We're Still Kickin'...Barely

So I really have been wanting to put some pictures up but I'm just too tired tonight. I think we keep getting busier every day. Here's a little glimpse of what we've been up to lately:

• potty training Cadeson - the first couple of days were a little rough but since then he's been a champ! As long as his toilet is in the living room and not the bathroom, he does great! He has gone at restaurants, church, stores, museum, etc. without any problems - yay! It is so nice to only have one in diapers these days!
• school, school, and more school - Jeff started his MBA program this semester and I am slowly plugging away at my undergrad. This semester I've been taking a History course about Africa, which is really interesting. Everything is winding down in the next week or two; BUT since I'm a HUGE procrastinator, that means everything starts spinning faster and faster:) I have to read a couple of books, research & write a 10-page research paper, take several quizzes, and take midterm & final exams - all before April 6. Jeff has managed to be much more successful in keeping on top of his classes...I love that quality about him.
• church stuff - our church callings are keeping us quite busy but we are loving what we do. This week I am picking up an order at the home storage center for my ward and then helping everyone get it canned throughout the next week or two. It is fun being involved with the ward's food storage efforts and my kids really like it too. When we canned dry milk a couple of months ago, my boys especially loved it. They wanted to smell it, they wanted me to mix some up for them, they wanted to drink it warm - yuck!

OK, so I know there's more that we've been doing because I feel like I have been pulled in about a million directions for the past couple of months, but for right now I can't think of anything else. We are happy and LOVING each other and I feel so blessed:)

An Introduction

Almost 3 years ago, this blog was created. One of my main reasons for starting a blog in the first place was to give me an outlet to write. It quickly turned into a diary of our family life, which sometimes and sometimes does not includes pictures:) I love that I have such a way to share our daily lives with our loved ones but it is not very often that I feel like I have done 'good writing' in the process.

My heart yearns to write. I want to write about what's in my mind, and in my heart. What I'm working toward and how I'm hopefully getting better every day. But I don't necessarily want this writing to share the same pages as pictures of my lovelies and stories of their funny-isms. So for those of you who might be interested, I have started a new blog dedicated to me...and whatever it is I feel like saying. I can't promise you'll love it or even like it, but I know I'll be having fun!

So come on over to Blondie and say hi! I'll be happy to have you!

Brigham's Graduation Weekend

For Valentine's Day, I was the happy recipient of a plane ticket to Iowa so that I could visit my sister & attend her husband's graduation from Chiropractic School. Jeff & his sister Lyssa (who watched our kids for a day & hosted them all for another day) so sweetly provided the opportunity for me to go sans kids and it was a pretty monumental event for me. I was super-duper excited to see my sister and her family, and I was so happy that it worked out for me to be there to support Brig on his big day.

Brigham's parents & siblings & a niece & nephew made the trip from AZ and so we all hung out together for the weekend. Aside from the graduation, we played a little Rock Band and Settlers, watched some Olympics, ate some of Milla's yummy sweet pork burritos, did YogaX (from P90X), visited the campus, hung out at the mall, shared one bathroom, watched late movies, slept in, and overall enjoyed a very relaxing and fun weekend.

Here are just a few pictures that turned out halfway decent from my camera. Note to self: it might be time to invest in a new camera.

this is where graduation was held - it was a really awesome old building and on the floor to the left was an organ and an organist played all the prelude & processional music - kind of eerie (or maybe it was just the choice of music)

all over the buildings were different quotes - it was so fun to read them all as we walked around. this one by Thoreau is one of my favorites - it reminded me of a few conversations I've had with Milla about making 'conscious decisions'. Milla is one wise woman:)

Here is the graduate - man, we are so proud of Brigham, I mean Dr. Adams. He graduated with his Bachelor's Degree and his Doctor of Chiropractic at the same time so he has been going to school for about 10 years and this is his first graduation ceremony. He has worked so hard and will be a great chiropractor! (Oh wait, he already is!)

another quote that I liked. B.J. is the founder of the school - B.J. Palmer. I didn't get any pictures of it but there was a huge collection of skulls, spines, and other such skeletal pieces that B.J. had acquired. It was very interesting to see but just a little bit morbid for my taste.

And here's the proud family (minus Parks who stayed with a neighbor for graduation). Camilla, Layton, & Parks have also worked so hard to make this day possible - I'm so excited for them all! Oh, and if it looks a tad chilly outside...that's because it was...I had to pull out my good ol' Ricks College coat to keep from freezing my hiney off!

Some fun/funny memories from the weekend:

hanging out with my sister & chatting
getting to see Brigham's graduation
getting a massage from my massage therapist sister
getting an adjustment from my chiropractor brother-in-law
playing Rock Band and rockin' it on the drums
asking Brig's friend who is from Canada if it is "super cold there" and him answering, "super-duper cold" (I think I left half of my brain at home with my family)
playing with Parks & hearing Layt read to us
eating my sister's yummy french toast
planning outfits with the girls
sleeping in as late as I wanted
hearing the girl at Subway tell a customer that "we don't have 4 inch subs...we just take a footlong and cut it into three pieces" (I haven't laughed so hard in a long time)
eating Ben & Jerry's at the airport
Whitey's ice cream in Davenport

It was such a great weekend and I'm so glad I could go - thanks Adams' for the fun time!