lately

we have been having so much fun OUTSIDE lately!!! what a wonderfully mild winter we have had - and now we seem to have jumped right in to spring! the kids have been riding bikes and i am loving being able to send them outside to play. i am almost sad that paige isn't walking yet as she wants so badly to join her big brothers outside:

our little paige is growing up so fast!! she will be one in two short months. i kind of thought with her being our last baby (unless lightning strikes or we have some other obvious sign that our family is not complete!) she would stay little forever. it is always a bittersweet thing to see your babies growing! so exciting and fun to see all the changes but somewhat sad to see that baby phase passing. paige's new favorite thing to do is stand up....not by herself but holding on to something and getting in to a standing position. she especially likes to look out the windows and scream excitedly at all she sees (as is evidenced by the above video). she continues to be such a DELIGHT in our home - we all love her to pieces...really. really. really. i often look at my beautiful girl and wonder how i could be deserving of such a wonderful and blessed little spirit housed in such a beautiful little body. i thank the Lord daily for my sweet little girl - and my rambunctious but still wonderful boys too:)

brent and i had the opportunity to go to the temple in spokane a few weeks ago. brent's brother and his wife watched our kids while we attended a session together. it was wonderful! i truly enjoy the feeling of peace and renewal that comes with attending the temple. to be reminded of what life is all about. and to feel the love that our Father in Heaven has for us, as His children. i am so very grateful for the covenants i have made and for the promised blessings that will come as i am true and faithful to those covenants. our Heavenly Father truly does love us and has blessed us in so many wonderful ways.

as we were getting ready leave for spokane, we asked burton if he would say a prayer. we always say a prayer in the car when we are going on a trip - that we will be safe, etc. it was so heartwarming to hear our burty-burt pray for safe travel and give thanks that we were able to go to spokane so that "mom and dad can go to the temple." i am grateful that he is able to see, through our example and the example of others, the importance of temples. it is gratifying (and also somewhat daunting!) to realize just how much our children are watching us and learning from us. they do get it some times!!

i love my family - we have been spending a lot of time together. skiing with the kids, watching the olympics, having movie parties. i love my husband. he is a good father and a good man. i really am so blessed!

for pictures of what we have been doing lately, click here.