hippity-hoppity! easter's on it's way...

New Sunday outfits are an essential Easter tradition!
Halle's dress looked more "grown-up" this year.
Less like a little girl.
The boys loved having ties "just like Dad"!

Very "G.Q.", Carson!

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Cousins & Buddies
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"There's money in here!"

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S'mish & Hope

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gettin' some help from sister

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OK...now what do I do with it?

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"The bunny must have hopped wayyyy
high to hide my basket up here!"

"CANDY!!!!!"

Mmmm...my favorite Easter indulgence: PEEPS!
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"FRUIT SNACKS!"

love these kids.

my husband flashed me...

...WITH A NEW CAMERA, THAT IS.

I married the sweetest man in the world. He loves to sit and plan these wonderful surprises for me. I don't know what's better: being on the receiving end of his surprises, or seeing the proud expression on his face as he's realized he pulled it off!

About a month ago, I broke our camera when I was using it at a mutual activity. I was so disappointed, knowing there were some events coming up I'd want to photograph (Easter, Piano Recital, etc.) and didn't have much hope beyond a low-quality, disposable camera. During our Easter breakfast (Mom's sticky pull-aparts, delicious fruit, orange juice & hot cocoa), Brett asks me, "Did you remember to buy a disposable camera so we can take pictures of the kids in their Easter outfits?" Sulking, I tell him, "No." Then getting a little testy about the fact that he puts it on me to remember to do those things, I turn to him and say curtly, "Did you?" When he shakes his head, I resign myself and reply, "Well, maybe you're mom can take a picture when we go over there today." I'm looking at my food as he says, "Or maybe I could just show you your new camera!" I lift my head and he's got this big "I'm-so-good-at-this-stuff" look on his face.

Isn't it beautiful??? Mine's not pink (thank heavens), but it really is such a pretty little camera. And I love how thin it is, so it fits into my purse nicely. We had talked about eventually getting a "big" camera that could take super-quality shots, but let's face it...we're not the best photographers, and unfortunately, as much as I hate to admit it, if I can't fit the camera in my pocket or purse, I'd never use it. When you take 3 kids, a diaper bag, your purse, blah-blah-blah, somewhere like the zoo, the last thing you want is another big item to haul around, right? Anyway, we haven't had any developed yet, but as far as I can tell, the quality seems great and it's very user-friendly. You can put it on Auto-Adjust and it will automatically incorporate the correct settings for your situation (night-time, outdoors, indoors, sunset, birthday candles, etc.). I love how when you look at the camera screen, the pictures rotate as you turn the camera up or down so you can always see them. IT'S AWESOME!

I know. We're beautiful people at 8 a.m.
Still in our PJ's, with tired eyes on Easter Sunday morning.
Yes, that IS a giant zit in the middle of my forehead.
And just in case you're wondering, it killed.
* * * * *

Carson hammin' it up for my new camera
* * * * *

So, to my husband, I say, "YOU GOT ME...I HAD NO IDEA". Thank you for the early Mother's Day/Birthday present! You're always putting so much thought and love into your gifts.
I "te amo" you!

where, oh where, had my little mouse gone?

This morning we caught our mouse. The one that I'd heard "shuffling, shuffling" by the computer over a week ago. I had heard it shuffle and the next day I had seen it scurry across the family room floor. Naturally, we'd set out a trap the moment it had manifested it's existence, but each day following that passed brought no more signs. No proof left behind. We didn't hear it, we didn't see it, and we saw no evidence that it was still around. I had wondered, "Where did it go?" Had it slipped out as we'd opened the door to leave one day? Had it found a big crumb in some obscure corner to feast upon for days and days? Did it visit a friend out in the country? At any rate, wherever it had been, it missed us too much and decided to come back. At dawn's light our trap light was blink-a-blinkin' and we knew it had met his demise.

So sad.

OK, OK, OK. Maybe you know me well enough that my crocodile tears and faux sympathy are obviously insincere. I'm not sad. I'm glad. Call me heartless, but I'm glad it came back and I'm especially giddy it had a hankerin' for peanut butter...I'm all too pleased to oblige. Come in, little mouse. Come have some peanut butter. Before you begin your main course, however, can I interest you in an appetizer of electric shock?

Don't forget to bring any other friends that might also be our honored houseguests. I'm more than generous. Peanut Butter all around!

from the ST. PETERSBURG TIMES: "Patriotic Retirement Plan"

"Dear Mr. President:

Please find below my suggestion for fixing America 's economy.

Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan.

You can call it the PATRIOTIC RETIREMENT PLAN:

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force.

Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the
following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings - Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered -
Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage -
Housing Crisis fixed.

It can't get any easier than that!

If more money is needed, have all members of Congress and their
constituents pay their taxes for once...

If you think this would work, please forward to everyone you know.

If not, please disregard."

Turning off the computer today...

...since a mouse is hanging out behind it. (Yes, ANOTHER one. Don't even get me started!) I've heard it twice shuffling around as I sat working on Young Women stuff yesterday and last night it decided to make it's grand debut by running from the couch I was sitting on over to the loveseat. I was so mad I grabbed the vacuum attachment (the vacuum happened to be nearby) and tried whacking it, but the little critter was just too fast to kill with my bare hands. So...the vicinity around the computer armoire is no longer a comfortable, "safe" place in my mind and I will be avoiding it until further notice.

Today in the car, Wyatt said:

Wyatt: "Mom, I know what water and dirt make."
Mom: "Really? What do they make?"
W: "Mud!"
M: "That's right! You're so smart, Wy."

Quiet moment of reflection.

W: "Mom, I gotta a good brain, don't I? I answer lots of questions."

A few minutes later, Wyatt's trying to remember the days of the week and gets stuck on Thursday.

W: "Oh, man...I don't got a good brain right now."

This talk was my favorite of G.C. I'll *never* think of the Atonement or Easter the same way again. Pause the playlist down on the right & watch.

What I learned from Elder Holland's insight, what I felt, has changed my understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ forever. I'm grateful for my faith, and for the confirmation I have personally received through prayer, bearing witness to me that this gospel is right and true. Isn't it great that we don't have to "take anyone's word for it"--that we can know for ourselves if it is truly from our Heavenly Father simply by sincerely asking Him?

is it terrible...

...that nearly every day at 2:00 I have to take a little nap? I'm just exhausted lately and it's gotten to the point where I feel like I can't finish out my day without some extra rest. I lay there and think, "I really should clean my baseboards, they look grey instead of white" or "If I don't do a load of whites, it's very possible no one will have underwear tomorrow", and yet I can't help myself.

Some days I don't get the luxury, and it's on those days you should definitely avoid me in the evening because by then I'm a total zombie/beast combo. But about half the days of the week, I have the opportunity to have an hour to myself while the boys do quiet time and although I know I should spend the 60 minutes more wisely, I simply cannot help myself. I put the phones on silent, slip under a fleece blanket, and within seconds (or so it seems) I'm completely out.

What does this say about me? Am I lazy? Unmotivated?
You know what? I really don't care. I say it keeps my sanity in check.
But still...I don't know of any other grown adults who "have" to take a daily nap.
What is with me???

Ready or not, here I come!

The picture quality isn't great, as our camera is broken (turns out if you drop it on top of the lens, it's basically a gone-r) and this photo was snapped with Brett's cell, but I couldn't resist sharing... This reaction from the kids came when Brett found them during an intense game of Hide-And-Seek (a Taft family favorite past time just before bed).

This Medal of Bravery is hereby awarded to...

...my valiant & fearless neighbor, Kami, who, in the midst of hazardous circumstances, demonstrated great courage (and oddly, a gross sense of curiosity) during the dumping of the mousetrap formally located in my bottom island drawer. Not wanting (daring) to set a spring trap myself (that's Brett's job and he's not here) I borrowed my friend, Marni's "box" mousetrap. Essentially, it is a small black box, wherein a maze leads the mouse to a dab of peanut butter located on a metal plate. Thanks to power delivered by AA batteries that metal plate treats the mouse to an appetizer of electric shock. You know you have a mouse when the blinking light on the top makes the happy proclamation.
.
Well, this afternoon, it blinked. And although I had thought catching the mouse was what I really wanted, suddenly I felt a little...chicken. So I called Kami. Armed with rubber gloves, Kami, he-hum, I mean WE, opened the lid and saw that YES, A LITTLE, VERY UNCUTE MOUSE had met his shocking doom. We then took the box outside and she dumped the mouse into a plastic bag, which was then tied off and thrown into the dumpster.
.
Can it be garbage day TOMORROW instead of today...please?
.
So, Kami, this post is for you. Thanks for being a good neighbor. Thanks for coming over when I asked for "moral support" all the time knowing what I really meant was "would you please handle this for me?" You are hereby awarded this virtual MEDAL OF BRAVERY for your valor and friendship! As you know, I put the trap back for one more day, just to make sure our critter didn't have any friends. If we find out he did, you can expect to see my phone number on your caller ID. I'll provide the rubber gloves, you provide the guts.