National Chocolate Cake Day

Last week was national chocolate cake day. Fun!! What is even more fun is when a friend stops by unexpectedly with a chocolate cake to celebrate!  What fun!!  This is a "ding dong" cake... filled with creamy vanilla filling- so yummy! I'm thankful for fun friends that help keep me aware of the important holiday :)

Zoo Days

A week or so ago, we had some really nice weather (who am I kidding, the weather has been WONDERFUL all winter long). So, we packed the kids up and headed to the zoo with some friends. We had a great day. Max loves the zoo so much! He gets excited about all the animals and it is so fun to see how happy he is!  We love these kids!

2014 Goals

I was just thinking about my 2014 goals and discussing them with my husband, last week, when I realized that I hadn't even written about them in my blog. There are a few reasons why I like to write them in my blog- one being that I feel that if I put them on a page where everyone can read them I am more accountable. Another reason is that I print my blog each year and I think that I will enjoy seeing what I was struggling with and trying to improve in my life each year. So, I am going to take a moment to quickly post a few of my New Years Resolutions.
1. Study my scriptures every day. I know that seems like a no brainer, but lately- since I have had 2 babies in my house- I seem to find every single excuse to NOT read my scriptures. Not OK. And not a good excuse. This year I want to find the time every day to read a minimum of 1 verse every day. I have been leaving my scriptures out, at the table, on the couch, in the kitchen... everywhere, so that I will see them and OPEN them. So far I have been doing a pretty decent job- not 100%, but I will continue to TRY.
2. Talk more about the scriptures with my kids. I try to talk a lot about the gospel with my kids. We read the scriptures as a family. But it is not often that I sit and TALK about them, or even relate them to our lives. Every morning when we drive to school I take the opportunity to talk to them about a subject (I try to pick a theme every week, honesty or charity or kindness....you get the idea)- so this year I am going to try to relate scripture stories every day about whatever subject I am working on for the week. I have been doing better this year, so far, and hope that because I am thinking about it I will get better at it.
3. Friends.  I am a horrible friend. I really am. I don't know why I have any friends. I am blunt. I hate talking on the phone. I don't like to leave my house to go hang out with friends. I am the least thoughtful person you will ever meet. It's all true. I wish it wasn't. So, this year, I am going to try to be a better friend. I am going to call more often. Go out more often. Invite more often. Share more often. Be thoughtful more often. PRAY a lot that I will see how to be a good friend to my friends- how I can be Christlike in my friendships.
4. Husband. I love my husband so much, more than words could ever adequately express. He is my better half. He is patient, loving and kind. He is the best part of me- but I don't think that I tell him this often enough. Or show him often enough. I think that I tend to blame having six kids for a lot of my inadequacies (I can't read the scriptures, I was up all night and now I have SO much to do.... or I can't call my friends, it's too crazy here with all these kids, or I can't stop and just cuddle my husband on the couch and talk about his day because there are SIX kids running all around needing help with one thing or another.....). It is difficult having kids, but I need to make sure that my #1 priorities stay #1, because I can pick to write a quick note to my hubby and have him feel my love or put the laundry away.... I need to remember that my husband is ALWAYS my first priority, and I need to let him know that, too!
5. My last goal is a health goal. Last year I had a lot of stress (related to foster kids, new babies, adoptions.... see I can blame my kids for this, too!) and when I am stressed, I EAT!!  I am a stress eater and gained a whopping 10 pounds last year. This is my year to drop those 10 pounds. I need to not put a candy bar or a cookie or ice cream in my mouth every time I get stressed, I need to jump on the treadmill or take a walk with my kids. So, I officially have 11 months to get this accomplished... I can do it!  I will do it.

These are my goals for the year. I am excited for 2014. We have a lot exciting events that will hopefully all take place this year!!  Let the wild rumpus begin.

This past weekend we went to the coast. We rented a house with our friends and went for just the weekend. It was a blast! We started out the weekend at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve where there were tons of tide pools. The kids had a blast there. As a matter of a fact, it was their favorite activity of the entire weekend. They are excited to go back. It was pretty chilly, but not too cold to put on a swimsuit and get your legs wet. They spent their time looking at all the cool critters in the pools and they were able to reach in and hold them and play with them. I wish it wasn't such a cool day, we would have spend hours more there. But the mom's (me) and the babies were getting a bit too cold to stay much longer. Saturday night we went home and started a fast, as we have been asked to fast for rain in the state of California. We talked to the kids about fasting for rain. On Sunday morning, we woke up to rain! It was wonderful. WE went to church and then came home and the boys fixed us a wonderful lunch to break our fast. Sunday was also M's birthday, so we had a couple cakes and cupcakes and really lived it up! Then we went to the beach (the rain had slowed to a light drizzle) and let the kids play. J and I raced the beach and tied (thanks to her going the wrong way). The kids loved it. On Monday we woke up and headed to the California Academy of Sciences. What a blast! We could have stayed there for days. It was perfect. There were butterflies and snakes and an earthquake simulation, aquariums, a planetarium and so much more. It was a bit crazy with 11 kids, but so much fun and worth every bit of work. We had a great time and look forward to going again.