A Girl and Her Jeep - Such a Beautiful Thing

Dad tore some carpet out of his Jeep today - Anna helped vacuum up the mess.

Haggerty Easter 2014

I've posted these everywhere… but I'm going to add a few unedited outtakes at the end!  To keep it real!  :)

Its been a long time since I've taken photos of all my kids and it was very fun… for me at least!  ;)

Having mom and dad here and taking my camera out for a day reminded me how much I love to take photos.  To slow down, to watch them through my lens.  Really makes you focus.  To laugh and spend time just being with my people (today for a few hours I put away my phone - colored, played frisbee, and chased my middle child around the yard with a pop gun… I decided I had nothing to do and no where to be.  I'm going to make more moments like that.  It was heavenly, essential, and important for the both of us.)

Especially love taking photos of these my favorite lil' cuties -

(Daphne is trying to get Clayton to turn for a picture and Calvin is trying so hard to hold his smile!  he he he!) 

And because I can just be honest here, as if I wasn't busy enough around Easter -YW lesson, finishing up the BOM, planning a dinner with friends plus doing Easter for my family by myself since John is working nights so only here to sleep **he missed all but 20 minutes of Easter dinner the day of - so did baskets and church alone**… etc, I decided two nights before Easter to make my kids outfits.  It is a tradition of mine, to make Daphne a dress at least once a year on Easter.  This is my fourth year, and at the last minute I decided I didn't want to give this new tradition up.  Also, if I can't do Christmas or any other time I have made her one nice dress a year.  That and the kids are still at the age I can dress them up so I feel the need to utilize that!  ;)  (I know, I know, this is sounding like a brain dump!  Sorry!  Getting it down for my records!)  Anyways it actually came together really fast!  Maybe 4 hours total on Daphne's dress, 2hrs/night.  Which is really fast!  For me!  Thinking it up and cutting included!  Especially considering I made the whole pattern up using one of her t-shirts as a guide!

Again for my records, things to note about it… biased tape, pleated skirt with gathered ruffle, zipper closure, and permanent rolled cuffs on sleeves (super cute in person).  I used different elements from her pervious dresses I made and put them together differently here.  Seriously, sewing can be so satisfying!

Outtakes:

(This is the dress photo I wanted to use but she wanted one of her smiling!  Ha!  The customer is always right so the above funny smiling photo it was.  In this one, she stubbed her toe, it was after church, and all she wanted to do was eat candy!  Who can blame her for making such a face?!  I love my sometimes emotional and serious lady.)

Easter was especially meaningful to me this year.  I think it is because I spent a little more time preparing for it spiritually.  I spent the week listening to the scriptures on my phone (including the whole time sewing, mopping the floor, driving…), and reading talks trying to find what I wanted to teach all the YW specifically about the atonement.  It lead to a lot of great conversations throughout the week with friends and family, and moments on my own.  I was able to center the kids more than the past on why Easter is such a big deal.  Most importantly, I feel like I learned some new and great things about the atonement. 

I also realized (or re-realized) the power that comes from studying a specific doctrine and looking for ways that it applies to my life.  I have felt a renewed urgency to do this about many gospel subjects so I can better teach my children.  

He lives.  And because He live so will we.  It is our choice if we atone for our sins twice, seeing as how the Savior already did.  As I think about my greatest accomplishments in this life, I have spent time relating them to God's great plan of happiness and what the Christ did for me.  It is truly, as the church was hoping to express, because of Him that I am so richly blessed.  That despite sadness and sorrow, heart ache and disappointments, failure and mistakes I am happy and I feel peace and joy.  

It is because of Him.

Mom and Dad Came!

They did.

And it was great!

And we miss them so!

We went to the park, picnicked at Daphne's school, worked on the lawn, planted plants (dad taught us specifics), went out to dinner while a sitter watched the kids, crafted, chatted, cleaned my house, watched Daphne learn to swim, had hands to help watch kids, make dinner, etc.  I went on several runs outside alone, we visited historic Smithfield (hiking, antiquing, ice-cream parloring) and more.  It was truly wonderful and we all felt immensely loved and blessed.  My kids are still mourning Grandma and Grandpa having left.  Arn't mom and dad the best?!  It was fun and wonderful and just perfect!

And I took very little in the way of pictures…

But what little I did get - magic!  These are totally unedited.  I have a few more I'm working on I'll post soon!

Isn't this pair almost too much?!?

Thanks for the visit Grandma and Grandpa!  Come back soon (that goes for EVERYONE!  Come!!!)

P.S.  Changed the look of the blog a tad so we could focus more on the good stuff!  Ha!  Basically, made it more basic!  And wider - so you can post your photos extra large so we can see the cute face of everyone so much better!  To make your photos larger, hover over them when posting and it will give you size options.  Click extra large.  Let me know if you don't like the new, simpler look and I can switch things back or up again!  Much love to all your faces!!  :)   

Oh, also, when writing a post, over on the right hand side is a tab to click Labels.  I went back and labeled all the posts according to family so if you want to just look up the Hammers (Emily's Family) or just us (Jill's family) you can click on us over at the right on the main page under 'Looking for someone?' and all the posts just about my family will come up.  Cool huh… or confusing?  Either way, if you want a way to access just your posts label them!  :)  If you want.  ;)