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~One Of Those Months~

2012-01-26T08:10:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those days? Well, I have had one of those months! I struggle with migraines. I know some people say it is just a headache, but until you have had a migraine or know someone really close to you who suffers from them it is hard to understand they are more then a headache. I know my triggers. I am very aware of what I eat, drink, the hours I sleep and the need to exercise to help with stress. But no matter how careful I live my life, the migraines still come. This month I have had more days with them then without. I take my medicine faithfully, to try to avoid this. I get up, get as much done as I can before they hit. When they hit I go into auto pilot to get me through the rest of my day. If I am lucky I might get a little nap in to help me make it. I can't just stop. I have two beautiful active girls who need me. I have student council, choir, 3 nights of ballet, gymnastic, Young Women's and activity days to get my girls to, and don't forget homework, play dates, date nights, family time, dinners, laundry, ironing, cleaning, and preparing lessons for my super cool primary kids. Life goes on whether I feel good or not. I was looking over some of my favorite blogs when I came across this amazing quote by Elder Holland. It made me realize I have a loving Heavenly Father who knows me, He loves me, He knows what I am going through, He knows my struggles and when I feel I can't go on another day He lifts me up and I make it another day. There is happiness in the end, good things will come, I just need to take one day at a time.

~Just A Thought~

2012-01-20T13:55:00.000-08:00

I have been called to teach primary at church which means I spend most of my time with a great group of kids who are going to be 10 this year. When all the kids are in class there are at least 12 of them. I learn so much from their comments, testimonies and questions. They inspire me to study and be better. To look out at their innocent faces and know they are relying on me at this time in their lives to teach them can be overwhelming, but I still love it!
I have the best of both worlds, while I am teaching these kids, their parents are in having their own lessons that Ward gets to participate in. When we get home I tell him about my class and the lesson I got to teach and he tells me about the lesson he learned. We have a great discussion over these lessons together, sometimes our girls even get involved. It makes for a great conversation as we prepare lunch together. This week the lesson for the adults was titled "Love Thy Neighbour as Thyself". We had a great discussion over this, after Ward and I talked about this I had to read the lesson myself. I really enjoyed the lesson, there was so much to think about. I get so caught up in just living that I forget the real reason I am here. In the eternal view it doesn't matter if I am caught up with the laundry or if the dishes are done. What matters is how I treat others, do I reach out to those in need, am I intune with the spirit to know the needs of those around me? I want to understand the needs of those around me to serve them as I grow to love them. I need to love, serve and listen, that is what really matters. That is my goal for the New Year. ~LOVE~ SERVE ~LISTEN

Here are some of my favorites of the lesson:

If we find a man or a woman who has not succeeded in life, one who is weakening in his faith, let us not turn our backs upon him; let us make it a point to visit him, and go to him in kindness and love, and encourage him to turn from the error of his way. The opportunity to do individual work among us as a people is present everywhere; and there are few men and few women in this Church who could not, if they would, reach out a little farther from the circle with which they are identified, and say a kind word, or teach the truth to some of our Father’s children. … This is our Father’s work. It is the most important thing that we will be identified with in this life.

I really like the last part where we are reminded that this is our Father's work. We are doing his business.   We are representing Him with our actions or lack of actions toward others.

.....You cannot drive people to do things which are right, but you can love them into doing them, if your example is of such a character that they can see you mean what you say.

Our actions speak louder then our words. We are always being watch, someone will notice how we are living our life whether it is for good or whether it is bad. I think I have been influenced more by the people I watch then the words I have heard. I hope I am an example of good for those who are watching me, especially my children.

Our Heavenly Father has said in very plain terms that he who says he loves God and does not love his brother is not truthful [see 1 John 4:20].

This quote really hit me. We can't say one thing and do another. I am trying to remember we are all God's children, we all deserve to be treated as such. My dad use to say, "You don't have to like everyone, but you do have to be civil." I will never forget that. There are many people we will come across that we wont get along with, that is normal, we are all different, but they deserve to be treated with kindness no matter what our differences are.   Which leads me to another one of my favorite parts of the lesson.

I have only good will in my heart for mankind. I haven’t any animosity in my heart toward any living human being. I know some that I wish would behave themselves a little better than they do, but that is their loss, not mine. If I can get my arm around them and help them back on the highway of happiness by teaching them the gospel of Jesus Christ, my happiness will be increased thereby. … You cannot drive people to do things which are right, but you can love them into doing them, if your example is of such a character that they can see you mean what you say.

I can not control others, I can only control myself. I have the agency to choose how I will act and react to those around me who choose a different path then myself. I love where he says, "I know some that I wish would behave themselves a little better than they do, but that is their loss, not mine."

The ending paragraph is the way I hope to live my life. I want to be the best me I can be. The only way that can happen is to follow the commandments and live my life after the Savior.

… Let us evidence our appreciation of what the Lord has given us by serving Him, and we are serving Him when we do good to His children. Freely we have received, now freely give [see Matthew 10:8]. With hearts warmed with love and kindness for our fellow men, let us press steadily on until the final summons shall come, and we shall meet our record. Then, if we have improved our talents, if we have been honest, true, chaste, benevolent, and charitable, and have sought to uplift every soul with whom we have associated, if we have lived up to the light we have received, and disseminated that light whenever opportunity has presented, how happy we will be and how our hearts will swell with gratitude when we receive from the Maker of heaven and earth that welcome plaudit: “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” [Matthew 25:21.]

~Great Day~

2012-01-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

I love this little girl. I have watched her grow over the years and now we get to watch her little brother as well. They melt my heart with their little smiles, voices and hugs. They spent the weekend with us and we completely enjoyed every moment of it! Sarah told me she was hungry, when I asked her what she wanted she wanted white bread with jam. It made us all laugh, she wanted white bread. Later she wanted popcorn but couldn't stop smelling in the bowl. It was fun watching the girls with baby. Neither one of them have spent much time with babies so they were both very excited to change diapers, change his clothes, feed him, burp him, and of course hold him and get him to sleep. When their mother called to say they were on their way we weren't ready to give them back. I am so grateful for the friendship we share with this great family.

~Dance~

2012-01-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

Friday night, dance night!

The winter wonderland dance!

Raychel was so excited to go hang out with her friends and enjoy herself.

They had so much fun. They posed for some pictures before they left,

they had to much fun posing and being silly together. Sometimes I

wish I could be a fairy in her pocket and hang out with her,

watch her, and learn from her.

She came home with lots of stories, laughs, and jokes from the night.

I am so glad she has surrounded herself with some great friends

to associate with and be an example to.

~Friends~

2012-01-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

We got to spend the weekend with these cute little people. Their parents were out of town for the night so we got to spoil the little people. Actually I was the one who was spoiled with loves, smiles and lots of laughs.

~Principal Honor Roll~

2012-01-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

No, this in not an old post. She is just that smart! She made the principals honor roll again for second quarter. She works so hard, she takes great pride in her grades. I love that both the girls love to learn, it makes school much better. They are both hard workers and it shows in their grades.

~Love Note~

2012-01-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

I love these sweet innocent love notes from my girls.

They have an unconditional love for us as parents that makes me want to be the parent they see me as. I wont to be the mother they deserve. With notes like this how could I not!

~A Thought~

2012-01-09T13:58:00.000-08:00

"Laugh when you can,
apologize when you should,
and let go of what you can't change.
Life's too short to be anything...
but happy

~Sunday Photo~

2012-01-08T11:57:00.000-08:00

I really love Sundays. It is the day to be with my little family. We head to church together, we are all spiritually fed, we came home talk about what we learned, have a wonderful family dinner, watch movies, and play games. One of our favorites is UNO. We love that game. To me it brings back memories of teaching the girls numbers. I know that sounds funny, but when the girls were little we would play with them and say the number as we laid the card down, and they would learn as we played. We played UNO at cabin and the girls cheated by hiding cards so they could win, we didn't notice an they laughed long and hard over getting on over on us. It is a great game with lots of wonderful memories made over the years.

The High Council who talked is my favorite High Councilman by far. He always seems to pick the topic I need to hear. He spoke on sacrifices. It made me ask myself what am I sacrificing? What am I willing to sacrifice? We came home today and not only did Ward and I have a great discussion over it but the girls also got into the discussion. It was nice to hear the girls views on sacrifices, they teach me so much. The girls have such a innocent look on life the seem to understand it better and easier.

~Snow~

2012-01-07T11:40:00.000-08:00

Our first major snow fall.

The girls love it.

It was so pretty to watch as the snow fell, it makes the world seem so peaceful and everything so pretty. Ward went out to shovel the driveway with Jolene right on his heels. She loves to be outside no matter the weather. She bundled up and headed out to help. She completely enjoyed herself as she cleaned off the car and then made a cute little snowman in the front yard. She came in and while she was taking off the snow clothes she requested hot chocolate to warm her up.

~Personal Musician~

2012-01-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

I have always loved the sound of the flute.

It reminds of birds singing in the trees during the Spring.

It sounds so pretty.

I love to hear Raychel practice her flute.

I love to see her get it out,

I love how clean and shining it is.

I love to ask her to play me a song.

She smiles and will ask me what do you want to hear.

I really don't have a request, I just want to hear her play.

I don't play any instruments, and I don't know how to read music.

I am proud she has a love for music,

I can't wait to see what her future holds has her music abilities grow.

~Furry Homework Friends~

2012-01-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

I believe Pepper and Captain have adjusted to their new home. The girls love having them around. I never knew guinea pigs were so noisy! They have some different ways of letting you know they are around. The girls have done great so far taking on the responsibility of two more pets to take care of.

~Holiday Crafts~

2012-01-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

This season I felt a little crafty. I found a couple of really great web sites, and orded these kits for some easy fun crafts for the holidays. The girls and I had fun making these and enjoying them around our home.

~Fun Times~

2011-12-31T11:52:00.000-08:00

The girls had a couple of friends over today, they hung out and played with the guinea pigs and kept me company while I took down the Christmas tree. These girls have been friends so long they don't remember life without each other. It was fun listening to them laugh, talk and enjoy hanging out in their pj's together through most of the day together.

~Happy 9th Birthday~

2011-12-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Jolene. It seems I just did this entry for her her and she was turning 8. This past year has gone very fast. She has grown so much this past year. She has always known exactly what she wants. Days in advance she informed me she wanted a two layered cake, with blue icing, a rainbow, with red roses. I am so grateful the store has everything, I just needed to put it together and hope it was the picture in her mind. I am happy to say, it was a success! She loved it. She got a few little dresses for her American Girl Doll, and a shirt for herself along with her little guinea pig, Captain.

Jolene

2011-12-31T05:53:00.000-08:00

9 Great Things About Jolene

Funny

Genuine

Animal lover

Friend

Smart

Intelligent

Love To Give Hugs

Loves To Tease

Has A Great Laugh

~Building the Eiffel Tower~

2011-12-27T11:23:00.000-08:00

Raychel has been dreaming of going to Paris for years, she loves reading about it, seeing pictures, and wants to decorate her room with Paris pictures. So it only seemed fit to get her a puzzle of the Eiffel Tower for Christmas that when finished stands over 3 feet tall. The girls and Ward had a lot of fun working on it, the project took them just over on hour to complete. Raychel now has an even greater desire to see the real thing.

~Dreams Come True~

2011-12-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

I love this note I found on Jolene's board. She asked months ago if she could have a guinea pig, Ward had her do research on them, he had do a presentation on them and why she should have one, she read about them on the computer, she brought home books, she watched YouTube videos which only increased her desire to have one. I wasn't sure, we already have an indoor cat, an outside dog, and a rabbit. I didn't want another pet. Then Ward thought maybe Santa could bring the cage and we could take both the girls to pick out the guinea pigs for Jolene's birthday. So the morning after Christmas this this the sign I found. She was so excited, she counted down the days until she would have her own guinea pig, she had picked out a name if it was a boy and name if it was a girl. The day of her birthday we headed to the pet store, she ran inside anxious to pick one out, only to discover all 4 cages were empty! Her face looked so sad, it broke my heart. She was devastated. We crossed our fingers and headed to the next pet store. They had seven guinea pigs. The girls looked them over, held a few of them, and then decided on the two smallest little boys. They were so happy! Jolene named her new pet immediately, Captain. Raychel took a little longer deciding on a name and ended up settling on Pepper.

Ella has appointed herself as the guinea pig watcher

~The Day After~

2011-12-26T11:17:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas we did nothing! We enjoyed staying home, we enjoyed our gifts, we enjoyed our time, we enjoyed the peace and calmness of being home together. Jolene discovered the use of one of the many boxes, she was so pleased with herself and her new "outfit". It reminded me of when the girls were little and were more entertained with the boxes then the actual gifts.
Jolene was excited to see if her new sweatshirt and hunting socks really worked so the girls and Ward headed out to Ward's hunting spot to do a little hunting. They had a great time, got a few birds, and got very cold! One their way home they called to tell me to have scones and hot chocolate ready for them. What a great night. The girls came home with some great stories, lots of laughing and wonderful memories of being out with their dad.

~Christmas Morning Part 1~

2011-12-25T10:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas on a Sunday made the Spirit of Christmas that much stronger. The girls couldn't wait to go downstairs and see what Santa brought them. With church being later in the morning we were able to come downstairs enjoy the Santa gifts and look through the stockings. They were so excited. Jolene has been asking for months for a guinea pig. She has done research on the computer, read books, watched YouTube videos and of course wrote it in her letter to Santa. She came downstairs and hugged herself with excited when she saw the box of a guinea pig cage. Santa brought the cage and we will get her and Raychel a guinea pig for her birthday. After we went through the stockings we enjoyed some warm cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa before we headed to church. Church was wonderful, the Spirit was so strong, it was the perfect way to start Christmas. I wish Christmas could always be on a Sunday.

After church we had a fun little photo session.

I love Jolene's face in the first one.

~Christmas Part 2~

2011-12-25T01:59:00.000-08:00

Let the gift giving begin! The best part of Christmas is the excitement of buying gifts and watching the other person open it, or in Jolene's case she has to help them open it. I love watching their faces and how excited they were with each gift. I love surprising them! The day was perfect, from the first sight as they came downstairs, church, open gifts, watching movies, eating, playing games, eating, laughing, and hanging out together.

Raychel's gift to Ward

My gift from Jolene and Ward

I think her American Girl Doll is a success!

Her face was priceless when she say her

retired American Girl Doll!

She begged for hunting socks to go with her

boots so her feet would be warmer when she

goes hunting with Ward.

The camouflage sweatshirt she wanted!

My wireless printer!!! Love it!

Jolene's gift to Ward

Jolene couldn't wait to put her guinea pig cage together.

~Christmas Eve~

2011-12-24T09:40:00.000-08:00

It wouldn't be Christmas Eve without an early morning hunt!! Ward was able to go hunting this morning with several friends and had great success! I love when he comes home and tells us all about it, I love to hear the excited in his voice as he talks and the twinkle in his eyes as he remembers.
The day was wonderful, lazy, relaxed, lots of food, resting, laughing, moving watching, skyping with family, and of course opening the Christmas Eve pajamas and ended with the traditional sleepover!!

~Sugar Cookies and Friends~

2011-12-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite holiday traditions is eating sweets, but first we had to make them. We got the dough all rolled out, cut out and baked then called our friends to come help frost, decorated and eat them!! There is nothing better then hearing the girls work together, laughing and hanging out together with friends who are more like family. After they decorated and ate their fair share of cookies they watched a Christmas movie together.

~Christmas Party~

2011-12-16T09:18:00.000-08:00

A great way to end the school year, with a party! The kids had a great time. Lots of food, activities and crafts to keep them busy. They were so excited. I don't know how the teacher does it all day with so much excited energy! Before I headed to the party I decorated up a little clipboard and printed off lots of cute little stationary papers for Jolene to take to the birthday party she was attending after school. She came home pretty quiet but had lots to tell about the birthday party, the food, the movie they watched, the games they played and the gifts her little friend received. As I put her to bed she started to cry, she was so sad at the way her friend treated her little sister. She said she was mean and unkind to her. She said she was so glad her and Raychel were friends and got along and enjoyed laughing together and doing things together. I was so glad to hear her views. I see how great my girls are together, I guess we all take it for granted. Until she saw the opposite she didn't realize how good their relationship is. I can only pray this friendship my girls have only gets stronger, that they remain friends even when the times are tough.

~The Nutcracker~

2011-12-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

This is probably one of ~~our~~ the girls' favorite Christmas traditions, going to the Nutcracker. We have been going every other year for the past several years. The performances are always so good, the theater is beautiful, and the company is the best! After the Ballet we went out for ice cream then headed home. It was a late night for a school night but we all think its worth it.

~Play Time~

2011-12-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

We love our Sarah! Her family moved about an hour from us but we still get to see her and her family. We were missing her so much we jumped at the chance to keep her for the night when her parents had something to do and need a little help. Sarah loves to play with Jolene and likes "The Raychel" just as much. It was so much fun to have her around. She has such a cute little personality.

~Study Time~

2011-12-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

This is how Raychel studied for her vocab test that I am happy to say she aced!! She had done really well again this quarter, she is on the Principal's honor roll again!! Straight A's!!!

~Last Minute~

2011-12-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

Time to get busy and work on the Santa list. Jolene got the laptop, all her catalogs, and started her list to Santa. It was very well done with descriptions and page numbers. After she finished her list and let us read it she had a few items on it for her and then lots of things to go with a Guinna pig including a Guinna pig and the colors she wanted it to be. She looked at us to innocently as if it had already been agreed upon she could get one. I guess we will have to see what Santa shows up with.

~Together~

2011-12-04T10:47:00.000-08:00

I came upstairs after church thinking these two would already have changed and be doing something besides this. It cracked me up to see them hanging out in the bathroom. Jolene was making a list on her white board and Raychel was visiting with her. I love how they enjoy each others company and find so much to do or say together. They stayed in there for a few more minutes finishing their list, changed their clothes then came downstairs to present their ideas they listed out on the white board.

~The Forgotten Carols~

2011-12-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

I have heard over the years about the Forgotten Carols but have never seen it. It is usually in the bigger cities so when we got a postcard they were coming within a few hours of us I got the crazy idea to go. I asked Ward what he thought and what he had planned on that Saturday. I was so happy to hear it was a free day! I got on line and got 4 seats together in the balcony. We were all so excited! We had one of the best nights out. The play was wonderful. The girls really enjoyed it and so did we. The music was wonderful, but what would you expect with Michael McLean. The Spirit of Christmas so strong, the message of remembering the true meaning of the season was perfectly played out. After the play was over we went out to dinner and them headed home. It was a wonderful night out as a family!

~Christmas Music~

2011-12-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

What a great night. Every school in town got together at the High School to sing and play Christmas music. It was really nice. All of the Elementary school kids sang together then each school sang and then they got to sing with the older kids. The Middle School and High School band played several Christmas songs together. The room was packed! There were even parents standing because there were no seats. All the kids did so well with every part of the night.

~Decorating The Tree~

2011-11-25T09:51:00.000-08:00

I love this tradition, decorating the tree. It is always fun to get out the ornaments and visit the memories created from them. Last year the family allowed me to use white lights, and beautiful balls in wonderful warm colors and shapes. I loved the tree, but there seemed to be something missing, the family ornaments. This year as we were getting everything out, the girls asked if we could do it the old way. As we unwrapped all the old ornaments it was fun to see all the ones we have bought over the years just for the girls and talk about them together. Every year they get a new one, I try to find them one that goes along with what they have been into over the year. This year Raychel has been crazy for owls and Jolene loves squirrels. I think I went into every store and little shop and actually found them the perfect ornaments to represent their year. The owl and the squirrel.

~Thanksgiving 2011~

2011-11-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a great day. We cooked the turkey then headed to Sterling's for dinner. What a great day. It was us, them and Brynn's in-laws. We had a wonderful dinner, lots to eat!!! Visited while the kids played games and visited some more. I love this time of year when we see family and have time to just visit, laugh and eat. It doesn't happen to often with all the kids schedules and work. Today was perfect.

~Primary Program~

2011-11-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

Raychel was asked several months ago if she would play "If I Listen With My Heart" on her flute for the primary program. She had practice over and over for months. She walks around the house playing it without her music sheet does it perfectly. It is such a beautiful hymn. It has become one of our favorites. This morning as we got to church we set up a little practice with the pianist so she could practice just before the meeting started. She was so nervous. She had a really hard time hitting the notes or playing along. The more she tried the harder it got for her. After they were done the two of us went into another room where she just cried. She was so nervous. I told her how hard she had worked, how great she has sounded, that if she was to pray and ask for help, to remember the notes she has practice the Holy Ghost would help her. She looked so innocent as she asked, "Promise?" I said, "Promise!" After we said a prayr she played it again and did better. When it was her time to play her flute for the program she did perfect! She got every note perfectly! She looked so beautiful as she finished because she knew she had done it!!!

~Just A Day~

2011-11-20T10:08:00.000-08:00

What a fun weekend. We did nothing! We spent the whole time together, and just enjoyed each other. Jolene had us laughing so hard when she found a new purpose for the left over balloons from my birthday. She had them up her shirt a little pillow down her pants to balance out her little body.
During the afternoon Raychel worked hard on her Young Women's personal progress book she is making for all of her goals. She is doing a great job on it. She is so creative.

After dinner the girls both voted on having mud cups for dessert tonight and don't forget the gummy worms.s!

~Friends~

2011-11-18T10:02:00.000-08:00

Jolene had two of her good little friends over after school. They had a great time eating, playing, laughing, watching movies, eating and playing some more. When it was time to go home none of them wanted the play date to end. I love to listen to them talk, laugh, giggle and enjoy their friendships.

~3rd Grade Music Performance~

2011-11-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

The third graders have been learning how to use the recorder. It has been fun hearing the girls play their instruments together. Jolene has loved learning the new songs and then performing them around the house and to her teacher. The have been earning colored ribbons like in karate, all the way up to the black belt which she and only a handful of students received before the performance. There was one song she was struggling with so she got on YouTube and learned from the demo. She is so hard on herself if she doesn't get something right away. She works hard to make it perfect before she is satisfied.

Whitney, Loralai, and Jolene

~Parent Night~

2011-11-16T09:30:00.000-08:00

Jolene has been taking gymnastics for the last couple of years instead of dance. She is getting much better and really enjoys it. It is fun to watch her. She is so competitive! She gets very upset with herself if she can't do something. She was having a hard time with a round off so she came home watched a few examples on YouTube and then outside she went for over an hour practicing so she could return the following week and have it down. Her teacher was very impressed when she saw her do it for the first time! Jolene couldn't stop smiling, she was proud of herself.

~Another Birthday~

2011-11-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

It is my birthday this time, I turned the big 4-0!! I still can't believe I am 40, but what is a number anyway? It is just a number. If I look back over my life at all I have done in 40 years I am pretty impressed!
I love to decorated the house on a birthday. It is a special day. It is the day the world was blessed with that very special person in my life. This morning when I came downstairs the girls had decorated the house for me! I was so touched. They love how the house feels on their birthday and they wanted me to feel just as special.
After breakfast we went out of town for the day to celebrate....Me! It was wonderful. Dinner, shopping and being with my family. I have the best life! Happy birthday to me!!

~The soul~

2011-11-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

Imagine what life would be like if we could see each other's souls instead of what's on the outside? ♥

~Just Because~

2011-11-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

Raychel was looking so pretty this morning I couldn't help but snap a photo of her while she was getting her bag ready for school. There are so many times I look at the girls and can't believe they are mine! I am so blessed to be their mother. She is really growing up into such a wonderful young woman!

~Halloween Class Party~

2011-10-31T18:01:00.000-07:00

Perfect Fall day to have an outside Halloween school parade. The kids looked great. The kids looked great all dressed up, they were all so excited. Their energy is contagious! They had so much food and fun in their own classes. Now to start the second half of Halloween, or Fall dinner, homemade apple pie and trick or treating as a family. It is a great day.

~Trick or Treat~

2011-10-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

Off we go trick or treating! The girls looked great! They had to much fun! They enjoy this night so much. This year we headed out with friends, walked the neighborhood, laughed, talked and visited with other friends who were also out in the neighborhood. It was great being out as a family, Ward was even able to go with, he had his surgery just over a week ago. He is doing amazing.

~Our daughters~

2011-10-31T10:25:00.000-07:00

"One great thing the Lord requires of each of us is to provide a home where a happy, positive influence for good exists. In future years the costliness of home furnishings or the number of bathrooms will not matter much, but what will matter significantly is whether our children felt love and acceptance in the home. It will greatly matter whether there was happiness and laughter, or bickering and contention."

"There has never been and there never will be a satisfactory substitute for the home established by the God of Heaven. If this nation is to endure, the home must be safeguarded, strengthened, and restored to it's rightful importance." -President Benson

This is what we have tried to do. We have tried to raise happy, positive, good, loving, kind children. I think we are doing pretty good. Some days can feel pretty overwhelming, I feel as if I am drowning in our lives and the many great things we are all doing. I want our girls to have many friends from all walks of life, I want them to be examples of good, to set the right example for others to follow. They want to share their testimonies all the time, they both worry that they wont know what to say or how to say it, we told them they also share their testimonies by how they live. We are raising our daughters through the Lords help, He knows them better them I do, he knows their spirits and the way they need to be raised and loved. I pray I will be the mother these girls deserve. I pray I will raise them to be great young woman of integrity. I take my job as mother seriously. I have been accused of being too over protective and I have been accused of being not protective enough, giving them to much freedom. I love our girls more them anyone could ever imagine. Being told we may never have children of our own and them being blessed with these beautiful, smart, healthy girls makes me count my blessings many times over because of what we went through to have them.
We will raise our daughters our way, and you will raise yours, your way. Your way is not my way, and my way is not your way, so please don't judge me on my way of raising my daughters.

~Pumpkins~

2011-10-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin time!! This is Jolene's favorite part of Halloween carving the pumpkins! She loves to get her hands in, digging out the inside, making the face and carving! This year Ward decided to get out the power tools to make the process go faster. The girls loved it! They needed some help, but the end results were perfect.

~Trunk or Treat~

2011-10-29T16:50:00.000-07:00

The annual trunk or treat was tonight. The girls look great all dressed up in there costumes. I love how every year they pick their costume and get so excited as it all comes together. Jolene wanted a red tutu for her little devil costume, which is hard to find. I mentioned it to a friend that we were looking for a tutu and the next day her mom and had made us one! She loves it! It is perfect for her costume! They both looked great and had a wonderful time at the church party.

~Fall~

2011-10-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

I love this tree! It is just an Aspen tree, but this Fall it as been magic. This Fall it has turned a color it has never been before! RED, it is amazing! When the sun hits it the color is so beautiful. Each day the color changes ever so slightly. It is headed to the pink side of red. I can't wait to see what color it end up turning.

~Middle School Dance~

2011-10-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

Raychel was so excited! Her first middle school dance! She couldn't wait! She picked out her costume with care, we sewed it together and added the details to fit her, pink!! The best part I thought was she went with several really great friends! When she got home she talked nonstop about the fun, she said it was even better then she thought it was going to be. I am so glad her first experience was a good one.

~Town Tour~

2011-10-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

The third graders have been studying our town. They have made maps, learn the history even how the town got its name. Now that the studying part of the lesson is done it is time to see for themselves what the town looks like off the maps. The one street they walked down with the most history was the street only the wealth could afford to live on. Our tour took us to the park with more added history. We learned more after we had lunch and still had time to play. It was a perfect Fall day to take a walk with my little favorite third grader!

~Surgery Update~

2011-10-27T16:12:00.001-07:00

It has been a week since Ward had his surgery and he is doing so well. The day of the surgery he was suppose to check in at 11 with the surgery at 1, but the night before the hospital called and moved him to check in at 1 and surgery at 3:15pm. He was given the instruction to fast starting at midnight the night before. After we checked in we hung out in his room visiting, laughing and watching some TV. The anesthesiologist came and talked with him about 3, shortly after she left the Dr. came to check on Ward as well and wrote his initials on the leg of the surgery. About 4 off he went to surgery. It was a strange feeling having him taken away from us. I am the one to take care of him it is hard to turn that responsibility to someone else. The girls and I waited for the surgery to be over to talk with the Doctor before we went and got his prescriptions filled. The surgery took about 45 minutes. The Doctor said it went well, but it was a mess in there. He will be able to walk as soon as he is out of recovery. After he got back into his room he ate a few crackers, drank some juice and wanted to walk. They had a walker near by just in case he lost his balance but he did amazing!!! He stood right up and off he went. He walked all the way around the surgery floor and wanted to get dressed and head home. He has continued to do great. He stayed home from work on Friday and was able to come with me to take the girls to school, he attend Raychel's school awards assembly, took me to lunch and enjoyed his time off. It was nice having him around for the weekend and plus the two days. He was back to work on Monday, just like I knew he would.

as well and wrote his initial on the leg of the surgery.

~Just a thought~

2011-10-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

This past week so much happened in a very short amount of time with very little time to think, only react. I hope I have reacted right. I sit hear looking back and thinking about all that has happened and get over come with emotions.
Last Sunday (Oct. 16) Ward hurt his knee bad enough he needed surgery. He injured it on Sunday and was in surgery on Thursday. Just the thought of surgery makes me nervous let alone someone I love going in for it. The last time he went in for knee surgery it was 2001. We had just moved into our home, I didn't know anybody well in our new area. I prayed hard, looked for a familiar name on the ward list then left my baby with her, a stranger, I only knew her name and were she lived. I sat in an old hospital alone and cried. I had never felt so alone before. I was in a new state, a new ward, no one to help. I cried and prayed like I had never done before. I wanted a friend, someone to walk in the hospital, hold my hand and sit with me. Just sit, don't talk, just sit and be there. No one came. I headed home alone leaving Ward at the hospital. I picked up our little girl and had her sleep in our bed with me. Morning couldn't come fast enough for me to go back to the hospital and pick up Ward. This time I took our baby with me, I didn't want to leave her again.

I thought about those feelings again as we planned on Ward's surgery. I didn't want to feel alone again, I didn't want our girls to feel alone or left behind while I waited at the hospital. So I had the girls go with us to the hospital. I was so glad I did. I know it was ~~probably~~ selfish on my part, in the long run it was perfect. We all sat and laughed, talked, and the girls had lots of questions they were able to get answered by seeing everything first hand. The nurses were great not only with Ward, but with the girls as well. They talked to them about what they were doing, they gave them hats and masks and helped them feel a part of the process. One of our girls would stand by Ward or hold his hand, she would look at me and smile and nod her head, as if to tell me he would be fine. These two little girls were my strength that day. I know they don't understand that, but they were my little friends to hold my hand and sit with me! I love them so much. I am so grateful Ward's surgery was a success. He looked great when we saw him. He looked pain free. I know that may sound funny, he just came from surgery but the pain he had been carrying in his eyes was gone. I was so happy for him, he had relief.
While we were at the hospital a wonderful friend called just to check in since she had just gotten home from her trip. She had no idea where we were. When I told her she said she was on her way, not only to be there for me but to help me with the girls. She was going to go pick them up if they were in town, she was ready to come to the hospital and get them to stay with her family until I got home. She was concerned about me and my family, she showed love for us just by her genuine desire to be there for me. She was willing to serve me even though she was tired from her own duties of the day. Over the weekend her and her husband came over to blow out our sprinklers because the weather was scheduled to make a change for the worse and they knew Ward wouldn't be able to do it. Several other neighbors came over to see how we were doing, they were concerned with Ward's car being home during the day, they took time out of their busy life's to make sure we were doing well. I am so grateful for them and the love they show to my family.
We also learned a dear neighbor lost her husband in an accident. I am so grateful for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. I am grateful for the testimony I have of of eternal families. Life can be so short, it is hard when a loved one leaves this earth. I want to take more time to cherish the ones I love, to make sure they know they are loved in ways they can't begin to understand. I want to be a better person because they deserve that from me. I want to be the person I was intended to be, not the person I think I am. I want to be the person our girls think I am.
I read this blog and found this amazing entry. It really made me stop and think with all that has gone on in my little world and my neighbors. As we take a look around yourself do you ever wonder what others are going through? We all go through our own secret sorrows, we all wear a mask of what we want others to see. Do you ever take the time to look at others, really look at them and see their signs? I am going to try to be more kind, not so judgemental, I may never know what their sign says but I can give them the benefit of the doubt, just like I hope they do me.

~Fall~

2011-10-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

We have three Aspen trees in our front yard. They are growing so tall and are so beautiful all year round. Usually in the Fall our trees turn yellow, but this Fall one of our trees were very red with a touch of pink. It is so beautiful!

~Pointe Shoes~

2011-10-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

She has been on pointe for almost a year, she is in her second pair of pointe shoes, she is learning so much, she is growing in grace and self confidence. She may not be the next prima ballerina but she is my prima ballerina!

~Principal Honor Roll~

2011-10-21T13:17:00.000-07:00

She did it again!! She made the principals honor roll for the first quarter of her 7th grade year!! She was so excited. She has worked hard and it has paid off. She was so excited when she came into the gym and saw Ward sitting by me. Ward wasn't sure how he was going to go since he had knee surgery the day before. It was great to have him there. There are so many things he doesn't get to do because he works so far out of town. He was pretty proud of his little girl!

~Eye Balls~

2011-10-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

For Young Women's this week they had a joint activity with the Beehives in charged. Raychel was asked to bring donut holes turned into eye balls. It sounded simple enough, melt white chocolate chips with a little oil. The trick is to NOT reheat the chocolate, it will turn into a lump! Trust me I learned it the hard way. I thought about waiting until after school and having Raychel helped me, but I had a feeling it would take to long. Sure enough not only was it time consuming but it was very messy!! I had them all over the kitchen drying and as they dried they dripped! They turned out better then I thought and I forgot to take a picture. They must have been pretty good because I didn't bring many home!

~Surgery?~

2011-10-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

You are probably asking yourself, "What is that?" Well, it is an MRI of Ward's right knee. He has been having pain in it for the past several weeks, it makes a popping noise when he kneels on it or sometimes even when he bends it to fast. Sunday afternoon Ward and the girls were out with the dog when Ward bent down to help the dog and his knee made a "pop" sound. Usually within about 10-15 minutes he can relax his knee enough to pop it back in, but not this time! He came in about an hour later it still hadn't popped back in. He iced it the rest of the evening, and then finally went to bed hoping it would pop in during the night while he slept and the joints relaxed. He woke up Monday and no change. He was able to get his crutches back from his brother and headed off to work, the soonest he could get into see the orthopedic doctor was Tuesday. So today we went to see the doctor who took X-ray's, felt his knee, tired to do a few different test on the knee, but couldn't get a good read on it so he sent us over to get the MRI. Now we wait until tomorrow morning to see if he is headed into surgery on Thursday!

~Fall View~

2011-10-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

I love our home!! There is no other way to say it,

I really love our home.

It is the only home our girls know. We built it with from the ground up,

we put in the yard and planted the trees ourselves.

The girls and I work in our flower beds to add to the beauty of our home.

It fits us.

It is the place we feel safe, loved and the comfort to be ourselves!

I love when we are all home gathered around

laughing,

teasing,

loving, and together.

I love that on any given day we can have a few extras over

because the girls don't want to leave and their friends want to stay.

This is our home, this is where our story begins.

~Fall Beauty~

2011-10-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year. I love all the beautiful colors especially the ones that are coming from our yard.

~Sunday Photo~

2011-10-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy this habit the girls and I have every night. We brush out Raychel's hair and then put it in a braid. She has long, thick curly hair that can get pretty tangled by morning. We started doing this years ago. We brush it out while someone reads the scriptures, or someone is downloading from the day, or someone is being tickled or wrestled with. I get to brush it out and Jolene has started braiding it. She has gotten much better. She gets so excited when she does it tight enough that Raychel will leave it in and not have me redo it.

~Choir~

2011-10-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

For the Fall festival in town this year the 3rd and 4th grader choir group at Jolene's school got to perform at the park. She was pretty nervous about the whole thing. She was so happy to see that her friends were there. She said she was nervous because there would be so many people there. I told her maybe there would only be the parents of the kids performing, she came back with, or there could be a million people there mom! We were both wrong. The choir group did great!

Sunday Photo

2011-10-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

~New Boots~

2011-10-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Jolene has had her eye on these boots all Summer! They came it several colors, pink, red, and purple but from the first moment she saw these they were going be to hers! Since the weather has gotten cooler she has started asking about them. She has gone out bird hunting with Ward a few times and comes home saying those boots would be perfect! They day she got them she couldn't wait to wear them! This photo was taken the day after she got her boots, she came home from church and got right into them! She loves them!! She has worn them to school, the store, even dinner out as well as to get our family pictures taken. She thinks they are great and loves it when people agree with her!

~Hunting~

2011-10-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

The girls have been wanting to go hunting with Ward for a while now. He use to float down the river, and he has laid out in blinds and both places I wasn't crazy about the girls going. Now he is leasing some great property and is able to take his boat which makes it much easier, safer and warmer for the girls to be able to go with him. Raychel was so excited, I am not sure how much she slept the night before. The girls work hard with Ward while he trains Drake with bumpers and decoys so they were excited to see him in action! I think Ward has now found himself some little hunters he can rely on.

~Baby Boy~

2011-10-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our friends had a little baby boy and we got to spoil his big sister for several days while he came into the world. One of our gifts to him was a little rag quilt. We had a great time making it as well as watching his sister. They are a great family who are more them friends to us! His sister couldn't get over the bugs all over his blanket!

~Owls~

2011-10-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

For the past year Raychel has been in love with owl jewelry. Not just any owl will do it has to have a certain look. She loves to shop for them, look it up online, ebay, or esty shops are some of her favorite places to look. It's funny she wears other jewelry but when ever she wears her owl jewelry she gets several compliments, and she is quick to notice if someone is also wearing owls.

The many different meanings of the owl~

*Wisdom
*Mystery
*Transition
*Messages
*Intelligence
*Protection
*Secrets

~3rd Grade Pictures~

2011-10-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Picture day!! She is so cute!!! She loves it when I take her picture so she can see it right then and decided it what she has on will work or if she needs to go change! She makes me laught several times a day!!

Sunday Photo

2011-10-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

I love Fall. The colors are amazing around us with the mountains so close. This is my favorite time of year. We are able to listen to General Conference and hear the council of our Prophet and be spiritually uplifted. After Conference we went for a drive up in mountains and found some amazing colors and sites. I love being able to capture the beauty that was around us. We had a great weekend!

~Pep Assembly~

2011-09-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Homecoming weekend means the parade down the center of town, lots of excitement. The middle school had their own little pep assembly after the parade outside. The middle school band got to play as part of the assembly. It was fun to see Raychel in the band dressed in her school colors. The band did a great job.

Sunday Photo

2011-09-25T19:22:00.000-07:00

What a funny Sunday! Jolene came up with the idea she needs a guinea pig. Ward told her she needed to come up with a business plan and present it to us. So she wrote it out on the laptop all the reasons why she should have a guinea pig. She presented it to us and did a great job answering additional questions. Neither one of us are thinking we need a guinea pig. Ward told her no and I told her maybe. When she headed to bed she told me not to go back to my answer being no, but work on getting Ward to say maybe, because maybe is closer to yes. We ended the evening by writing letters to family members for FHE, listening to Raychel play her flute for the closing song and of course dessert!!

~Fresh~

2011-09-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

For years I have asked for a clothes line to dry our clothes outside. I remember drying my clothes on the clothes line when I lived in Uruguay during my mission. They were so fresh smelling. I dry several of our shirts inside and end up laying them over baskets and chairs until they dry. It is pretty embarrassing when people come over unexpected and I have the room covered in clothes! While he finally did it!!! Okay it's not a clothes line like I had invisioned but it is a rope hung up to hang clothes on and I love it! Just look a those clothes blowing in the breeze, they are fresh and going to smell so good!!

Sunday Photo

2011-09-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful Sunday afternoon. While we waited for the BBQ we all hung outside visiting, talking and enjoying the evening. I love Sundays. We are all home, no work, no activities, no errands, no homework, no interruptions. Just the 4 of us. Life is good.

~7th Grade Picture~

2011-09-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

School picture day!!! Days in advance she knows what she wants to wear, how so wants her hair and knows her pictures will be great! I look at her and I think how could they not be with confidence like that! I can't believe she is in 7th grade, I can't believe she is 12, I can't believe how much I love her. She is everything good!

~Discovery~

2011-09-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

Jolene went out the garage door to feed the dog and found this little green bug in the doorway. She was so excited!!! We have never seen a bug like this. We had to take his picture. A couple days later we found him again on the big garage doors when we left to walk to school. He is either in the neighborhood with his family or he gets around because several of neighbors have also see him or ones like him!

Sunday Photo

2011-09-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight while we were doing our family things I got a text from my older brother, Michael. He was just checking in and he sent us a picture of his family. His girls are so beautiful. It would be so nice to live closer, to have the girls all be together. One of the best things about being so far away is the girls are pen pals with each other. They love to write to their cousins, send little gifts, treats or pictures to each other. I hope someday they will be able to spend some great quality time together. They still remember several years ago meeting up with them in Utah hanging at at great grandma's and going to the zoo. I love modern technology! After Micheal sent us a picture we had to send them one. It was a great end to a Sunday, texing pictures and writing notes to my brother and his family. We hope their Sunday was as great as ours was.

~Camping Morning~

2011-09-05T10:35:00.000-07:00

Our view couldn't have been any better. I love this first picture of Ward and Jolene, it was first thing in the morning, they were sitting there talking about all the fish they were going to catch! They both had big dreams! We ended up catching 10 fish!! Not bad for our last day camping. We had a great time and like always, hated to leave! Until next Summer......

~Fun Times~

2011-09-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Our second camping trip this Summer! We love to camp and get way and hang out in the mountains. We tried a new sight across the lake for our usual spot, and I think it is our new favorite. We were right on the lake with plenty of space between us and our nearest fellow camper!
I love this little girl and her love to be like her daddy!! She wanted to go fishing so bad. Ward go all the fishing items out while he was getting Drake ready Jolene put everything on and said she was ready. Notice the sunglasses on the top of her hat, that is how Ward keeps his when he's not wearing them! She loves monster energy drinks, Ward put it down and she picks it up!!

Showing off her laffy taffy matches her hat and her shirt!! She loves green, this week!

They were hoping if they went out in the canoe they might get more fish, they came back with none! They did come back with the story of the one that got away!

Not to happy that the frog she caught needs to go back with it's family.

The frog Jolene caught down by the lake.

The one of many craw fish washed up on the shore.

While Ward was throwing bumpers in for Drake Jolene decided it wasn't fair he got to go swimming. She asked if she could, we told he of course as long as she wore the life jacket. She happily put it on and worked her way in. She was a little unsure at first if she could trust the life jacket. Once she realized it "worked" she was in heaven. She would try to race the dog out to the bumpers, before long Raychel too was in the lake racing the dog. The girls has has much fun. It was fun hear them laughing, screaming, giggling and having so much fun.

Before dinner we took off on a hike. It was beautiful! We only had on our flip flops so we couldn't go as far as we wanted. Next time we will definitely wear the right shoes and see how far the trail really goes.

Jolene had a good time riding her bike while we got dinner ready. Our little tent home. To the left of the picture we bought a dinning tent this time. The last time we came up the bees were so bad. This worked out perfectly!

Ward and Raychel played catch with the football while Jolene rode her bike while dinner was cooking.

She needed a root beer break!

S'mores anyone!!??

~Reading Places~

2011-09-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

After school the girls always have homework. Today Jolene wanted to do her reading homework in a fort. I am not surprised, she loves forts. I told her she was have to build one or pretend. She wasn't very happy, I was helping Raychel when I realized Jolene had stopped begging for me to get her a fort. When I called her name she answered, "I'm in here." I went into the front room and didn't see her, usually she makes a fort under the dinning room table so I checked there and didn't find her so I called her name again. She giggled and said, "I'm in here!" I went upstairs thinking maybe she built it on the balcony upstairs and her voice is just carrying. She wasn't there, so I called her name. She said, "Mom, look down." I looked over the balcony and there she was in the corner behind the couch doing her homework! If you look close you will see Max, Raychel's locker shelf used as a desk, Bob and Nuts, the squirrels, a blanket and a few pillows. She was very cozy and most importantly, she was happy!

Sunday Photo

2011-08-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

This is not my favorite time of year. I love Fall, but I don't love the kids going back to school. I get many strange looks when I say that. The kids have been in school about a week and a half. This past week I found myself feeling very sad, I thought if was strange to feel so sad, I wasn't really sure why. Then on Saturday with everyone home it hit me. I was missing my kids greatly! We have so much fun during the Summer. Hanging our with friends, watching and going to movies, crafts, sewing, learning to cook/bake, going to the park, swimming, hiking, golf, and just hanging out together. Saturday my hubby took us on a date! While we were out for a late lunch we got to talking and decided to go on a Sunday drive after church. I loved that idea, I would have everyone all together for the day! We had so much fun. We went up in the mountains, went on a little walk, took lots of pictures and completely enjoyed the day!

I love Sundays!!

Now with school started schedule are busy, dance, gymnastics, choir, student council, YW's, activity days, it is even more important to make sure we check in with each other often, that we keep the lines of communication open, that we still spend time reading together, playing board games, playing the wii together, watching movies and just being together. I don't like life to get in the way with being a family!

Braces are off!

2011-08-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

It all started in November and ended today! Nine months of appointments, tightening, cleaning, flossing, using wax, and a sore mouth, but in the end it was so worth it! Jolene has always had a smile that could brighten any day, I never thought it could get any better, but it has. She can't stop smiling! Before the braces she was worried about the way her teeth looked, she would smile with her lips together more often then not. Today as I watch her she smiles with her teeth showing for all to see. I have found her in front of the mirror just smiling and looking at herself! She is so beautiful! She is so happy and very confident! I love this girl!

BeforeDuring

After

~Signs of Fall~

2011-08-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Aspen tree in the front yard is starting to show signs of Fall.

~Garden Shopping~

2011-08-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

For our first garden, we're doing pretty good! It was nice to tell the girls to go out in the garden to pick what we wanted for dinner! I could get use to this.

~Water Fight~

2011-08-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

I love Summer. Today we hung out around the house doing chores, BBQ, and just hanging out. After Ward had wet down Drake and let him playin the hose water he asked the girls to feed the dog make sure he had fresh water. They worked together to get this done, one feed him and one got him water. Once Jolene had the hose in her hands you could see the thoughts going through her head with Raychel only a few feet away. Just like I thought she would do, she turned the hose on her sister. She did a really good job of keeping her way and of course she was soaked when Jolene was done with her.

New Beginnings

2011-08-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Summer is over, at least the vacation part. The weather is still very much Summer. The girls were so excited and nervous to return to school. Last night we had back to school night at Jolene's school. It was nice to walk through the halls see familiar faces, visit with friends and ease her nerves.

Jolene will be in 3rd grade this year. When I got her up this morning I had a flash back of taking her to preschool, how little she was, her excitement to go to school like her big sister, her love for learning and her fear of being apart. She has grown so much, she still can't wait to be like her big sister, she still has a love for learning and some days she still has a little fear of being apart. On our way home from back to school night I told her this was going to be a great year, she laughed and said, "That's what you said last year!" Well, it was and this will be too. Raychel is in 7th grade. She has been at the middle school since 5th grade and has done really well. This year she is at the other end of the school with the 8th graders. She said she feels like a new kid because she isn't familiar with this end of the school. The day before school started a friend and her got to help the teachers for most of the day. She had a great time, got to meet several teachers she didn't know, and was able to ease her nerves by being there in a relaxed setting. This morning when we dropped her off I got half a hug and off she ran. As I got back in the van, I was so proud! She is growing up and wants to be grown up! Where has my little Raychel gone? She is a beautiful, smart, confident, happy young women ready to take on the new school year. Jolene and her best friend, Whitney, are in the same class again this year! Jolene thinks the teacher knew they were friends and put them in the same group facing each other! It made her happy to know someone sitting by her. The best thing about her teacher this year is she was her reading teacher last year and they really hit it off! This is the first year Jolene has "allowed" me to take my camera to school. I figured I better behave and not take to many pictures, but to make sure the ones I took were good ones! Jolene at her desk

Ending Swim lessons

2011-07-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

Jolene did great this Summer in swim lessons. She was in level 3, they spent all of the lessons in deep end! The learned so much this year. I was really proud of her. I think her favorite parts were being in the deep end and being able to go off the diving board without a life jacket on! She loves the water, once she enters the water she becomes a little mermaid! It may be the end of lessons, but we will be back many time throughout the rest of the Summer to play in the pool!

treading water

Crafts

2011-07-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

This was a typical any given day in our home this Summer.

Crafts!

The girls love crafts.

We had so much fun when went shopping at Hobby Lobby! It was craft over load! What to do? Where to start? The girls couldn't wait to get home and get started! I love how much thought goes into their projects. The picked out the perfect movie, got out all the supplies, think about the design, color scheme, what kind of brushes, snacks, and got to work!

Tent Camping Day 2

2011-07-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

The morning of our second day camping was as great as the first! We had a wonderful breakfast, we love this breakfast when we are camping, I think one of the best part of camping is the food!!! After breakfast we all got loaded up, went back to the lake, ran Drake and played in the water then headed home. It is always sad to leave, we get so excited to escape our busy lives to come up here, and then the drive home is a let down knowing that reality is waiting for us! It is always nice to know there are more camping trips in the future!
The girls love to go exploring around camp, they always return with beautiful wild flowers to set out on the table.

The girls love to get in the water, but it was pretty cool this morning, they were being so careful, unlike yesterday when they "accidentally" fell in! Ward was watching them being so careful, but then with the grin that let me know he was up to something he threw the bumping in and splashed them both!

Cabin In The Woods

2011-07-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

While we were at Vega Lake we took a drive up in the mountain and came upon this cabin. I loved it! As we drove past I wonder what the story is?

What happened to the cabin?

Who lived there?

How many kids did they have?

What did the father do?

How old is the cabin?

What did it use to look like?

On our way back down the mountain we had to stop and get a closer look. I loved the old wood the floor boards, there were closets, and stairs, but he upper level was gone, several doors and screens in an out of the windows. I love the look of the old roof with the wood shingles. After we took several pictures and headed back down the mountain we all added to each others story of what happened to the cabin.

Tent Camping Day 1

2011-07-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

Off to Vega Lake! I love this place!

It is always nice to get away and this is our place to get away to. We usually go later in the season but we all wanted to go camping so off we went. The weather was so warm, mosquitoes were out in force but we still had a great time. We played in the water with Drake, we went for a drive higher in the mountains to keep cool, we ate lots, read books, rode bikes, went fishing in the rain and enjoyed each others company. I can't imagine spending better time with our kids them camping. We are away from the busy schedule of work, school, appointments, phones, and TVs. I hope the girls always remember these camping trips and the fun we have while we are away.

Drake jumping off the dock after a bumper.

Raychel hanging out at camp. She is giving the thumbs up the cover her and Ward put up. Not long after they got it up a camp ranger came by and said we had to take it down because it was attached around a tree! They were both pretty disappointed.

Jolene loves the freedom of riding her bike from camp site to camp site. She was pretty excited riding with one hand, and doing circles round the sites.

The girls love watching Drake swim after his bumper and bringing it back, I also think he likes coming out of the water and shaking on the girls to hear them scream!

The scenery here is beautiful! There were so many wild flowers in bright yellow and purples. It was hard not to take a million pictures of the beauty all around us.

As we were heading up the mountain I noticed Jolene showing Max out window, good old Max, he is always with Jolene. If he could talk, I wonder what stories he would tell!

I love this picture of the girls in the field of wild flowers.

The state flower, a Columbine, were everywhere. We have some in our yard that we have planted, but it was fun to see so many in the wild. The are so beautiful!

This trip we saw so much wild life.

Jolene enjoyed taking Drake on short walks around camp.

He is getting really good at listening to her.

I was pretty cold and not exactly in the mood to go fishing so,

the three of them headed out to fish, as they got all settled in it started

to rain. They loved it and even had success!

The sunset was breath taking!

We had so much fun sitting around the camp fire in the evening. We cooked dinner, talked, laughed, and found the perfect smor'e sticks.

Swim Lessons

2011-07-15T13:04:00.000-07:00

Jolene couldn't wait for swim lessons this week, not only because she got to go swimming but because Aunt Carey would get to watch! She did really well. They practiced doing dives on their knee, then standing dives before they moved to the diving board. This was what Jolene had been so excited for, not only to dive off the board, but to do it without a life jacket on! The class spends most of their time in the deep end swimming the length as well as the width of the pool. I will admit I was a little nervous the first time she headed out away from the wall. She did amazing!! For as little as she is and being her first time, she did great! She got the the edge and gave me a thumbs up! After the lesson she was so excited to tell us all about it! I love hearing her version even when I had watched it myself!

Aspen

2011-07-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

Our second day with Carey and her family we headed to Aspen. We were heading up there to see Ward's job and show off a part of Colorado they had never seen. The drive was beautiful like always and the best part for me was getting to see Ward in the middle of the day!! The girls loved being able to wear hard hats, they were disappointed when they had to give them back. We weren't able to spend much time with Ward because he was headed into a meeting, so we hung around the parking lot playing ping pong and checking out a huge plastic ball. The girls loved climbing inside the ball. It was too long of a drive to turn around and head back home so we stopped got ice cream and headed to our favorite park. The kids had a great time playing at the park and running around. We couldn't be at a beautiful park and not take lots of pictures. I was taking pictures of the girls with Carey when the girls decided to take pictures of Carey and I. It was very entertaining! Both girls told us where to stand, how to stand, to keep our eyes open, to smile bigger, where to look, we couldn't stop laughing!! Now I know how I sound to them!

A Day of Hiking

2011-07-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

We had a great first day when my was sister here. We headed up to Glenwood Springs for lunch, drove through the canyon to see how magnificent it is. We walked around at the rest stop, watching the river and seeing all the damage from the flooding. The weather couldn't have been any better, it was beautiful. We headed back to Glenwood Springs to hike Potter's Field to see Doc. Holiday's grave. I love this hike, I love the view, the scenery, the peace and the history this hike represents. We walked around seeing all the dates, the different types of headstones, all the flowers, and answered many questions from the girls. One the way down it began to sprinkle, then the raindrops got bigger and we got wetter! We had so much fun. As we were coming down the hill, Jolene was holding my hand laughing and said, "Mom, we are making a memory!! " I love that girl. We had such a wonderful day all of us together, making a memory!

Family in Town

2011-07-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

It's the first night with having my sister Carey in town!! We were so excited to have them here. They dropped Dennis off in Utah at BYU for track camp for the week, they spent some time with Grandma then came here. It has been 9 years since she has been here. They got here in the late afternoon, had dinner then spent the evening out back visiting and watching the kids play. The girls had so much fun showing their tricks to Carey. We made plans for the next few days while they are here. It will be so much fun to take them around and show them a little bit of our life.

Sunday Photo

2011-07-10T17:28:00.000-07:00

It has been forever since I have sat and blogged, we have lots of pictures of what we have done so far this summer, but not time to blog about them, and this week is not different with my sister and part of her family coming to town.
We had 2 great speakers at church who spoke about parenting. I loved the question the speaker asked, "What are our goals for our children?" He mentioned not only spiritual, but physical and academically. I couldn't help but look down the pew at our girls and wonder what the future holds for them, what kind of example am I for them to follow? What are my spiritual, physical, and mental goals? These great speakers happen to be husband and wife and I admire them both greatly, they are parents of 4 sweet, well behaved children. I have the pleasure of being the primary teacher of the oldest boy. I love his spirit and his testimony he shares in our class.
When we got home from church I asked the girls to sit in front of the flower garden so I could take their pictures before the storm coming got worse. While they sat there the thunder was amazing! It was so loud! The sky was part black as night and the other half was blue with fluffy white clouds, Raychel asked I wonder what side will win? I love taking pictures of the girls, I love their willingness to pose, smile and allow me to capture them forever at this stage. Some days I want time to stop so I can enjoy it a little longer. I am very blessed!!!

Air Show

2011-07-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

We have been to the air show in the past but usually on Saturday, this year we went on Friday night to watch the night show. It was AMAZING!!! The night show was well done and so much to see. There we booths for the kids, food booths, and lots of entertainment in the sky! The night was the perfect, we had so much fun together. After the show as we headed to the parking lot the thunder rolled in and the sky opened up, it poured!! We were soaked by the time we got to the van. The wind was blowing which made it had to use the umbrellas, we laughed and had so much fun!

4th of July

2011-07-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

What a great day!! We started it off with the 4th of July parade. Jolene was able to be in it again along with all the little cheer leaders. The all did so well marching down the street doing their cheers. She was a little unsure at first but once they got started she had so much fun! The parade ended at the park where they did a few more cheers for everyone to watch then the games got underway. After the parade we ended home to get changed, we went to lunch then headed off to the golf course. What a fun time we all had. The girls were so interested in the pond that is full of frogs! They sounded so cool! We were able to get a great picture of one, the girls found a cup and tried to catch a few to bring home! It was funny watching the girls try to catch one. Jolene was so tired she slept the whole way home. We finished the day off with a BBQ and family movie. I love these kind of days, we spent the day together doing everything we enjoy. Family weekends are the best!!!

July 3, 2011

2011-07-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

This year was different for the normal 4th of July, because our little town did the fireworks tonight, on the 3rd. They were beautiful, and just as amazing as if they were on the 4th, but they weren't. We went to church like normal, had a great family day, ate lots, had a wonderful BBQ dinner and got ready for the fireworks. Jolene has been wanting to go camping all Summer so she can sleep in a tent. Just the two of us were going to sleep in the tent in the backyard one night but she got invited to a friends for sleepover instead. So today when she asked the answer was yes! She was so excited! She invited Raychel to sleep with us, but she returned from Girls Camp a few days ago and was not sure she wanted to sleep in a tent, again so soon. As we gathered up the tent, sleeping bags, and mats Raychel decided it would be fun so she joined us. After we got the tent set up we gathered up our lawn blanket and headed out the see the fireworks. They were so beautiful. I love the feeling of watching them in the sky, I can't help but think of the words to the National Anthem, "And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? I get such a feeling of pride to live in a free nation and so grateful to the men and women who fought and those who continue to fight to keep it free.

Rainbows

2011-06-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

Somewhere over the rainbow, skys are blue, and dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.

~Anita Duarte

Father's Day

2011-06-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!!!

Happy Birthday Ward

2011-06-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

Happiest of birthdays, and may all your wishes come true!

Ward loves to BBQ! I think it could be classified as one of his hobbies! He loves to BBQ and he's good at it! This year for his birthday most of his gifts were centered around BBQing. He was so pleased! The girls also gave him the golf balls they won at golf this week. We had a wonderful family party honoring our special man!!

Summer Golf

2011-06-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

The girls wanted to take golf again this Summer, we started out with once session and ended up taking all of them. They are doing so well. It is fun to watch them. Raychel is really getting the hang of this game! One the last day of lessons they got to play 3 holes. Raychel was hitting it farther then she ever has, and Jolene is really good at chipping an putting. The girls have also been playing on the Junior golf league along once a week. It has been the perfect weather for golfing this Summer.