Random Images

Because my favorite part of looking at my friends blogs is to see their kids and the crazy things they do I'm posting a "random images" blog to share some recent photos. If you can't tell from the photos we love living in Germany and take every opportunity we can to get out and see the sights. Come visit, we'll show ya around:)

The city of Erbendorf celebrated it's 900th anniversary this last weekend. We went and joined in the medieval festivities. Hyrum and I debated over getting the boys these "toys" (as if they needed something else to hit each other with!)

Who's the cutest baby in the world?

The boys being silly in Amberg

Our first ever attempt at a garden. So far just the peas are growing but those are my favorite anyway so I'm OK with that.

Taking full advantage of the fire pit.

Emerson, Julian and Townsend hanging out in their jammies

What can you do with 136 dominos?
(The boys set this up all by themselves. They said it was a Greek city)

Four of the best looking guys in Germany!

Oh yeah, it's worth it!

Mothers Day is the perfect time to reflect on my life as a mom. I will admit that I do my share of yelling and some days the level of frustration is overwhelming when they are being disobedient but overall I am in awe of these three boys. Their quick minds and active bodies amaze me. Sure they take a screwdriver to the walls, pile dirt up in the yard just to jump in and wipe their cheesy Dorito chip fingers all over their Sunday shirts, but it's worth it! Take a look and see for yourself. I love you Townsend, Emerson and Julian!!!!!

Happy Mothers Day

To all those wonderful moms out there, Happy Day!!! Here is a little story to boost your confidence in your parenting skills:

We went to our favorite pizza place this last week. We haven't visited since before Julian was born so the boys were excited to go again because at the end of the meal the waitress always brings them "soccer lollies" which are lollipops that look like soccer balls. Anyway, the boys had been very good for me that morning while I had to drive an hour to a stake primary meeting, spend 2 hours in the meeting and then drive an hour home.

Hyrum was not feeling very well and had a runny nose but we decided to go out anyway. The first thing that happened was after the waitress left with our order Emerson leaned over the table to look at something and caught his hair on fire from the candle that was burning on the table. It only singed his eyebrows a little but it scared him a lot. Then Julian started fussing in his car seat so I stood up to pick up his car seat which was next to Hyrum and move him next to me. Well, I tripped on something and fell over, right on my back, and Julian and car seat went crashing down next to me. Luckily he was strapped in his seat still so he was just a little shaken up and not actually injured at all. Oh yeah, as I was falling down I hit the vase with flowers on the table next to ours and it too went crashing down and shattered glass everywhere. All this time Hyrum is blowing his nose and Emerson and Townsend are complaining that they are hungry.

There, now don't you feel better about the job YOU are doing as a mom?

10th Anniversary

Well Hyrum, I have tricked you into staying married with me for 10 years now. I never thought you would put up with me this long!

Thank you for showing me the beauty of a good hike. Thank you for supporting me through all my craziness trying to figure out how to be a good mom and wife. Thank you for being so willing to show our boys how things work and letting them help you fix things when I know you could do it faster on your own. Thank you for reading to our children each night and teaching them to love books. Thank you for holding my hand when we go for walks. Thank you for all the yummy meals you have cooked. Thank you for loving me and your boys.

And thank you for waking up early this morning so you could pick me white lilacs and have them on the table for me when I woke up...you are the love of my life!

I love this photo of us

The years we spent in Missouri for medical school were some of the most wonderful years of our marriage.

Happy Day!!! May 1, 1999
I remember my cheeks hurting by the end of the day because I was so happy and I couldn't stop smiling.

Our honeymoon in Australia, good times

You have a wild natural side to you that I love

Hiking in Utah

The last picture of just the two of us before we brought those crazy twins home. I'm so glad we had 5 years of alone time together.

I loved you then and I love you now.

Yours always, Miss Elle