Brighton Discovered the Christmas Tree AND that he could GET to the tree!

Brighton doesn't get too many posts that are just dedicated to him. Call me a bad mom. But I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more posts on Bright due to the fact that he's figured out how to get where ever he wants and that usually equals into getting into trouble.
So, he's already 11 months old and he's still not crawling, but he has discovered the "army crawl". It is the cutest thing ever! He moves his little arms as he drags his lower body as fast as he can. Today he was in my bedroom and he heard my in Avery's room and pretty soon, he comes crawling in with a huge grin on his face. He thinks he's pretty cool now that he has a little Independence on his side.

Avery's First Day of Skiing

Today was a great day for Avery and Daddy. Avery got her own ski pass this year so Brian took her up for the first time. She was so excited to go "deein wiff daddy". She kept telling me "I doe deein wif daddy and you can't come!". I love that Brian takes the time to make special moments for our kids. I think these little ski days are going to be so much more than skiing in fresh powder, or hitting the jumps (yes... Kaden already loves the jumps)... I think the greatest part will be the memories of being with their dad. And the coolest part is that Brian likes it just as much as they do. They are so blessed to have such an amazing dad. I hope someday they realize how special it is that he takes so much time to hang out with them.
One of my favorite things in the winter is heading up to watch them ski. I'm the cheesy one at the bottom of the hill in my jeans, tennis shoes, a kid attached to the front of me in a carrier, video camera and point and shoot camera in both hands ready to catch the shots of the kids heading down the slope. They are so darn cute!
Avery is going to LOVE skiing. She did AWESOME!!! She didn't want to stop. She kept telling Brian, "lets doe adin! Go deein now!" She couldn't get up on the lift fast enough and then would giggle all the way down. It's going to be fun watching her improve. She had these great little skis that kept her going slow enough she could stop on her own and turn pretty easy. Soon enough I bet she and Kaden will be skiing right along side Brian. That will be a fun day for all of them. But for today, we're just going to enjoy the big smiles, giggles and the excitement of seeing these guys learn to get down the hill by themselves.

The Call of the Christmas Tree

It's that time of year!
Our favorite tradition to start off the holiday season is always heading down south to cut down our Christmas Tree with Brian's family. This is something Brian has done since he was a kid.. and it's something we LOVE to do with our own kids. It is so much fun to go hang out with family.. hike up and down the mountain and watch Brian haul down the perfect tree.
I realized something this year about tree cutting. You can't just find any old tree. The tree has to call to you. It sounds funny... but it's true. You look at so many trees and you always find something wrong with them until you see "the one". Cutting down trees on your own.. you never get the perfect shaped tree... they are all a little charlie brownish in their own way, but they have character. Some are better than others... some take hours to find... others end up being the first one you set your eyes on. It's different every year.. but when you find it... you know it's your tree. It's a lot of fun. We have had a blast the last couple years finding trees that are huge! We usually end up with a 15 footer and it's always an adventure trying to cut it down and/or drag it back down the mountain. This year was no different.. we found a great tree.. a huge tree. Brian marked it on his GPS and headed across the mountain just in case he could find one better. After an hour or so of hiking... he ended up getting the first tree we found. I guess it was the one that called to us this year.
The day is full of fun. We visit, watch the kids play, swing on the huge tree swing, eat sandwiches and treats, blast Christmas music from our car and enjoy the nostalgia of this fun tradition. I don't know a better way to start the season off than by doing this. It's awesome!!!

I am Thankful

This time of year I start reflecting on all the things I'm thankful for and many things I take for grantid. As I get older, it seems as if the months pass by without being able to take a breath. Years go by quickly and I tend to blink and realize another day is gone... my kids are getting older each second and these years I hold so priceless of raising young kids are one more day behind me and I can't slow it down. How can I change this feeling of speed? How can I stop and make life go in slow motion? In reality.. I don't really want life to stop... where's the fun in that? But I do want to take advantage of EVERY MOMENT. I wish I could promise myself that I will NEVER FORGET each and every moment of watching my kids grow up. I find myself praying at night that I will be able to LOVE every stage my children are in as much as the previous. I can't imagine that these years right now.. that I treasure beyond belief... will probably not be the ones I will remember as my kids are adults. How can I REMEMBER? How can I keep in my mind the sweet voice of a 2 year old.. the belly laugh of an infant... or the innocent sparkle in the eyes of a 5 year old? How can I remember that every day I call Brian at work and say, "you'll never believe what Avery did... or Oh my gosh.. Kaden said the cutest thing today.. etc, etc.. Every day we laugh at their innocence and are in awe by their little lives. Even watching Brighton wave to us while he's in his jumper brightens our day. THESE ARE THE THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR.

Family is everything. My little family... The 5 of us... who would have thought this would be my life 15 years ago? And not just my life... but what makes me whole. Brian and my kids are my center.. they bring me the inner happiness I long for. I look at life differently because I am blessed to be able to see it through my children's eyes and then get to share that with my husband. What a privilege that is! Especially this time of year where magic seems to be around every corner.

So as I think about all the things I am grateful for this time of year... my list could go on and on... but above all.. I am thankful for my life and how it has evolved into my own little piece of heaven.

What A Weekend

This week was a little crazy for me. About 6 weeks ago I got called into the primary presidency and was told I would be in charge of writing the primary program. Writing a program for kids from the age of 4-11 is quite an interesting task. We have about 115 kids that are active. Trying to get each one of them a part and keep the program under 40 minutes was quite a task when the songs they sang took up about 20 minutes. Well... the program was Sunday and it went perfectly!! I am so grateful for all the people that helped manage chaos and especially the music leaders who did such an amazing job with those kids.
So if the primary program wasn't enough... I had a huge cake week. I had entered into a wedding cake competition for the Utah Chocolate Show. It was a really fun experience, but a lot of extra stress for such a busy weekend. The winner got $500 and guess what?????? drum roll please..... I didn't win.

I felt my cake was pretty darn creative and I was happy how it turned out, but the judges hated it. Yup.. they actually told me there was nothing about my cake they liked. They hated the concept of a chocolate fountain... they thought it was a terrible idea and I would have been judged a higher score without the fountain. (and they said this all to my face) So... I guess my chocolate fountain was not that great of idea. Oh well.... you win some - you lose some. Luckily... one of the judges did say she thought my cake tasted fabulous so at least that was something going for me. I'd hate to own a cake business and have crappy tasting cakes. (I guess I just have crappy looking cakes) -- ha, ha. Even though the judges didn't love my cake, I was still happy with it. I thought it was a fun idea.

My next couple cakes were not for competition.. but for clients. Luckily, I didn't get the same response from these two cakes. They were actually the opposite effect. Nothing makes creating a cake more rewarding than when you can see the excitement and emotion in people's faces. These two cakes had that effect. One cake was for a little girls birthday. I didn't get to deliver this one, but Brian said she kept wanting to hold it and she couldn't stop staring. I love it when that happens!!

My next cake was probably one of the funnest deliveries I have ever had. The party was for a ladies 75 birthday party that her kids threw for her. Her cake was decorated with figurines of all her grandkids doing things they were interested in and the birthday girl on top. It was so much fun to see all the family members come up and crowd me as I was putting all the figurines on the cake. They would say... "Oh look, it's you Sarah" "Hey, there are the twins", "Oh look at Hannah" etc, etc. Then all of a sudden I look behind me and I have about 6 people taking pictures of the cake and the birthday girl showing her guests her cake with her grandkids on it. Oh my gosh.. it was really fun. It's rewarding to do a cake when it's so customized to the client and they appreciate your work. It was a pleasant change from the judges of the cake competition.

(click on picture to see a larger image)

So... needless to say... this past week was insane and there were several sleepless nights. I was so grateful that all I had to do today was blog and hang out with my kids.

Is It Bad Parenting to be Entertained by Traumatizing your Children?

So here's a quick run down... then you can enjoy the visual!
Our Children..... Kaden especially are about the WORST eaters ever! Avery is usually pretty good, but today was an exception. We have tried many tricks to coerse our kiddos to eat.. some work.. others don't work so well. We've done the timer method. Which usually ends up with Kaden being so worried about the timer going off that he stops eating all together. We've done the "give me 5 bites" method... which works off and on.. but usually ends up having us feed our 5 year old (not cool). Sometimes it's pure frustration and we just give up all together and figure he's not going to starve if he doesn't eat his dinner. Then there are the other times..... times like this.... you know.... the times when you've had it with the typical threats and you have a little sense of humor in you so you bring out the big guns. Or in this case.... THE BLOW TORCH and a couple FAVORITE TOYS. As I'm writing this, it just dawned on me that we've just become our parents. Not that they ever threatened to burn our favorite things... but I know they would "encourage" us to get things done in slightly traumatizing ways. It's quite entertaining really. So entertaining that as my children were about to have a nervous breakdown with Brian's threat, all I could do was grab the camera and say... "This is so blog worthy!". So there you have it... Who's the worst parent here? Brian for almost burning our kids toys for not eating their dinner... or me.... taking pictures of them in their time of distress?
But... all you parents out there with any bit of sense of humor or sense of frustration that comes from child rearing... I think you'll enjoy this little series of events you are about to see. If you don't... please forget you ever saw this post and try not to call child services on us :)



AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE KIDS TO EAT..... DAD BRINGS OUT THE BLOW TORCH AND TWO INNOCENT LITTLE TOYS.










THE LOOK OF PANIC IS IN THEIR EYES.... BUT WILL THEY EAT?





IT LOOKS LIKE THE BLOW TORCH DID THE TRICK!!!! THEY WERE SHOVING FOOD IN THEIR MOUTHS!


AHHHH... BABY DOLL IS SAFE WITH HER MOMMY. (AVERY TOLD BRIAN... "DADDY, THIS ISN'T YOUR BABY.. THIS IS MY BABY" AND SHE WOULD NOT PUT IT DOWN FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING)

PARENTING RULES!!! IT'S MOMENTS LIKE THIS THAT KEEP IT ENTERTAINING. YOU GOTTA LOVE KIDS!

Our Own Little Sledding Hill

We found the "Hot Spot" for this winters activities. Every great neighborhood has the places where the kids all get together and hang out. Ours happens to be a hill across the street from our house where the kids spent hours sledding and throwing snowballs with all their friends.
It was quite nostalgic as I remember the long winter days of doing the same thing with my own neighbor friends growing up. I remember pulling our sleds to the hill and coming home with red hands and hot chocolate waiting for us. Oh the memories..

Sorry... I gotta brag (it's my blog - I can do what I want)
MY KIDS ARE SO DARN CUTE!!! I CAN'T STAND IT!

Thank You Snow Gods

We know the drill. Labor Day weekend the beard starts growing and won't come off till that first ski day of true powder.
It's a Brian Thing......

So I am pleased to announce that kissing my husband is much more pleasant again! The beard came off and my sink looked as if a large rat had exploded... (ya... it was pretty bad). I love this guy and his crazy rituals.

After years of "fake" mumbling... I must confess

I am a summer girl. Always have been.. Always will. I would prefer my days hanging out on a boat in my bathing suit soaking up the rays and getting a tan while the sun is bleaching my brown hair. For years I have made quite a scene over the first snowfall of the year. I grumble and complain, make disgusted faces and moan. This means summer is over and the LONG Utah winters have begun.
As a child my dad would come in to wake me up and say, "Turia... I have a suprise for you. Look outside!" As I would look out my window in the darkness, all I see is soft billowy clouds not in the sky but on my front lawn. It's all quiet and the lack of sound that snow seems to bring is a peaceful one. Me.... the summer girl would groan and roll back over in bed and say to my dad.. "I can't believe it's snowing already. I'm going back to bed."
Year after year.. I would wake up to a fresh cloud of snow and the quiet peace that accompanies it. I complain.. I grumble.. I "act" as if it's the worst thing that could happen.
BUT.... it is now time to confess. Even in those early years when I acted as if the snow was a gift from the devil himself... I always felt the magic in that first snowfall. Heaven forbid I actually admit that me.. the summer girl could actually enjoy snow as well. That was too difficult. I always play that day a little melodramatic. But not today. Today I woke up and I couldn't deny that magical excitement that I've felt year after year. I looked outside and joy filled my heart. Not because the long utah winters are about to begin (still hate that part).. but because of what the snow represents. It represents blankets, hot chocolate, soups, more time at home just hanging out, the holidays, playing in the snow and my husbands mood instantly turning to good to ecstatic. This is his "summer"... his "time on the lake". My excitement for this season is mostly in part by watching him... and now.. watching my kids. Today as the snow was falling, Kaden was staring out the window in his jammies and his ski helmet. He hadn't been awake more than 30 seconds before he was running in our room saying.... "Guess what? There's snow on the ground!". That magic is in him just as it's in us.

I don't know why I've fought this season for so many years... just because I prefer long summer days, great tans and flip flops doesn't change the truth that there really is magic in this first snowfall of the year.
Whew!!! It feels good after years of self denial to actually admit that (at times)... snow is pretty cool!

Halloween 2008

We had a wonderful Halloween. The kids were so cute trick or treating. Avery wanted to go to every house. Even when she was so tired and practically asleep in my arms, she would say... "lets go dat house". They went for a good couple hours straight and when their bags were full and their little legs too tired to walk anymore, we headed home.
The highlights of the evening were Avery saying "Arrrrrrr" when you asked her what a pirate says and Kaden running up and down the street too excited to stick to any organized route for trick or treating. On the way home, Kaden said, "Oh.. I just LOVE Halloween!". They were so darn cute! I love celebrating the holidays through their eyes. It brings back all the excitement of being a kid again.... but in a much more fulfilling way!

Grandma Becky's Halloween Party

My mom always does fun little holiday parties for the grandkids. She always does such a great job. This year was no exception. The kids all came over in their costumes and after a photo shoot from all the moms, they started with the festivities! Stories, games, monster mash, scavenger hunt to find the spooky ghost with all the treats, crafts, and of course lots of yummy, spooky food!
Thanks mom for all your hard work. The party was a hit!

Cousin Late Over

The highlight of my kids (and their cousins) week is "Cousin Late Over". Me, Jana & Jenni each take a Friday night where we watch all 9 grandkids so the other two couples can go on a date. It has been so much fun to have two free weekends of babysitting each month. But more importantly, the kids get to be together. The LOVE spending time with one another and look forward to the weekend. Kaden is usually counting down the days on Monday!
This past cousin late over was at my house. Kaden told me, "Mom.. I've been waiting 100 years for my cousins to come over". Since it was the weekend before Halloween we drew spooky pictures made spider cupcakes and decorated my basement with spider webs and ghosts for an upcoming family party.
I am so grateful for my sister in laws and their friendship. I feel so blessed to have them in my life. I could call on them for anything and I usually do! It's so important for me to have my kids close to their cousins. I think little night outs like the ones we're doing are helping out with that.

The quiet hours of the night part 2

Attention: This post is strictly for the soul purpose to make a note to "future me" that parenting wasn't always a bed of roses. :)

you know the post I did last week?
Well... it's 4 am, I've been up with Brighton for 2 hours now.... ya..... not feelin the warm fuzzies tonight.

Harvest Fun

We took the kids to a fun little apple orchard this weekend where they had hay rides, fresh pressed apple cider, a pumpkin patch and loads of carmel apples, doughnuts and chocolate popcorn. We had a blast picking out our pumpkins for the year and watching the kids try to carry them. This is always such a fun time and one I LOVE to do with my kids. We have made it a tradition to go and pick our own pumpkins from a patch instead of the local grocery storefront and it's been a highlight of our fall each year.
The kids enjoyed a fun evening eating their doughnuts, sitting on hay bales and watching "The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" that was projected on the side of their produce truck. (Wow.. are we country or what?) What could be more fun for a kid? Hanging out with cousins, eating treats, and watching movies? They had a blast and it was all worth it just to know they had a good time.

To Eat or Not to Eat

People LOVE sushi... I've never quite understood it. I mean it's absolutely gorgeous but the thought of raw fish and seaweed just doesn't excite me in the least bit. But this weekend, I ended up trying the so called "cuisine".
Brian loves the stuff, but me.... not so much. I tried to be brave and test it out, and lets just say it was kindof a disaster. I'm not positive, but our table was laughing so hard at my attempts that I think we disrupted the "zen" in the restaurant.

My experience with sushi went a little like this... (I so wish I had a picture to show this in all it's glory)

I grab the sushi with my chop sticks. I put it up to my mouth, open my mouth... oh I'm going to do it.... 'BLAH" (a little dry heave action) and I put it down closer to my plate.
OK.. here I go again... up, up, up.... "Blah"... back down to the plate.
I can do it this time..... "Blah" before I get it in my mouth. This time on it's way down to my plate I drop it in my teriyaki sauce. The raw salmon is falling off (which I'm not very disappointed in by the way) and the rest is drenched in sauce..Maybe it will make it more palatable??? Let's try it again!
Up, Up... almost there.... "Blah!" Back down to the plate
(Now the waitress is at our table watching and joining in on all the laughing..oh great, more people to watch me peuk)
It's getting a bit embarrassing now as well as the poor beautiful piece is getting utterly destroyed by all the handling. So I try it again... this time... I will not stop...
I shove my chopsticks to my mouth and voila it's in my mouth!!!!
Chew,...aaaahhhh!!!...another 1/2 chew..... I make a nasty worried look as if I'm going to blow a gasket and try to chew again... This time the dry heave is going to be a full on gag if I don't get it out as fast as possible... So in the napkin it goes! (Oh, I have such etiquette)
The best part was after the whole "sushi eating adventure", I continue to eat my own very delicious "non sushi meal" and go to pick up my napkin and proceed to wipe off my face... you guess it.... I PICKED UP THE SUSHI FILLED NAPKIN!!! AHHHHHH!! CHEWED UP NASTINESS NEAR MY MOUTH!! WHAT WAS I THINKING?? (K- I'm not ashamed to say I'm dry heaving a little as I'm reliving this experience)
That was some wasted cash/food (sushi and $$$ go hand in hand) that someone else could have enjoyed! I guess it's cheap entertainment though!! So, I think it's safe to say that I'm not one for sushi.. don't think I'll ever get used to it. Sorry Bri-- this is one dining experience you're gonna have to do with someone else.

The quiet hours of the night

It's nearly 2 am and I've just finished a wedding cake. This is pretty standard for me as it's so hard to work and be creative when you've got 3 kids and the craziness of life that takes up the rest of the day.
As I was cleaning up, I hear little Brighton talking in his room. I go in to see him on his tummy, rocking back and forth practicing his "crawl" that he hasn't quite figured out yet. As he saw me, a big smile shines across his face as he rolls over and starts moving his wrists back and forth as a sign for me to pick him up. As I do so, he immediately goes into cuddle position.. thumb in his mouth, the other fingers grabbed onto my nose and his other hand holding the back of my hair. I love this simple bit of affection I get from my little 9 month old on a daily basis.
I walk into the family room with the little guy in my arms, sit on the couch and there we sit. My cheek resting on the top of his head, his little fingers squeezing my nose as he slowly drifts to sleep. As I sat there, I realized the power of a mothers touch. That simple cradle in my arms calmed him gently to sleep. The need he had of me was a simple one... he needed the comfort of someone who loved him.
As I thought about this special little moment, I began to think of my other two kids and the power of a mothers touch in their lives. Kaden, at 5 years old still comes in my bed every morning to cuddle before I get up. With sleepy eyes I often blink to find him staring at me with a big smile on his face. I want to hold him closer as I realize the love I have for him.
Then I thought about Avery. My independent, strong willed beautiful daughter who sometimes shows me she needs her mothers touch. These moments are often found when I return home and I'm welcomed by opened arms running to me, or when she wakes up from her nap and she wants to sit and cuddle while watching Curious George. These moment are priceless to me. They are moments that I know they need me just because I'm their mom. What a better tribute could you get for the endless hours of housework, screaming, struggling with getting them to eat, etc, etc, etc... that comes with the daily job requirements of being a mom.
You know.. these tender moments will be over before I can even blink and I will only have my memories of the sweet "cuddle" moments I get from my children. I thought about it a lot as I was holding little Bright tonight. Will they still need me as much as they do now in a few years? Will the power of a mothers touch still be a magical tool of my love to them? Will I be able to have my love for them evolve in a way that is keeping up with their changing personalities and needs? I sure hope so..... I believe so.
My kids will always be my kids. I'm sure I'll look at Brighton someday as he's riding his skateboard down the street and think back on when he used to pull at my nose as he sucked his thumb. Maybe I'll think of Kaden cuddling up to me in the mornings as I watch him leave on his mission. I might even feel Avery's arms wrapped around me as we cuddle in her "sleep bag" the day she tells me she's getting married. Who knows? I hope moments like these will be imprinted in my memory to always treasure.
Wow... with all that said and done... I think I'm going to go to bed! That was a lot of thought for a simple cuddle with my baby. :)

We Love Fall

I have to say that fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Since my life doesn't revolve around laying out and getting a tan as much as it did in the summers of my youth, I think that fall might be tied to my favorite season.
Brian and I try to get the kids out as much as possible to enjoy hiking in our beautiful mountains here in Utah. We love to see the leaves, hike in the cooler weather and most of all, spent time with each other and our kids. I don't know what it is about nature, but it has a positive influence on us as a family. When we are out walking trails or watching the kids look in ponds for fish, we tend to slow down and appreciate one another. Every moment in priceless and there is no rush to go and get other things done. It's amazing how therapeutic a walk in the autumn leaves can do for you.
I love fall. I love our family hikes, I love my kids, and I love that I have a hubby who has shown me how to love and appreciate nature and the little things in life.

Tis The Season

If you see us on a regular basis, you may have noticed Brian's extra facial hair..
Yup... it's time to pay tribute to the snow gods in hopes for great powder.

For those of you that have followed my blog for the past year, many of you will remember my post about my husbands love for skiing.
He can't just be happy to ski when it begins to snow... that would far too normal. He has to prepare clear in August for this "sacred season". I am more of a summer girl myself, but Brian is all winter!!

So here we are again... beard in full swing since opening weekend of sniagrab (labor day)
and it's not coming off until that fresh powder sticks to his face.
All I can say is........ BOYS!!!

Good thing he's cute. I sure love him... even with his long tickley beard! He's the greatest over obsessed skiier I know. So for Brian's sake....
Snow Gods.. if you are listening... Come soon and give us a good year!

Released

After 6 years of serving in the Young Womens program at church, I was released on Sunday and put in the primary presidency. Being released from a calling is always a weird experience for me and this one was no different. I was out of town on Sunday, so I didn't get to spend my "last sunday" with my girls. They wouldn't have know any different anyway because our Sacrament meeting is last, but it still seems so harsh to be pulled out of something you've been apart of for many years and not even have a chance to say goodbye.
It's crazy. You know these girls so well. You spend hours on end with them, share spiritual experiences with them, see them laugh, cry, grow and dream. You are with them on Sundays, on Wednesday nights, at girls camp, youth conference, and other major events in their lives. You see them grow, you see some fall and you cheer them on the whole time. You love them, pray for them, worry about them and cry for them, laugh with them.. and then... you are gone. No goodbye, No time for that one last bit of counsel you want so desperatly for them to hear. It's over in a matter of moments when you are released. I understand this is part of the gospel and serving in it, but it doesn't make it easier. What do the girls think? Do they understand? Will they continue to know how much I will still care for them? Did I do anything in their lives that made a difference? You give your soul to a calling and just pray you did what you needed to do.
I am now going to be serving in the primary. It will be another growing experience for me and I am excited to learn from this calling. I am sure when the time comes to be released from from there, I will feel the same way as I do now.
But at this moment, my heart is with my beautiful young women. They have taught me so much. They have humbled me, have inspired me, encouraged me to be a better example. They have been my babysitters, my children's favorite friends, my excuse to stay young. These girls are spiritual giants who have so much to offer to the world. They are girls who I hope and pray my daughter will be like when she is older. I love you all and will miss you terribly.
So for all the young women I have had the opportunity to serve with the last 6 years... from my sweet beehives in my ward right now to those of you who are driving and going to college and even those of you now married and having babies.. I love you. I will not forget you and most of all... THANK YOU for bringing so much joy into my life as I've served as your young women leader.
Since I don't get to share my last bit of counsel with you... if I could, this is what I'd say:
Remember Always the beautiful daughter of God you are. Remember the power you have to set examples and change the world. Don't be afraid to set your standards high.. and rise above the temptations that will be put in your path. Stay beautiful by keeping your sprit strong and your dreams within reach. Rise above your expectations of yourself and strive for greatness. Don't get discouraged, but if you do... pray and know that there will always be someone praying for you as well. Love the lord, Love your parents, respect them. Know your leaders are doing their best to be there for you. Talk to them, lean on them if you need a friend.
Study the scriptures. Find characters in them that you can relate to and live according to their examples. There are powerful women in the scriptures that can be guides in your life on how to live. Learn about them, Figure out ways to apply their lives with yours. Complete your personal progress because it will be a GREAT tool for you in your life as you experience marriage, children, careers, missions, and all the other things your lives will be blessed with.
You WILL go places. You have nothing to fear when the Lord is with you. Change the world and be proud doing it.

Last, but not least I want to tell you this... Be strong, Live Life to the fullest, Have Fun and Love the Lord.

Our Trip to Pink Mountain

The other day I went on a trip. Not just any trip, but the kind that all the money in the world couldn't have made it any better. We started off with our fearless tour guide with all the necessary things a tour guide should have when going to Pink Mountain.
a parachute
*a knife
*Binoculars
*a pillow
*and a gun... why you ask? well I did ask and the reply was "In case we have to shoot any deers" (Hmmmm, interesting... we've never been hunters in our family, not really sure where this came from)


Once our group (Our tour guide, his assistant, myself and the little dude) all had our pillows, we were ready for our journey. We passed the the land of cake baking, trugged over laundry hill and traversed our way through the all so famous "A zillion things to do AND clean pass", then up the steep climb to our final destination.
We reached our "Two Day Vacation" to Pink Mountain just in time for dinner. What a remarkable resort we stayed at. The meals were the epitomy of fine dining. Pizza, Fruit and Kaden's famous Mushroom soup. The soux chef was creating masterpieces.










My room was better than any 5 star resort... It only had 1 rule. NO SNORING! (It may wake up the other guests said our tour guide). I had a wonderful nights sleep of about 15 seconds. I have never felt so refreshed in my life.








Breakfast was fresh fruit hand cut by our guide and his assistant. It was delectable.
Our adventures awaited us, so after breakfast there was an in-room movie party. Caillou was showing this morning. As the movie started (one of my "favorites" by the way... ha, ha) I made my own rule.... As a guest at Pink Mountain Resort there will be No Phone, No Internet, No Cleaning! I could only enjoy the beauty of my surroundings and the pleasure of being with my guests. You know, it doesn't get much better than a couple days at Pink Mountain with a tour guide, and assistant and a little dude who slobbers on everything.



DO I HAVE TO COME HOME?
I COULD STAY UP HERE FOREVER!

Seriously????

I really don't know who needs to learn more... ME???? or AVERY???? All I can say is.... Seriously????
This is the 3rd.. (yes, I said 3rd) creative learning experiment that took place in her room this week.
#1- Marker all over her dresser, fish tank, picket fence and bed (thank goodness for cleanser.. it works miracles)
#2- Chalk on all the same things (easy enough to clean up)
#3- And then this......

Let's just give you a run down....

11:30 PM.. Brian comes walking upstairs and says, "Turia, are you painting your nails?" It smells like fingernail polish.
Turia: Oh crap... Go check Avery's room now!

This is what we found....

Cute and innocent looking right? She's so sweet when she's asleep.


Cute.. yes... but innocent??? I guess it depends on how you define innocent. Let's just say she's curious.
Here's the evidence....


Well...... This is why it smells so strong in her room.

***Warning*** Picture below is graphic and those with any pride to home decor and their own skin, may cringe at what will be shown here on this blog.


So this is only part of the "crime scene". There was clear glitter polish in a nice smeared pile on her carpet. I don't know how we got so lucky to not have red polish get on the carpet... but her hand made quilt I made for her (that took me HOURS) is now nicely decorated in dark red... much worse than what is on her beloved "sleep bag and Straw Jammies".
Can I just say how happy I am that I just recently posted her two most favorite things before they looked like something that you'd find in the ER?

Brian and I spent the next 20 minutes trying to clean up the damage and just laughing at this precious little girl sleeping soundly in a bed full of fingernail polish. You know... nothing she does seems to phase me anymore. What can you do but laugh? (or maybe cry occasionally?) But mostly laugh... and love her more. Ave's what would I do without you??? I sure wouldn't have nearly as much stuff to blog about!

Bridal Show and the launch of my website

The bridal show was a success. It was a long week, a long Saturday, but so much fun. I hope I get some good clients for all the work we put into this. Here's a picture of about half the cakes I did this week. I think it turned out just as I hoped it would.
I couldn't have pulled it through without the help of so many people. Friends & family for stepping in and babysitting, my mom for taking charge of getting everything ready for my booth, my VERY, VERY supportive husband who believes in my more than I believe in myself, Swensen's for giving me the opportunity to even be in the show, and mostly my brother... He put as much time and sleepless nights in this week as I did trying to get my banners, brochures and website designed. They all look amazing and I am so grateful for everyone's support this week.

So, thanks to by bro... I have an awesome site up and going!!! It's still got a little bit of work we've got to do on it, but it looks awesome!! We will be launching a blog on it where I'm going to post lots of fun things. I may even offer some cake decorating classes (still stewing over that one). Check out the site. Hope you like it!!!

Computers Make Me Cry

So my computer crashed Friday night. With no warning, no clues that something terrible was about to happen, we said goodbye to hundreds of pictures, files of digi scrapbook stuff and all the other stuff that is on a computer. Ahhhh, I am sick. Why we rely on electronics for everything is beyond me right now. If I was smart and normal, I would have backed everything up on my external hard drive, but did I do that? NO!
All I can say is THANK GOODNESS FOR BLOGGING! At least I've got a few pictures of my kids this year from the posts I've done.

To my smokin' hot wife

Turia Rocks!

This is going to be a bare bones post... No pictures, no sound, pretty short and to the point. I just had to publicly say how proud I am of my wife. She had her own "Hell week" and weathered it better than I think anyone could have. Her cakes turnedout amazing, the booth at her show was one of the best there, and she did it all with a smile on her face. I married the most amazing woman I know! I love you Turia. I couldn't be prouder!

Life This Week has NOT included blogging

As much as I should be blogging this week... documentation via blogger of all the daily fun events of my children have been put on the back burner for now.
I am not dead, I am not on vacation (oh how I wish I was), I am just VERY BUSY!!!
Let me sum it up for you.....
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to be invited to do a bridal show!! (YeAH)
The bridal show is Saturday... exactly 8 days from when I found out (Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!)
I had NO, nothing, zilch, nada prepared for something like this... so here is how my week has gone down.

Friday afternoon--- stressed out, scared out of my mind, pacing around in circles trying to figure out how I could put all this together in time all while trying to finish up a wedding cake for a client. (ya... a little crazy) Then I realize I need styrofoam... and LOTS of it.. so I run downtown and buy loads of styrofoam for my "fake wedding cakes". Went to the store to buy fondant twice. (So did my mom)

Saturday-- Deliver my actual wedding cake, went to buy more fondant (so did my mom) go to sniagrab with my family.... (It's a must when you are married to the worlds most obsessed skiier) But I was excited.. I actually talked Brian into getting a helmet for Kaden. He's too stubborn for one himself, but at least our kid will be safe. Oh ya... did I mention I have to speak in church tomorrow?? Guess I should start thinking about my talk (11 pm) Oh ya.. Oh ya... went and bought more fondant. (The cheap kind was 50% off this weekend... yeah!)

Sunday-- Went to church and gave my talk. I guess it went ok... not one of my better ones. Came home and put the kids to bed and off to the drawing board I went. FIRST writing a full page of "To Do's" to get ready for the Bridal Show... then figuring out how I can divide and make the most of the help that would be offered. I passed off the entire "Booth" set-up stuff to my mom (MAJOR LIFESAVER!!!!), got my brother working on finishing up my website and designing the printing of brochures and a banner, then started drawing up cake plans, color schemes, variety, etc, etc. Whew!!! Plans for 8 cakes. EIGHT CAKES IN LESS THAN A WEEK!!! (this is going to be one heck of a week)

Monday--- Labor Day and Brian is off work (Hallelujia!!!). I spend almost all day in the kitchen working on cakes. I get two finished and start on my chocolate leaves. Chocolate leaves looked awful, so scrapped them and decided to do them in gumpaste instead (that's going to have to wait for another day-- I'm going to bed) Did I mention me, brian, mom, dad, callee, duncan, jordan... ALL bought fondant today? (hooray for 50%off and AWESOME family! )

Tuesday-- Back in the kitchen.. Still working on cakes. Don't get nearly as much done today due to hubby at work, but spend most of the day shopping for other cake needs. Guess what? I didn't buy fondant today! (Just everything else.. including more styrofoam) Worked on 2 more cakes and finally crashed about 2 am.

Wednesday-- Slept in and didn't make it to the gym. (not good) and went straight to the kitchen (surprise). My poor children and not being taken care of, watching too many movies and being ignored until my great friend saves the day. When Kaden gets to Emily's house he tells her "this has been the more boring day ever!". (whoops... bad mom)
I form my autumn leaves, paint flowers on one of my cakes, and color fondant for another cake.
It's Wednesday, so off I go to young womens. We have a fun activity, I get home and straight into the kitchen with me!! Here's the big night. I airbrush the autumn leaves, paint my snowflakes silver, finish my flower power cake, do a tradition white on white cake, and make loads of royal icing... Do you think I'm tired yet? I SHOULD BE.. IT'S 4 AM!!! Ok.. I'm almost done at this point, only 1 1/2 cakes left to finish, but I'm exhausted so off to bed.

Thursday-- Get up, get the kids breakfast, send them to my other wonderful friends house to play. While they are there, I rush to finish as much as I can. The kids come home and we head out to preschool. WE get home.. the two younger kids take naps and TADA...... (drum roll please)...... ALL EIGHT (yes I said 8) cakes are finished!! 8 cakes in 3 1/2 days! whew!! I made it.
Now it's thursday night and I'm finally able to sit down, check my email, blog a little bit, and try not to fall asleep.
Tomorrow will bring photo shoots of the cakes, more last minute details to get done and my nerves to start up again because Saturday is the big day.

Hope it turns out well.

Avery's Two Favorite Things

Avery LOVES, ADORES, is EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED to two things in life:

Her "Straw Jammies" (strawberry jammies) and her "Sleep bag". These poor jammies are so loved, I often have to wash them without her knowing and have them back in her room for the evening. There have been times in the middle of the day that we reward her for things she's done well by letting her put her jammies back on after lunch. When she's not wearing them all day long, she never has to be asked more than once to go get ready for bed. Often she will run in her room yelling, "Yeah!!!! Straw Jammies!!!" Life is so simple for a two year old.

As for the "sleep bag". We got this for her earlier this past April when we were heading down to Moab for the weekend. Her brother had a sleeping bag, so we thought she needed her own as well. Little did we know that this poor bag would never be tied up again. It is dragged around everywhere, cuddled with each night and movie time, and usually ends up wherever Avery is going. When she's sad, tired or in trouble, the tears start out and then it's "My Sleep Bag... I need my sleep bag!!" It's cute she has a comfort blanket... just wish it wasn't so big! I've finally figured out it is more effective to put "sleep bag" in time out when she does notty things instead of putting HER in time out! It's amazing how much better it works.

Goin Shishin with my Daddy

Avery was so excited to spend a day out with dad last week. She has been asking to go "shishing" (fishing) and was thrilled that today was the day! She was running around the house collecting different things that she and Brian would need. She would have nothing to do with me because she thought I'd make her stay home I guess. They had a great time catching worms, going to the pond and then out to lunch just the two of them. When Avery got home, she said, "the shishies ate all my worms!'. She hasn't stopped talking about shishing with her daddy since.
As I look at this little moment in time, it makes me realize the power of a few moments. The hour and a half Brian took out of his day was the highlight of a two years olds day, week.. even month! So little time out of our busy schedule to make time for a child can be life changing. They sense when we are "too busy"... but do they really understand that? What does too busy mean? Looking at it right now (when I'm not stressing out about all the zillion things I have to do today) I ask myself... WHY are we too busy for a few moments with our kids? NOTHING is more important than giving them our time. They should NEVER have to hear, "I'm too busy to come out and play right now". What in our homes is so important that we can't take 10 minutes to go throw a ball around? The dishes? The vacumming? Laundry? Phone Calls? The computer? All those things can wait. But the way our kids see how we manage our time with them will not. They quickly learn where our priorities lie, and I hope with me...I can show them my priority is with them.
I am lucky to have such a great example of this quality in my husband. Brian is so good about making special time with each kid. Our family is so blessed that he sees the importance in making these "special moments" count. My kids have such a wonderful relationship with their dad because he spends time with them. I hope moments like this will be something that they will continue to do into adulthood.

A birthday Note to Kaden

Dear Kaden,
Today you turned 5 years old. I can't believe you are so grown up! You are the sweetest little boy I know. Your smile and sparkle in your eyes makes me the happiest mom in the world.
This year you LOVE many things that are all "BOY". You love rockets more than anything else. This past year you have learned how to build model rockets with your daddy and that is your FAVORITE past time. You enjoy building them, but you enjoy launching them even more. You know eery engine and which one to use for each rocket. You are still a little afraid of the noise when they blast off, so your dad always plugs your ears while you count down.
You are in your last year of preschool and are learning so much. You are a hero to your little sister Avery. She wants to do everything you do. Even though she is a "princess" in a lot of ways, she'd rather be shooting guns and playing swords and rockets with you. She looks up to you so much and you are a great example to her. I hope you will always be great friends. You also love spending time with baby Brighton. You are my BEST helper with him! You love to crawl in his crib and try to make him laugh when you are suppose to be asleep in bed. I'm sure this is only the beginning of many late nights having fun with your brother. Little Brighton laughs for you more than anyone else in the family.
As for me, I am so happy to be your mom. You brighten my day and help me with so much. I am so proud of the little boy you are becoming and sometimes find it hard to believe that my little baby Kaden that we waited so long to get to us is now 5 years old. You have the most special, tender personality of anyone I know. You always make people feel happy because of your kindness and your ability to talk with others. You are kind and loving, and I especially love that you still want to sit and cuddle on the couch with me every once in a while.
Your daddy also loves you so much. You get to do a lot of fun things with him all the time. You love to have "boys only" adventures where there are "No Girls Allowed!". You are so blessed to have a father who spends so much time with you. I hope you become just like him when you grow up.
You are the greatest little dude I know! Happy Birthday Kade!!!

First Day of Preschool

Kaden started preschool today. He gets to go with his cousin so it makes it even better. When we got into his class, he said to his teacher, "Hey Miss LaDawn.. I haven't seen you in a long time". I'm sure he's going to have a great year, he couldn't wait for school to start. Now if I could only bottle that and save it for when he's going into 8th grade and not excited anymore!

Rocket Party

While I was at girls camp, my dad had a "rocket party" for all the grandkids over the age of 4. Kaden (a little obsessed with rockets right now) was in charge of "teaching" everyone how to launch a rocket. They had a wonderful night full of rockets, awards, treats and prizes!!
I am so grateful to have such a great family who makes special time to participate in my kids interests. Brian's parents do this all the time as well. I am very blessed.

Girls Camp - Bluffdale Idols.. Rockstars for Truth

A day and a half after our St. George trip, off I was to Girls Camp... (whew!! What a busy month!).
Girls camp, as always was awesome!! We had an amazing time at the Heber Valley Camp that is designed for LDS young women in mind. We slept in cabins, had running water, refrigerators, running water, showers, and a covered pavillion... ya... I know, it was rough!, but SO MUCH FUN!!
As I've been thinking about girls camp, I thought it would be entertaining to point out why girls camp is SO MUCH COOLER than scout camp.

#1- We have a camp theme! (This year we based our camp on American Idol- each group of girls were broken up into different music genre's.)

#2- We do crafts... ok.. usually, I think this is a little cheesy, but hey, it's part of girls camp. We made "Rock Stars" (people out of rocks) but I spiced things up a little bit and made a rock princess and a "rock"et for my kids.

#3- Skit night... (Always a highlight) Instead of skits this year, we put on our own "Bluffdale Idol" night. We even had our own Ryan Seacrest, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell. They did their parts perfectly! The girls and leaders needed to re-write a song from their given genre and sing it at our Bluffdale Idol competition.
This was a highlight of the whole camp. My stomach was sore from laughing so hard.

#4- No peeing in the fire

#5- Girls stay up late, paint nails, braid eachothers hair and sleep as many as they can in a twin size bunk just for the fun of it!

#6- Gotta have the secret sister gifts!! This year the leaders were getting mysterious "gifts" on our beds. When we opened them, they were random feminine hygene products. We kept blaming a couple of the "wilder" leaders, but to no avail.. they'd never give in. Later we found out that one of the girls had given us the gifts. It was pretty funny.

#7- Faith promoting hikes and other experiences-
We went on an incredible hike (which I'll share in a later post)

#8- Awesome food... So this camp was a little different than most. The food was great and healthy as well. We snacked on chocolate of course, but we also had tortilla's and hummas, fruit, veggies, and all sorts of hidden healthy foods in all our meals.

#9- The leaders are just as goofy as the kids (who knows... maybe scout camp is the same on this one)

#10- Girls can't go to girls camp without decorating their sleeping quarters and their tables for dinner time. It's always very festive.

Here are just a few of the fun things that took place. It was a great week.

St. George

A few days after we got home from Bear Lake, we dropped the kids off at Grandma's house and headed down for a much anticipated weekend with my family. The best part... NO KIDS ALLOWED!! For Christmas last year, my parents gave us a "Christmas in July". They got all 6 of us kids, our spouses and themselves a weekend away to St. George including tickets to Tuachan to see Les Miserables.. (Incredible production by the way), we chilled at the Marriott for three days and had fun shopping, eating, going to a movie, golfing, and hanging by the pool. It was such a fun weekend. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
I hope this becomes a yearly tradition.

A Life Lesson on Judging Others

An interesting thing happened yesterday while I was at the grocery store with my kids. Avery wanted to go on the little rides outside the front of the building, so we headed over there for a quick "horsee" ride. I rummaged through my wallet to find the 50 cents it required and found I only had a quarter. As I was telling my kids that we'd have to ride it after our grocery shopping was done so I could get some change, a man came up to me and asked how much the ride was. I told him it was a 50 cents and he bent down into his backpack, fished around for a minute as gave me 4 quarters and exclaimed, "Good for two rides!".
I thanked him and tried to give him the cash I had, but he wouldn't take it. I sat there in awe of my own "judgemental attitude" I could have had toward this man. He was a man in his 60's I suppose with several earrings in his ear, a dirty old tank top, several gold chains, teeth missing and a prosthetic leg. He carried around a dirty backpack. Upon first glance, I would "assume" he would be coming up to me to ask for money, but instead, he wanted to make a little kids day by letting them go on a silly ride.
I used his quarter and the ride started. The kids were giggling, the man was saying how he loves kids and he doesn't ever get to do things like this for anyone. I was so touched by his kindness. As I tried to give him money, he acted as if it was an insult, because all he wanted to do was do a good deed. As I stood there and watched my kids, the man was about to leave and he bent down again in his backpack and handed me 8 more quarters! He said, "Let your kids have a good time" and he walked off. I watched this man walk away and I had a sense of gratitude for the goodness in people. I tend to dwell on all the evil in the world a lot of times and forget that there are still SO MANY good people here as well. So, I say to myself as the hymn goes, "Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad, or made someone feel glad, if not, I have failed indeed!". So the next time I have the opportunity to do a good deed, I need to make sure I do it. Don't be afraid to help a stranger or someone in need. It' amazing what a little act of kindness can do to your soul.

Tradition

There is one thing I have learned from being a "Larsen" for the past several years. They do many things in the name of "TRADITION". The 24th of July holiday is no different. For the past 30+ years they have been going to Bear Lake as a family. It's one of Brian's favorite summer memories, and I'm sure it's going to become one of our own kids favorite memories with their grandparents.
Over the past 15 years or so, I too have been apart of this "TRADITION". Nothing much changes. Ever since I've been going with them, we camp in the same place and if possible.. the exact same camp site, we eat the same meals, we play on the same beach, grandpa makes the same sand castles with the grandkids and grandma sits in the same spot cuddling the little babies under the canopy. The adults play the same games in the water, the kids get the same dirt in their diapers. We go to the same shake joint and we order the same flavors. Nothing much changes from year to year. Maybe a few extra kids running around, but for the most part, it remains the same because it's... "TRADITION".
As I thought about this as we were here this year, it made me appreciate Brian's parents for their ability to keep "TRADITION" alive. I am one who likes change and always seems to want to do something different, but I discovered something within myself this trip... there is a sense of comfort in things that are the "SAME". Our very "same" Bear Lake trip doesn't ever result in un- necessary stresses that planning and going on vacation sometimes brings. There is nothing to be expected, except what we've always done. There are no rules, no plans... just a set of imaginary guidelines of years past that lead us to our next activity.
I have come to love this "TRADITION" and it's "SAME-NESS". I have come to love and appreciate my in-laws for who they are and how they work to bring their family together. For them.. it is the "SAME-NESS" that works. "TRADITION" is everything. I'm sure my kids will look back on these trips and have the exact same memories as their dad had when he was a kid. How cool is that? So THANK YOU, Larsens...for giving us wonderful memories.

Lake Powell Bliss

I think of all the places I've been in my life, and my all time FAVORITE place in all the world is Lake Powell. I'm sure part of it is the nostalgia of my growing up years, but it's mostly just the pure beauty of the place. I can't think of a better place for me to "become one with nature" than boating down small canyons and looking up at the monstrous cliffs surrounding me. In years past, it was a time when I'd sit in the nose of the boat, soaking in the sun for a killer tan, listening to the "Nylons" or "Deep Breakfast".. the typical Lake Powell Canyon tunes and bask in the beauty. Today.. it's not much different, but instead of getting the killer tan, I'm content with my kids sitting on my lap as we look up at the beauty surrounding us. I didn't get the great tan of yester- year... but I DID get hours on end of intimate, priceless moments with my children cuddled around their mom in pure bliss. All of this added to the majesty of this remarkable place. The time with family, the beauty surrounding us, the water, clear as glass and the rum of the boat as it speeds out of a canyon at dusk all together makes Lake Powell my FAVORITE place on earth.
Growing up I wanted to work down at the marina store JUST so I could spend the summer on the lake. I never did that. I wish I had. As I'm taking a look down memory lane, it used to be that all I cared about was getting that killer tan and spending as much time as I could improving my form on the ski. I would spend every moment I could out on the water jumping the wakes, making big sprays, and going fast. I'd get frustrated when I wasn't doing as well as I wanted to and as my family still teases me.. would "smack" the water as if it was the waters fault.
I haven't done much skiing for the past few years and it disappoints me a little bit that I've allowed myself to give up something that I enjoy doing more than any other sport. But I do find that I enjoy just the sheer joy of being on the boat with the wind blowing in my hair and watching my kids enjoy something that I love to do. It's pretty cool.
In saying that, I'm not about to say I'm never going to ski again. I've made a personal goal. By next year's Lake Powell trip, I'm going to be much more fit. I'm going to get out and ski my heart out and let my kids (and my brothers) see that I can still rip it out there on the water!
Hope you enjoy some of our Lake Powell Adventures!

Serious Questions from your 4 year Old

Kaden and I were in the car last night and he started talking about being together forever. He started asking me a lot of questions that blew me away that a 4 year old would ask. I think it all stemmed back to this morning when we woke up to find one of our little goldfish down at the bottom of the tank. (good bye little goldfish)
Don't feel too bad for my kids. They didn't seem to mind so much. Avery called Brian and said, "Shisshee die, I go store, more shisshee". Kaden didn't mind so much either, but I think it did spark a conversation later in the day.
So we are driving and Kaden asks, "Mom, when are we going to Heaven?". I proceeded to tell him that we don't know when it's our time to die. He then started asking a series of questions, that for a mom... got really hard to answer. Some of his questions were these:
"Mom, when are we going to heaven?"
"I DON'T KNOW, BUD, WE ALL DIE AT DIFFERENT TIMES"
"But how old are you when you die?"
"Will we go to heaven at the same time"
"PROBABLY NOT KADE, IF MOMMY GOES TO HEAVEN FIRST, THEN YOU WILL WOULD COME TO HEAVEN LATER"
"Who would watch me?" (me thinking he's in Heaven, I said "Heavenly Father would take care of you"
"No, mom, if you were in heaven and Daddy had to go to work, would would be here with me? (Ahhh, OK, tears start swelling at this point and getting a little nervous why we are talking about this... he better not have kid intuition or something)
"WELL, BUD, THERE WOULD BE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF YOU. YOUR GRANDPARENTS, YOUR AUNTS & UNCLES, EVEN MOMMIES FRIENDS WOULD WATCH YOU"
"When would you come back?"
" I WOULDN'T COME BACK. I'D WAIT UP IN HEAVEN UNTIL YOU GOT THERE"
"Will we all be together?"
"WE SURE WILL BUDDY." (Then I was able to talk about the temple and how families are forever... you know.. take advantage of the teaching moment and all)

It was a touching conversation with your son. One's that depth far exceeded my expectations coming from a little 4 year old. A mix of emotions flooded my mind as I reflected back on the conversation I had just been apart of. My little guy is growing up so quickly. He is capable of understanding things that are so hard for us as adults to even talk about. I am so grateful I had the answers for him. I feel incredibly blessed to KNOW that my family WILL be together after we all die. That this earth life isn't the end. It would have broken my heart if I had to tell him something different. It was a small testimony builder to me to be able to explain to my son a simple truth the gospel brings us. I hope I have more of these tender, thoughtful moments as my kids grow up.

Summer Harvest

I've never been much of a gardener. When we lived in Arizona we bought a goofy little cactus to fell more like Arizionians.. and well... I killed it. Ya.. I killed a freikin cactus. Since then, I have not been allowed to have plants. Last year I thought I'd give it another chance with a hanging basket in our front yard.... well, it died too. I'm just no good taking care of them. I've got way too many other things in my life to worry about keeping a plant alive.
Brian on the other hand LOVES gardening. He's pretty darn good at it as well. He enjoys working outside which I despise. Luckily, he has taken full responsibility of our yard and I don't have to worry about it. (Don't look at it at this very moment... it's been a little neglected due to crazy schedules) I think my distaste for yardwork stems back from the daily yard work chores I had as a kid. Grantid.. my mom worked harder than all the kids combined, but I still hated it.
So, thanks to my hubby, I get to reap the benefits of fresh grown peas, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries, peppers, and hopefully some apples soon. It's pretty cool to go out into your garden and pick some veggies for your dinner.

Kaden the Ring Bearer

We had a blast this weekend. It was jam packed with fun! First and most important, it was my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom. I love you!
On Saturday, Kaden participated in my good friend Idaliz's daughters wedding. Kaden was the cutest little ring bearer you've ever seen! Not only did he do a great job, he LOVED every second of it! He was great at posing for the camera, holding the rings, and just looking plain old cute! The reception was a blast. It was a great Puerto Rican wedding reception. Great food, a ton of dancing, lots of fun for hours. Kaden was a riot the whole night. He ran around like he was the reason for the party. He flirted and talked to everyone. He danced almost every song and even went up to my friend Jackie while we were talking and said, "Will you dance with me?" What???? a four year old asking someone to dance? Can it get any cuter? He was so much fun to watch. Of all his dancing adventures, my favorite was when he and Avery started to dance together. It always ended up in wrestling on the grass, but it was still adorable.
I'm so excited for Linda and Jose. I hope they are enjoying their honeymoon. Linda and her family have been through a lot this year and it was really great to see them have a good time.