When?

When did this little girl with peanut butter all over her face grow up? On Sunday Aliah asked if she could bear her testimony. It was her first time, and she went up with no help at all, hopped on the stool and said, "I'm thankful for God. And thankful for Jesus. And thankful that Jesus helps me pray. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." It's the most beautiful testimony I've ever heard. Of course I was crying. She took maybe 10 seconds but I went from dry eyed to nearly bawling. I've never been so proud of her. Way to go my little Aliah! I love you so much. You are a perfect example of what I someday hope to be.

My Boys

Just had to post this ADORABLE picture my SIL Michelle just sent me. I love these two SO much. Aren't they just the handsomest guys you've ever seen?! I sure think so!

The List!

The list is ready!

30 Before Thirty

1. Read the book of Mormon

2. Go to the Temple every month

3. Write 30 journal entries

4. Watch the sun rise

5. Get my 3 months of food storage

6. Pay off my credit card

7. Plant a Garden

8. Visit all the Temples in Utah

9. Sing a solo

10. Graduate from college

11.Make a quilt

12. Read

13. Take a class

14. Learn to use Photoshop

15. Hike to the top of Mt. Timpanogos

16. Loose weight

17. Run a 10K

18. Have a date night every month

19. Scrapbook

20. Cook Dinner

21. Teach Aliah to read

22. Blog every two weeks

23. Take a ballroom dance class with Spencer

24. Keep the house clean

25. Organize pictures

26. Decorate the house

27. Give handmade gifts

28. Organize my bookmarks

29. Finish my unfinished crafts

30. Float the Provo River

If you want more details (and a few insights into my soul) you can keep reading, but if you are just so inspired and off to make your own list, don't worry the rest are all repeats.

1. Read the Book of Mormon – I’m not sure I've ever actually done this. Maybe once for Seminary. What a wonderful thing to do to strengthen my testimony.

2. Go to the Temple Every Month - Ditto

3. Write 30 Journal Entries – I love to write in a journal. It’s really therapeutic for me. And what a wonderful thing to leave for my kids to read someday. My mom only kept a journal for one week of her whole life, but she left an incredibly powerful testimony in it that none of us have ever forgotten. I hope to leave something like that for my kids too. Kids, the church is true. Don’t forget it! And don’t forget that Mom and Dad knew it!

4. Watch the Sun Rise – I want to get up early enough to see it. That will be a mental determination that I need a lot of practice on. And I want to look at God’s beautiful creation and remember that I’m just a tiny part of it.

5. Get my 3 Months of Food Storage – We really need to be prepared. I know something horrible is going to happen and we will NEED our food storage. We've just got to buckle down and do it. Putting it here will make that happen. I might procrastinate this list, but you better believe I’ll try so hard to get all of these things done!

6. Pay off my Credit Card – The prophets teach that not being in debt means you aren't in bondage to anyone. Got to get out!

7. Plant a Garden – The prophet said to plant a garden. ‘Nough said.

8. Visit All Temples in Utah – This is part of something on my life list. My life list says visit every temple in the world. There are over a hundred so it probably won’t ever happen, but it’s worth a shot! There are 13 temples in Utah right now. (Two more were announced last General Conference but they aren't built yet.) I have another goal to visit the temple every month, so why not visit a different temple every month and check off two things!

9. Sing a Solo – This is just so I know I can do it. So I can conquer my fear, and be the person I once was. Not shy and scared, but friendly and talented. I need this goal more than any other I think. Just thinking about putting it on this list and knowing I’ll work so hard to accomplish all of these things this year is making me anxious. That’s how scared I am. I MUST conquer. I’ll probably be horrible at first, but being able to perform takes practice.

10. Graduate from college. Just 1 credit left. Literally 1. No reason I can’t finish. I need to say I graduated from college. Plus once I graduate I never have to think about it again! If I just bite the bullet and finish I’ll never again have to have that stress in my life, and I’ll always be able to tell my kids, “You can do hard things! I went to college and had three babies at the same time. If I can do it, you can do it.”

11. Make a Quilt – I want to learn to sew SO bad. More than anything else right now I want to learn to sew. A quilt is the perfect way to start because it’s just straight lines. Sure none of the corners will line up, but that will just add to the charm… I hope!

12. Read 12 Books – I’m not a reader. I use to be, and then some time in my old age I decided I didn't like it any more. I need to read. It's important to read, not just so I can have intelligent conversations, but also so my kids see it and see that I think it’s fun. Then they’ll want to be readers too.

13. Take a Class – No idea what, or when, but I think it’s important to always be improving yourself. I hope I’m always “taking a class.”

14. Learn to use Photoshop – I just think this would be awesome. I’m not gonna do anything fancy, just use it to edit my photos for my scrapbooking. But I’m gonna love it I’m sure. (Hmm... maybe this can go with #13.)

15. Hike to the Top of Timpanogos – Can’t live my whole life in Utah and never get to the top! I’ve gone to Emerald Lake, and that’s almost worse than not trying at all. Giving up is way worse. I need to cancel out my lame attempt by signing my name at the summit.

16. Lose 20 Pounds – Or some other amount that will get me back into my clothes. Plus I need to learn to exercise every day. I’m sure it’s a habit I'll need for the rest of my life. Better start now before I’m too old to care.

17. Run in the 10K at the Freedom Festival – See above!

18. Have a Date Night Every Month – Spence and I SO need this. When we get a chance to be alone we really come together. We talk so openly and recommit to working hard to always be happy together. I would love to say go out weekly, but for the sake of accomplishing all the goals on this list, I said every month. It’s more realistic for us. As our kids get older hopefully our date nights will increase.

19. Scrapbook 30 Pages – This is solely because I love to scrapbook and want a good excuse to shirk my family duties.

20. Cook a Full Dinner Once a Week – I’ve got to learn to cook. My poor family. My kids are so small now that it doesn't matter, but soon enough they will be big and actually NEED me to cook. I guess I need to learn and form the habit now. I know it will make me feel a lot better about myself. And I know it will strengthen my marriage because it means a lot to Spencer when I cook and clean.

21. Teach Aliah to Read – I don’t like teaching. End of story. So I know I’m going to struggle with helping her learn. I want this to be a goal so that I don’t give up. If she doesn't actually learn, that’s okay, she’s only 4/5 this year, but I need to try. I need to be a good mom and try.

22. Blog Every Two Weeks – My blog is more like a list of things my family does, so it’s like a journal for the day to day stuff that I rarely write about.

23. Take a Dance Class with Spencer – Spencer loves to dance. And he’s really good at it. I hate to dance, I think it’s embarrassing, but I need to do it for him. It would make him so happy. And you know I want him to be happy. (A satisfied man has no reason to stray!) (Not that he ever would, but I’m just sayin’.)

24. Clean Each Room in the House Once a Week – Again, this is for the fam. They need this. And frankly I need this. I’m such a better mom when the house is clean! I feel better about myself, and the lifted spirits bring encouragement to be better in every way.

25. Organize ALL Pictures – So needs to be done!

26. Decorate the House – Aside from the arguments Spence and I will have because we have completely different taste, I think this will be the funnest thing I’ve ever done!

27. Give Handmade Gifts – Honestly I probably won’t do this, but I want to try, Well I shouldn’t say I won’t do this, but I know I won’t do it till January. And that’s okay, I’ll still count it if I start then!

28. Type up and Organize my Craft Bookmarks – I hate that I’m always loosing all my good ideas, and crafty blog bookmarks. I’ve got to get them in an online archive I can get to from any computer!

29. Finish my Unfinished Crafts – Part of de-cluttering the house.

30. Float the Provo River – 100% random. I just want a tan.

So what do you think?

A Visit with Steph

Visiting my BFFITWWW Steph was the highlight of my year. (Wait... did I have a baby this year?) Okay, okay my Kimbo was the #1 highlight, and then this. I was just so thrilled to stay up late talking, play games, go bowling, and eat the most delish doughnuts in the world at the best farmers market I've ever been to. But what I'm most happy about are these 2nd generation friends!

Letter D

Dinosaur Museum at BYU. (Bad lighting...fun day.)

Doughnuts! Watching them make doughnuts at Krispy Kreme... and then enjoying them!

Letter C

Crowns! This was a twofer because we did Crowns for letter C but not till the end of Family Night were we talked about being of royal birth. Perfect!

No letter C week would be complete without a trip to Chuck-E-Cheese! (Luckily Rex was having his birthday party there that very week!)

Letter B

We had another GREAT week!

We read Books at the library,

made Beaded Bracelets,

took a Bubble Bath,

and OF COURSE ate at Baskin Robbins!

Sorry

Sorry I've missed my two week deadline. The cable to get pictures from the camera to the computer is broken. Hopefully we'll get a new one this week.

Six Months!

Newborn

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

6 Months

Kimball is the best kid in the whole wide world!!!

Oct. 11, 2010

As I was reading Rosemary Wixom's talk from General Conference I really felt the spirit. Spencer and I have been trying so hard to work on building a stronger family and a stronger relationship. I'm much much too impatient and quick to anger with my kids. Right now Aliah is 4, Inara is 2, and Kimball is 6 months. Obviously Kimball doesn't bother me, except for maybe crying when I need to get things done, but letting him cry and listening to it doesn't bother me, except that I feel bad. But the girls are always getting on my nerves. And why? Just because they are being kids. Just because they are doing what they are supposed to, what is natural. Now obviously sometimes they are disobeying and could get hurt, or wake up a sleeping baby, or ruin something we worked hard for... but most of the time they are just playing. For no good reason it's annoying to me. They are either too loud or too wild or something. Well my impatient self thinks they are too wild. They are generally just fine though. They are just kids who are playing. I've been trying hard to remember that. Spencer and I have talked about it and decided to do our best at just letting them be. Letting them play and realizing that they are just kids and need to be kids. Kids need to be kids. Kids grow up so fast and in today's world they are almost expected to. The world wants them to grow up fast so that they can start introducing them to the evils of the world. Even the little kid celebrities of the day are growing up too fast. For example, Miley Cyrus. Spencer and I used to adore her. We wanted our kids to grow up equally as confident and outgoing. But before she was even 16 she was making music videos that are barely appropriate for adults, let alone young girls. And they are certainly not appropriate for her tween fan base. But that's how the world gets our little ones. There is a song by the country band Lonestar called "Let Them Be Little." I don't actually care for the song, but it's totally how I fell. I can only remember one line right now but it says, "Let them cry, let them giggle, let them sleep in the middle. Oh just let them be little." I want to put this on a sign in vinyl lettering and hang it in my house. It's such a good reminder to me of what Spencer and I are trying to do. To just let them be little, and not worry about them playing. To get upset at them less and less each day, and to build an unbreakable bond of love and trust. We will need that with them so that they trust us when they get older and the world tries to takeover. Hopefully, if we do things right now, they will turn to us and see our example of following Christ and because of this bond we've built they will trust that we know what we are doing, follow our example, and stay close to the spirit of Christ, shunnig the ways of the world. I have heard the story of Joseph Smith having pieces of his leg cut out without anesthesia a number of times, but I didn't realize he was only seven years old. Oh to have the spirit so strong in my home that at seven my babies could say, "I will have my father sit on the bed and hold me in his arms, and then I will do whatever is necessary." How could a seven-year-old already be so prophetic. It's no wonder the Lord chose him to bring the gospel back to the earth. I am so grateful that he did. How I, even in my adulthood, hope to someday have that kind of faith. I hope so much to have my Heavenly Father "sit on the bed and hold me in his arms" so that I can do "whatever is necessary" in this life to live with him in heaven again.

This Week was Brought to You by the Letter A

A is for Apple.

Aliah style...

...a.k.a. covered in glitter.

Aliah is learning the Alphabet at preschool. I'm sort of obsessed with making sure she learns it well because I know she needs to learn to read next year. So I've got a weeks worth of activities, crafts, and food for each letter. So last week was letter A.

A is for Alphabet.

Aliah had a great time trying to spell things. But mostly she just put a bunch of letters together and made me try to pronounce them.

A is for Alligator.

A is for Animals.

We went to the pet store, and this has never happened to me before, but it honestly took ALL of my will power to walk out of there without a puppy. They had my two favorite dogs of all time, a beagle and a pug! And they were affordable! I honestly about died.

A is for Annie.

I'm trying to force the kids to love movie musicals. So far so good. Aliah can sing Tomorrow, and it is the cutest thing in the world, if I do say so myself.

A is for Arby's.

You can only eat so many Apples in a week so I thought this was a good idea.

A is for Aliah.

This girl just is my everything! She drives me nuts, and makes my heart swell with love at the same time. She loves to sing and dance. She's great at art too. Her drawings are so cute so I'm gathering a bunch to frame to put up in her room. She's easy to teach, and loves to learn. She's such a great thinker, and super observant. The other day she said, "It smells like rain," and sure enough about 15 minutes later it started. A couple of weeks ago Spencer was eating in the car and Aliah wanted some. It was a really messy food so Spencer told her no we don't eat in the car. She said, "Dad, you're eating in the car." Spencer said, "I know sweetie, but I have a lot of practice." Aliah's clever retort was, "Well Dad give me some so I can practice." She tries super hard to be obedient. The best thing about my sweet Aliah is the spirit she brings. She is always teaching me lessons, asking forgiveness, or reminding me to say sorry and not get mad. She's such a joy and a blessing. She makes my whole life worthwhile.

Letter A was so much fun. I'm super excited for letter B this week. Stay tuned!

A Promise

So my sweetest SIL Michelle and her wonderful family moved to CA a few weeks ago. I was (am) devastated! I told her the only way I was going to accept it was if she promised to update her blog at least every two weeks and include pix of all the kids. Well obviously I have to keep that promise also. Hence all the pictures I've added lately. I know Michelle will enjoy, I hope the rest of you do too.

Aliah had her first day of Pre-K.

Here is a cute little apple we made for her teacher. (I got the idea HERE.)

The girls had a lot of fun hanging out with Daddy over Labor Day weekend.

And Mom had fun forcing the kids into a photo shoot in the flowers. There aren't too many good days left so I had to take advantage!

Kimball wasn't super cooperative,

But the girls were great!