(Just had to put that picture first…love that Lu.)

I’m calling this my spring-wrap up because I guess spring is pretty much over when the weather forecast on my phone has nothing but big, yellow suns stretching across each week with temperatures reaching near and above 100 degrees.

We’ve had a bunch going on lately that I must pause to reflect on.

Because I want to remember the craziness of life right now.

I am stressed out.

As if we mothers don’t feel enough overwhelmed during the normal school year, the end of the school year is a kicker. I am struggling to stay afloat with all the concerts and recitals and parties and volunteering and studying and reports and Primary meetings and trainings, blah blah blah. And it doesn’t help that Dave has been out of town and Lucy is still working on perfecting the perfect tantrum to make life more spicy. (I thought she had that down pat two years ago, but no, it keeps getting better….that girl’s got talent.)

But if I pause long enough to reflect on the little moments it makes the stress feel so much more do-able.

These are some of the things I want to remember from this spring:

–tennis lessons and how my girls look when they finally get that swing down:–how lucky I feel every time I figure out how to sneak away long enough to actually sit and watch them amidst the craziness of a school afternoon.
–how Lucy is still so in love with Dora that when my sweet sister-in-law sent her a bathtub Dora play thingy (thanks Aja!) she couldn’t let go of it for three days straight. It’s still hard to pry those things out of her hands when she has to go to bed. (I like that the neighbor kids play so darn nice with her too. She is one lucky girl.)

–that it has been the perfect spring around here…long and stretched out which is so not normal in the desert. (Usually it gets so blasted hot so early.) So we’ve soaked it up this year. Elle planned a family gathering at the park one Sunday night with a bunch of neighborhood friends:
We have made good use of that park. The older girls love to take Lucy there while I’m making dinner lately and they all come back completely energized and happy.

–I want to remember how sometimes all my girls have matching hair-dos.
…And how much they love each other.

–I want to remember amidst the hustle and bustle how on some days Lucy comes down the stairs with her messy morning hair and sleep still glazing over her eyes and says “good morning!” in the sweetest voice I have ever heard.(And I also guess I want to remember how on the other mornings she is mad as a hornet and can NOT be distracted from her foul mood despite our very most valiant efforts.)

–I want to remember how Max spends hours shooting baskets in the driveway:

…And how Lucy does everything she can to stay outside with him:
–how Grace is my best poser (I have to put these in for redemption from the ones it the last post.)

–I want to remember how Claire is a master at swallowing down her pills (antibiotics against further UTIs until she gets her final check-up next month). She names them things like Jeanette and Abigail and for some reason that makes it ok she has to keep taking them, poor girl.

–how much I love the sky. Wait, have I mentioned that?

–what good friends Elle has (they’re on their way for ice cream in this picture…it’s all parties around here lately):

–I want to remember Max’s jubilation as he learned to do a back flip:

…and how Dave and I got to go meet up and have breakfast with these wonderful people we met at the Vision Walk back in March:
They are so inspiring with how they have put forth a dramatic effort and have succeeded to raise money to fight blindness for their daughter.

–I want to remember my sister-in-law came for a visit:…with her cutest little boy ever:
–And how my other sister-in-law came to visit too with her sweet kids:And how it felt to get to sit in the park and talk for the couple hours I got to steal her away from all the other relatives.

–My Mother-in-Law came in town too, which called for a girls’ lunch. Love these women so much.
–Dave has started getting up earlier than me (5:50) which means that I have to make the bed (our deal is whoever gets up last has to make it). I hate making the bed, and I’m realizing what a luxury it’s been that he’s made it for so long. But I don’t hate it enough to get up ten minutes earlier. When his alarm goes off I get so excited I get to sleep for ten more minutes.

–Claire’s new phrase is “Are you kidding me??”

–Lucy is more opinionated than ever.

–Dave is more bugged by her tenacity than ever.

–I want to remember that Krispy Kreme doughnuts gives out a free doughnut for every “A” your kids receive on their report card…
…and how we snuck out to go cash in on those report cards one late night while Dave was out of town. I LOVE that Lucy made it out of that place excited as could be about her milk while the other girls enjoyed their boxes of doughnuts.

–I want to remember how much Lucy adores reading:

–and how much fun the girls and I had going out to dinner while Dave and Max went to the Priesthood session of conference.

–Lucy’s speech therapist lets us borrow her Shrek matching game every once in a while, and boy howdy does Lucy think it’s the greatest thing EVER. It has saved us on the sidelines of multiple football and soccer games (and check out that handsome dad helping her…sorry Dave, can’t help it).
–I want to remember that I don’t know how to turn on our tv (except for the dvd player for P90X) or work all the new-fangled things David has hooked up to it and that the tv is rarely turned on except on the weekends.

–And I want to remember how my kids are in love with Vans right now. Even Lucy has graduated from her strap-over school shoes to her own set of Vans I got on a whim at the outlet over spring break. We’re still working on flip flops.
Whew, that is a LOT to wrap up. And I could go on forever. But thankfully for you I have to go help Elle with her crepes for her oral report on France…more on that later.

It’s been a full, busy, crazy spring.

But it’s been a good one too.

Love, Shawni

p.s. There is another Mother’s Book of Secrets book give-away on a wonderful blog here. Go enter to win that book!! (THANKS Melissa!)

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18 Comments

  1. I really REALLY want to let you know (again) how much you and your family inspire me. I have an 8 yr old with autism that can throw a massive tantrum. Every single day, we have been dealing with this, and this week I have felt a bit defeated. I get so worn out, weary, and tend to hibernate in our home and not ever come out due to being worn out and my anxiety. You have really given me the kick in the pants that I need to get out with my children, keep going, and to keep my head up when I feel like this. Thank you.

  2. I love your blog. I discovered it about 2 months ago and look forward to reading it every day. Your thoughts about motherhood inspire me to be a better mom to my 3 little boys. Thank you for setting a standard and yet keeping it all "real".

  3. Your kids have the sweetest faces. It stinks that spring is over…it's pretty much over for us to out here in TN. Love reading your blog. Have a great weekend =)

  4. I just love your blog! I found it not long ago, and it has become one of my favorite blogs! You have such an amazing, beauiful, inspiring family!
    I never posted before, but today I found a picture of your family (the one you guys are on a tree) in this funny site… I have no idea how I found the site or your picture… But it was a pretty funny coincidence! lol

  5. Sooooo many memories! Aren't you glad you documented them? I seriously think that the beginning and end of school are the most stressful for parents AND teachers!!! So many changes!!!

  6. Let me just say how much I love your blog. Love it. Love it. Love it. But, i really love the focus on the little things so they don't get away. I need to do that more. Thank you for inspiring me to slow down, breathe, observe and appreciate.

  7. it is such a busy time! here in Ohio we run between rain drops to get everything in: mowing, soccer, tennis, painting & getting things ready for summer. love all these little things that keep us connected to our kids. a beautiful post!

  8. i love the sky too… and as if you need another thing to do (haha not) i will tell you about a website called cloud-dreaming.com…. a photog friend started it. you can post lovely photos of things you *see* in the clouds. if you want that is. Love that first photo of Lu, and I agree Grace is an awesome poser!

  9. What a fantastic list of everyday memories. This is what life is all about, isn't it. The every day 😀

    Good luck to Elle on her France presentation, heehee, that's where I live 😉 and we are finally just getting our Spring here now.

  10. I first just want to say that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVe your blog. I stumbled upon your blog a couple months ago and I can't get enough. I look forward to reading it everyday..it's so candid.. and so inspirational.you have a beautiful home and family You seem like a very good mother. And I think what you are doing with the I Love Lucy project is wonderful.. My daughter likes to get on your daughter Elle's blog and read it and look at her photos.. Elle reminds me so much of my daughter. her style., her built etc.. thank you for for keeping it real.. .. also on a side note.. if you don't mind me asking where did you get those pillows in the leather chair with Lucy.. I love the one with the patchwork on it.. I haven't seen anything like those..

  11. Fun times with your sweet kiddos! I am glad spring finally came around here… we're not quite to summer's beginning, but we have had a few record temps already this season. Have a great day, Shawni!

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