New Blog Link

Still having some blog issues :)

The new blog is open for the time being.  I'll let you know and send an invite out when I decide to go back to private.


Here is the link:
Our Family Stories

So I started a new blog...

Apparently blogger has a limit to the amount of data you can upload and I've hit the max. Bummer!  I'm not prepared to pay a monthly fee because I haven't done the research to see if there is a better paid option out there so for now I had to start a new blog.

If you still even read this blog and would like an invite to my new one, just leave me a comment (or let me know however).  I still have all the emails I used to invite you to this one so unless you want me to use a new email, you can just let me know you want an invite.

Sorry for the hassle

For Chase- the day you sang with an apostle.

Today was Stake Conference.  It was a "special one".  The whole ward (and probably the stake) was buzzing about why they would call a "special" stake conference 2 months after our last stake conference.  There was a lot of talk about splitting the ward, or redrawing the ward or stake boundaries.  It's been the talk around this area for a while and feels long overdue so we were all sure that was the purpose.  But it wasn't.  It was special for a whole other reason. 

I was sitting alone saving your seats while you went to the bathroom when the whole congregation stood up.  Before I could even stand to join everyone a powerful spirit overcame me.  I watched in great anticipation for the man who brought the remarkable spirit with him.  Up at the front of the room I watched Elder Russell M. Nelson take his seat with his wife by his side.  This isn't the first time we have had the privileged of having an Apostle in the church with us, but it was very powerful.

When he stood up to speak he talked for a while and then asked all the children to stand up.  We were sitting far into the gym so you stood up on a chair.  He called his wife up to the podium with him and then asked you and all the children to sing for them.  You sang "I am a child of God", and after listening with a big grin on his face, Elder Nelson started to sing into the microphone with you.  Tears filled my eyes as I watched you sing every word of the song out loud and with Elder Nelson.  The spirit was so strong.  I hope you could feel it too.  In that moment I knew without any doubt that you are a child of God.  That God sent you and Brody to Daddy and me for us to try to lead and guide you.  I could feel how much he loves you and wants to best for you.  I promise I'm going to try harder to be the mom you deserve.  I love you boys.

My little boy is 5!

I can't believe this sweet, energetic, loving, and smart little boy is 5 years old!  He has been so excited for his birthday and woke up thrilled. 
These quotes are all from the first hour of being awake:
 -  How can I be 5 if I still fit this shirt?
 -  But my feet are still 4 sized!
 - Today is my B-day so tomorrow I'll be 5 (this one was reoccurring.  He was in denial!)
 - But there are no present here to open.
 -I'm really proud today.  (I asked why) Because I'm 5 now.

And after opening his scooter-
 -  Now I have 2 toys, a Simba and a scooter!
 -  Now I'm lucky like Grandma because I have a scooter like she does


So far he opened his scooter, played with it all morning!  We went and got cupcakes for his preschool class and that's where he is now.  His plans are to hand out party invitations, eat lunch at McDonalds, make a cake, have chicken noodle soup for dinner (a boy after my own heart!) and play when dad gets home!
It's gonna be a good one!

This kid is a reader!

 I have been working extra with Chase and along with preschool it's paid off.  He's really taken off in his learning. 



We've been writing notes back and forth at dinner.  

and this was my favorite Halloween decoration this year:

Chase came home from school one day and said that we needed a "Boo" sign to scare people.  He ended up running out of room on the paper and the extra "o" had to go before the b, but it is still my favorite.





I was trying to get him to pose for a picture for me (the picture above was the result.)  He dragging his feet and telling me that he didn't want to read a book right now.  Not two seconds after I left him alone did I find him as pictured below. :)

We took advantage of exploring our own backyard to find these petroglyphs.  They were all over the place on these broken rocks like in the picture above.  If you look on the top right corner of the boulder Daniel is kneeling by you can see one of a deer.  That obviously was Daniels favorite :)

 Chase wanted to be the photographer on our trip.

We drug Preston along with us.  He's a good sport to play with the boys who love him to death.  Literally ...they try to love him ...to death.

(Apparently we weren't very concerned with making sure Brody ended up in any of our pictures.  He's actually in all of them, just hiding behind Daniel in the backpack.)

L-3 zoo day

(We went into survival mode for a couple of months so I'll be playing catch up on the blog for the next little while.)

 We took the boys to Daniel's work's zoo day.  They were so exited about it for weeks before hand.  I was excited too, but more so because they were serving us dinner so I got the night off!

Brody can sure make a hamburger look good!  He is a hamburger kid all the way.  

Chase in front of the traditional lions drinking fountain

The tigers were Brody's favorite.  It helped get him excited for dressing up as a tiger for Halloween!