~4 Things Tag~

4 Jobs I've Had:
~Loan officer
~Marketing Trainer
~AR Manager
~Waitress

4 TV Shows I Watch:
~Grey's Anatomy
~Lost
~The Office
~American Idol

4 Places I've Been:
~Hawaii
~Vancouver, Canada
~Puerto Vierta (Spelling??)
~Alaska

4 People Who Email Me:
~Lisa
~My mom
~Courtney
~Emily M.

4 Of My Favorite Foods:
~Fruit
~Almost any kind of bread or pastry
~Everything dairy
~Mexican

4 Places I Would Rather Be:
~Hawaii
~The Spa
~Somewhere warm
~New York

4 Friends I Tag:
~Julee
~Tabitha
~Jessica
~Laraine

4 Things I Look Forward To In 2008:
~Australia HOPEFULLY!
~Selling our Townhome HOPEFULLY!!
~California
~Camping

Roughin It Indoors!?

We had an indoor camp out last night in the basement. We set up a tent and filled it with mattresses, blankets and pillows. I'm telling you this is the way to camp. It was so much fun! We stayed up late, watched Ratatouille and ate lots of junk food. Don't worry mom, we had a healthy dinner first ;-) I love spending time with my boys! Now we're ready for the real thing. Come on warm weather!

This was a great day!

It was actually a great weekend, but on the way home from Grandma and Grandpa's house Saturday Gavin said, "This was a great day!"

We started our Easter celebrations on Saturday at Grandma and Grandpa Atwood's house for and Easter egg hunt.

This is Steve's cute Grandma Atwood. She's so sweet and we love her so much!!

Sunday morning Gavin woke up bright and early to find where the Easter Bunny hid his basket

A bunch of Steve family came to see us Sunday morning before church. We don't get together with his family very often so it was great to have them. Wish they could come more often.

This is Steve with his mom, dad, grandma, and 5 of his brothers and sisters. He has one more brother and sister who weren't able to be there.

My beautiful niece Karissa

Off to Church. Not sure why Gavin is holding up four fingers. Maybe he wants you to know how old he is.

After church my brother Mike and Sister Laura and ker kids came over for another egg hunt

I'm so thankful for Easter and the time we get to share with family. I'm thankful for may Savior and the Sacrifice He made for me. I had the opportunity to teach in Relief Society this Easter Sunday and wanted to share a quote I read in my lesson. I love this quote!

Well my dear sisters, the gospel is the good news that can free us from guilt. We know that Jesus experienced the totality of mortal existence in Gethsemane. It’s our faith that He experienced everything- absolutely everything. Sometimes we don’t think of the implications of that belief. We talk in great generalities about the sins of all humankind, about the suffering of the entire human family. But we don’t experience pain in generalities. We experience it individually. That means that He knows what it felt like when your mother died of cancer-how it was for your mother, how it still is for you. He knows how it felt to lose the student body election. He knows that moment when the brakes locked and the car started to skid. He experienced the slave ship sailing from Ghana toward Virginia. He experienced the gas chambers at Dachau. He experienced Napalm in Vietnam. He knows about drug addiction and alcoholism. Let me go further. There is nothing you have experienced as a woman that He does not know and recognize. On a profound level, He understands the hunger to hold your baby that sustains you through pregnancy. He understands both the physical pain of giving birth and the immense joy. He knows about PMS and cramps and menopause. He understands about rape and infertility and abortion. His last recorded words to His disciples were, “And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20) He understands your mother pain when your five year old leaves for Kindergarten, when a bully picks on your fifth grader, when your daughter calls to say the new baby has Downs Syndrome. He knows your mother rage when a trusted babysitter sexually abuses your two-year old. He knows the pain you live when you come home to a quiet apartment where the only children are visitors, when you hear your former husband and his new wife were sealed in the temple last week, when your fiftieth wedding anniversary rolls around and your husband has been dead for two years. He knows all that. He’s been there. He’s been lower that all that. He’s not waiting for us to be perfect. Perfect people don’t need a Savior. He came to save His people in their imperfections. He is the Lord of the living, and the living make mistakes. He is not embarrassed by us, angry at us, or shocked. He wants us in our brokenness, in our unhappiness, in our guilt and in our grief. You know that people who live above a certain latitude experience very long winter nights can become depressed and even suicidal because something in our bodies require whole spectrum light for a certain number of hours a day. Our spiritual requirement for light is just as desperate and as deep as our physical need for light. Jesus is the light of the world. We know that this world is a dark place sometimes, but we need not walk in darkness. The people who sit in darkness can see a great light, and the people who walk in darkness can have a bright companion. We need Him and He is ready to come to us if we will open the door and let Him in.

Sister Chieko N Okazaki

General Relief Society Presidency

Our Little Swimmer

This may not seem like a big deal to some of you but for us it's amazing! Before Gavin started swim lessons he would freak out if we even tried to get him to put his face under water. This is a huge step! We're so proud of our little swimmer.

Here's a shot of him showing the fountain who's boss.

This pic is just for fun. Steve and Gavin let me go to the Flash game with them on Saturday and I got some pictures of Gavin making some pretty sweet faces. I love this boy! Look at that face! Doesn't it just make you want to squeeze him? And don't worry that's not dandruff on his shirt, it's cinnamon from the churro he just gobbled down.

Swimming Lessons

Gavin started swim lessons this week with his friends Kyle and Owen and he's having a blast. I was a little worried about it because he's not big on putting his face in the water, but he's doing great. For some reason he's way more willing to do what his swim teacher asks than me. Every morning he asks me if its time to go to swim lessons yet. By the 20th, "When is it time for swim lessons?" I have to tell him if he keeps asking we're not going. That usually helps for about an hour until he forgets my threat and starts asking again. I love to see him so excited about it and trying so hard to do well.

Dr. Seuss Day

Today was Dr. Seuss Day at Gavin's preschool. He got to go to school in his PJ's and read Dr. Seuss books throughout the day. He made green eggs and ham in cooking class. I don't know for sure how they did that, but he said something about green Jello and whip cream. He had so much fun. I'm so thankful for this preschool and his teachers. They really know how to make learning exciting and fun. He loves his teachers and is learning so much.

Only 4 Days!

I hate Laundry! I had a busy weekend. My little sister Julee and her family came to stay, Steve and I had a spa day, Julee and I went to a movie Saturday, etc..... So I neglected some of my household duties for a few days and this is what I get to do today. And remember besides a few extra dirty towels and sheets from Julee and her family their's only 3 of us. Is this normal? Should I really have this much laundry after just 4 days? Did I mention I HATE LAUNDRY!

Back To Reality

Steve and I went to Sego Lily Spa yesterday for massages and relaxation. Things have been a little stressful in the Atwood home lately, so this was very much needed. This was Steve's first real spa experience and he was definitely sold. When he came into the relaxation room after his 90 minute massage he asked, "When are we coming back?" I love the going to the spa! The second you walk through those doors you feel like you've entered another world. The lighting, the smell, the decor, the music, the sounds, I love it all! We had an amazing time, except.....

Now here's my rant. When you hear relaxation room what do you think? Peaceful, quite, serene.... Well this relaxation room was just that. It was dimly lit, candles, a fire burning, water walls, big comfy chairs and couches, Enya quietly playing. It was perfect! That I is until after my massage while Steve was sitting in the steam room I decided to go back and "relax" in the relaxation room. I was lying on the couch, sipping my tonic, eating a cranberry scone, a just enjoying the peace and tranquility when “they” walked in. Three ladies who were certain this room was meant just for them. They were oblivious of the other two people in the room. They were laughing and talking (very loudly) and teasing each other. So rude! Right? I was so close to giving them a piece of my mind, but decided better of it and just went to the locker room to take shower. You tell me.... Was I just being touchy? Over reacting? Shouldn't it be understood that you just keep your mouth shut or at least whisper?

Now that I got that out of my system. In spite of the annoying threesome I still had a very relaxing time. I left that spa feeling like a new women, recharged and re-energized. Afterwards we went to a dinner at one of my favorite restaurants Oasis and then a movie. It was a wonderful day.