What a BIRTHDAY!!!!
-woken up at 4:22 by AUdry and Issac needing to tell me it was my birthday and I could go run now so we could leave on time...I just laughed and said THANK YOU but go back to bed and wake me up at 6am since no one had to be anywhere since I was keeping them home.
-Woken up at 6 and told that I was snoring softley or breathing funny and that I should really get that checked out:)
-Ran my 7 laps while they would run to the glass storm door to wave me on for each lap as I passed the house. THE SUN REMEMBERED MY BIRTHDAY and was shinning its best shine. I listened to Rascal Flats, dreamed of being a lot of places, and made tons of birthday wishes for the next year!
-Kelly showed up at 9:30 and we were off to the Natural History and Science Museum...I LOVED THIS PLACE!!! They had a BUtterrfly room filled with tons of butterflies that would land on you and a REAL LIVE SLOTH that only comes down about twice a week to eat and he came down just as we walked in!!!! He KNEW it was my birthday!!!We saw Dinosaurs and bugs and strange people:)
-ATe at McDOnald's and tiny AUdry ate almost her whole double quarter pounder with GUSTO!!!
-Found a grocery store named--no lie--HARRIS Teeter---HAD to find the PERFECT birthday cake in there...and we DID!!! I LOVE Birthdays!!!
-Went to the DOllar movie and saw the WATER HORSE---DARLING and filmed in Ireland so I was hooked no matter the story line,...which was doable for an adult.
-Went BOWLING and I WON for the first time in my life (normally I HATE bowling and refuse to go with the boys, but AUstin had his heart set on it --and I'm glad I did!!!THe BOWLING Lane KNEW it was my birthday!! I've decided that if I ever go again I will make sure to only go with little people who can barely lift the ball:)
-Went to Chinese food, ate until we bulged, came home, ate cake...all are sleeping. I still haven't had that soak in the BIG TUB yet...that would be PERFECTION on top of a perfectly perfect day. Yep...It's my BIRTHDAY!!!
THANK YOU for being on the planet at the same time as me and filling my life with love and kindness and inspiration and encouragement. Officially here 45 years. Thought alot this morning about MOm leaving at 52...7 more years just would NOT be enough.
PS ...YES, I AM wearing the same shirt 2 days in a row...and I liked it!!!

DAY 3# Easter

We woke up to an egg hunt...the "BUnny" had hide LOTS of eggs all over the place!!!We played HIDE the BUnny till time for the bus...so much FUN to be had in the world!!!When they found the BUnny they got a prize...the BUbble wands were by far the biggest hit!! I am in LOVE with those things...the colors of the bubbles are so brillantly rainbow and the bubbles are SO HUGE...I have always loved Bubbles and I was in good company of fellow bubble lovers today...even the neighbor kids loved Bubbles. Audry and Austin made us a cake in the Easy Bake oven. We dyed eggs after school, another Mary Poppins favorite activity---I could do that for hours.And we do at our house actually. These guys weren't quite as patient of enthused about the crayon decorating, the dying was too fast and fun to stop and color on them.Issac is still following me around getting LOTS of pictures of me and everyone, he will expect to see this particular one posted here in the morning when he wakes,...not the picture I would have chosen, but hey, what do I know about an artist's art? Yesterday we got AUdry the milkshake, and she is STILL working on it tonight with her new Easter Bunny straw...SO DIFFERENT from my big boys...that puppy would never have made it home.
Thank you for the birthday calls I got today...I'll be 45 when I wake up...I am tickled to finally be there! THe other unbelieveable news today is that Don will have to fly to London and MUNICH GERMANY for business the 2nd week of APril and he is taking me!!! I will have to try VERY hard not to buzz over to see Michael (OR NOT SO HARD) Miracles keep falling on my head...even while I'm living one currently...who could have guessed that I'd get 5 days ALONE with my neice and nephews to "junk them out" as Issac put it tonight and to play play play...Life is GOOD.

DAY #2 Mary HERE

Valentine's Day started with pink heart waffles ...oh yeah--and valentine folders and notes from Audry...she and Issac woke up at I don't know what time and made them before I woke up at 5:30!!!!
Issac was taking alot of pictures of me up close and Audry finally says in her sassy 8 year old female attitude.."Issac, don't ya know she DOES NOT want you to take her picture looking like that with her hair all up and messy?" Darling Issac immediately focused on a new subject like a whipped puppy. I assured him I didn't care, but obviously Audry is in the know.
It was time for them to leave and Issac became VERY tired and didn't think he should go. I wanted him to stay home as bad as he wanted to stay. I told him that if we both kept watching the clock that the time really would pass and we would be to 3:30 before he knew it. He thought I should check him out at lunch or maybe earlier if I wanted. I told him the truth, I was afraid to try to find the school with out him unless it was an emergency. After about 3 minutes waiting for the bus he headed back to the house and said he was too cold. I traded his hoodie for a coat and he said that there probably wasn't a coat warm enough for how cold he was. I walked him back out and kiss him all over and he grabs my neck and says "I think you don't want to be alone and I could stay with you today." My heart was a puddle in the street. I assured him I did NOT want to be alone, and that I would love it if he stayed, but that I was going to keep him out of school on Wednesday for our BIrthday Bash so I couldn't do it EVERY day I'm here or his mom wouldn't let me come back. He just looked deep in my eyes thinking and finally said "I can do it, but it's going to be REALLY LONG, it will be hard to wait that long to see you"....he might be heading to Utah on my lap.
I know you get sick of hearing about my runs...but when you jump from 11 degrees in the dark to 57 degrees in outright sunshine...I ran with my shadow today---and I LIKED the way my shadow looked...long and lithe...gotta run at just the right time to have it improve the real deal!!!! And the air...after the rain last night smelled just right...everything clean and bright...the sky was the bluest blue and daffodils and tulips are blooming and there weren't any dogs and everyone waved to me that passed even thought they have NO IDEA who in the heck I am...and my IPOD was fully charged...and I felt loved to the core, and GRATEFUL like I can't explain GRATEFUL just to be HERE, in NC sharing this week in this space with these kids.

Kelly and Jax showed up..they have both had the flu...the nasty flu...they needed to get out the house after being cooped up for a few days. We had a good catch up...Jax is SO happy and loving...EVEN when he doesn't feel good.

The kids got off the bus all excited about a CHICK FILLET PTA something that would be from 5-7. We headed to Target (the RED store for a few missing Valentine's essentials and Audry wanted to spend some of her new birthday money(she got some new dress up items). THAT was a GREAT TIME!!!! We headed over to the RED CHick Fillet and they even had RED balloons up for us...Issac (again) said "Hey, they knew we were doing Valentine's today!!!" like we had planned it out special. I spilt the milk shake we got for AUdry and they were beside themselves. I just kept laughing and reminding them that they didn't live around me enought to know that I am the SPILLER, not my kids. Wish we had a picture of Austin's face...and the floor!!! THere was a RED sunset on the way home...AUstin picked up on that for us so we got a picture...see even the Universe wanted to help make our day special.
All are sleeping and I am off to have a lovely soak in the BIG tub with my new book.
HMMmmmmmmmmm....yeah. Oh yeah.

DAY No. 1 as MARY P

Audry reported she has lost 10 teeth of which she is extremely proud because AUstin has only lost 8...
MICHAEL...check out the coat? I think I will write OSH KOSH...Remember this coat? First it was yours, then Josh's , then SPencer's , then Sam's, then Austin's, then Issac's and NOW WIlliam's!!!! Pretty astonishing!! Made me a little teary. I held it up and wanted to "smell" you in it!!! Hard to believe that ANY of my boys were ever that small!!!

DAY #1 as MARY P

I'm actually too tired to try to figure out HOW to write this and have it publish in Sequence, so...here goes..
I got in after midnight and everyone was sleeping so I just read and went to sleep.Gene was an angel to pick me up so late and it was GREAT catching up with him on the drive home. Even in the dark I could FEEL my "Florida" trees...and getting off the plane you could smell the humidity in the air.
I woke up to the happy noises of Issac and Audry in the kitchen giggling TRYING not to wake me (3:30 my time). I was so excited, it was like Christmas morning and I bolted out, redeemed my fair share of kisses and the fun began. I gave WIlliam a bubble blowing machine and the fun COULD NOT WAIT (we couldn't mess up the house because of all the showings schedlued for today so I just blew them through a wand. Might I say that EVERY day would be better if it started with BUBBLES...of course then you also need a little William to jump up and down flinging his arms wildly saying POP POP POP in the best 20 month old speech he can scream:)
We had to be out of the house from 9-3 because there were to be so many showings. CHurch took up until noon. Note how well dressed and reverent they look...and you would have had your buttons busting off if you had heard Audry's talk in PRimary (in front of about 12 adults and at least 30 kids)she spoke on the scriptures in Mosiah 18 ALma the YOunger baptizing at the waters of Mormon and concluded with how excited she is to be being Baptized herself this Saturday. Yep, I'm her Aunt...my shoulders were flung back and I couldn't quit smiling.
We took a picnic lunch and had amazing microwave cuisine in the church kitchen..HOt pockets, little smokies in a blanket, grapes, pumpkin muffins, peanut butter crackers, molasses cookies...YUM. I sent AUstin the game TICKET TO RIDE for his birthday last year...if you double click on the photo you will see whose picture is next to the Salt LAke CIty depot...I told him that everytime they played, they had to all say together WE LOVE OUR UTAH COUSINS BEST!!!! ( I taped our picture on the board, and the new rules inside the lid of the box...and then whoever got a "trip" to Salt Lake automatically gets an extra 10 points...nothing like brain washing) It was surreal to be there playing with them..., especially in the church kitchen!!!ISSAC WON!!!! We laughed and entertained each other until 2:30, headed home,on the way DOn called to tell me he was with SAM, guess where? YEP!!! Getting his ankle X-RAYED..thank Heavens it was only a very nasty sprain(he has traveling baseball league tryouts on Tuesday and Wednesday).
We were in the door no more than 10 minutes when a LATE agent showed up with a couple to see the house. We flew around picking up everything we had just put IN the house and took it back out to the car and left for ANOTHER 40 minutes. We drove around new neighborhoods and I drooled over the classic architecture. WHy can't they build neighborhoods in UTAH with homes like these...and UNBELIEVABLY...these homes topped out at 369K!!!!
WHile driving we talked about a gazillion things, but I learned that the love of COOKING must come through the Broadhurst genes...Austin-11, Audrey-8, and Issac-5 were all avid watchers of the food network and wanted to have a COOK OFF against each other with only an hour to prepare, and extra points were to be given for "presentation", but that we wouldn't have the special ONE ingredient...whatever that is. I kid you not...I SWEAR, they made this heart spaghetti and salad and "fruit punch" and strawberry sorbet WITHOUT ME...I didn't even know WHAT they were thinking. I'm impressed out of my head and let me tell you it was YUMMY and I know cause I was the judge!!! I had barely finished judging when the service called to say they had a late showing and wanted to know if they could come between 5:45-7...we ran around like crazy, cleaned up, and got in the car right as they arrived. THey stayed an hour or a bit more...a GREAT sign..so maybe they'll get a contract tomorrow!!! AUdry voaclly jammed to the new HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL DVD for the whole time being joined many ties by AUstin and WIlliam...it just makes me smile...this "STUFF" is SO genetic!!! ANyone who knows how much I LOVE a good song and losing my self in it. It's been too long since I've felt as completely absorbed as Audry though. Once we got back home, she and Issac continued with the Karioke mirophone version of the same show. It actually started out as a FASHION SHOW and I was going to have to be JUDGE again, but the music just let loose and took over and the dance off began. "Not so Sundayish" many may be thinking...if I've ever seen pure joy...it was there.
Issac found a new hobby today and has beconme the offical photographer for our week. Aunt Jeremi...you will have to tutor him. He took most of the pictures that he is not in. I included the 3 of me hugging each of them because ISSAC took the 2 he was not in...these kids ROCK!!! Gene and Sheri obviously are outstanding parents.
It's quiet and raining. They prayed for rain in church today...I guess they've been in a drought. ALl are sleeping. GrandDAD Steadwell is at the dance with Olive, Don and boys are at home together, and I have the rest of the night to eat Molasses cookies and read. Hmmmmmmmmm....what a beautiful world...and it belongs to me.

MR.VIKING

Another Mr. Viking pageant...these are always a highlite of the year. You go knowing you are going to laugh until your sides hurt. You get to see all these boys you've known practically since birth let loose. The theme this year was "Dr. LOVE"...the skits and videos take the cake...One of my favorites was "THE GOSHFATHER"..anyway,These VIKING boys never disappoint. We were pleased that Chad (Clayson)won Mr. Congeneality and that Dave (Chester) won the 1st Attendant. Josh was in Chad's skit. It's going to be sad when they graduate and are off to their real lives. They spend so much time in our home and then one day in June it tappers off dramatically and then by Fall its seldom that we see them. It's NOT NICE to do to a mom. We've had that happen twice before and it leaves a hole...thank heavens we have other kids who keep filling the gap...but in 6 years there won't be any other kids left to fill the gap...then WHAT? I'm willing to bet I'll STILL be going to the pageant.

Mary Poppins suitcase packed XXOOXX

I leave Saturday for North Carolina to be favorite AUNT EXTRAORDINAIRE!!!! I have my clothes suitcase and my MARY POPPINS suitcase...I've ALWAYS wanted to have a Mary Poppins suitcase!!! Talk about a year of dreams coming true!!! I just wish that I didn't have to send them to school!!! I think the wind is predicting a very pleasant adventure...

Sam's Baseball batting cage SLAM into Don's toe

I think the pictures say it all. Dr. can't do anything...just buddy tape it to the next toe. OOOWWWWWwwwww! It actually looks even worse now 2 days after the photo. Dad giving his all for his boy.

Obsessive psycho personality

I was up at 4 to be at the American Fork Gold's Gym for the 4:30 PUMP class to be followed by the spin class...I stayed waiting like a benevolent stupid dog for it's uncaring owner...nobody came to open the gym. Literally over 100 cars came and left and I just stayed...until 5:15...I might add I do really really really LOVE my seat bummy warmers. I left and came home and got back in bed--because the treadmill would have woken the boys right? And the eating began...it all started with a bite of a fish stick...yes, 1/2 of a fish stick taster at Costco--battered. And then my brain took me straight to APOLLO burger for #1 cheeseburger and fries with fry sauce, then I ate 4 oatmeal raisin cookies from COstco--yep, the big ones, and then grapes and cherry sours and steak and potatoe burrito for dinner...it is now 6:45 and I desparately need to stop. How does MY brain work that I rationalize this? While I'm in the middle of it, it all makes sense. Now that I am about to burst I am so sad. How many pounds will that be tomorrow? How far will I have to run? WHy why why did I do that? I just want to be a NORMAL eating person for awhile. How can I be 44 years old and not have this figured out? Why is food so comforting and pleasing to me?
This post is only to be read my women. WOmen who love me. Women who know its a battle to be healthy AND happy. There. COnfession over. I still love food.

Michael Monday

I spend most of Monday's thinking about Michael and what we can share that will make his week. Well Buddy...it's been CRAZY since last week, but we'll sum it up.
Wednesday I took the Young Men and Women to Seven Peaks Ice Rink...Kay Clegg and a and few of the YM leaders came as well...Kay and I spent ALOT of time helping to tie up laces. We were amazed at how many girls had never been or only once before. Other than being freezing in there, the energy in the air was contaigous and electric and you just wanted to be Dorothy Hamil. My favorite part was watching these ---I SWEAR--these boys were NOT older than 5 or 6...playing Hockey...boy could they skate! They were running into each other on purpose. I could NOT have been a Hockey mom:)Jeff Southard (new guy in the middle Michael--I work with him at Trophy Homes sometimes, anyway, he moved into the new Ivory neighborhood since you left)gave me grief for helping all the girls with their boots, then HIS daughter comes up to me and asks for help right in front of him...made me smile. He is the new YM President and great to work with. The boys love him and so do the other leaders. Ron Torgerson said to say hi!

The 2 work project pictures are from a condo I am selling in Midtown Station right off of State Street in ORem...crazy huh? Doesn't LOOK like UTAH!!! Feels like New York or big city. THey are mostly selling to retired couples. I think you'll be surprised to see some of the changes when you get home.

I love when I get something RIGHT. I gave all my girls these silly candy braclets for Valentine's and they LOVED them...who would have guessed?

Valentine's was LOVE filled. Did you get our package before your transfer? Please let us know. We had Daylight Donuts for Breakfast and love surprises for everyone...I replaced Sam's ZUNE since I had the little washing machine incident. Josh left that afternoon with Greg to go to San Fransico until today...he'll give you the happy details. Josh and Sam spent the night at home while I took Dad to a condo for a long date away. Dad took Spencer to St. George on Friday thru Sat. late to golf with Joe Hatch and Joe Sykes. SPencer is now a boy with a mission to move to St. George. I keep telling him it will have to be FLORIDA first if what he wants is year round golf!! Dad did great...he gave me a dozen roses, AND half day at this spa where they did my nails, toes, face, and a massage. I was so relaxed I could barely walk out of there. I felt like a woman in the movies. Hey--for all you other women...those places are real and we need to keep them in business!!! I have to make that happen again in my life, it was almost too great to be real.

Sunday Jeremy and girlies came for dinner (Aunt Kori is having a BOY!!!) and so did Michelle and Robert and Bronson. We had steak and bacon cheese potatoes...ummmmm. I love Sunday's AFTER church when we are just sitting around with each other. Haven beat me 3 times...twice at Go Fish and once at Old Maid...with the NEW Cinderella cards I bought! That girl has luck!!!!

Today for President's Day everyone just chilled...I took a long run with Becki, Spencer spent the night at Megan's last night and showed up about 1:30 with Scott Matheson and Tyson ERdmann (both of them driving their own cars---too wierd). We went to Californina Pizza Kitchen for Megan's birthday dinner tonight and then to a new movie called Defintely, Maybe, after about 30 minutes we walked out when the whole thing was about sex and sexual alternatives...I was surprised, I think I'm a pretty easy going mom when it comes to that stuff, but even I was ready to go when Dad said he'd had enough. I wish we could have gotten out money back.

Well lovey, sam counted it up for me as a LOVE present and told me I only have 163 days till your home. I like the sound of 5 Fast Sunday's better!We've enjoyed learning about Ramstien this week. I hope you love it there. I hope you are your normal self and LOVE everything about it. TEll us about your new companion.
SOrry to everyone else who plowed through this. Sorry about so few postings...had computer crisis continued this week...NOT going to tell about it because that energy is NOT allowed in my space.

Life is changing faster than me and my children are all sparkily and shiny with good works. I'm a happy, content woman. I'm so grateful to everyone who loves me. Megan told me about a friend of her's phone voice message that says....Tell me you love me!!! ...and then you leave your message...my kind of human.Happy Valentine's Family and Friends!!!