Things have been crazy as usual this past week, but hey, at least things are never boring.  Here are some of the highlights:

• Saturday morning Kevin and I played tennis for the first time in a while (it has been way too hot).  It was a blast, and I even won 2 games, but he won the set.  The funniest part of our tennis playing, is our dilemma of what to do with the kids.  I still remember Kevin playing one-handed while holding Derek when he was still a baby.  Now, we just lock the kids into the court with us, and they run around and play with bouncy balls while we play tennis.  It gets pretty tricky sometimes, especially when Lily or Derek decide to camp out in my side of the court, because Kevin likes to hit the ball in their general direction, knowing I won't swing my racket if they are close :).  Pretty funny.  (And don't worry, the kids are perfectly safe.)
• There have been quite a few times this week when I just sat back and thought of how grateful I am to be a mom.  One of them was yesterday when I was trying to change the sheets on my bed.  Both Derek and Lily kept jumping under the sheets/blankets as I was trying to put them on, and then laughing hysterically that they were all covered up, Lily yelling that "the wave got me!"  Instead of being annoyed and impatient, I chose to play along, and although it took over 30 minutes to make the bed, it was a great memory 🙂
• On Sunday before church, I snapped this picture while Lily was playing with my little Russian nesting doll.  She was all dressed for church, sitting on my bed, and she was so silly, and yet so beautiful, that I couldn't help but smile.  And then she was even cuter when she told me that the big doll "ate" all the little ones, and then asked if she could put it back in my  "treasure chest," which is what she calls my trunk.
• Saturday afternoon we had two other couples come over (some of our great Army friends we have known since Monterey) and we had dinner, talked and played games.  Both of the girls are expecting their first babies and we are so excited for them!  Needless to say, the girl side of the conversation centered almost completely on pregnancy and babies.
• Derek, the silly man that he is, was trying to surf on my mini-ironing board.  He carried it around the house, using it for anything and everything, but the funniest thing about it, is that I have no idea how he got a hold of it in the first place.  I was sitting by it the whole time, and then it was gone.  That boy is "quick as lightning"!!
• I have been spending quite a bit of time trying to help my parents with their new blog, since they are still trying to figure it all out.  I will have to give them an in-person tutorial when they get here in a week.  (Can I just say how exited I am for their visit?!)  They are almost a month into their 3 month trip all over the country, and they have had some awesome experiences already.
• I read two really great books last week: Princess Academy and The Inheritance.  You should definitely check them out.
• Our big Primary Program is the last week in October, and so I have been working like crazy trying to finalize our script before we start practicing this week.  On Sunday we went through all the songs, and some of the kids were able to try out solos.  Lily was the last solo before everyone joined in on the chorus of the song, but instead of stepping down from the microphone, she gripped it in her hands and belted the chorus.  It was hilarious, and she was so cute.  She has no fear, as long as she is on a stage or has a mic in her hand :).
• I talked to my long lost friend Leslie for almost an hour on the phone yesterday.  We have been best friends since high school, and it was so fun to catch up.  It really made me wish she lived closer.
• I got the word from my sister Cheryl, that my amazing niece, Madeline, gets to come visit me for her spring break.  I am so very excited!!  I even have a date all set up for her with an awesome guy in our ward.
• Last week I played with friends almost everyday :), which meant my kids got to play with friends too, for the most part.  It was fun, especially when my friend September came over and we finally finished the project she is making for her husband (which we started months ago).  The best side effect of her visit, was that it really got me back into a sewing mood :).
• Kevin and I had the best time the other night reminiscing about old times – high school and college.  It is so wonderful to be married to someone with whom I share so many memories.  We laughed about the times he would take me out to dinner our freshman year at BYU, and how neither of them thought of it as a date, since we were just great friends.  Sometimes life doesn't turn out how you had planned, it turns out even better :).

PS.  Happy Birthday Holly!