Welcoming April

Well, what a day! Last Friday is my Mom's favorite day of the year, or at least she enjoys it waaayyyy to much. April 1st, aka April Fools Day. Every year she gets somebody, she usually goes for the whole family if she can. I remember growing up she pulled it on me several times. Like one year we went running when we heard her screaming "Snake, Snake, SNAKE!!" Not only was she doing a pretty good scream she was also on top of a chair and pointing down towards the curtains. Yep she had us fooled. Or another year (I think this is her favorite one) she shouted "Brenon is home, he came home from his mission early". Well, she trained me to be ready for this day.

Of course she had to try, this is Mom we are talking about. So, she sends all of us kids an email stating they were moving to Germany because Brad got a promotion {his company is based out of Germany} and wanted us to know. Of course I was NOT taking the bait. I had been waiting for this all year, or all my life you could say. I knew I would not be fooled so easily. So a few of us kids told her we will believe it when we see it. She then offers to email us a copy of the list of promotions with Brad's name on it. Marc, my brother, gets sucked in. He is emailing us all estimated time travels around Germany. 8 hours from Venice, 6 hours from France, etc, etc. I knew this was all too good. I never strayed from my original thought "yeah right...not this year mom!!!"

She then sends out the attached letter with the new positions. Brad is on it. Everything looked right....until....I noticed a copy below it written in German. I looked through and his name wasn't on it. Everyone else still was on both the English copy and German copy but his name. Ha, I found it. Mom made a mistake. I even google searched the name that was in "his spot" and he was a real person! I did it!! I solved it. I must admit I was pretty proud of myself!

I love you Mom! I love how you know how to have a good laugh, to joke, to enjoy life. I doubt I will ever be as good as you on April 1st but man do I want to try. What a fun little thing about my Mom that will forever be in my memories!

Well after being all proud of myself and strutting my stuff all day {thanks for the self confidence boost mom} I thought the girls and I could welcome spring and April by going on a picnic. We got our picnic food, yes Panda Express...Brooklyn loves it so and she downs pretty much a whole big person serving. And we went on our way.

I was amazed that she took a good picture! I had to show her to "show her teeth" to get her to smile.

Aubrey is always a natural when it comes to snapping pretty pics. I love this girl to pieces. She is so easy going and fun loving.

Once we got there our friends joined shortly after: Jilene, Eli, and Ava. We have had many great memories with them and love what friendships can do for us. We are so lucky to have them as friends, I don't know what we will do when they leave us.

They brought pizza, as you can tell by Eli's full mouth! Haha, love it. We ate some food and then let the kids run and play. Aubrey enjoyed munching on her stroller, Brooklyn played in both the water and at the play ground, Eli went full time water playing, and Ava was content chilling on her blanket with Mom. I of course was behind my camera. Trying to capture these small moments that make a lifetime of happiness and joy.

I try not to forget how short this life is. I try to soak up every smile, every giggle, every tender moment, every "I love you too mom", everything these girls bring into my life.

I hope they know how much I adore them.

How much I love them.

How much they complete my life and my existence here on this earth.

How they complete my eternal destiny.

I know it's these memories we make together that show them a little of that love they give me. Will they ever truly understand the love I have for them? Don't know. I don't think I fully understood until I myself became a mother. My thoughts then turn to my Heavenly Father, am I understanding a glimpse of the love he has for his children? All of us? I think so, but my earthly, human mind can't fathom it all. I am grateful for both earthly and heavenly parents who love me! I am grateful for these precious memories I can make and store deep within me. This is what life is about. This is what it was intended to be, to enjoy happiness. To know happiness from sorrow. How thankful I am, that I can have joy in my life.

They are my joy!!