Recent Moments iLoved {April Edition}

April was a great month for the Palmer clan.  It seems that so many things are changing each and every day, and yet most days feel like they are full of the same old thing.  This month has reminded me that life is always evolving, good still triumphs evil, new adventures are around every corner, and my kids are still as cute as can be.

As much as their daddy might hate to admit it, life at our house is pure girl.  Sure there is the occasional kicking of the soccer ball or hours spent playing in the dirt, but most of our days are spent in princess dresses layered with sparkling jewels.  Stella loves being a diva, and I am sure will one day more fully appreciate her father's willingness to apply her lip gloss before church.

The weather has not been my friend this month.  I think we have received more snow during the month of April than we did all winter.  The girls were begging to go out and enjoy what I hope to be our last significant snowfall of the year, and I finally caved.  I think we spent more time getting dressed for the occasion than we did outside, but seeing Eliza stuffed into a pair of snow pants made it all worth it.

Thanks to that lovely spring blizzard, we had to cancel a planned trip to Mt. Rushmore.  We were scheduled to make the 6 hour drive with a few of our friends and enjoy some time staying in a beautiful cabin and visiting the park.  Instead the snow closed all the roads leading to the cabin, and we were left in Billings with 3 days off from work and nowhere to go.  Cue a little overnighter in the booming metropolis of Bozeman, Montana. While it was only two hours away, we had lots of fun spending time as a family of four exploring enchanting main street, eating at one of our Ohio favorites, Ted's Montana Grill; and swimming in the hotel pool.  We even made a visit to the Museum of the Rockies where we explored Yellowstone National Park, the rain forests of the Amazon, and the dinosaurs that once roamed this place we now call home.  Sometimes it surprises me how much fun I can have with a three year-old and a one year-old as company.  I guess I should give a little credit to the dad, too.

April brought the close of a pretty major chapter in my life and in the lives of many people that I love.  On Monday, April 15, my mom finally put our family's home in Pocatello up for sale.  We all knew this day was going to come, but it was still really, really hard.  I didn't realized that the last time I was there would literally be my last time there.  I feel like I didn't quite get to say "goodbye", if you will.  We also knew that it would not take long for our wonderful home to sell.  We were right, as it went under contract only four days later.  So many of my most beautiful and difficult memories take place with those walls as the backdrop, and it is hard to think that we as a family will not get to gather together in that kitchen or that family room and spend endless hours laughing at stupid jokes or crying because life just isn't quite what we thought it would be.

This month also marked 30 years since my dear parents were married for time and all eternity.  I am so grateful they made that decision on tax day so long ago, and all I can hope for in this life is to have a marriage and family as beautiful as theirs.  I never went a day doubting their love for each other or for me.

April 15 also brought terrible tragedy to the people of Boston and our entire nation.  The days that followed the Boston Marathon bombings were filled with fear and uncertainty.  It is so hard, impossible really, to understand why someone would do something so evil.  The events of that week left me feeling extra aware of the unpredictability of this world in which we live, but it also again showed me the strength of the human spirit and that good will prevail.  The Sunday following the bombings I attended a fireside where we sang the powerful hymn We Are All Enlisted.  Even in such troubling times I felt the strength and peace that can come only through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

"Fighting for a kingdom, and the world is our foe;

Happy are we!  Happy are we!

Glad to join the army, we will sing as we go;

We shall gain the victory by and by.

Danger may gather - why should we fear?

Jesus, our Leader, ever is near.

He will protect us, comfort, and cheer.

We're joyfully, joyfully marching to our home."

Another big change we are getting ready to embrace is my entrance back into the workplace.  That's right, I got a job!  I still can't really believe it happened, and while I am really excited, I am also scared to death.  I haven't worked at all since having my children, and while I think this experience will benefit our entire family, the idea of leaving my girls is already hard for me.  I will be working as a Per Diem dietitian for a local hospital here in Billings.  It really is the job I have been waiting for, as I basically get to choose my own hours and only have to work if I want to.  I will work one weekend every 2-3 months, and each week my hours will vary between none at all to as many as I want since I will just be covering vacations and sick days as needed.  I was very honest with them during my interview and told them that my first priority is being a mom and that I didn't want to work more than 1-2 days per week.  Apparently they were okay with those stipulations and my rusty interview skills, as I received the job offer last week! I am still uncertain who will be watching my kids and how this will all work, but I am excited to give it a try.  I am blessed to have the choice to work and a very supportive husband who is excited about the chance I have to do something that I love.

So besides all the big stuff, April was filled with lots of little moments that reminded me how great this crazy, ordinary life of mine is.  We made freezer jam and planted flowers.  We drew pictures (lots of pictures) and got more and more obsessed with our Binky.  We somehow got super spoiled and went on three (three!!!) dates in one week.  We loved on baby sisters, celebrated the birthday of baby sisters, and made ourselves dizzy by spinning in office chairs with baby sisters.  We dressed in pink leotards and enjoyed our favorite Monday morning activity, and then changed into our favorite Hawaiian attire for hula lessons at the ward girl's camp fundraiser.  And we continued to grow (18 months, Eliza?!) and change and love each and every minute of each day.  It isn't always easy, but this life sure is a beautiful thing!