Family Pictures and Easter Weekend

I have been a blogging slacker lately! So forgive that this post will probably long. (I know, I know ... you have been waiting anxiously by your computer for this and would love nothing more than an eternally long post!)

A couple of weeks ago we had our family pictures taken and Landon's 1 Year Old pics. He's obviously a bit past one, but I wanted them outside. And really, how different are 12 and 13 months? My friend Rachelle at LaRee Photography did them (her link is on my side bar). Here are a few of our favorites:







Then this past weekend was Easter. Last year Landon was only a few weeks old, so thankfully Grandma took care of everything. This year though, we were all ready to fully participate! My parents have a very generous neighbor who puts on a huge Easter Egg Hunt every year. There were 1000 eggs for each age group! Landon had some help gathering a few eggs from us, but once he figured out that there was stuff in the eggs and that he was supposed to put the eggs in his basket he did a good job of taking them out and putting them back in ... then shaking them to try to determine what was in it (and to figure out why it wasn't in his mouth!).

Then on Easter he got a basket at our house and one at Grandma & Grandpa's before a huge and delicious dinner!

Clearly he & dad LOVE getting pictures taken :)!

Easter Table

A couple of weeks ago my mother-in-law sent me the cutest table runner for Easter. As a general rule I usually only decorate our house for Christmas. I always mean to decorate for the other holidays, but I go so overboard at Christmas, I just never seem to get around to doing anything else. But when I opened the cute table runner I thought ... this deserves to have an Easter display on it!

Fast forward a couple of days. I was planning to head to Rod Works to see what I could come up with to buy when my mom called to tell me she bought me something for my table (from Rod Works!). Seriously ... it was like she read my mind! Enter one adorable bunny (which Landon is fascinated with!)...

I added a cute box with candy in it ... who can resist a little bit of Easter Candy? Or this adorable pink box for that matter?

Then Jeff brought me home the most beautiful Easter bouquet ... perfect!

It turned out a little something like this:
I think I could get into decorating for other holidays!

Inspiration

Do you ever just need a little bit of inspiration? My mother-in-law bought me Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's new book for my birthday. Its a book of quotes called "Created for Greater Things." Jeff and I read through it together and we loved it! I could share every quote in there as inspiration ... but instead I will share just a couple (for now!).

"I especially wish to praise and encourage young mothers. The work of a mother is hard, too often unheralded work ... Do the best you can through these years, but whatever else you do, cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones"

"If you are lonely, please know you can find comfort. If you are discouraged, please know you can find hope. If you are poor in spirit, please know you can be strengthened. If you feel you are broken, please know you can be mended."

"Your Father in Heaven knows your name and knows your circumstance. He hears your prayers. He knows your hopes and dreams, including your fears and frustrations. And He knows what you can become through faith in Him."

"He has He reminds us, "graven thee upon the palms of my hands" (1 Nephi 21:16). Considering the incomprehensible cost of the Crucifixion, Christ is not going to to turn His back on us now."

There are so many more! Perhaps I will have to share more later... but I love these and the feelings they give me!

Kiddo Spontenaity

I was considering putting Landon up for sale this morning. He was being a grouch and all kinds of sassy ... I'm fairly certain the problem was lack of sleep with a heavy dose of teething. But then I just went to put him down for his nap and when I laid him down he pulled his thumb out of his mouth, smiled up at me and gave me a spontaneous kiss.

So, he's definitely not for sale anymore ... I'm keeping him and all his kisses just for me.

And that, my friends, is the kind of thing that just makes this mama's day.

Evidence

This photo proves two very important facts:

1. The toilet is still super awesome...
2. Mom and Dad forgot to close the bathroom door again.

Aren't little boys the best?!

The Toilet

Yesterday morning I was cleaning up the breakfast dishes when Landon wandered off in the direction of his toys in the living room. As I worked my way around the kitchen I thought to myself "he is being SO good, playing in there by himself!" and I continued what I was doing. About five minutes later I though "hmmm ... it is awfully quiet and I haven't heard any of his toys." (And since a vast majority of them play music/make noise, that's saying something.)

I went to investigate.

He was in the bathroom swishing his little hands around in the toilet bowl looking very pleased with himself. Gross. I have learned this lesson before, and was taught once again ... one should never underestimate the sheer awesomeness of the toilet to little boys. I mean really, it is just his height, which in this big-people world is super cool in and of itself, and as a HUGE bonus ... it is filled with water. Water, you must know is one of Landon's favorite things in the whole world, be it in the bath, a sippy cup or apparently the toilet.

When I told him "no" and explained for approximately the 300th time that we don't play in the toilet he just turned to look at me, gave me his most adorable little boy grin (with all of his three and a half teeth) and went right back to the toilet.

He was so pleased that he had gotten to play there for a while unnoticed that he didn't even protest when I picked him up to scrub his hands off (probably because washing his hands is one of his top five most favorite things to do since it also involves playing with water).

I wish I had my camera with me because it really was funny ... gross, but so, so funny :)!

(And clearly I need to remember to keep the down-stairs bathroom door closed!)

Inventions

Often, when I come across something really cool I think to myself "why didn't I think of that?" ... I would love to think of a unique idea and have it go crazy (and make me rich ... but that's another topic). And let's be honest, if you want to invent anything you want it to be for babies or kids. Your target market is ginormous and can you think of any other population other than parents who will buy anything if they think their baby needs it? Or it will make their kiddo happy? My point exactly.

I stumbled upon an article on MSN yesterday and it made me laugh really hard. It is a slide show called "Totally Bizarro Baby Products."

You should check it out! It's great for a laugh ... and not just for the products, but for their sarcastic commentary that goes along with it. I am personally torn on my favorite product ... but I think I have narrowed it down to Baby Bangs, or the Baby Bum Fan.

Enjoy!