Night Hike Retreats

You know what they say, "All good things must come to an end." (I totally disagree with this statement, but that's a thought for another day). In this case...a great activity is being "put on hold" (NOT coming to an END), until it gets warmer, or we decide to take a trip to a warmer location during the winter months - I'm ALL for that! I've never been one to hang out with the girls (not since being married anyways). And when I saw some gals in our neighborhood doing night hikes, I just couldn't resist - I had to join in. (It is an open invitation to anyone who wants to go...next summer). It has been really fun for me to get out, get some exercise, get to know other people, and laugh myself silly. I'm going to miss these weekly adventures, but it will give me something to look forward to next spring.


Smithfield Canyon Hike

Ann, Jaelynne, Me, Shanna & Melanie

Jardines "short cut"

This was our biggest group - and the hike turned out to be a walk through cow poop (that's what we get for trying something new and a "shortcut"). So we ate our smorgasboard of treats, then went to Village Inn and ate some more. Not much hiking this night - but LOTS of eating!

Crimson Trail

This was one of my favorite hikes. It was the hardest hike of them all, but I felt like I had really accomplished something by the time I reached the top. I imagine this is a beautiful hike in the light. I would shine my flashlight across the drop-off and see shear cliff walls on the other side.

Of course we can't burn all those calories without replacing them.

This time was cookies and cinnamon rolls. Mmmmm...Mmmmm....GOOD!

Nicky, Ann, Melanie, Shaley, Jaelynne, Shanna

It's Official

Our family has now officially entered a new stage of life, a stage of complete and total insanity. A stage of off-the-chart emotions. A stage of talking back. A stage of random conversations. A stage of lots of laughter. A stage of "maybe girls don't have cooties". A stage of eyes rolling. A stage of silly games and parties. A stage of "don't give me a hug when anyone can see - that's just not cool."

We have been in this stage for quite some time now, but as of today it is official. As of today, I will no longer have a home free of a teenager for 18 more long years. EIGHTEEN years of teenagers!!!??? Hold on tight...it's going to be a fun ride!
It's official that my "baby boy" is no longer my baby (at least that's what HE thinks! - but I know that he'll always be my baby boy). I'm not handing over the car keys anytime soon!

It's official that having a teenager in my home makes me old, and "old fashioned" (in his words). I remember so well when I turned 13, and my dad called me a "teeny-bop" for the following 7 years. I thought I was so old and wise. And it doesn't seem that long ago in my mind.

It's official that I love Brayden more each day. He really is a lot of fun to have around.

Me holding my sweet baby boy, 13 years ago

When he was about 5 years old

Wrestling the gators in 2005.

That wasn't that long ago - but it's amazing to me to look at this picture and see how much he's changed.

My teeny-bop. What a handsome kid!

Halloween

I haven't been much for blogging these days (what is the DEAL?) So I'm finally back on the bandwagon.

Halloween:

I have a love/hate relationship with Halloween. I love the fall, the fun activities, the traditional chili with cinnamon rolls dinner before sending the kids out into the cold night.

BUT, I really hate all the candy that we (I) consume. I hate the money we (I) spend on costumes and candy.

But not THIS year...this was the year I was going to change it all!

This year I didn't buy a single costume. We just dug through the dress-up box, and the kids were thrilled with what they discovered.

This year I haven't had a single piece of candy. Now I went to extremes for this one. I actually scheduled an appointment with an oral surgeon to have my wisdom teeth taken out (SECOND TIME THIS YEAR), just so I wouldn't eat candy! Not really, but it's a good story, right? I actually did have my teeth pulled (and it really was for the second time - and they were impacted, so it was really that bad), but not for the sake of not having candy. I just replaced the candy with milk shakes. But whatever the story, how many people on this planet can actually say they didn't have a single piece of candy on Halloween, or the week leading up to halloween? I am now part of that very exclusive club! (Next week...bring on the candy ;). )

We're always up for a party. We took the party to Pocatello this year to cheer on my brother, Tysons, football team at the Dome, then Halloween madness at my sister Kellis. Picture above, she is making the most YUMMY cinnamon rolls on the planet - double batch. I won't disclose how many of those babies I ate, but YUUU-MMY! The kids waiting for their chili and cinnamon rolls, so they can go out and collect their loot.

My nephew just got back from serving a mission in DC - it's so fun to have him part of the party again! Our kids adore him!

The young monsters.

(hey...I can call my kids monsters on this day, and not have it be an insult! - why didn't I think of this sooner?) You little monsters...you monsters...you monsters!!

Check out these cutest little creatures ever (so I'm a bit prejudiced). Try having three 1 year olds sit still and smile for the camera. NOT gonna happen!

Ryan, Kamden, Des

We went to the Pumpkin Walk too. There are some very imaginative people in Logan (I'm NOT one of them). I took the above picture for you, mom and dad!



I simply could not resist adding this picture. Kamdens facial expression just matches the character. I'm sure his wisdom does too, he is MY son afterall! (my family is laughing hysterically at that comment now, I'm sure!)

We went to 10th Street Grill (10th West in Logan), and they were having a pumpkin carving party and served soup, breadsticks and hot cider. So much fun!! And so yummy! Of course, my kids had to pick the BIGGEST pumpkins there. That hummer that Brayden picked was so heavy, even when it was carved, that I couldn't carry it out to the car! Besides the fun company and yummy food - there was no mess for me to clean up!!! HELLO...GREAT IDEA!!!

Our family also won the first place prize for our carved pumpkins. I'm sure we won that due to our expertise in carving pumpkins, not cuz Emi put on the tears right when they were looking at hers cuz it wasn't going as she wanted.

Here's to you...

Mom & Dad. I know it is sweltering hot in the south pacific, but THIS is the alternative! Of course there is not tons of it, and my kids think they have to pull out ALL the snow clothes. (can you hear me sighing and see me rolling my eyes?) AND...to hold to tradition, it had to come BEFORE Halloween!!!!!

Moving on...

So I have been walking around my house feeling pretty sorry for myself for a few days now, and worried for my parents and their new lives (refer to post below). Today, we got an EMAIL from my parents, yes...COMMUNICATION! I would SO love to be able to talk to them, visit them, send frequent packages etc., but at least there is email (even if it is slow as tar and hit and miss at its best).
So today I'm moving on! Instead of feeling sorry for myself and all I'm missing. My view is changing to being excited for them. They were met at the airport by the elders and sisters. There are dinners set up for them for a week from branch members. There really are people on the Kiribati island who will love my parents as much as we do. Now, I actually feel a tinge bit of jealousy! What a fantastic experience my parents get to have. YIPPEEE!! I can't wait to start seeing pictures and hearing about their experiences. Let the fun begin!

Goodbye...for now

I love getting to hear the voice and message of our latter-day prophet of God. The scriptures are full of testimonies of prophets in history, so it only makes sense that God would have a prophet on the earth today as well. He loves His children now every bit as much as He loved His children in the Old and New Testaments. I love the Book of Mormon, and how it goes hand in hand with the Bible. It is another one of those things that just makes sense to me of a loving Heavenly Father. I mean, if God was commanding people on one continent to keep a record (the Bible), then wouldn't he also command people on the other continent to keep a record (The Book of Mormon)? If God sent angels to people in the Bible, then why is it so unbelievable that He would send an angel to Joseph Smith to show him the record that had been kept on the American continent? If God the Father had shown himself to prophets in the Bible, then why is it so unfathomable that He would show himself again in latter-days?

I just said goodbye for 18 months to two of the most important people in my life. My parents left on their mission for the LDS Church to go to Christmas Island (part of the Marshall Islands in the South pacific) to share this same message and serve the people there. They will be on this small island with a population of 5000 people. There are land -line phones, but nothing to where we can call and talk, no cell phones. They can't call out even to the mission president whose island is 2000 miles away. They have dial-up internet...IF the power is working (which is very hit and miss). We can't send letters because they just get lost. We hoped that we would at least be able to send packages through a lady who works for the airline that goes over to that island, but that is now looking very doubtful. They will live in a home that is the size of my living room, with a small bed and a fridge (if the power is working - they have a fridge). I won't butter it up by saying that it is all great, and it's all for a good cause. Truth is...it isn't great. My heart is broken, and I will miss them terribly. However, it IS for a good cause. I KNOW that my parents wouldn't leave the comforts of their home, the farm, their friends, their family for any other reason than to serve God, and knowing that their family will be blessed for their service. And to share these truths with people on the isles of the sea. They are a great example to all of us, even from thousands of miles away. Right now, I'm not even sure how to make it through the day, let alone 18 L-O-N-G months! But I do know that Heavenly Father will hear our prayers, and even though my parents can't call us, they can make that "phone call" to heaven, where there is always an answer on the other end.

We love you mom and dad! God be with you till we meet again.

Kisses for mom and dad

Grandmas last comforts for Kamden

Walking my sisters family to their car as they depart

Grandpa & Grandma looking on after the goodbyes have been said.

A picture can say 1000 words.

My daddy after having said goodbye to some of the family.

9 Years Ago Today

Nine years ago today, we met our little girl for the first time, and we held her in our arms for the first time. Nine years ago today, we cried many tears, both of sorrow and of joy. Nine years ago today, Emilie became our little girl.
I'm sure this will be a long post - and probably a tearful one for me to recount. But I can't let this day slip by without reflecting on the events of this special day to us.

The events of this day didn't all happen in just one day, it happened over a period of several months and years. The heartache of infertility is excruciatingly painful for anyone who walks it's path. After one particularly frustrating doctor appointment in January, the very strong impression of adoption came to my heart. I called the LDS agency to get some paperwork. The paperwork sat on my counter for several weeks, when one morning, in February, I was going about my usual routine, and a VERY strong impression came to me that I needed to fill that paperwork out NOW (not tomorrow, or next week). So I sat down, filled it out, and got it mailed. Then my heart was at peace again, and I continued on with my days. When our social worker, Connie, met with us to discuss the next steps - we found out that we had to take some adoption classes that are only offered twice a year, and they were coming up within a couple of weeks. We could not progress with the adoption process unless we had this class. In order to take this class, we had to have 6 months worth of paperwork to fill out (no exaggeration). Again, I had the feeling of urgency, and worked day and night to get the paperwork done before the next scheduled classes. The pieces all fell together, and in June, we were officially "waiting". In August, we received a letter and a cross-stitch picture from our future birth mother, telling us that we would be having a little girl on October 10. I can't really describe the feelings in my heart at that moment. I was both excited, and terrified. I had so many "what if's" running through my brain. At that time, we knew that our birth mother was in Utah to have the baby, but that the birth father wasn't supportive of adoption. So it was very difficult to put my heart into what was going to happen, because I just couldn't bear to have my heart broken. Yet it was totally impossible to not feel hopeful and excitement for our baby girl to come to our family. The agency took every legal precaution with the birth father to make sure that he knew his rights and had a chance to step up to the plate and be her father. However, Emilie decided to come 3 weeks early. Because of her early arrival, much of the legal details were exempt, and the birth father still had another 3 weeks to take a stand. He had told our birthmother that he intended to raise this baby (at a whopping 16 years of age). So...Emilie spent a week with her birth mother, then 2 weeks with her "in-between" mom (a fostercare mom who helped with babies in situations such as these). Cindy, (her in-between mom), emailed me every day to give me updates on our little girl. Brenda, our birth mom, sent me pictures of her. I, in the meantime, sat in my chair and stared out the window, usually with tears in my eyes. It was more than I thought I could handle at that time. I knew my baby was out there, but I didn't know if she would get to come to our family. My heart and my arms ached to hold her. During this time, my extended family, Brenda's family, Cindy's family, and many of our friends and ward members, had a special fast on Emilie's behalf. The morning of October 10, we got the phone call that we could go ahead with placement, the birth father had not made anymore contact. We quickly called my parents to join us, and we rushed to Ogden to meet our newest family member. For legal reasons, Brenda was in one room signing the papers, and we were in the next room ready to sign as soon as she had. If for some reason, the birthfather had signed with the courts between our signing, then Brenda would have signed her rights away, and he would have full custody of her. When the papers were ALL signed (you think buying a house has a lot of paperwork!), we were escorted into a room where we were able to see for the first time, our little girl. Brenda was cuddling her, with a look on her face that was way beyond her 16 years. Her parents sat next to her in support. Embraces and tears were shared, followed with laughter and good conversations. Brayden got to hold his little sister, even before we did. How many big brothers can say they got to hold their baby before their parents?!
When it came time to say our goodbyes, Emilie's birth grandfather, and her daddy, gave her a special priesthood blessing. Brenda placed Emi in my arms, as unitedly, her two mom's held her and held each other. It was truly a moment that I thought my heart would break, and a moment that I felt surrounded by heavenly angels, giving both of us strength. I love Emi's birthmom. It is as if we knew each other before this earthly life, and my heart ached with hers. We then left the room, with our baby in my arms. I thought my legs were going to give out, and Ira had to hold me up as we walked to a different room. Then we were able to really take a good look at our newest addition. She was (and still is), such a beautiful little girl.

The real difficult part for me came the very next morning, after everything had settled down, and everyone had gone home, and I had some alone time with my baby. I was holding Emilie in my arms when the phone rang. It was a case worker who told me that the birth father had called the agency that morning wanting to know what he had to do to get Emilie. My heart sank, and I was sure our dream had come to an abrupt end. As it turns out, Utah has very good laws to protect adoptive couples. Emilie wasn't "legally" ours yet, she still belonged to the agency, until she was 6 months old, and we could be proven to be fit parents. Then we could go to the courts and have her legally our daughter. The case worker who talked to the birth father, told him that he was welcome to call an attorney, and a judge, and they would tell him what steps to take. He also told him that if he tries to get her back, he will be taking the agency to court, not the adoptive couple, and the agency had never lost a case, and didn't intend on losing this one. (that was all fine and dandy, but I had these visions of our daughter a year down the road being taken from me because we had lost a legal battle). Anyways, a while later, the caseworker called us back again, and said that the birthfather had called back and said, "I have talked to a judge and to a lawyer. No one will even talk to me, because she is 3 weeks old, and she is in Utah." If he had made these phone calls 24 hours earlier, before placement, Emilie probably wouldn't be with our family today. The birthfather has since sent us a picture of himself, and received a couple letters from us. I truly believe that with adoption, THERE ARE NO COOINCIDENCES. Our Heavenly Father, who is the father of us all, has a plan. He knows the beginning from the end, and Emilie was always meant to be in our family. Now that I look back on the experience, I am very grateful for the things I learned of fasting, prayer, priesthood blessings, and mostly FAITH.
She has so many people who love her. Her birth mother has not seen her since that day, since adoption at that time was much more private than it is now. We do share letters and pictures with her a couple times a year, and she has a wonderful family of her own now. Emilie often asks me of Brenda, and I can only tell her of how much she loves her, and that she was willing to share her with a family that had both a mommy and a daddy for her, and who love her so much. She often "brags" to total strangers that she is "the only one adopted in my family...that makes me really special." Yes Emi - you are real special!

Brayden getting to hold his little sister for the first time - even before his parents! He gave both Brenda and Emilie identical stuffed rabbits to hold for comfort.

Our first family picture, still at the agency - our eyes are a bit red and puffy (OK, our whole faces are red from crying!)
Emilie was only 4lbs 10 oz. when she was born. By the time we saw her at 3 weeks, she was a whopping 6 lbs, 2 oz. Brenda had her dressed in this white doll dress, she was so teeny.

Our beautiful girl today.
We have had our share of difficulties. Emilie and I are just too much alike, and sometimes we clash. However, she is such a special little girl to me. I love her with my entire heart and soul.
I watched her as she sang "I Am A Child of God" at church a couple weeks ago. She sang, "[Heavenly Father]...has given me, and earthly home, with parents kind and dear. Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do, to live with Him someday." As I listened to her sing those words, my eyes filled with tears as I reflected on what a special daughter of God Emi is, and how privileged I am to have her call ME mom. I have a great responsibility to all of my children, to "lead them, guide them, walk beside them. Help them find the way..." I can't thank my Heavenly Father enough for this great honor.

Fall Camping

My dad always makes the comment, "It doesn't get any better than this!" I usually agree with him, cuz he says it when he's with family or 4-wheeling or at the beach. This weekend, as I was camping with my family, that thought came to mind - many, many times. Every time I took a deep breath of the crisp fall air, and looked at the beautiful fall colors all around, I thought "It doesn't get any better than this!". I love camping, I love 4-wheeling, I love my family, and I love fall. You put them all together, and I am one HAPPY CAMPER! (literally).

This weekend was UEA in Utah, where the kids were out of school for a couple days. We took advantage of the time, and Ira took work off, and we went for a couple of days. Then we got to come home and watch conference for the LDS church on TV. Conference weekends are my favorite weekends of the entire year.

So I had to get in a few family pictures before we got all dirty. I just couldn't help myself with the colors and the snow-capped mountains!

The snow was fun for a couple hours - but I'm certainly not ready for it permanently!

It really doesn't get any better than this!