Back to School

Well, the summer has flown by and now we are already back to school... Averee is in 2nd Grade Adee is in Kindergarten Owen is in Preschool

Pine Valley

The heat was really getting to us so we decided to head up to Pine Valley to cool off. It was so nice up there-even better was the company of great friends: the Page & Andrus Families. We love you guys and always have a blast when we hang out. The conversation is always amusing ;0) and the kids play so good together... Luke-like all boys- loved the fire Thank goodness Rachel brought the play pen to keep the little ones contained! Reese & Sara are only a month apart & destined to be best friends :0) Brenda getting some grub ready...the kids call her the watermelon lady cuz she always brings watermelon to our family get togethers-although her belly is starting to resemble a watermelon too! Let's eat! Rachel & most the kids are ready to chow down! Joel & Glen braving the intense heat & smoke-thanks guys!

Camping for Independence Day

We took the kids camping a few days before the 4th & then went to Richfield for the 4th of July festivities.We camped by Fish Lake & it was gorgeous! The weather was so nice & cool, which is a change from the scorching weather of St. George! The kids had a blast-we went hiking all over, fished a ton (Danny's favorite), rode the motorcycle, ate too many Smores (my favorite), & just got to hangout & enjoy each other. My parents came with & they always make it more fun. My Dad used to spend all his childhood summers on the same mountain so he had all sorts of crazy stories to share & knew all the cool places to see. We even found snow in July! Then Danny's brother Ryan & his family came up & camped the last nite before we headed down to Richfield. My Grandma lives in Richfield & we love to go there to enjoy a 'small town' celebration. The parade was great & the fireworks were awesome! We were right under them & they seemed so huge-they kids were in awe. It was just like I remembered from all my childhood memories of spending the 4th at Grandmas. This will definitely be a tradition we keep going.

Owen's Big Day

Wow! Look who's 4! Owen is getting so big so fast!Owen is so funny-he says such funny little one liners: 'Whoa dude-that was awesome!', 'What the?', 'Don't you know, silly Mommy!', just to name a few :0) Owen had his first friend party this year-so cute! Of course he wanted a Spider-man theme, and with a summer birthday we just HAD to play in the water! We filled up the pool & got out the slip n' slide. The boys had a ball! I think the popsicles were the highlight of the party :0) We love you so much Owen & we are so glad you are part of our family. You are fun to wrestle & play with & really great at sharing with your sisters. Love you Ojo!

Yankee Doodle, again...

So, we love this hike. It isn't too far away, or too long, & it has some cool repels. I am so glad we have something so fun to do together that we both love! Now I just can't wait for the kids to get old enough to join us :0)

Emerald Pools Hike

My brother Kjarsten came home for a few days & we thought it would be fun to torture him with a hike in Zions with the kids :0) No, actually he is great with my kids-they love Uncle Kjardy. We decided on a easy & short hike called the Emerald Pools. We barely made it to the first of 3 pools & that was far enough for the kids. They did really good though & had fun. We really should take advantage of our proximity to Zions more often!

Reese is 1!

Reese is 1! It seems like only yesterday that she was born. She is such a happy little girl-always smiling & flirting with everyone! She is quite a ham too-she loves to show-off & make people laugh. She is sort of walking-any day now I sure she will just start running all over the place. She is getting 4 molars right now which will make 12 teeth all together! Crazy! She has gotten more teeth, & faster, than any of our other kids. She is in that lovely 'dump everything out' stage. She loves to empty drawers, shelves, baskets, cupboards-whatever she can get into! But how can you get mad at such a cute little toot?! She is such a Daddy's girl & I love it! She is the first of our babies to prefer Danny & it has been a nice break. If he is around then she pretty much wants nothing to do with me. Whenever he leaves I have to pry her off of him & then she just cries & cries. So cute! Reese is such a cuddle bug-she gives the best loves. She likes to snuggle right in under your chin & just lays there. Sometimes she will pat my back when I am patting hers-such a funny girl!To celebrate her big day we had all our family over for a BBQ then cake & ice cream. I got a little daring & made a cake that looked like a birthday candle. It turned out pretty good. Danny actually did most of it except for the detailed decorating part. We love the show 'Cake Boss' on TLC & it has inspired Danny to be more hands on with the baking. We did a white cake with raspberry filling & cream cheese frosting-so delish! We just love our little Reesie Roo! Happy Birthday!

Tutu's & new shoes...

Adelyn was SO excited for her dance recital this year. She just could not wait to get up on the big stage & do her thang! She did an awesome job & we are so proud of her. Here are the highlights:

Graduation!

Where does the time go? This school year has flown by & here we are at Owen & Adelyn's preschool graduation. Their teacher was Miss Dani & they completely adore her! But who doesn't? They have learned so much this year & Owen has matured a lot! The graduation was really cute-they sang songs & talked about what they wanted to be when they grow up. Then Miss Dani put together a slide show of pictures from the year -it was so funny! Kids are such a hoot :0) Here are some pics from the evening:I can't believe Adee will be in Kindergarten next year- she can't wait! Now bring on the popsicles, flip flops & swim suits cuz Summer-here we come! :0)

Birthday in Zions

Well, another birthday has come & gone, but at least I don't FEEL any older right? When Danny asked what I wanted for my birthday I said that I wanted to go to Zions & hike Angels Landing, then go to dinner & a movie. He agreed & we had a great day. We ate lunch at a cute little place in Springdale & the weather was perfect. Then we headed out on the hike. Let me just preface with the fact that it has been about 15 years (and 4 kids) since I have done Angels Landing & it was a lot harder than I remembered! I wanted to give up & turn back several times but Danny kept me going & it was totally worth it! The view was amazing & I had such an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. It literally felt like we were on top of the world. But the best part was so much uninterrupted time with my main squeeze ;0) We rushed home to shower & change then met some friends at the Anasazi Steakhouse-YUM! Since we had some time to kill before the movie, we went and grabbed some Krave-double YUM! Then we went and saw Robin Hood. It was a pretty good flick-Russell Crowe is always amazing. I still like the Kevin Costner Robin Hood too, they are very different versions of the Robin Hood story, so it is kinda hard to compare them. Anyway- it was an awesome day-best birthday in a LONG time. Thanks Hot Stuff for a great birthday!

Tickle those Ivories

Averee started piano at the beginning of the year & has loved it. It has been so fun to see her progress so far. Averee did really well at the recital & we are so proud of her. When I asked her if she was nervous she said no, but then after the recital she admitted that she got a little nervous since she had to wait so long for her turn. She was near the end of the program. Here are a couple pics from her first recital. Her teacher is Jennifer Redfearn & we just LOVE her!

BYU Womens Conference

I recently returned from the BYU Womens Conference. It was awesome of course! I get the opportunity to go each year (thanks Hot Stuff!) with my sister-in-laws. 2 of them are pictures above. Michelle is in the middle-she is married to Danny's brother Todd. Kim is on the end-she is Danny's oldest sister. Usually my sister-in-law Shannon comes too, but couldn't make it this year due to family responsiblities, i.e. her daughter had a dance recital. Oh how we missed her! This was our 4th year & the first time that one of us couldn't make it :0(
I wanted to share a few of the tidbits I learned. Plus, since this is my journal, so to speak, I wanted to record my thoughts & what I learned & the personal inspiration I felt.
It started Thursday morning with Sister Julie B. Beck-isn't she just amazing! Everytime I hear her speak I want to be better & do better. Here are a few of the highlights from her talk:
* We are only limited by our faithfulness
* The most important skill we can gain in this life is to discern & use the spirit (personal revelation)
* Mothers are the Lioness at the gate of the home. We need to guard our homes just like a Lioness would guard her cubs
* What matters to the mother happens in the home. If FHE matters to the mother-it will happen in the home. Where are our priorities & what matters to us?
*If our priorities are out of order we will lose our power
* She mentioned that when she was a young mother, and sturggling with balancing & juggling it all, she came up with a system that helped her keep her priorities in line. She made 3 lists. The first list was the Essentials (essential to eternal life & exhaltation): prayer, scripture study, temple attendance, FHE, fulfilling callings, church attendance, service, visiting teaching. The second list was the Neccesary (neccesary to sustain home & family life): cooking, cleaning, laundry, homemaking, homework. The third list was the Nice To Do: hobbies, crafts, recreation, girls nite out, lunch with friends. She promised that if we will make the Essentials our first priority then we will always have time for the Neccesary & even a few of the Nice To Do, but if we focus on the other two first, then we will never find the time for the Essentials. How profound! This was my most favorite insight of the weekend. I can't wait to implament this in my life-I think it will make a huge difference. I am embarrased to admit, but the Essential were probably the last things that I worried about doing. The Neccesary seem to run my life-leaving little time for much else. I am excited to put her ideas & promise to the test :0)
Thursday I chose several classes on scriptures & how to study them. Here are the highlights from those classes:
* Show children how to use the scriptures to solve problems or answer questions
* Keep scriptures in your car & purse-when you have a moment waiting in line at the drive up window, waiting for children etc, use that time to read the scriptures
* Patient Persistance...it takes time & effort to understand & enjoy studying the scriptures
*Are our children spiritually starving? We are the mothers-it is our responsibility to teach our children the gospel. We can't leave it up to the primary, YM/YW, or seminary. It is up to us!
* Our testimony is the greatest gift we can give our children...do they have it?
* It is thru rearing children that a mother works out her own salvation
* Repeat the scripture stories over & over until children know them by heart
* Expect more, not less, from our children & ourselves. Children can read & memorize scrpitures from a very early age. Take the time!
* A wise parent never misses a chance to teach of Christ
The thursday afternoon speaker was Sister Forste. She talked about being united in the gospel. Here are the highlights from her talk:
* We all share a testimony of the restored gospel
* We are individuals united in the gospel
* When we all come together it creates a PERFECT 10
* We need to sustain & respect each others righteous choices
* My personal revelation is only for ME! Don't push or judge others based on our own personal revelation (this was an A-ha moment for me)
* Our righteous differences can bond us together
Friday morning started with Sister Allred & Sister Thompson (from the general Relief Society Presidency) talking about all the humanitarian efforts made by the church. They showed several video clips of some of the ways our church is able to reach out & help people all around the world. It was amazing & awe-inspiring. I felt so blessed to be apart of a church that does SO much good all around the world-for member & non-members alike. My favorite quote from Sister Allred: 'We are commanded to become self-reliant so that we can help others'. My favorite quote from Sister Thompson: 'Pray to be the answer to someone's prayer'.
My first class on Friday was 'Selflessness & Sacrifice in Marriage'. Here are the highlights:
* Be united with spouse against Satan
* Selfishness gives Satan power
* Sancification allows unity
* The spirit will not reside side by side with worldly desires
The next class was 'Giving Children the Gift of Work'-this was a great class. One of the presenters was a guy I went to high school with: Hank Smith. He is a seminary & institute teacher now. Apparently he speaks all the time & even has a few CD's out. Pretty much the next John Bytheway. I went and said hi after & it was fun to catch up. He especially made my day when he said 'How come you still look 18 & I look 40?!" Oh Hank, always a charmer! :0)
* The surest way to make it hard for our children is to make it too easy
* Recogize limitations
* Have realistic expectations & give clear instructions
* Teach by working together
* Give praise & give it often! Positive reinforcement yields positive results
* Give service
* See work & the ability to do work as a blessing
* Balance work & play
* The Lord works! 'This is my WORK & my glory'
* It is not fair to judge past decisions with current knowledge (loved this-thanks Hank!)
* Successful parenting is not judged by the righteousness of our children (thanks again Hank!)
* Sweating is as much a divine command as is prayer
* D&C 59:10-we can't rest if we aren't working
* The 3 P's of Helping: Partner Up (don't push, pull or tell, work with them), Positive (consider what God could say vs. what He does say), Patient (we are growing children, not vegetables)
* Consider the difference between Good Success & Bad Success
The next class was 'An Educated Women never ceaseth to Learn', here are the highlights:
* Learn the doctrines of the kingdom-get the understanding in our lives & the lives of our children. Elder Nelson: 'Get the doctrine into our bones'
* "Getting" of the world doesn't go with us. Proverbs 4:7, D&C 130: 18-19
*John Taylor: "It is true intelligence for a woman to take a subject that is mysterious & great in itself & to unfold & simplify it so that a child can understand"
*D&C 93:36- the glory of God is intelligence
* Moses 1:11-use our spiritual eyes. The more pure we are the better our spiritual eyes will work & the more spiritual things we will see
* True knowledge-remember & understanding things we already knew in the pre-existance
* Scriptures are the source of all blessings, answers & happiness
* Act on personal revelation-heed promptings quickly
* We will not recognize big promptings if we are not listening & heeding the small ones
The final talk on friday afternoon was Elder & Sister Oaks. They were incredible! I couldnt take notes fast enough! What a wonderful spirit they brought to the conference. From Sister Oaks:
* We can make a difference only to the degree that we are different
* In the resurrection we will be a product of our choices
* Seek for an increase in spirit & avoid worldly distractions
* Counting calories vs. counting blessings
* Time & age may ravish us, but our core beliefs & knowledge of the doctrine will remain intact
* Rise above form & meet the function
Elder Oaks:
*Our world today is summed up by 'American worship of Individualism' (Selfishness, self-centered, living unto self)
* Frank Sinatra's 'I did it my way' will NOT be sung in the Celestial Kingdom
* Being a mother is a cure for our own self-centeredness
* The Lord knows our heart & the reasons we serve. Why do I serve?
* Work for a condition of less concern for self
* Obsessive concern for self is destructive (where does a "bad hair day' fit into the eternal scheme of things...besides-no one else cares!)
* Without service our spiritual growth is stunted
* It is amazing what you can get done when you aren't worried about who gets the credit
* Weak marriages are caused by putting our own needs above our spouse & family
* Marriages are al iving thing-if they are 'sick', we try to heal them, not give up on them
* Selfishness weakens family bonds
* Never forget Who you serve & Who is in charge. Trust in His words, promises & blessings
It is such an awesome experience to be there with 15,000 women who have the same concerns, hopes & fears as you do. That many women singing the hymns together is quite powerful as well! Anyway-that about covers it. Sorry if this is long & boring-or makes no sense! But I hope to never forget the things I learned & the feelings that I had. Thank heavens for Womens Conference! It is always the boost that I need to recommit to the things I know I should be doing. See ya next year!

A Yummy First

So, it's official: Reese loves licorice! She had her first piece today & enjoyed it immensely-as you can tell from her face :0) Not sure if she got more on her face or in her mouth? She will get plenty of licorice in her lifetime cuz Grandma V & Papa always bring the kids a piece of licorice when they come over...the kids pretty much expect it now, so Grandma & Grandpa keep a stash in their car. What a fun Grandma & Grandpa!