Saturday, November 21, 2009

For Your Viewing Pleasure~cute kids minus me

So not much new has been going on around here. Just the same ol thing for us. We are excited for Thanksgiving. We will be going to Rexburg to see Elly, Daniel and Fam and Steph. And we are also getting very close to having Brandon home with us again. Only two more weeks and we couldn't be more excited to all be together again as a family. You could say that is one of the many things we are thankful for this Holiday. Anyway, I took a few random pictures of (four other things I am grateful for in my life) of Owen, Aspen(niece) and McCoy(nephew) this past week. And Owen really wanted to take a picture so he took one of Alyssa and I bright and early in the morning so don't mind how bad I look!!!




Happy THanksgiving to you all. I hope you all have a great holiday!!! I know I will and am so grateful for all the wonderful blessings my Heavenly Father has blessed me with especially those little blessings of everyday life~family, a warm place to live, food on our table, and a job that pays the bills. I know that Heavenly Father is mindful of us all and our needs and if we strive to keep the commandments he will continue to bless us with what we need.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Trick or Treat!!!

Halloween was great!! The kids and I had such a great time!!! I was a dreading having to take the kids by myself(since Brandon is gone) but we went with Brandon(my brother) and Tennille and Aspen and Tennille's sister and little girl. The kids had an awesome time and got more candy than we needed. I think it will last them at least till christmas. We also got to talk to Brandon several times on the phone Saturday and Sunday because he had some time off. So that made it super great also since we don't get to talk to him often only through letters. Hope you all had a great Halloween!!!

Owen, Alyssa, Aspen and Shalyse

Alyssa the little devil

Owen and Aspen getting their treat!!

Me and my little Darth Vader

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Halloween Partay!!!

Last night for Family HOme Evening we went to a Halloween Party. My sister-n-laws parents always throw a party for their Grandkids and invited us to come to it. The kids had a blast and there was even trick or treating in the back yard with lots of treats and fun little trinkets. My sister-in-laws family is always so inviting and nice to include us in a lot of things. We also had eyeballs and guts(spaghetti and meatballs)spiderwebs (breadsticks and witche's brew (wassil). Thanks to the Atwoods for such a fun night!!

This is ALyssa, Owen, Aspen and McCoy~ a Devil, Darth Vader, Bat girl, and little batman!!

Alyssa and Owen eating there eyeballs and guts!!!

The kids and I in Front of the Witches door and yes I know I don't have a costume on. Not very creative I know but I am more about making sure my kids have a great time!!

Alyssa, Aspen and Owen by the smoking Cauldron. They loved the dry ice smoke!!

Alyssa and Owen in the Backyard after trick or treating with their buckets full of goodies.

We carved pumpkins a week ago with Brandon and Tennille also but I forgot to bring my camera and take pictures. Our pumpkins turned out really good but since last week was so warm we had to throw them away already because they had shriveled up and looked bad. Anyway, Happy Halloween to you all!!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

SNail

Yesterday we were out enjoying probably one of our last weeks of warm weather. It was so nice. I love fall weather~not too hot not too cold. I am just now quite ready for the whole winter and snow thing yet although I know it is coming. Anyway, Owen found this snail and brought it over so the girls could see it. They had fun watching it for a while. Yeah for the 60 degree weather!! I love it!!! I am sorry to those of you who have already had snow!!!

Here is the snail!

Owen and Aspen watching the snail inch his way along!!!

Couldn't miss a picture of Alyssa. They snail is actual right underneath the chair she is sitting in!!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Full

So I have been a little MIA lately. Nothing too new and exciting is going on around here. Just the usual grind of everyday life. For those of you who look at this who are not LDS, we just had the chance to hear From our Prophet, Apostles and other leaders of our Church this past weekend in General Conference. I walked away from two days of conference feeling full, spiritual edified/uplifted, more grateful for the gospel and my family. It is so amazing to me what love our Father in Heaven has for each and everyone of us and he knows just what to inspire these men and women to counsel us in. My two favorite talks(even though I liked all of them) were from Elder Bednar on Saturday Morning and President Monson on Sunday morning.

Elder Bednar's talk about families and the way for us to share our love and testimonies more with them and to be consistent with family prayer,scripture study,and home evening was so powerful to me. I feel at times we (and I mean me too)treat our own families and spouses worse than we do friends or even perfect strangers when we should do just the opposite. Elder Bednar told us we need to show greater love for them in word and deeds. Having two small children it is hard sometimes to have family, prayer, scripture study,and home evening while they are jumping around or not be quiet and feeling like they are getting nothing out of it. But I know that if we are consistent with those things, we are counseled to do, our Children will be blessed and will learn.

President Monson's talk was powerful to me as well. His counsel for us to Serve, was just what I needed to hear. It is so easy to get wrapped up in ourselves and our own lives that we forget to stop and take a step back and see if there is any way we can help make someone elses burden lighter. We may just be an answer to someones fervent prayer for help. Whether we help those with less than us or those who are lonely and etc. I know that by serving others we are blessed as well through that service. I hope that I can be better at serving others from now on.

I have just felt a need to bear my testimony of the things I know are true. I know that the gospel is true. I know that the scriptures are true and that only a man inspired by GOd could have translated such a book. I know Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. I know that Jesus Christ died and atoned for each and everyone of us and that HE LIVES!!! I know that we can return to live with our Heavnely Father and our families again if we strive each day to keep the commandments and if we are sealed to our families forever in the Holy Temple. I know that if every person in the world had the gospel in their lives and lived it there we not be so many calamaties and heart breaks. I know that we have a living Prophet today on the earth who guides and directs us and I am so grateful for the opportunity we had to Listen to conference this weekend to hear his counsel as well as from all the apostles and general authories!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Rexburg

We had the chance to go to Rexburg this past weekend to see my sister Elly and her family and my sis-n-law Steph. We all had a great time!! It always go by way too fast when you are having fun. Thanks to my sisters for letting us stay and putting up with us. Here are a few pictures of the fun we had just hanging out playing in the back yard and we went to Steph's work party and had a ride in a horse drawn wagon and to the St. Anthony Demolition Derby!! I unfortunately forgot to take my camera out and take more pictures of Luke eating a little dirt, him and the kids running all over the backyard and Littl chunk man Walker. Maybe next time I will be better about that. Ofcourse we stayed up late both nights talking and watching movies!!

Alyssa loves to chase and tease Luke. LUke loves it and will squeal with delight!!

Just the kids posing for a picture!!

The kids and I on the horse drawn wagon ride

Demolition Derby~the kids loved it!! Though they did think someone might get hurt by crashing into each other.

This was Owen's favorite car the whole night~the Batman car

The kids and I enjoying the derby!!

We also played Jenga Sunday morning after we had a big breakfast with Steph and Elly and Daniel.

Friday, September 11, 2009

9/11


I think this day is often forgotten by some of us. But I wanted to reflect on this day. What a horrible day it was when the twin towers fell. To think that someone could do this to another nation or human being is beyond me. This people is why we have to fight for our freedom!!! This is why many brave men and women serve in the military. They fight for Freedom because Freedom isn't free. They willingly serve and fight for all of us!! Their families make great sacrifices as well for our nation. I am so very Grateful for all those brave men and women who serve our country!! Without them we wouldn't live in the enviroment that we do. So please take a minute today all of you to remember the people who lost their lives this day(8 years ago) and remember those men and women who serve in the military in hopes that this will never happen again on our soil!!


Happy Patriot's Day to you All!!!