Gold Star Mother's Day

September 27 was Gold Star Mother's Day. I asked that the kids make dinner that day. I wanted a break but seeing as I'm a "gold star mother," I helped somewhat.

Nichole made a jalapeno pasta dish (with her dad's help learning it), Jr. made hot dogs with mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese, Jr. Jr. made cornbread, Lucky prepared hot chocolate with whipped cream on top.

Thanks for making dinner, kids. You're welcome for helping.

Whoops!

I just put pictures from the camera onto the computer and realized I totally didn't blog about Mother's Day.  Silly me.  So, Mother's Day:

The kids wanted to bring me breakfast in bed so Jeremy made cinnamon rolls and the kids helped frost them.

Jeremy made me a lovely Mother's Day Dinner.

Skillet Chicken Parmigiana with pasta and garlic bread.

For dessert, strawberry shortcake (though Jr. Jr. and I were the only ones to eat the strawberries.  Everyone else had angel food cake with whipped topping).

Jr. sent me on a special hunt to find his Mother's Day card he made at school and a pea plant he brought home in a pot he colored.

There were more cards and more fun, and I had a great Mother's Day.

Mother's Day 2012

Bet you'll never guess what Jeremy and his parents got me for Mother's Day/My Birthday.

My guesses:
When I stumbled past it at 3 o'clock in the morning in the dark to get Jr. Jr. a drink of milk, I didn't look very closely at it.  Jeremy had told me it was there but I like surprises.  So by the basic shape and not looking directly at it I guessed a giant clock... in the shape of a giant birdhouse?  I did mention this was 3 o'clock in the morning.
In the morning when I came around the corner and saw the basic shape, I thought ironing board?  C'mon, it's got the stand.
Then of course when my brain finished processing the rest of the shape, I knew exactly what it was.
Even before I unwrapped it.  And don't you love Jeremy's wrapping job?

Here's me with the rest of my Mother's Day haul from Nichole at school to what the Relief Society and ward gave me to the sweet things my kids made for me during Primary and Sacrament Meeting.                     

 

Including the little pot Nichole brought home from school.  It looks like they grew some grass from seeds and made paper flowers on popsicle sticks with nice things they can do for their moms during this next week.

I hope everyone else had a good Mother's Day regardless of whether you're a mom or not.

Why I Love Being a Mom

Happy Mother's Day/Anniversary

If we can't be in the Pacific Northwest right now, it's nice that we're only a 5-minute drive away from an easy hiking spot. Yesterday we headed up to Battle Creek Falls in Pleasant Grove. With a 2 year old, a 4 year old, and two adults, it took us about an hour to hike up to the waterfall. Nichole made a game where every big rock she stepped on, she would lift her arms and her leg in the air and call out, "YES!" Whether she was holding our hand or not.

The mist from the waterfall felt so good. It reminded us of home.

I thought it would be fun to get some cute pictures of the kids while we were there. Nichole of course was the little model. Jr. of course decided that his poses must include his tongue sticking out.

It really is fun to get out and do family activities like this.

Happy Anniversary, Jeremy!