Funny stories from my two favorite boys!

This is Owen in Show Low at the Breinholt's cabin.  Isn't he adorable?

Owen has started to show a little more interest in the potty.  Out of the blue yesterday, he said "I love the potty".  I put him on the potty and he sat there for probably 10 minutes.  He kept flushing the toilet.  He got toilet paper a couple of times and acted like he was wiping his bum.  Finally he agreed that he was ready to get off the toilet and I was ready to put in the tub.  He was climbing into the bathtub when I noticed some poop on his bottom.  Hmm...maybe he did do something on the potty.  I tried putting big boy underwear on him after his bath.  He stayed dry for a couple of hours.  He went pee.  He wanted a diaper back on.  I obliged.  I've had enough children to know that you don't try to force potty training.  You just go with it!

This morning he pooped in his diaper then insisted that we go put it into the potty.  He threw a fit when I told him that we couldn't go put it in the potty but that I had to change his diaper and clean his bum.  

Oh my...this child will potty train.  I just know it!!

Charlie is so cute and sweet!  This is in Show Low too.

I just have to tell a cute Charlie story!

A while back I found a potato in our bag of Sunday potatoes that was shaped exactly like a heart.  It was such a fun discovery!  I love finding things in nature that look like hearts....rocks, leafs, nuts, etc.  I took a picture of the potato(I'll blog it if I can find it).  I showed everyone I could.  And I didn't dare ever cut it up.  So it sat in my potato basket for weeks.  As all potatoes do, it began to grow eyes.  So one day Charlie came to me and said, "Mom, the heart tomato is growing broccoli."  I love being a mom!

Anyway,  after several months of keeping it in my potato basket.  It has now gone to the trash can.  I debated planting it just to see if it would have baby heart potatoes but I don't think potato babies work like that.

MAY 10, 2010....Happy 8th Birthday Eliza!!

As requested...vanilla cupcakes with chocolate icing.

 Our tradition of playing "hot and cold" with the birthday presents.  

 Eliza loved all of her gifts!  Nothing says "I love this gift" like a big cheesy smile.

 A bike again!  All of the girls bikes were stolen several months ago.  They have all been dying to have bikes again.  

 I love this little 8 year old!

Grandma, Uncle Brad, Aunt Sarah, Alyssa, Corbin, Ava, Colston, Mom, Dad, Brenna, Emma Grace, Charlie, Owen, and Grandad were all there to celebrate with cake, ice cream, and presents.

Emma Grace earns the Fitness Award

Emma Grace has a natural ability to face all challenges head on.  When she was just two years old, she wanted to learn to jump.  She worked so hard,  just knowing that the next try would be a triumph.  When she wanted to jump rope, jump on a pogo stick, ride a bike, swallow a pill, work a yo-yo, swing on a swing and so many other things, she worked at it with a winners determination.  As her mother, I have loved every minute of it.  She has always accomplished whatever she set her mind to.  So this year at school when they were presented with the "Presidential Physical Fitness Award" Challenge, he attitude was no different.  She met the challenge.  She had to complete five different events successfully in order to earn the award.  Each day she would come home feeling more determined to earn it.  She even asked if I would run a mile with her to help her train for it.  We went running one cold morning and she ran the mile in the time that she was suppose to.  Then one day she came home with the exciting news that she had earned the award.  I was so happy for her!  She beamed with satisfaction!  The week before school was out, all of the children who earned the award were presented with a certificate and a t-shirt to honor their accomplishment.  She was proud to wear her award and show it off.  

Eliza is EIGHT and GREAT!

Eliza Claire Hall

 The months before her baptism were filled with learning about the ordinance.  She asked every question.  We read every book.  We especially read the Book of Mormon.  With each child, the year prior to their baptism, Todd and I thought that it was really important to go through the entire Book of Mormon with them and then just before their baptism challenge them to pray and ask Heavenly Father if the book was true.  We promised them, just like Moroni, that if they would pray with a sincere heart that they would know the Book of Mormon was true.  One night I encouraged her again to pray and ask.  She very simply said, "But mom, I already know it's true.".  I love her honesty and sensitivity to the spirit.  She is an angel!

I took this picture during the luncheon that we had directly after the baptism.  Can you see the shine?  She was beaming all day.  Everyone commented on her big smile!  

Eliza and her Dad right before the baptism.  Eliza is the luckiest girl in the world to have such a wonderful Dad!

This is some of what I recorded in my journal after her baptism.  I decided to just share these thoughts instead of trying to record them again on here.


Oh, joyful day!  My third daughter was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Eliza Claire made a covenant today that she would always remember Jesus Christ and keep His commandments.  She wore a simple and beautiful white dress with patterns of white sequins.  I loved every second of brushing her hair and carefully putting it into two french braids, one down each side of the back of her head.

The spirit beamed from her contenance as she waited all in white to go into the water. Everyone commented on her big smile that spread across her face.   She has been preparing for this day for sometime now.  Learning all she could during scripture study, family home evening, and the times that she and I read a book about baptism before she went to bed.  She knew that when she came out of the water she would be clean and ready to live the covenant that she made.  Her dad performed the baptism with Uncle Brad and Uncle Gary standing near be as the two witnesses.  As soon as she emerged from the water to go to the changing area, I went to meet her to wrap the towel around her.  I hugged her and asked how she felt.  With a sweet smile on her face, she said, "Good".  Oh joy!  The spirit had blessed her with peace.  She quickly changed back to the baptism dressed that made her feel so much like a little princess(though she would never use the word princess).  We rejoined the group of loving people who had come to be with us.  Brother John Hunt who was conducting this part of the baptism then announced that Eliza would now be confirmed a member of the church by her Grandfather Robert Fears.   My heart leaped inside my chest as I looked at her so reverently closing her eyes and bowing her head with these righteous priesthood holders around her.

After the baptism, we returned to the house and many family members and friends joined us for a luncheon.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  Hot but still nice in the shade of the back porch.  We had salads, chips and mango salsa, watermelon, and little homemade sandwich cookies.  Large glass jars were filled with shimmery pastel colored gumballs.  Flowers hung from vases from the chandelier over the table.  

The entire day was wonderful!

 

Waiting for Moroni

We arrived just moments after the cranes started moving away.

Charlie, Owen, Brenna.
Check out the windy hair.  It was so windy.  I thought that might make it impossible to raise the Angel Moroni that day.

It was Monday night on May 21st.  We were getting ready for dinner and family home evening when we  got word that the Angel Moroni "was in town".  We quickly finished eating dinner and decided that going to catch a glimpse of the Angel statue would be part of our family home evening.  Everyone moved with excitement to get their flip flops on and get out to the van.  We loaded up and drove the 7 minute drive (can you believe we are going to have a temple that close...it's always been my dream) to the construction site of the new temple.  We were not the only ones who had somehow found out about the covert arrival of the angel.  There were a lot of people trying to catch a glimpse.  We had to see him from afar still resting on the back of a trailer until he would make his way to the top of the temple the next day.  We told the kids he was getting his final nap before he had to stand for a very long time proclaiming to the world that the gospel is restored and families can be sealed for eternity.
That night when we got home I had a feeling that just wouldn't leave me alone that I wanted us to be a part of the angel's journey to the top.  So I wrote on the white board in the kitchen for everyone to see when they woke the next morning, "TODAY: lunch with Moroni".  The next morning the children were sure to question me about the sign.   They had big smiles on their faces when I explained that I would not be sending lunch boxes to school with them but rather I would come to pick them each up at their schools and we would go wait for Angel Moroni to be lifted to the top.  I warned them of the possibility that he would not be raised while we were there since the church does not release that information to detract from the event.
There is a park diagonal from the temple with wonderful shade trees(Arizona style), sidewalks, a playground, and a small pond for ducks.  We ate our lunch.  We laid on a blanket under a cool shade tree.  We watched the ducks.  We anticipated every move of the enormous cranes.  Nothing!  After a while, I took some very disappointed children back to school.
Later I decided to check facebook to see if there was anyone who had updated their status with the status of Angel Moroni.  The first thing I saw was Sarah Crawford's status that said "He's getting ready" and showed a picture of Angel Moroni hanging from the crane.
I quickly gathered Charlie and Owen, stopped by Brenna's school(it's on the way to the temple) and made my way to the temple.  He was already there and the cranes were moving away.  We were so excited.  Owen held his toy figurine of Angel Moroni in his hands for 2 days after that.  The next morning we read about Moroni in our scripture study.
I am so grateful that the Moroni helped to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth in the latter days.  I love seeing his statue stand boldly at the top of the each temple.  He reminds me that I should be bold and share the gospel.  That I should stand strong as a daughter of God.

Long time, No post

Recently Brenna, Emma Grace, and I logged onto my blog and started looking around.  We were cracking up at some of the pictures and experiences that we hadn't thought of for a while.  I must admit I was feeling pretty guilty that the last blog post was over two years ago.  So onward and upward.   I'm going to get going again so we can look back and remember things that we just don't want to forget.

But boy have things change around here(Blogger) so it may take me just a little while to get reacquainted. I'll do my best to do some catch up but then I'm moving on.  :)

Todd's lost it ...

Todd's really lost it this time. I don't know what caused it, but late Sunday afternoon, he sat down at the computer and started clicking around. I knew he was searching for something in particular, but I figured he was just dinking around, looking at houses, or something like that (he's always doing that).

Later, I sat down at the computer. The screen was dark, because it hadn't been used in a half hour or so. I moved the mouse, and in a few seconds I was very confused by what I saw. I won't give you all the gory details, but there was a picture that looked something like this ...

What on earth was he doing? So I asked him.

"I think I'm going to do a triathlon." Yeah right, I thought. But I feigned support and told him that would be a great idea. In my head I was thinking, "Don't even think about dragging me into this." I wasn't really too worried about it at that point, however. I figured this would pass, just like the "I wanna be in a rock band" phase a few years ago.

Imagine my surprise when, the next morning, he still had it on his mind. I guess he might actually go for it. So instead of doubting him, or making fun of him, or something cruel or backhanded like that, I decided to support him ... so I bought him this ...

All joking aside, I'm excited for him to do it, and I wish I could do it with him, but the one he wants to do is on Thanksgiving Day, just a few months after the baby is born. Probably not the best time for me to be running, biking and swimming every day to train.

He's going to do the 6th Annual SW Valley YMCA Sprint Trathlon & Duathlon in Goodyear. And, to make it even more interesting, Brenna wants to do it with him. There's a great kids version (1 mile run, 4 mile bike and 100 yd swim). Brenna has been having so much fun with swim team this summer, she was excited when she heard what daddy was up to. So now, it's a daddy-daughter challenge.

If anyone wants to join the fun, follow this link and go to the bottom of the page for more information. If you want to do it, but aren't sure you're up to the challenge, just remember Todd's new motto ...