Catching Up On the Fun!

This life is FULL and CRAZY and FUN!!!

Sometimes I wish I could just push "pause" on life though

 and live in some of the precious moments forever!

But, 

since I can't do that, I am grateful for the opportunities to record these sweet moments

 that are fleeting ever so quickly and right before my eyes! I am grateful I can keep this blog full of all of the tender things that "tug on my heartstrings!" This is kind of like my picture journal...and every time I go back and see the sweet pictures of my family, I feel like I am being given one more opportunity to 

"live in the moment" again. So...Here we go! Let's catch up on all the fun!!! :)

Here we have Dallin posing as "Geronimo" in his 4th grade Wax Museum...

And here is cute little Gavin at his 1st grade Program...:)

And Gavin FINALLY lost his first tooth! :) (I think it was loose for about 3 months!)

Then we have little Miss Kambriella...helping me bake Carew's birthday cake in the kitchen!

She reminds me EVERYDAY when we cook that we NEED our aprons! I love it!!! (And she always picks the cutest ones to wear;)

...Carew is officially 14 and wanted to plan his OWN party! :) ~Hang out with friends, eat lots of yummy food,  play lots of fun games, and watch "Wreck it Ralph!"

(Here they all are getting ready to play "Cops and Robbers." Can you tell who gets to be the Cop? ;)

Making a wish...for an X Box? Nope! He got an Electric Scooter!!! :)

Here Kierra and Kambriella are celebrating Kierra's Eagle of the Quarter Award!
(The proud mama can brag now because both Kierra and Carew have earned the Award...which is pretty rare to receive in the Middle Schools ;)...Good kids...:)

Congratulations Kierra! :)

...And then passing your Driver's test in the same day?? AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Watch out world! :)

And the memories of "fun" would not be complete without the Little Bear! Going to the Jazz games are always so much fun...even when the Bear sprays you with Silly String! ;)

Go Jazz GO!!!

LOVE them treats at the game!!! ;) Popcorn AND Dippin Dots! SWEET!!!

Then there was Dallin's 10th birthday! We had a Car's Party with Bouncy Houses and 16 friends!!!

We also enjoyed our traditional week long Easter celebration! I didn't get too many pictures from the week, but we DID enjoy remembering the Savior every single day. These pictures are from the top of Ensign Peak...a beautiful spot that overlooks the Salt Lake Valley...

We even got to enjoy the company of cousins this time because Dallin celebrated his birthday with them at his birthday party just the night before! What a treat! :)

These fun pictures are just to celebrate spring!
 Kambriella and I were driving through the temple parking lot one day to go to the distribution center to get some things for primary when we both saw these beautiful purple trees...we just HAD to take a picture!!! :)

Soooooooo SWEET!!!!!! :)

And here we have 2 handsome young men getting ready to perform at their annual piano recital...Dallin played the Star Wars Theme and Carew played the Darth Vader Theme...
They did Awesome... Great job boys!

Yippee for Mother's Day!!! :)
My sister Tiffany and I spent the day with my mom the day before Mother's Day.
We pampered my mom by doing her hair, make-up, and nails...going out to Zupa's for lunch, and going shopping, shopping, shopping!!! :) Boutique's, clothes, shoes, and SUNGLASSES!!! ;)

I just LOVE my MOM!!!! :)

I invited my parents to come and stay with me and they were here for 10 days! It was so nice to have them here, whether we were out having fun or washing dinner dishes together or watching the playoff games...I soooo enjoyed their company! One day, we went to the Gardens at Thanksgiving Point and rented a golf cart and drove around the gardens together. It was a perfect day. Literally. :)

We stopped to "smell the roses"... (or in this case, the Lilac. :)

...took some pictures...

...made wishes in the wishing pond...

Kambriella wished for 5 things:

1. "I wish I could be a princess forever!"

2. "I wish I could have a pet unicorn!"

3. "I wish I could be with my mommy forever!" (Awe....;)

4. "I wish I could have a pet kitty!"

and 5. "I wish I could smell pretty flowers everyday!"

Oh to have the wishes of our hearts!!! I wish my babies wouldn't grow up!!! :)

There is now a place in the Gardens where an artist has different sculptures displayed depicting different scenes from the life of the Savior. Words do not do it justice.
It. was. amazing.
You could feel the spirit there...I imagined I was in the Garden of Eden...

I loved it when my mom said, "I think today is the best day I've ever had...:)
I couldn't agree more:)

The waterfalls were beautiful...
and so were my parents smiles...:)

...love this little girl :)

We also enjoyed watching Kierra and Kambriella perform in their end of the year dance concert for CVAC.
I am so proud of these sweet girls, sweet sisters, and beautiful dancers...but more importantly...
beautiful on the inside as well as the outside! ;)

I love you Kambriella!

...MELT MY HEART!!!!!

Kambriella ALWAYS gives Kierra the tightest hugs!!! :)

I hope she will always look up to her...

Spanish Dance...in character

She is Rain. ~ And fluid...just like rain. :)

...And the latest fun thing we have done...

Volleyball!!!

Dallin, you really were the best one on the team! ;) 

Way to go buddy!!!

I just can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude when I look at these pictures and how completely blessed I am to be a part of a family. 

Malachi 3:10 says that the Lord will pour you out a blessing,

 that there shall not be room enough to receive it...

The blessings just keep coming and coming...

Card #9...The Living Christ

At the Tulip Festival...

Kambriella and I enjoyed a fun day at the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival 

with our dear friends Lisa and Jessica Penrod.

We packed up our wagon and a picnic lunch and sat on the grassy hill at the Waterfall Amphitheater where lunch was the LAST thing on those 2 little girls minds! :)

Rolling down the long hill and playing hide and go seek with all of the other

 little girls on the hill was MUCH more fun! ;)

The sun was out and it was an officially beautiful spring day...we walked and talked and looked at so many wonderful things...my favorite was a new section of the garden where there are actual life-size sculptures of Jesus Christ depicted in many different times of his ministry.  The sculptures were so amazing and it felt like we were really in His presence. It was amazing.

After our walk around the gardens we stopped at the playground until it was time to leave.

 Kambriella and Jessica had a wonderful time together, and my favorite part was knowing that little Jessica now calls Kambriella "sister." :) I just love how little children have hearts of gold. 

They so easily love and give love.

I can't wait for the next sunny afternoon that we can go and be with our "sisters!" :)

We love you guys! Thanks for all of the good times! :)

Dallin's "Cozy" Place...

Do you have a cozy place that you just love to go?

I remember when I was little sitting on the heater vents and wrapping my nightgown or a blanket around me and trapping the warm air right inside to keep me toasty warm...:)...Ahhhhh...

Good memories :) ......

Well, the other morning as we were gathering all the kids for morning prayer, I called out for Dallin...

"Dallin?" 

I know I just heard him but WHERE is he?

"Here I am mom!"

(This is what I saw when I looked BEHIND the couch!)

I know this is so hard to see...

But guess where I found him?

He had crawled behind the couch and was snuggled up between 2 warm heater vents! :)

...One at his head and one at his feet...

I thought he looked SO uncomfortable!

But HE said he was so cozy and warm!!! Silly boy...and JUST like his mama! ;)

(This is what I saw when I looked at him from UNDER the couch!)

So now in the mornings when everyone is awake and meeting together in the front room, I no longer wonder where Dallin is...I just talk to him from behind the couch! :)

The Living Christ... card #8!

It is Monday, April 22nd...

Easter was almost a month ago.

I had set a goal for myself to memorize the entire Living Christ document

between Christmas time and Easter...and I did not reach it.

BUT...

I am NOT giving up!!!:)

This has been a goal of mine that has been ever present in my mind, something that I feel is so worthwhile and yet one that I completely underestimated the time frame on.

I chose to memorize one card for a week, then another, and another...

But I found myself taking longer and longer in between each card, fearing that I would forget the ones I had already learned, until I finally sat still on the same card for the last month becoming a little overwhelmed at the task I had in front of me ~ realizing just how far I still had to go to reach my goal.

Today, I finally realized that I CAN do this!

I realized that I need to focus on what I am working on TODAY and have faith and move forward.

Heavenly Father seems to always bless us when we are trying to do good.

 Even though this is a simple task, and one that only I have an expectation for, I know that what is important to me  is also important to Heavenly Father and that He will help me.

So...

I am going to continue on with my lofty goal...:)

I am going to keep moving forward until I have the entire document memorized. 

I'm not quite sure just how long it will take me.

 If it was all I spent my time on, maybe it wouldn't be too long...but moving along with life and all of her commitments and obligations only allows for a few minutes each day...but I also feel a great sense of desire to accomplish this little goal of mine! 

How does that song go? 

We try to move mountains, sometimes it may seem impossible...

But all we have to do is to put one foot in front of the other, and before we know it...

"the mountain is under me."

Here I go...I am climbing this mountain!

Gavin's Giraffe

This melted my heart :)

If only I had a picture of how proud Gavin looked when he gave this to me...

THAT melted my heart even more. :)

I just love that little boy.

Thank you again Heavenly Father for blessing me to be a mother.

How to be a REAL Princess...

Monday mornings at the Trickett home usually consist of 3 main things:

1) Waking up early to welcome in a new week...

2) Getting everyone out the door and where they need to be ON TIME :)

3) And me and Kambriella trying to tackle the laundry and any other messes

 that the weekend tornado has left behind ;)

Kambriella is so cute and so sweet as she enthusiastically shouts out that she wants to be my "best helper!"

She follows me around and is my little shadow for about a good 30 minutes or so before she will finally say,

"Mom, can I go watch a cartoon?"

:)

I smile and say "Sure!"

 (As I can totally relate that THAT sounds WAY more interesting than collecting, sorting, washing, and folding laundry!)

So Kambriella and I headed up to my bedroom where I found a cute little Disney Princess show called

"Sophia the First."

Kambriella quickly approved of my selection and settled in my big comfy chair to relax...

I turned to go back to my chores when she stopped me and said,

"But mom... I want to learn how to be a REAL princess."

OK.

 It might not sound like much, but as soon as she said those words to me,

something pierced my heart.

In an instance I turned around and said to her,

"Ok Kambriella. If you want to learn how to be a REAL

 princess, then you have to learn from ME!"

I went and held her little hand as she climbed out of the chair and together we went and turned off the T.V. and headed downstairs.

I told her that I knew EXACTLY how to teach her to be a REAL princess and that I had a special book that told us exactly how to do it and everything that we needed to know.

I was feeling so happy that I had my little girl's undivided attention and I felt eager and inspired.

 I was being led by the Spirit to take full advantage of a teaching opportunity that I

definitely had not planned on.

Downstairs in the kitchen I picked up my scriptures that were still laying on the table from earlier that morning and opened them up to the Topical Guide.

I looked up words like:

daughter, child, kindness, patience, helpful, and love...

Each word that I thought was a quality of a princess, I would look up and then proceed to tell her with great excitement that THIS is how she could be a REAL princess! :)

She could hardly believe that I had SO many answers all in one book, AND that I actually had ALL the answers to being a REAL princess!

Let me just testify to you that these precious little ones are far more wise than they may appear.

So many times we underestimate what these little ones are capable of, and when we just follow the Spirit and let it be our guide...we find that together we can accomplish some pretty amazing things.

Never before have I seen such excitement and joy come to a little girls face from reading the scriptures.

I know that life hands us many lessons to learn each and every day, but on this particular Monday, I was so grateful for the promptings of the Spirit to take my sweet little daughter and show her and remind her of the royal child of God that she is, and the beautiful and divine qualities that she already possesses.

Heavenly Father, thank you for teaching me, leading me, and guiding me, and for entrusting me with 5 of your sweet children. You know them even better than I do, and so I'm happy to let you tell me how I can best teach each of them...even if it is something as simple a s how to be a REAL princess!