things to remember

These kids are growing too fast! Graham is 22 months old and just had the cutest haircut from our sweet neighbor Tammy.  It turned out great.  A few weeks later I decided I was ready to get mine cut so I could go back to having a style again again instead of just wearing it up all the time.  I do love long hair but I don't have great hair to leave down so  I tend to wear it up all the time.  So this change was great, and Jeremy loves it!

I have been loving sliced pears and walnuts.  Lovely snack. 

It seems my sweet Carlee always knows when I need a little pick me up.  I had a rough morning one day last week.  After the kids went to school I went into my room to make my bed and found this note on my nightstand.  She is always so thoughtful.

Savanna got the cutest cut too!

Her hair seems so much thicker.  We love it.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

at the creek

We were all longing for some peace and tranquility Saturday. It has been a LONG and HOT summer! We drove up the mountain to a small creek and enjoyed the quiet beauty that surrounded us.  Jeremy and I both enjoyed the sand between our toes and the cool creek water.  The kids enjoyed splashing and chasing tadpoles, collecting colorful rocks and building a dam with their daddy.  Graham tasted all the rocks within reach and loved to immerse his hands in the warm course sand time after time.   I love to watch his face as he is exploring his surroundings in each new place we visit.  Children truly enjoy the world around them.  I am so looking forward to the upcoming adventures we have planned with our children. 

Graham Turned One

Graham turned one on the 5th of May.  The year has flown by!  He is still such a baby to me.  Being our caboose he will stay the baby for a long time.  He is 17 lbs, loves to play with toys, crawls everywhere, and has the biggest smile ever.  He brings so much joy into our lives each day with his sweet little spirit.  We love you Graham!

Easter

We did so many things this year!  It was so much fun and really stress free for once.  We did a lot of talking about the meaning of Easter.  We dyed eggs, filled up plastic eggs with goodies, did our Saturday Easter egg hunt with a family cookout.  Then Saturday night we did our Easter Cookies and the story.  Then Sunday morning we opened the oven and finished the beautiful story of our Savior.  We gave the kids chocolate bunnies and spent the morning together before church.  We don't do the whole Easter bunny at our house, but we do lots of fun things.  The kids really enjoyed Easter and all that came with it.  I can't believe how fast they are growing up.  Holidays are becoming such a joy with this bunch!  We even had the privilege of witnessing 4 baby chick hatch out.  Their mother had 4 other babies and left these eggs.  So my sweet husband took them under his wing and keep them warm in our dehydrator and hatched them.  Watching the miracle of their entrance was so neat.  The kids loved every minute of it.  From the first little crack to the hole getting bigger and bigger and then the little beak poking out.  It was amazing!  Easter was wonderful this year.  What a blessing my family is to me.

We have our very first.....

{TOOTH!}

Monday I was sitting in the chair rocking Graham and he grabbed my finger and shoved it into his mouth and not expecting it, it hurt!  I pulled my finger out and looked at my cuticle and it was bleeding.  So I felt into his mouth, and sure enough, there was the cutest little tooth ever!  He is growing up too fast.  He is on the verge of crawling which makes me sad.  My last baby.  It seems crazy!  I sure love this little guy.

my little bee

Kisses from Sissy

Halloween for us this year was a bit different.  I was super lazy, as I had been sick.  The kids each decided what they wanted to be on their own, Savanna went from a princess, to a cheerleader, to just wanting to wear her pajamas.  Fisher wasn't feeling well either.  I don't know what was wrong with me, but I forgot to take a single picture.  The best part was this year my sister's kids came while their older brother went on a date.  So we had Mallory, Zack, and Caleb this year.  We didn't go to the trunk or treat, just around the neighborhood.  The kids had more fun with their cousins then anything.  We went to Walmart Saturday and all the costumes were 75% off.  So we have some way fun costumes for next year.  So stay tuned till next October!

This last weekend we went out to my parents house and visited with my aunt Barbara and uncle Joe, all of their kids, and all of my cousins children.  We had such a great time! Again, I forgot my camera.  So when my aunt emails me pics I will post.  It was so much fun to be with family.  They are such good people and great company!  Most all of thier kids are teenagers, so it was so fun to see that stage in life.  It made me excited.  They are an awesome group of rightouse kids!

Last Summer Swim Party

We had so much fun this summer going to Grandpa Don's and Grandma Penny's. Grandpa would fill up the pool and the kids would play for a few hours and we would eat something fun. They really looked forward to these times. I have really appreciated my parents for taking the time to do these special things for my kids. They will have so many memories with their grandparents.

A few weeks ago my dad wasn't feeling well. Very tired, hard to get a breath, and look pretty pale. He had been at my house and looked terrible. I tired to get him to go to the doctor, but he wanted to wait a few days. Well, a few days later he came back and looked worse. This was a Friday. He wanted to wait till Monday and not have to go the the ER. Well, he was finally convinced and went up to the ER. After some testing they found out he had a heart attack and ended up flying him to Tucson Heart Hospital. So I called Jeremy and he came home from work, picked up my mom and headed to Tucson. Before we even got their they had put in 2 stints. When the doctor came out they said they had a hard time breaking up the blockage and almost gave up on one valve. But they ended up getting it in. But the others have 50% to 60% blockage and there isn't really much they can do. He went to the doctor last week and met with the surgeon and he told my dad that he can't be doing anything that would make him strain. Lifting things and pulling on things or anything. This could cause a piece to break loose and he would die. They told him he was 99% blocked and had he waited till Monday, he would have died in his sleep over the weekend. He just retired. So this new is really hard for him.

This really opened my eyes to the fact we could loose him. He has a lot of heart damage. Loosing Linda has been very difficult for me. I can't imagine loosing my own parents right now. I am so grateful I live close to them and for our special time together as a family. They love and support Jeremy and I and love my kids so much. Life is so short and this has really made me think what I am doing. Am I getting angry at things or people and wasting my time here? Am I enjoying each day like it could be the last? Am I living each day like I want to return to live with my family and my Father in Heaven? Am I grateful for all I have? Something has changed for me and in me. I am learning to enjoy my kids even if they just destroyed my house. I am learning to love Jeremy depict his imperfections. I have many that he loves me in spite of. Our family has been happier. We have been having more stress free fun. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. But I know too we must build, strengthen, and enjoy our family relationships now to be able to be together later. I am most grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Without we would all be lost. Having the temple here has been one of the greatest blessing in our lives. Jeremy and I are strengthen each time we attend. We find our needed peace within those sacred walls. With 6 small children it is hard to go, but we are richly blessed by the sacrifice. I look forward to our time together there each week. What a blessing families are. And what a blessing we can be together forever!

{2 months old}

Woke up this morning and went for my usual 6:00 walk. Came home to the kids watching t.v. I don't like when the t.v. is turned on first thing in the morning. It makes for a long grouchy day! I am totally dragging today. Ever have some days you don't want to do anything?? That is me today! I am so tired. Graham has been sleeping really well at night too. I don't know what I would do if he was up. I think Heavenly Father is blessing me. Yesterday was Grahams 2 month check up. He is getting so big, TOO fast! This summer is flying by. He is such a sweet baby! I am treasuring all my time with him. Knowing he is our last make each thing he does so precious. We love you Graham!

Fun Family Weekend

Last weekend was such a special time. Loralie's baptism and Graham's blessing was wonderful! We had so many friends and family members there. Loralie was just glowing with excitement and the spirit. She looked beautiful in her white dress. We all had such a great time. I love occasions where the spirit is strong and Jeremy is able to use the priesthood to bless our little family. It is still hard to believe that two of our kids are baptized! Time is flying by. I have had so much fun making Loralie a baptism book for all her memories of her special day. It was such an exciting time for our family!

Baptism and Blessing

It's About Time

I decided today that it was time to post something. I have been putting it off for many reasons. But I am missing a lot of journaling moments with my family. Especially our newest addition. My pictures are not wonderful. I have nothing scrapbooked. But I am getting to spend a lot of time holding the sweet little guy. He is such a wonderful baby. He is sleeping about 6 hours for me at night. So I feel pretty good in the mornings. He only cries when he is hungry. I am really trying to enjoy each moment knowing he is our last. Things are pretty crazy around here. Lots of laundry, the floor is a mess, and dishes piled up. My routine went out the door. But I am trying to tell myself in a few months he will be older and things will get back to normal. I want to enjoy each day while he is so tiny. Spreading my attention out has been somewhat difficult. Fisher loves the baby and wants to kiss him all the time.

Life for us in the past couple months has really changed. Some things are really hard, but we have had a lot of joy too. I miss Jeremy's mom more than I can express. She loved me unconditionally, she encouraged me and always told me what a wonderful person I was. Even though I am not as wonderful as she would say, it made me want to be. Now I am striving to be the best I can and help my family to be so we can be with her again. How blessed I am to have the knowledge and testimony of the gospel.

BYU TV just aired BYU Women's Conference for 2010 and I have really been enjoying each talk. They uplift, encourage, and strengthen me as a wife and mother. To know that what I can trying to accomplish each day is really worth all the hard work and tears keeps me going. I am so grateful for this little family I have been blessed with. What a privilege. I am also so grateful for Jeremy. He puts up with me and listens to all my life's trials and a mother. He not only listens, but he strengthens me. I am so blessed he honors his priesthood and we can partake of its blessings as a family.

I am so excited the temple will be dedicated and open soon. Jeremy's dad was called to be a temple worker. I am so excited for me. What better place to feel of Heavenly Father's and Linda's love for him. To have the temple 5 minutes away seems unbelievable. The temple has always been a place of peace and strength to me. The kids really enjoyed going to the open house. The loved how everything was so sparkly and clean, and so quiet and peaceful. I hope my children never forget that experience. Everything we are here on this earth for is found within the temple walls.