Graduation & Mother's Day

After 2 1/2 years of hard work, I went to the commencement ceremony for the University of Phoenix on Saturday - Bachelors of Science in Business/Marketing! I still have 3 months left of classes, but walking definitely gave me the energy I needed to finish. The strange thing is that when you see so many around you that kept going to get their Masters degree, it makes you feel like you shouldn't stop - if they can do it, so can I! Of course, I would need a break because I cannot go non-stop, but I think maybe I should keep going... :-) Aaron was adorable and was so proud - he bought me the camera that I have been obsessing over, a new Canon EOS Rebel XS/1000D! I love it and have been taking pictures nonstop. I would love to take a class to know how to use it better, but I will wait until after regular classes end...

Mikel kept talking about how proud she is of me and it just completely melted my heart. That girl is so sensative and so aware of feelings and emotions that she just makes me want to cry. She is truly amazing!

Sunday was Mother's Day, so the kids made me breakfast in bed: pancakes, coffee, and some sort of apple tart dessert thing with extra sugar and marshmellows that I couldn't bring myself to try. Their cards were amazing, though, and I love those the most. Conner is turning out to be quite the writer and he wrote the best poem:

"The breaks, the bruises, the scratches, the cracks

The kissing them better, and doing all that

The stealing our noses, the putting it back

The making us happy, the making us laugh
We've made you smile, we've made you proud

We've made you upset, we've made you frown

To the chef of gourmet 30 minute meals

To the patient, loving heart we steal

Today you only need one thought

We all love you forever mom"

I got all teary when I read it. Of course, Nik's signing the card was, "I am handsome and you are pretty." He is such a ham! Mikel made a great Mother's Day magazine at school and included tidbits like, my mom is a great cook, takes good care of me, gets her exercise by running up and down the stairs, and loves to shop at DSW. SO CUTE!

Then the whole fam came over to the house and we had pork carnitas tacos and magaritas. Food was AMAZING and of course company couldn't have been better.

I am so lucky to have the wonderful family I have...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This year, Halloween was exhausting! Before the big day even hit, the kids had multiple parties at school and daycare, a carnival, and an office trick-or-treating at my work. When Halloween actually came around, the excitement had worn off...which was great for mom and dad! :-) Nik wore the same fireman costume as last year and Mikel wanted to be a queen. Baylee went to Elko to spend time with her other family, but dressed as a zombie prom-queen.

Mikel and I went trick-or-treating to a few houses that night, but mostly stayed in and handed out candy. We made hot chocolate and watched Twitches while waiting for kids to arrive. She liked everyone telling her how beautiful she was, but got seriously offended if they said she was a princess rather than a queen...you would think she was really a part of the royal family!

Since so much had already been done, Aaron took Nik to his first Utes game that night and he LOVED it! He talked for days about how much he liked seeing the football guys tacking each other and the players running onto the field through the smoke. But his favorite was getting to yell with the crowd as loud as he wanted. He made it though the first half and then they came home - not bad for 3 years old.