funnies

For Christmas we got rid of some old in with some new... We sold our tv and entertainment center and got new. Exciting eh?

Funny part is when they came to take the entertainment center away, Kate started crying cuz it was like they were taking her doll house. So the next day my visiting teachers came and when they got there, she asked what they were going to take away... sad but funny huh.

Just now we were all playing barbie performance and it was the prince's turn to perform and Kate introduced him by saying "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, presenting ( and she makes up their names... usually it's merkelly or kelsey or kelly... but this time his name was Gee-Ellis Dickley:) Just had to get that one written down somewhere.

Money Money Money...

This morning I was trying to explain to Kate that we want to save some money to help others for Christmas this year... and after several other attempts to explain that we work to make money and you have to have money to buy stuff (which to her = toys) I decided to try again when the timing was right so that she could get the concept.

So later today we were playing polly's and I asked her polly about Christmas and what happens at Christmas, and she said "If you have money then you get toys for Christmas and if you don't have money you don't get toys for Christmas"

I didn't know what to say cuz she was right, but talk about crushing a child's Christmas dreams and sparkle that goes with it. So I just changed the subject to the fact that we share at Christmas and we want to be able to help others...

Pretty funny I thought

It's a miracle

I seriously don't remember the last time I had ALL my dishes washed and put away, and ALL the clothes washed, dried, and put away... and guess what it's happened, last night it happened!!

I would just like to thank all those who supported me and and believed in me cuz I couldn't have done it without you.

Now lets see if it will ever happen again.

Oh and the floor is vacuumed too!

Needless to say, I'm feeling good today

First time standing

Folks we've got a stander!!

First time standing was at a cabin in Fairview. The Wilkins invited us to go there, thanks to a friend of theirs...

Super fun time, relaxing, tonz of game playing, and even some excitement... When we got there it was totally dark and we come around a corner and the Wilkins almost hit a deer, and we almost hit the them! So heart's pounding for sure, then around another corner we come to a complete stop cuz Bambi's dad is standing right in front of them and we can see this huge rack of antlers above their suv!!! It was breathtaking for sure, He stood there and stared at us for a few seconds, wish we could've gotten a picture.

Also it snowed and we wondered if we were going to be able to get out, that was pretty adventurous.

There was 4 wheeling, movie watching and no fighting between the kids which is awesome.

Also and most important Tommy stood for the first time with no hands:) Thanks to Daisy the dog... He could not stay away from her and he finally wanted to show her that he could stand.

Super fun trip!!! Thanks Wilkins family

Halloween 2010

Scooby dooby doo!!!!

Kate decides what we are all going to be for Halloween and we build around that. This year came together nicely

We first went to do the parade at daddy's school.

Then the ward party/chili cook-off

Then trick or treating at Jays.... Seriously I saw a scary cloud and told Ryan to drop Kate and I off a few doors down from Jay's, so she could get some trick or treating in before the big cahoona storm hit... Well we got one house and then RAN to Jays while being hit with hail.

Luckily it died down and she got to go out again. It was super fun, and we saw a full rainbow too.

Next the "Switch Witch" was coming so Kate picked her 4 pieces of candy out (cuz she's 4 years old) then put it out so the witch could come and take it, and give her her new books.

Sure enough she came and Kate was super excited for her Thanksgiving books, They even came with cds that read them:)

Fun Holiday! and on to the next.

My little snuggler

Tommy is so funny, he will crawl a few feet and then sigh as he lies down. So whenever he does that Kate and I laugh and say "ahhh take a rest" then he gets up and goes and then lies down again... "ahhh buddy, take a rest".

I was hoping when he was born that he would be snuggly and my wish came true, he loves to put his head down and snuggle anything that is nearby. I love that boy!

Preschool field trip to the apple farm

Farnsworth farms was a hit. The kids got to tour the farm, try some cider, pick an apple and go for a hay ride... Afterward we all had lunch at a park nearby, it was a super fun day .

Together party with family.

Kate and Tommy's b-day's are only 2 weeks apart so they get to celebrate together with family

1st day of preschool

This year we are doing a joy school with some of the moms in the neighborhood. This is Kate's first day, she went to Camille's house and is loving going to preschool with her friends.

Big Boy Tom

Tommy's 1st birthday...


He knew just what to do with the cake


Happy Birthday buddy, thanks for coming to our family!

Kate's 4 year birthday

Look who's officially 4...



Party at the splash park with friends

Happy Anniversary Ryan!

This is Ryans mom's reaction to him telling her we're getting married... She was a little apprehensive :)

Wedding picture

1st year picture

Buster our kitty 2nd year

Kate came along 3rd year

4th year

5th year then came Tommy

Thanks for 6 wonderful years and more to come!

More pics

Ballerina at heart

Thanks Mandy for the awesome pics

We got a crawler

Sat. August 21st.. Yep this little cutie is crawling. It was almost like one second he didn't know how to crawl and the next something just clicked and he was off. He's so much happier now that he can get around.

Condo for sale

Here's a little plug: We're selling our condo and so if you, or anyone you know, is looking leave a comment and I'll fill you in on the details.

Spontaneous summer

So far our summer has consisted of:

Panaca (camping)-memorial day
New Mexico (2 days after Panaca)
Mutual Dell (ward campout)
New Mexico again (4th of July)
St. George (2 days after New Mexico)
and 2 more camping trips hopefully (tomorrow with Jay, and maybe one more)
and hopefully one more trip to New Mexico in August.

We are enjoying 2010!

Lasik

A couple of moments in my life that I'll never forget, and sort of have a hard time describing the emotion behind them because they are so big and life changing are... the mission, Marrying the one I love, having children, and today I added one more. LASIK EYE SURGERY!!!!

I went in to Hoopes vision this morning blind as a bat and came out good as new. Right now I am seeing everything contact free and glasses free. What a blessing it is to be able to see on my own. Today I was able to check off one of the things on my bucket list. "Get eyes fixed" and I can only thank my awesome mother and father in law for providing this miracle and it is a miracle.
I married into a family full of love, understanding, and such giving hearts... so thank you, thank you, thank you for this blessing Kim and Frank.

Just over a year ago I got a phone call from Ryans parents and they both wanted to talk to me. They said that they wanted to pay for me to get my eyes fixed. At that point there was silence on my end because I started to cry. To make a long story short and not go into detail about my issues of being indebted to others I had a hard time accepting their offer but after a while we decided to go forward with it.


But right about that time I got pregnant with Tommy so I needed to wait till he was born and done nursing so that time finally came and today was the big day.

The surgery was a breeze (after they gave me a Valium) it was short and painless. And for the first little while it was hard for me to open my eyes cuz they were so sensitive to the light, but I came home and took a nap (a 3 hour nap, wow that Valium really does a number on you I guess) and I woke up a new person. My eyes felt awesome, they didn't hurt or feel as sensitive and I was all rested up. Anyhoo it was a day I will NEVER forget and will always be grateful for. I truly appreciate the primary song that says "He gave me my eyes that I might see the color of butterfly wings..." Really I've been looking out the window all day long at every little detail and saying to myself, These are my real eyes seeing this. I'm so happy!

Love

I don't really know what I'm posting about right now but I've got some thoughts floating around in my head that have me thinking I need to get them out somewhere... so here I am...

1. We live in a world of mistakes... some deliberate but most of the time we mess up and then hate ourselves for not making better choices, and somehow we turn right back around and make the same mistakes over and over again. We ALL make mistakes.

2. The first commandment is to... "love God with all thy heart, and the second like unto it, love thy neighbor as thyself".

3. Elder Uchdorf said in April conference that the Savior "spoke of love...We can spend our days obsessing about the finest details of life, the law, and long lists of things to do; but should we neglect the great commandments, we are missing the point and we are clouds without water, drifting in the winds, and trees without fruit.

4. So what's the point?? We all make mistakes, and that means others make mistakes too. I know I'm quick to judge and slow to show mercy, but Elder Uchdorf goes on to say that "everyone is walking his or her own difficult path. As disciples of Jesus Christ, our Master, we are called to support and heal rather than condemn....It is unworthy of us as Christians to think that those who suffer deserve their suffering." We are commanded to "mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort."

5. I think it fitting (at least for me) that one of the quotes in this months visiting teaching lesson says "It is not possible to make real change all by ourselves. Our own willpower and our own good intentions are not enough. When we make mistakes or choose poorly, we must have the help of our Savior to get back on track. We partake of the sacrament week after week to show our faith in His power to change us." Repentance.

6. Charity, the pure love of Christ. To see others as Heavenly Father sees them, and might I add ourselves as well.

7. So we all make mistakes, sometimes our own mistakes may seem like a mountain to overcome, I know I feel that way, I set a goal to do better at something and turn around and mess up again. I looked up the word love in the index of the scriptures and it seemed to encompass the whole gospel. Elder Uchdorf finishes his talk by saying "As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us, Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit.

8. I believe that!!!

This is my dad's brother Joe. In my eyes, he is a great example of love, I'm sure in many others eyes as well.

how babies are delivered

Kate " mom I just had a baby"
mom "oh really how'd you do that?"
Kate "it was in my tummy"
mom "so then what happened"
Kate " it just popped out, and here she is, isn't she cute"

Lizard in bed

Last night Kate started to cry at 2:30ish and so I asked her what was wrong and she said

"It's moving"

"What's moving"

"It went down there (pointing to a crevice in beside her bed)"

"What went down there?"

"The lizard"

so she came in our bed while I went and turned on her light and checked it out for her, I don't really know what I was looking for but I checked anyway. So I told her I got rid of it so she went back to bed just fine..

Tonight I had to check for the lizard to reassure her that it was gone..

Funny what we dream about right?

Fun Panaca style

Kate swimming in the spring

Relaxing in the tent

My Nephew Randy, swimming in the spring... we were trying out our underwater camera...

Tommy in the spring

My cute husband

Sand dunes with cousins and Grandpa Free

Creating her own slide

Trying to stay warm

Tommy's first time camping, sleeping in the tent

Sand dunes with mom