Happy new year!

I love the new year. I love fresh starts.  I love making resolutions even though I rarely keep them very long.  I love trying to get myself to be a little bit better than I was yesterday.  And when I fail to do that...I can always try again tomorrow. 

Here's a confession:  I sometimes feel like I am the worst mom ever. My kids don't hesitate to tell me this too, and let me tell you that it is hard to hear that.  I am trying my best and it's never perfect but I'm doing what I can.  I am trying to teach them and help them learn and grow, which brings about lots of tantrums and melt downs because I don't always do everything they want me to or let them do everything they want to.  Once in a blue moon, however, I am reminded that I am raising amazing kids that do know right from wrong.  After a particularly bad night a few weeks ago where I thought the tantrums and blaming would never end we woke up to this note:

 I do have awesome kids but sometimes it's really hard to remember that when they are so mad at you for "being a good parent."  Wow, parenting is hard.

Okay, on to a lighter note...Rachel decided she wanted to try basketball this year.  She's actually quite good if she weren't so afraid of getting hit with the ball.  And she does look so cute too.

 I took Kate and Will to the zoo last week with my sister and her cute boys.  The zoo in the winter on sunny days is the absolute best.  Nobody was there, the animals were up and awake.  The tiger was even growling!  It was a much needed outing.

 We even got up close and personal with the gorillas....

 And then there's this boy.  I just can't get enough of him!  He gets cuter and trickier every day which really doesn't seem possible.  He now has 4 teeth that he's constantly gritting, he claps, sometimes will "raise the roof" and today he waved "bye bye" for the first time when Kate was leaving to go to a friends house.  He is always talking and is so stinkin' cute!

 Oh, and let's not forget this little piece of information.....I got my piano!!  It might not be the "dream piano" but the price was right, the location was awesome and it's in really good condition.  I absolutely love it and we've been tickling the ivories ever since.  Merry Christmas, Happy birthday and Happy Anniversary to me!  I LOVE IT!!

 Speaking of anniversaries...we just celebrated our 12th.  12 years?  How the heck did that happen?  I still love my hubby so much.  That was the best trick I've ever played was getting him to marry me.  Hah!  If only he would've known 12 years ago....We had an awesome day of watching Trav's church ball game, going to the temple and doing sealings and then going to P.F. Chang's for dinner which was not only delicious, but they also gave us $20 worth of gift cards because we are so cool.  It was an awesome anniversary!  Here's an oldie but a goodie for your viewing pleasure...  This is when we were dating

Okay, now here's the test.....we've always taken pictures of our babies in boxes.  Can you tell who is who?  I think they're related...what do you think?

 Happy new year!