K Bear Turns 3

I swear this little guy has already been 3 forever! But, then again when he turned 2 I felt like he had already been 2 forever! No the less Mr. K Bear had his 3rd birthday last week. We had a VERY busy day planned for his actual birthday, so we had Grandma & Grandpa come over the day before for ice cream & cake. He got to open his presents from Mom & Dad....A MoBi-Go, and then he got a new game and a book from Grandma & Grandpa. He has been so excited to have his very own game system!

The next day we went out for lunch to Arctic Circle....his choice....the kids all had fun playing on the playground after they were done eating. I just love this kid and his cute facial expressions!!

After lunch we took the kids bowling. SO FUN!! They all really enjoyed it...they are actually good little bowlers...if you count they used bumpers and a ramp!

After bowling, our ward had a Chocolate Party...we teased K Bear that we had a BIG birthday party for him. He LOVED every second of it too! They kid was a MESS when it was done.

They just grow so fast! I comment to Ben sometimes that I don't even remember his being a baby, and that he is just this old soul in a little body! He certainly keeps me on my toes, and my life would just not be the same without him!

Happy Birthday Buddy! I love you!

Arise & Shine Forth

3 years ago I started singing with the Jenny Phillips Choir.

It has been one of the best things I have done.

I have always loved to sing, and after High School I

really never got the chance to sing in a choir besides the Ward choir.

For the last 2 years we have been doing a program entitled

"Remember the Journey."

It is a wonderful program.

We started doing another program this year that Jenny wrote,

"Arise and Shine Forth."

Jenny wrote it to go along with the youth theme for this year.

At the beginning of January, we had a rehersal for the new program.

It was amazing the spirit there as we were practicing.

A few days later, we all recicved an email from Jenny

stating that she was going to be cancelling the new program.

There were a lot of people that decided to drop out of the choir

because of all the new music we were learning and it was so

discouraging to Jenny.

There were MANY of us that wrote back and told her that we felt strongly that we were supposed to do this fireside.

After much thought and prayer, Jenny decided to continue the fireside.

Jenny told us that she has felt that the advisary is working so hard for this fireside not to work.

The message is so strong for the youth.

We have done 3 of these new firesides, and they are amazing!

I am so glad that I have the opportunity to be apart of something so wonderful.

If you have ever heard any of Jenny's music...I have to tell you, she truely lives what she sings.

Happenings....Part 2

Now to finish off all our new and exciting news.....

I can FINALLY post about it.

-----------

Ben was called to be the new Young Men's President in our ward.

We actually were asked about our callings on the same day,

but because of sickness, new baby, surgeries and such with the

bishopric and new councilors to Ben they were just put in on Sunday.

Ben will do amazing! He always does.

He is a little nervous about this calling because he has never worked with the youth before

and there is so much to do!

But he is such a good example for the Young Men if they turn out to even be half of what Ben is they will be amazing!

Update...

So after ANOTHER night of no sleep my mom convinced me to take Sister to be checked out.

After 2 hours.

45 Min of ear irrigation,

to which she cried THE. WHOLE. TIME.

and so hard she threw up TWICE,

We have the diagnosis of a

--------------------

DUAL EAR INFECTION!!

I figured as much!

I mean the girl has had like 8 in the last year or so.

The bummer thing is that it seems to ALWAYS happen about 1 week

before her well-baby check-up's!

SO we get to pay an extra office visit.

But it's WELL worth it if it will get her sleeping again.

We see her regular Dr. on Wednesday and I think I will be discussing tubes!

ARGGG!!!

Oh. My. Gosh!

Today has been one of those days when Motherhood is not all it's cracked up to be.

So rather than take it out on my children....and my Husband...who doesn't seem to understand....

I'll take it out here, and maybe I'll feel better when I'm done!

3 days of not eating.

2 days of NO naps.

2 night of NO sleep.

Equals

1 ornery baby

and

1 VERY ornery mama!

The picture above is what I have been dealing with for the last 3 days!

I don't think I can handle 1 more.

I am at my wits end.

She doesn't want me to hold her,

yet she doesn't want me to put her down.

She would rather just sit on my lap and bawl.

After a few days of this is is really waring on me.

Then lets throw in a attention deprived almost 3 year old

and a bored 5 year old, and you get my life for the last few days.

Don't get me wrong....I LOVE MY KIDS and I'm so thankful I have them!!

I'm just SO tired....physically and mentally.

So I'll just scream now...get it out...and move on!

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH"

Ok...that feels a little better!

On a brighter note.......

These are what showed up at my house yesterday!!

I'm am so excited!!

I know....how pathetic is it that I'm excited to do laundry!



Stake Conference

This last weekend we had the opportunity to attend our Semi-Annual Stake Conference.

It was an AMAZING weekend.

The talks we amazing,

the spirit was amazing,

and the commitment I made to be a better parent was amazing!

At the Adult Session on Saturday evening there were two talks given that especially hit home.

The first was on "The Worth of a Child."

Our newly called Stake Primary President spoke.

I was brought to tears as she reminded me

of what important worth my children are

and how my Heavenly Father and Savior see them.

The second talk was on parenting, especially the youth.

This is something I am TERRIFIED for.

I can do little kids, but when it comes to teenagers I'm scared to death.

The speaker talked about not letting Satan into our homes.

What a reminder it is to me to be conscious about the things I watch,

and the music that is played in my home and in my car.

During the Sunday session, the last speaker was the Stake President.

I LOVE to hear him speak!

His talk was so touching to me.

He said that he had written about 3 talks in preparation for this conference, yet as he stood there, non of them were what he felt prompted to speak about.

He addressed his children...3 young girls.

One of them is having a hard time with him being the Stake President and not being able to sit with them during church, and being away so much.

As he spoke to them and told them WHY he serves the Lord I was brought back nearly 15 years.

I was reminded WHY my father served the Lord.

From the time I was 8 years old my father has been in Bishoprics, on the High Council

or in Stake Presidency's.

There have been many MANY times my Father didn't sit with us during church,

many times he had to leave the house, take phone calls, go to late meetings,

and sometimes miss performances.

I felt the words of my stake president address me as if were my father speaking and reminding me of the convents made in the temple.

And now, as I have a husband that has and is serving in callings that requires him to be gone, and as I sat alone with the little ones as he sat on the stand, I am reminded that we do this all for the love of our Father in Heaven and Savior.

It was an amazing conference!!!

Happenings Part 1

A couple of posts ago I mentioned that we really didn't have things going....but we did and I couldn't talk about it yet.....

Something about that phrase made a lot of wonderings going on out there.

SO...

The answer to your questions....

1. No we are not pregnant...(that in itself is another post that I am not quite up to writing yet.)

and

2. No we are not moving....not to Bountiful and not to anywhere.

I can only talk about 1 of the things going on right now....

A couple of weeks ago Ben and I were called into the Bishop's office and I was extended the call to be a Sunbeam teacher.

NOW....

I can't say I was ecstatic about this calling, for 3 reasons.

1. I was really hoping that IF I was called to be a Primary teacher it would be to team teach with Ben....no such luck!

and

2. We JUST put sister into Nursery and I FINALLY, after over 3 years, am able to sit through a lessons without a kid crying or crawling all over me.

and

3. I feel like every calling I have had in this ward has been a calling of convenience. Like no one really prayed about where I should be, but rather what would work best for everyone else.

HOWEVER......

After a priesthood blessing, and after the blessing I received when I was set apart, I KNOW that this is to be my calling right now.

I already love those little spirits in that Sunbeam class and the opportunity to teach them

will help me be a better mother and in teaching my own children the gospel.

This has been an answer to my prayers for the past few years.

I have needed some answers as to HOW to teach my children to gain a Testimony and

 HOW to help them recognize and feel the Spirit.

The lessons I will be teaching will be so great to carry on into my FHE's  and there is no better way to gain and grow a Testimony than by learning and reviewing the gospel basics.

I have had a softening of heart towards this calling and I'm excited to be able to teach these little ones.

Happy Valentines Day 2012!!

Sure...I may be a little bit bias....BUT I have THE CUTEST kids!!! I love having a reason to take their pictures and I love to see how they grow each year!

I love having my sister so close...(Deborah...wish you were too), it's so fun to have her come over and get in on the fun! Her girls are just adorable!!

This is what you get when you try to take a group picture of a 3 year old, 2 year old and 18 month old. I think they actually turned out cute!!

And here's my crew...funny how some things never change!

I Hope They Call Me on A Mission

This last month I have a had some really neat experiences with the missionaries. Ben serves as the Ward Mission Leader in our ward and we have been so luckily the past couple of months to have sister missionaries in our area. I LOVE the sister missionaries. Last month I was able to take them to the temple and do a special session with them. I had a special experience there that made me feel the presence of my grandmother who passed away about 8 years ago.

Last night we had eaten dinner, played some games with the kids, had gotten them down and asleep and we were playing a game of Sequence when Ben got a phone call from the Missionaries. They were at the home of a new move-in in our ward and they are not members, but they had some questions for the missionaries. The only problem was that there were no females in the home so the missionaries couldn't go in. They were calling to see if there was any chance that Ben could get a sister to come over so that they could go in. I hurried and got dressed....I was in my P.J's and headed over there.

I am SO glad I was able to go. The brother that we met with is a refugee from Conga...I call him a brother because he already has such a strong testimony of our Savior and the miracles that have come into his life because our his faith. He was born Catholic, but has always felt that it was not the true church and didn't have the fullness. He is a father of 6 children and grandfather of 3 and the spirit in the home was strong. I was able to bear my Testimony to him of my Faith and how the Savior has help me in my life. I was so excited that he set up another appointment for next Sunday. I was a little bummed thought that I won't be able to go due to a fireside I am doing.

When I got home I told Ben that I can't wait until we are able to go on a Mission together. I didn't go on one earlier in life because I got married, but I am excited for the opportunity to do it with Ben one day.

Happy 54

This is a couple of days late.....but on Wednesday my dad turned 54. There was a time in my life when I wanted NOTHING to do with my parents....after all, they knew nothing and wouldn't let me do what I wanted. As time has gone on in my life I realize just how important my parents are and how much I need them....I did then....and I do now.

If you would have told me 15 years ago that I would turn out just like my dad I think I would have died!.......But it is the truth! I am so much more like him than I would have ever cared to admit at the tender age of 16.... I have gained his love for learning.....I am constantly wanting to learn how to do new things especially when it comes to photography and videography. I am stubborn....just like him.....I want to be a healthier person and have a strong body. Anyone who knows my dad knows this is important to him. I parent very similar to him. As much as it drove me crazy that he cared so much about me, I care so much about my kids and often times I think that I am to hard on them.....just like I though he was on me....yet I turned out to be a wonderful person....I think, and I hope that my children will regard me as I do my dad.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY dad! You are, and always will be one of the most amazing people to me and I love you so much.