Spring Cleaning...And the Day I Cried.

I am a big, big baby.

But let me begin at, well, the beginning.

I come from a long line of pack-rats. My mother's favorite thing to tell me and my sisters is that when she dies only we are allowed to look carefully through everything she has saved and divide everything between us fairly. We have already told her that when she dies we are throwing everything into the trash. Seriously, we're not being mean, we're being realistic. My mom keeps a lot of...NOTHING!

Anyway, I should actually thank my mom and grandma because if it wasn't for them I don't know that I would be so determined NOT to save every single scrap of paper, article of clothing, or odd and end that comes my way. And so when we found out that our last child would be a boy, I knew the time had come to part ways with all our storage bins filled with baby girl items.

The task seemed easy enough. Lug it in, open it, sort it, bag it, and heave it off the property. I have plenty of young sister-in-laws to pass things down to, so it was easy to see that all these items would go to a good home.

But when push came to shove, and I had un-earthed all the dainty dresses and teeny-tiny flower print onsies...

well,

I fell apart.

One by one my sweet husband, my girls, and my son stepped over piles of baby clothes to give me hugs and kisses.

They let me have my moment...

to remember...

Each of my daughters was kind enough to stand while holding a former piece of clothing they used to wear. Owen, not wanting to be left out, posed as well.

Iris couldn't stop exclaiming over the tiny hats, and wanted to wear the cap she came home in from the hospital! It still fit-sort of!

I am so grateful for memories, photos, journals, and for this blog.
I'm grateful for my children. When I look at them now, I can see the many days of yesterday, when they were so unbelievably small, and yet I can also see what I hope to be the many days of tomorrow, when they will be big, and mothers and fathers of their own families.

Being a mom is a blessing.
It sure does come with a lot of tears!
But I'm not complaining.

Why we love Home Depot!

So, yes, they take your money in exchange for items you MUST have to improve what you already own, or to build something you didn't have before. But a happy surprise came to the Elmer family during what was supposed to be a quick in-and-out Saturday errand for drainage pipe!

What was it?

A free Home Depot Kid's Clinic!

Within minutes the kids donned awesome Home Depot aprons and we were all intent on building pinewood derby thingies.

Note:
Yes, I've served in Scouts before. No, we moved before the official pinewood derby. And yes, I have a son, but Owen is 22 months and still way to young for Scouts. Hence, the "thingies" comment.

The kids had a blast, Sam got to re-live his boyhood, mom learned a thing or two (for instance this wood is really soft!), and when we walked out of the store we had our drainage pipe and a bunch of tracks and cars.

Not bad for Saturday errand!

Seussical the Musical!

On a recent trip to the Downtown Roseville Library we happened upon a library program to kick-off this year's poetry contest. They had members of the cast from "Seussical the Musical" and were giving out free tickets to the show. Isabella was a lucky winner, and on March 7th we headed out for a very special mother & daughter evening.

The musical was amazing!
My only regret was that we didn't take the whole family!

We ended the evening by making a quick stop in to Starbucks for some hot chocolate and a gourmet cupcake!

Then off to bed! It was almost 10:30pm and way past both our bedtimes!

I love you Isabella!
Thank you for a wonderful evening!

The Best Free Place on Earth!

Who can deny it?
The library rocks!

My Ninja Turtle

At my in-laws house Owen donned this Ninja Turtle mask and proceeded to karate chop in slow motion. It was really gentle, almost like Tai Chi! What I really like about this picture is his bracelet that's shining. Talk about bling-bling!

Pizza Night

On Sundays, since our ward meets from 1-4pm, I try to have something very simple and easy waiting for us at home. All the week prior I had been promising the kids homemade pizza, so finally, on Sunday, I managed to get the ingredients into my bread machine before we left for church, and presto! Delicious dough ready for sauce, cheese, and toppings. Everyone loves creating their own special pizza concoction, and of course, they all look, smell, and taste delicious.

Pizza Dough, 2 lbs. or 2 12" pies
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. olive oil
2 t. salt
4 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. sugar
2 t. yeast

Add all ingredients to your bread machine in the order listed. Select "dough-only" cycle and wait! When done, remove to a floured board and shape accordingly. Sprinkle cornmeal as desired. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 18 minutes or until dough is a very light golden brown. Note: I don't like baking pizza dough on anything other than stoneware. It really does make a difference in the texture of the crust. If you don't have one, don't sweat it. It will still taste great!

100th Birthday!

On Saturday March 7th my great-grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday party in Los Angeles, California. My grandma went down for the occasion with much of the family, but suggested that we take a family photo as a gift.

The great-grandchildren:
Nick, Katelin, Kourtnee, Olivia (I'm the oldest!), Sophia, & Nicole.
Not pictured are: Devan, Julia, & Ricky.

The great-great grandchildren:
Ava Grace, Lola, Isabella, Iris, Owen, & Taylor.
Not pictured: Jacob.
Ricky and Julia, the oldest two, are also pictured but are great-grandchildren, not great-greats.

We love you Great-Grandma Lupe!

Happy Birthday!

Butterfly Kisses Father & Daughter Dance

On February 28th the girls were escorted by their father to a very special evening, entitled "Butterfly Kisses", at their elementary school. Isabella was thrilled, Ava a little reluctant-at first, and Dad was the complete gentlemen.

Mom's contributions were in the form of refreshments: Lemon Squares & Butterfly Cupcakes. When I took them in and got my first peek at the decorations I had to admit I was a little jealous! The PTC created a truly magical setting for this special event.

There was lot's of dancing and games, and by night's end they were all warm and flushed after all the excitement. It was definitely a night to remember.

He Passed!

I am so proud of him!

Passing this test is a requirement to apply for the Master's Program at Sac State, and I am so proud of how hard he worked.
Way to go, honey!

What's the best way to celebrate?
How about some deliciously sinful Chili Cheese Fries from Wienerschnitzel?
It's not four-star cuisine but it sure is yummy!

Lost

Yes, Sam and I love the show "Lost". But this time, I'm referencing how I felt this last month as I was left to care for our little ones-all alone-because Sam was studying for his G.M.A.T. test (yes, I am a big baby).

What I learned while he was "away":

I love my husband!
Of course I always did, but isn't it wonderful, when so many people claim to fall out of love, to fall even more in love?

I can do the park thing!

I'm a horrible mom when it comes to taking my kids to the park. I get stressed out trying to keep my eye on all of them, and of course, with a little adventurer like Owen, I always have to be an arms length away. Case in point: Last fall he flipped head over heels from 5 feet high. I was horrified (thank goodness he was okay), but you can see why I'm apprehensive about the whole thing. But, I got over it for the sake of getting out of the house into the nice weather and realized the following:

• Kids fall.
• Being outside is fun.
• A fantastic amount of energy is expended.
• We all go home exhausted.

So while I would still prefer to have Sam along when we go to the park, I know when push comes to shove, I will survive!

I can play!
Raise your hand if you've heard your husband coming through the door only to have your kids swarm over him like flies while you let out a sigh of relief? Me!!! I love daddy-kid time! It's the best, especially when you're trying to get some peace while scrambling to get dinner together. The only problem is, when daddy's gone it's...mommy-kid time? You bet! And guess what? I can still play tag! And bonus: It was even fun!

What I mean to say is...

I am grateful for my wonderful husband and my beautiful children. Samuel is a great blessing to me, and my children are my world. I am thankful for the Family Proclamation, and for how clearly the roles of husband and wife, and fathers and mothers are defined. I know the family is the most important unit on earth, and that our Heavenly Father desires us to cleave unto one another, and be a strength to one another. In times of great difficulty or hardship, those precious family relationships, our testimony of the gospel, and our faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ, will see us through.

We don't have ever worry about being "lost".

Share your Inner Book-worm!

Shannon passed this along and I thought it was kind of fun. I won't tag anyone, but if you're up for it definitely post what book happens to be near you too.

RULES

• Grab the book nearest you-right now!
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence and a picture of the book along with these instructions in your blog.
  
• Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, or the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.
• Now you do it!

MY BOOK

Sunset Western Garden Book
"Leaf color can be variable within a species, so it's best to shop for plants in fall when their leaves are changing color." pg. 56

We are full-on into spring gardening at our house.
It is so much fun getting your hands in the dirt!

Music to My Ears? I don't think so!

My day is composed of keeping a watchful eye on these little rug-rats! For the most part they play well together, which is great for me! And every once in awhile, when I'm feeling out-of-my-mind, I bring down the musical instruments and let them have at it.

They love making music, and they love to compose complex pieces that they must perform live for my benefit!

Why did I not take a video to include the sound?
Because this memory is best remembered visually...on mute!

My Newest Nephew: Wyatt Graham

Welcome baby Wyatt!

We joke that Wyatt stole the new-born thunder from my niece, Veronica Mae, who was born just this past December. So I assured her mom, Elizabeth, that I would steal Leah & Wyatt's thunder in June when we welcome our baby!

Just kidding, of course!
Or am I?

Yeast: The Bane of my Existence...or is it?

I have always been intimidated by yeast. No matter what the recipe, if it involved yeast one of two things would happen: 1) I would try the recipe and it would go horribly wrong, or 2) I would opt to avoid trying it all together!

Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, Samuel's mom makes incredible homemade rolls using...what else? Yeast! And if it weren't for the fact that these rolls are AMAZING, I would have given up long ago.

Well, it's been approximately 8 years now, and finally, finally I can declare:

The Yeast...

has...

RISEN!

Mom's Famous Rolls

6-8 cups of flour

6 tbs sugar

3 packages of instant yeast (approx. 2 1/4 tsp. per pack)

3 tsp salt

3 tbs vegetable oil

3 cups hot water

Mix dry ingredients in a mixer using the bread hook, reserving 1-2 cups of flour.

Incorporate wet ingredients slowly.

Resulting mix should be a soft not sticky dough. Add additional 1-2 cups of flour as necessary.

Place dough in a bowl and allow to rise until it's double in size.

Punch down and divide into equal pieces and place in a buttered or oiled 13" x 9" pan, and allow to rise a second time.

Place in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. Oven time may vary.

Butter tops immediately after coming out of the oven.

Remove from pan, separate rolls when cool enough to handle, and place on a cookie sheet.

Best if served immediately.

Store leftovers in a air-tight container.

Green Acres is the place to be!

We spent a Saturday checking out Green Acres Nursery in Roseville. If you've never been it's a great place with excellent staff to help you with whatever questions you may have.

Here are the kids...finally sitting still!

Our Night Out

We recently took the kids to the Roseville Galleria and found this booth with monogrammed kids items...three of which featured our names: Isabella, Ava, & Me, Olivia. I accidently deleted my picture, but here are the girls with there's.

We always hit the play areas.
I could have kicked myself for not bringing my hand sanitizer!

Because Isabella is a too tall and too old to play, we walked the mall. It was so fun, except she wouldn't let me go into any stores! I guess I browse too much? Finally I bargained Williams & Sonoma for the Disney Store and we were both happy.

Later, Samuel moved the kids to the other play area featuring big bubble tools, and Owen went crazy when he saw us on the second level waving down at him. He was trying to do everything he could to jump or lift himself into my outstretched arms!

Sam thought it'd be great if he crawled into the tunnel to surprise Owen. Owen responded by whomping him on the head!

Finally we ended the night at home with pajamas and homemade chocolate chip milkshakes!

Not a bad way to spend the evening together!