Blessed Life

 We really lead a blessed life! We have the best little family anywhere and have so much to be grateful for. {above: my three munchies on the day of our first snow}

 The sweetest girl EVER!

 LOVE this guy!

 Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman...

 Dude. He rocks.

 Snow forts

 Isaac doing his happy feet dance.

 The ONLY picture I got of my kids at Halloween, Olivia was a witch, Michael, Darth Vader and Isaac a penguin (of course). A friend of mine took some cause my camera was spazing out, thankfully.

 MY Mr. Incredible.

 Basketball

 Dribbling away.

 Michael and Olivia's team practicing.

 Isaac self portrait.

Life is good:)

Rain

 Sometimes, when I rains it really pours!

But, life is all about PERSPECTIVE!

“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.”    

{John Lubbock}

There is good in every situation,

there is something to be learned in every circumstance,

it just isn't always easy to remember that when we are in the middle of something yucky.

It has been raining lately and I have just been thinking about how wonderful it is, how beautiful it is and how much I love the change in seasons and weather! Now if I could just remember this when it is raining in my life! This is where gratitude comes in for me:)

I have SO so much to be grateful for!

My sweet family. My children are just perfect! Yes, they make mistakes, they frustrate me, but they are just so amazing and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be their Mother!

My husband who is truly my best friend. I feel very blessed to be married to someone so wonderful, who gets me and still loves me, and is just downright amazing:)

Trials that stretch me and help me to become more like my Savior (aka pouring down rain).

Coming from such a great family. And the fact that they are all still my best friends.

SO MANY wonderful things



Lessons I learned from HGTV

  Last night, Olivia and I were watching HGTV (Home and Garden Television) basically the only channel worth watching! I learned a lot! We were watching a show that was a remodel of a five story townhouse in the middle of the city. Olivia said, wow, a five story house, that has to be the coolest thing I have ever seen!

Then a commercial came on with a dancing woman vacuuming. Olivia said wow, she is a rockstar. She is really a rockstar. She is really good.

Then Olivia asked me why the family was on TV from buying a house (I was watching the property Brothers). I explained that this channel was all about houses, buying selling. She then said, "THEN WHY AREN"T WE ON TV? WE BOUGHT A HOUSE?" Then she proceeded to tell me how cool that would be to be on tv with her family.

I am grateful for this sweet girl. For the opportunity and privilege it is to be her mother. She is such a light in my life and I love her thinking and questions. I know this stage won't last forever and I am grateful to be able to enjoy it. I am also grateful for fun times with my girl and ALL of the things that can be learned from HGTV!

Thursday thoughts...

"Everything has beauty,

but not everyone sees it."

~Confucious

Lately, I have been feeling weighed down by everything.

{like this poor guy!}

I am overwhelmed with all I have to do and be.

Trust me it's not a good feeling!

Sometimes, I am tempted to sit down and cry, I don't know why I think this will help!?!

-OR-, I think if I work really hard I can take of everything I need to and then be able to relax...I know I am funny!

But, this morning I realized that in addition to doing the things that bring me peace and strength (reading my scriptures and praying) that I need to practice MORE gratitude. I'm talking buckets and buckets. I need to say it, think it, write it to help my perspective!

I REALLY DO have so much to be grateful for!

*I am grateful for my health, although I still have things that I struggle with and wish were better, I am so grateful for a strong body!

*I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know he loves ME, I know that he KNOWS ME personally!

*I am grateful for my sweet Waylon. He is just absolutely the best. He is such a great father and husband. He also works so hard and this year he is constantly stretched to the max and always has a smile on his face and a great attitude.

*I am SO grateful to be a mother. It is so amazing to watch my children learn and grow and they are such sweet little people. They make me smile EVERYDAY.

*I am grateful for our house. It is fabulous to live in a house that is comfortable for our family, and it doesn't hurt that it is pretty:)

*I am grateful that I have the opportunity to teach BODY COMBAT, it stretches me over and over, but I have learned SO MUCH and am grateful to work with such an amazing team!

*I am grateful for sleep. There is nothing that makes me feel better than a good nights sleep!

*I am grateful that I had the opportunity to come to this earth and learn about my Heavenly Father's plan for me. This doesn't mean life is always easy, but it does mean that I know that I am guided by a loving Heavenly Father, that everything I go through is for my own good and will help me learn and grow.

*I am grateful to come from such a wonderful family: I have loving parents and eight siblings who rock pretty much more than anyone!

*I am grateful for beautiful sunrises. I have to admit I am not a fan of getting up when it is dark, but seeing a beautiful sunrise just takes my breath away!

 

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle.

The other is as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

This is gonna be a great month!

The BEST night of the week!

 Monday night time for some Family Home Evening (also know as FHE!). Our fabulous FHE chalkboard that I got at a gift exchange (I scored, thanks Wendy!) Plus my beautiful yellow daisies (my absolutely favorite flower) that Waylon bought me for our big 11 ANNIVERSARY!!

 We love spending time together, we start off singing songs, we let each person pick one out and we all sing together, most of the time I am probably very off tune, but we love to sing together:) Then we have a prayer and scripture. Last night Olivia taught (a wonderful) lesson on how to be like Jesus! With visuals and all. Then we have an activity, prayer and treat.

 Last night our activity was carving pumpkins, we do this every year the FHE before Halloween.

Waylon helped Isaac carve his pumpkin, a SCARY pumpkin.

 Michael worked hard on his pumpkin, a HAPPY pumpkin.

 The BOYS and their SCARY pumpkin (with their scary faces!)

 Isaac had the most fun with his little pumpkin, he LOVED digging out all of those little seeds.

 Michael being a tad silly with his pumpkin.

 Thankfully he gave me a picture with a smile! I love this boy:)

 Olivia and her SILLY pumpkin. Such a sweetheart.

And of course a SILLY picture. I love her sense of humor and that she LOVES to laugh!

A good night with the BEST family!

LOVING Life!

 Our new house and neighborhood are just SO fabulous! There are so many reasons....

I love that it is QUIET! A huge change from our previous neighborhood. Our house has two levels, what a difference this makes to our family. There are sidewalks everywhere.

I simply love walking:)  SO much to be grateful for!

 Today we rode our bikes to the park and it was such a lovely day!

 I love being outdoors and enjoying simple activities with my family.

So much now days is fast paced and noisy.

It is nice to be able to slow down and take life in!

Happy Saturday!

A very Merry Unbirthday to YOU!

 Michael Boy is turning 10.

Yes, you heard me right....10 years old.

So we enter the double digit parenting years.

I am sure it will be a blast! I mean look at those kids, they are sure the BEST!

Waylon is super busy with his internship and will be MIA on Michael's real birthday, so this week we celebrated his UN BIRTHDAY!

Michael wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese for dinner and a little playing. 

{I can't believe they all got that close to Chuck E Cheese at the same time to get a picture!}

 Love my silly boys!

 My sweet Boy!

 Look at that mouth (and my bangs, wow that is sure special!)

 GIRL Power

 My treasures, my gems, I LOVE being their Mother!

 MY sweetheart. I love HIM!

 Hilarious.... I was taking a picture of Isaac and mid picture he told me he had to go the bathroom. I am sure he will appreciate this picture in his teenage years!

 Michael concentrating on making a good shot!

 Olivia whacking it, yes, she got the athlete ability of whacking it from me,

I think it is just more fun that way!!

 Silly cake boy!

 Olivia love.

 Blowing out some candles

 Getting Crazy!

We LOVE our absolutely sweet birthday boy! We are so grateful he is in our family!

**In the fourth grade now

**Plays the Violin and Piano

**LOVES all sports, soccer is his favorite right now

**LOVES learning anything, reading, school and especially Math

**Is very thoughtful and kind to everyone around him

**LOVES playing games, his favorites right now are chess (with his dad), clue and pinochle

**LOVES riding his bike, cub scouts, playing in our "dirt" backyard and playing Lego's

He is such a joy in our lives!!

MICHAEL YOU ARE THE BEST:)

My Hero....

 Michael asked to take some pictures while we were Miniature golfing for his Birthday, only ONE person he took pictures of, his Daddy.

 Where his Dad hit the ball

 How he lined up to hit the ball

Nothing greater than DAD!!!