Oakley

This is an article about my nephew. He was born with spina-bifida. I remember seeing him in the hospital when he was born and spending lots of nights at his house afterwards. Oh how I loved that baby! It was so fun to be an Aunt! Well my mom and his Grandpa got divorced and I would start to see him less and less. Then I moved and it was even less. Then I got married and it got even less. I still think about him often though and I was so grateful when I got an e-mail from his mom tonight sharing this article with me.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705347301/Thankful-fan-Highland-football-players-befriend-special-needs-boy.html

Thanksgiving BEFORE & AFTER

BeforeAfter

Before

After

Disneyland (and California Adventures)

We had so much fun!!!

Guess what we did today...

Oh how I love this time of year!

Happy Birthday Reese

She is so smart.

She loves to do all kinds of artwork.

She is an excellent gymnast.

She went on Tower of Terror twice and loved it.

She is so excited to be 6.

I did my first triathlon...

Ok not really but I sure felt like one of em!

My sister-in-law Marlee asked me if I would be on a team with her and her brother and do the run part of the triathlon. We got 3rd place!

Happy #2 Mason Man!

Happy Birthday to my sweet boy Mason who makes our family feel complete!

Grandma Milner said it best in her card she sent to Mason so I will just quote her...

"You have done more in your short two years than most little boys. You have made us catch our breathe, say a silent prayer and of course SMILE so many times. And of course we love every minute of it."

And in true Mason fashion we ended the first day of his 2 year old year of life with a bump on the noggin.

Halloween 09

This Halloween was my favorite to date, we had so many activities and so many costumes we didn't know what to do with ourselves and that made it all the more fun. Plus to add to it all three of my kids understood the concept of it and we were able to enjoy watching all the fun they had because of it.

First we started out by having a Halloween Party with Mallory's Pre-School class. Costume #1 for Mallory was Tinkerbell because her cousin Tyler was Peter Pan and Aunt Stephanie had bought her a Tinkerbell dress up for her birthday back in February that worked perfect. Well Tyler ended up getting sick before the party even started so Mallory decided for Costume #2 she was going to match Morgan who just happened to have the same dress as Mallory (one that I had gotten last year after Halloween on clearance and saved in my closet until now). Mason's first costume (which was supposed to be his only costume) was a Lion so we took a picture with Belle and called it... Beauty and the Beast

Well the Lion didn't last long and he turned back into his normal self which I think is quite adorable in itself so here we have... Cinderella and Prince Charming
Next was Reeslyn's school Halloween Party (which I didn't get any pictures of) but I went to help out with it and it was so much fun to see Reeslyn in her school element and meet all of her classmates! They were all so adorable and I loved every minute of it.

Costume #1 for Reeslyn (which again I don't have a picture of) was her costume from last year because we ordered her costume for this year online and it didn't make it here until Friday afternoon so we had to scramble at the last minute so she wasn't the only one at school without a costume. She was so sweet about it though. I had told her that we could go to the store and buy a new costume because I felt so bad and she said "it's ok Mom I'll just wear mine from last year".

Costume #2 was a Candy Corn Witch that she was sooooo excited about when it finally did arrive.

Costume #3 for Mallory was a "Wedding Girl" which again I got last year after Halloween on clearance for dirt cheap!

We went to Trunk or Treat for our church on Friday night which was so much fun! The kids got sooooo much candy!

Grandpa Russ came with us to Trunk or Treat which was so fun for the kids and a huge help to me because Russ had to work so Grandpa handed out candy at the trunk while I was able to take the kids around to Trunk or Treat. They also had fun activities for the kids and this is Mallory decorating a cookie, she had so much fun and got very into it.

Mason decorated a bag while we waited for Mallory to finish her cookie Saturday which was really Halloween we drove to Sierra Vista because cousin Madison was going to be blessed on Sunday and we wanted to be there for it. We got to go to Spencer and Marlee's Trunk or Treat which was massive!!! We already had lots of candy from the night before and we got a ton more.

My favorite memories of this Halloween...

-Mason totally got it, he said Trick or Treat to every single person and was so cute to watch run all over the place with complete joy from all the candy he was scoring.

-Mallory and Reeslyn asked Grandpa Russ to stay and watch a Halloween movie after Trunk or Treating and they all cuddled on the couch together.

-Reeslyn got to have some much wanted independence because she had her best buddy Caitlyn to trick or treat with. She is always so timid and scared of getting lost that she never gets more than a foot away from me but with Caitlyn around her confidence level boosts and they were running up ahead of us getting a ton of candy because of it.

-Mallory making sure that everybody knew that she was really just Mallory, it's only a costume you know.

When Grandma & Grandpa come to visit...

The kids get lots of attention

Grandma does lots of housework

Grandpa "adjusts" things that are broken

And we all get a lot of love!!!

Are you judging me?

I have had 2 people judge me this week for watching the show "Desperate Housewives". So while I was watching it tonight I thought the topic of the show was so profound. It was about judging others. Who would of thought that a trashy show that I get judged for watching could teach us all something. Why is it that we are all so fascinated with making other people look bad so we mock what they do. Believe me I am not perfect in this area, I have done my fair share of judging but it is definitely an area that I am always trying to be conscious of and trying to improve in myself. Why do we care so much how other people do it or why other people do the things they do? I tell my daughter all the time, "just worry about yourself!" So why can't we just worry about ourselves and make sure that we are doing the best that we can do and not judge others for what they are doing? Another show that I watch (that I don't get judged for) is 18 kids and Counting. I love the Duggars! I wish that my family could be more like them. They are always so loving towards each other and I feel like they genuinely want the best for each other. Why is it so hard for us to want the best for others? Is it because if somebody else succeeds then it means we didn't? If somebody else did it different than you would have done it does that mean it's wrong? I had the opportunity to teach a combined YM/YW class a while ago and I shared with those kids a little peak into my past and the way I was raised and I think they were enlightened as to why I am the way I am (i.e. very independent and a little feisty at times) because they knew more about me. I did this in the hope that they would understand that if you know more about someone you are less likely to judge them. So the question I try to ask myself before I judge someone (because I'm not perfect and I still judge others on occasion) is...

If you knew that person the way the Lord knows that person, would you still judge them?

Mini-Vaca

The kids have been begging us to take them to the cabin so we decided to go up for one night on a mini little vacation. When we got there everything was covered with pine needles so we decided to do a little work and it turned out to be so much fun!
The rain gutters were full of them too so Russ got on the roof and cleaned them out and of course Mason saw a ladder... Reeslyn decided to help out the neighbors as well and sweep their driveway for them
Mallory was the hardest worker of all, she kept going and going never taking a break!
Of course what made it so fun is the contest we had to see who could make the biggest pile

The next day we went to the park Mallory had so much fun collecting leaves

Mason loved the slides

And I had a crazy idea and sent Russ back to the cabin to get the rakes

Ready, set, GO!!!

Reeslyn had the most fun in the leaves she kept playing and playing and playing in them!

We had soooooooo much fun!!!

Daddy's visit to kindergarten

Reeslyn's teacher sent home a note asking if Russ would come to their class and talk about the importance of not spreading germs with flu season coming up so Russ called his sister Amy who works in the ER with him and they headed over. They did the cutest little skit (of course Reeslyn got to be one of the doctors)
Amy brought silly string and when the "patient" said she had been sneezing Amy sprayed it all over the kids. It was so fun!

Hopefully they all learned the importance of keeping your germs to yourself!

Binoclulars & Birds

Mason really loves these binoculars! They aren't even ours, they belong to the cousins next door but Mason has claimed them as his own and he takes them everywhere! The other day there was an injured bird by our front door so the kids made a nest for it out of pine needles and fed it some bird seed. And Mason kept watch over it to make sure it was doing all right.

Let's take some inspiration shall we...

I love to learn, I love to be inspired! I am constantly trying to better myself. I mean who isn't right? That IS one of the reasons we are on this earth, to gain knowledge and better ourselves through it. I am constantly trying to be better and learn from my mistakes. I am constantly trying to watch the way other people do it and learn from them. I love blogging because I have learned so much from so many of you! I read blogs and become inspired to be a better mom, wife, friend, sister etc. I get inspired to be crafty too but that usually doesn't go very far :) I was inspired by one certain blogger this week who is not of our faith but she sure gives us a lot of credit for inspiring her. Go here to read it and be inspired like I was

http://mormonmommyblogs.blogspot.com/2009/10/no-1-major-way-blogging-has-changed-me.html

Quote of the Day

Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these little ones. Now, love them, take care of them... welcome them into your homes and nurture and love them with all of your hearts.

-Gordon B. Hinckley

Diggin It

The net on our trampoline ripped so Russ decided he was going to dig it into the ground and he was lucky to have a very good friend Evan come and help him. Evan has helped us with a lot of projects around our house lately and we are so grateful for his help!

Evan also called the missionaries to come help (smart man), and they showed up with friends!

But of course Mason was the biggest help of all ;)

I think the kids were more excited about the dirt pile than the trampoline! Thank goodness for my sanity though the dirt all got hauled away today. I had some pretty dirty kids at the end of the day!

Thanks again Evan for all your hard work!!!

I just love...

General Conference
being able to run
the weather right now
my new silver denim capris
cousins!
family!!!

Favorite Scripture...

Alma 56:47-48 - yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

The Look out

If anything looks suspicious in the neighborhood Mason will see it and sound the alarms!

Reeslyn's Backwalkover