA, I had always served in YW...love, love, love Young Women's! Every time I had a chance to sub in primary, it was like I had to give myself this pep talk, "I am an adult, I can control a small class of smal children, really it will be okay." I have so many friends who are just awesome in Primary and I am so grateful for the amazing job they all do, my children love primary! Okay, so enough rambling...I left the bishopric's office, just beaming...I seriously got my dream calling and I was not expecting it at all...BEEHIVE advisor. Apparantly, I still have a lot to learn in YW and I couldn't be more thrilled!

ANNALISE's First Day

Annie woke up Monday morning yelling, "It's TODAY! It's TODAY!!!" She got up, got dressed and did everything she was asked to do, including hair (huge issue in our relationship), without complaint...it was an awesome morning for Me.
She is just so thrilled that it is FINALLY her turn to go to school, she goes to Preschool 4 days a week in the mornings. Elisabeth cried the first few mornings and is really missing her. I have really missed her too, I'm not sure I was as ready for all this as she was! I have enjoyed the one-on-one time with Elisabeth though and better cherish it...before I know it, this year will have passed and it will be her turn next year, these kids of mine are growing up WAY too fast!

Here she is after we first got there and she hung up her backpack, little nervous, but mostly excited!

She had a GREAT experience her first day and was so proud to tell us all about it at FHE.

That afternoon, I put Elisabeth down for her nap as usual, she never gets out of her bed...this summer when we arrived in SG, we moved her to a big girl bed and she has done beautifully. Anyway, I went up to check on her and this is what I found, too cute and still awake, I had to get a picture.

I love this sweet, sweet girl!