Peer Pressure...

Every summer we allow our kids

ONE

day each where they are allowed to invite one or two friends

to spend the day with us on the lake.

Up to this point in our boating summers...

Jacob had not had a turn.

Until this week.

Jacob has been best buddies with our next door neighbor

STEVEN

since we moved in almost 6 years ago.

They spend hours and hours

TOGETHER.

We decided it was time to have him go with us.

I absolutely love the pictures we took of him.

Just looking at them and seeing his face shows the amount of

PURE JOY

he had doing all the things we do everytime we go to the lake.

We love to tube:

SWIM:

 CLIFF JUMP:

 FISH:

 KNEEBOARD:

 AND BOATING ITSELF:

 So why would I label this post as

PEER PRESSURE?

Well our little Jakie isn't really fond of our boating days.

Usually he prefers going to a friends house instead.

Something the rest of us...

totally can't understand!

But on this day...

with his best friend looking on:

 Jacob not only tried NEW things...

but he loved

every minute of it!

I had the WORLD, when I had all of you...

Life's greatest joys

come to us as innocent, beautiful, small, precious

creatures sent to us by

GOD.

The day each of my children were born

I felt

my world become more complete.

The day I married my husband

my world was complete.

Sometimes when I feel guilty that I'm not providing a meal to a needy family, or going to the temple often enough, or I should be doing family history, or sending out inspiring messages to others...

that a thought touches my heart...

"You are serving.

You're serving MY little ones."

Every meal I make, every carpool I drive in, every hug I can give, every story I can listen to, every goodnight kiss I give...

 is letting them know

and letting GOD know

that I will love...

the way God wants me to love.

While we went boating this last weekend,
  I was watching the joy in my kids faces 
while they were riding in the tube...

 I happened to be holding Jacob in my arms 
I was touched with this feeling that 
"I have the WORLD right now

with all of these wonderful people in it!"

I tucked Jacob in a little tighter...

gave my husband a GREAT big smile and realized...

There is no one I would rather spend my life and time with 

than them. 

 It's hard to believe we have already made it to 

BOATING season...but it was a nice 95 degree day!

 We love Mitch too...he's always up for a fun time!

 Rachel and I were trying to work on our TAN!

 I love to see this man LOVE my kids...

my greatest wish is that someday my kids will

KNOW

all that he has done for them and that it was all done because of

LOVE.  

 My kids LOVE being able to outrun

DOLLY the STEAMBOAT!

 Rachel talked Ron into letting her drive the boat!

 Yes he has been playing hard with his friends during spring break...

it caught up to him today!

Katie taking her turn to drive!

We are absolutely thrilled to be back on the lake...

even if it is only

MARCH!

      Yep...you are all my WORLD!

Thanks for spending the day on the lake with me!

Love forever and beyond,

MOM.   

    

Boating is BACK and a Wedding

One of our families greatest joys

is going to the

LAKE!

Ron and I have had an itching to go to the lake since last October when we turned it in

for an overhaul and detail

and it ended up being in the shop for a month!

Since then it has been TOO cold

and we've been TOO busy.

But when we saw that the weather was going to be warm and sunny

we grabbed our neighbors and 

headed to the lake.

 Our neighbors moved in last January

and we became fast friends!

Marcia is my go to girl for ALL advice and venting!

She has also become a 

second grandma to my kids and they love her.

The other day when my kids were talking about the snowbirds that were driving "slow" in front of us,

they said, "Mom, the coolest 

OLD

 people we know are Marcia and Preston!" 

Ron and I agree!

While they will never replace their REAL grandparents

it is always a blessing to have

special people come into your life at the "right" time.

  Usually she just laughs and guides and listens

while I try to raise my children

reminding me

"this to shall pass"

and

that someday I will sit in my empty house wondering how it passed so quickly and wishing it hadn't!

  

Preston is our example of kindness, hard-working, total love of God and all things spiritual...

he is Marcia's steady rock and we think he ROCKS!

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

My beautiful BESTIE

got married today in a private ceremony.

Ron and I had the privilege of attending.

 There is no one I can think of that is more deserving of such

complete happiness

than her.

  I have to do a little bragging right now so please forgive me...
I set the two of them up,
call me
MATCHMAKER!
I curled her cute hair,
call me
HAIRDRESSER!
I lent her the dress,
call me
BESTIE EXTRAORDINAIRE!   

In all honesty I love this girl!
When you find
TRUE FRIENDS
you are willing to do almost anything for them!

Shannon and Marcia 

are those type of friends!