mother's day 2012

Mother's Day gets better and better each year.  I love being a mom, and words cannot express the amount of gratitude I have for my children.  They are everything to me.  Love abounds in our house because of them.  And I couldn't ask for a better example of a wonderful mother than my own mom.  She is my biggest fan, my best friend, my loyal companion.  She is there for me always with open arms to hug, a shoulder to cry on, and listening ears.  My mom shares in my experiences, and gets just as sad during my hard times and rejoices with me during my happy ones.  She has taught me all about friendship, family, the Gospel, and love.  I have also learned the true definition of clean, the love of baking, and the ability to be excited about everything.  I can only hope to be the kind of mother, grandmother, and woman that she is.

This is the usual scene around the house.  Josie is learning how to sit up, while Lillian is mastering her walking skills.

And laughter. They make each other laugh all day long, which is music to my ears.  This eye-to-eye look is priceless, and I would love to know what they're thinking.

What can I say... Josie's a good sport.

walking!

look who's walking...

josie's blessing day

A beautiful blessing, a beautiful day, a beautiful girl.

Oh, I love that sweet smile.  Josie smiles so easily, no matter if she is playing, sleeping, being teased by her sister, or even spitting up.

Our family of four. and I know our other four were with us as well on this wonderful day.  I can only imagine and look forward to the happiness (and chaos!) when all 8 of us are reunited.

It was so fun to celebrate this special day with our family and friends.  Josie is surrounded on all sides by love.

Happy baby, happy mom.

She, like her sister, is a gift straight from heaven.  Words cannot express our gratitude for the miracles we call our children.

first birthday

Happy Birthday to my sweet Lillian!  The past year has been the best year of my life, for she has brought us more joy and happiness than we could ever have imagined.  And that calls for a celebration.

Her party would not have been complete without her own Lillian-sized cake, and a candle as big as she.

2 of Lillian's favorite things at once: grandma and cake.

That's my girl- getting her next bite of cake ready before the first one is even swallowed.  

And don't lose that tight grip when you've got something good.

The party was a huge success- pizza, cake, presents, and lots and lots of love.  This girl is our heart, our joy, our everything.

Easter 2012

Easter Sunday was the first time Josie ever went to church, and our first experience at church as a family of 4. After a 4 hour drive home from St. George and with church being in the middle of nap time, the girls (especially Lillian) were a little restless...

But we couldn't resist taking pictures in their Easter dresses, even if the sun was right in their eyes.  

The Easter bunny came, bringing treats to all. 

Mr. Bunny was even thoughtful enough to give Josie a Tide-to-go pen, for her many spit-up episodes.

At this point, we weren't quite sure if Lillian was headed for Josie's head or her Easter basket.

Already so good at sharing!

I love Easter and all it represents- new life, new birth, Jesus Christ, and the promise of the Resurrection.  I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that after this life I can be reunited with not only the family members I shared time with here on Earth, but also our babies that left this world all too soon.  I look forward to that wonderful day and will continue to celebrate our Savior for making it all possible.

st. george weekend

Such a happy day, and such a happy girl.

What better way to welcome springtime than with a good, old-fashioned st. george weekend? Sunny days, breezy nights, swimming, and even an Easter egg hunt... sounds good to me.

There was no way anyone was going to take these suckers from her. No messing around.  She was holding on with all the strength she had, and would take turns sucking on both of them.  

the hunt is on

everyone getting their loot... owen is about to take off running.

is Dave in the Hunger Games?  He is dead serious about this egg hunt.

Lillian is content with 2 eggs, and doesn't even know there might be something inside. If only she could stay this content and happy forever.  But I have a feeling she might figure it out one of these years.

jackpot!!

Josie's first Easter egg hunt, and her first gigantic Reese's.

getting a bit more serious about finding some eggs.

Yes, apparently we all dressed like easter eggs too.

3 months old

Josie is such a sweetheart!  I love everything about her- her big eyes, her skinny arms, and her fists held so tight, especially when she is in the bath or eating.  Recently she has started smiling, which just melts my heart.  I love feeling like she recognizes me and loves me... if she only could know how much I love her.

I can't believe it's been 3 months already!  She's getting bigger, but I love that she is still little and cuddly.  When she is asleep on my chest, all is right in the world.

And with a little Prevacid, she can even crack a smile while spitting up.