Mother's Day and Birthday

Mother's Day began quite early. Abby woke up and was ready to go at 6:45 a.m.! Coley made yummy waffles for breakfast. (I was VERY glad that he didn't have early morning meetings this Sunday!) When I went downstairs, I saw what I thought were blossoms blowing in the wind outside, but all too soon realized it was snowing! At least it didn't stick to the ground!

That evening, we had birthday cake (a day early). As you can see, I had a little helper with blowing out the candles. (Abby has come a long way since her 2nd birthday last July when she started screaming, "FIRE, FIRE," when we lit the candles on her cake!)

It was a wonderful day! I'm so grateful to be a mother. I'm also grateful to have such a wonderful mother who has always been a strength and an example to me.

Little Fish

Just like her mommy and daddy, Abby LOVES the water! During our recent trip to Kirtland, we made sure to find a hotel with an indoor pool (since it is still way too cold to swim outside). We all had a blast in the water and Abby is still talking about going swimming at the hotel. I can't wait to sign her up for swim lessons this summer!

Kirtland

Coley was able to take a few vacation days this week and I am starting to feel human again, so we had an impromptu trip to visit the sites in Kirtland, Ohio. Kirtland is about a four hour drive from our house, but this was our first visit. We visited the temple, historic Kirtland (including the Whitney store and home, the Johnson Inn, the sawmill, and ashery), the Johnson farm, and the Morley farm. It was a wonderful experience to see so many important places from Church history and be reminded of the many sacrifices made by the early Saints.

Here we are at the Newel K. Whitney store.

The Kirtland Temple

Abigail was fascinated with the oven (and the flashlight) in the kitchen of the Johnson farm.

Tara, Abby, and Coley at the Johnson farm
This room is where Joseph Smith received many revelations (including D&C 76).

Even though it was pretty cold outside, we enjoyed our time at the Morley farm.

What a wonderful way to spend a few days! We are certainly grateful to have been able to visit such a special place!

A Happy Heart

With a new baby on the way, we need another dresser for Abby's room. Yesterday afternoon, Abby and I went to a couple of furniture stores to start looking for just the right one. Abby was sort of entertained by the children's furniture in the first store, but she was ready to take control of the conversation by the time we were greeted by the saleswoman in the second store.

When the woman welcomed us to the store and asked if she could help us find anything in particular, Abby replied, "We need to buy a dresser." The woman looked at me and asked if we were looking for children's furniture. As she led us to the back of the store, Abby continued her conversation with the woman. It went something like this:
Abby: "Daddy is at work."
Saleswoman: "He is?"
Abby: "Yes. Mommy and Daddy love me."
Saleswoman: "I'm sure they do."
Abby: "And I love Sydney, too!"

After a rather trying morning which included a two-year-old meltdown and two time-outs, it made my heart so happy to hear her say that Mommy and Daddy love her! We do love her very much and are glad to know that SHE knows it too!

Fashion Statement of the Changing Season

I think Abby has Spring in Upstate New York all figured out. Just dress in summer attire. Next, add snow boots, a hat, and mittens. Then you'll be prepared for whatever Mother Nature decides to send your way!

My Superpower

One of the "joys" I get to experience while pregnant is a ridiculous increased sense of smell. Things that never smelled before suddenly have an odor so strong it's unbelievable! Smells that never bothered me before now make me sick to my stomach. Coley calls my sense of smell while pregnant my superpower. I'm pretty sure that my ability to smell right now is even keener than Sydney's! We have to laugh about it.... I'll complain about something that stinks and Coley will often reply, "Oh, does it smell? I can't even smell it!"

With this superpower (in combination with a general aversion to food), you can just imagine what the grocery store does to me. I hadn't even attempted to go inside Wegmans since the beginning of February. I knew it would not be wise! A few days ago, I decided it was time to try to do the grocery shopping myself. For the first time in almost two months, I ventured through the front doors. As I walked inside, the combination of all sorts of smells attacked, but I managed to survive without incident. It was quite the victory! While I am quite pleased with my accomplishment, I have to admit that I haven't been back since and am not really excited for my next visit!

I am looking forward to the day I say farewell to this superpower!

Easter Weekend

Easter is such a special time of year. It is a time to remember not only the Savior's suffering and death, but also His glorious resurrection. This wonderful gift brings happiness, peace, and hope, especially as we remember loved ones who are no longer with us here on earth.

As a child, I always looked forward to Easter Sunday. My mom always made my sisters and me pretty new dresses. Decorating eggs was a big hit with all of us. We were also excited to see what the Easter Bunny left in our baskets.

While Abby did not receive a dress made by Mom (as my sewing abilities are far inferior to my mother's), Easter was a special time for her. She listened very intently as we told her the Easter story. She also enjoyed lots of other Easter activities during the weekend...

Decorating eggs with a 2 year old was quite the adventure. We had a great time!

Abby checked to see what was in her eggs after an Easter Egg Hunt with some friends.

The day before Easter, we had an Easter Egg Hunt for all the children in our neighborhood. There were different areas set up for different age groups of children to prevent potential disasters (trampling of little ones, fighting over eggs, etc.). There were drawings, prizes, and snacks for everyone. It was great fun!


Abby hunts for her eggs!

Abigail checks out her Easter basket on Easter morning.

It really was a wonderful weekend!