Gentle Reminder

I read this last night, printed it and have hung it around my house as a reminder.

"You can only correct your children...in kindness, by love unfeigned, by persuasion, and reason,"

Joseph F. Smith

Did i mention I am dealing with a 2 1/2 yr old with attitude who doesn't listen to me? So I need this reminder big time! BIG TIME.

Gratitude Turkey

(pretend it's not a forced smile)

I have so many things to be grateful for, first off I want to thank you all for your caring words. It's really nice to feel so loved by so many friends and family and for the phone calls too. We are doing great! I love this turkey that Alex is holding, we made it one night and wrote down all the things we are grateful for on his feathers. It adds quite a festive touch to my all ready "homemade" Thanksgiving decor. I am grateful for family and for Proposition 8 and for all the people in CA that have supported it and are now being persecuted, it's so sad and so wrong. True pioneers. Pray for them. We are lucky that the sanctity of marriage is being protected, for now. I am gratful for a hard working and loving husband despite my inability at times to show him. For a beautiful home and warm clothes and other material things we enjoy. Of course I am grateful for good friends, old and new! For my testimony and deep faith in Jesus Christ, without that I think there would have been some times in my life where I really would have faltered. For a healthy body, healthy and beautiful children. For liberty and freedom. For all the people who have gone before me and paved the way for me to enjoy the things I do today.

Thank you.

Life, loss and love

Life is full of blessings, some immediate and others delayed. This last week I miscarried and have really counted my blessings. It's a miracle to get pregnant, have a healthy pregnancy and then give birth to a beautiful and healthy child. A miracle. Really. I have two beautiful blessings in my life, Alexandra and Samantha. I have mixed emotions over this and I am doing okay, truly. It was so exciting to get pregnant - even though unexpected and we started thinking about life being chaotic with babies 14 1/2 months apart and hoping for a baby boy or of course another lovely daughter. I can say though.....that I am grateful I will still have my sanity next year. My organs can continue to move back in place since Samantha and also my waist line! I know we will have more children in the future and that the Lord is looking out for us, my faith runs deep. I never even thought that something like this could happen to me. It just goes to show that what will be, will be. Thank you my dear friends and family for your love and concern, we are doing well.

xoxo

Lazy Scrapbooking

Is it possible to be so busy and feel so lazy at the same time? For the last few weeks we have been busy with fun outings, family in town, crafting, deocrating, cleaning, exercising and napping! By the end of the day, I have no desire or energy to blog. So, without further adieu here is my attmept to cram all our memories into one post.

Cornbelly's Corn Maze at Thanksgiving Point

Chris and his brother Ken re-enacting Napoleon Dynamite, and no joke the same song that plays in the movie during this scene was playing on the loud speakers. Too perfect!

Chris' cousin Ryan, more like a brother, and his wife Britney and baby Aspen stayed with us last weekend for Halloween. They came up from Vegas and loved the fun things we did, they said there really isn't family stuff in Vegas. I think it's going to be a tradition each year.

Chris and mini-me on the cow train. We went with all of Chris' family and had a blast. I had no idea this place existed.

This was too cute. Alex with her girl cousins Abby and Elli playing on the slides. They would all go down together on their bellies and crash into each other at the bottom. They were giggling so hard and having such a fun time together. I needed my video camera to capture it.


Halloween Night

Samantha the strawberry, Alex the spider princess (used to be witch) and Aspen the Easter Bunny on Halloween night.

The three princesses: Alex, Ava and Helen.

Alex and Aunt Jo making silly faces. Alex is such a little ham lately, I was like that when I was little. I was always acting silly to entertain people.

Gardner Village

We went to Gardner Village with Ryan and Britney on Halloween to show them the witches, we got there at 4:00 and it was closed for people to get home to trick-or-treat. Kinda nice when nobody is there!

Wheeler Farm

I love this picture, Alex and Helen running away from Laci and I holding hands. We went to Wheeler Farm to feed the ducks and eat lunch with Laci and her girls and Riann and Tate.

Chillin' being a good baby as always!

She dumped out all her feed and was swarmed! Those ducks are agressive and loud. At one point I thought they were going to nibble on Sam in her stroller.

Doing pony tricks. Too confident.

Family Night

FHE. We carved pumkins that rotted the next day due to warm weather and ate carmel apples. A perfect fall evening!

The scary faces.

I've been ramping up my food storage and grinding rice for gluten-free flour. I have a scone recipe that turns out perfect and now I think I'll make some tomorrow as I'm remembering their yummy goodness!

Gardner Village with friends

Another pony ride. Love this picture with her tutu. She loves animals and is pretty fearless. Sometimes it's NOT a good thing. Have you ever slapped your child to get a message through like 'you almost got hit by a car' that's why you need to listen to me when I am screaming your name and running after you!!!!! Confession. It wasn't out of rage, more like 'what will make her know I'm serious?, plus she had her tutu on and wouldn't feel a spank. Do all 2 yr olds lack listening skills? It's like having a cat for your child. Please help if you have any tips. I pray everyday to be a calm mother and I'll go 2 or 3 days and I think, WOW, I'm cut out for this, I'm so calm and loving. Then the next day I lose it and I wonder if my children are going to resent me when they are older. I've been on a good streak as of late. Crossing my fingers.

Two cute witches.

The gang. Kelly, Charlene, Victoria and I took all our little people to Gardner Village for GNO. After that day we decided a real GNO is in order.

My mom had all the grandkids over for cookie decorating. I had made some for our friends in the neighborhood but then Alex got her finger and poked all of them. Ahh, kids!

We've been busy enjoying the nice weather. I fear November won't be as productive or fun since it's SO cold now. It was snowing this morning and we had to cut our morning walk short and ran home. I might be more inclinded to blog now.