Is it May or December?!?

I have decided that the month of May is just as crazy and busy as the month of December.

And sometimes, it looks like December too...

This is what it looked like outside on May Day-- or as we like to call it, Daddy's Birthday. :)

But despite the fact that the day started out a little grim, it ended up being a pretty good day.

We spoiled our Daddy with handmade cards, balloons, a movie date with mom, and more.

These are lyrics to a song that Abbie wrote for her dad.

Love, love, and love.

The next day- May 2- is my dad's birthday.  That day started out ok...but ended with a nasty turn.

That was the day we found out about my grandpa's leukemia.  Not a great birthday present for my dad, but it turned into a great weekend for some family love and togetherness. 

We spent A LOT of time giving hugs and kisses to these two amazing people.

 There were lots of hugs and kisses to go around.  It was so wonderful to be able to rally around my grandparents at this difficult time.  The love of a family is an incredible thing.  It creates miracles and

we have had a miracle in this case.  We know that my grandpa will never be cured from leukemia, but now after a week of this chemotherapy treatment and some blood transfusions, the doctors are hopeful that what started out as a grim two months left of life could possibly turn into 6 months, a year, or even 2 years.  We will take every second we can.  As long as he is feeling good.

We also spent some time with my mom's side of the family.  My uncle, Brian, invited us up to his house for a birthday/Mother's day celebration.  We have a lot of birthday's to celebrate within a short 2-3 week span of time.  Brian and Melinda's house is beautiful and it was so fun to see everyone.  My kids thought they were in a castle and had fun playing hide and seek with their cousins.  It was a beautiful day and so much fun to have some much needed family time.  We love Grandma H. and will take every second we can with her too.

Whew!  I am tired already, but that was just the first weekend in May!

The next weekend brought Abbie and Ellie's dance recital.  They have been excited about this for weeks.  We love our little Dancemaker Studio and Ms. Victoria.  She is amazing and the girls all did a wonderful job.

 Ellie is in the Ballet 1 class this year and Abbie is in Beginning Jazz.  Ellie will continue with dance next year, but Abbie is saying goodbye to dance and hello to the violin. :)

Good job girlies!  You danced so well and looked so beautiful!

It was fun to see Abbie's teacher, Mrs. Parry, there too.

We can't forget all the fun we have had with the newest member of the Ogden clan.  Bailey has brought such joy to our family.  She was meant to be with us, to fill in the empty space in our hearts.  The kids have had so much fun with her.  Ellie loves making sure Bailey is comfortable.  But I don't think that Bailey and Ellie have the same idea of comfort...

That brings us to this past weekend and Mother's Day.  It was a fun-filled, beautiful, sunny weekend.

On Saturday we got caught up on some yard work and flower planting.  Then Mark and I took Josh and Emma to see our favorites, The Piano Guys.  It was an incredible show.  

Sunday brought with it Mother's Day and I was one spoiled mama indeed!

I got to stay in bed until 10 am!  That is unheard of.  I would like to say that I was sleeping that whole time, but my body has it's internal clock set for 5:30 am.  Very annoying on the days that I can sleep in.  I did manage to go back to sleep for a bit and then had the luxury of reading for a bit.

When I made my way to the kitchen, I found a lovely pancake breakfast waiting for me and homemade gifts (the BEST kind of gifts might I add).

From Josh- the promise of cooking dinner- whatever I want- on Monday night.

From Emma- coupons for bed making and cleaning and such.  She also made a cute little booklet in school.  It was filled with famous sayings...that were completed by Emma.  Here are some examples

"With age comes...a wiser brain"

"People who live in glass houses...aren't wise."

"We'll cross that bridge when...we're ready."

When the cat's away...the dog's away.

You can't teach an old dog...how to jump.

Money is the root of all...happiness. (Hmm, should I be concerned about this one? ;)

and my favorite, 

"Never underestimate the power of...awesomeness."

From Abbie- a beautiful card and picture frame with a picture of her on her field trip to Thanksgiving Point.

From Ellie- a card and necklace with her cute little face in it.  I wore it to church.

I love being a mommy.  Definitely some S.M.I.L.E.S. going on here.

Wow.  My fingers are tired from typing so much.  And we are just barely to the middle of May!  We have a lot more in store too.  Stay tuned... :)
I will leave you with the newest Piano Guys video.  We got a sneak peak of the song at the concert and once again, they have created a masterpiece.