Visitors and Easter Message

We have visitors...

 Cade-9 years old

 Kylie-3 years old

 Shayla - 7 years old

 

JT - almost 4 mos. old

 My one and only sister

(we have 6 brothers...who we love)

but we were ALL we had growing up in the girl department.

Even though my sister and I are 

EIGHT years apart...

we have been each others BEST friend.

The one and only time we were pregnant together we ended up with these TWO cute boys only 

EIGHT days apart!  

 Jacob and Cade are BEST buddies. 

Today during our Easter Egg Hunt when Cade found the only

GOLDEN EGG

he shared his good fortune with JACOB!

They have a connection...

because they are family first!   

 Seven years ago I headed to my sister's house to find

REFUGE

from a raging storm going on in my life.

Instead Shayla was born the day of my arrival

and it is the one and only time

I've ever witnessed

the birth of a child.

I treasure the experience and have a soft spot in my heart for

SHAYLA!     

 Donna just gave birth less than four months ago but she always looks gorgeous no matter what!

 Maybe it is logistics...

or maybe it is we are sisters...

but our families have a special connection.

And despite our children's age difference 

my children have the best friend cousins ever!

I was honored that they would ask me to take these special pictures of their sweet family...
they all just make me smile!

***********************

I attended one of the best church services today.

One of our own

KIE LOVELL

is leaving for his mission this week.

Because he has been public about it and because he mentioned it in his sacrament talk today,

I do not hesitate to comment that

he had been told that he would 

NEVER

be able to serve a mission

because of past mistakes and sin.

He petitioned the First Presidency of the Church on several occasions to be able to be granted permission to go.

It was finally granted in February!

His story is what EASTER is all about.

The story of the 

ATONEMENT

and

CHRIST'S LOVE FOR EACH OF US.

Kie and so many of us

are living proof that if we change and repent

and turn our lives

over to God

that we can truly find

JOY

in this life and in the life to come!

Happy Easter!  

         

SCORPION Sting and a volleyball game

Yesterday while cleaning up my house

before my

cleaning ladies came...

(yes, I'm weird but I clean before I pay someone to clean!)

I bent down to pick up what I thought was a leaf that had been tracked in by the front door

and instead I found a very unwanted visitor.

SCORPION!

Ouch...it stung me

and boy does it hurt.

After more than 20 years of living in Arizona I now know

what everyone has always 

described after getting stung by one of these nasty creatures.  

Initial Sting...

followed by instant pain...

followed by a feeling of paralysis...

followed by a tingling sensation that feels like you are getting stabbed by a million needles...

and then numbness.

It has been over 36 hours and I'm still feeling the side effects of the sting.

It's time to get out the BLACK LIGHT...

and send Jacob and Chris armed with a lighter to go kill these little creatures!

***************************

Tomorrow my kids are out of school for

EASTER!

We decided to take them out early today so we could all go watch

CHRIS

play his volleyball game.

So far this season only myself, Ron and Katie have been able to go!

I was so proud of Rachel and Jacob for making

the effort to come watch Chris play!

Volleyball is MY sport!

I love it and I love watching Chris play.

I know the coach hasn't asked me
 but I would 

VOTE HIM

most improved player from any other player on the team.

He absolutely ROCKED his game today

and I'm so proud of his hard work and dedication.

          He also has the best cheering section of anyone on the team!

Even though we were all there to cheer him on...

he has quite a group of girls there

JUST FOR HIM!

 WE AREN'T SO BAD

for a cheering section too!

     Ummm...looks a little too staged "face" guys!

    Great game Chris...

your family was and is and will always be

PROUD of YOU!

 

Finding Forgiveness and Updates

Monday I had the opportunity to attend

a remarkable funeral

of an amazing woman and friend.

It was heart wrenching to watch her husband walk in with his five 

VERY YOUNG

children and know that their beautiful wife

and mother

would be gone for a time.

During these moments when it seems unclear why a mother would be called back "HOME"

when her children need her so badly here...

that I am ever so grateful for the knowledge of

THE PLAN OF SALVATION

and of

ETERNAL FAMILIES.

 While going to a funeral is an emotional experience

I'm grateful for the reminder

to keep life simple,

to be in the service of others,

  and to find forgiveness in ourselves and others.

Recently I had the opportunity to
TAKE ACTION
in forgiving someone who had hurt me more deeply than anyone else ever had.
I remember once telling a friend that if I couldn't
find justice in this life
then I knew I would find justice in the next.
This friend reminded me that I would never be able to "testify" in the heavenly trial if I didn't first find
COMPLETE FORGIVENESS HERE IN THIS LIFETIME.
Last week while sitting in a courtroom
I found myself not only finding forgiveness for this person
but finding
MERCY!

As I listened to the words so beautifully spoken at the funeral I felt a strong confirmation
from my
HEAVENLY FATHER
that he was proud of me and with tears rolling down my face
I felt lighter and happier
and a peace
I haven't felt in a long time!
I sure love the Eternal Plan of Happiness.
If we follow it...
we truly will be happy.

***************************

Update #1: My laptop is in the "shop"...
currently being worked on.
I have a "special bond" with my laptop and I miss it!
My sweet hubby is letting me use his in the meantime!
I think he misses my blogposts too! 

Update #2: I took a two week break from running because I got really sick...
but I bought some new shoes and I'm ready to get right back at it!

Update #3: Our sweet friends the Maxwell's, i.e. Builder Lisa are moving and we went to their 
FAREWELL PARTY
tonight and oh, I will miss them!

Update #4: I was able to watch the grandkids 
MONDAY and we had a lot of fun.
They helped us cheer on Rachel at her soccer game!
Their team WON!

   

They were very proud of themselves...
this team has come a long ways from last year!

Update #5: Ron took Katie today fishing!
He drove an extra hour to a "special" fishing hole and he found this:

I'm happy to announce the arrival of a
LargeMouth Bass: 3 lbs. 8 oz and 20 inches long!
We will be enjoying it tomorrow for dinner!

Happy Wednesday everyone!

This is why we live in Arizona...

Every Sunday morning at 6 a.m.

when my alarm clock goes off to get up and ready for church...

I think to myself

how much I DO NOT like 8 a.m. church.

However, when we get out of church at 11 a.m.

and home before

the other two wards even meet...

I LOVE 8 a.m. church!

Funny isn't it?

What I have really enjoyed are the Sunday afternoon naps, quiet time reading a good book,

or just spending time with my family.

Because of our beautiful temperatures we wanted to do everything

OUTSIDE!

We even got the kids to come outside to eat snacks and play some 

homemade CORN HOLE.

(We are a bunch of rednecks!)

   My silly man...just loves having his picture taken!

   I don't think they are too happy about it either!

 Ever since Ron and I met we love to compete at everything we do. And while I like to think I could

BEAT him...

I have yet to do so!

We are laughing in this picture because he really doesn't have it in him to "throw" the challenge my way!

Nope...he can't do it!

He always says,

"Why play if you aren't going to win?"   

 

 I guess I can't argue with that!

 Jacob spent his ENTIRE afternoon in this tree right outside our house or along our block fenced wall!

I love that he spends his days outside with all the neighborhood kids!

It seems like Chris is usually TOO busy to join us but he told me today that he was taking a 

LAZY DAY!

I am so proud of him...

he BLESSED the sacrament for the first time last week,

and this week he was the only

PRIEST at church...

He showed his leadership skills teaching another man how to do it. 

I laughed last week when he told me they wouldn't have him do it until he had been trained!

The one thing I've learned about a church calling...

you don't get trained,

you listen to the SPIRIT

and you hope and pray for the best!      

 This picture made me laugh out loud!

My cute Katie

is obsessed with popcorn!

She asks me everyday when we can make popcorn!

She has also been known to

HOARD

popcorn...

like not let anyone else have it!

She will hide it,

take ownership of it...

and otherwise keep it from your grasp

so that she can eat it ALL!

My otherwise sweet little girl...

turns into a totally different child around popcorn!

Just ask anyone who has tried to share it with her!