May

 March started out celebrating our very favorite daughter! For as long as I can remember her favorite thing to do for her birthday is to go to the tulip festival. This year she wanted to take her senior pictures there, so we invited Jamie and Teagan to come too. Jamie brought little Collins and we had so much fun taking pictures with them Looked absolutely beautiful. We got some cute shots of her and Teagan together as well. The weather was perfect and the tulips were absolutely gorgeous. I hope she loves the pictures. I sure do! It happened to be May 4th which means celebrating May 4th be with you. Toby always does such a cute job decorating our family room with all things, Star Wars, light sabers, and Legos. We have our blue milk and usually some sort of light saber battle. The kids love it. The next day was our Cinco de Mayo party. This year we held it at our house. Jordan and Kristen provided most everything and it was unbelievable. So much food, chips and salsa, decorations, the whole 9 yards! We invited Kathy and TJ to come and uncle Doug and aunt Ginny came as well. I think they were all super impressed with how all out we go! My family sure knows how to throw a fiesta! We also celebrated that day so we had presents and dessert for her.

On the actual day of her birthday, Dallin took her back to Thanksgiving point for the tulip festival, and they walked through it together. Which was really sweet of him because I know that meant a lot to her. Then they met up with us to go to one of Tates tennis matches. After that we took Elle to Fat Fish for some sushi for her special night while Dallin and her friends planned a surprise hike and picnic for her up yellow fork canyon. She wasn’t sure what was going on and was a little confused why her friends weren’t wanting to necessarily hang out. I think she knew some was in the works. Dallin picked her up and tried to meet up with the friends on the hike, which was a surprise, but they all kinda got lost, and didn’t know where to meet up, so didn’t go quite as planned, but I love the effort and she did as well! It was a great birthday for her. Ialso made her a gluten-free flourless almond chocolate cake and I personally thought it was delicious! I think she loved it. Her gift was one that was really important to me and I hope it meant a lot to her as well. When I turned 18 my mom gave me a ring with a ruby in it which is my birthstone. When my mom turned 18 her mother gave her an opal which was her birthstone for her 18th birthday, so I wanted to follow the tradition and I gave Elle an emerald ring. I searched high and wide for that ring and could not decide which one I like the most or which one she would like the most, but I found one that I thought fit her perfectly and I was so beyond excited to give her. By her reaction I chose the right one :-) she loved it, and was so grateful and it made me so happy!!! I hope she will treasure it! Happy 18th birthday beautiful girl! We love you more than words can say!

A week later we celebrated Mother’s Day and I could not have felt more spoiled. Seriously, food brought to me, food rubs, a steak dinner, the sweetest gifts. Probably my top 3 favorite days of the year. I couldn’t feel more loved or spoiled and I’m so grateful for this incredible opportunity I have to be a mother and for the awesome responsibility of raising these 4 kids. Also so grateful for the giant of a woman I have in my own mother. I am truly so blessed.

Next up in our may happenings is mine and Toby‘s trip to Punta Mita. Toby won this trip with his company, and so the entire thing was completely free for us. We could not be more excited to get away for a little bit together on his dime! Right from the beginning at the airport we ran into Jace, which was so funny! He was flying away from work too. The flight was easy and not too long at all. We were picked up via taxi and driven straight to the resort. My goodness!  Easily one of the nicest places I’ve ever stayed at! Everything was absolutely beautiful we checked in and just walked around got some snacks, some food and got into our room. The room was amazing. It was spacious, clean, gorgeous, and had the prettiest deck. They had a big opening dinner  With everyone who had one CE that year. We met up with a few people. Toby knew, and made some new friends that were from Utah. They definitely seem the most like us ha ha ha. Probably the only other LDS people there. We ended up hanging out with them a lot at the dinners and on our one big excursion. Every night in our room, the company would leave us some sort of gift that would be waiting for us when we got back . And it was no little gift I’m talking a $200 gift. I felt so completely spoiled! in the morning we went and had a delicious breakfast on the beach with the best green smoothie I’ve ever had. Then we loaded up on some buses, and went as a big group  to a private island where we could eat tacos go zip lining and just relax. The zip lining was super fun except there were jellyfish in the ocean that some of us got stung with after we just came back and did more relaxing and more eating. We got to sign up for a couple of different things that we wanted to do while we were there. We got to choose two things each. For one of the things we decided to choose a massage and for the other we chose an experience. We decided to go to a little island place called Yelapa. We had to get on the waiting list and it was where our new friends were going as well so I was really hoping to get in which I think the lady that was helping us pull some strings and got us in. I was so excited!  We got to ride horseback to this remote island where people really live. I’ve never seen a place like this before! Toby was in complete awe the whole time, it was so fascinating and incredible to see how some people live. So humbling. We then got in the boat and got to do some snorkeling, but again we got stung by tiny jellyfish, so I didn’t last long. We came to another little place where they had food waiting for us, and it was absolutely delicious! we got to just wander around and relax and enjoy the view. Then back to our room to clean up and we went to a group dinner that was so fancy I was so out of my comfort zone ha ha! The next day we got to do more relaxing, more eating chips and guacamole and Toby and I left the resort and went into a little part of the city where we did some fun souvenir shopping. We bought the kids some fun stuffed animals T-shirts and I bought Elle and I the most beautiful silver rings  That evening we had a big farewell dinner, and the table settings were absolutely stunning. We got together with Toby‘s group and enjoyed the evening but as soon as we could, we snuck back out to our room to enjoy some dessert and alone time just the two of us , what a trip! So many memories! So amazing to be constantly getting spoiled with so many fun gifts like a mini massager, an incredible diffuser, the most beautiful sun hats, and Kendra Scott  jewelry, cute beach bags, and more…I almost felt guilty. I loved the alone time with Toby  And the chance to experience such a beautiful place. It was a much-needed vacation and I’m grateful for the time we had together there. 

Later in the month we got to go to an awards assembly for Elle where she won some awards for her sterling scholar and for her DECA wins. We of course were so proud of her. Right after that we went over to Dallin’s house to watch him open his mission call. He had already told JD who had told Elle who had told us so we knew where he was going but I took the two little boys over to his house to show support. He got called to Villa Hermosa, Mexico which just seems so perfect for him. We are so happy for him! Although little Kempers started crying because he’s going to miss him so much! We all are. 

At the end of May we got to do a little babysitting for Jace and Jamie and we kept Lennon for a few days. What a freaking cutie she is. Although girlfriend wouldn’t sleep. Haha.  On the Sunday before Memorial Day we went to visit all of the graves. Always something that really means a lot to me because I love my grandparents and loved ones so much and it’s just one way I can remember them and share stories about them with my children. I think they enjoy going as well and learning so much about them. Now on to JUNE!!!!