Letting go is hard to do!

We finally had to let the butterflies go and Katie was not happy about it. Poor little girl! She cried and cried for a long time after they were gone and was absolutely histerical as they were flying away. She really LOVED them!
Katie is our sensitive soft hearted girl. She just loves animals of any size and just wanted to keep them forever. We explained that they needed to fly or they would die but that was little consulation.

Its a Butterfly's Life

4/27 Painted Lady Caterpillar's arrive. This picture was actually taken a few days later so they had already grown a bit. They were so tiny!

5/2- Caterpillars have grown a ton! We read in a butterfly book that caterpillars grow 2,700 times their size in just 2 weeks. If a human baby grew that fast, in 2 weeks it would be the size of 2 Rhinos.

5/3 Caterpillars climb to the top of cup and hang themselves upside down with little silk strands that they produce. I think its amazing that they know what to do and just do it.

5/5 Chrysalis's are ready to transport to butterfly habitat to eventually turn into Butterflies!
We can't wait!!!

5/11 This morning when we woke up we had 1 Butterfly out of his chrysalis and then just a few hours later 2 more came out. Luckily we were having playgroup during this time and the little girls got to actually watch one coming out.

Here is one of the Butterflies coming out of the chrysalis (top left) its pretty cool. The girls have really loved this process but I think I found it the most interesting. Really neat project to do with your kids, we've learned a TON!

Butterfly facts:

• Did you know that butterflies actually taste things with their feet?
• Butterflies don't have a mouth, they drink nectar through a long tongue that works like a straw called a proboscis, and when they aren't using it, it stays rolled up like a garden hose.
• There are 17,500 different types of butterflies
• It takes about an hour for the butterfly wings to fill with fluid and harden once they come out.

Congrats Brent

We were invited down to Las Vegas to celebrate Greg's brother Brent graduating with his Masters degree in Education & Instruction with an emphasis in Art (He's a highschool art teacher!). It was awesome and we are so proud of him. He decided about 6 years ago he wanted to be a teacher like his wife Cherese (who is an awesome elementary school teacher) So he quit his job and went to school full time to get his bachelors and then started working at a highschool and went on to finish his Masters. He is the only one of the 5 boys to graduate college. I would love for Greg to follow in his footsteps but man oh man thats a huge undertaking, and unfortunately he doesnt have the ability to just quit his job. So maybe one day he can.

future college graduate?

St George... sun AND fun

On our way to Las Vegas this weekend we stopped in St George for a day. We always like to break up the long 6 hour drive by stopping and staying at Ryan and Lolly's house (thanks guys!) It makes the trip seem so much better and shorter. Friday we went hiking up to the Dixie which has become sortof a tradition or something we have done the last few trips because its easy and the kids love it!

Fieldtrip to "The Barn"

Katie's preschool did a field-trip to Wheeler Farm on Thursday. Katie loves her preschool and all her fun friends. She has really learned a ton this year, I can't believe that the year is almost over!

The entire class on the wagon ride

Baby cows! So cute!

Some of the kids playing in a wagon

Feeding the ducks (I don't think they are starving, there was about 20 kids throwing loafs of bread in the little pond and most of it was just floating on the water...) Oh well the kids enjoyed it!

Sisters!

OK funny story about this picture... I totally thought these little guys were baby cows so I telling Brielle to get closer so I could take her pictgure with the baby cows. She looked at me with such contempt and said in the closest teenage voice she could. "MOM! they aren't cows their sheep!" Well she was right but I was definetly put in my place by a 3 year old!

Lifes Treasures

I have been feeling kind of down lately, dealing with life's ups and downs. So I have been really praying hard to be blessed with peace and comfort.

I know my heavenly father is mindful of me because he quickly reminded me of all the many blessing I have in my life.... and LIFE IS GOOD!!!

Here are just a few things that I am thankful for today:

Katie earned her Barbie and has been doing so GREAT at not sucking her fingers. What a relief for me! I was so worried to send her to kindergarten for fear she would be teased. The greatest reward as a parent is to see your children set goals and accomplish them and see their complete JOY and how proud they are of their accomplishments!This morning when we were getting ready to the day the girls ran in the backyard and started swinging. Usually I hear "MOM... come push us!!!" But I didn't hear anything so I went back to check on them and they were swinging by themselves!!! I can't believe how grown up both my girls are. Brielle amazes me that she can do ANYTHING Katie does.

My tulips have finally bloomed and they were worth the wait. It seemed most tulips had bloomed weeks ago and ours were taking forever. I LOVE spring and all the beautiful flowers. Our yard will never be as green and beautiful the rest of the year.

In the Strength of the LORD

Thursday and Friday I was lucky enough to attend the 2009 BYU Women's Conference. It was so awesome! What a great way to really focus on me and my spiritual growth so I can be a better mom, wife, and friend! This year Karma came with me on Thursday and we met Jen Paris and her mom there, we had the funnest day... we got there at 7:30 am and didn't get home until midnight. I can't believe that around 15.000 women come to the conference yet it runs so smoothly and it seems so personal. After the days sessions they have service projects that you can do. This year we helped tie blankets and while we were sitting there a lady walked over and gave us tickets to the concert that they have at night. (the concert is free to anyone who goes to the conference, but they have reserved seating down low and you have to be given the tickets). We ended up being right in the middle of the stage on the 8th row. They were the best seats and the concert was amazing. Then on Friday Holly came with Karma and I and we had another day of awesome classes!

The thing that I personally took away from conference this year is to just enjoy life. And also to live life with purpose and to be intentional in what I do and how I do things. It is so easy for me to just live life without really even thinking about it. But I really need to work on doing the things that are going to help me and my family progress and grow spiritually. I really hope that I can do a better job of teaching my children about spiritual things and I hope they know that the gospel is important to me.

Elder L Tom Perry was the closing speaker of Womens Conference (look at his wife next to him she is so tiny, she's not sitting down! She was really cute and talked first) . And Russel M Nelson was there but didnt speak to us. Last year it was Pres Monson that talked, and that was GREAT! We are so lucky to live here in Utah and be able to do these things were we are taught and instructed by our Prophet and also his trusted and appointed leaders of the church.

Karma, Holly and I at the Marriot Center just after the closing session.
I'm so glad they came with me. I am so fortunate that I have a GREAT mother-in-law that I really like and enjoy spending time with. And Holly is a great sister-in-law, I was glad to spend some time with her and I hope that they both can come again next year!