Spring Break

Ben was in Denver this week of spring break so I decided to gather up my chicks and haul them up to Dallas to visit their grandma and grandpa Hurst. It was a wonderful few days!
When we got home we played with friends, went to the Zoo, played on the tramp, went to the park and just enjoyed one another's company!
My sweet neighbor Andrea

Up Ward Basketball

The kids had a fabulous season in basketball this year. Upward basketball is a sports organization that runs through Christian churches. It is a positive and uplifting experience and the boys all did great!

Enrichment Birthday Party

Our RS birthday party celebration was themed after a tradition birthday party. A wonderful dinner, mingling, guest speaker and yummy dessert. It was a really fun night and I think the decorations turned out really cute!

Fun with Scouts

The twins had some good instruction from a biker in our ward about bike safety.

The 11yr old scouts made "Extreme Pinewood Derby's" It was hilarious! They built very crude derby's in about 45 minutes and them attached CO2 cartridges to them and let them take off in a fiery glory.




Tour of the Capitol building.

Happy Bithday to Me

My darling family was so sweet in honoring my birthday (2/22). Ben did exactly what I do for the rest of the family, he got up early and decorated, did a picture wall and blew up balloons. He is the sweetest human being ever. The day was filled with sweet things, sweet friends brought me sweet treats, sweet phone calls and more.


A few days later some friends got together and had a fun little get together at La Madaline for dinner.

Happy Valentines Day

We had a great Valentines Day. Some friends of ours offered up a theater room at their office where we gather together with Pei Wei take out and watched Princesses Bride and played the newlywed game. Good Times!

Kids Valentines Parties

Boys will be Boys

How does this happen? I mean... what the heck! I spend good money on shoes, I also spend good money on GOOD socks so this won't happen and this is what I get!!! As much as this drives me crazy, in fact the entire sock thing drives me crazy, I find dirty socks everywhere, they are just what boys should be, BOYS. I love being a mother of boys, let me rephrase that, I love being a mother to "these" boys. Yes, they are loud, yes they are messy and dirty, yes they eat a lot, yes they fight, yes they argue BUT they they are also very loving, affection boys. They know how to respect adults, they are responsible, humble and logical. They are SO kind and very affectionate to me. They love each other, sometimes they enjoy each other so much that they can not stop interacting and giggling to a point to starts getting on my nerves.... it is hard to get mad at such happy children, I mean you can not really say "STOP THAT, you happy children, STOP being so happy!". They are so good at doing their chores which compared to some, is a lot in todays standards. They are honest, trust worthy, they are compassionate and sensitive.

I totally recognize these times raising a big family can be challenging, anyone that has a handful of boys like me knows the challenges I am talking about BUT I love it just the same! I love it, as I think about this little bundle of boys I often just remember seeing smiles too big for their faces, capes blowing in the wind as they dash down the hallway or a big pile of arms and legs, rolling around the carpet. I love these sweet boys, I love being a mom to boys. I think they will turn out alright even if I spend a fortune on holey socks!

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings" -Hodding Carter

My sweet boys back in the day.

Love Austin

I am so behind on blogging right now but I just had to mention how great Austin is. I was watching Charlie Gibbons Nightly news last night on ABC. He was reporting from Houston where the economy is thriving. He mentioned that "out of 39 TOP markets in the US only 3 showed gains" and those cities are all in Texas HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, and AUSTIN! S-W-E-E-T! That did not surprise me much about Houston and San Antonio, but AUSTIN? That is huge. Austin is also the 2nd fastest growing city in the US only 2nd behind Raleigh-Cary, N.C.

It sure made me feel good when I heard that, to know we live in a thriving, robust, stable community that is not only smart but filled with creative souls. This city pulses with creativity. Just one more reason to LOVE Austin. It is such a great place, we really just love it here.

THANKFUL Thursday.... THOUGHT

I just got done reading from a blog that a friend of mine had blogged about and it has really touched me. It is really just very sad. You can read about Gracie here. Reading this has flooded me with an overwhelming appreciation for what I have and an even deeper feeling of appreciation for what I know. I am so glad I know about eternal families, I am SO grateful I have the ordinances in place to provide me with that wonderful blessing of being reunited with my dear family, forever. No matter if I cease to exist tomorrow I will be bound to these wonderful people forever. Isn't that the most wonderful blessing! Only death can separate us on earth, but for in the eternities we will be together again! I can not comprehend life without that knowledge and peace.

It is certain that bad things happen to good people, it always makes me so sad to see others suffer. If you read down on her blog there is a post about the lessons from the Liberty Jail that is really wonderful. A great reminder to us all! My heart aches and aches for this sweet family but I am Thankful this Thursday that I have read about their trial and have been able to take this moment to appreciate all that I DO have. You just never know what tomorrow will bring. I am grateful for any opportunity, even as sad as it may be, where I can step back and savor every breath I have been given and reaffirm my life with purpose in doing good, in all ways, in all things! There is no fuller life or a greater fullness of happiness than from living the gospel, no matter the trails that come our way, I have peace.

I am so thankful for today. I hope I did good with it!

Why Mormons Build Temples

THANKFUL Thursday

1) For rainy days... we need more
2) That our big enrichment is over and HUGELY thankful for all my committee members they did such a great job! I am breathing easier today!
3) Sleep... I want more
4) The gospel of Jesus Christ... I know I have said this before but I am so grateful for it! It provides me with an umbrella of eternal peace and worldly understanding that would otherwise be a very confusing existence.
5) Cookie, cakes, brownies and bread... need I go on?

Have a great weekend!

No Love, NEVER

A friend of mine just sent me a link explaining what is happening on HBO's show BIG LOVE. Since we virtually do not watch TV, I feel in the dark a lot and apparently this show has been exploiting with great contempt the LDS faith for sometime. No surprise, right. Mormons are picked on a lot, nothing new. The next episode to air has to do with the temple, depicting what they understand to be sacred temple ceremonies. The temple is a place where we Mormons hold in the up most reverence, it is a very sacred place for us, exactly like any temple is to another faith. The problem with what Big Love is doing here is, they are and have been depicting Mormons with gross misrepresentation and in a flagrant, adulterate, and blasphemous way. I know stirring the pot is what they are hoping for to get more press/viewership and I am sure as back lash for the PROP 8 thing. The reality is there has always been opposition and there will always be opposition but nothing will ever stop this moving train. The work of the restored Gospel will move forward despite the venomous efforts of others. Regardless, it is frustrating and it is really quite disgusting what some spend their time doing and this is nothing short of defamation! You can write in to the FCC and complain. The link is here.

The LDS church issued a fabulous statement today and said exact what I thought they would, you can read that HERE.

This is an editorial comment made by my brother-in-laws brother to the Desert News. Fabulous comment.

"Seriously, all religions have been desecrated and despised and their members persecuted by "intellectually superior" individuals. And millions of lives have been brutalized and lost in the name of religion. The great thing about America is that it was founded on a belief in a "divine creator" and a tolerance for all those individual definitions of that creator. It's why we have had no major religious wars in this Country. Live what you believe and let God be the judge. Few have the self control and capacity to experience the peace of deep religious convictions. I'm certain vilifying Mormons and trivializing their beliefs will not erode the peace many of the faithful have attained. The sadder commentary is that millions of Americans rely on Television as the major source of truth on any subject...Societal paralysis. Next is disintegration of civility, and on to feudal wars. Americans have more in common with each other today than at the time of the Declaration of Independence. And yet we are letting our ignorance, intolerance and self-centeredness explode our common cause into a million personal agendas. God help us. Steve Wunderli"

Love to all except HBO! No love there, NEVER!-

THANKFUL Thursday

Well it has been a couple of weeks since I have gotten around to doing a Thankful Thursday Post... as Budda said “Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful”....so here they are, last weeks and this weeks!

1) I am SO unbelievably thankful I can stay at home with my kids. Being a stay at home mom is so full fulling and am grateful EVERYDAY that I do not have to leave them with a stranger. 1.a) I am also thankful I love my kids enough to want to stay home with them! Some people need an out, I am grateful I don't.
2) I am grateful for Birthdays, they allow us to stop, slowdown and focus a minute or 2 longer on the ones we love and care about. Birthday are a big deal around our house.
3) I am grateful I can now find Cadbury Eggs at the store, I wait all year round for those. Oh and the Reeses Pieces eggs too.
4) I am grateful we are here in Austin. It was exactly one year ago Sunday we were here visiting for the 1st time, scoping out Austin as a possible home for us and our company.
5) I have said this before but I am grateful for my babies breath. Without it I would fail to thrive.
6) I am grateful for the taste of sharp cheddar cheese. It does wonderful things in my mouth. I love cheese.
7) I am grateful for the positive people in my life that inspire me, rather than pull me down. I have encounters from time to time with people that just being around them darkens my mood yet others who immediately lift me up at the sound of their voice or sight of their smile, those are the people I am drawn to like a magnet and I am SO grateful for them in my life. It is a very intuitive thing, being drawn to some one. I hope I am that way for others (especially my family), that is what can I hope for.
8) I am grateful my mothers double mastectomy went well. What would I ever do without my mother?????
9) I am grateful for the summer I feel in the air. (82 yesterday)
10) I am grateful for new friends. I love meeting new people and discovering great qualities about them, learning from them and sharing things with them. Friendships are a very special thing and lately I have reflected a lot about new and old friendships that have been meaningful to me and I am grateful for all of those, I have gained so much from those associations.

“In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then, burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” Albert Schweitzer

....lots to be thankful for, always!

Birthday Extravaganza Weekend

The weekend before Scooby's birthday was for all intents and purposes suppose to be a BIRTHDAY Extravaganza. We have 7 birthdays with in a month of each other and this weekend really lent itself to a serious party. Last minute patriarch and the mama-arch Hurst could not make it due to a serious kink in Grandma Jo's neck, so we partied without them. Life has been VERY busy for us and as a result I did not get around to all the "party plans" I had intended, sometimes you just gotta let stuff go... so I did, but we had a great time anyway. We love visitors.

Zilker Park, feeding the birds.



I love the story of the Philosophers Rock, totally Austin-ish.


Train ride and park at Zilker

Eddies Arrow of Light

Eddie really out did himself. He not only got his Arrow of Light Award but also accomplished all the other requirements in the Webelos book, the 1st time EVER in this troop to have ever awarded the "20 Patch". Truth be told.... we were really bored on our road trip to and from Utah and just kept working on the activities that were not already signed off and before you knew it we were done the the entire book. I am glad they do give you so many opportunities to complete activities badges via road trip. :)We are VERY proud of Eddie and all his hard work.