Spring Break

for Spring Break this year my sister, Brandee, who dared to move away came back for a visit.  The kids were so excited and had been counting down for weeks.  They came and played and Brandee and I had a Downton Abbey marathon, getting her all caught up with the excitement.  We sure wish that they lived closer but I guess we were spoiled for two years living only ten minutes apart.  Here are some pics of the fun. 

Aiden

Our little man is growing by the minute.  It seems like overnight his speech just took off.  He was always speaking but he really has gone off talking in complete sentences and sounding more and more like a big boy.  This little man is now 2 and if I can find his second birthday pictures I will come back and post them.  He has changed so much.  I can't believe that he isn't my little boy anymore.  He loves nursery and as soon as we get to church he takes off to the nursery room.  We can't even say the word nursery until after the closing prayer or there is crying and yelling for nursery.  This boy is all boy.  He loves to watch football, basketball, baseball, and even hockey.  He loves loves loves trains and cars.  Yep he is all boy which makes his dad smile very big.  :) 

He fell off the bench at Church and hit the corner of the Hymn holder. 

Poor little man was sick for like two weeks.  It was the longest two weeks for me but this is how he spent most of it. 

This is our favorite show though Little Einsteins is making a fast push.

When he was throwing up we tried to keep towels on him to minimize the mess.  We put this towel on him and then realized later how perfect it was.  Of course he was not happy but we were all laughing. 

The girls decided that he needed to wear a tie one day.  He had fun with it and let them put it on him. 

Sometimes we are so tired that if mom leaves me here for just a minute to use the bathroom I fall asleep. 

Mom sometimes tricks me into taking a nap when I am just too grumpy.  But waking up from naps is even worse. 

So last night I cut Aiden's hair.  Here is the before

Here is the after.  I totally messed up and cried when all his cute hair fell to the ground.  So sad. 

Playing outside is sometimes dangerous.  He got the scratch on his chest from missing the ladder when getting off the tramp.  And this gives you another look at the hair that is completely gone from his head. 

Kira

My Kira is growing up right in right of my eyes.  She just completed Kindergarten.  Whole cow time is flying.  She is super cute and loves her brother (sometimes a little too much).  She has a sweet heart and sometimes gets upset a little too easily.  It is something that we are going to work on with her.  She is excited to turn 6 and to be able to got to school everyday all day next year with Brookelyn and not have to wait for Brookelyn to pick her up after school anymore.  She is just a little lady.  Here are some pictures of the last few months including kindergarten graduation pictures.  If I can figure out how to add videos to this I will add the videos we have from it.  If not I will post them on Facebook for Mom and Dad Bowen.  (Sorry some of the pictures are sideways.  They weren't when I added them.)

This is McTeacher night at McDonalds.  The teachers were "working" and we got free drinks and some of the money spent that night went to the school.  Here is Kira with her teacher, Mrs. Westwood. 

Dad said show your muscles and this is what I got.

Aiden had to be in one too. 

Playing at the park with friends because mom finally has time for other things. 

Brookelyn

So my dear sweet Brookelyn is growing up way too fast and is starting to think that she is a teenager already even though we still have a few years before that really gets going.  She has just completed the 2nd grade.  I can't believe that I am old enough to have a 3rd grader.  Right now her big focus is getting baptized and she is counting down the days until she is able to do so, which is actually in 8 short weeks.  She loves to bear her testimony in Sacrament meeting and has a testimony much stronger and powerful then I had at that age.  She talks about things that I never even thought of.  She is the best big sister and we could not have asked for a better and more wonderful first child.  We love her to death.  Below are some fun pictures of her over the last 5 months. 

Her school had a McTeacher night where the teachers go and "work" at McDonalds and we get free frozen strawberry lemonades and part of the money we spend goes to the school.  Here Brookelyn is with her teacher, Ms. Sirios .

My thoughts before I explode

I have always been greatly blessed.  Sometimes I feel overly blessed or not worthy of the blessings I have received.  Growing up I had a best friend that was not a member of the Church.  When I was weak and wanted to slip up she helped me hold tight to the iron rod even though she didn't believe.  Then I look at my siblings and many of their member friends tried to get them to fall off the path and to do things that are not good.  I didn't understand why I was so blessed. 

Then I went off to college and I met a girl that forever changed my life.  We became inseparable and she saved me in many ways.  I didn't understand why I was blessed with her in my life.  We were able to marry best friends and while we live almost across the country from each other whenever we get together it seems as though there has been no time. 

While in Logan one of my dear friend's babies passed away due to SIDS.  At the time Kira was 4 months old.  I couldn't understand why I was spared when my friend had to suffer.  For months Arik and I checked on Kira constantly through out the day and night.  Why was I spared I didn't understand?

Just this week a lady in our ward and my visiting teaching companion lost her husband.  It was shocking, and unexpected and he was so young.  Why I am spared when she has to suffer and raise 4 kids 9, 7, 2 and 8 months all by herself? 

Everyone always says that Heavenly Father only gives us obstacles that we can overcome.  Am I weak?  I am not saying that I would ever want anything like this to ever happen to me and for the last few nights I wake up and put my hand on Arik just to make sure that he is alive.  Last night Brookelyn came in and couldn't sleep, for the first time in years I let one of the kids in bed with me.  So now I wonder if I am not strong enough to face one of these challenges. 

Why again was I spared?  I don't know exactly how to expressed my sadness and ache for this family and why I feel so sad for having my family intact. 

I know that in a few months this will pass and once in a while I will feel it all over but for now I have to ask why me? 

Can we be overblessed and so undeserving?  Even I give into my kids sometimes when they don't really deserve it so surly the Father does so also. 

Will return soon

Hey everyone.  I want to apologize for being such a slacker at the blogging thing lately.  My life has become so insane that even I have a hard time keeping up with it all.  Which I am not doing at this point. 

So I wanted to let you know that I will be back in May once I have graduated and my course development is over.  It could be April but I am not getting my hopes up. 

Love you all!!

Family Pictures 2012

My sister, Brandee, happened to be in town for Thanksgiving with her in-laws and came up to take our family pictures.  We were excited because when they moved we thought she wouldn't be able to take our pictures.  It also gave the cousins time to play together, even it was only for a day.