I'll do it.......some day!

Ugh! going private is proving to be more time consuming and extensive than I had hoped but I am still planning on doing it in the very near future! I just wanted to remind anyone who wants an invite that I do need your email address in order to invite you. Thanks to all who read and follow along with our life. I love checking  all of your blogs!

Why I blog.

When I first decided to start a blog I was REALLY hesitant to do it because I had talked to a number of people who were very anti-blogging. The basis was that it was considered self-indulgent and a complete waste of time. I never really agreed with that, and since I  have always enjoyed reading about my friends and families life in a way that I would never have seen otherwise, I decided to start journaling small parts of my life through this blog. Besides, I figure you don't HAVE to read it :)

 

I was reading the obituaries today, as I always do, and I was drawn to the Obit about a young mother just a few years younger than me who passed away after a 3 year battle with cancer. I was curious about the type of cancer that she had so I googled her name and found a blog that she and her husband had been keeping chronicling her battle though her illness and finally up to her death. It goes back several months and you kind of take this journey with them through it.

It was a very inspiring blog and I felt the strength of this family and the love and faith in The Savior that they have. I feel so grateful for what I have today because I know that it can all be taken away, if The Lord deems it necessary, at any moment.

I never take for granted that my posts are about the light and simple in my life. I am not good at journaling at all! but I do take tons of pics and video of my family, and I blog (not very well). I hope and pray that all of my "posts" can be about the simple and pleasant but I know that the day may come where I may be sharing a painful journey through my blog or posting an obituary of a loved one. But until that day, if it ever comes, I will continue to be grateful for( and blog about) the joys in my life and maybe just a few of the bumps in the road. 

 

Going private!

I have to protect my babies from all the sicko's out there! Let me know if you would like an invite! 

Happy 10th Maddy Rose!

It really doesn't feel like ten years have gone by, but then I can't remember life before our Maddy was born at the same time. She came nearly a month early and I think it was so that she could make sure that she was on t.v.! Local Channel 2 news was doing an early mothers day segment  and I happened to be the only mother in labor that morning so they stayed with us until she was born and all of Utah got to see Madeleine's first moments into the world! She's SUCH a showoff!

We love her so much and I want to share our top 10 favorite things about our Mads...

1-  She is OCD about caring for her younger siblings, a true helper to us for sure

2- She is very kind and nice to everyone. Some girls at school, who pride themselves on being "mean", asked her yesterday why she is so nice to everyone and she just said because being mean to people would be lame! I love it! She values friendships deeply, especially her friends from when she was 2 and 3 years old and only gets to see occasionally. Once a BFF always a BFF

3- She is very alert and always knows what is going on around her, even from her infancy. Nothing gets past her! 

4- She is always teaching Alex how to be a better person. She teaches him and reminds him to pray, and to be kind to everyone, even girls! She shares her testimony with him. It really is amazing!

5- She prays always! At home, at school, in the car....She truly feels a closeness to our savior and knows that when she prays he is always close-by! I am always in awe of her faith

6- She LOVES being a "tween"! (Although I think she has been one since she was 4!)

7- She loves her grandparents and thinks that they are amazing. She loves each and every one of her 23 (and counting) cousins. They are her favorite people and she loves learning from each of them! 

8- She is honest. I never worry about her lying to me and I never have. It isn't in her to know how to tell me an out right lie. Even the few times that she tried to she caved within seconds and came clean because she couldn't stand it.

9- She fights with her siblings and mouths back to her parents on occasion, and she has been known to stomp through the house and slam doors when she is really angry . Ok, I don't love this but what else could I expect? She IS human after all!

10- She is a social butterfly! Ask her teacher--that is ALWAYS the "area that needs improving" at parent/teacher conference. :)

 

We took her out for her B-day last night to celebrate and she picked Olive Garden for dinner and then a movie after. The movie had a couple of popular Disney actors in it and we thought it would be fun. When we got there we noticed that it was rated PG 13. But Josh and I, against our better judgement, decided it couldn't be that bad with these "clean" actors in it. The movie started and right away we didn't feel like it was appropriate for Maddy and Alex but it was her B-day and we thought maybe some of the material would go over her head so we wouldn't leave just yet. So josh and I are fidgeting and discussing what to do when Maddy says "Mom, I think we should leave." Without hesitation she pokes me to get up and we all leave. When we left Maddy said that she didn't feel right from the moment it started. And as it went on she felt worse and worse. I feel horrible for taking them in anyway! She told me that she started singing primary songs in her head and saying a prayer before she told me that we had to leave. I am sooooo proud of her (and ashamed at myself) for her willingness to listen to the spririt and to  leave a bad situation when she felt prompted. Once again, I have learned a valuable lesson from my sweet Maddy. I hope she never loses her desire to listen to and submit to the promptings of the spirit.  

     

Wicked!

This was me and Maddy's second time, the first was last year in L.A. on a girls trip with my in-laws,  and Alex's first time to see this incredible production. We are both pretty rabid fans and I can say that we were not disappointed! Jenny found these cute green boas (come on, we had to represent!) and we stood out like sore thumbs! But I didn't mind cause I believed the occasion called for it, and it was all the more fun for Maddy and Gracie -- Tasia was waaaay too cool to go along however :) j/k Tas!  Alex said it was good but not enough to see again (such a boy! but I know he liked it) and poor Sadie cried and cried as we drove away but she is just a bit too young to sit through a show like that (she has been singing "Popular" since she was 2). I vow to get Josh to it one day, I know he'd love it! 

Walk now for Autism!

We had the pleasure of walking on team "I like Ike" for the second year in a row this past Saturday to benefit Autism awareness. Isaac is our nephew who was diagnosed with autism when he was a young toddler, he is now 8 years old. He is such a  loving, adorable little guy with so many gifts and talents to share!

I just have to tell you all how truly amazing his parents are! Especially his sweet mom (Sorry B!). She throws her whole heart and soul into caring for her precious Ikey (as well as her other two darling kiddies). It isn't always easy, maybe it's never easy, but she always manages to find the beauty and humor (she can be hilarious!) in this frustrating disorder. I know that they both say that they are lucky to have Isaac, and there is no doubt that they love him deeply, but anyone who knows these two know that Isaac and his two siblings are truly blessed as well for having such FANTASTIC parents! They are such an inspiration to me.  

Anyway, the walk was incredible! Jenny did such a great job putting team "I like Ike" together and doing sooo much for the walk itself.  The day started out rainy but as the actual "walk" got started, the rain let up and we were able to stay dry, a little chilly however but it was worth it! 

My kids truly love being a part of this and they sure love their cousin Isaac. I am so grateful for the lessons he teaches us all. I can say that we don't just "like" Ike, but we LOVE that kiddo to death!!!