Proof

This is proof that my little boy still needs me. He tries so hard to be independent and he usually succeeds. But trying to button a shirt from top to bottom can be pretty challenging, not to mention having to deal with collars and belts. I've never been so happy to see my child look so bad! I'm not insisting that he practices these skills. I think I'll just have to be his stand-by for the time being. Besides, he doesn't really need to know how to do it until he leaves on a mission, right?

Summer Dayz Summer Games. . .

The Best and the Worst
from our excursion down to Cedar City for the
Utah Summer Games.




The team on the podium after receiving the Gold Medal in the
highest division for their age group!


This was right after they won the gold medal match.
Oh! What a feeling!


And the Worst: Tyler's tongue repeatedly got stuck to his popsicle. Laughter now, tears then.
Love it when "Christmas Story" plays out in real life!




Abbi and Karli with a few of their teammates during the
athletes kick-off party.

I you ever get the opportunity to participate in Summer Games, do it!
We made many great memories as a family and a team.

What an awesome day! Our Karli was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints this past month. What an honor it is to be a mother to such a wonderful child of God. She studied the gospel principles and decided on her own to join the church.

After she was baptized we went to change and dry off. She was so excited to receive the Holy Ghost that she wouldn't let me dry her hair, not even squeeze the water out. We walked back into the room with water dripping down her neck and face. Later, I heard her ask her cousin (who just got baptized too) if she felt different when she received the Holy Ghost. She said yes and Karli said "I feel different too". I couldn't help but remember the indescribable feeling I had when I received the Holy Ghost. I still feel that companionship strongly.

Truly, what a great gift from our Father in Heaven!

Look like Yoda I do!

Kill me he would, if he knew I was posting this. {ha ha} Tyler has the most elasticity in his ears. Yes, we have a lot of good laughs on his behalf. It's hard being the youngest and hard it is being a boy. I am worried, though, that if we don't stop we might have to pin his ears back or they might have to ban "Do your ears hang low, do they wobble to and fro?" from being

sung at school! We wouldn't want his feelings hurt. It's a good thing that they just POP back into place {smile}.

I COULD HAVE BLOGGED. . .

. . .but we were too busy packing for our trip to DisneyLand.

. . .but we were too busy having so much fun with our Dear Friends {the Girdlers}.

. . .but we were too busy unpacking.

. . .but we took time out to give thanks.

. . .but we had so much planning to do.

. . .but we had so many presents to wrap.

. . .but we had so much decorating to do.

. . .but we love celebrating our Savior's Birth.

. . .but we had parties to attend.

. . .but we had service to do.

. . .but I was still MOM and had to clean, launder, and feed my beautiful family.

What a great ending to a blessed year {smile}.

New Year's Eve

Disney Fun

Darcy and I enjoying Vegas

One Sunday

What a fun Sunday we just had! It was the primary program today, and I need to say I think the Presidency did and amazing job with it this year. One of the most enjoyable ones I have ever seen. The kids, of course, did a great job with their parts--so proud of them. The highlight of the meeting was watching the kids sing. I couldn't see Abbi too well, but we sure could hear her. Karli was cute as ever with her mature attitude and singing as loud and beautiful as ever. Tyler was, well lets just say he was quite entertaining. He apparently was in a mood and over dramatized every word he sang with hand gestures (much like an opera singer), facial expressions, and a deep singing voice which obviously didn't match his age. We really tried to keep our composure but it was it quite difficult. We all lost it, my mom and dad, Blaine and I and the rest of my family. The kid loves attention--we may be in trouble in the future!

A "Thriller" Night

If I had it my way I would pick a theme for our family for Halloween and we would all dress together and be "Oh, so cute!" As you can imagine not many people called the girls cute this year :) I just need to realize that we have now moved into the next phase of Halloweening. At least I let them choose what they want to be, that's good, right? The girls did have a blast being zombies from Thriller. It was especially fun walking next to the cemetery on Halloween night. . .