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!

Durango trip...

the majority of these pictures were taken by Kaitlyn

We had tons of fun in Durango, Colorado. It was beautiful and green up on the mountain where we stayed. We spent a lot of time in town too though. Each time we drove into town I think I told Brandon, "It's so pretty here" about 10 times. Especially when we drove past that one crystal clear pond huh Honey? I think there was an afternoon thunder storm every day that we were there. We loved it though. The kids would have been happy to stay in the pool from sun up til sun down. There was a pool at Durango Mountain Resort where the condo we rented was.  Heated with a slide...my kids dream come true.

So, we left Snowflake around noon on August 25th. We drove up through Shiprock and Farmington New Mexico. If we didn't stop so much....it would have been a 5 hour drive. But we have little kids and a nursing baby....so we stopped quite a few times. By the time we made it into Durango...it was getting dark and a nice big thunderstorm was underway. (not the best conditions to be in when you are trying to find where you are staying in a place you have never been before.) We made it to the condo pretty late...some time after 8 p.m. By then we were all tired of being in the car and ready to be done with that part of the trip. Well....then code we were given to open the door on the condo didn't work....but luckily we were able to make a couple phone calls and get that worked out. The condo was nice...but not too nice. Perfect for us and our kids who aren't always so careful. It was sort of a basement unit. We discovered that it stayed pretty dark in there unless you turned on the lights or opened the windows. This made it very easy to sleep in and not even know it!

Monday we hit the pool...then showered up and went to see the Bar -D Wranglers at the Bar-D Chuck wagon Supper Ranch (or whatever they call that place). They are the whole reason we went to Durango. Brandon and I saw them perform here in Snowflake and we thought the kids would love it. We took one of their brochures and the more we looked at the pictures on it, the more interesting we became in visiting Durango...so we did! It was fun to go someplace new to us. Anyhow...back to what I was saying. We went to the see the dinner show. They have it all worked out there! You are assigned a table. They serve dinner buffet style...which would be a nightmare with 4 little kids...but they will also assign you a helper. So I stayed at the table and Brandon had a helper and it all worked out great. They have the BEST biscuits I have ever tasted. My mother in law makes some good darn ones but I think these might have hers beat! I could have eaten a dozen. We thought about asking if we could buy the leftovers. Oh...and that's another thing. You pay for your meal based on if your are an adult or a child and of you want chicken or beef...(beef is more of course)...and then when everyone as been served, they invite you up to get seconds! Like I said...they have it all figured out over there! So...by the time we were done eating, the show started. It was dark and the sky was clear and starry. It was a nice setting and a fun show. Our favorite songs were "Mike the Headless Chicken", and "Old Matt Palmer Has a Misfit Farm". They also sang some western classics...like "Ghost Rider". And then at the end they sang a medley of patriotic songs. We all of course sang along. When they were singing "and I'll proudly stand up next to you and defend her still today" everyone there stood up...without being told to. It was like a salute to our country. Made you proud to be an American and to be surround by people who felt the same way.

Tuesday we did some back to school shopping. They don't have many more stores there than we do in Show Low...but we managed to get the girls a few things. Then we went home and I think Brandon took the kids swimming...until the rain started.

Wednesday...we hung out on the mountain. I even did a crock pot roast with potatoes and carrots for dinner. We swam and took a little walk. It was a nice low key day.

Thursday we were nice and took the kids to McDonald's. (why do kids love that place so much?) They had a play place (those places disgust me...but I kept my mouth shut and let them play...I did however speak up when Weston drank from a discarded cup he found on a table. YUCK!) So...anyhow...we let the kids indulge themselves in all McDonald's had to offer...and then we went and walk around Downtown Durango. It reminded Brandon and I of Ketchikan, AK..the mountains and the way the river snakes through town and all the touristy shops selling t-shirts and nail polish that changes col rs in the sun. Plus there were booths set up with people doing tours and river rides. (It would be SO fun to go rafting there when the kids are older!)

Friday we planned to do the Alpine Slide at the resort...but it was storming. SO...luckily Melissa Ballard had told be about the Durango Rec Center. That place is awesome! I wish we had something like that here! They have the best kiddie pool I have ever seen. It was a little lazy river and a couple of  slides that were soft and shaped like a snail and a house. I didn't get in the water....but I had fun just watching Brandon with the kids. There was a big water slide that they all loved and then over in the big pool, Kaitlyn jumped off of the diving board which she had been nervous to do. Anyhow. It was a lot of fun. Then we had Dairy Queen for dinner....the perfect way to end the day. Well...actually...we took the kids to play at the park before heading back up the mountain. (I had to feed Connor and it was a good 20-30 minute drive back to the condo.) That's the only thing Brandon and I wish we had done differently on this trip. We wish we had stayed in town because that's where we spent most of our time. (now we know!)

Saturday we got up and got everything packed. We had to be out of there by noon. We headed over to the Alpine Slides.....turns out they draw a big crowd on the weekend... and we ended up waiting about 45 minutes! We didn't even think to wear sunscreen and Brandon, Connor and I got a little burnt. :[ Anyhow. The slide was fun. The ride up the ski lift...not so fun for me. I rode up with Adelin...who is fearless. She was like, "Can I try to get a leaf off the tree?"...while I am trying to not hyperventilate and singing "I am a Child of God" and constantly evaluating how badly we'd get hurt if we fell from the height we were at. The ride up was seriously about 5 minutes or more.  At one point, we went over a canyon and I was thinking to myself "Yup, we'd be dead if we fell now". I am a little freakish when it comes to heights...but I was proud of myself for doing it anyways. I think if I rode the ski lift maybe 100 times, I might be able to do it without all the talking in my head and praying over and over to not get hurt. ANYHOW....the slide down was a blast. Adelin rode with me...and she was like "Whooo! This is the best fun ever!" the whole way down! Brandon and Kaitlyn went down separately and both loved it. It would have been fun to do again if it were cheaper and not such a long line. Well, after that...everyone but me and Connor rode the mechanical bull. (I have some pretty sweet footage of that I'll post later!).......then we hit the van and started our slllooowww journey home.

All in all it was a fun vacation. The kids were happy...we were happy....what more could you ask for?

Kaitlyn: "Mom, when I was sitting on the couch and tooting a lot, there was a long one that sounded like this (makes a long tooting noise with her mouth)."

lovely.

Happy 10 year Anniversary Brandon

Thank you for taking care of the kids and me+my migraine+mastitis

I love you and will try to take good care of you next time you're too sick to do it yourself.

I have a bazillion things to blog about...Angela and her girls coming to visit (we baked and cooked and shopped at Walmart until 2 a.m.)....the 24th of July Celebration (my favorite part was seeing old friends from Mesa 16th ward {are related through the Flakes...so I guess I should call them family})....our trip to Durango (it's so pretty there...).....and our little almost 3 month old who showed off his rolling skills to us today. He can roll both ways (back to front and front to back)....but mostly he goes from front to back...

.....there's MUCH to do around here. Mostly not fun stuff like cleaning out the van (Weston told us on the way to church that "our van is messy"...really...it's THAT bad....fishy crackers and other junk all over)...and cleaning the house....taking kids for hair cuts (because I refuse to be responsible for making them look like they cut their own hair)..........