So funny!

Eric and his Teachers Quorum made this Halloween Safety Video for our Ward Halloween Party. It turned out so cute, check it out!

Week #2- My Sweetheart

So, in keeping with my new found project of 52 weeks of Gratitude, (LOL) we are on to week #2. This week I am feeling very grateful for my sweet husband. When I was putting together some of our pictures, I was reminded about how much fun my cute husband is, and some of the crazy and weird things that we have done together. In fact I think that is one of the main reasons that I married him. He has always been very spontaneous, and ALWAYS has something new and fun for us to try. He is kind and very thoughtful, and has made these past 13 years such a great adventure. He is an amazing father and I feel so blessed to be married to a man who adores his family as much as he does. He is able to find the good in EVERYONE he meets and has always been able to find the bright side of every situation. Just like everyone else, we have had a few struggles over the years and our family has changed a bit, but going through life with my bestest buddy has been a gift, and I could not have had a greater partner, friend, and sweetheart. So even though our hair, weight, and circumstances have changed over the years, I love him as much if not more than I did when this adventure first began over 13 years ago.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

It's Time to Par-Tay!

Last night was our annual Ward Halloween Party! Our activities commitee did a fantastic job! It was amazing how many people were willing to jump in and help them out! Everyone looked awesome! I was able to get a few pictures of some of my most favorite people, so check it out, they all were so cute!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

On a beautiful Autumn afternoon!

Today was one of those amazingly perfect Autumn days. The weather was so crisp, there were a ton of leaves on the ground and the sky was so beautiful and so clear. It was one of those days were you just want to stay outside all day! I was just itching for my little ladies to get home from school so that we could go out and play. So as soon as they got off the bus, we grabbed a few of our buddies and spent the afternoon at the park. They had so much fun, and we stayed outside until we couldn't take the cold anymore. Check out some of their cute little faces!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Just because :)

I just love this picture! When we were having scripture time the other night Emee just could not get enough of her Dad. Her loving has always been a little on the painful side, LOL! But one of the things that I have always loved about her is that she loves with her whole little soul. So I am adding this picture because it reminds me of how much my little ladies love their Dad.

An Attitude of Gratitude, Week #1

Several months ago I heard a talk during Stake Conference, unfortunately I cannot remember who the speaker was, but he said that everything that our children know about the gospel comes from us as parents. Not from their primary teachers and friends, but from us. I am not sure if it is because my health has been so poor lately, or because it seems like my children are growing up so quickly, but I have felt such a huge sense of urgency to make sure that my children understand what it is that we as a family stand for. What a testimony is, and how important it is to KNOW what it is that they believe in, and where true happiness comes from. I think so often that we hear so much of what is wrong in this world that we forget that we are also living in a time where great and miraculous things continue to happen every day and how truly blessed we as a people are. In an effort to teach by example, (something that I am not very good at) we have been really working as a family on having an Attitude of Gratitude. I don't know if I feel that we always express how grateful we are for our many blessings as often as we should. So, I have decided that every week for the next 52 weeks, I am going to focus on one thing that I am grateful for. This week for week #1, I would like to express how grateful I am for the blessings of the temple. I am grateful for the assurances that I have the opportunity to be united with my family for eternity, and the knowledge that one day I will hold my sweet son Caleb and sweet daughter Aubrey in my arms once again. I am honored to be sealed with my sweetheart and bestest friend, and to have the feelings and blessing of peace that comes with the knowledge that I can be with those that I hold most dear forever. I am grateful to live so close to the Boise temple, and for how easy it is for me to attend regularly. So in closing, today I am feeling very blessed for the joy and peace that has touched my life because of the blessings of the Temple. The above picture is a picture of the Oakland, CA temple, where Eric and I were married. Isn't it beautiful!

P.S. If anyone would like to join me in my little project, I would love to hear some of the things that you are grateful for as well!

Autumn Sunsets & a Harvest Moon

I think that I mentioned in my previous post that when we went to the Pumpkin Patch with all of our buddies on Monday night, my girls were having so much fun, that they forgot to pick out their pumpkins. By the time they realized it, is was already so dark. So last night, we went back to "Linder Farms" and took our little buddy Anna with us. It was so much fun, and we had a little more time to just take our time, and let the ladies play. The sunset was amazing, and the moon was so brilliant. I loved it! It was so beautiful and yet so eerie. Check out some of the cute pictures.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Linder Farm Pumpkin Patch

For Family Home Evening tonight we got together with several other families and all went to "The Linder Farm Pumpkin Patch". It was so much fun! The weather was great, and the sunset was amazing! It has been a tradition in our family to go every Fall, and this year was so much fun!!!! We loved spending the time with all of our good buddies, and all the kids and their parents had a blast! The hayride was great, (and is one of my most favorite parts when we go to a Pumpkin Patch... there is something so nostalgic about riding on a flat bed truck full of hay and attached to a tractor, I just love it!!!!LOL!) and they had a pretty cool petting zoo this year, which my little ladies just loved! In fact my girls had so much fun doing all the other stuff, that they never ended up getting themselves pumpkins! It got dark pretty quick sooooo....YAHOO we are going back again tomorrow! So check out some of these cute pictures, the lighting was a little harsh for taking pictures, but they turned out pretty cute anyway!!

Make a Smilebox photobook

BMX Trail

Lately Eric has been taking the girls to the BMX track. For some reason I always end up being gone when he does, so for Family Home Evening this week, we all went together to the track. The girls are really very good, and were so fast! They had so much fun, and of course Eric was in heaven. He is so excited that the girls love bikes almost as much as he does! Emee has informed me that she wants to start racing, aghhhhh!

Which Twilight Heroine Are You!

O.K. I am still loving Twilight, (even more so after reading the last book) and we are finally getting closer to the movie release, LOL!!!!!! Try out the test and tell me which one you are!


Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

You are thoughtful and care very deeply for your family. A loving home is of great
importance to you and you always try to make people feel welcome. Although you have a great capacity to love, you also have a great capacity to hurt, so at times you can be sensitive. You're firm when you need to be, but people trust your judgment and appreciate the kind way you always handle things.

Apple Picking Splendor!

Fall is by far my most favorite time of the year! Everything about Fall reminds me of my little family! I love the changing of the leaves,the cooler weather, the yummy smells, the colors, beautiful afghans and sweaters, warm fires, and all the yummy warm meals that remind me of home. At the beginning of September I always get so excited! We started off the month taking the kids and some of their friends apple picking. They absolutely loved it and did an incredible job! The orchard was on Chicken Dinner Road, (only in Idaho)and was so beautiful. Check out how cute these little ones are.

Make a Smilebox photobook

MEET TYLER
Tyler was a little boy that we meet at the Apple Orchard today. He lives there with his Grandparents, and was one of the most charming and perfect little gentlemen that I have ever meet. His grandma told us that he has several health struggles, but aside from his many struggles, he is always happy and so willing to help. He was so sweet and such a great guide! I just feel in love with him. So much so that I wanted to keep him! LOL!!!!

Funnest Time with our Cousins!

This week Eric's sister Elyn and her little family came to stay with us. It was so much fun playing with her little sweeties and spending time with them. Check out how cute these little cousins are!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Shout Out To Kam and ALL that is good

I know that I have spoken about my good friend Kam Taylor before, but I was just looking on her site today and saw that she has added several new "Little Heroes" to her website. I was so touched by these sweet pictures and these sweet families who endure such difficult hardships but still manage to smile and show gratitude for these sweet little spirits that they have been blessed with. With the reminders of the tragedy of 911 and the many struggles that exist in our world today, I am truly grateful for small things that remind us that there are so many good people doing good and kind acts of service for others, and that so much good does indeed exist in our world today. So thank you my friend, for your example and your selfless acts of service. If you would like to check her out go to http://www.photographybykam.com, then click on her PORTRAITS link,then her GALLERIES link, and then her LITTLE HEROES link. You won't regret it, it is so tender.

Our Cruise!

Well hello my friends!! We have missed you all! We just got back from a week and a half long vacation, and already I am really missing the ocean! I loved every minute of the cruise, and especially loved seeing the new places and just hanging out with my little family and all of our other awesome relatives! We started the vacation off by driving to Sacramento to pick up my sister and her cute family. We miss them already, and it is crazy how much they have grown! Misty and I get together every couple of months, but it always amazes me how quick they are growing.Check out how sweet her kids are!






On Saturday we drove down to Southern California and stayed with my sisters' in laws, who were gracious enough to let us stay the night before we checked in for the cruise the next day. They also watched my sisters' boys so that they could bring Taylor and go on the cruise with us. (Thanks Kim and John for the amazing dinner! It was so much fun chatting with you and seeing your beautiful home and family! We have missed you guys, and loved spending the evening with you. Kim did you finish the book yet? AWWWWWWWW, I have been dying to talk to you about it! I LOVED IT~)

DAY 1

On Monday we checked in. The boat was awesome, and bigger than I expected. We went on the Royal Caribbean ship and LOVED IT, the people there were so much fun.There was music everywhere you went, and our little ladies were constantly dancing. So much so, that throughout the cruise people started calling them the "dancing girls". Everyone would always clap, and the girls were totally and completely convinced that they were famous! The girls were so excited we could hardly contain them. Here are a few cute pictures from our first day!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

DAY 2

On the second day of the cruise we docked in San Diego. Since we go there every year, usually around the same time that we do our yearly Disneyland trip, we decided to stay on the boat and check out some of the fun things. The boat had this HUGE climbing wall, and my girls were so excited to climb it. Eric taught the girls how to repel when they were just tiny, but this was the first time that they went as high as they did. Eric of course did it with them and was so fast, but the real shocker, was that my sister did it as well. I know, I was shocked, but she was awesome, and I was so proud of her. She made it to the top and did such a great job! Way to go sis. Check them out!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

DAY 3

The third day was probably my most favorite. We went to Catalina Island. The weather was so awesome, and there was so much to do. The girls swam in the ocean, found fish, climbed up to a cave, and we rented a golf cart and drove to the top of the island. I loved it, and the girls agree that it was their favorite day as well. The only bummer part was that my wedding ring was stolen. I took it off to put sunblock on my girls, and left it in a public bathroom. I didn't remember it until about an hour later, and when we went back, it was gone. But the day was wonderful anyway, and Hannah is completely convinced that she will be moving there one day! LOL!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

After the girls had been shopping for a while, Eric and Marc were totally bored! So they grabbed our cameras and took off. Apparently they were playing a game where they had to try to get as close as they could to a stranger and take a picture with them without them knowing it. Some of the pictures were pretty good. The funny part is that Eric hates taking the time to take pictures, he would rather be doing something else fun, but I guess anything was better than shopping! LOL





DAY 4

On our last day of the cruise we went to Ensenada, Mexico. What a beautiful and humbling experience. It has the most beautiful ocean views, and such beautiful people. But it also has such extreme poverty. We had an adorable guide who told us a lot about her country and the people that lived there. This experience was very humbling for Hannah. We have taken them to homeless shelters before, but I don't think that she was quite prepared for the level of poverty that she saw. She came home with a renewed passion for wanting to somehow make a difference in this world.



This was also our last night on the ship. The grownups saw a fun singing and dancing show while the girls were preparing with the other children for a small pirate play. It was so cute, and they looked awesome. Tay Tay was a pirate princess and my girls were good 'ol tough looking pirates.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Meet Elaine

We meet the most beautiful and sweet lady on our cruise. Her name is Elaine and she has one of the most sparkly personalities of anyone that I have ever met. She was so lovely. My girls just feel in love with her instantly, and we loved having the chance to get to know her. She is one of those people that after you talk with them, even for a few moments, you leave feeling like a bettter person. So thank you Elaine, you were such a joy and blessing to our family!


DAY 5

Time to say good bye. I loved every minute of the cruise and loved spending the time with the ones I love. I would have loved for it to be a little longer, and want to go on another one some day! On Friday after we docked in LA, we said goodbye to Misty and Marc and we drove straight to Carson City, Nevada to spend a couple of days with Eric's family. We spent the day on Saturday at Lake Tahoe and got to see some of the sweet new additions to our family. Check out how cute these kids are!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

So I guess that is about it. We sure miss you guys, and can't wait to see you all again soon! Love ya!