Respite

Every morning Hank asks me if we can go to the park. I hate to turn him down, so I tell him to look out the window and if its dry, we'll go play at the park. The other day, Hank opened the window, looked outside, and got so excited because it was dry! So, we went to the park! Its been awhile since the weather has allowed us to play outdoors, so this was actually Max's first trip to the park as a walker. He loved it! I couldn't get a decent picture of him because he was just in constant motion, running from one object to another and laughing the entire time. Eventhough Max doesn't stray too far from Mom, I was still a nervous wreck trying to keep an eye on both kids, running in opposite directions, at the same time.

Our morning at the park made me anxious for sunny spring weather: I loved feeling the warm sunshine on my skin and letting the boys burn off their rambunctious energy outside. Perfect!

My Ultimate Goal

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.

I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.

I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors' children.

I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.

I want to be there with childrens' sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.

I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

28 is Great!

28 weeks pregnant....
...and 28 years old!

Yesterday was my 28th birthday! We celebrated the big day with a yummy dinner and cheesecake afterwards. Aaron and the boys made me this delicious chocolate peanut butter cup cheesecake (Aaron must have been practicing because it was a big improvement over last years' attempt). Yum!

Usually my birthday isn't my favorite occasion because it always makes me feel this need to reckon for each year of life and, well, essentially, its kind of a gloomy/stressful feeling. However, I have this theory about birthdays: every 4th year, I have an epic year....and this is my year!! As far back as I can remember, most of my major life events have occured during a multiple of 4 year: baptism, entering YW, driving, dating, college graduation, engagement, endowment, marriage, law school graduation ceremony, passing the bar exam, home buying, child birth, etc. I don't know what is in store for me this year, but, according to my theory, its going to be great!

H-A-N-K What does that spell?

Hank's preschool class has been learning about goals this month and Hank decided (on his own) to set a goal to write his own name. He usually just signs his name with a giant H (I kind of think its a cute signature), but the other day he wrote his entire name H-A-N-K all by himself! He did such a good job! Unfortunately, he chose the aquadoodle as his medium, so once he had written the 'K' the 'H' had pretty much disappeared, but you get the idea:

Max's Words

Max is just picking up words like crazy. Most of the things he says are somewhat unintelligible, but I know what he means. Here are some of his favorite words:

Mama (still his favorite:)
Dada
Nana
Papa
Brother (buh-pah)
More (usually said as "Mo! Mo!")
Good Boy! (dood dai!)
Oh Toodles (oh hoo-hoo (as in from Mickey Mouse))
Thank you (more of an internal word than speech)
No-no
Ball
Hi!
Cookie (tu-tee)

Max's favorite word, which he seems to use as a generic word for everything, is "Mat-mah" - I still haven't figured out what it means.

Sunbeams

Yesterday was Hank's second week of his new sunbeams class at church. Considering the fact that Hank cried the entire first year of nursery class, I was worried about how he would handle the change: new teacher, new classroom, primary. He loves it! Between classes I peek through the primary room window and watch him sit in his mini seat, just watching and listening--I don't know why but seeing him sitting there and looking so big almost makes me cry! Anyways, I am just amazed and impressed at what Hank learns in primary each week. On the way home from church yesterday, Hank said, "I know that my Savior loves me." I asked him what else he learned and he said, "children will gather at Jesus' feet" and "I hope I get to see victory" (evidently they were taught a new primary song). What a little sponge! My heart just filled to the brim listening to the beginnings of his little testimony.