...CRUISING ON A MOTORCYCLE

(THANKS PAM and JD)

Pam and JD watched our kids for almost a whole day (it was a huge favor) while Bryan and I got to go float the Payette river. When we finally arrived at Pam and JD's house to relieve them of their duties, our kids were disappointed that the "fun" was now over! They wanted to stay and play longer. Pam and JD were so nice by humoring my kids with a motorcycle ride. (Pam and JD have a "kid sized" motorcycle.) Hailey, Amber, and Jacob all had a chance to ride it with JD, and then Hailey rode it all by herself!

Amber loved riding with JD! She would have gone more if we had let her!

Hailey posing for her picture!

At first, Hailey had a hard time getting the helmet on...we finally managed! She was so cute!

It was a scary experience for Hailey to ride all by herself; however, she was insistent on trying. Daddy and JD promised to be there to catch her. They both loaded her down with information on how to use the brake, and how to give it more gas. (I think I would have been nervous after so much to remember.)When she finally took off, she did a fantastic job, and it was hard to convince her to get off!

JD also took Jakey for a ride! Look at those feet!

Pam and I were roommates together at Ricks College. I remember being scared before going to college, and praying for "good roommates". Heavenly Father not only gave me good roommates, but he also gave me lifelong friends! I am so grateful to finally live close to one of those friends! Pam means more to me than words can write! Thanks Pam for all you do!

September 6, 2008

End of Summer Boating Trip

We went to Arrow Lake with the Giles, Fuhriman's, and the Simmons for one last boating trip.

The kids had so much fun on the Fuhriman's tube! It was a big hit! Hailey kept taunting Aaron to go faster, and Amber actually enjoyed herself (she has struggled a bit recently, so it was so nice to see her have fun!).

Lizzy and Hailey kept screaming, "We laugh in the face of danger"! They had so much fun taunting and pushing their limits! This tube was so fabulous...it was so smooth that we even felt okay about Jakey having a ride. In fact, he loved it so much that he really didn't want to get off.

Jill and Austin joined in on this round.

Caroll took the boys (Aaron, Mike, Bryan, and Jared) on a wild and crazy ride until the rope actually broke off of the tube. It was so sad!

In the midst of our day, we found a sandy spot to play in the sand. Jakey had so much fun! He is definitely "all boy"! He covered himself from head to toe in mud, and he loved it! I honestly found myself completely entertained by watching him get dirty, because it was reallllly dirty!

The VIEW of a CHILD

I think sometimes I learn a lot about what is truly important by what my children say. The other day I was playing with my sweet, Amber when she said, "I am going to be a good mom someday, and not talk on the phone". Now there are definitely times when the phone is necessary, which I know that my Amber does not quite understand; however, what she does understand is that the time I spend on the phone is less time I spend with her. So, as Amber and I sat at our kitchen table, we talked about the phone, and I came to the conclusion that there are a lot of things in our lives that are blessings when they are used in moderation, and there are also a lot of things in our lives that hinder when they are used in excess. The interesting thing about this comment is that I have been trying, for what seems like a long time, to talk less on the phone, and make time for the "important things", and I feel I have succeeded...I guess there is always room for improvement!

With this experience in mind, I decided to "learn" more from the "mouths of babes" by doing a quiz I saw on several of my friends' blogs. I am so grateful to have opportunities to learn what it means to "become like a little child". I am blessed to have three perfect examples in my midst.

1. What is something mom always says to you? Who are you and what does that mean? {We have a cute saying in which I ask Hailey and Amber who they are, and they answer, "I am a child of God". I then ask them what that means, and they reply, "I am a PRINCESS"!}
2. What makes mom happy? When I do my chores.
3. What makes mom sad? When I don't obey.
4. How does your mom make you laugh? She tickles me.
5. What was your mom like as a child? Sweet and Kind (I love this kid!)
6. How old is your mom? 29
7. How tall is your mom? I don't know.
8. What is her favorite thing to do? To be with her family.
9. What does your mom do when you are not around? Go on dates!
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Being a special mom!
11. What is your mom really good at? Rollerblading
12. What is your mom not so good at? Hair cutting
13. What does your mom do for her job? She's a mom!
14. What is your mom’s favorite food? Chicken Pot Pie
15. What makes you proud of your mom? That she can be my mom.
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? The dog on Ruff Ruff, because he's funny.
17. What do you and your mom do together? Hug each other
18. How are you and your mom the same? We love each other
19. How are you and your mom different? We have different personalities.
20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because she tells me everyday.

1. What is something mom always says to you? Who are you and what does that mean? {We have a cute saying in which I ask Amber who she is, and she answers, "I am a child of God". I then ask her what that means, and she replies, "I am a PRINCESS"!}
2. What makes mom happy? Playing with me.
3. What makes mom sad? When I am not with her.
4. How does your mom make you laugh? When she tickles me.
5. What was your mom like as a child? I didn't see.
6. How old is your mom? 15 ( I love this answer!)
7. How tall is your mom? 100 and million ages
8. What is her favorite thing to do? To play games with me.
9. What does your mom do when you are not around? Ummm...play on the computer.
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? That she is a MOM! (she really said this)
11. What is your mom really good at? To be a mom!
12. What is your mom not so good at? Helping me with the monkey bars. (I asked her why I wasn't good at that, and she said that it was because she liked daddy better than me.)
13. What does your mom do for her job? She takes care of kids.
14. What is your mom’s favorite food? Chicken Enchiladas-not really
15. What makes you proud of your mom? That she takes care of kids and loves me.
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? Cinderella
17. What do you and your mom do together? We play puzzles, and lots and lots of games.
18. How are you and your mom the same? We play the same games.
19. How are you and your mom different? Mom hair is dark, and mine is not.
20. How do you know your mom loves you? Because she tells me a long time.

Jakey really can't answer the questions, but I thought his cute face should be included into the blog as well. Isn't he so cute?

August 28, 2008

Amber's First Day of Preschool

On the first day of preschool, Amber was not nervous one little bit! She was so excited to finally be going to school. She kept informing me how she was no longer "little", but that she was very much a "big girl". Her only regret was that she wasn't going to Hailey's school yet! She wanted to be just like her big sister! And just like her big sister, we started the same tradition with Amber that we do with Hailey (I felt inspired to do this when Hailey went to school for a full day.)

Our tradition begins as I ask Amber, "who are you?"

She replies, "I am a child of God."

I then ask, "what does that mean?"

And she replies, "that I am a princess."

This sweet tradition has blessed my family. It is my hope that both of my girls will always remember who they are, and what that means!

Here is our second posed shot (I need to get better at taking action shots)!

One of the first days of preschool, I was watching other children, so I drove into Cathy Olaso's driveway and watched Amber walk to her door (which required Amber to walk about 50 yards down a driveway to the preschool entrance). Ever since then, Amber is almost insistent that I only "drop" her off. In fact, one day she started running away from me so she could do it all by herself. I suppose that allowing her to walk to the door by herself wouldn't be the worst thing in the world...it would only mean that I would have to let go a little bit more, which I am not quite sure I am ready to do???

August 25, 2008 ~ The Process of Letting Go...

Here is my sweet Hailey on her first day of Kindergarten. Her teacher's name was Mrs. Johnson. I remember video taping her entrance (I think I may have even embarrassed her by my theatrics). I also remember her being quite nervous--not really wanting me to leave, but also excited to do it alone! I remember crying as I said good-bye (obviously hiding my tears from her), and wishing my baby girl would stop growing up.





Here is Hailey on her first day of first grade. Her teacher's name was Miss Mathews. She was definitely a seasoned school girl; however, she still wasn't quite sure of me leaving way too fast. I remember going home that day with a heavy heart. My baby really was growing up! She went from going to school for only a half day to a whole day. I remember crying a little harder this time. That simple transition was huge for me. I now was giving my little girl to somebody else for the greater part of her day, and I didn't like it--I missed her!

...and here we are now

This year Hailey took her first day of school pictures from home. She is now an "officially seasoned school girl". Mom is still important, but not "as" needed. There was no hanging around to make sure everything was okay... Nope, it was a quick good-bye, and I love you as she walked into her second grade classroom (and as I stood at the door with my arms extended). She couldn't be more excited! She was thrilled about her teacher (Mrs. Geis), and she was sure it was, and is, going to be the best year ever! As I watched her leave, the thought hit me with such great force what these past three years have been teaching me...I need to cherish the moments a little more, because soon there won't be so many moments to cherish! I am again anxiously waiting for summer to arrive!

Here is our second pose for our first day of school!

I think the hardest thing about school is allowing my little girl to face the world on her own. I want to wrap my arms around her and protect her from all the things I went through as a child; however, I also know that "protecting" her will be a great injustice to her sweet little life. I know that these experiences are good for her! Some are awesome and fun! Some are not so awesome, and not so fun! Again, I am realizing with greater understanding what it means to let your child grow up--she really isn't a baby anymore, but she will always be my baby whether she likes it or not! And I will always be waiting with my arms opened wide!

Perspective

Perspective is a funny thing. I truly believe that our perspectives are constantly changing with each new trial (or blessing) we endure. Throughout our lives we get glimpses of what it means to have an eternal perspective. Each experience, whether it be happy or sad, guides us towards our Heavenly Father's view. Our spirits yearn for this view, but our sensual more carnal selves push it away. So, our loving Heavenly Father, which he is, give us "experience" so that we may learn.

This past year has been filled with "perspective changing experiences" for me. I feel like my Heavenly Father has reached down and guided me in my own learning process. With that being said, I do not feel that He is done. This week I have gained yet another perspective.... People I love are in pain, and with every fiber in my being I want to take that pain away, but I can't. My heart aches for them..., which brings me to my "perspective change" for this week. I think many times in our lives we try to do things on our own. We rely on our own strength. We forget to place our trust, and our hearts in the hands of a greater power. All week long I have been trying to work through this hurt alone. I now realize that I cannot do it alone. I need my Savior. I have learned this same lesson with raising my kids, being a good wife, being a good friend, reading scriptures, and the list goes on...I need my Savior. I cannot do it alone! We are not meant to live our lives alone. I truly believe that this is one of the greatest challenges that we must overcome in this life--we must put our trust in our God! We must believe Him when He says He is there. We must trust, and then we must watch Him create miracles in our lives. I know that He is there waiting for me to reach out to Him for help. He wants to help. He loves me! He loves us all!