OCTOBER

WOW!! Where has the time gone? Life is flying at such a speedy pace that I just can't keep up. It's all I can do to make sure were at least fully clothed when we leave our house in the morning. With work, my calling, yearbook & our crazy life in general - things are NUTS!!! I'm completely impressed I had an hour to do this today. So, if anyone out there is still checking this - let's start off slow....

I am an anal person. No secret! For my sanity, I must go back to October & work in chronological order. Even though we've had some pretty life changing events occur that deserve immediate attention. In the past I would start posting when I had a bunch cued up to automatically post for a week. Today, however, I have one & only one. At least it's a start & we'll see where we go from here. ;)

I'm starting with October. This was a month full of some craziness. We started a babysitting coop & love it! I took some pictures the first week we had a turn & had to share. (I hope no one is nervous that I posting pictures of their kid. Probably should have asked first. Oh well - sorry! The kids are all so cute. We actually were short one the first time, so there's only two here. Oh & I had to add the picture of Nui because it makes me laugh every time I see it. It's blurry, but how often do you catch a picture of a dog with it's eyes closed? I thought it was funny!

Next, we had a crazy storm with a micro burst in our area. The stake RS Pres called me & asked if everyone in our ward was ok after the storm & I thought that was odd. It was just some rain. Sure it was a lot of rain, but nothing major. I had no idea what had happened 1/4 mile from my home! We went to Target by our house & found light poles down Southern that were completely destroyed! The pictures don't do it justice. It was crazy! One of them is cracked twice. Weird!! Our bishop is still harassing me for meals because he had some branches fall into his pool. Guess I better get on that. I'm a slacker of a Pres!

October was also a miracle month! Little Eli was born to Jack & Alli! What a blessing he is to them & a cutie at that! It's crazy to look at these photos because he already looks nothing like this. He has the best dimples & the cutest grin. They grow so fast!

Now we'll see how long it will be before I can post again. I counted roughly 17 posts to catch up. Halloween will be next. At least my yearbook deadline is only 3 weeks away!! Actually, that's terrible because I have a lot to do! On the other hand, it's wonderful because I'll be done!! Wish me lots of luck!

DIVISION LINE

**Journaling post - something I just wanted to jot down to remember.**

There is this sweet, sweet lady in my ward that I've really come to respect & love over the past year. She's the Family History Leader in our ward & has taught me A TON!! I love family history & couldn't have asked for a better teacher. She has such a strong testimony of this work & you would not believe the amount of work she has done & the stories she can tell!

We were talking today {she always has some wonderful insight to share with me} about trials. She's had a fair share of trials in her life & we were just talking about kids in general. We were also talking about loved ones we know going through difficult times. I expressed concern for someone I know going through some rather difficult times right now. Well, this dear woman always knows the right thing to say!

She told me she was just talking with one of her daughters about this same subject & that she's decided that those with difficult trials are on the balancing line, so to speak. Everyone has trials & life is hard. Some really do get handed some really hard things, though. These trials make you stronger. We all know that. But, stronger for what? She told me her theory was that they make you stronger to know which side you're on.

For some reason this made total sense to me. Something that is common sense if you think about it, but it struck me. This is something I really needed my specific loved one to hear. Trials make you stronger, yes. They challenge you to decide beyond a reasonable doubt which side you'll be on in the last days. Could you really be strong enough to stand up for what's right without gaining the strength to do so from your trials? This sister told me - she's had her trials. She's done her duty & she knows without a doubt which side she's on.

Through tough times we should all remember that we're becoming stronger. Sure it's hard & flat out sucks at times, but in the end, we'll know what side we truly stand on. If the opportunity arises to stand for the truth against something extremely difficult - will we have the strength to fight for what's right? Will we know what side of the fence we're on?

CABIN

Thanks to us bidding on the "Cabin Weekend With The Wiscombe's" item at the YW fundraiser we were able to have a quick getaway to a cabin. It couldn't have come at a better time. The previous week was a really crazy week. That may even be an understatement! It was so nice to get away - even for a night. To spend time with friends & just relax.

And relax we did! Erik & I had a hard time staying awake. We felt like the laziest people on the planet. We were beyond exhausted from our week. The girls had a blast playing with the Wiscombe kids. We should have just called it the gathering of the cutest kids on the planet. Because, it basically was!

Fun times included:
**Rummikub on the porch while it rained (Gorgeous!!)
**Watching Stardust (Ok - Erik & I slept through it.)
**Eating of yummy food
**Watching the kids be silly
**Me getting to hold a sleeping baby
**Enjoying cooler weather
**NO CELL PHONE SERVICE!!
**Being with friends

Thanks again Wiscombe's! We had a blast & hope we weren't too boring for you while we slept! ;)

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID

My girls LOVE the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid books. They counted down the days for the movie to come out & LOVED the movie. I haven't read the books myself, but Erik read the first one. He giggled the whole time. I did see the movie & found it quite funny. Rowley dancing with his mom, of course, stole the show for me.

Our girls spent 2 days planning a party for the release of the Bluray. Complete with posters & game ideas. (This is actually a very common occurrence at our home in case you haven't noticed.) We played pin the cheese on the basketball court. Complete with blindfold & headphones for some reason??? As well as pin Greg on the cover, a cover drawing contest, and a eating a muffin with no hands contest.

We have the nuttiest girls. They sure are fun! There's never a dull moment at our house. Thanks for the fun night my ladies!!!

L. TOM PERRY

**UPDATE** At the bottom*
This is one of those posts where my inadequacies of writing do not do the day justice!

Today we had a special stake conference. L. Tom Perry was in town doing some leadership training with stake presidencies & bishops and chose to come visit our stake. What an amazing conference it was!! One we will never forget. We sat in the very front row. We showed up an hour and a half early to get a good seat. All of the rows were taken pretty much except the front row. Because who ever wants to sit there? We did & I'm so glad we did!

Once it got started our Stake President was announcing the program & he was the first speaker. He was getting ready to go right into his talk after the opening prayer when Elder Perry called out that there was suppose to be a special number first. Then he called to the Stake President, "I know you're excited to speak, but..." It was pretty funny right in the middle of a conference.

Jim L. Wright, who is one of the new area Seventies, was also at the conference. He was the second speaker. He talked about how he loved to hear Sister Beck talk about LOVE at her home growing up. How every Family Home Evening her family sang "Love at Home". When she was 15 she couldn't take it anymore & asked her Dad if they could stop singing that song. Her Dad told her that once she learned lesson 1 they could stop singing it. She said she never learned lesson 1.

Pres. Stott {our stake president} then got up to introduce Elder Perry. Can't remember how exactly it came up, but he mentioned Elder Perry was 88 years old. He looks wonderful for his age, by the way. When Elder Perry got up to speak he mentioned how getting old was great. He joked how everyone talks about how old he is! Also, when he's at family gathering he's no longer required to play kickball with the kids. He gets to sit in a chair & relax. He doesn't get sunburns anymore because he, again, gets to just sit in a chair & relax. He said it's a great stage in life!

When it was Elder Perry's turn to speak he spoke a lot to the "young people". He talked about how technology changes all the time now. How he's gone through palm pilots, blackberries, ipods & now he has an ipad. He's up with the times! Heehee He talked about how great it was to have over 2,000 talks right in his hand without having to have a big briefcase anymore. He told kids how they now have to show their parents how to use the remote & if the computer has problems the kids are the ones that usually have to show their parents how to fix it.

He talked about how important an education was. This is something that has become a big topic at our home. Erik & I did not go to college & we regret it all the time. We tell our girls that they will go to college. Not sure how it will happen, but we tell them all the time how important it is to go. For him to look right at Kylie & talk about the importance of an education was priceless to me!

He also talked about how important it is to be prepared for the future. He said when he was a kid he had a paper route. He lived during the Depression & talked about how hard those times were. He would put his earnings from his paper route in a glass jar. At times he would find IOU notes from his mom in his jar. She would borrow money during tough times to provide groceries for the family. He at one point had $20 in his jar & his dad advised him to invest it in stocks. He didn't know what stocks were, but decided to invest in First Security Bank. His $20 bought 20 shares. He was even invited to come to board meetings as a share holder. A few years later they announced that stocks were doubling & his 20 stocks had now turned into 40. He said that continued to happen & it eventually paid for his entire mission & even gave him a good start on his education.

There were multiple times that he would point & speak directly at Kylie. Telling her what she needed to do to be prepared in life. Sounds like a little thing, but it was very powerful! He ended with telling children (& pointing at Kylie again) to follow these 3 principles:

{1} Be prepared

{2} Anticipate your needs for the future

And most importantly...
{3} Keep your feet firmly planted in the foundation of the Gospel

He said if you do these 3 things your life will be blessed abundantly. What a beautiful talk he gave & a great reminder to everyone of the important things in life!!

After the conference was over we waited patiently for the opportunity to shake his hand. While waiting our Bishop & his wife came up & asked Kylie what it was like to have an Apostle look, point & speak directly at her? She just said, "good." I'm not sure yet if she fully comprehends. It took more than 30 min to get our turn, but again great things come to those who wait. Once the line died down we got up & shook his hand. As we came up he saw Kylie & said, "Oh, the front row girl." Kylie was all smiles. We had a few people behind us, so we moved along.

We went back to our bench to grab our scriptures, bags, etc. Once of the counselors in our stake (Pres. Strong) asked Kylie what it was like to have an apostle speak right at her? Apparently, we weren't the only ones who noticed.

By this time the line was gone & we walked back towards Elder Perry. Brother Wright was standing with him & I told him how we've had the opportunity to work with his niece Jenny in the Easter Pageant & how much we love her. At that point Erik leaned in to Elder Perry & told him how I bumped into him a couple of times when he came to the Pageant years ago. {The story's HERE if you don't know/or care to know it.} He laughed & said how he remembered seeing the Pageant. He commented a couple of times on how wonderful the Pageant is. He asked the girls about being in it & Erik as well. Erik told him how he looks forward to it every year & loves being in it. Kylie let him know that she's had the chance to be the Dead Girl. He again commented about what a great work the Pageant is. He even commented how great it was that we sacrifice our time to be involved. He knew how much time it takes. He said he was all lined up to come this past year to see it, but then they took him out of the Missionary Department & how he was a little sad not to see it again.

What a wonderful experience for our little family. I love that we now have this fun memory to add to our history!

**I can't believe I forgot the conversation my girls had with Elder Perry. When we were talking to him about the Pageant he asked Jadyn if she was best friends with her sister. She replied, while shaking her head, "No." Kylie said, "Not really." NICE!! We have family love at our home & now an Apostle knows it! ;) It was quite funny actually. Even he was laughing at it!

APRIL MISC

Here's a little catch up post since April just seemed to come & go when I blinked. I can't believe it's already the middle of May & school's almost out. YIKES!! Although, it will be a JOYOUS day when school's out & yearbooks are really done! YAY!!! Anyway, here's a couple of things that happened in April.

Good 'ol Gilbert HIgh had an Alumni Dance Concert. They invited alumni to come perform at their concert to celebrate 30 years of dance at Gilbert. EmmaLee talked me into it & I'm glad she did. It was fun! Despite the fact that I was EXTREMELY nervous! I coulnd't believe how unsure I was. My brain definitely didn't keep it's dance learning edge like I thought it would. Oh well - it was fun & turned out ok.

Here's our group...

Our group consisted of dancers graduating from the '90's & one girl graduated in '87. There was another group that was people graduating from the '00's. They had about 16 people. Ours was a scarce showing. A lot of people backed out at the last minute. I almost was one of them. Right up to the preformance!

EmmaLee & I...{It had to be done! :)}


EmmaLee & I with Mrs. Gierke....

She's been @ Gilbert running the dance program from day 1. 30 years!! She wanted to do this Alumni concert because she feels this will be here last year with all of the budget cuts.

OK - another thing that happened this month to our family is that we have inherited the son we never had...

Really, I'm not one of those people that considers him a child, but he is pretty dang cute! His name is NUI. My sister Robin named him - it's Hawaiian for good. He was originally my parents, but once they decided they couldn't take care of him the way they thought they would my husband volunteered our home for him to come to. I was shocked & not excited at first! But, he's grown on us & fits right in! The girls think he's the greatest thing EVER!! And I enjoy the fact that he's tiny & not a huge dog. (He's a Toy Yorkie.)

Just for kicks here's a pic of him before his first haircut.... (He's only 3 1/2 months old.)

Here's what he looks like after...

He's one spoiled DUDE already!

J&E BAPTISM PART 3

**Again, if you haven't read PART 1 & PART 2 below - you'll want to before reading this. Otherwise it just might not make sense! ;)**

I can't believe I forgot one of the cutest parts of the baptism! Jill spoke at her own baptism. How cool is that?! Especially considering that she gets as nervous as me & the room was packed. She was so cute! She said she was so worried & kept telling the Elders, "What if I don't feel anything?" Then, she said, "I can now say 'I'm so excited!'" It was perfect!

She then spoke about how there was a time in her life that she did't believe in a God at all & how that was a very dark time in her life. The first time she felt the spirit was when Elliot was 2 & needed an operation & she was terrified. My Dad & Jeremy came over to give him a blessing & Jill felt an overwhelming peace come over her. She said she felt that same calmness everytime she came into one of our homes in our family.

She also felt the spirit at my brothers funeral. The song "If You Could Hie To Kolob" was sung & she was moved by the words "There is no death above". My Uncle Jeff gave a talk about the Plan of Salvation & that also made an impact on her & raised a lot of questions for her.

She said how the spirit kept knocking on her door & she chose to keep ignoring it until she knew she couldn't ignore it anymore. Now she's excited to start this new chapter of her life. She's truly remarkable, I love her dearly & I'm lucky to have her as part of my family!

J&E BAPTISM PART 2

Now it's on to the baptism! If you haven't read PART 1 below you probably want to before reading this.

About an hour before the baptism Jill's friend Dawn from work came to the house to meet us. She's actually the one that got the missionaries over to Jill's house. She's a lot of fun & seems like a great friend for Jill to have. Dawn has a 13 year old daughter that we were able to meet as well named Jackie. Jackie watches Elliot every Saturday while Jill's at work. Here's a photo of J&E with Dawn as well as Elder Okerlund on the left & Elder Panek on the right.

We followed Dawn to the stake center & then Mimi got a phone call as we were walking into the room where the baptism was being held. She answers her phone & I can hear a baby crying - a brand new baby! My sister-in-law Ruth had just had little Daven Michael Hallows a few minutes before that. She was 3 weeks early so I was a little nervous listening to the call & kept asking if everything was ok. Both baby & Mom were wonderful. Congrats to Sam & Ruth!!

Once in the room it was time for J&E to get dressed. As well as my Dad.

Elliot was so excited to get in the water he could hardly contain himself. He kept asking if it was time yet. We sat in the front row with J&E. I was amazed at how many people kept coming in. It was standing room only. It was amazing to see the support from members of the stake, ward & friends that came. Honestly, it helped put my mind at ease that they were going to be so far away from us & any other family. I now know that they will be in good hands & feel good about it. The Elders said they received a call a few hours before from their Mission Pres. (Pres. Pfile) & that he was now rearranging his schedule because he really wanted to come. I asked them if it was normal for their Pres. to come to a baptism & they said no. INCREDIBLE!! The Stake President was their, as well as a high council member. (The High Council member, it turned out, was from Arizona & was in the Bishopric when I was a baby. Crazy!)

My Dad gave a talk on Baptism. He, of course, was great. Then it was time for the Baptism. J&E started to walk in the water & my Dad told Elliot to stand on the stairs & let his Mom go first. Elliot giggled the whole time his Mom was going under the water. It was so cute. He was more than ready when it was his turn. He came towards Papa (my Dad) with welcome hands ready to go. He did take a few moments to look around at everyone watching him. He actually looked around & once he saw me & Mimi he focused on what he was doing. I like to think he was making sure we were watching, but who knows! ;) He coughed a little bit as he came up, but did a great job. Then, it was off to dress. Mimi went into the dressing room to help Jill for a minute & I stayed out.

During the dressing time Elder Okerlund spoke. He told the story of how they found Jill. They went into a Walgreen's to get something. They needed to break up a $20, so they went to the bank next door to do so. It just happened to be the bank that Jill worked at. Once they walked in a lady yelled across the bank, "Hey! I can help you boys over here!" They said it was so loud it was hilarious. Then, another lady (Jill's friend Dawn) ran up to them asking if they were the Elder's for that area. They said yes & she said good - I have a referral for you & it was Jill.

Jill's friend Kim Whitcomb spoke next on the Holy Ghost. Then it was time for the confirmation's. Let me just say, they were beautiful! My Dad blessed Jill to remain strong & to be worthy to attend the temple in a year. Also to be able to make good decisions about some things going on in her life right now & to be a great comfort & support to Elliot.

Elliot's blessing was amazing! (Geez - how many times have I said that word now?! There's just no words to describe how awesome everything truly was in person!!) Not to mention the fact who was in his circle. My Dad, the Bishopric Counselors, Ward Mission Leader, Stake President, the Elders & the Mission President. How cool is that?

He was blessed that he would be able to overcome his mortal afflictions. Also, that he would receive the Aaronic & Melchezidech priesthood. As well as serve a full time mission.

At this point I was sobbing. That was music to my ears. What a wonderful thing to hear for this sweet young boy. When it was over there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Everyone their felt the amazing spirit & the spirit of this special little boy.

In fact, I'm getting upset with myself that I'm not a better writer. It was such an amazing experience & I'm just not doing it any justice.

When the Primary President stood up to welcome Elliot to Primary things got a little silly for a minute. She welcomed Elliot & he in his cute little voice said, "I don't need to go, no thank you." We were dying!! He's had a lot of changes in his life the last little while & is a little nervous sometimes. He had told us earlier that he thinks he'll get lost from his Mom while he's in their. The Pres. just told him not to worry & come whenever you feel comfortable. He said, "But, I might get lost from my Mom." She said that his Mom would be next door to him. Then he said, "But, I was in their FOREVER!" It was so cute!

I'm sure he'll warm up to Primary quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if Jill receives a calling in Primary to be near him for awhile. She's aware of that possibility as well & is fine with that. She's always more than happy to do whatever is best for Elliot.

What amazed me is the overwhelming spirit their. The Mission Leader that conducted & the Bishopric Counselor that presided were in tears throughout as well. The counselor that welcomed them to the ward said he had a special spot in his heart for Elliot since he himself has an autistic son. Again, this ward was ready for J&E. They have 4 other autistic children in the ward, so they are well prepared. When it was over I had a member of their ward come up to me & say what an incredible baptism that was & that he's never been to one that powerful before. He said, "I don't know about you, but it felt like the Heavens were open. Like there were a lot of people wanting to see from the other side." Little did he know how many we do have on the other side. Especially Michael.

I will never forget this amazing weekend. The spirit that was felt throughout the entire trip was unreal. I'm still in awe at how unbelievable it all was. Again, there's just no words to describe, but I hope you can understand how special it was. I kept thinking of Michael during the baptism & imagining him kiss my cheek like he did on my birthday years ago. I'm sure he was their to support his son & I'm sure he was delighted. He would have been so proud of the beautiful spirit his son is. You can't deny how special he is once you've spent any amount of time with him!

J&E BAPTISM PART 1

This will be the first of a few long posts, so consider yourself warned! ;) This is for all the family that wasn't able to attend & especially my Mom!

**So that the story will make some sense in parts I need to give some background on my sweet nephew Elliot. He will be 9 in June & is by far the sweetest boy I know. I'd have to say He's even sweeter than my nephew Carter who can make your heart melt in an instant! Elliot is Autistic & is very loving. He is high functioning & progressing at a great rate. He also has Juvenile Diabetes & handles it very well.**

This past weekend I had the opportunity & pleasure to attend the baptism of Jill & Elliot. Jill was married to my brother Michael & Elliot is his son. Even though Jill & Michael were divorced I still consider her my sister-in-law. Dear little Elliot is now all I have of my brother in this life & he reminds me of all the good that my brother Michael had in him. (If you don't know the Michael story & care to know just click on the Michael link below.) Now, let's start the story from the beginning.

Once upon a time... (about 2 weeks ago)

I received a phone call from Mignon (Mimi) asking me if I felt like going on a road trip. I thought that was really strange. A road trip with just me, my Dad & Mimi. Well, ok! Of course, count me in! But, why? It was then that Mignon informed me, with many tears, that we'd be heading to Colorado Springs to attend the baptism of Jill & Elliot. With a choked up voice I replied - "Are you kidding?!?!" It was a remarkable thing to hear! This was something we have been waiting years to hear! A very exciting time for our family!!

Luckily my husband was very supportive of me leaving for 4 days & knew how important it was for me & how important it was to me to be their. There was no question about me going & I can never be thankful enough that I was able to attend this amazing event!

FRIDAY - We drove all day - 13 hours. It went by fairly quickly & wasn't a bad drive at all. Don't ask my Dad that though, since he drove the whole time & Mimi & I watched movies the whole time!! ;) We arrived at J&E's home around 11:30pm. Look how cute this part of her front room is...

Elliot was still awake watching "Horton Hears a Who" & greeted us with welcome arms. Then, it was time for bed.

SATURDAY - We woke up & went to breakfast at Mimi's Cafe. Elliot thought it was great to go to Mimi's Cafe with Mimi! After breakfast Elliot was dying to show us the animals at PetCity in the mall where we found these sweet love birds...

He really wanted to go to PetsMart, but thought the mall would be ok as well. Wal-Mart was next on the agenda to get some food for the weekend.

In the afternoon on Saturday the Elders came along with the District Leader who needed to interview Jill before the baptism.

While Jill was in her interview one of the Elders sat on the floor with Elliot drawing pictures. He told us that they have been drawing out all the discussions for Elliot. Elder Okerlund drew out the First Vision & talked to Elliot about that. Then, he drew the Pre-Existence with dotted figures since we didn't have bodies yet. He had Elliot draw Heavenly Father & Jesus & he knew that they weren't dotted because they had bodies. The way this Elder interacted with Elliot was just amazing. I was so impressed & knew that these Elders were hand picked for J&E.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out, talking & watching YouTube videos. We showed Jill a slideshow of the Reflections of Christ videos & she was extremely touched. She was telling us how she's never been a crier, but now she can't seem to hold it in. She also is very aware that it's the spirit speaking to her.

SUNDAY - Church was bright & early - 8:30am.

(Don't you love how my Dad & Elliot are making the same face?!) We were their on time & we were instantly amazed at the wonderful members their. One lady came up to Jill & gave her some colored pencils & a pad of paper for Elliot. Thinking he might enjoy them. Well, Elliot takes after Michael in this sense that he draws constantly, so it was perfect! One of the risks you take of showing up early is being asked to speak. Who would ever think that would happen while you're visiting a ward, but it did to my Dad. I just laughed - only to my Dad would this happen as he is terrified of speaking in front of people. Geez - I wonder where I get that from? Apparently their speakers had some emergencies happen & weren't able to speak. They had some daughters that were able to read their talks, but they still needed to fill time & asked my Dad if he wouldn't mind giving a little talk & his testimony. Not to mention the fact that the Mission President was visiting. No matter, he of course was wonderful! Here's a couple of great points he spoke about:

{1} If your find yourself going through trials you're in good company! You're in the company of the Prophet, Apostles, even the Savior.

{2} He also gave one of our favorite quotes from Elder Grant:
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed, but our power to do so is increased."

{3} He told a little of his conversion story of how he first went into a chapel at 19 to a Christmas program wiith my mom. 6 months later he was baptised. He was fellowshipped well & church ball was a big part of that for him. While playing ball he had a member help him buy a car & another one owned a sporting goods store & gave him a job. He worked for Bob Kerr of Kerr Sporting Goods for years while going through school. A year and a half after joining his father passed away. He had members step up to help with funeral expenses. One even gave them a burial plot for my Grandpa. (who I'm excited to meet one day!) All of these things helped increase his testimony & gain a great love for other members.

After sacrament meeting the Mission President (Pres. Pfile) wanted to interview Elliot himself. We're guessing it was because of Elliot's unique situation. He allowed Jill to stay in the room so that Elliot was comfortable. When he came out of the meeting with Pres. Pfile Mimi asked Elliot how he did. Pres. Pfile said he did great. He asked Elliot what he has learned & he told him everything. Then, he said something that we'll never forget! He told us that he told Jill that he BELIEVES that Elliot will overcome his afflictions one day. He reminded us that we all know the power of priesthood blessings & that Elliot would be no exception to that! He then told Elliot he loved him & that he was sad he wouldn't be able to make his baptism, but good luck!

UNBELIEVABLE!! Everyone standing their was in tears & shock. One of the members of the Bishopric has an autistic son & told Mimi later how amazing he thought that was! What an awesome blessing it was to hear that from the Mission President.

After church we went home to rest & prepare. While my Dad, Jill & I took a little nap Mimi had books read to her by Elliot.

I enjoyed waking up to his little voice reading so well & with so much animation. He was reading a book at one point about a stinky garbage truck & he & Mimi were just laughing hysterically. It was so fun to listen to him laugh so hard & just be silly.

**As this post is forever long already I'll put the baptism on another post. The amazement doesn't end here!**

REALLY?!?!

The past 2 months have been RIDICULOUS!!! I'm just now starting to come out of a major stupor. I have been locked in my own little world of stress & I'm ready to let it go. Here's a little catch up of what's been happening in my life.....

(Believe me, it's better to shorten it this way, otherwise this would be a mile long post & who wants to read that!!)

1 - I received a new calling after Christmas that has taken some of my time. In fact, it feels like a full time job. I was called to be the RS Pres & I'm still in some shock over it. I have learned quickly the importance of great counselors!! I am beyond blessed with the counselors I have! I'm not sure I'd still be standing without them.

2 - I have been working for Erik quite a bit the past month. Which is GREAT since the extra $$ is always needed, but just hard with everything else going on.

3 - I am in charge of the girls' school yearbook. I'm on their FPAC (equivelant of a PTO) & my committee was the yearbook. I thought - Erik does these that would be fun. He warned me that it was a lot of work, but I thought I could handle it, of course. I'm sure Erik's enjoying the thought of "I told you so!" He's smart enough, however, not to say it! Needless to say, it was A LOT of work & has been a full time job for over 2 months. Not to mention all of the other hours spent taking pics at the school, etc. I am proud to say that it is done & shipped out!!!! That's a huge relief for me. I'm sure there will be many that will not be happy with it - geez, I'm not 100% happy with it. But, if someone doesn't like it they are more than happy to take on this task next year if they so please!! ;)

4 - Erik's mom is in the hospital. She was taken to the emergency room a couple of weeks ago for an infection. At first, it looked like an allergic reaction to a bug bit was on her face. As her face was swelling quite badly. Apparently, it was much more than that. That first weekend we spent in utter limbo as the doctor's explained she probably won't make it. She has a very week immune system due to a kidney transplant & her body was not fighting the infection at all. Finally, they figured out exactly what the infection was, switched her antibiotics accordingly & she started to respond. It has effected her whole body, but has pulled through. She is now in a rehab home to regain her strength & it's a day to day process. We're not sure how long she'll be in their. She had a lot of pressure from the infection on her left eye & has more than likely lost the sight out of that eye, so I'm sure that will take some getting used to as well. We're beyond happy that's she's ok & hope she has a speedy recovery!!

Needless to say it has been crazy busy - which is life. Now Pageant has started which adds another element of busy to our lives. At least that one is an enjoyable busy! So, I'm sure I'll post stories of that because it's been a whole year since you've had to listen to my Pageant stories & I know you're all dying for some more! ;)

RJ's FAREWELL

Today was our nephew RJ's farewell. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one. Especially since he was only 5 when Erik & I started dating!! I can't believe he's that old & going on a mission. He's been called to serve in the Guixaquil, Ecuador Mission. He's been ready to go for a LONG time now. He was hoping to have his call before he graduated in May, but due some circumstances (Hmm, hmm... his papers being lost in the Stake President's office for a bit) it's been a little longer. I can't remember the last time I've seen a young man so ready & worthy for this calling. He's an amazing kid! An awesome example of how everyone should be! Here's Erik with RJ. RJ calls Erik Uncle Rico.

His talk was wonderful. All the kids, cousins sang "I Believe in Christ". Kylie & Jadyn didn't hesitate. They were ecstatic to do so. It was beautiful to watch all of the kids sing. My brother-in-law Ron spoke as well & did a good job. But, what took the cake was something I've never seen before. The closing song was "Called to Serve". A real tear-jerker in itself at a farewell right? Well, all (& I mean ALL) the priesthood holders were asked to come up to the front to sing. What an AWESOME sight to see all of the men, young & old, in the audience stand up at the front & sing that amazing song!! Then, I saw my friend Sarah's dad standing behind RJ (he was RJ's Young Men's President in his previous ward) singing & lost it. I miss that man so much & his daughter even more! There really are no words to describe how beautiful that was. What a tremendous idea for a farewell. Supposably it has become a tradition in that ward.

At the "Open House" Edwin (my friend Sarah's dad) serenaded RJ. It was great! Again - I miss this man! He had served his mission in Ecuador & came to tell some stories. No one tells stories like Edwin. Here's a picture of me with Edwin & Sarah's youngest sister Ashley. Ashley was born at the end of our Junior year in High School. She was only 3 when Sarah was killed. Ashley was also the flower girl at our wedding when she was 4 since Sarah couldn't be a bridesmaid.

In watching all that this family has done in preparation for RJ I have found myself a little sad. I'm quite jealous that I don't have a boy to send out & have that experience with. I've told Ron & Nikki numerous times that I will have to live vicariously through their boys. Lucky for me, I also have many boys to live vicariously through on my side of the family. So, I'll be covered. As sad as it makes me - I can't help but be extremely excited as well. I can't wait to hear his stories & all about his adventures! I can't think of a young man that was more prepared than RJ. He will be an amazing missionary! We're so proud of him & the choices he's made.

VETERAN'S

Our girls are so blessed to go to such a wonderful school!! I love that their school is very patriotic. They have flag ceremony everyday where they recite the pledge, sing the National Anthem, learn about this day in history & discuss the virtue for the month. By far, my favorite thing their school does is the special Veteran's Day flag ceremony & breakfast. Kids can invite Veteran's to come eat breakfast with them & then attend a special flag ceremony. This year did not disappoint!

Due to Kylie being on Student Council this semester & me over the yearbook we were highly involved this year. Kylie helped decorate Monday after school. All of the student council kids wrote notes to the Veteran's on the paper they placed over the tables. Here's one of Kylie's...
Then, on Tuesday morning we were at the school at 6:00am to help prepare. (They had it a day early since there's no school on actual Veteran's Day.) She helped set up the chairs & then had the job to greet people as they came in to eat.
As the flag ceremony approached she was outside passing out programs. The girls are also very blessed to have their own Veteran! Erik's dad served in the army. We are so lucky he lives close to us & that he was able to attend this event with them. Here they are eating breakfast...

Throughout the entire morning I was on the verge of tears. Seeing all of the Veteran's always makes me emotional. There was one gentleman I couldn't even look at. (He's in one of the smaller pictures in the tall hat & red shirt.) When he first walked in he stood out. He was tall & in a fancy get up. I snapped a picture of him. Then, I watched him sit down with his grandson to start eating. He then proceeded to tell his grandson stories & cried the entire time. I had to walk out of the room. He was SOOO cute & endearing. And he was in tears throughout the whole morning.

During the flag ceremony the kids always sing the different military anthems. (Again, my personal favorite of the event.) As the anthems are sang the Veteran's stand during their song. This is really when the tears start flowing for me. There's something so wonderful about their sacrifice that they made for their country & for me. Here's a couple of shots I got of them standing during their song...

The first gentleman was one of my favorites. I LOVED that he came in a uniform. We only had a couple do this this year. The second is our very own Veteran. We sure do love him & what he went through. We're so blessed he's in our lives.

This last gentleman is another that brought a tear to my eye...

Do you not want to just hug this cute man? A WWII Veteran. I can't imagine how different things were in the military back then & the things he went through. Maybe it's because my Dad's dad served in WWII that I find it more fascinating. I never had the opportunity to meet him - he passed before I was born. I love looking at his pictures from the military & wish I knew all of the stories behind them.

Another military man I can't forget is my Grandpa Julian. He was also a WWII vet. He had great stories of being a fighter pilot. He was truly an amazing man & we miss him dearly!!

The last thing at the ceremony was this darling 2nd grade class that sang "God Bless America" with their teacher. It was beautiful & there wasn't a dry eye their. I love going to things like this and being reminded of what a great country we live in!

Check out the new company car Bell got us...


Isn't it beautiful? Who would have ever thought that the Bell's would get us a car that costs almost as much as a house?! They're just too good to us!!

HA! If you know the Bell's than you're laughing. Actually, this has been parked in our neighbors spot for the past two days. Like idiots - we had to take some pictures. It's just too pretty to ignore! We piled the whole family into my car yesterday & told the girls to both go out Kylie's door on the opposite side of the Bentley. Kylie started to protest & ask why? WHY?! We explained that this was a VERY expensive car & would cost more than her college tuition to fix if we dinged it. Her reply...

"Well that's just a rip off of a car!"

Apparently, she's not a fan of paying ridiculous amounts for a car. Even if it's lovely!

As for Jadyn -

In the morning she was reading a Junie B. Jones book. She's quite the little reader lately. Upon finishing it she told Erik & I, "I'm done with my book! Can I get a what, what?!" I'm still not sure where she comes up with these things.

BABYSITTING

My sister Steph will kill me. Good thing she never looks at my blog! :) She was sweet enough to watch our girls on our anniversary, so that Erik & I could go out.

I guess I should say that Erik & I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversay! We went out to Someburros for dinner (where we went on our first date) & then we went to see Angels & Demons. Which I liked that movie, but Erik didn't think it was that great. I'm more easily amuzed.

OK - back to my story. While Steph was babysitting they must have played dress up & took pictures. Well, I just found these gems!! Here's a lesson to all - don't take pictures with my camera unless you want that to be leaked out - HAHA!!

D-BACKS

On Friday May 8th we went to the Diamondbacks game. Erik's been dying to go & the girls think it's the best. They love anything that dad loves. We had a lot of fun checking things out, eating peanuts, sunflower seeds, etc. It's always fun to go to a ball game!!

KIDS

This has got to be the worst part of raising kids. The heartbreaking thought that other kids are mean to your kids. Kylie is such a sweet girl. She truly has a genuine personality. On the flipside, she can be bossy & overbearing. Not in a vindictive way - just a "I like to play what I want to" way. I'm sure that doesn't make any sense to just read this, but if you know her than you understand. Some kids just don't know how to handle her & it sometimes makes life hard. Even though she likes to do her own thing, she in no way is mean to other kids. I'm not just saying that either. I'm definitely not one of those "my child would never do that" kind of moms. In fact, I automatically assume it's my kids fault before finding out the truth. Backwards I know.

I wish I could pick my girls friends, but I know I can't. I wish I could pick the cutest girl in the class with the best family to be their best friend. But, I'm finding out that sometimes that person is not very nice. Poor Kylie has had a rough time with this one girl. It's someone she's always wanted to be friends with, but this girl is just not nice to Kylie. It breaks my heart to see her cry & have her feelings hurt. I remember what that's like & it makes me crazy to watch someone else go through that. Especially someone as sweet as Kylie. Kylie may be loud, hyper & crazy as all get out, but she's not mean!! I am thankful for that. It's also hard because this girl has a great family. But, unfortunately, at this stage in life - Kylie's better friends are the ones I necessarily wouldn't just go out & pick for her. They're not mean though, so I find comfort in that. Hopefully, Kylie will be able to find a GREAT friend soon that can last for a lifetime. Heaven knows that's the best way to make it through life. I was lucky enough to find many in High School.

Well, at least the school year is almost over & we can have a break from this kind of stuff for a couple of months! Bring on the trips & the FUN!!!

CANADIANS

**The following post in no way reflects our views on other nationalities. We are not responsible for opinions of 5 year olds who don't know what they're saying!!**

Just a silly Jadyn story. I thought it was funny. Keep in mind, Erik didn't find it as funny. It may have been one of those 'you had to be their' moments. (I have a lot of those.)

Erik left at 5:30am this morning. While I was doing Kylie's hair for school I heard Jadyn tromping up the stairs. She likes to go up & wake up Erik or just look at him while he's sleeping sometimes. I was waiting for her usual yell of, "Where's Dad?" But, instead I got something a little different.....

A little frantic - "MOM!! Dad got stoled by Canadians!!"

I was laughing so hard. I thought it was hilarious. Where did that come from? I can't say we've ever talked about Canadians before. I still am wondering where she got that from....

DINNER

I am again, tired. It's been a busy week. Surprise, surprise. I have a busy weekend to come. When it came to thinking about dinner...at 5pm mind you...it was decided to head to Wendy's instead of cooking. Wendy's was my husband's request. As the Mother of the Year I obliged to the idea of not cooking tonight.

Dinner is the bane of my existence lately. We have a house full of extremely picky eaters & my husband is the worse of them lately. He has a completely new appetite due to his diabetic medication. And it has made dinner time extremely hard. My sister-in-law made these awesome recipe books for us for Christmas. I love it!! (Thanks again Ren!) When planning meals for the week I referred to said book. I thought I'd try a couple of new things that were very basic & more than likely safe. Nothing is safe anymore at our house.

I was proud of myself for planning ahead & I've only gone to the store once so far this week. Normally I'm their at least every other day. I'm not good at planning ahead. Today, however, was not my day. As said before - we got Wendy's. After eating my husband tells me,"Thanks. That was good. That was the best thing you've cooked all week."** Yeah - he loves me!!

Maybe someday I'll be on the ball & can plan really well. Upon doing so, also be able to please my family since someone will not like whatever I make. Dinner always ends up with at least one person being upset with what I make. Or maybe I'll get really lucky & I'll be able to afford a chef. HA!! Either way would be nice. I dread dinner!!! If anyone has any grand ideas - I'm all ears. We need help.

**My husband did say that with a laugh. He dreads dinner as well since nothing ever sounds good to him anymore.

SERIOUS?!

I am WAY behind on blogging. I still have last weekend to update with, but I'm starting with this..... I have been up for an hour & a half & here's what has happened so far.

I was awoken at 7:00 AM by a ridiculously loud phone ring. Yeah - that would be my phone. Luckily it was my mom wanting to be the first one to wish me Happy Birthday, otherwise I might be really upset. As I was walking downstairs I noticed balloons at the front of my house. After I got off the phone I went outside to see what it was. There was balloons & a Happy Birthday poster taped out side my door. CUTE!! It looked like Allison's handwriting so I text her to say thank you & she asks what I'm talking about. Apparently it wasn't her - it was my other sister Stephanie. WOOPS!! Then, my husband comes downstairs & tells me that he just got a call from his parents that his Dad fell off his truck last night at work & is hurt. He needs help getting dressed & getting to the doctor. So, he takes off to go help. As he's leaving he tells me I better go look at my car. I do & Steph had also written all over my windows. Silly girl! I grab the girls to come look & my camera to take pictures. After looking we go to walk into the house.........well, we were locked out. Someone - who knows who - accidentally locked the door. I, of course, have no keys & no phone. We walk to a neighbors house & use a cell phone to call Erik. He had to quickly drive all the way back to let us back in. He also tells me his Dad's hip is hurting & he can't move it. He's broken it once before & Erik thinks it may be broke again. He informs me this may be an all day trip. I'm not worried about that - I just hope he's ok.

Anyway, that's my day so far. What a wonderful beginning! I can't wait to see what other disasters occur today. Maybe I'll just stay locked IN my house all day & forget everywhere I need to be today....

P.S. - I'll post pictures later. I've got to get back to work now.

HOME

Today is Tuesday & I am at home instead of spending a day sitting at the dance studio. Again, it comes with mixed emotions. As for right now though - I'M LOVING IT!!! It's nice to be home. We even had FHE last night & I cooked dinner! I even plan on cooking again tonight! That's unheard of at my house. I'm usually always running. I even have plans (I guess the key word here would be "plans".) of getting the laundry all caught up today. Although I will miss the girls - I'm ok with this for now. I have been teaching for 16 years! Within that 16 years I've only had 1 year that I didn't teach. That's when we lived in St. George & I was pregnant with Kylie. Other than that, I've always been teaching. I welcome this change for now....

**P.S. - if you happen to know anyone who would like to buy some mirrors let me know. We are trying to sell the mirrors from the studio!! (I know - shameless! :) )