Happy Easter!

We hope you all had a nice Easter Sunday! I did not put a lot into it this year (i.e. decorations, activities leading up to it, coloring eggs, etc) so when I put my kids to bed on Saturday night and said, "You better get to bed so the Easter Bunny can come," my kids looked at me in shock. "The Easter Bunny is coming tonight?" So sad. Oh well, only 7 more weeks until this pregnancy is over and I will hopefully feel human again.
Here is what we did accomplish on Easter Sunday:
The kids woke up to a note from the Easter Bunny talking about how the empty Easter baskets they left out represented the empty tomb found on the first Easter morning. The Easter Bunny had taken the baskets and filled them with fun things so that we can always remember all the blessings we have because of the Atonement and Resurrection.
Then the boys found their baskets!
The Easter Bunny also left us yummy muffins that we enjoyed while learning about the Atonement.

We went to church and had a nice time. Although, later in this week I ran into a friend from church and she asked how I was doing. She said in a very nice way that I did not look good on Sunday. Apparently I am not hiding the way I feel very well. 7 more weeks-I can do this!

After Church, we went to my in laws for a family picture, a yummy dinner, and an egg hunt.
Can you tell who is missing from this Hoyal family portrait? Even on Easter, members of the Bishopric have things to do after church and don't always get to things in a timely manner. Good thing his little look alike was there:
I guess I could of stayed home too because I had a look alike in the picture:
I got one picture of the egg hunt before my swollen butterfingers dropped my camera and it crashed down onto the cement. It is totally broken and costs at least $160 to fix, not including shipping. I opted to just get a new camera for the same price instead of paying that much to fix an old one.

Happy Easter to all!

"My Heart is Overwhelmed with Excitement!"

That is what I heard from the backseat as we were driving to the beach yesterday. And I think Tanner's anticipation was not in vain, as everyone had a great day at the beach!
Back in December, our school group won a pizza party at the Discovery Cube Museum's Gingerbread Contest. So, we scheduled our pizza party (which was at a pizza place in Santa Ana) and then headed to the beach. It was raining at home so I figured we wouldn't last long at the beach, but it turned out to be absolutely beautiful.

The kids built a giant sand castle that kept them busy for literally hours.

The three amigos were all cute on the blanket, but one of them hopped up and ran away as soon as he saw the camera coming shouting "No pictures!" It is so hard being such a cute four year old with a paparazzi mom.

We also stopped by my sister-in-laws new place in Tustin. Now all of Ladd's siblings live in So. Cal. We are so glad they are closer now and a little jealous that they are like 15 minutes from the beach! So fun!

Egg Drop Contest

On Wednesday we had an egg drop experiment at the park. Tanner's egg, wrapped in clay, then a diaper, then placed snugly in a plastic container with a plastic bag as a parachute survived all the drops!

Hunter was very adamant about doing his egg with no help. He put waxed paper in a plastic container and also used a plastic bag for a parachute. The wax paper didn't protect the egg as well as Hunter had hoped. He was heart broken when his egg cracked on the first drop.
Luckily Suzanne, who is always prepared for anything, presented Hunter with a scrambled egg award and all was well.

Showing off his award-Peeps to the rescue!

Budget Crisis

I have been frustrated listening to the news about our government "leaders" trying to balance an out of control budget. I think most of us do our best to live within our means and not get in over our heads on purchases. Why can't our elected officials do the same? Ughh. It drives me crazy. Every time I hear anything about the budget crisis, I have a very strong feeling that we need to get our own house in order and be prepared for anything! Anyways, I got this email today from my sister in law and thought I would share:

This young Dr. hit the nail right on the head!!!

Pictured below is a young physician by the name of Dr. Starner Jones. His short two-paragraph letter to the White House accurately puts the blame on a "Culture Crisis" instead of a "Health Care Crisis". It's worth a quick read:

Dear Mr. President:

During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ringtone. While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"!

During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one costly pack of cigarettes every day and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer.

And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture", a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.

Respectfully,

STARNER JONES, MD

Random Kid Comments

Since Tanner is part of a publicly funded Charter School, he still gets to take the state standardized tests each year. He takes them next week so we have been preparing for it a lot the last few weeks. The other day, after taking a practice test, he said, "I feel like my head is swimming with school." Poor kid. No wonder kids are getting burnt out from school at an early age-it's these stinking tests! Luckily the tests will be over on Wednesday and we won't have to worry about test prep for awhile!

Before being set straight, Hunter said, "Daddy's have boy babies and Mommies have girl babies." Although I think that is a GREAT idea, I don't think there would be very many boys in the world if that were true!

When in Rome...

We just finished our study of Rome. Tanner had to miss our Roman culture day we did with friends due to sickness, so we improvised at home! Here are a few more things we did to bring this ancient culture to life:

Learning about, and then tasting the Mediterranean triad (olive oil, which the carrots were cooked in, grapes, and wheat, made into flat bread here!)

Learning to play Knucklebones, a common game Ancient Roman kids played. The boys loved this game, it is very similar to jacks.

Tanner made a lapbook to display some of the things he has learned about Rome. Lapbooks are a great way for kids to show what they learned about a certain subject and make for a fun way to organize all their work.

We also added a few mini murals to our timeline as we went. Hannibal crossing the Alps during the Punic Wars, the birth of Jesus, Attila the Hun attacks Rome, and Mount Vesuvius erupts. Hunter likes to help with these murals, that is why we have a firefighter flying up to Mt. Vesuvius to put out the fire! Very creative and thoughtful.

The Wise Roman Soldier

What did you do this weekend?

I got to relax at home with my family and watch General Conference!

Every six months our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, gathers together for a conference where our church leadership uplift and enlighten us through the good word of God. Of course this is a worldwide church so the gathering takes place at the church headquarters in Salt Lake City, and church buildings throughout the world, and in homes where the conference is broadcast. I always feel so good after conference and have a greater desire to renew my relationship with Christ.

I loved Elder Lynn G. Robbins talk about parenting. He gave great advice about teaching children Christ like attributes that I have already implemented today! I love getting inspired ideas that help me raise my children to the Lord.

For anyone who missed it, or would like to learn more, the following are highlights are from The First Presidency of our church, that I just took straight from the church website. Enjoy!

The President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his two counselors, sustained by millions worldwide as prophets, seers, and revelators, addressed various gospel-oriented topics during the 181^st annual general conference of the Church at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on April 2-3, 2011. Here are some of the highlights.

President Monson

“My brothers and sisters, I thank you for your faith and devotion to the gospel, for the love and care you show to one another, and for the service you provide in your wards, branches, and stakes and districts,” President Monson said in his opening remarks, recounting the temple and missionary work, as well as humanitarian service, that has been done in the Church over the past few months.

He announced plans to build three new temples in Fort Collins, Colorado; Meridian, Idaho; and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This will bring the number of temples announced or under construction to 26 and, once completed, will bring the Church’s worldwide total to 160.

President Monson spoke to priesthood holders about their responsibilities, saying, “What will protect you from the sin and evil around you? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior and of His gospel will help see you through to safety.”

In his Sunday morning address, he emphasized the importance of temples, declaring, “The saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort.”

At the conclusion of the conference, he said, “We face many challenges in the world today, but I assure you that our Heavenly Father is mindful of us. He loves each of us and will bless us as we seek Him through prayer and strive to keep His commandments.”

President Eyring

President Eyring related some of the guiding principles of the welfare program, now 75 years old, saying, “great temporal needs of the children of Heavenly Father have come again in our time as they have and as they will in all times. The principles at the foundation of the Church Welfare Program are not only for one time or one place. They are for all times and all places. Those principles are spiritual and eternal. For that reason, understanding them and putting them down into our hearts will make it possible for us to see and take opportunities to help whenever and wherever the Lord invites us.”

In the priesthood session, he promised priesthood holders that they would be rewarded for their diligence and obedience in the priesthood, saying, “Treasures of spiritual knowledge will be poured out upon you. You will grow in your power to resist evil and to proclaim the truth that leads to salvation. You will find joy in the happiness of those you lead toward exaltation. Your family will become a place of learning.”

A week earlier, addressing a general meeting of the Young Women, the Church’s organization for young women ages of 12-18, President Eyring stressed the need to develop a strong testimony. Telling the young women that they are “the bright hope of the Lord’s church,” he said, “If that belief can become a deep testimony from God, it will shape your daily and hourly choices. And then, from what might appear to you to be small choices, the Lord will lead you to the happiness you want.”

President Uchtdorf

President Uchtdorf advised Church members not to “wait on the road to Damascus” by expecting “some dramatic event to compel them to believe.” Diligent seekers of Christ will eventually find Him as they take small steps of faith that allow them to draw closer to Him. As we do this, we will be given opportunities to share the gospel and to serve others, and these opportunities will, in turn, help us know the Savior. “Let us courageously move forward in faith, hope, and charity, and we will be blessed with the light we are all seeking upon the path of true discipleship.”

In the general priesthood session, he asked priesthood holders if they are living below their privileges regarding the “sacred power, gifts, and blessings” that accompany the responsibility of bearing God’s priesthood. He offered three ways that priesthood holders could live up to their privileges: study the doctrine of the priesthood, seek personal revelation, and find joy in priesthood service. “As bearers of the priesthood, let us never become hardened to the wonder and awe of what the Lord has entrusted to us,” he said.

The First Presidency, along with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who serve under their direction, are sustained by millions of Latter-day Saints worldwide as prophets, seers, and revelators who receive inspiration from God to direct the affairs of His Church today. Their messages are intended not only for members of the Church but for all of Heavenly Father’s children throughout the world.

BIG

Yesterday, Tanner looked at me and said, "Your nose looks big." Yes, just like everything else about me, my nose has gotten bigger as well. I have had a stuffy nose for about a month now, this is apparently due to an excess of hormones running rapid throughout my body. It is so stuffy and I blow my nose so much that my nose is swollen. So along with the excessive oil that these hormones are producing, the pregnancy mask also caused by hormones, and a swollen nose, I am looking pretty hot these days. And the other day, somebody asked me if I was going to get pregnancy pictures done, I just laughed.

Luckily, there are two men in my life who tell me daily that I am beautiful (Ladd and Hunter), so maybe I will make it through these last few months with a little self esteem in tact!