NO ONE Likes a Frowny Face!

I love moments like this in our family!! It seems like they don't happen often enough. Yesterday Bryson was extra whiny and tired and every word that describes HARD! Well we took our family and went to the Draper Open House with Jeremy and Kim Cook (some great friends). Well it was really beautiful and the spirit was amazing!

Tucker had so many wonderful questions and he really liked it. I asked him are you sure you're ready to leave when you won't be able to come back until you are 12 yrs. old? He looked at me like are you serious? I then told him that it was an open house and when they dedicate it you can't come here until you are 12. He started to get tears in his eyes. He said "I love how I feel here!" It was so cute! He is such a good kid most of the time and I love how close to the spirit he is! He does recognize the spirit in his life and I am so glad for that!

Several times Austin mentioned to me how good it felt there and how pretty it was. Their favorite part was the baptismal font. :) He also really liked it and they were all pretty good!! I was amazed because trying to take three boys to the temple where you have to be quite sounded almost overwhelming!! I prepped them all day long and told them how nice and quiet it is in the temple and that it is a sacred place and that they would feel different there. It was fun! We all dressed in our Sunday best and loved going!

When we got home Bryson was cranky again!! And we sat him on his bed. Austin was in getting his pjs on and was tired of hearing Bryson cry so he started to sing No One likes a Frowny Face. So stickin cute! He sang it over and over again! It brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes!! I really do love moments like this!!

What do you need??

A friend of mine (Rebecca) googled her name and put needs after her name and you can find all kind of things you need. So I decided to join in the fun and see what I needed. Some of them were really funny, I actually think I need too much!! :)

1. Mandy needs a whole lot of lemon zest for a charity bake sale.

2. Mandy needs a man. (I thought I already had one!)

3. Mandy needs needs to catch up on some stories she hasn't read yet. (who couldn't use that right?)

4. Mandy needs a knight in shining armour.

5. Mandy needs a better promotion.

6. Mandy needs to brush her hair.

7. Mandy needs to get a grip. (How did they know?)

8. Mandy needs help with a present for her best friend. (I always need help with this!)

9. Mandy needs the human touch that only traditional animation could give her.

10. Mandy needs a storage room for all her brooms. :0 (What does that mean? I must be a witch. Ask my kids they might verify this one!! :)

I actually could have put another 10 that were fun also but thought 10 was enough. Go find out what you need and post your today, who knows maybe someone can help you with what you need!! :) Have a great day!!

I loved this video!! Great reminder!!

This video touched my heart and I felt like I needed to remember to do a little more and give a little more! So often I think I take from people without giving and I am going to try harder to give a little more of my time, to compliment a little more, to show more love, to forget about myself and try to make someones day a little brighter!! Thank you all for your examples in my life and the love that has been shown towards me and my family!!





Listening to this made me miss President Hinckley, I loved him and was blessed by him in so many ways! He will not be forgotten! We are so lucky to have a prophet to speak to us today! I know that my love for Pres. Monson will grow to what it was for Pres. Hinckley!!
This video also made me think of how often I have been the recepient like this man. My heart feels with joy from knowing so many wonderful people and being blessed by them in my life!!
When Tucker was a year old we had just moved to Salt Lake from Idaho. We had no family around us they were all in Idaho. That very day Tucker got really sick. We took him to Primary Childrens Hospital. He ended up staying for an entire month. Mike hadn't started his job yet and we had exhausted all our funds over the month. We didn't know what we were going to do!! I remember feeling a ton of weight on my shoulders and heavy with sorrow wondering if Tuck was going to get better. People from our new ward had even been up to visit. They were some of the best people ever!! Someone went to our Landlord and paid our rent for the month. We never found out who it was but we were so overcome with gratitude!! There are numerous things we have been blessed with and I can 't help but be grateful for all that you (our friends and family) have done!! I now want to be the one who is giving!!
Has there ever been a time in your life when someone or something has saved you, that you are overcome with gratitude to the Lord for what He has blessed you with?

Thank You

We have been so grateful for all the wonderful comments that were given from Tucker's story! You all have been so sweet, we couldn't have asked for better friends and family! Sharing our story of such a hard time in our lives was not easy! We were touched by all the kind words and encouragement that was given!! You all mean a great deal to us and we feel blessed to have such a great support system!




I shared with Tucker the things that were said and he had tears and was very grateful also!! Thank you to Tara for giving us the opportunity to share, you are a wonderful person with so many talents!! We love you all!!

Tucker's Story Has Been Told!

OK everyone who reads our blog you need to go over to KIDZ Tara our friend is doing a kick off party this week and next to help promote her blog that is about children and families who have special needs. It is amazing and all the stories are so fun to read!! She also has some really fun ideas to do with your children, it is well worth your time!!! Please take a minute and go there! She is giving prizes away that are exciting!! She is a special friend and she has featured Tuck today on her blog. So if you want to read it go here. We haven't shared all of that before so have fun reading it!! Let us know what you think, share your thoughts with us!! Happy blogging!! Thanks to you all for your love and support and friendships you have giving us!! We love you all!!

KIDZ Kickoff Party

Let me just take a moment of your time and explain this awesome blog that I recently found. It is called KIDZ. It was started by a blogging friend named Tara. Her mission is to enlighten and inform people about special needs kidz, whether it be through family members or friends. It has great inspirational stories, fun crafty ideas to do with your kids, and ways to strengthen your families. You don't have to have a special needs child to participate in her blog. We've used her ideas and stories for our personal family home evenings. The latest family home evening we read a story about a boy named Caleb, and it was a heartwarming story, and had a great impact on our children. If you know anyone who might enjoy this blog, then log on and participate, click on the KIDZ button. If you want, you can add the KIDZ button to your own blog.

This week is her big kickoff party for the KIDZ blog, and she is giving out some cool prizes. All you have to do is leave comments to be entered into a drawing or do a post about KIDZ and she will enter you in to win a $200 gift certificate to Target. Come on who couldn't use that?? FUN! Tuckers story will be featured on her blog sometime this week, probably the 18th. Go check it out!

Flash Back Friday

My friend Tara over at TMI is doing another Flashback Friday. Go over and visit her website and add your own Flashback! I think it is fun to look back and remember what it was like! Helps bring back so many good memories we often forget about. So I am posting a picture of me when I was three or so. Last week I posted a picture of my first brother Cody. This week I am posting a picture of my second brother Nick. He was also a happy guy. He has always had a big heart. He would help anyone anywhere no strings attached!! Each of my brothers carry traits of my dad with things they do, say or in the way they give. Nick is the one that reminds me most of my dad. He is usually jolly and big hearted which are the things that remind me most of my father. He is a great brother! I have been blessed to have many great brothers.

I posted this one of myself because I was the same age that my son is turning in two days.(3)

Here I am holding him. You know the big sister, gotta take care of him!!

As you can see from this picture He is the one smiling so big!! :) We had gone to West Virginia when I was 5, it was around Christmas and I still remember it as being one of my favorite memories.

Join in the fun and post yours now. If I don't write again until after the weekend hope you all have a very Happy Valentines Day!! I love this day!!

Brysons turns 3 Happy Birthday

Wishing you a week of LOVE!!

I have been thinking about my Valentine, as the day is approaching, about the love Mike and I share. He is my best friend, my love, my strength when I am weak, my wisdom when I need it, my happiness when we are together!
We met in high school, and quickly became friends! He always had a smile on his face, that is really what attracted me to him. He was very athletic, he played basketball, football, and ran track. We had a ton of fun when we were together and it didn't really matter what we were doing! I loved that he didn't try to impress me, he was a genuine sweetheart! After months of just hanging out and having great fun together, I realized how much I loved being with him and wanted to spend more and more time together. We were so young and people were always cautioning us. I didn't know what the future for us held, but I knew I wanted to have him in my life! It seemed when we were apart my days were longer and I couldn't wait to see him again!
As I later graduated from High School, he was a Senior and I went to beauty school, We dated off and on and even other people. I still missed my best friend!! We continued to see each other and always had a ton of fun. He graduated from H.S. and went to Ricks College and prepared to leave on his mission. I took a job working in Jackson Hole, Wy. I had a ton of fun there but once again missed my best friend. We would see each other on the weekends and any other chance we got!
He then was called to serve in the Budapest Hungary mission and left shortly after. We cried a lot during the time that was left before he entered the MTC. We spent as much time together as we possibly could! We would talk about the future, how he didn't want to leave but we both knew it was required and we wouldn't want it any other way. We talked about what we wanted in a marriage and family, how we wanted to raise our children. We also said things like "I don't want to hold you back" and "we should stay in touch, but still give each other the space to do what we want." Making no promises that I would or he would be there when he returned. It was hard, I remember crying a lot, but knew it was for the best. I truly felt alone even though I had a roommate and a ton of friends. It just wasn't the same. My days felt empty, even though my friends were all around me and would do anything for me. I knew I had to just buck up and make changes in my life for those two years to quickly go. I knew I needed to grow with him. I needed to be reading my scriptures every day and serving someone and preparing myself to be a better person. So I went to work on all of those things.
We wrote each other every week and shared our heartaches and joys together. It was amazing, when you change your perspective how much better the world looks and how much more fun you can have!! When he was out a year I received my call to serve in the Arizona Tempe Mission. I left in July and he came home the following April, only to date, and wait another 8 months for my return. It was a hard time, yet a fun time. A time of lots of learning and growing! We loved sharing our experiences together. I cherish those times of growth!
He came to the airport to welcome me home with my friends and family and was there for my release as a missionary, one of my hardest days ever! I will never forget sitting down together that first night and sharing all our missionary experiences!!!! I remember thinking is this a dream, did we really make it this far?? Am I going to wake up and he be gone? It was a day I had dreamed about for a long time!! There he was smiling, warm, genuine and all grown up!! I had missed him and knew I still loved him!!
Our first date was amazing and I will never forget our first kiss!! It was like fireworks!! He proposed and we ended up getting married 6 months later. We have been on a roller coaster ever since!! Life has been hard with challenges but we have faced them together and been given strength when we have needed it! I love his patience with me! I still love his good genuine heart! His smile still makes me happy! I still can't wait to spend time with him and miss him when he is gone! I still have a ton of fun with him! And we still have our moments of fireworks! He has given me three beautiful sons that I love with all of my heart! I love him for the man he is and the father he is to our children! I feel blessed to have him as my friend, my husband and my love! He makes me want to be better every day and I love that! At the same time I know he loves me for who I am regardless!
He gives me days away when I need them. He helps me out all the time even without asking for it.
He wants me to be happy and tries very hard to make that happen! He knows most of the time what I need and fulfills my desires! I couldn't have asked for a better friend and husband! I love him so very much and want to wish him a very Happy LOVE day!! I can not wait to spend MANY more years together!!

Flash Back Friday

My friend Tara is the host of flash back fridays! So if you want to see how fun it is and add one of your own go here. Sign Mr. Linky and you can check out all the others! So much fun to have a flashback!! Thanks Tara!!

This is a picture of me and my brother Cody, he was always silly and giggly!! Look at those pillows, gotta love the colors! And yes Nothing Runs Like a Deere!! My dad later owned and operated a John Deere Dealership, yellow and green were our family colors. I was the oldest of 5 children and there were three boys after me. I learned to be agressive and hold my ground!

I don't think you can get any cuter than that!!! What do you think?

Gratitude!!

I have been really thinking a lot lately about this word. I don't know if it is because this is the month of love and we are showing our love to those around us. I have been feeling extra grateful for some things in my life! Most importantly for my Savior! Being a mom I have gained a greater love for the Savior and His compassion for us as a whole! Teaching my children about Him has brought so much peace into our home! When you teach of Him and bear witness of Him, the feeling that is in the room is greater, the love that is there is greater, the patience that is there is greater, and the willingness that is there is greater. How grateful I am for His love, his patience, His wisdom, and His forgiveness!! I have been thinking about the resurrection and how I am going to love that day! I have been working more on Tucker's legs and back lately. My mom made it possible to learn alittle bit more about massage and how that could help him. I took a Saturday last week and went up to Idaho to learn how to help him better. It was a great blessing! I have realized more how fully he needs more help than I can give him really!! He has lordosis, and scoliosis. He is getting really tight from all his contractures, he is like a knot inside. His clothes hide most of it and so well you go through your day just hoping you can get through the day sometimes, that you don't take the time to STOP and look at your situation. It has made me think about the resurrection and how grateful I will be when the Lord can heal my son and make him whole!! I have so much appreciation for this gift the Savior has given to us!! My joy will be full on that day!! We are thinking about putting some veptr rods in his back to help his curves. I am soooo not excited for this! It almost seems barbaric when you look at what they do! I have been all over the internet, reading everything I can and praying for strength to make the right decision!! If he recieves this surgery then it is surgery every 6 months from here on, until he has grown fully and they can fuse his spine. I hate surgeries and giving my son into the hands of doctors! I know I should be more grateful for them, don't get me wrong I am and they can do some amazing things!! If it wasn't for Doctors Tucker wouldn't be here today. What a blessing!! But there is something that aches in my heart as I turn and walk away from him as they wheel him into surgery. I don't know if it is the knowing he is going to be in pain, (and having had 5 surgeries myself I know what that feels like!) or if it is that he is trusting in me and I don't always know the outcome, or if it is that I don't want him to ever feel alone and afraid! Probably a combination of all! He is strong though and I need to really give this one to the Lord! We have been so lucky to have only had to go to the hospital a total of 5 times since he was born, for surgeries! I know I feel very blessed and almost lucky! But here shortly it will be a really hard sugery and one every 6 months from then on, if not sooner.

Seeing all of this in great view lately is what has got me thinking about the resurrection! What a blessed day that will be! As mom's we ache when are kids are struggling and want the very best for them, sometimes we can not give to them what we want most but know that it is only through the Savior that we can get what we truly need! How grateful I am for the Savior!!