What a difference a year makes.

So last year my little peony plant produced 1 beautiful bloom. This year we got 6 beautiful blooms. This makes me very happy!

Love is in the air.

This month Peter and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary on the 20th. Well, technically we haven't really celebrated it yet because Peter had to work all day on our anniversary and everyday since but I have a surprise planned for this Saturday so we will officially celebrate then. But my amazing husband did manage to pull together a few surprises of his own for me the morning of our anniversary.

I got these...

and this...

and my favorite breakfast delivered to me in bed. It definitely got the day off to a great start. Sometimes I wonder how I managed to find and convince Peter that I was worth all of the fuss, but I sure am grateful I did. He is the perfect guy for me and always will be.

In other news....
We have been enjoying some Northwest like weather here is Utah. Yes, I said enjoying. I love it and so does my garden. It has made it difficult to get out and plant our vegetable garden but our berry plants are doing amazing.

The raspberry monster.

Blackberries and strawberries.

I am also hopeful that I will be getting more than one bloom on my peony this year. I can see at least 4 buds on this bush alone. To me this is the most exciting part of my garden.

And here is my little hydrangea. I am so hopeful that this little guy will keep up the good work.

Closing thoughts:
Have you ever been around someone who was in better shape than you and it made you think to yourself that today is the day you were going to finally kick your sweets habit and start doing push-ups and sit-ups every night before bed no matter what. Well I had an experience like that today and then I came home and made a batch of the most delicious chocolate chip cookies.

Ah well, I still have a chance at those push-ups and sit-ups right? Right!

Happy Spring!

Bella got baptized

Today Bella got baptized. We were sad to not have much family here with us to celebrate but we are very grateful for the family and friends that did come out to support Bella. I am very proud of her. I really feel like she made this decision for herself and not because Peter or I asked her to do it. We have been working hard at home to teach her the gospel and to share with her how we feel about it. She has also had the most amazing Sunday school teachers the past couple of years who have taught her well and been great influences on her. At one point during her baptism my mom asked her how she was feeling and she simply said "happy". I know it is because she felt good about her decision.
After the baptism we took her out to Marie Calenders for a little treat and then over to the hospital to visit my dad. He had a tumor removed from his left lung last Wednesday and was really disappointed that he wasn't going to be able to attend Bella's baptism. She was happy to bring him a piece of pie and fill him in on the details of the day. (Mostly about the nice gifts she received.)
We love you Bella!

Birthdays and fancy water

Lilly turned 3 last month and celebrated with a hand full of balloons, some great new toys, a trip to the movie theatre to see Rio and to top it all off, a delicious lemon blueberry cake (her request).
Lilly is an absolute joy to have in our family. She is energetic and silly and still loves to snuggle up with me. She is very complimentary and is great to be around if you are having a bad day, unless she has been the cause of the bad day. (It happens sometimes, she's not perfect.)




Then yesterday Ms. Bella turned 8. I can't believe she is already 8. I can remember the day she was born and in my mind I am still that young, new, incompetent mother. After doing this for 8 years shouldn't I feel more confident and wise? hmm....Pete has done a great job raising her.

She is getting baptized next weekend. I am very proud of her for making this decision and I love to see how happy she is about it.

She requested a cheesecake. I have never made one before but am always up for a baking challenge. It turned out pretty good. The top did brown and crack a little so I covered it with a raspberry puree and decorated with blueberries. Bella is really into the peace sign right now and that is easier than spelling out happy birthday with fruit.

Bella also had a culture fair last week at school. All of the classes in the second grade learned dances from other cultures and performed them for their parents at an assembly. Bella's class learned a Japanese drum dance and she did an amazing job. They were also asked to put together a display about their own families culture or ancestry. We wish we were more Italian than we actually are but we (when I say we I mean everyone but me) took claim to it and that was Bella's focus.

And finally just a word on Mothers Day. Pete had to work today but being the amazing husband that he is he still woke up early to make me a wonderful breakfast. A veggie omelet, hash browns, strawberries and mango, all the things I love. While he cooked the girls made me some cards and then they all brought it up to me in bed. They do this for me every year and it is my favorite thing. They also got me some wonderful gifts. My favorite is this glass beverage dispenser. When we went to Disneyland a few months ago, we stayed in a hotel that had several water dispensers in the lobby that were filled with water and sliced citrus. I loved having ice cold citrus water everyday as we were coming and going from the hotel. So now I can have this fancy water from a fancy dispenser in my own home. Love it!

Happy Mother's Day to all!