My Funny Valentine

My valentine is pretty awesome. I don't know how I got so lucky.

Zoo Day in the Winter

The first thing Joey said to me when he woke up this morning was, "Mommy, I want to go to the Zoo today!" He was surprised when I said, "Let's go!" While he was upstairs brushing his teeth and picking out his outfit, I was setting up the animals. Joey came down the stairs with his safari hat and binoculars, asking me to put his shoes on for him. I let him know that the animals came to our house today!! I was expecting him to pitch a fit, but he was surprisingly excited for the adventure...

Joey and his elephant trunk.

He fed the bears.

 visited the scary lion exhibit.

 Showing mommy how a dolphin jumps out of the water.

 He stopped to check out a slithering snake in the sand. 

  He loved the bird sanctuary.

Overall, a successful day at the zoo! 

diy Valentine's Hearts

These hearts were so much fun to make.

Supplies needed: 

decorative paper

scissors

hot glue or stapler

needle and thread

How to:

Cut 30 to 50 1" x 6" slips of paper,

fold in half and place a small amount of hot glue in the crease,

take the two pieces and bend them the opposite direction as the fold,

when they meet at the bottom, place another small dab of hot glue.

Let dry for 1-3 minutes.

Next, take your needle and thread the hearts through until desired length. 

Hang and enjoy!

Hope

I attended our Stake Relief Society Conference on Saturday. 

The theme was "Hope Smiling Brightly Before Us." 

It was a privilege to hear from the keynote speaker, Sister Erlynn Lansing. She shared inspiring stories from her life experiences. I also was able to attend the various workshops. There were different panel discussions on "How to physically and mentally over come difficult times," and, "How to be spiritually prepared for life's unexpected trials." I was inspired to hear from such strong women. It is evident they've had to combat some great difficulty in their lives. It put life into perspective. What resonated was that I have all that I need. I am blessed to have healthy kids, a great husband, and a promising future. I remember my dear mission president used to say, the success of your mission is determined by your children and your children's children. Isn't that the truth. Every day I have to remind myself to be patient and loving with my children, so that they will be patient and loving with each other. Life is not easy, but I am grateful for these times. I don't want to miss out on a single second of my boys lives. They're kind of awesome!

National Building Museum Part II

The blue room was Joey's favorite part. We'll be going back again soon. That's for sure. 

This picture makes me smile!

Joey found this window and decided to take a break while mommy changed Luca & Matteo.