Lunch date

Some of the girls from our Ward got together for lunch and all our kids got to play together in the back yard. The weather has been so nice these days. Ben can't get enough of being outside. The kids played together really well, for the most part... Ben got pushed around a couple times by older kids, but that's ok. He can't have his way all the time, right? He handles it pretty well, anyway. He is a tough guy. I love this time of year. Spring is, by far, my favorite season. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to last very long in Vegas. Summer heat is going to come in no time. Really not looking forward to that. I guess I'll enjoy the perfect spring weather while I can.

I couldn't get the kids to look at me for the pictures, they all were having so much fun

I've been tagged

by Jaime…

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people.

What was I doing 10 years ago:

I was in my junior year of high school in Odessa, Ukraine. I was speaking Russian and barely new any English at all.

5 things on my to-do list today:

Well, it’s Sunday. I don’t make to-do lists for Sundays. Here’s what was on my list for Saturday:
1. Grocery shopping (never go grocery shopping hungry, you end up spending far more than is necessary)
2. Clean the house (this one is always on my list, our house doesn’t seem to stay clean for longer than 15 minutes with a little monster like Ben)
3. Drop stuff off at DI (this one never happened and it’s been on my list for probably over a month now; the pile of stuff just keeps growing)
4. Clean my car (never happened either, oh well)
5. Do laundry (this one got done only thanks to my husband. Thank you, honey)

What snacks do I enjoy?

Dark chocolate, popsicles, Nutella with nilla wafers, fresh raspberries, French pastries, Gunlock chips & salsa. I think I can go on forever with this list.

What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire?

Help family members, build my dream house, set money aside for kids’ college and mission, go on vacation to Europe

3 bad habits?

1. Leaving bobby pins everywhere (as per my husband)
2. Starting laundry but never finishing
3. Arguing with my Mom (we’re both stubborn and opinionated, and I often feel like I need to take care of her and protect her. What I really need is to let her be the Mom. It’s a long story and long-standing personal struggle.)

5 places you’ve lived:

1. Odessa, Ukraine
2. Cuba
3. Jacksonville, Florida
4. Provo, Utah
5. Las Vegas, Nevada

5 jobs I've had?

1. Construction clean up for BIRD Construction (don’t ask)
2. Laundry worker at BYU Laundry
3. Front desk receptionist for Codale Electric Supply
4. Administrative Assistant at UNLV Dental School
5. Registered Nurse at Spring Valley Hospital (current job)

5 things people don't know about me:

1. I hate doing laundry and I really suck at it too. I always start it and never finish it. Needless to say, Scott does most of the laundry in our house.
2. I love to read. If I can get my hands on a good read, I have a hard time doing anything else until I finish the book. I remember reading at night under my blanket with a flashlight growing up (mom made me turn off the lights after a certain point)
3. I love going to school and learning new things. I’ve complained all through college, but deep down I’ve loved every minute of it. Now that I’ve graduated, I miss it. I’ll be definitely going back for my masters… eventually.
4. I like my fruit a little greener than most people
5. I’m the biggest cry baby. I cry over the smallest things, I cry when I’m happy too. I cry over movies, sad/happy stories I read in the news or people's blogs, church meetings, my patients…

My new "taggies" are Heidi, Kristen Rushforth, Jenny, Meg, and Barb. Sorry guys... :o)

Clarification

I think I need a little clarification about the size of my belly. The picture in the previous post is a little misleading. I'm really not that small. So here's another picture that's more accurate. I'm sure starting to feel big and uncomfortable.

Yet another Gunlock trip

What can I say, we love Gunlock. It's so nice to get away and just spend the weekend relaxing. Jamie and Matt came down with a bunch of friends. It's always nice to see them. Here are some highlights of what we did...

...

Boys worked on building an RC plane

Like daddy, like son... enjoying their favorite food - SALSA

Ben got to ride a motorcycle with daddy. What a lucky boy. My belly is getting too big to enjoy a motorcycle ride.

Ben sharing some kisses with cousin Jaxon.

Me showing off my growing belly

Gunlock trip

This last weekend we headed down to Gunlock. Jarom and Ashley Becar came down to hand out with us for the weekend. It was so fun to see them and their cute little boy, Cannon. It was fun to see Ben pretend to be a big brother and share his snacks with Cannon, try to help him walk, and even give him hugs and kisses. We had a great time. Boys went on a long motorcycle ride, even though it was freezing outside. They came back with their faces all red and chapped, but claimed they had a lot of fun. We just wish the weekends would last a little longer. We've talked about getting all the college crew back together for a little reunion at Gunlock. So, let's plan it...

Becar family

I love this picture, they both have their eyes closed. So cute!

Our Beloved Prophet

“Faith in something greater than ourselves enables us to do what we have said we'll do, to press forward when we are tired or hurt or afraid, to keep going when the challenge seems overwhelming and the course is entirely uncertain.”

I know everyone has heard by now that our dear prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, had passed away. I just have to write a little tribute to the man I loved so much. It is so sad to have him go, but I realize that the sadness is only felt by those who are left behind. I can only imagine the joy that he is feeling after finally being reunited with his beloved wife, Marjorie, and his Savior. He has lived such a great life and left a remarkable legacy behind. He was the prophet since I joined the church. I remember when we moved to the US and I had my first opportunity to attend General Conference. I had never in my life felt the spirit stronger than when that man walked across the stage to his seat. The spirit was so overbearing that I just sat there and wept for the entire 2 hours of the conference session. The spirit once again confirmed to me that Gordon B. Hinckley was the true prophet of the world. I had never doubted that since. I love President Hinckley and I will never forget his powerful teachings and his example. I imagine there will be many great prophets yet to come, but I will never forget the great impact the President Hinckley had on my life and on who I am today.

I love you…

… ‘till we meet again.

2007 - A Good Year

We hope everyone had wonderful holidays. We had a great time spending ours with family. As the new year came, we've been reflecting on everything that happened this last year. These are some of the things that we recollected off the top of our heads...

1. I finally graduated from College
2. Passed NCLEX
3. Got a real job
4. Got pregnant with baby boy #2 (haven't picked out a name yet)
5. Celebrated our 3-year anniversary
6. I turned 25, Scott turned 27, and Ben turned 1. Where does the time go?
7. Scott took his big PE exam (he still doesn’t have the results yet)
8. Painted our bedroom and baby’s room
9. Applied for citizenship
10. Went to Hawaii
11. Went to California and Utah
12. Watched every episode of Grey’s Anatomy and House (just me, Scott is not a big fan of these shows)
13. I’ve been taking up sewing with the help and guidance of my very talented mother- and sister-in-law
14. Scott finished building the greenhouse at Gunlock
15. Read many good books

I think it's been a good year and we feel very grateful for all the blessings in our lives.