Lately

The kids have been enjoying each others beds more than their own.

 I don't really mind, besides the fact that she stands there hollering for me to help her down instead of just falling off onto all the pillows on the ground.

Belén has started folding her arms and bowing her head for prayers and I am obsessed with it! If I don't say a prayer before breakfast or lunch, she will stop eating all of a sudden and fold her arms. I just can't get enough.

 He is still lovin' that spray bottle out on the balcony. (Until it froze over the weekend because he left it outside. He wasn't too happy about that).

 Shae...I mean, Shwank. He came home from the dentist with me the other day. We haven't seen Shae since.

 Daddy and Shae getting our Conference Brunch ready. They made this Oatmeal Bake. It may look simple, but it was dang good, and lasted a few days so we had breakfast all ready for us. I can't wait to make it again.

 This little Spider-Man hand motion. I think it means she is done eating, but then, she does it all the time now. Usually with both hands. 

Baby girl on Opening Day after the nice April snowstorm that blew through after a couple glorious weeks in the 50s. 

 Darin put together a little Opening Day party with some other baseball lovers in our branch. Our branch president and his wife are just awesome and have an awesome house (sooo much bigger than any of our little apartments) and are awesome enough to let us use it from time to time. So much awesomeness.

 We hooked the kids up with some TV action of their own so that we could fully enjoy some adult company. It worked wonders...for all except Belén of course who made sure we chased her up and down the stairs every 2 minutes. 

On a walk to Target a couple weeks back, he brought the spray bottle to ward off any evil monsters we might come in contact with. We did find "Little Red Riding Hood" on the little bridge we crossed and he grabbed her and put her in the stroller. We took her to Target with us so that no Lions, Tiger, Bears, or Wolves would get her. Love his little imagination. We found Hansel & Gretel on the last walk we went on. He always "brings them home" with us and talks to them in his room for the rest of the afternoon.

This little miss actually helps me unload the dishes now. She pulls something out and hands it right to me. I just love my little dish partner so much (even when she licks the spoon or plate before handing it to me).

Baby goats at the Science Center! Shae wanted nothing to do with them and Belén wanted everything to do with them. 

These aprons. Can't get enough. 

Shae has such a short attention span when playing with toys, but he actually sat (and with a little help from me) played with these blocks for quite some time without the slightest sign of an urge to knock it all down until it was completely built. 

This girl and her Tabby. 

Last time we walked to the Post Office it was a little chilly outside so the kids brought their blankets. Shae thought it was the coolest to put it in the boxes and pretend he was receiving mail. 

Every. Single. Day. with this kid. He's been really into playing dead and pretending he is a sack of potatoes lately. 

She figured out how to climb into the rocking chair this week and could not be more pleased with herself. Sometimes when I peek in the room she is just chilling in the chair, or on Shae's bed, just sitting there. 

This one almost brought me to mama happy tears. We were out playing at our little pond with chalk. I was helping Belén walk around when Shae runs over to me and says, "Look mom! I write my name!" And sure enough...

This was one of those total-high-being-a-mom-is-so-great-and-awesome-and-fulfilling moments. 

We haven't seen much of Darin over the past month with his conference prep and school and what not. I've had some hard times with the lack of his wonderful presence in my life, and so have the kids, but looking through all these pictures with these great kids of mine makes me realize that we don't need daddy around to be happy  how blessed I am to have these great kids keeping me company each day (even with the semi-disobedient-i'm-not-listening-no! phase that Shae is currently going through). 

Life is pretty dang good.