Pillow Project

I have known what I was going to get my mother-in-law for mother's day for weeks. However, I couldn't also give it to my own mom. It wouldn't hold the same meaning for her. So, as I humbled myself and asked Steve for help, he said that I should do something to decorate her new condo. That was it! I immediately knew that I would be making pillows for her bed. While at Gardner Village in Utah, we saw on nearly every bed in every store a pillow with flowers on it. I decided to make my mom one of these giant flower pillows. After looking online at different tutorials, I got more ideas and decided to make 3 different pillows. Each has a different type of flower that we saw together. The one on the left is obviously the giant flower pillow, the one in the middle is to add some color to her neutral-toned condo and has the flowers that we saw people making with humanitarian kits at women's conference, and the one on the right has 9 or 10 roses along a ruffle that we also saw as an idea for hair clips. I am quite proud of myself for completing these and am excited for her to have them. My kids were also bursting with pride and want to make one for my bed this summer. Sounds good to me! Happy Belated Mother's Day, Mom!

Fine Arts Festival

A wonderful program that the school districts in our area put on is called the "Fine Arts Festival." For one day from 7:30 until 5:00, you can walk around the high school and enjoy music from multiple choirs, orchestras, bands, groups, etc. from grades 4-12. Between large auditoriums/gyms and lining the hallways are the award winning art selections from each elementary and middle school that feed into the high school. I love Fine Arts Festival. It's a great way for the high school to show off their "grammy-winning" programs and young talent in the area. This year we had 2 choir concerts, 1 orchestra concert, and 2 art pieces make it in. My Evan has turned into quite the artist. When swimming ended, he used his time in learning something else, and that was learning how to draw and shade. This is a picture he drew while looking off of the new Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine one day...it wasn't a part of the festival, but was so good I had to show it.

This was an exercise where they had to take a picture, cut it in half and draw the other half. This piece is where Steve and I saw how much Evan had improved after reading just 1 book and got him recognized by the teacher. This particular piece has been selected to compete at the state level.

We didn't know his "Pepper" also made it! I'm so proud of him. Steve and I can't draw anything now in front of him because he's so much better than we are!

The halls were so crowded and Lizzie was tired, so she weasled Braxton into carrying her the rest of the time. Often, when we give compliments at night, she will say that she likes how Braxton or Evan carries her on their backs. She's lucky to have such nice, strong brothers!

This picture also shows a little bit of Braxton's new adventure--a Herbst appliance. This is a precursor to braces. It is a hunk of metal with arms attached to his back teeth that pull his lower jaw forward. It's been difficult to get used to, but hasn't inhibited his eating too much.
(Nope, my food bill is still astronomical. Yes, he's still growing.)

Braxton and his good friend, Om.
Om is an only child and enjoys the chaos of our home. Braxton is not an only child and loves the freedom and attention at Om's home. I guess they make a good pair and provide each other with different experiences.

Mother's Day

I love, love, love Mother's Day! This year was unique in the way that I have a daughter who can now write sentences and has been spoiling me with notes for an entire week. She has been so excited to celebrate this day with me! Because of her enthusiasm, Sweet Lizzie has been saying "Happy Mother's Day" every morning for 4 days prior. My boys wrote cute poems and cards and my husband delivered on my request...a protective covering for my new iphone.

At church, the talks were wonderful, and then they had a special Relief Society meeting with all women and treats! Steve went overboard with dinner. Grilled chicken, shrimp, and bacon-wrapped scallops, green salad, fruit salad, grilled zucchini, and sparkling cider were on my menu. Wow! All my favorites!
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While dinner was cooking, my family let me rest and read-another treat for me.
I am one lucky lady!

EASTER Sunday

My children were totally spoiled Easter Sunday. First, the Easter bunny magically KNEW we were at my parents' condo in Utah and hid candy for the kids to find.


Next, they had a wonderful mom and dad who gave them gifts...

We also got to have an "unhurried" morning by not having to be at church at 9:00. The only glitch was that my boys used up all of the hot water so I was running back and forth from the stove to the tub with as many pots of hot water as I could find for the females. Note to self...shower first.

We got to meet back up with our cousins for a real egg hunt at Grandma's house. Explorations commenced first outside, then moved into the house.

Our traditional egg roll was on a much larger scale this year with many more contestants. Everyone had a good time seeing whose egg would not crack.

Lorilyn was left in complete shock when her own Aunt (not me) cracked her egg in the semi-finals.

And we have the winners!

My cutie-patootie nephew, Danny, was so festive and ready for a picture in his bright colors as he tried to eat the plastic eggs.We hurried on to David and Donna's (some of my favorite people in the entire world) to attend church with them and have dinner with about 50 other people before the family had to split to go on with their regular lives. They were so kind to sing Happy Birthday to me again and recognize that Easter Sunday happened to be Steve's and my anniversary. Fifteen years. Life moves pretty fast when you are having fun.

Week with Mom/Grandma

My birthday gift turned out to be a huge vacation. When I found out that Steve had 3 cousins presenting at Women's Conference at BYU and one was on the Board, I started toying around with the idea of attending. As time drew nearer and I voiced my interest to a few family and friends, people made plans to help me make it happen. Then with the timing of Great Grandma's funeral being less than a week before the conference, I stayed in Utah with my 2 girls while Steve went home to Naperville with the boys. My mother changed all of her plans and came over early. Even my dad came over after work on Friday to have 24 hours with us. We had a wonderful time. My mom did what she does best--take care of us. She treated us out to dinner, got the girls and myself some new clothes, and took us to the new Pixar movie, RIO.
Here are the girls making a wish at a dry fountain. It was actually snowing/raining that day. Brrr!

I had the opportunity of introducing my mom to Gardner Village--a fun complex of cute boutiques for furniture, quilts, toys, clothing, jewelry, and home decor. People in Utah are so creative, they have to create villages for people to enjoy their works of art. :) I did buy something (saving for Christmas), but loved getting ideas for decorating trends. My mom and I were blown away by the flowers and ruffles on EVERYTHING: flower rings, flower pillows, flowers on purses, clothing, for hair accessories, everywhere! I told my mom I was bound and determined to figure out how to make some of them so...beware for my post coming soon. I'm so excited that I can copy others' wonderful ideas and create something I think is beautiful. Of course my most beautiful creations are my children. Gardner Village was a place I took my boys to every Halloween and Christmas season for photo shoots when we lived in Utah. So, it seemed only proper to take a few of the girls. Emma was sporting the new outfit that my mom bought for her and Lizzie was color coordinated, so I had a blast viewing them through my camera lens.

This bench was outside a Doll Store. Emma really wanted one here since she matched the bench!

Here the girls are checking out their nail polish color. On my cruise last November, Steve bought me the Del Sol nail polish that changes color when it's exposed to sunlight. So everytime we stepped out of the car or a store, the girls were mesmerized as they watched their nails go from a very pale pink/almost white color with sparkles, to a bright vivid pink. So fun!

The bakery was calling our name. Boy am I glad...the cookies there were the softest EVER! Yummy!

It was a little scary how comfortable the girls were in front of the camera. Every time we found any backdrop of interest or something interesting to sit on or by, Emma was ready to pose and have a picture taken. I am sure it was encouraged by the numerous other shoppers and store managers complimenting her on her hair and her outfit. She was filled with confidence that day! I love hearing how beautiful my girls are!

A true highlight...feeding the ducks with Grandma. Luckily I'd packed crackers in my purse. The ducks were hungry and the baby duck was adorable! Lizzie really tried not to be scared.

What a sweet day with my mom and girls!

Forever sisters!

Another gift my mom gave to me was the chance to reconnect with my grandparents. We ditched out of the last speaker Thursday afternoon to drive to Springville and have a few minutes with my Grandpa and Grandma Alleman.

They were so sweet to take my girls up to the art studio and to see Grandpa's suspended train. The girls colored pictures or "art" for them so that they could have a portfolio of their own. My grandmother, a true artist, teaches her local grandchildren art lessons and keeps a portfolio for their work. Not to be left out, my children now all have their own portfolio with their name on it. After a comment by my daughter with an insatiable sweet tooth ("Oh, how I wish I could taste those marshmallow bunnies."), Grandma even sent them smiling with multiple peeps in their hands. I guess I didn't realize they'd never sampled a Peep before. It made my teeth tickle just watching them eat.

My report on Women's Conference was that it was wonderful! I wish it could be a yearly event for me. It was inspiring, reassuring, moving, and engaging. I had so much fun just being on BYU's campus again. There is an energy and spirit there that is unique. My mom ran from one venue to the next. We got turned away from some speakers, but were satisfied by nearly every presenter. We pushed ourselves and didn't even eat as we tried to get into the classes that we'd researched in our preparation of how to tackle the schedule and get into the classes we wanted.

I had some very special moments during those 2 days. First of all, who would have guessed the number of people I would see that I knew. Friends from BYU, Naperville, and even Sacramento! Next, I had an a-ha! moment when a rush of emotion came over me as I walked arm in arm between classes with my mom. I love that she's my mom, but more than that, I love that she's spiritually my sister. As we were madly taking notes in an unforgettable class on the Atonement, I was so grateful that I got to share that moment with my mother, who was feeling and learning the same things as me. I wish she could have had some other classes at BYU with me. Between her shorthand and my quick note-taking skills, we could have been a straight A team without a doubt. :)

I also loved being with thousands of other LDS women who are trying to live the gospel while enduring life's challenges. There is power in numbers.

Lastly, my mom allowed me to take the car and drive by myself back to BYU's Marriott Center for a concert with 5 different LDS musicians/groups. I met up with all the cousins and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The concert was not something we had planned on, but after seeing the guests, I REALLY wanted to be there. Wow! I laughed and cried, was wooed, and awestruck by the performances. I'm so glad I went!

To cap off the weekend, we spent a few hours with Becca & John and my Dad. John, my adorable 9 month old nephew was saying Emma's name within minutes and even attempted my new nickname: Aunt Kocoa. It's much easier to say than Kori and is so fitting. So what if it sounds a little like a "street name." I'm kind of liking it. :)

Our final hurrah was my dad treating us to Chuck-a-rama (my girls' restaurant of choice) and one more stop at a TJMaxx (our favorite store). We went home beaming from ear to ear!

A Day to Celebrate Life

Grandma Edith Woolley Jex Clayton was a wonderful, righteous woman who proudly led a large, happy family. It was a wonderful day full of music, tears, hugs, and memories. The Bird family, known for its musical abilities, was asked to sing, "In the Garden" during the service. In addition, all of her grandchildren sang "We'll Bring the World His Truth" and her son played a hymn medley on the organ. Oh, how she loved Primary songs. I learned that she served in Primary (the church's children's organization) for over 30 years! What a woman! She also made hundreds of fruitcakes year after year for her sons and their friends to earn money for scout camp. Now that is a lot of fruitcake for anyone.

Her ward put on a delicious luncheon afterwards. We had so much fun catching up with all of Steve's cousins and distant cousins. It's really fun to see how small the world truly is when you are a member of the LDS church.

Two years prior, we had held a big 90th birthday party for her where all of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren attended. I think 90 people were there. Everyone said they wouldn't miss it because NO ONE wanted to be on Grandma's hit list. :) This was a precious moment captured with her.

The Richard & Edith Jex Clan

Things were so crazy at the church, I made my family take a picture after the funeral. The girls were given the roses out of one of the floral arrangements.

(Notice Carter's shirt is untucked. I think he has a special magnetic field that doesn't allow shirts to stay tucked in.)

In order to truly celebrate the day and keep everyone happy, the kids went swimming, Steve and I went shopping for Easter stuff, and then we all went to ice cream. This was no ordinary ice cream joint. This was Leatherby's. Steve and his sister worked at the 1st "Leatherby's" which went by the name of "Phipp's" outside of Sacramento in Citrus Heights, California during their teenage years.

To heighten the experience, Steve threw down a "Man v. Food" challenge (Travel Channel show) and told the kids that if they could finish 2 giant triple ice cream sundaes between them, then he would dance like a crazy man.

Bring on the competition!

Enjoying every bite!

We tried to emphasize that this was not a timed challenge; however, you take 2 competitive 9 year old boys, put them against their older siblings, and they will raise the stakes of any dare.

Been there. Done that. Conquered.


It ain't over til the...big man dances.

(Love you, Steve! Wink! Wink!)
My favorite part of this picture is Braxton's totally embarrassed look as he is scooting away from any association with his father.

The kids all danced to their own beats.

The kids wanted to "wave" good-bye.

After our sugar rush, we headed to Grandma's house and decorated our cooked eggs to prepare for our "Easter Egg Roll" the next day.

Jeffrey was getting bonus points by writing "Kori is Awesome" on his egg. I know this spoils everything, but he actually won the egg roll (just with a different egg).

Here are the kids' finished products.

To end the evening, we allowed the boys to break in a potential member of the Jex family. He passed the test.

It's my birthday!?!

I don't know how it happens, but every year, my birthday keeps showing up. It is an uninvited guest--except for the fact that my kids get so excited to celebrate with me. This year, April 22nd went a little differently. We woke up, the kids sang to me (since I'd forgotten), Steve went off to a business meeting. Sounds normal, except for the fact that we happened to have arrived in Utah just hours earlier and were preparing to meet family for a funeral--Steve's Grandma Jex passed away the previous Monday morning.

My parents have a lovely condo in Murray, where we were lucky enough to stay. They live just a hop, skip, and a jump away from a park and walk along a river. Because it wasn't raining or freezing (like Chicago), we ventured out for some fresh air.

My kids had a great time with the chance to be outside. Even I had to have a turn on this bouncy thing that we'd never tried before.
Braxton was so funny...he was mesmerized by the mountains. "They're more beautiful than the pictures!" He asked no less than 3 times why we don't live there anymore. I tried to convince him one of the lessons I've learned from my moves: Every place has its goods and bads and you have to learn to love the positives and be happy where you live. (I do miss the mountains, though.)

After the park, we picked up Grandpa and headed to In N Out. I am not a huge hamburger fan, but I LOVE their "single animal style". Mmmm! My neice, LJ, loves their fries--even if she eats them off of a stool so that she can feel big like her cousins. :)

After eating, we headed over to Grandpa and Grandma's pool to burn off In N Out. They have a "race track" with a strong current that is unique. I loved catching up with Steve's sister, Lynette, while watching our children have fun together. I adore her and wish our reunions weren't so far and few between.

The viewing was a fun and educational experience. So exciting to see Steve's extended family--they are great to be with! I am very lucky to have married into a group of happy, faithful, loving people. My kids, of course, were intrigued by Grandma's body. With it being Easter weekend, we had a lot of deep conversations on the Plan of Salvation, the true meaning of Easter, and Christ's resurrection. What an event to really drive home the message. Of course there were tears, but it was more of a relief that she was with her husband and family members again.

For our family dinner/birthday dinner, we headed over to the Mayan, where they have live shows for entertainment as you eat. The divers are fantastic, the music is fun, and their new act had a woman who could do acrobatics hanging from the ceiling with a hoop (pictured below) as well as long ribbons. She was the boys' favorite part. Some of the younger children were scared of the jungle and storm noises, but mine had perma-grins. Totally worth it.

Still on their high from getting to go out to a restaurant with live entertainment. It's good to keep them sheltered, then everything is exciting. :)

Lovely Lynette (with Steve's encouragement) stole away to pick up a cake so as to surprise me when we dropped them off at their hotel. I love being serenaded to (especially with all the harmonies my Bird family can pull off), especially in public settings. It makes the birthday seem more special for some reason. Mr. Bird, my sweet husband, tried so hard throughout the day to make my birthday not be overshadowed by the funeral and busy-ness of keeping everyone happy and kids engaged. Also for my birthday, my sister made me an appliqued pillow with a card that made me cry (love you Mandi), my mom paid for my plane ticket so that we could spend some time together, my in-laws got me a book and money to shop (without guilt-yea!), and Steve paid for my tickets to womens conference at BYU. Thus, my birthday lasted over a week. I'm one lucky thirty-something lady!