Happiness

Today the kids had off school, so we headed down to D.C. to see the Japanese Cherry Blossoms in full bloom. In light of the earthquake, D.C. has taken clippings from the trees and sent them back to Japan- in hopes of growing new trees and keeping these trees alive. Here's the Washington Monument and the blossoms. The family at the Cherry Blossoms, 2011. Jonah, Ethan, Asher and Elizabeth Me, my coat, and Ethan. It was freezing! Josh, decked out for the weather! The day started early. We drove down at 6:30 am, with breakfast on laps. It was drizzly and cold. When I saw someone's breath come out in great puffs of white, I knew it would be cold. We were chilly and damp, but I got some good pictures and the kids love making the drive down to D.C. to see the sights. I couldn't help but think of when we were here last year and I was pregnant and how a week later, I had found out that I had miscarried and not known it. I was sad, yet hopeful for the future. Recently I went off lit...

via online When the world pulls you down, just look up into the sky and find hope in it's branches. Happy Wednesday, Everyone, Love, Megan

with Elizabeth Taylor. And am so sad that she just passed away last week, just when I was beginning to take note of her. Josh and I love to watch old classics on netflix watch instantly. I just watched Funny Girl while he was gone in California, instead of some dumb romantic PG-13 comedy that I had been sent on a disk (I even requested it- so silly!) I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Funny Girl. It's probably on my list of top ten movies. I laughed, I cried, I sat on the edge of my seat, waiting to see if she would end up with her man. Phew. Last night we watched a little more of Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor. I say a little bit more because our goal is to get ready for bed at 9:30 pm and after putting the kids down, taking out the trash, doing other various chores and staying up a little with Elizabeth, that leaves us about a half hour to do what we want. So, we watched a half hour of Cleopatra. And that night I dreamed strange Cleopatra dreams. Amazing really. And this morning, while on my...

twinner photos- Ethan and Jonah taking bath tub shots. taking self portraits, on a crazy, busy day. See that pillow under my arm? I was changing sheets at the time. Crafting with Peeps- we were trying to do some dioramas with them. Mostly the kids stuck toothpicks in them and ate them. Yum. Hawaiian flowers Sees Chocolates It's great to see the beauty in life. I love it! Joyfully yours, Megan

Ethan, Elizabeth, Asher, Jonah, A from t-ball This weekend sure was a busy one- and cold too!- Friday Night was Movie Night at our School- Mega Mind- and the last one our PTA will be doing! Yay! I have had fun being on the PTA board this year, but will not be returning next year. There may not even be a PTA at our school next year as of now, but I wouldn't be able to add it to my plate next year! Sometimes ya just gotta say no! The kids had fun and got to bed late. Saturday was filled with a temple trip for me and Josh, t-ball practice for the boys, ice cream at Brusters in our pj's, dinner with the missionaries and we crashed into bed! Sunday was your typical Church at 9 am, with baths thrown in right before and a lovely teacher development class. Josh works with the Sunday School so I tagged along and loved the class! I really love learning and love even more learning about learning. Next, we took turns taking naps and had friends over for mint brownies and some good ole wres...

This quote says it all. Classic. Simply classic. Happy Friday, all my beloved friends and family. And congratulations on the birth of your beautiful new baby girl yesterday, MaryRuth and Dominic! Send or post pictures soon! Is she blonde or is she a dark beauty like Audrey Hepburn? Dear BYU - and all of your fans across the globe, I'm sorry you lost your game last night. You made it to the sweet sixteen in March Madness and that was purely awesome. Let's do it again and do even better next year. Dear Sees that my husband brought back from Cali, I love you! Your pure, creamy deliciousness satisfies all my chocolate cravings. Dear Wintry Mix scheduled to hit M-town on Sunday, Um, did you get the memo? It's March 25th. My daffodils do NOT want to wear snow on Sunday! Dear Josh , I love you and I don't tell you enough. Dear Kids , You make my life lovely. Now, please stop running naked through the hallway. Love, Megan ***and that, my friends, is how I roll 5 blog posts ...

Since I am feeling sick, I leave you with someone who can make you laugh, since I can't be that one today: Tiffany/Megan/Amber/Nicole blogs at seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com And in case you are not in the mood to laugh, but are in the mood to still be cheered on in, Kelle Hampton blogs at kellehampton.com She has 11,000 followers. Can you believe it??? A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. She is a mother of 4, including a child with Down Syndrome who lives in Florida whose blog posts have appeared in Parents Magazine (that's how she got so many followers- I believe!) And each and every blog post she writes inspires, uplifts and teaches. Plus, you can listen to her awesome play list while you read. I love it! Enjoy, Megan

I am sorry that you are so manic. I understand how it is. It is exciting and thrilling and wonderful to be on top of the world- to feel like you are flying from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep- if you go to sleep at all. Your appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live was shocking and yet I completely understand where you are coming from. I want you to know, when this all ends, when you come crashing down and end up in the hospital- because no mere mortal can survive a manic kick for very long- that I know how you feel. I am sorry that you have to suffer this way. And I'm sorry that America is feeding your mania. What you really need is a long, calm rest somewhere with no tv, no attention and no more tours of truth. We know. You win. Now, stop playing the game and rest for awhile. Love, Megan

Ethan and his home-made crafting skills Last night was Monday night and that means family night at our house. I was feeling sick and didn't know if it would even happen. We threw something together and it all went smoothly, bloody nose from Ethan and all. Now, just so you know, my sons ( well, Ethan and Jonah) have nose bleeds all the time, so we treat this like a sneeze around here. A bloody nose? Oh, you poor guy. Go get a kleenex. They used to get them all the time at night and would wake up and just cry and cry, blood spurting- all over pillows, pajamas and blankets. I would always wonder why they were crying and by the time I got out of bed and to their side the damage had been done. Finally, I taught them to say "Mom! I'm bleeding!" Those two words would get me out of bed faster than a bird going for the kill on a fresh worm. I would get there and not a thing would have been dripped on! And all this for a Mom who hates, hates, hates blood/needles/Drs/Hospitals/s...

Mac lipstick in Politely Pink. Usually I'm not a MAC girl- but someone gave this to me as a gift- love it! Next, white chocolate covered honey wheat pretzel twists. Love these! The serving size is about 3 but I could eat the whole bag! Yum! Good thing they didn't invent these when I was depressed! Phew! $2.99 at your local grocery! I love etsy . I love it! Handmade things that are unique and cute, fun and trendy. This picture is really small, but I love this quote from President Hinckley- so simple yet true. Too bad this is just for the pdf of the graphic image and not a print! I'm putting it on my Christmas Wish List though (yep, that's right- a Christmas wish list! Gotta start early! What do you want on your wish list?) This is my blog. My name is Megan A.

...as evidenced by sidewalk chalk creatures creeping out from nowhere. Meet "Tiny"- the littlest Robot in town. Meet Igor, the monster created by Asher, complete with a bomb and three(!) fingers. We watched Astro Boy recently and since then the kids have been making all sorts of robots and monsters. And flowers and ice cream cones- done by Elizabeth and her 3 dimensional art skills- are popping up in various, magical, colorful Play-Doh colors. Today we had a picnic of ritz crackers, cheese and juice boxes- all prepared by my kids- on a blanket in the back yard. Yep, spring is definitely coming! Although the news said it may snow on Saturday the 26th. That's March for you! In like a lamb, out like a lion. Or is it the other way around? We were out a hike the other day and Elizabeth said "Mom, I know what I want for my birthday (6 months from now!)- a sketch pad that I can carry in my pocket and when I see something I can just take it out and dr...

This weekend was a busy one- Josh was gone in California to see his youngest brother Ben be sealed in the Oakland temple- and I kept busy by going to a Relief Society Activity, T-ball Practice, Babysitting, Church and Choir. And in honor of Josh, and missing the bright presence he brings to my life on a daily basis and of which I only notice when he is gone and it is taken out of my world- a poem: He Sang 1/3/11 He sang A bedtime hymn Slow and low Be still My soul The hour Is hastening on Little heads droop A soft humming Is heard And all is Quiet at home. Come back, Babe, I love you and miss you! xoxoxo Megan

As you already know, my kids like playing games. This morning it was the "Opposite Day Game". I knew it from the moment Elizabeth said, very passionately, "It's NOT Opposite Day!" Ethan replied with "You're right. It's NOT Opposite Day and today is definitely NOT Sunday." I'm completely fine with Opposite Day, until the 4 year completely misses the concept. "Yes, it is!!! It is Sunday!" exclaimed Asher, our 4 yr old. Elizabeth kindly informed him that "No, it is NOT Sunday, because it is NOT Opposite Day." Somehow by saying that it is NOT Opposite Day he should understand that it is opposite day. I tried to play along with them. "Don't get dressed. Don't make your bed or brush your teeth." They all cheered in unisom- I mean- unison- especially the 4 yr old who did not get it. We made it through 3 hours and Church and once they hit the door it was again "Opposite Day" or should I call it "...

St.Patrick's Day brought us: Picture taking with my four little leprechauns. Asher, Ethan, Elizabeth and Jonah (They used to be teeny-tiny, now they are all getting so big! Asher will be in Kindergarten next year- aaaahhh!) A crazy picture! ***Picture too blurry to post*** A green shamrock shake for Asher (and a little for me!) A free oatmeal from McDonalds. It was gone in about 2 seconds flat- delish with cranberries, apples, brown sugar and raisins. Loved that it was free. Irish Soda Bread. A tradition in our family since we are part Irish- anyone know how much? (My maiden name is Hulihan. Um, yeah. Pretty Irish for you!) Last year I made it and it turned out like a rock. This year I treated it like biscuits, only mixing it with one hand and it came out dreamy! Right out of the oven with melted butter- mmm. A late night run to the store to replace these. Why did I get the same ones? I had to shop without him and knew that he would wear those ones. Hope you had a good one, Everyon...

Ethan is my funniest sleeper of all. I found him like this one night. Sometimes he has four blankets on and sometimes doesn't even have a shirt on. So funny. Last night was family night. We gathered together and had a prayer, song, lesson ( a re-enactment of King Benjamin's speech from the Book of Mormon- our kids love acting things out), a game and a treat (nothing fancy- just ice cream with vanilla wafers but the kids loved it). We had a good time, although sometimes people are grumpy and fussy and on a few occasions someone has been sent to their room. For the game, Elizabeth picked the "Water game", a game passed down from my family when we did family nights together growing up. My Mom loves this game. We all dreaded it, but now we play it at least once a month. The water game includes just a cup, a spoon, some water and a group of people (friends, family, etc). One person is it and they decide what the topic is- usually a favorite food, animal, game, etc. and eve...

Jonah, making fabulous flubber out of borax and glue Late Sunday afternoon, the kids and I were driving in the car, on our way to ward choir, when the car sputtered and shook. We're out of gas, I calmly proclaimed as I steered onto the side of a busy-but-not-too-busy street. I had an inkling that this would happen. It had been on empty on Friday- maybe even Thursday and I kept meaning to get gas. You know, that well intentioned kind of meaning to. Friday came and went, Saturday came and went. Sunday morning with Church came and went and as I pulled out of the garage Sunday afternoon, I wondered:just how long am I going to put off this getting gas thing? Too long, I guess. We made it within a few blocks of the Church House. A call to Josh, arousing him from his nap, led us to a gas can- filled twice- and on to choir. Meanwhile, to pass the time, we played "What if..." "What if" the four-six-eight year old version goes something like this "What if you could o...

"Be grateful Be smart Be clean Be true Be humble Be prayerful." Pres. Hinckley

I want to write and read and nap and discuss and eat chocolate. and write and walk then run free to be myself, free to explore all venues and adventures, leaving behind me, in a trail of cool dust and forgotten memories the mistakes of my past, the failed hopes, once shiny and new, lost and forgotten to be replaced with a blazing new trail of hope and dreams and sparkly stars that glitter with health and joy prosperity and lead me on to a beauty never known before

I feel like I've only been posting pictures/videos and haven't been writing enough so bear with me. I've been reading and writing in the mornings and have been loving it. Mostly it's the scriptures and my thoughts about life, but that counts, right? I have a moleskine journal which I bought at Borders with money left over from my birthday. I love it! The pages are smooth and a dream to write on and the cover is pink- what more can I ask for? I also enjoy looking back and re-reading some of my writing. I always come up with more thoughts than before. This morning I was re-reading my journal and something that I had written struck me. It was a thought from a talk given at Church or something I read in the Ensign. A focus on God, Family, Friends and ourselves. Each day. I love this. I love that we should turn to God in prayer for guidance in how we should go about our day. I love that we should make our families a priority and spend time serving them- making food, cleanin...

Divine Comedy on Youtube . Makes Me Laugh! This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott. -Still waiting on the results of Elizabeth's 24 EEG. Not too worried about it.

Here is Ethan, riding his tiny two-wheeler. March 2011. 2nd time ever. He LOVED it and kept asking me when he could ride it next.Here he is racing Jonah. You have a built it racing buddy with a twin brother! He thought that I was cheering him on in the race when really, I was cheering him on in his mad bike riding skilz. Love bike riding! Come, Spring, Come! (Don't love teaching my kids to ride though, running along with them, down that hill and back up over and over is not my idea of a fun time!) This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.

I love the family I married into and especially Josh's Parents. Some people joke about how rough it is to get along with their in-laws. Not for me. I love mine! I lived w/ them for 2 1/2 months while Josh had an internship with the DOJ and afterwards, I loved them even more! My Father-in-Law, Lloyd, is amazing. He works as a psych-tech at a local Hospital for the mentally ill inmates. He seeks out after the one and is always very caring and attentive and thoughtful. My Mother-in-Law, Judy, is a Mother of 9, Grandmother to 32- soon to be 33- grandchildren, Writer, Knitter, Crocheter, Seminary Teacher extraordinaire. They raised their family, as did my Parents, with love, hard work and sacrifice. I will always be thankful for them. For raising such a family of faithful, stalwart members who I look up to. This is my blog .My name is Megan Abbott. p.s. Ben and Barbara are going to be sealed in the Oakland temple next Saturday. Josh gets to go and I am so excited for them!

homemade chocolate covered peeps! yum! When I was younger and in grade school we were put into reading groups with names like "minnow" or "guppy" or "shark". The "Shark" group was always made up of the best readers. You always wanted to be a "shark" and hated being a "minnow" or a "guppy". Now a days, everything has to be pc, and maybe that's a good thing. The students are called by names into their reading groups or their reading groups are the "red" group or the "blue" group. The other day, when I was volunteering in Elizabeth's class and her teacher Mrs. D asked for all of the "Cinnamon Lattes" to come to her table. For a moment I was confused and then as I looked on the board and saw "Mochalattes" and "Gingerbread snaps" I knew what was going on. This Harley-riding, Tattoo-wearing, blonde mother of one, teacher to 2nd graders, had kicked the traditional sy...

I love: this Photography that Spring is coming!!! Soon, people, soon! little, colorful bowls from anthropologie Making your own tights Have a great weekend! Megan Megan ---a new nickname some people gave me in my Qi-Gong glass. Love it and love Qi-Gong. Very relaxing! Sad- I was backing out from the park at Asher's preschool this afternoon and heard a distinctive scraping sound. Um, yeah. I ran over Asher's school bucket. I had all four kids with me. We had just finished playing at the park and I didn't notice that Asher's bucket never made it into the van. Luckily a friend spotted me and watched while I pulled forward and bucket, lunch box, homework complete with tire tracks were saved!

Top Ten Reasons to donate to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital 1. It helps those with Cancer, which is totally awesome, especially since my Dad has cancer and my Grandma has had cancer. 2. It helps children- how could that be any better? 3. You will be doing a good deed and that will help you feel good! 4. What you give always comes back to you, in a way. 5. You would be supporting me. 6. You would be supporting one/all of my kids, who are awesome btw. 7. You will get a thank you card in the mail, plus a hand drawn picture as well. 8. Just because. 9. You will be helping our school. 10. Elizabeth, Ethan and Jonah would love a trip to Six Flags (if they raise $35 each) Go donate today! Www.mathathon.org and click on donate to math-a-thon and sponsor one of my cuties today! This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.

Who would have thought that a Cat-in-the Hat Hat would save the day for a little girl who was getting a 24 hr EEG done? Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.

via Larissa's blog and Doug's camera A March baby! We have a new cousin in the family! -Peter Andreas Larsen, born to Molly and Doug Larsen and their kids Anna, Paul, Christian and Charlotte this morning at 2 am. Molly was being induced and I was so excited I could hardly stay asleep! At 6 lbs 13 oz with curly darkish hair he is wonderfully healthy and simply gorgeous- if I do say so myself! He kinda looks like Elizabeth/Christian. This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.

playin' a little Don't Make Me Laugh Junior Elizabeth did great with her 2nd MRI, which included an IV. I couldn't go back with her since I had the boys. She knew she was getting a shot and although she was teary, she said it hurt for only a second. Later I asked her if they had swabbed her arm with alcohol (since I heard there was a recall on some alcohol swabs and totally forgot to check it when I went). She replied: "Yeah, they put caffeine on my arm." Me: "Caffeine?" Elizabeth: "Yeah, caffeine." Me: "You mean alcohol?" Elizabeth: "Oh, yeah, alcohol." She knew it was something she wasn't supposed to have! Funny kid! This is my blog. My name is Megan Abbott.