Love Party

Here's a flashback to Valentine's Day. (I'm a little behind!)

We surprised Daddy with a "Love Party,"
complete with cards, cake, and...

Pei Wei!

I didn't have to cook and Derek got his favorite food.
That's what I call a "win-win!"

The boys tried out chopsticks & really got the hang of it.

Later, we had a surprise visit from Grammy and Papa.

Then we did our traditional Valentine's Day "ring-and-run."
It was such a fun night for our little family.

I'm so lucky to have these boys...
All 3 of them! :)

Always Good for a Laugh

Our family was hit by a nasty flu this weekend
and it has been absolutely miserable.
At least I always have these two silly boys to cheer me up!

(Those are a couple of faces that only a mother could love!)

Family Reunion!

My mom and dad are finally home!
Our whole family was together for this special occasion
and it was a night we will never forget.

Here we are...anxiously awaiting their arrival.
(All 32 of us!)

My boys were CRAZY excited!

Here are the shirts I made for my boys.
(It says "I love you" in English, French, Swahili, and Kirundi.)

My little family with our posters.
(The boys spent hours working on them.)

Here is the first glimpse of Grammy and Papa!
SO EXCITING!

Isaac hugging Grammy

Lots and LOTS of hugs!

Isaac and Trevor with their Papa

We went back to Mom and Dad's house for dinner.
It was so good to be together again!

What lucky little grandkids.

We love you, Grammy and Papa.
We are so glad to have you back! :)

Coyotes

We were invited by our friends, Dave and Amy, to the Coyotes game this week. It was a super fun night...we got to see a great game (even though they lost), eat yummy treats, and enjoy lots of laughs with our awesome friends!

my handsome date and me

the view from our box seats
(fancy, huh?) :)

Derek and Dave...getting a little too close...yikes!

the whole gang

We always have the best time together.
(Now we just need to talk them into moving to the east side!)

Thanks, Dave and Amy. We love ya'!

Movie Night

There's nothing better than some yummy popcorn,
a good movie (Despicable Me...of course),
and two very SILLY little boys!

I love it.

Countdown

The countdown is ON! We are so excited for the return of Grammy and Papa (my parents) from their mission in Africa. They have loved and served the people and have made a significant impact on so many lives. We couldn't be more proud. Now we are counting down until we can give them some long overdue hugs! :)

Here are the countdown chains that we made this week.
The boys love ripping off a link every night before bed
and squeal every time I tell them how many more days!

We can't wait to have them home...even if it's just for a few months. They have been called to serve as a mission president and wife, so they'll be leaving again in June. We know this is an inspired call, but it sure will be hard to see them go again. For now, we will try to forget about that and just enjoy the next few months together! We love you, Grammy and Papa!

Remembering

Today was the 2nd anniversary of my sweet Grandpa's passing. We decided it was a perfect day to head over to the cemetery. We met up with a couple of my sisters and their families and left some pretty blue flowers (Grandma's favorite color). It was a great chance to remember Grandma and Grandpa Bird.

Today's visit also led to some really deep conversations with my cute Isaac. He has a couple memories of Grandpa and occasionally talks about how much he misses him. But today he had so many thoughtful questions about Grandma and Grandpa, families, death, and heaven. The questions continued all the way until bedtime. (But I didn't really mind...I love to see his little mind working.)