JUST AN UPDATE!

Just wanted to put up some pictures of the kids, because they are growing so fast, we are going to be really busy the next couple of months, between football and soccer, scouts and school we are going out of our minds. Thankfully we are still able to have a normal schedule, josh is going into the 3rd grade , sean is starting kindergarten, and ryan is in preschool, We love living here in susanville and have gotten quite use to the slower pace of life. We are going to Disneyland the end of august, and can't wait for Ben to be off his probation. All in all we are doing great, hope you all are too.

WOW IT'S BEEN 10 YEARS!

Just a few pictures of our 10 year anniversary, we went to Reno and stayed at the peppermill, they have a spa that is incredible, we spent the day getting massages ,facials and soaking in there private pools, then we headed out for the temple, what could be better than spend your anniversary in the same place you we married, it was wonderful I am so truly blessed to have such a great husband!

MY 30th BIRTHDAY!

What can I say, It really wasn't so bad, with all my friends there it made it alot easier.

Thanks to everyone for all the cards and well wishes, I wish all my Birthdays could be this good!

EASTER ,09

Just some cute easter pictures. Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.We love and miss you all.

THANK YOU AUNT RACHEL!!!

I just wanted to post the cute headband' s and bows my sister-in-law made for sofia for her b-day, thanks rachy, you did a great job.

JOSH TOOK 1ST PLACE AT THE DERBY!

Joshua with the help of his dad , took 1st place in his age group, he was so stunned I don't think it really sunk in, but Ben was ecstatic, he always wanted to win and now that josh is in scout's he can live vicariously through him,lol.

Specialty Wards

I thought this was so funny, Hope you enjoy!



Robert Kirby
Tribune columnist - Salt Lake Tribune


Most Sunday mornings, you'll find me on a pew in the Rosecrest 1st Ward chapel. It's where I'm supposed to go to church. Lucky for me, it's also where I want to go. Technically, Mormons don't have a choice. For church, we're bound by the geography of the ward boundary. We worship where we live.

The only time Mormons can switch wards without also contacting a Realtor is when we attend specialty wards. For example, I went to a Spanish-speaking ward in West Jordan for a while.

Specialty wards allow members with specific common needs to worship together and support each other in their exclusive part of the Lord's vineyard. There are (or have been) lots of LDS specialty wards, including singles wards, college wards, deaf wards, ethnic wards and nudist wards. OK, I made up that last one. There are even seasonal "snowbird wards" in places where Mormon RV owners congregate.

I talked it over with my friend (despite a restraining order) Ken Wallentine. We think the specialty-ward idea needs to be improved on in our ever-changing and increasingly divided culture.

For example, there needs to be a late ward, a ward Mormons who are perpetually late for church could attend and not feel bad about dragging their herd in 15 minutes late. The only problem with a late ward would be showing up late for a meeting that was supposed to start late in the first place. Eventually, you would end up with a ward that ran out of time before it started. "Welcome to the Tardy 3rd Ward, brothers and sisters. We will close now by singing hymn No. 145."

Given the high birthrate among Mormons, I thought about the need for maternity wards. Except that we already have those. They're called married student wards.

A Star Trek ward might do well. The bishop would preside from "the bridge" instead of the stand. High-council Sunday would be referred to as a "Klingon Sunday."

Harley riders congregate to the exclusion of just about everyone else. Why not an LDS biker ward? White shirts and neckties go well with black leather.

Ken really wants to attend a concealed-weapons ward. He says church would be a lot more interesting if real personal risks were involved in disagreeing with a lesson.

There could be a texting ward for teenagers. Bear your testimony with your thumb. In 25 years, they'll all belong to carpal-tunnel wards.

At the less-active ward, maybe there'll be a meeting and maybe there won't.

Testimony meeting in an anger-management ward might be interesting. Nobody's going to sleep through, "HEY! I KNOW THE CHURCH IS TRUE, STUPID!"

A big hit would be the Multi Level Marketing ward, also known as a "Gadianton Robber Ward." With all the financial scamming that goes on in this culture, it would be nice to have them all in one place for a three-hour block weekly.

I think a Democrat ward is a good idea, although in Utah the best we could probably hope for is a Democrat branch.

BURNEY FALLS

We decided to go up to Burney falls, It was soooo beautiful, I can't believe it took us a year to get there, next time any one comes out to visit we have to go, it was so fun all the kids did great hiking themselves in, we ate lunch at the top of the falls and then went down to the lake, I am so glad that we moved here, it really is beautiful,it reminds me of crescent city, just alot less rain. I can always feel the spirit when I am in the forest, it speaks to me and makes things become much more clear.I will always be grateful to my parents for moving us to CC, I was able to really fine tune my spiritual listening skills there, and even though I'm not perfect, the lord still whispers to me in the forest , just like when I was a kid.

SOFIA TURN'S 1 YEAR OLD.

Sofia's birthday was a hit, we all had fun, Sofia was a princess and the boys made sure she knew it.( they each took turns wearing her crown, Ryan wouldn't take it off,) I can't believe she's 1 already, this year has really flown bye, but it was our first girly party and I think I had more fun than she did, she'll remember this day only through pictures ,but I will never forget it, sometimes birthdays aren't just for the birthday person, they're for the people around you who love you and want you to be happy. Someday when she has kids she'll understand.

SOFIA TURN'S 1 YEAR OLD.

Random pictures

OK WHO'S IT GONNA BE? LUCKEY 5!

So I love this idea and decided that I could actually do it ,Lucky you! The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year. {might be a little while}
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or maybe even some creation I haven't even invented yet. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows?
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!


* * *Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!*

SEANY IS MY SUPER SPECIAL BOY!

So do you ever get so wrapped up in life that you begin to forget about the small and simple things that make you happy, well Sean really made me stop and think. Sunday after church we got home the same time Ben got off work, I was up stairs talking to Ben and telling him about church, when Sean came up stairs and asked us to come to "his party in his room", at first I kind of brushed him off, thinking he wanted me to feed him something, but he got more and more persistent, in asking us to come to his room for a party. Well we finely went down and he had created this whole "party" for us and all of his stuffed animals, he had drinks and snacks and stuff to play with ,I was so impressed that a 4 year old could put so much imagination into this little room,( I was never very imaginative as a child I could never think this up,) It was so cute he even brought baby snacks down for Sofie and her bottle so she had something to drink, Ben was loving it ,we all sat down stairs in the boys room for at least an hour just talking and playing games, it was a blast ,I was able to spend such great quality time with the kids and Ben, we really needed that, thank you Sean for being you and always making life so much fun I am so grateful that heavenly father sent you to me.

WE ARE POTTY TRAINED!

Finally we are completely potty trained, it is so nice not to have to buy diapers for Ryan any more.He just couldn't hold it in any more and he just sat down and went.(sparing the gross details) He just loves it now and we can't keep him off the toilet, he will push out anything, he's so proud of himself, it's totally cracking us up.I've counted 12 times today and it's only3:30, anyways, I'm so estatic our super stubborn child is beginning to, relax and hopefully enjoy his little life. Next on the list is his horrible pickyness. We'll see how that goes in a few months, one step at a time. For now I am just so happy he's getting there.

BOYS WILL BE BOYS

Sean loves to push and it gives him a good workout

Ben held Sofia while I worked on teaching the boys how to pedal

They can be so weird in front of the camera

Josh was just so happy that enough snow melted that he could ride his new bike.

So I'm really bad about blogging and I just wanted to give a little update, we are all doing great and so are the kids , we are all getting over this horrible cold, but it hasn't lasted long, so it's not so bad. We are anxiously counting down the days till our Disneyland trip in July, we are slowly working on family goals of more Christ centered family home evenings, and emergency preparedness. Sofia is about to turn 11 months old and is cute as a button, she is trying her best to stand and take steps on her own, she still army crawls everywhere, but so did Ryan, she still has no teeth but I think they are about to pop out at any second. She is such a joy and I can't help but be totally in love with her. she is just such a happy girl! The boys are great, Sean's speech is really coming along and Ryan always cracking us up with his attitude, which has really started to come out.Josh is loving school and is doing very well in it. He's reading his scriptures every night like a madman, he loves having his own set. That's all for now, hope everyone is well.

JOSHUA AND EMMY'S BAPTISM

We got josh his own set of scriptures with his name on them , he was really excited

we had cake for everyone but aunt Lissa made him and Emmy their own personal cake each

Sean how ever did not want to be left out so he claimed the big cake in the middle

Right before we started I made sure to get a picture of them all in white.

OK so I'm a little behind in my blogs but, I'm trying to catch you all up, this is Joshua's baptism we had in sac, last weekend It was great I really can't believe my oldest just got baptize ,( time really does fly when your having fun),I am so grateful that he made this decision ,it will bless him his entire life. My brother Fred and Ben's brother Matthew gave the talks, we sang ,we ate, it was the first time in a long time my entire family all came out to support josh , I love that no matter where we are in life, or what religion we have chosen, we always seem to support each others decisions ,and celebrate each others achievements.I love that about my family, Anyways it was a great visit. and a great memory for josh to be baptized with his cousin and to have so many people show up to support them. It was so great Ben and I really couldn't stop crying ( I don't know how Ben even said the pray through all those tears)It was one of the happiest days of my life to see my son choosing the right,there really are no words for it.