Just what I needed to hear.....(or read.)

Sometimes you just need to feel special after a rough week.... this surprise totally did that for me.

I have no idea who did it, (well I have a couple of ideas but, no solid leads.)

Thank you to who ever you are. It truly meant a lot to me.

Enjoying the warm (HOT) springtime.

Over Memorial Day we took the opportunity to visit a local hiking trail. It was a short walk if you went point A to point B but we managed to spend hours getting 'lost' and exploring lots of little trails. These pitctures are just a few of the things we were able to capture as we made our way down to prize.... which was- the waterfall.

 My little hiker! He was such a trooper. He carried his own waterpack and only complained about 300 times... big improvement from last year.

                                 Caiden and Me walking the bridge. I just loved this picture.

The cool water was refreshing after the long hike.

                                                    Caiden had so much fun getting soaked.   

Goopy Gloppy Mud Suckers (AKA Big mouth bass)

All boy!

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month

Scott has been published in the paper again. I am so proud of all the hard work and dedication that he has been giving to the soldiers and clinic at Fort Hood.
GREAT JOB SCOTT!

See the article HERE

Way Behind Times~

Holy Moly I haven't posted forever. This is a quick recap of the summer 2010

Brendon broke his arm the week before he got out of school. It was a really bad break and we were not sure for the longest time if he would need surgery or not. Thankfully there was enough reduction in the sight of injury that keeping it casted over the summer was enough to do the job.

It made for a pretty crumby summer for Brendon as he had to keep it dry, couldn't ride scooters, bikes, swim or all the other cool stuff that you usually do over the summer. He finally got it off (after much convincing that dad would take care of all rehab for it) so that he could take his SCUBA certification program. He did great and loved it!

 Morgan and Brendon passed SCUBA certification (with the highest scores in the entire class!!!) We can't wait to dive with them soon!

Caiden and his dad are of course the bestest buddies. I sure love seeing these two be silly together.

All five kids really seemed to get along well. I think there is something to this whole growing up thing.

This is our cute little family braving the heat at the Waco zoo. It is so dang hot in TEXAS!

Morgan had the opportunity to play club volleyball as well as attend a camp at Baylor University. She is adorable and is so much fun to watch.

Jensen and Scott are amazing runners. Jensen really took to long distance running this summer. I hope he will continue to find a love of running especially because his dad is such a great runner too. He has the perfect, no fat, built for running body.

The entire family except for Brendon (remember broken arm) participated in a community track meet. It was great and It made me so thankful to have a healthy active family that could run, laugh, play and support each other. It was fantastic!



Scott and I were able to go on a marriage retreat (=free all inclusive weekend spending time with your best friend and reflecting on the perfectness and comfort of our relationship.)

This is the bunch at the zoo again. We were taking a break from the heat in a 'cave' at the zoo.

Caiden took swim lessons and did fantastic. He even jumped of the high dive! Very brave kid.



Ashton worked really hard at a football camp that was held that the junior high. They worked the kids from 7:30am to 4pm. The boys had to play, train, scrimmage in the heat. It was 112 degrees on a couple of the days. He wanted to quit, I wouldn't let him. He felt so good when he finished though and I was proud of him because I wouldn't have wanted to do it either.

T-Ball Season has come to an end.

His first trophy in all of history.

Caiden was able to play on the city's T-Ball league. He loved being able to hit the ball and run the bases. I think his most favorite part of all was sliding into home plate and seeing how many grass stains he could get each game. He was so proud of his grass stains!

His team was the Angels. It was a rough team to play on though... There were 3 kids that were ADHD. Talk about trying to keep kids focused on the game and not on butterflies, fire ant piles, fly balls from the other games across the field. It taught me some patience that's for sure!

Here is Caiden getting his medal and his trophy from Coach Mandibon. He and his wife were so good with all of the children. They were great examples to the children. We loved their dedication to the kids.

This is Caiden jumping for joy.... HOME RUN!!!

Caiden,

Good Job little buddy. You were amazing in your first year of T-Ball. I loved seeing you grow and improve as you worked hard. You are such a special young man and I am blessed to have you as my son. Keep up your love of learning new things and you will be able to accomplish anything you desire. ♥ Mom and Dad

Anything to make me happy.

As I reflect back to our wedding vows I am reminded that my dear husband truly strives to live up to the covenants and commitments that he has made to me.

We are in the process of acquiring new furniture that isn't hand-me-overs, curb side rescues, out of a box or bachelor pad ready. It has been a daunting task and has made me grumpy on more than one occasion.
We have a formal sitting area when you first enter our home. It is my 'visiting teaching' room. I wanted this room to be clean, well appointed and a place to display the thoughts and feelings that are in our home. I don't know why these chairs struck me as such but, they did and I just had to have them because I loved them so much.

Scott, didn't (doesn't) love them. He told me they are hideous, awful, ugly, the worst chairs he has ever seen and no way, no how were they going to be in our home.
He generally doesn't have an opinion about how I decorate and so for him to voice all this made me take a step back and accept that I didn't need to have these chairs. So I searched and searched for something else and ended up leaving without my Safari set. (I wasn't pouting either, just in case you were wondering.)

I kept teasing him about the chairs. They became our inside joke. A few weeks later when we went back to the store for other things, Scott asked the salesman... "Hey, does anybody ever buy those chairs?"
The mans reply was "Hummph-Not, any DUDES." So that pretty much sealed the deal.
For sure after Scott's masculinity was challenged, there would be no way he would get those chairs, right?
I ran to another store to pick out a mattress and when I came back he hands me the receipts and tells me 'Happy Mothers Day, I bought the hideous chair set.' (Romantic sounding, I know right?)
Well to me it was. I appreciated that he 'took one for the team' and did something that he knew would please me, even though he hated it. He made me happy before himself and showed that he cares for my wants and desires.
I love him for this gesture. And, if I knew way back then, what I know now- the answer to his proposal would still be- YES, YES a MILLION TIMES-YES!

Scott,
Thank you for my beautiful Safari Chair Set. I love it. It just makes me smile. It makes me think of you... You Animal! Thank you for my huge bouquet of flowers too. Keep them coming I love the feeling that they give to our home.♥ I love you so much.

♫This little light of Mine.... I'm gonna let it shine!♫

It wasn't until my recent move here to Texas that I realized just how much I have been missing in my spirituality. I have never felt that I have been good at missionary work and so the lack of opportunity to preach and proselyte on the Indian Reservation did not hit me very hard. Sure, it was certainly annoying but never did I feel like "Oh boy, I sure miss being a member missionary."

Now 4 1/2 years later, a new city, a new home and a new ward has made me realize what a blessing it is to be able to have missionary moments with my neighbors, with random strangers with my own friends and family. I am not just talking about passing out copies of the Book of Mormon (I have been able to do that too.)

I am talking about being more Christlike in my actions, mannerisms, speech and example. I am so blessed that I have a testimony of my own and I can't imagine living my life without it.

Growing up, my parents shared theirs with me... I borrowed it for many, many years. (In my darkest trials, I still do.)

And that leads me right back to being a member missionary. I can be a strength and a beacon to my brothers and sisters that may be; searching, seeking, struggling or uncertain. I can share my love, time, talents, means, knowledge, concern and above all my testimony of a loving and merciful Heavenly Father, a compassionate and concerned Jesus Christ and the comfort that the Holy Ghost can give.

I can share my light.***ME*** I can share mine until they are strong enough for theirs to take fire. I can be my brother's keeper and my sister's strength. I can proclaim all the truthfulness of the Gospel and not hide my testimony of it!!! I can join mine with another that is strong and cause the principle of synergy to happen- (I have loved meeting my ward sisters and sharing in their testimonies- WOW!)

What a wonderful country of Freedom we live in- And oh how I have missed it. More than I ever realized until now.

I have enjoyed having the missionaries in our home -twice in 5 weeks, inviting my neighbors to church -3 just today, inviting non-members and inactive members into our home to share dinner and living my life to be an example- trying daily. Last but not least reaffirming and confirming that my Heavenly Father loves me. That he loves each of us and knows exactly where, when and for what we are needed. I know that our trials and our obedience make us stronger, happier and wiser.

I am blessed and I am so grateful for the area that I have been placed in. I have work to do and am excited about it!

I feel like a shiny new penny.

Happy Birthday Morgan

Our daughter turned 12. The official age to be called a Young Woman!
Happy Birthday Beautiful girl. You make us so proud. We love you.

New Home

Well, I would love to be able to share photos about our new adventure. Maybe we will get our Internet hooked up soon so that we can use a computer that we can actually upload photos from.
We are doing well in Texas. Caiden is so happy and is adjusting well. He has started sports, a new school and a new primary class. You would think with all of these changes that we would have a grumpy guy but, it is just the opposite. I think our little boy thrives on challenges.
He even asked if we could teach him to tie his shoes and ride his bike without training wheels.
He sleeps so well here. He got rid of his 'Jesus Light' which was a very dim lamp that he slept with. He went to a small nightlight instead. I thought for sure we would have problems with him getting up in the night or wanting to sleep in our bed. NOT AT ALL. He is loving his own space, his own toys and his own room. His room was the first to get put back together and looks really nice and clean..... unlike the rest of the house that has boxes and boxes of our belongings.
We made a run to GOODWILL and will be heading there again. We are getting rid of a lot of things. Moving is a wonderful way to spring clean.
I hope to be able to share photos soon. We love our backyard and had our first BBQ on our huge covered porch. Wonderful!!!

*~*~Winter Wonderland Prom~*~*

They may talk of a comet, or a burning mountain, or some such bagatelle; but to me a modest woman, dressed out in all her finery is the most tremendous object of the whole creation ~Oliver Gold Smith

I am not a dancer. I do not pretend to be, but when I am out on the floor with my eternal partner, nothing weighs us down. Nothing but joy and passion flows between our two hearts. It takes courage and trust to be led and it takes faith to follow. I am blessed to have my best friend be the one that gently leads and guides me...Not just on the dance floor, but in life as well.

Always remember to be happy because you never know who is falling in love with your smile

~Author UnknownDancing: The vertical expression of a horizontal desire legalized by music

~George Bernard Shaw

I know that I have found my prince because not only do I have a smile upon my lips but upon my heart as well. ~Amanda Mitchell
The elegance of the evening was wonderful. It made the evening feel that much more special. Scott and I bought flowers for each other, dressed in our finest clothes, and put on our happiest smiles. As you stepped into the room the decor gave the impression that you were stepping into a huge canopy of billowing tulle and petite lights. The cool crisp colors soothed and relaxed the eyes and the mind.

Thank you to the Mount Taylor Ward activities committee for inviting us to crash the prom. You wonderful ladies did a wonderful job and your efforts were greatly appreciated~Amanda

I love to look at rainbows whenever there is rain...

This is the most beautiful and complete rainbow that I have ever seen. Absolutely amazing.

I heard a beautiful rendition of the primary song 'When I am baptised" HERE

The girl in the video has the such a beautiful voice. Enjoy!

~*Snow* Much *Fun*~

(I guess that I failed to push the publish button for this post.)

These pictures were taken at our favorite snow hill up on Mount Taylor in New Mexico.
We always had so much fun. Ask the kids about this mountain and they will tell you about the ONE time that we got stuck and had to have help getting out.
The other thing they will remember is when Jensen and I crashed into each other and I blacked out and had a concussion which made a trip to the E.R. necessary... So maybe it wasn't always fun but the smiling faces shown below are what I remember. The good with the bad, the happy and the sad... my life, our life, one moment at a time patched together with love.


Wowzers, Hello Mr. Blue Eyes!



Zipping down the hill.

Choo Choo!

Morgan and Jensen

Love these little snow people!