Picture Challenge

I've just realized that I have only taken 5 pictures since the middle of February. That's horrible!! I hearby challenge myself to take a picture a day for the next month. I definately won't post them everyday but hopefully this will help me actively look for opportunities to take more pictures.

Surprise Field Trips

A few weeks ago, when I was really tired of winter, I invented a new tradition for the kids. After I picked Meghan and Anthony up from school one day I told them we were going on a surprise field trip and that they had to close their eyes on the way there. At first I thought the idea might backfire when they realized that we were just going to end up at a boring Rexburg destination that we had been to before. However, when we got to the Teton Flood Museum they were so excited. I guess just making it a surprise made it fun. We looked around at the museum exhibits and played in the children's school room. They were featuring Abraham Lincoln and had costumes from that time.
Anthony showing John a fun Monarch puppet.

Meghan playing with and old-fashioned metal lunch pail.

Look Mom, it's a skunk!

Julia dressed as a pioneer.

Other surprise field trips have included playing at the new Arctic Circle play zone and visiting the Standard Journal (to pick up roll ends for the Primary Activity). I am now officially out of destination ideas until it gets a little warmer (there aren't that many exciting things to do in Rexburg).

Life

It seems like too much of my life is spent being busy, frustrated, annoyed, pessimistic, or stressed out. I wish I would take time to stop and think about the many moments of joy that I experience along the way.
Those things that make you realize that it just doesn't get any better than this . . .

~ When you lift a baby out of their crib after a nap and with a huge smile on his face, he puts his arms around your neck and snuggles on your shoulder.
~ That I can watch the sunset out my kitchen window while doing the dinner dishes.
~ The first bulbs of spring.
~ Children's laughter.
~ When you make a new recipe for dinner and your kids actually like it.
~ A full nights uninterrupted sleep.
~ Little fingers, little toes.
~ When my children are nice to their siblings.
~ Dancing around with my kids while doing housework.
~ Wonderful hubby noticing and commenting when I lose weight or spend extra time cleaning.
~ Taking walks together as a family.
~ Cookies and Cream Ice Cream!
~ Kevin, Meghan, Anthony, Julia, John: they give me so much joy.

Dreaming of Spring . . .

The snow is starting to melt! Last week I got a gigantic seed catalog in the mail and had so much fun browsing through it. I can't wait to have fresh vegetables and flowers again! Only about three more months until we can plant here. It was kind of disappointing to see the limited varieties that we can get to grow (we are in Zone 3). I've decided I need to have a t-shirt made that says "Zone 10 - do not plant in areas where the minimum temperature is colder than 40 degrees". I so wasn't made for Idaho weather.