Chris Graduation

Kai was very very sick...  fever 103+  then barfed after I got him up for pictures

Aleia was a little crazy toddler, and a little upset that I had to cuddle Kai so much

My girls, they do so much to help and are so loving and kind to each other

Chris and his baby

The girls were so excited to give leis to dad, they could barely sleep for the past couple night before graduation

Uncle Ammon gave a Chris one monster lei

Family pic

Our old bishop, Bishop Murdock, we really love him

another try at a family pic

whoops!  there he goes, barfing in the bushes, my poor dude

Chris with all the girls!!

Daughters!

Ohana

Sanchez Ohana

Aleia is 14 months now...   got some cute pics of her today on a point and shoot camera :)

  Next its Kai's turn, my buff little 3 year old!

It's been a busy and heavy past couple of weeks.

There have been so many new little babies in my ward.  Sweet little spirits coming to so many of my friends.
And unfortunately, one of them had just a brief visit to this life.  My sweet visiting teacher, and her husband had their baby, Holden Archer Lee, on May 20th, and they let him go back to heaven on June 4th.
It's tragic moments like this that make the earth still...  they make you pause and reevaluate your life.  It makes you hug your own babies a little tighter and a little longer.  It makes me reflect on the eternal plan that our God has for us.  I know that life is so much more than what we're experiencing right now on earth.  It has to be.  There has to be so much more joy waiting for us once we are done here.  Especially for Jared and Caitlin Lee, and Natalie and Richie Norton, and Becky and Adam Russell...  these are friends and acquaintances of mine who in the past couple years have lost a child.  I was Becky's visiting teacher.  I sat at Gavin Norton's funeral next to one of my best friends, Cassie Lee, and this week, Cassie's nephew, Holden passed away.  It's like God has placed me just close enough to these tragedies to feel it, and have it affect me.  There are no words that help in times like these.  I honestly feel that I have somehow been a recipient of blessings that stem from the misfortune of some of the most amazing people.  I have felt so much closer to the spirit.  I have felt that heaven is somehow nearer to earth.  I have had the opportunity to fast and pray for others.  But still, the pain must be immense for the Lee's.  I can't comprehend it.  I can't heal it.  and all I keep hearing in my mind is songs and scriptures...

This is one song I can't get out of my head.

Sometimes He Lets It Rain

She sees the storm clouds gather
The sky is turning cold and gray
She knows that something's coming
When she starts to feel this way
She pleads for intervention
But heaven offers no relief
And she would understand if she could only see that

Sometimes He lets it rain
He lets the fierce winds blow
Sometimes it takes a storm
To lead a heart where it can grow
He can move mountains of grief
And oceans of pain
But sometimes he lets it rain

When her heart surrenders
To the Master in control
Her spirit learns the lessons of the tempest in her soul
When it's no longer raging
She can see how far she's come
Through the wisdom and the mercy of the Son

Sometimes He lets it rain
He lets the fierce winds blow
Sometimes it takes a storm
To lead a heart where it can grow
He can move mountains of grief
And oceans of pain
But sometimes he lets it rain

Today we went to Castle's and ran into a bunch of fun friends!!!

I only got a few pictures from my phone because my camera had no card in it, darn it!

This is the few things Chris was able to buy and bring back from Ghana -
I guess the markets are very sketchy and people know if you're "white" that you have money and they really pressure you to buy stuff, and they corner you, and reach in your pockets, and if you don't buy from them they get angry.  Chris said the people are beautiful and so much fun, once you break the ice, but I get the impression that in the markets people are doing what they have to in order to survive.
So anyway... he didn't buy as much as he wanted to...  but I think what he got was awesome!

 This is the shirt he got me!  I love it!!

 A drum for Kai - Chris says they make everything thing right there in front of you

 Little family of elephants... don't ask me where the other parent is, or why there is five babies -  this is in no way foreshadowing anything... it's just what he ended up with, LOL

Rino holding Chris's birthday lei's  -  he has had a hard time transitioning back with the time changes and long travel...   so we have yet to really celebrate his 33rd birthday!!  :)

And what we did while Chris was gone...