Lucky Me!

I have had the greatest day!

I got to sleep in til 8:15am because Carlos got up with the kids. When I did get my lazy buns out of bed I was treated to a waffle breakfast. YUM YUM! Abby made me this masterpiece at school. Look closely and you can see the art it made from Abby's palm, finger and thumb prints. I love that she is old enough to make me art presents!



It only gets better from here!

Then my dear friend and old roommate Shona and her husband Brant arrived on my doorstep (OK, I knew they were coming.)



We spent most of the day together and just sitting around and visiting. Funny enough Carlos and Brant know each other from their missions. What a small world? It was so fun to just see them, and talk about what they are doing these days up in Portland. Although our lives have taken such different paths, fundamentally we are doing the very same things; working, running after two kids and just doing our best to be good people! Shona, if you ever read this. . . please please please come back soon! Love your guts!

This evening we went to Mamita's house for dinner. I don't think I have posted much about my in-laws, but let me just say they are the most easy-going people EVER. LOVE THEM. It was so nice to sit back and relax and have the kid run crazy around us. Charlie escaped the day without any major injuries, but we did find him playing in the litter box for Mamita's cat. YUCK!!!!

Mother's Day was a true delight, and now I am exhausted! Off to bed for me! :)

Dear Crayola

To Whom it May Concern,

I recently purchased your Tadoodles from the Beginnings for toddlers product line because of your claims that they are "mess free."



I beg to differ with that statement!







Sincerely,
Concerned Consumer!

Birthday Fun

I just recently had one of my more memorable birthdays. Not that the age was a milestone or anything like that, it is just that Carlos went out of his way to make it fun.

I slept into 8am that morning only because the kids slept in, and since we were down one car that day I was not going anywhere. Carlos kept on nudging me to get out of bed. I was a bit irritated until I saw why we was so eager for me to visit the kitchen. He had done a bit of decorating and shopping.



Who thinks we wrapped these himself?


Later that day he showed up with this delectible delight!


I set it down on the counter, and a few minutes later caught Abby helping herself!


That night a friend watched the kids, and Carlos and I went out for a steak dinner. Yu-ummy! All and all it was a great day. Thanks to all for helping make it that way!

Catching Up

Spring is a beautiful time in Georgia. After what seems an eternal winter, my kids just cannot get enough of the great outdoors!


Doesn't Abby look "so cool" in her Dora sunglasses!


Grandma Sandy was here last week. I am not sure who was more happy to have her here, me or Abby. Grandma and Abby can snuggle and read books for hours! I loved having adult company and an extra pair of arms to help me save Charlie from himself!


Speaking of Charlie, he is his own worst enemy! He is into, and on top of everything! Last week he climbed on top of the kitchen table, emptied the salt shaker and made finger art. He did try to eat a handful, but quickly regretted the decision!



But I can never stay upset with him for long. . . look at those big brown eyes!!!!!


I found the greatest toy this week. It is a battery operated bubble blower. It has provided our family with hours of fun so far.


Charlie is even saying "bubble" because he loves it so much!









But at the end of the day, there is nothing better than snuggling up with daddy on the couch!

Official

Hilltop Homes looks so official now!




Doesn't it make you want to build a new house or landscape something????

Conference Sunday

There are so many things I love about Conference Sunday:

1. You are allowed to wear your PJ's all day! It is now 3:30pm and yes Charlie is still in his jammies.





2. We get to stay home all day, and not be expect to go anywhere (which is especially nice for me because Spring in Georgia does terrible things to my allergies!) This is our backyard today. We had no idea that we had flowering dogwood trees. Beautiful and deadly!





3. Cookies. Abby and I have a tradition of making cookies together on Conference Sunday. This is what happens when your 3-year-old takes control of the speed on the mixer! We had a nice dusting of flour everywhere, but the cookies are sure tasty!




4. Conference. I got a bit misty as Abby stood with our family to sustain our new prophet yesterday.



I love these inspiring talks, and more importantly the spirit I feel in our home. Hope many of your are enjoying your Conference weekend also!

My Erin

A year has come and gone since I lost one of my best, always honest, most loyal friends Erin Roberts Rolfson. http://erin-roberts-rolfson.blogspot.com/

She passed away from cancer just days after delivering her third child. I have missed my friend terribly and have yet to filled the whole in my heart that was carved out when she was taken from us.

Erin and I met our freshman year of college. We were in the same Dance Aerobic class and lived in the same apartment complex. Our class started at 8:30am. I am sure it will not come as a shock that I had a hard time getting to class seeing that I am neither a morning person or an avid workout fan. Erin would come and pull me out of bed and get me to our class. The next semester I moved with her. Erin made Rexburg, Idaho fun. She introduced me to fun friends, and was always organizing fun activities.

When the time came we both decided to transfer to BYU in Provo. We found a condo together with a few other girls. We felt like the outsiders because it seemed that everyone else in the complex had lived there for years already and were already friends. That certainly was not going to stop our "Little Erin!" That girl was a force to be recon'ned with! She organized dinner parties, was at every ward activity (including ward prayer) and pulled me right along with her. The best plan that we hatched was to make homemade ice cream outside. It was amazing how many people ventured out of their condos to come visit with us to guarantee a taste. In no time flat we were IN! She even met and eventually married one of our great friends Boyd that we met right there in Stratford Court.

For four and a half years we were buddies, at times enemies and always sisters. We had classic BYU "room mate dating issues." We shared our clothes. We were each other's loudest cheerleaders. Erin studied social work and ended up getting her Masters and eventually worked for LDS Social Services as a counselor. Erin would listen, I mean really listen and had the gift of helping you see things in a new light or different perspective.

After I graduated from BYU I left for DC to tackle the world. But Erin was still my greatest cheer leader from thousands of miles away. She celebrated my successes with me, and spent hours on the phone with me when I thought my heart could not have been more broken. In the spring of 2002 the Rolfson clan came out to DC.



They met the guy I had recently started dating. Erin instantly decided that he was one of the "good guys," and I was not to let him go. She kept up with our blossoming relationship. When Carlos and I got engaged she was as excited as any other member of my family. She even arranged her schedule and coordinated a babysitter in order to go wedding dress shopping with me when I went to Utah to plan our wedding.



Right after Carlos and I were married we moved to Georgia. I felt so alone in my new home, but my Erin was still there on the other end of the receiver.

My heart broke when I found out she had cancer. She put off telling me for a couple of months because she told me she knew she was going to fall apart telling me. And we did. That day we were "undone." These things don't happen to my 30 year old health-nut friends! But I never thought it was going to take her life. Erin was so strong willed and had an unshakable faith that I knew she was going to beat this thing. I was convinced that she was going to have one of those unbelievable faith promoting stories told in general conference.

Erin was nearing her due date so I called to check on her. I was not prepared for what I heard on the other end of the phone. My Erin was in such pain. She explained that it was pregnancy pains, but I know she knew they were not. She knew that cancer had taken over her body. She was scared but strong. That day more than anything I wanted to hold my Erin. I wanted to be with her. In some way I wanted to give just a little love and compassion back to her that she had given me for over 10 years. Why was this happening?

Everything happened so fast. I didn't get to tell her goodbye. I hope she knew I loved her. I hope she understood how much I appreciated her presence in my life.

I still don't understand why it had to happen. Why?

Although the faith promoting story did not end as I had expected, it is still a faith promoting experience. I know without a shadow of a doubt that we will embrace, cry and laugh together again one day. That's is if I can become half the woman she is. I would like to think in the last year I have held on to my husband a little tighter, that I have embraced my children longer. I want to believe that I have tried harder at making those I love know I love them. And thinking about her today has renewed my resolve to be a better person in order to be with my Erin.


I love my Erin.