Kaitlyn turned 8!
Kaitlyn had a party.
Kaitlyn was baptised.

....this week has been busy! :)

i still need to post halloween pictures~

I forgot to write this down.

A few Saturdays ago, I was out running errands. I decided to drive thru Sonic because it was Happy Hour! :) I called Brandon as I pulled up to the drive thru speaker to see what kind of drink he wanted. This is what happened.

***phone rings***

Addie: Hello?

Sonic worker: Welcome to Sonic can I take your order

Me: Can I have a minute please

Addie: I want an orange slush!

Me: Addie, this is mom, can I talk to dad?

Sonic: Okay. Order when you're ready.

Addie:  I want an orange slush!

Me: Ads! This is mom. Can you get dad?

...this went on....

Then I hung up the phone because it didn't seem like she was going to go get Brandon. I got him his usual...and went home. Adelin saw me and said, "I ordered an orange slush".

Then I realized! She thought that I was Sonic calling (out of the blue) to take her order! :)

 Brandon and I got a good chuckle when it happened...and I was just thinking about it today and it made me laugh. ;)

Heavenly Day!

Happy 2nd birthday to little Miss Kaiya Paige! I can't believe it's been two years! I am certain you are having a very special celebration in Heaven! Love ya sweet baby girl!

Weston's Got Talent

I love it when he sings this song. :) I have been trying to video tape him singing it...but as soon as the camera comes out, he stops singing...or starts singing really silly. 

  (turn off my playlist)

I figured out what he was trying to tell me there at the end! "My drum sticks are really sticks!"

We have a tree in our from yard that has had some big lower branches cut off  and he uses the stumps as his drums! :)

The Boys!

I love that I can buy matching outfits for the boys now!

My Addie-squirrel....she is a real sweet heart. Today, when I picked her up from preschool, I told her that I had made a treat....but it didn't turn out quite right. I was attempting to make granola bars...but it turned out more like an oatmeal cake...still yummy...just not exactly what I had in mind. Anyhow...as I was telling her about what I put in it...she (buckled up there in the back seat) started to pray. I couldn't really make out what she was saying. I asked, "Addie, are you praying that what I made tastes good?" ( I mean...really...sometimes I pray that what I mae will taste good!) And she said, "No, I was praying that there wouldn't be any chocolate chips in it." (Whose child ARE you?) As is turns out...she should have prayed for that a little earlier...like....before I put the chocolate chips in...BUT...her prayer was answered in it's own way because they were white chocolate chips...and she loves those!

(*pst* check out my play list! )

Vintage Pearl

Check out the Vintage Pearl site for a giveaway! I love my necklace from there! They have some new cute stuff too!

new E-mail!

I haven't had a chance to hook our new email addresses up to Outlook Express (and by that I really mean Brandon hasn't...because I don't know how)....which means I don't have everyone's email addresses in my new account yet. SO...here is my new email address!


jenflake@cableone.net


We switched to Cable One because it will save us like $60 a month! I can still receive email at my old frontier.net address...I just can't send or reply!

Brandon got to go out to dinner with his boss...and his bosses boss and the CEO tonight. (I say he "got" to go because that sounds so much nicer than he "had" to go doesn't it?) Anyhow...I called Brandon to tell him that my dad got his job at Arizona Propane back. (hoooraaayyyy!) He told me that they were at Eva's (yummy Mexican food here in town) and I said, "Why don't they ever go to Eva's when I'm with you?"...a little too loudly...I am pretty sure they heard me.

I made dinner....me and the kids ate it....

....then Brandon came home and guess what he had!? Take-Out for me! The guys told him to order my favorite and put it on their bill! How nice is THAT!? Now I get to eat Pollo Especial for lunch tomorrow...and if you have ever had it...you're probably jealous of me right now! :)

Anyhow. I just thought that was very thoughtful of them. Now I wonder if they will pay for me to go to Vancouver with Brandon the next time he "gets" to go if I mention it loudly over the phone.....????? :}

Infinite Hope Tour 2010

Here is a super long post on my TOFW experience! I was so happy to be there...with 2599 other women (they said there where 2600 there!) I went with my mom, Jami Bushman, her sister in law Julie and Skye Dugger! 

I was thrilled to get a big hug from Miriama Kallon (turns out her adoptive family is in Angela's ward in Austin, TX....and Mariama was visiting Angela's ward last week! I am so glad Angela got to hear her story first hand since she wasn't able to come to TOFW.)

I was just so happy to be at Time Out For Women and hear words of HOPE wash over me. I prayed to be able to remember the things I heard...because there was no way I could write down everything I heard or felt. But I know that is why we have the gift of the Holy Ghost. He will bring things to my remembrance as I need them in my life.

I thought I'd share my notes with you. They are a bit scatter-brained....but maybe I heard and recorded something that might help you to feel hope, to feel loved...to feel like allowing yourself to make changes in your life that will bring you closer to the person you are meant to become!

I have to record something else first. We were asked to bring items to donate. Lotion, body spray, mints...etc. to put in "Hope Kits" that we would assemble during our lunch break on Saturday that would be taken to a local women's shelter. (Turned out we made a record amount of almost 530 when their goal was 150! AMAZING what can happen when we all give a little! Seriously...they were all put together in less than 2 hours!) So anyhow! Friday my sister and I were at Target...and I was trying to find the items that I needed to take. I was tired after not getting much sleep and in a hurray and I was looking where I thought the items would be and they just weren't there! Instead of getting frustrated, (like I am sometimes inclined to do in those kind of situations) I said a little prayer in my heart, "Heavenly Father, you know what I am looking for and why I need them and I know you know where they are at...please help me find them."....and of course...I did! I mean really....I could have went and asked someone working there and found the things I needed that way. But then I wouldn't have had the experience of receiving help and an answer directly from my Heavenly Father. It reminded me that we need to rely on Him...even for the little things in our lives because He cares.

So, back to my notes! I didn't write down things from all the presenters because I had Connor on my lap...or was off feeding him...or just wanted to listen...but here they are! (click on the names to learn more about the person/people)

Virginia Pearce: Pres. Hinckley's daughter...I read her book, "A Heart Like His" when Addie was a baby....it's an amazing book and I was so excited to get to hear her speak!

She talked about success...and how we measure it and how we should measure it. ("Am I doing things like everyone else and measuring myself by what THEY do...or am I measuring myself by what I do and what I am becoming as a daughter of God?")

"Death is a part of life"

"Lower your expectations"~Sister Hinckley said this...and it's so true!

"Survival is success"  (have you ever felt like you are in "survival mode"? this happens to me from time to time and I feel like a slacker because I am just getting the basics done....not moving any huge mountain like I think I need to be doing...so this was something I loved to hear...."SURVIVAL IS SUCCESS!")

"Good women always have the desire to know if they are succeeding"

Ask yourself "Am I stretching myself and working hard?"

"Reach a Little Higher"

How to know if you are making progress: 1. you are beginning to lose your disposition to do evil. 2. you are beginning to see things as Heavenly Father sees them.

Being Successful=Don't compare yourselves to others

"Comparison is the fast track to misery"

When you find you are comparing yourself to others tell yourself, "She has her mission and I have mine"

Wendy Nelson: (wife of Russel M. Nelson...she was at the TOFW Angela and I went to in Huston last year....and she's still amazing!)

My new favorite quote! "One size fits all really means 'this doesn't look good on anyone'!" LOL!

"There will be a tailor made message for each of us" (we need to listen for it)

"Holiness to the Lord"

This dispensation=the final leg of a race. Don't lose focus.

Brad Wilcox: (he spoke at a stake youth conference when I was a youth...loved his message then and I loved it again. He is seriously funny!)

"We can't do ALL we can do ALL the time"

He said that there is nothing wrong with being mediocre...he said to "Be easier on yourself. What's wrong with being half way to your goal?"

"God is more interested in YOU than in where you are in your 'mountain climb'"

?What can you do without God? (Give Him credit. A jockey who wins a race may think he is the winner...but who really race the race and got him to the finish line?)

"There's never been just one set of foot prints in my sand"

"You are NOTHING!...Nothing doesn't mean worthless. Nothing means 'powerless' and we are powerless without God"

"We are not call humanDoings...we are humanBEings" (measure self by what you are becoming...not what you are doing)

KNOW-DO-BECOME

"Use the atonement not to be cleansed but to be changed"

Emmanuel~God with us
He+Me=Us

"Come as you are"

"He doesn't love us because we are good...He loves us because He is good"

"Heaven will not be heaven for those who have not chosen to be heavenly"

D&C 123

We should "Cheerfully do all things that lie in our power"

"God with us"=Grace

"Jesus doesn't make up the distance...He is the difference. What he makes of us is the distance."

"Jesus isn't just saving us, he is transforming us"

"You don't pay Jesus back {for suffering for us} You appreciate it. He can forgive what justice never could"

"If we think that His requirements are too hard...then we don't see what he can make of us"

Mariama Kallon: (I seriously want to be her friend! She's been through a lot...growing up in Sierra Leon...losing all of her family because of the terrible wars over diamonds...finding the church, serving a mission...and being full of happiness and hope!)

Ester 4:14 D&C 120

"The Lord has purposes for our lives. The only way we can find it is if we open up our hearts and our minds."

"Because we have life, we have hope"

"I had no shoes of my feet but I had faith in my heart"

"Where there is life, there is hope in Christ"

2 Nephi 4:26

"Scriptures are my therapist"

D&C 84:87-88 D&C 31:6 (put name in)

Listen+Obey+Do=Blessings

She has a DVD...I bought it and love it...here's a link to it: Blessed By Hope

 (oh and to menchen my wonderful dagther kaitlyn!!!!!!!! she is so sweet)(Kaitlyn typed that while I was away..silly girl)

Amanda Dickson: She didn't mention until like half way through her presentation that she is not LDS. I would have never known! She talked a lot about how we resist change...and how much we worry about bad things that can happen. We hear the phrase often, "What's the worst thing that could happen?"....and we think of the worst possible scenario and then we base our decision on that when it might not even happen! She said: "You may LOVE the worst thing" She talked about being pregnant in her 40's and fearing all that could go wrong...and then learning that her 2 month old baby had a heart condition...and it was okay! She still loved him and life and what she learned. One of the "worst things that could happen" DID happen...and it was okay.

"Change. We fear it, so we don't do it."

We need to change (and have opportunities for change) so that we can see different (new and better) things and have different ideas.

"DO get your hopes up" (how often do we hear the opposite? "Don't get your hopes up..." Well why not?! Because things might not turn out like we thought they would or want them to?)

"If you never change your mind...why have one?"

"The spirit  you bring to whatever you do will change your experience" (it'll change you and those around you)

"God is watching. Give Him a good show" :)

Oh...another favorite! "Women think that breast come in two sizes: too big and too little!" (how true is that!?) LOL!

Merrilee Boyack: While running for re-election for city council, heading the promotion against gay marriage (getting "hate mail" for that from members and non-members), doing TOFW tours, being wife and mom and Relief Society President...and found out she had breast cancer...then her husband lost his job.

"I screw up.....the Lord teaches me and I help others"

"I can chose my attitude" (a choice we all have no matter what situations we are dealing with)

Definition of "trials": Strengthening opportunities

"Be of good cheer for I the Lord thy God and with thee"

Hope= having optimistic positive experiences

She said she'd get up to go to chemo or where ever and she would "decide to be cheerful no matter what happened that day"

*Cheer*Positive*Faith*Hope*

"He knows what we do not know
He sees what we do not see
Trust in Him.
He will answer our prayers perfectly
and at the perfect time" ~Pres. Uchtdorf

"Abraham was being tested for Abraham"

Other Presenters were: Dallyn Bayles (holy cow his voice is amazing!), Sherri Dew (I love hearing her speak!), Mercy River (Loved their songs...their voices and the stories they shared!), and DeAnne Flynn (I can't remember what she talked about...but I know I will if I ever need to!)

While I was gone, Brandon told his brother Travis that I went to Time Out For Women. He explained to Travis what it was and he was like, "Isn't that like paying to go to church?!" Why would someone want to PAY to go sit and listen to speakers? :) Gotta say, if I had never gone, I'd feel the same way. I guess for me, I look at is as therapy! :) I wish I could go to TOFW every other week! Thanks for taking care of the kids so I could go Honey!

Weston went to the dentist today for the first time. I mean...he's been to the dentist office before...but he's never gotten to be the one who gets to sit in the fun chair that goes up and down and he's never gotten to be the one to hold "Mr. Slurpy" who sucks the spit out of his mouth. He had a blast. I didn't even stay in the room with him. I walked him back there, he kicked off his cowboy boots (turns out he wasn't wearing socks) and lounged back on the chair and watched cartoons. I could see into the room he was in from the waiting room...but the room was too small for Addie and I to be in there and not be cramped and he had no problem with me leaving. I heard the hygenist laugh a few times...which makes me wonder what he might have said to her. Jason Lyman (our dentist/1st counsler in our bishopric) told me how lucky I am to have a three year old who loves the dentist. As a matter of fact, all of my kids love the dentist. I think maybe they just like to get to go somewhere different and they get a new tooth brush and prize....so what's not to like! Adelin's been talking about it for days. You'd think we were going to Disneyland!

Oh...and no cavities. My kids must do a good job brushing. I admitt...I hate to help them brush their teeth because they....who I KNOW can open their mouths WIDE...will never open up when I try to brush their teeth...and they bite down on the tooth brush and act like it's some sort of game. So we mostly let them do it themselves. Oh...and flossing? Ha. Yeah. We don't really do that either so much...so I felt like not so bad of a mom when I found out there were no cavities!

lunch time YuM!

My Walking Buddy Trisha gave me the idea for these pizzas!

I was excited that I had all the ingredients to make them for lunch today! 

What you need:

refrigerated biscuits (the big kind...or little ones would work too!)

pizza or spaghetti sauce

mozzarella cheese

pepperoni

sliced olives

whatever toppings you like

Pretty much all you do is use the biscuits as your pizza crust.

Patted them flat with your hand. Poke come fork holes in them...then load 'em up!

Bake according to the instructions on the biscuit package. I also recommend spraying the pan a little with cooking spray because a few of mine stuck a little.

 

Each package makes 8

Let 'em cool!

ENJOY!!!  

hair

Adelin styled my hair a while back. She used bobby pins to give me "bangs".

It had an interesting effect...as you can see! :)

self-portrait taken using a mirror...

Tracy my friend/hair 'sylist' cut my hair last night. (she dyed it too...but it's my natural color. I had highlights I wanted to get rid of) My hair hasn't been this short in quite some time. But I like it. She cut bangs...but I sort of hair sprayed them out of the way. I can't stand having hair in my eyes or even touching my eye brows.

I love Tracy. She has been cutting my hair for four years now! We have become good friends. She loaned me some skirts to wear after Connor was born and even some spandexy thing to wear with them to hold in my gut. That's a sign of a true friend right there! She didn't start on my hair until after 9 pm last night and I was there until after midnight...it was great!

My cousin Carinne's little baby Asher had his second open heart surgery Monday. The doctors were able to do a "full repair". He is now recovering. This is a hard time for his mommy and daddy. Keep a prayer in your heart for all of them.

funny

Addie is in the kitchen getting her and Weston's cereal. (She very motherly like that...)

Weston is complaining because he wants apple juice in his cup,  not milk.

Addie: Just drink the milk!
Weston: (whiny) I want apple juice.
Me: Is there a problem?
Addie: Weston's just being a little freek!

How can I NOT laugh at that.

She'll make a great mom someday! She just needs to learn to not say what she's thinking so much. I kindda have that same problem! :)

Tagged by: Jewel

1. What is your favorite candy bar, and why? Snickers...love the sweet chocolate+caramel mixed with salty peanuts. When I was pregnant with Connor, I had a bag of little ones hidden on my sock drawer. They got me through many bad moments.

2. What is your greatest accomplishment, to date? Being mom to my four kids. Really...birthing them was a big accomplishment in and of itself  let alone the raising them part. I know I am not a perfect mom, but I am trying. If I can get through a day without feeling overly frazzled, that it is a great accomplishment too!

3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Right now...I'd love to live somewhere green...but I haven't visited enough places to know where at for sure. I loved Alaska and could see myself living there in the summer...but probably not so much during the dark cold winter. We drove from Vancouver Canada to Seattle and I could really see myself living somewhere in that part of Washington too. I don't know. When it all comes down to it, I want to live where ever Brandon has a job, where we can afford a home and where my kids can grow up with good influences and without too many restrictions.

4. If you were a vehicle, what would you be? Something practical...like my minivan. It isn't fashionable to drive one, but it's the most practical car for me...I am the same way. I look at what is practical and not fashionable...for the most part.

5. What is your dream date like? (the activity, not the guy--you've already got him!) My dream date is ANY date! If we could just get a babysitter for free...that would be awesome!

6. What is your earliest memory? I remember going to pick up my brother(s?) from preschool...and I remember being in their preschool classroom when they had a police officer visit. I was under 3 years old.

7. If you could have anything to eat right this moment, what would it be? Breakfast. My typical bowl of cereal.

8. You have an unlimited credit card, and you have one store to use it in. What store do you choose? Maybe Costco...they have lots of great stuff there!

Westy's 3!

Birthday suits aren't just for birthdays!

Weston put on our lion costume the other day. He'll love me forever for capturing it and sharing it with  you!

My terrible two year old just turned three! Weston's birthday was fun....at least he seemed to enjoy it! The kids all woke up super early. They were so excited for it to be Weston's birthday!

Weston got to choose what we ate for all 3 meals yesterday! We started off with pancakes (mickey mouses, cowboys and ballerinas for Addie). He wanted chicken pot pie for lunch. I knew I wouldn't have to to make it from scratch, so I bought the little frozen kind at the store. Addie gobbled it up, Weston poked at it and didn't eat it. Then we had pizza for dinner which is always a crowd pleaser!

So this is a little bit of what Weston did on his birthday! He played cowboys...Grandma Flake came over and brought him his card+money+M&M's...he watched a Caillou show with me...had his cousin Trevin spend the afternoon with us (I am pretty sure this was the best part of his day!)...ran through the sprinklers...played cowboys some more...decorated cupcakes...and hopfully felt super special and loved. He didn't get any spankings (not like I spank my kids a lot....but I do threaten them often with it) but, he was doing something naughty yesterday and I told him, "Weston, you can still get a spanking on your birthday!" and he said, "No, not on my birthday. I'll get a spanking tomorrow." :)

We love this little guy. He can be a knot head sometimes, but can't we all? He's sweet and gives me hugs and kisses. During dinner we always go around the table and say what our favorite thing was that day. Weston will often tell me that his favorite thing was seeing my "beautiful face".

This past year Weston has really grown up! He's potty trained, doesn't use a paci (Well...sometimes he will steal Connors) , he is a good friend to his sisters and as gentle of a big brother as a two year old can be!

We had Grandma Flake and Trevin over for dinner+cake and ice cream. Trevin helped open Weston's presents. I wish I had video taped that. It was cute.

This is about as good as it gets when it comes to my cake decorating skills! It's cowboys and indians!

opening presents

LOVE this! I got this Toy Story back pack on clearane for $5! I didn't know that it had a hidden hood! What a bonus! :)

          Thank you for giving me permission to post this Honey! You're the best! :)

 Our little Con-Man is now eating rice cereal once a day!

I have been mixing in a formula for sensitive tummies and it seems to be helping him to not spit up as much. Just had to throw a picutur in of his cuteness!

Last year at this time, I was about 9 weeks pregnant with Connor. I am so happy we have a baby! I love my kiddos! I was thinking yesterday that if we didn't have Connor, then my baby would be 3! That just seems so old!

validated

We were shown this video by a speaker at our ward's Women's Retreat today. I had to come home and find it online because I missed the first part of it today because I was feeding Connor. It's 16 minutes long....but I think it's worth the time.
Click HERE!

video

We bought a FLIP  a few months ago (our anniversay present to eachother)... I LOVE that thing! It's great for videoing things spontaneously...which is great when you have kids! And it fits right in the diaper bag.

Here's a little clip. We were waiting to go on the little train ride in Durango. I don't know who the other people in the video are...but I don't think they'd mind me sharing footage of them. :}

I have a bunch of other videos too....but blogger takes a while to upload...so you'll have to stay tuned for those!

i can't resist...

This happened today....when it was too early for kids to be up....(in my opinion)

Weston comes in.

Weston: Mommy, I want to dream about something.

Me: What do you want to dream about?

Weston: I want to dream about loving you.

he can be so sweet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connor's 4 month stats

25th-50th % for head
90th for weight
90th for height
17.4 pounds
26 inches tall
He gained 3.5 lbs. in one month! That's a new record for my kids!

kid pics

There are SO many fields and patches of sunflowers around here this time of year! The highway is pretty much lined with them in some places.  Vandee (Brandon's cousins wife) wanted to have her kids pictures taken in a field of sunflowers...and I liked the idea too...so last night we met up, found some flowers and took some pictures. Okay, so it really wasn't that easy.....because these sunflowers are really a weed....and they grow with other weeds that have "pokies" and thorns on them...and they scratch you and your kids want you to carry them...and you feel sorry that you had them wear flip flops. BUT...we all survived and had dinner and ice cream together afterwards!

I had edited these....but I somehow failed to save the edited copy....BUT...they're still pretty cute unedited...I have pretty cute kids that's why! :) Connor was a hard one to photograph...I think I will have to do some more of him. He was enthralled by all the sunflowers and wouldn't look at me and he had his "I am concentrating" look on his face the whole time.

waking up

give hope

My cousin Carinne's little guy Asher is about a week older than our Connor. Asher had open heart surgery soon after birth. Carinne sent me an email with some great information about an organization she and her family are involved with called HopeKids! Here's a little bit of that email (hope ya don't mind me sharing Carinne!):

Hello All!

We're taking part in the HopeKids Wasatch Adventure to raise money for HopeKids. You all know what we've gone through so far in Asher's short life. HopeKids has been a fantastic support organization that we've been involved with. They've provided countless activities for our family, like going to the State Fair, private movie screenings, and soccer games; and they've provided me with daily inspirational messages and a great support network. Please help us keep this organization going!.....
Thank You!
Carinne, Adam, Taylor, Jonathan and Asher

Anyone who's gone through anything hard (that pretty much covers all of us) knows how important having support is!...feeling like someone understands, talking to someone who has 'been there'...knowing there is a shoulder to cry on or a smile to share!  I am so grateful Carinne has found this organization and I hope they are able to keep it going! Click on the super cute picture of  baby Asher to the right to make a donation! I know times are tough....so even if you aren't able to make a donation at this time, copy and paste the HTML code onto your blog and spread the word!

Thanks!

P.S. I know the donations link button is kind of big.  If that's a problem for  you...or if anyone knows how to make it smaller please let me know! (I made the button...*pat on back* I am not sure who took the picture, or I'd mention them too!)

P.S.S. I used the instructions found on "blog designs by shiela" to make the button. It was super easy...which I didn't think was possible! Anyhooo....there is a link to that blog to the right, in case you are interested! Look under "freebies" for the instructions!

Okay....so I have been having a little fun with blog buttons...not creating them....(I don't have that kind of time, or those kind of 'skills') But, I did figure out how to make it so that I could take a button that someone else made and make it so that when you click on it, it'll take you to a link. (see "Highland Primary School over in the sidebar)...pretty impressed with myself over that one. ANYHOW....just thought I'd send a little shout out to anyone who has a blog button for maybe their company or a cause (someone who could use donations or prayers)...anyhow....guess what I am trying to say is: let me know if you have a blog button that you'd like for me to put on my blog! :) I know my blog is private but you guys who read it are pretty much the same people who would read it even if it wasn't private....(except for the weirdos who might have been leerking...you never know) 


*I have family and friends in Utah, California, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan and Texas who read this....so as far as advertisement goes for your company...those are the states that would be reached through my blog....plus whoever they might refer to your blog.*

...just a thought.....

From the mouth of babes.....

I was singing in the kitchen and my grouchy little Weston was telling me to "stop singing" (he really has been a grouch lately)....I sang a little more....just to prove who's boss. Then I said, "I'll stop now...I know my singing stinks." and Weston said, "Yeah, it stinks up the whole bathroom".

random writing..."What do you think about movies? What is your favorite movie and why?"

Movies can be good......just like all media.....you have to be selective. They can entertain and inspire....for good or evil.

 My favorite movie is Steel Magnolias. You know the one....with Sally Fields (love her) and Julia Roberts who plays a diabetic...and they live in a small town in Louisiana with all the funny ladies? I have some favorite one liners....and can pretty much quote the whole movie. I actually did quote part of it in 11th grade Drama. I wasn't a good actress....pretty bad on stage....but my teacher (Mrs. Bartlett) was also my English teacher...and I have always been good in English...and she and I were sort of friends....so she gave me a good grade in Drama too.

ANYHOW....I love this movie because it's funny, it's sad....it is about women and friends and being there for each other...and making choices and living with the consequences and being happy.

THIS is the part I did in drama! Can you just imagine me pretending to be hysterical and doing a bad job of it? This is one of my favorite parts of the movie though. Now I want to go watch it! Maybe I will put it on while I fold laundry?!

something to think about...

(painting by Jared Barnes)

"...No matter how difficult and impossible the circumstances we face, we must retain the attitude that we are still in the Lord’s debt. Just keeping the commandments, while laudable, may be enough to maintain our faith but not enough to increase it. We must continue sacrificing and serving with no thought of reward. We do it out of love and gratitude for the Lord, to whom we owe everything...too often we allow ourselves to think or even say words like these: “I don’t deserve this setback. You’d think after all I’ve done, it would not have to be like this. Why must I prove myself over and over again? This is my time to rest from all this responsibility. I’ve done enough.”...if we are serious about desiring greater faith, nothing short of maintaining a constant eternal perspective will do. If we place any condition on our willingness to serve the Lord with all our hearts, we diminish our faith. If we have complete trust in Him, our faith will increase, and that means the strength of our belief and our power to act will increase. We will not think we have done our duty and that is enough. We will continue with pure intent and total commitment the rest of our lives..." (John K. Carmack, “Lord, Increase Our Faith,” Ensign, Mar 2002, 53)

P.S. Brandon...if you read this....don't you think that a canvas of that painting of Christ would look great in our home?*hint hint*

One of my BFF's (I just had to use that term...even if she doesn't agree) Skye has an amazing company...you've seen it over there in my sidebar....babyhalfoff.com It's their birthday today and they are doing a giveaway...only...I am hesitant to tell you that part cuz I really want to win. BUT...go visit the site...and follow the link to their blog. You wont be disappointed!

2nd grader+a preschooler

Kaitlyn started second grade! She has Mrs. Sims and so far she seems to like her. She got her hair trimmed for the beganning of school. It was funny to me how very specific she was about how she wanted her hair to look on the first day of school. She's really becoming her own person. I really miss having her home. I wasn't ready for summer to end. Kaitlyn has been so helpful with Connor and really just fun to be around.

Here she is...goofing off for the camera:

 

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Adelin is an offical preschooler. No more if that homeschool/co-op stuff. (thank goodness). She goes to Busy Bee Preschool (same as Kaitlyn did) twice a week for 2 hours. She LOVES the play ground! I think she's getting used to having a little more structure. She's a fun girl with LOTS of energy. Preschool is going to be a great headstart for her.

Adelin also got a new hair cut for school. It's super cute!