My Birthday! 34 Years.

On the morning of the 10th, I woke up not knowing what my birthday would entail.  David was out of town and what fun is a birthday without my best friend?  We always do something special, just the two of us.  I came out of my room where the kids were all waiting for me.  "Come open your presents, Mom."  They all said in unison.  I looked at the fireplace where we always put the birthday presents.  To my surprise, there was a stack of presents waiting for me.  All wrapped with computer paper and glued together because they couldn't find the tape.  One by one I opened little presents that were made just for me.  Graham was sure to let me know that the though rock with a smiley face drawn on it was from him, he had no idea what it was.  Carmen had done it for him.  :)  Carmen gave me coupons for helping around the house.  For breakfast the kids wanted to make it so I could have a morning off.  It was shaping up to be a good birthday morning.
After taking the kids to school, I checked my email.  I had a gift card to Amazon from my big brother.  So I went online shopping!  It took off from there.  Texts, emails, phone calls, and messages came streaming in.  I was feeling quite loved.
Sarah stopped by with a balloon, chocolates and $ for me to buy something fun.  While we were visiting David called on his break in Philadelphia.  While we were talking there was a knock at the door.  A guy was standing there with a bouquet of flowers from David with a sweet note attached.  We laughed that David happened to be on the phone when they arrived.
A few minutes later my sweet friend Michelle shows up with a cute little chocolate cake the size of a large cupcake, a gift certificate for a pedicure (I've never done that before, believe it or not), and a sweet note.
For lunch Brooke took me to a modern little cafe called Communal on University Ave.  The food was so good and we had a great time talking without the kids.  Megan across the street watched Reese and Truman so I could go.
For dinner I got to go to Tortilla Bar with Michelle, Sarah, and Laurel.  The food there never disappoints.
I came home and put the kids to bed.  And enjoyed the rest of the evening home alone watching tv without any interruptions.  It really was a great 34th birthday.  Although David wasn't here to share it with me, everyone else pulled through and made me feel really special.

David Graduates!!

We are so proud of David and all he has worked for.  He didn't want to walk, but I made him.  :)  On the way to drop of the cap and gown, he said, "I'm glad I walked.  Thanks for making me do it."  It was kind of the final hurrah for the time he spent at BYU.  I was really emotional.  I felt overwhelmed with gratitude that we were able to get into this program.  And now David has a great job.  We never would've thought he would be steered into the direction of sex addiction, but it's such a huge need.  He just got back last week from a week in Philadelphia.  It was his first of four modules to become a CSAT (certified sexual addiction therapist).  His company is paying for him to get it.  And it's not cheap.  So on top of his MFT (Marriage and Family Therapy) license, he will have this too.  He will be needed and he's so good at his job.  Go David!

Back to School!

Here we are.  We have a 6th grader, 4th grader, and a 2nd grader.  When I dropped the kids off on the first day, Truman cried.  He couldn't figure out why I wasn't unbuckling him so he could go to school.  Next year.  So far the kids have had a good time.  Graham has Miss Smith and loves that he is the king of the school (being in the oldest grade).  Carmen has Mr. Bellak and was a little nervous because she had heard rumors that he was pretty strict.  She has loved him so far and really enjoys having a boy teacher.  Morgan has Mrs. Thompson and she just loves her.  Mrs. Thompson was Carmen's 2nd grade teacher, but she was Miss Barlow then.  The girls love that they get to share the same last name with her.  She's a lover of horses and everyday for the first week, Morgan kept asking if she could take one of her toy horses to give to her.  I told her to hang off till Christmas and maybe we can get her something new.  :)  These kids are great.

She's One!

It's hard to believe a year has gone by since I delivered this sweet little pea.  We've had a lot of fun with her this past year.  For her first birthday, I would like to celebrate a few of my favorite things about her:

Reese has always been so happy.  She smiles all the time and loves to say "hi" to everyone she comes in contact with.   A few months ago, while at church, David was carrying her down the hall and when he passed a young couple, Reese said, "Hi!" and waved.  The couple couldn't believe their eyes or ears that something so little could do that.

She's a great sleeper.  She loves to take long naps and she goes right to bed every time I put her in the crib no matter what the time is. 

Reese has been an easy baby when it comes to adapting to every situation.  She doesn't get upset when we're late for a nap or still out running errands.  She's pretty much a happy camper wherever we go.  

We love this 5th child of ours.  Happy Birthday, Reesie!

Island Park 2013

We just got back last Saturday from a week in Island Park with David's family.  It was a lot of work, but so much fun.  From river rafting to walks on the beach looking for crawdads, swimming in the river, 4wheeler rides, great food, a movie night, staying up late to talk around the fire, Big Springs, Big Juds, fishing, etc....we had a great time.  

 Truman doing his awesome impression of big foot: