Easter 2014

Happy Easter to all of our friends and family. We could not be happier to have had such good weather and great company for this special day. In this last general conference for the LDS church, Elder Uchtdorf spoke on being grateful. (see link here)I could not think of a better day to do that than on Easter. 

The first thing I was grateful for was that my children cooperated in sitting down and taking pictures. Nay, they did more than cooperate; they begged me to take more pictures. So for the first time ever I have managed to be in a picture with more than just one of my children with their eyes open and have had a record of more than two children staring and/or smiling at the camera at once. As crazy as it may sound to some, my gratitude is magnified because I have known true, gut wrenching sorrow from being a mother. I have been to such a dark place that all seemed lost to me but were it not for the love of my children, both living and spiritual, as well as of my Savior,I would not have had the strength or purpose to carry on. It is those sad days that allow me today and every day to find gratitude and happiness in the monotonous, the repetitive, the otherwise minuscule task of child rearing. And through grateful eyes see the miracles that I have been entrusted with for an eternity. 

These bambinos will be three years old in a few weeks and most days it seems like yesterday they were born.

Nico's first Easter. He's smiling inside.

My mini men and me

What a great big sister these kids get

All my Harris men. 

No prompting to hold hands. They just love each other that much

These two have similar personalities and humor. Lucky me.

I am grateful for a loving husband. For this man, like Michaelangelo with the statue of David, was able to see a worthless piece of marble that most had discarded as "past saving" and brought forth something valuable. In this case, someone who would love him fiercely, faithfully and eternally. He reminded me that I was a Heavenly daughter of Heavenly Father and thus my worth is unmeasurable. My greatest wish is that my daughters find husbands like their father. Someone who is humorous, hard working, goal oriented, spiritual, loving: a Priesthood holding man who loves them as much as he loves me. And good looking don't hurt either. 

Love this man.

I am grateful for the love my children have for one another. Their tenderness brings me to my knees some moments. To here Gigi say, "Good Morning Baby." (in what sounds like an old New York lady accent) as she peers down at her little Nico is adorable. Only to be matched by Carlos patting him on the head saying, "Nice Nico.I hold baby now."

How you doin'

Golden will first kill himself than admit that he loves his siblings but I catch him sitting in the living room surrounded by the triplets as he tells them about something on his iPad. He is always counting heads making sure they are all accounted for. 

Gigi loves to sing and dance. 

Little man loves big man

I am grateful for the roof over our heads and the food we have to eat especially today. To stand in the kitchen with the triplets sitting on the island "helping" Eva and I make the food is my favorite part of every day but holidays are the best because we get to experiment with new things. This day was marzipan and dinner rolls in the shapes of bunnies. The fact that the rolls grew into each other made it look like a lot of bunnies sniffing each others butts and this laughter was enough to try that again. 

Bunnies jumping into the hole

It looks like a pen for crippled bunnies

I am grateful that Beau likes to cuddle. That her sense of humor is bordering on genius and that she likes to pretend to be a kitty cat and curl up in my lap a lot. 

I am grateful that Carlos likes to wake up from his nap 30 minutes before his sisters so that he and I can have our own private cuddle and play time. I love that he wants to wear a Superman shirt every day all day. I love that he loves me and that he says "Please and Thank you, Mommy" when he only needs to say please.

I am grateful that Gigi is potty trained. That she is incredibly inquisitive and happy, that the most terrible words you can here from her are "I got it" which usually means she has gone and got something that is either breakable, spillable or both.

Love this mug

I am grateful for the fact that everyone allowed me to take their picture individually. I am also thankful for their health and their ability to be children without the need to grow up too fast. I am grateful that the biggest problem in my house is the noise from too many kids screaming and laughing at once.

When did he grow up? 

Did I mention how much I love the Superman phase?

That look gets me every day.

I am grateful we were able to have a splendid Easter egg hunt. One for the little ones in the day and a nighttime one for the big gins in their night vision goggles. The babes gorged on chocolate  more than they should have and I could care less. They found all the eggs and no one seemed to notice that I left one egg empty to signify the fact that Our Savior is Risen which is the last and most important thing I am grateful for. I never need ask "What is the meaning of my life?" or " Do you ever just wonder if what you do is important enough?" I know that I am here for the simple purpose of receiving a body so that I may return to live with my Heavenly Father and I can do so with this crazy group of individuals I am lucky enough to call my family. I know that I will be reunited with our son one glorious day in the future and that Heavenly Father put us here so that we may have joy. And today I say that His mission is accomplished for my heart is full.