Feb, 23 2015 Monday...Monday

So yesterday was a kinda of exciting day for church.  They released the current bishopric and called a new one.  Our good friend Dan McAteer is the new bishop, Jeff Zimmerman the first counselor, a fellow I've never met is the 2nd counselor (we are having huge changes on March 8 they are reorganizing the stake and boundaries are changing.  He will be in our ward boundaries then.) And Graham Erickson is the 3rd counselor (which is kind of a new thing he overlooks the Spanish ward) It was a really good meeting and I felt a little emotional for the old bishopric leaving and the new one sustained.  Bishop Vissor was a great Bishop as well.  Then to teach primary and Mason gave the scripture.  Alin was leaving early to play in the Sunshine Poker Tournament - a fundraiser for cancer and so I didn't expect him to be home when we got home from church.  I thought it was weird that he told me to hurry home form church as he was leaving but didn't think to much of it.  We got home opened the garage and there was his car.  Went inside and he was all dressed in winter gear and had a bag packed with lunch, water and snacks and said he decided we should spend time as a family, it was a beautiful day and Richard had texted him and suggested sledding.  It was such a nice surprise to come home to.  We packed everyone up and headed to Edelweiss, kids fell asleep which was great so they napped a bit and then when we arrived we noticed it was a huge hill with tubes that you rode on a conveyer belt and then slid down.  Not sure if our girls would have liked that and we didn't have any helmets or anything, and as we pulled up we saw Richard and his little crew leaving.  So we decided to head back into town and go to Mooney's Bay instead.  Pros it was within 5 min from our home, free and a little more tame for our little's.  So we will write off the hour drive back and forth as well invested nap time for the kiddos, and hand holding time for me and the Mister:)  Slid down the hill a couple of times, Mason and Daniela were having a blast, Abbie not so much.  Then home for waffle night and hot chocolate. 

Monday...this morning I asked Kieren if she could come over and help watch kids while I tried to organize the laundry room and the vortex that has become Abbie's room.  I forgot that Dani had speech so instead she watched Mason and Abbie while I took Dani to speech.  Worked out well, then took Dani to a mini date at IKEA.  Home and cleaned, napped Abbie and at 5 the McAteers came over for FHE (pizza) and then we took our whole crew bowling.  Really Fun Family Home Evening. 

Feb. 22,2015 Guest appearance in the journal!!!! Dad's thoughts

My dear Dani, you have such a good heart and never cease to amaze me with your kindness. I'm sitting here on the couch after just having put you and Mason to bed. Mom had Abbie tonight and it was just the three of us in yours and Mason's room. It was a great fun day of Church and tobogganing and I think everyone was a little tired. We decided to read some books and read "How do you hug a porcupine" a couple of times. Mason who's already memorized some of it was reading along and you were doing the pages you knew as well. You became a little sad and started crying, mostly from being tired I think. We finished the story and turned off the lights. I sat beside your bed and held your hand. You were still a little upset and crying so we started listened to a few church hymns. After a couple of minutes Mason said "dad I don't want Dani to be sad" as he listened to you still a little upset. That made me very happy to hear and as I sat there thinking about how much I love our family, you let go of my hand stood up in your bed stepped over into Mason's bed and with out a word gave him a hug and kiss while he was lying down. You then got back into your bed still a little emotional and said "dad it's hard being a Dani". You grabbed my hand again and after another few minutes you and Mason were fast as sleep. I don't think I'll ever forget that moment as long as I live. You have such a big heart just like your mom. Mason and Abbie are very lucky to have you as their sister! Love you boomdia.

Feb 12,2015 What true love looks like

Hollywood let me tell you what Real Love looks like...and why you should care. 

It is kind... It's using words that uplift, encourage, and inspire

It is soft...it is a warm hug after a long day, it's a shoulder to cry on and a strong hand to hold your hand 

It is understanding

It's rubbing your wife's back while she's struggling thru morning sickness

It's late nights that turn into early mornings

It is silliness, laughing at each other's jokes and having inside jokes

It is chivalry like walking on the side of the street closest to the traffic while your sweetheart walks on the inside

It is opening the car door for your love 

It is encouragement

It is looking for your love at the finish line because you want to see him and there's no one else you want to share your personal victory with

It is leaving peppers out of lasagna because they don't love them even if you do

It's kissing you on the way out the door to work every, single day

It's respectful, enduring and a work in progress 

It is telling her she is beautiful even if she's still holding onto a few of those pregnancy pounds

It is being amorous in a kind, gentle way

It is appreciating 

You should care because your daughters will someday be dating our son, and your sons will someday be dating my daughters. I want them to have fun, grow develop healthy relationships. I want my son to respect your daughter and your sons to respect ours. 

Feb 11,2014 Valentine's Day Party, Valentine's Day and everything heart

So are Valentine's Day party was today. It was super fun. I tried to make a little photo area for cutie pie shots:)

Daniela

Mason

Abbie

The Guests:

Kate McAteer, Ashley Diggis, Christine Jurado and Sharlene Rollins 

Elizabeth DeGuilio, Angela Reitboeck, Eileen Reed and Amanda Dugan

Emilie Pelat, Amy Zimmerman, Kendall Ericson and Frank Parkouga (I'm missing a picture of him with his beautiful momma)

When Alin came home we had some photo op fun with him as well. Dad's are fun. Period.

Then on Friday my love bought home treats for us. He's setting the bar pretty high for your "friend boys".  

The girls were so excited they got flowers  too. Red for me, yellow for Abbie and peach for Daniela. Mason got chocolate and the girls did too, right at this instant, Daniela has her mouth stuffed full of chocolate. 

The cards that came with the flowers:)

Saturday February 14th Valentine's Day! Decorated the table with cards, some treats, pink napkins, pink smoothies and waffles with a few kisses mixed in (the chocolate variety) after breakfast we went to Home Depot for kids club, then to soccer, then met up with the Azzi's for lunch at Lone Star (which was awesome) then home family nap and then for a Lovers Date. Kieren came to watch the kids and we went out with Dan and Kate to play laser tag first AWESOMENESS then to the Valentines dance to get our groove on. Fun day, Fun night.

 I made Alins card and it cracked me up. It had a picture of Yoda on it and since my premium Romanian loves anything StarWars I thought it was perfect. It said "Yoda the only one for me". The kids cards I developed pictures that I took from valentines party and glued them on red Popsicle sticks and they loved them. I put little messages on them too. 

Feb 7, Saturday

Today consisted of the same old, same old. Mister sleeps in, I'm up at 5 getting breakfast fixed, doing a load of laundry, cleaning up messes, calming children, and as a bonus took our whole fridge apart washed it up and organized it. Yah to one big job of my checklist. 

I know weird to have a picture of the fridge but heck it was a task that got started and finished in the same day...Alin kept the kids done stairs and played so I didn't have to maneuver all my little helpers;)

Then to soccer

Sibling soccer, these 2 crack me up

Poor Miss A was absolutely exhausted she doesn't ever miss an opportunity to ran around like a mad man:)

Proud dad, biggest cheerleader, encourager and water supplier

After soccer we went to Boston Pizza, then to return Masons church shoes that are too small and then to chapters to buy a present for Raya's birthday. Finished the day off with kids in bed and Alin and I went to the gym to sweat and make muscles💪

Feb 6,2015 Lonesome!!

Isn't it crazy how you can have kids attached to your legs all day long, three to be exact, and still be lonesome.  Today I'm missing my sisters their husbands my brothers their wives all the nephews and nieces my mom and my dad.  The whole lot of them. I want to be able to call them up and just pack the kids up go for an adventure talk about whatever we feel like. Know that even when mine are having a meltdown or theirs we could say "wow that was intense" and not have hurt feelings. We could giggle about past family stories while making new memories by the minute. Where we could totally be ourselves and know each other's idiosyncrasies. Whenever we get together I LOVE IT, I am relaxed, I am joyful and I am truly happy.

Here's all the nieces and nephews

Alin and My 3

 Daniela, Mason and Abbie

Brent and Trina's posse

💛Chase, Torrance and Lexi 💛

Renee and Theron's crew

💚Lincoln, Brinley and Keaton💚

William and Kate's love bugs

💙Christian and McKenna💙

Duncan and Mandy sent me a picture of their 3 beautiful girls yesterday which I love but makes me homesick as well

💜Lizzie, Olivia, and Amy.💜

 Aren't they the sweetest things. Love their faces.

So instead of getting to visit with my amazing, wonderful family I ate my weight in kisses...that's a heck of a lot. I think it even makes it more noticeable because right now Alin is soooo busy getting some other clinics started. So he's living a busy exciting life while I decide what little adventures I take the kids on and what to feed them, while being surrounded by utter chaos. Not for lack of cleaning just 6 little hands that go in the opposite direction to seek and destroy:) the one bright spot in the day I did get some exercise in. 

Feb 5,2015 Vaccines and Sex 2 hot topics

Today I had to go in for a booster vaccine for Measles. Which they didn't make by itself and instead I got a cocktail of Measles, Mumps and Rubella. Why was I concerned  about being up to date? There is an outbreak of Measles and looks like it's spreading, due to people not vaccinating their children, and herd immunity only works when there's a lot of people vaccinating. While I strongly believe that every parent does what they think is best for their child I also think that if your choice affects someone I love that can't be vaccinated due to age or health reasons, your choice could lead to my heartbreak. It's a hot topic right now with a thick line between and both sides standing firmly. Alin and I chose to vaccinate because the risk of catching a preventable disease outweighed the risk of having the vaccine. Do I wish there were things I could change about the schedule of vaccines. YES. Our poor Dani every time she has had a vaccine she is sick, sick, sick after, with raging fevers, trips to the children's hospital.  I wish for her I would have done them spaced apart a vaccine at a time. Mason and Abbie still felt effects and wanted to be snuggled for 2 days, low grade fevers and slept. The other topic I want to discuss with you kiddos is sex, while I really don't want to talk about it;). I was driving and on the radio came a contest for people to win tickets to a movie premier that's a movie that deals with sex in a unnatural, unloving way. Where mutual respect, kindness and tenderness is missing. This movie was a book first and when I heard people talking about it I was not interested in reading it at all. The hype surrounding it is unreal, and I find super sad. Right after this contest was announced the next commercial was for a event called Sexopalooza. Before kids hearing ads like these never bothered me because it wasn't anything that interested me. Now that I have you three amazing, beautiful, innocent little's it BOTHERS ME!! Why? Because I want you to know that sex is a wonderful, amazing, loving thing. It is not perverse, unkind, vulgar as some people may think. I don't want you to have a skewed image of what it is. I don't want you to rely on learning anything from the locker room. Sex is a sacred, special commitment between a husband and a wife, when used in marriage in a loving, respectful way it brings couples closer together and unified. If you think this is awkward to read try having to write it. The importance of this though outweighs my nervousness in talking about it, to you three.