mothers day

We had my family over for mothers day. In the wirlwind of church and dinner I didn't take a single picture. But I remembered the next week to get a couple of me and the sweet little people that call me mom. They make me happy every day.  

Mothers day always catches me a little off guard with the emotion that comes with it. I'm prepared for a regular ol' Sunday and then i'm bombarded with sweet kisses and hugs and loads of hand made cards and handprints and tissue paper flowers. and the sweetest voices singing to me in sacrament meeting. All i've ever wanted to be is a mom and really, how could I be this lucky?!

Then I think of my angel mother and the way she has sacrificed everything to raise her kids. the way she taught me all that was important and made me feel constant love and security. 

Grandpa Ellertson came up to dinner. It was so good to see him. He bought a bunch of carnations and put some on Grandma's grave, gave some to my mom and some to me. They've meant so much to me this last week. They've been brightening up my kitchen and living room. The colors remind me of the clothes we wore in our four generation picture with Grandma. Every time I look at them I think of the women who have blessed and made my life possible. They make me miss Grandma and think of her soft sweet presence just like the flowers have. I've never really had one favorite flower in particular, but if someone asked me right now, I would definitely say pink, purple and white carnations. They're my favorite because they're from grandpa and they have filled my home with sweet reminders of womanhood, motherhood, eternal families, gentleness, kindness, humility, charity, simplicity, grace, beauty and unconditional love. What a sweet gift he gave me!

18 months

Kitty girl started nursery. 

She cries hard when we drop her off. Like the won't breathe for a whole minute kind of cry. Then she gets happy real quick and is beaming with pride when we pick her up.

She's the sweetest little thing who likes to pretend  she has a major attitude. 

Payson Temple

The Peters family got invited to walk through the new Payson temple by a friend of theirs. It is beautiful and was a wonderful experience. We walked through the quiet temple before the dedication and even before the open house. It was just our family and their friend who gave us a tour and bore testimony of the spirit he has felt watching it in progress.  It was a happy (and windy) day. And always refreshing to add a little perspective to life. What a blessing these sacred buildings are.

fashion show !!

Mally finished her fashion merchindising program. She put on an end of year fashion show with her class and lindie and I got to go together. It was the real deal! with lots of talent hard work, real models and lots of people. It made me so proud of her and her dedication to school. 

Lew

A few photos of my sweet baby Lewie. 4 years old is still a baby right?

I love him so much my heart just almost hurts. 

he came in the front room crying saying 

"Owen said i'm not famous"

30.

I turned 30! I really kind of can't believe it!
Treavor and I got to celebrate with a night away and a real soccer game.
I feel so blessed to have had such happy 30 years. If someone asked me where I hoped to be when I was 30, its pretty much exactly where I am. I'm a lucky lady

Maybe.

Dear stinker girl behind the desk in the cashier office at Westminister college,
Is it in your job description to look at me like i'm an idiot?
Do you get paid more to make people feel like they're a total nuisance?
Do you get points for asking me questions in a tone of voice that makes me feel like I should have voluntarily and simultaneously spouted off all the information you                                                                 might need (such as my husbands name, spelling, social security number, his masters degree title, the semester in which I am paying for) the second I walked in the door?
I'm starting to wonder. Because it seems like a common trend among people in chairs behind desks in offices titled "admissions" or "cashiers" or sometimes even "counseling".

Well if  you aren't taught and trained and instructed to be condescending, rude, impolite,  put out and irritated at me. Let me give you a tip.

Stop.

Because maybe the girl coming to see you. just busted her rear to get there. Maybe she is paying her husbands tuition because it can't be done over the phone and he literally NEVER has time during your business hours to get there (which might give you an idea of how much this girl sees her husband).
Maybe the girl had to go to the bank to get a cashiers check because you don't take visa (everyone takes visa)
Maybe she had to rearrange her whole day to get the check in today because his tuition has to be paid BEFORE (?!) he registers for class. And it fills up fast and it's his very last class ever. So maybe that girl had to rush kids to school, rush to the store for relief society, rush to the bank inside another store (which wasn't open) rush to another bank to get the check, rush to visiting teaching, rush to pick kids back up, cart all three kids to the cashiers office.
Maybe it is two of her children's nap times. Maybe those two children screamed from the top of their lungs and cried big crocodile tears the entire way to the school.
Maybe she had to drive round and round and round the round-about until a visitors parking spot became vacant. Because there are only about 5 of those stalls. And you KNOW she would get a ticket if she risked it and took a permit spot.
Maybe she was confused by the fact that all the "cashier" windows were closed and why she had to walk down the long skinny (what seemed like a private) hall. Maybe that's why she asked "can i pay tuition here?" at which point you looked at her with disgust and said "yes" in an "of course, don't you have a brain?" tone.
Maybe she's a little stressed about the small fortune that she and her husband have paid for school. Maybe she's wondering and hoping that this business degree is really worth it and that the financial strain will somehow pay off.
Maybe its hard for her to hand over that $2530 check for one summer class.
Maybe when you hand her the receipt and she says thank you. Maybe next time instead of not making eye contact and quietly mumbling "welcome" with such irritation in your voice.
Maybe next time, you can look her in the eye and say "thank YOU".
Maybe even a little smile might go a long way.
Just a thought.