We love Visitors!

So April has flown by! And our camera broke and so we are trying out some cameras and not really finding any that we like. So we don't have many pictures. Luckily, my Aunt Linda came to visit and took some awesome pics. We really had a blast, we enjoyed some Texas BBQ and toured the riverwalk, and the Alamo.

Me trying to get Abi to show her new trick. She can wave hi and bye! But never for an audience. :)

Abi is on the move. She can really crawl now!

Cute Cousin Karina and Abi. She loved all of them.

She watches very intently

and has a captivating smile. She did great on our jaunt down the riverwalk. Well, actually Uncle Vernon did great... he held her the whole time!! 

Waving Bye!

Happy Easter

It is so fun to celebrate each 1st holiday with Abi. We are also loving the simplicity of this age. She doesn't need presents or egg hunts, and we just borrowed a beautiful dress for her. Traditions are fun, but more and more I'm realizing the practicality and wisdom of not getting carried away with traditions and holidays. We enjoyed a beautiful Easter Sunday. Our church service this morning had magnificent musical numbers and selections for the songs. The sacrament hymn really caught my attention in light of our celebration of Easter today. It was just a "normal" sacrament hymn, but the last phrase of the last verse really hit me in a way it never had before. It says "Once all things he meekly bore, But he now will bear no more, But he now will bear no more." And it hit me: Jesus is no longer suffering. He really did overcome the world! What a cause to celebrate. Those words and that thought gave me such great happiness. Often at Easter or really whenever thinking of the sacrificed of our Savior I mourn for his sacrifice and his great and incredible suffering, and I guess I had considered his suffering ongoing. Upon further reflection, I thought, maybe it is because I am still suffering and my sin is ongoing, and I am feeling the pain of this world still, and maybe that is because I have not truly given my yoke to Christ in exchange for His. Interesting thought. Anyways...  we really enjoyed being together as a family and remembering that Christ has Risen and that he has
given us the invaluable gift of Resurrection. I hope that you all had a great Easter also.


p.s I ran 14 miles yesterday and strained an already pulled muscle. Ouch ouch ouch! I really am in excruciating pain today. It must be a muscle used in stabilization b/c even though it is a muscle in my inner thigh I had pain  in almost every motion. Including moving arms, and switching my weight around. I am always surprised at how the loss of something makes you so much more grateful for your everday blessings that are taken for granted. It has made being a Mom very very difficult and painful, because holding a wiggly baby requires alot of stablization apparently. I am so thankful for my body and how healthy and resilient it is, and that I do not live in constant pain or paralysis. 

Springtime is Here... and other Miscellaneous events!

My friend Jenny and I are teaching a preschool piano class, and we made these cute flowers for the kids to dance around to Vivaldi's Spring! I had to snap a quick picture with our little model:

One of my favorite Springtime flowers! Our little Daffodil.

 It is getting harder and harder to snap a picture of Abi smiling. She has her own mind now! This picture of her is hilarious!! Her little attitude is showing.

 The weather has been amazing lately. This winter/spring has been WONDERFUL. I love living in Texas.

Her little baseball cap kills me. 

 Other happenings:

rolling, and diving off the  diaper changing station! It is so hard to dress her now!

Still loving the baths! Look at that fun hair!

Dressing up like a strawberry

Chillin' at the park

sleeping in Daddy's arms

Cute stretchy strawberry

 I ran a half marathon. My friend Adrienne helped me get motivated to start training and sign up for the Zooma race in Austin on March 31st. It was awesome. I was prepared and did really well for me. I ran it in 2:14:26, which is a 10:16 pace. I was 315 out 1000 and something runners, and 24th out of 76 in my age group. I was really happy, I felt great throughout the whole run, the only thing I missed was the solitude of our bike trail back home. I like the quietness and this was very different. I couldn't seem to get away from the pack. But, it felt great to have achieved this. Halfway to my goal. At mile 10 I thought "I can do 3 more miles, but I canNOT do 16 more!" So, hopefully something changes in the next 2 months.

Grateful that Jeff sacrificed stake basketball to come and watch a thousand women run 13 .1 miles

Grateful that Abi forgave us for waking her up at 5 in the morning and  making her sleep in her jogging stroller, and interuppting all of her naps all day! She actually did awesome, but I always feel guilty interuppting her naps and everything

Well, that pretty much catches us up! We signed up for the Utah Valley Marathon in June!! Crazy. Jeff is running the half and I am running the FULL. We'll see if I survive.