Reliving the good 'ol days

This is old news, but I wanted to highlight Jesse's Mayfield Alumni Football game that he played in a few weeks ago. Guys from last years graduating class and on back joined in to play against Las Cruces High. It was a close exciting game. Jesse got word of the game a few months shy of everyone else and probably would've liked having the extra practice time with the team to get to know the plays and what not, but I thought he did well considering. He'll probably do it again next year. He was able to punt and run the ball. Here's a few game ESPN highlights. (Exceptional. Sowards. Play.NOT!)

I don't know much about football, but Jesse said that this is legal so that the other team doesn't get the ball. It was a close game. We ended up getting another touchdown to barely win! Looking forward to next years rematch.

Getting out of dodge

Last Friday Jesse & I were on our last nerve. We were both fighting bad head colds, but on the downhill slide of the sickness. Jesse was still too contagious to go back to work and the kids were driving us crazy because it was way too windy to go outside. 50 mph winds. So, we decided that we should get out of town and go to Mesa, AZ for some R&R. Plus, since it was Easter weekend we decided to go to the Easter Pageant held every year at the Mesa Temple. The kids and I had never been so we I was excited to see the production.

So, after finishing folding the 10 loads of laundry that I was in the middle of doing when we decided to go on this trip, we finally made it "out like a herd of turtles." The first few hours on the trip we were doubting our "adventurous" actions because we just weren't feeling good, we were tired, etc., but after a good nights rest and a laid back day we were glad we went. We spent most of the day just swimming and shopping at the outlets. The Pageant was definitely the highlight of the trip. Thousands of people were there. I tried to capture the awesome production it all was, but pictures taken at night can only do so much. We spotted some Roman soldiers walking around the Temple Visitors Center and struck a pose with them. These guys were HUGE! They had to be at least 6'3". You can tell that Bryson and Cameron feel tough with their swords. Silly boys.

I forgot how BEAUTIFUL the Mesa, AZ Temple is.

Here are some pics from the Easter Pageant.

The children were very quiet for these parts of the play.

Like I said earlier, all very well done, beautiful music and performances by all. One thing that we believe that wasn't mentioned (probably due to the huge task it would've been to change the stage scenery) was that Jesus also visited the descendants of Lehi in the Americas after his Resurrection written about in the Book of Mormon. Because Heavenly Father loves ALL his children everyone was blessed by being able to see Jesus Christ and learn his gospel. Here's a video I found on Utube depicting Jesus visiting the America's after his Resurrection. Just make sure to pause my mood music on the right of my blog before watching this video.

Day at the Alamagordo Zoo

It's been awhile since I've been at the Alamagordo Zoo and had Cody not invited me I might not have made the time to go, but it sounded fun so off we went and enjoyed a gorgeous day there.

Which string to play...

I've had something weighing on my mind lately, maybe it's the hours of scrubbing my old house floors or hours of painting alone with my thoughts that initiated this, but I've come to realize that I have to say good-bye to my cello. As you knew already I picked up a Cello in hopes to learn to play the instrument. I did learn how to play it all by myself...how well? Eh, let's just say there's some things that you just need a teacher to help with. I had an excellent book and play along cd rom that would actually tell me what notes I hit or missed which made it so fun to play along with. I enjoyed the challenge so much!! BUT...I have come to realize (along with most projects I take on) that my time if very limited. Something always suffers whether it's the laundry, time with my family, lack of time to go running (my other love), cooking dinner, just plain ol' things that keep a home running.

Right now I spend every moment during the day that I can over at our old house trying to spruce things up (which I'm just a few days shy in completing). My four small children are dying for my attention, my new house is needing some decorating but more importantly CLEANING, and last but not least my husband needs a wife who's not stressed. I did feel a stress relief when I played the cello, but then I would stop and look around my room at all of the piles here and there that need to be taken care of and that's when the feelings of being overwhelmed would come.

As much as it pains me to do I've decided to return my rental cello and put this dream on hold for now. I know this sounds silly to anyone reading this, but to be honest I'm feeling pretty down about the whole thing. You see, I want so bad to find something that I'm really good at...something that when someone hears or sees it, it will inspire or move them in a meaningful way. I was hoping the cello was my big break. I just have no time to pursue it. Maybe this experience has just reminded me about what my real purpose is. My children are who I can inspire and motivate just by being "in" my child's lives and not going through the motions and that time is ever fleeting. Sometimes you just have to look at yourself and ask, "what the heck are you doing with the time you have?" I've had home improvement so much on my mind that I've forgotten how to fully engage in my child's mind/world and what activites I used to do to have fun and feel close to them. It's just been a challenging few months and I'm venting/repenting. I'll still have my hobbies and dreams, but for now I'm going to live my first and most important dream of being a wife and mother. If I'm doing that right then that's where I'll have true happiness. So, I'm playing the D string. D for Dream. It'll remind me that I'm living my dream already.