April's Tender Mercies

March was full of ups and downs. We made it through and enjoyed those memories made with family. April was the complete opposite for this family of five. We had SO much to celebrate!! How grateful we are to have had the opportunity to be a part of so many special moments. 

           

Aubrey Marie has chosen to serve the Lord by spending 18 months in Las Vegas, NV helping the people there. She will embark on her journey in July and we are SO stinkin' excited for her. She is going to be absolutely AMAZING and she will be loved and blessed by those she serves and those that serve her. I am so incredibly proud of this girl and couldn't be happier! Congrats Aubrey!

I flew out to Utah for a very quick few days. I wanted to be there when Aubrey went to the temple and I wanted to spend some quality time with Britt and her crew. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to go. I am even more blessed to have the incredible husband I do to hold the fort down while I'm away. The temple was magical and the entire night was filled with smiles and love. After our session at the temple we dined at Denny's for a little "midnight" snacking. It was a night to remember. 

This time around I stayed with Britt and her crew while I was in Utah. We were able to get a few things done as well as enjoy some much needed Aunt Les and kiddo time. I loved playing soccer with Luke and reading to Sammy. Lydia and I took a little trip to the gas station for a little treat for her birthday. Lukey even helped me organize and rearrange the back patio. He loved sweeping for me :) I am so happy I could spend a few days spoiling these guys. It was loads of fun. 

Before heading back to my gang we had one last get together. We absolutely HAD to celebrate our soon to be sister-in-law Emily before I left. We all met up at a delicious pizza joint in Lehi/Alpine area to shower her with love and gifts. We are beyond thrilled for her and Jim to tie the knot on the beautiful island of Oahu. Emily is the best and we are so excited to have her join the Spung crew.  Jimmy is one lucky dude, that's for sure! Although I have to admit, Emily is one lucky lady for scoring a guy like Jim ;) They will soon have five kids between the two of them, a new house, and their newlywed love to enjoy together. So many good things coming their way!

Happy EASTER!

I got back home just in time to get everything ready and set up for Easter. We had such a fun morning.

The Easter Bunny left lots of fun things in each basket as well as a ton of eggs to find.

Pres and I had some really happy kiddos that morning. Grateful for a day to celebrate our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For His atoning sacrifice and for His resurrection, completing His mission here on Earth. There is so much to be grateful for!

Clarks Garden

I started a garden! I planted a garden right at the beginning of April. I LOVE having a garden and watching everything grow. The kids help me check on it every day. Crossed fingers that I figured it out this year, haha. Last year was not a great year for my green thumb. The only thing that survived was our cucumbers, haha. Hoping for a little more this year.

"Hey Mom, ready for school!" HAHA I about died when she sat down for our school time. I laughed so hard. Love this girl!

Using their imaginations! It's my favorite thing to watch these three do. They have the best ideas.

Row, row, row your boat...

 

Congratulations to Jim and Emily Spung!!

These two love birds took off to Hawaii and eloped on Oahu. The day, the scenery, the couple, were absolutely beautiful! I could not have hoped for anything better for these two. So happy and in love and it's so fun to watch. Congrats to the happy couple, and DANG, such incredible pictures! Can't wait to celebrate with you guys soon!

Meanwhile, back in California, the weather was hot and we readied ourselves for summer time.

These three kill me. They love to play together, laugh together, and tell stories together. They are quite the trio. I pray it never changes!

Welcome to Clark Park!

One day we had the idea to set up zones in the back yard. We had a soccer area, baseball area, trampoline, slide, roller coaster, car obstacle coarse and lots of fun. Each of the kids ran from one thing to the next just loving life. We spent quite a bit of time in our Clark park and loved every second of it. 

Quinn Marie

This little one LOVES to read to her animals before bed. We often find her with piles of books on her bed. Occasionally we hear a loud crash from upstairs when we're watching TV. Pres and I look at each other and say, "there goes another book off Quinn's bed."  Every night, we clear off her bed and tuck her back in before we go to sleep. This night she fell asleep with her book while still holding her pages open. I couldn't resist trying to snap a picture. This girl LOVES her books and we absolutely LOVE this little girl!

Congratulations to Tarisai and Brianne Machanzi!!

Our incredible brother Tari got married on April 24th. We are over the moon excited for this guy and his beautiful bride.  After some crazy hurdles to jump over before the big day, they made it! These two were married in the Ogden, UT temple surrounded by loved ones. Preston had the opportunity to join his family in celebrating this cute couple. I cannot wait to meet Brianne! I just know I will love her instantly! Tarisai is such an amazing soul. We love having him in the family and the kids will often look at his picture on my magnet board asking when they get to see Uncle Tari again. He's the sweetest, kindest, and most genuine person you will meet. We are so so happy that he found Brianne. We look forward to our family gathering in June so we can all celebrate these two. 

He did it! He's married! Congrats Tari!

I wanted to play around with black and white photos. I took these shots so I could put something fun up in the kids bathroom. I thought they turned out so cute!

And just like that, April is gone. There was SO much to celebrate in this awesome month. How blessed we are to be apart of an incredible growing family. We welcomed two more people into the gang and we celebrated Aubrey's decision to serve a mission. This month was a great month. Praying for more amazing adventures and joyful times to come in May!