Oh, what do you do in the Summer time?

Do you go to family reunions? 

Where you play the piano with great-grand cousins?

Do you turn 10 months old, 11 next week?

Do you play with Daddy outside at reunions?

Do you have pie eating contests at reunions?

Do you play on the slip n' slide in your clothes cause it's real HOT?

Do you love time with mom?

Do you go to girls camp?

Or swim in a pool, soaking up your diaper?

Or make homemade root-beer at a family bbq and swim party?

Do you make fun of Daddy and Grandpa sitting in the pool?

So do I.........

We are alive!

We were a little M.I.A. in the blogging world. I just

didn't have the motivation to actually blog. But hopefully 

we are back. We've been super busy with our sweet not so

baby anymore. She is moving and grooving all the day long. 

She gets on her hands and knees to crawl but chooses to 

scoot because it is faster. She is always wanting to stand 

and walk. If she is grumpy all you have to do is stand

her next to something and she is good for at least 20 min.

She walks around the coffee table, loves to hold onto the couch

and has figured out how to go from one to the other. Yikes!

She is always sooo happy! We are soo blessed 

to have her as our constant ray of sunshine. 

We are always finding her in crazy positions at night and 

during nap times. 

Also, other great news is that my little sister Cassie,

is getting married! Whahooo, to a great guy named John!

We love him, they are so great together. 

They are getting married in the Logan Temple,

on Aug. 14, 2009.

Hooorraaaayyyyyy!

Scott and I had the great privilege of going on our 

Stakes Youth Pioneer Trek. We were the Ma n' Pa

of our little family group. We were put into families, and then

into companies. It was soooo amazing. Neither of us had

ever had the opportunity to go on a pioneer trek. It was so

worth it! Our little family was unbelievably AMAZING!

We bonded together so quickly, honestly we had no choice.

The trek was quite difficult. The first day we went up some

very treacherous steep rocky hills. Just when we thought

that we couldn't make it to the top, we would, and then we

would see that there was an even higher hill to climb.

But the youth of Zion do not faulter. They never complained,

they never gave up, and the whole while, even when out of breath,

they sang. It down poured the next day for several hours, making

 very thick sticky mud. But we all persevered. With rain ponchos 

and muddy shoes and clothes we pushed onward and upward.

Two girls in our family sang and we joined them, and soon

so did the rest of our company. And although, we could have

been miserable, we were joyful, singing the songs of Zion we pressed

forward. It was a life changing experience for all of them. They

quickly appreciated the trials of our pioneer ancestors. They

also realized the easiness of our trail, we had water, food waiting

for us all day long, we were strong and healthy, and the trek was

only 3 days. But it was just difficult enough to help them realize 

that they too, can make it through their own trails and the

trek of life that they have been given. The Spirit of the Lord

was so strong, the experience humbling to say the least. 

It was beautiful to see the youth realize their testimonies, to 

realize that they can be pioneers in our day. 

One of the life changing experiences for me was when another,

Ma from our ward shared her favorite line of 

"Come, Come Ye Saints." 

It says: "Tis, better far for us to strive, our useless cares 

from us to drive."

I reflected on that over and over on the trek and the

days since.  What are the useless cares in my life, that I

need to drive away. On the trek, we were all the same. It 

didn't matter what you looked like, what color your dress was,

how much money you or your parents made, what your tent 

looked like, what your favorite show was, what car you drive.

We all had to push up the hills together, unified in a purpose.

Do we not today hear the words of a prophet, do we not

all share the same purpose, to make is back to our Heavenly

Father and Savior.  Our trek today is physically different, but

we have the same faith that led them onward daily. We

too are pioneers. In the words of a primary song:

"You don't have to push a handcart, leave your family dear,

or walk a thousand miles or more to be a pioneer.

You do have to have great courage, faith to concur fear,

and work with might for a cause that's right to be a pioneer." 

Florida Sunshine

6 months yeah!

Anne one week old 4 lbs. 11 oz.  17.5 ich.

Anne 6 months old, laying next to the purple outfit above

15.4 lbs. and 25.5 inch.

One week old

6 months old

A few weeks ago I was holding Anne at church. A man

leaned over and asked me, "Is that what a miracle 

looks like?"  Without hesitation I said emphatically, "YES!"

She is our beautiful miracle.  I can't believe how much she

has grown, how quickly she has learned and what joy she

brings to us daily. She truly is our miracle!! 

From her early start (seven wks early) she was a miracle.

From the moment my water broke, all that I cared 

about was that she was okay. I will never be able to put 

into words the joy and relief I felt when our Dr. asked

if I wanted to see her. He lifted her up over the curtain

(i had and emergency c-section) and I saw her for the first

time. She was screaming and I was so glad that she was

breathing. Truly a miracle. She hasn't had any problems,

any lasting health concerns. She is an absolute angel, the joy

of our lives. Scott never worried about her. He knew 

everything would work out. Maybe, he has more faith then

I do, but I worried for her, only as a mother can.  When

she was in the NICU for 20 days I thought we would

never be able to be home. The future wasn't even in my 

mind, I only cared that she was breathing. Those 20 days

seemed to be forever and now looking back, they were

only a moment. At first I almost felt terrified to hold her,

and now I walk in the room and she squeals with delight, 

wagging her hands and arms at me, smiling her big 

toothless grin, wanting me to pick her up.  

Anne means = Grace of God.

I have felt His Grace, each moment with her: 

every prayer, every cry, kiss, smile, laugh, tickle.

Each day a gift. 

She is the cutest baby in town.  Sunday is a great day because she wears cute dresses.

Anne loves her food.  She is still learning how to swallow instead of pushing it out of her mouth with her tongue.

This was on Feb. 19. She is learning how to talk. 

She is learning new tricks all of the time.  She is growing up so fast.

posted by a very proud daddy

Fire

Last night I ran to the store for some milk.  As I turned on my street heading home, I was shocked to see fire trucks, flashing lights and firemen. I was instantly concerned for our friends and neighbors in the building next to ours. You could smell electricity in the air and a hint of smoke. The power was out in the two buildings down from us. A moving truck had hit the power lines and caused a power surge, and hot spots broke out in the apartments. Thankfully everyone was safe. 

One of the apartments in the basement started flooding because their water heater was the direction that the electricity went needing to be grounded. Yikes! They were going to be moving today anyway, so their house was full of boxes. Almost immediately the Elder's quorum was in action. Moving all of their possessions out. While they were moving things out smoke started coming from the basement ceiling and raising quickly through the upstairs floor. The men continued to work as quickly as possible (some wonderful women too). 

I got nervous watching as the smoke started pouring out of the doors. Especially when I watched, Scott and a few others continue to pull out things from the apartments entering the smoke until the firemen wouldn't allow them back in. Luckily, the firemen were able to contain the movement of the fires and nothing was really burned. But the apartments were torn apart.  

As I watched the acceleration of the smoke billowing out, I wondered if we were in danger of being evacuated. I thought quickly about what I would take. My first thoughts were only of Anne and Scott. Nothing mattered more to me than their safety. Then I thought of things that Anne would need, blankets a few clothes. Then I thought of our computer that is filled with pictures, then my journals. What would you take? 

In a way I felt completely helpless. It was really cold outside and Anne was ready for bed. I sat in my house rocking her to sleep while Scott and a few others brought in some of our neighbor's important possessions: family pictures and computer towers. I so badly wanted to go out and hug my neighbors while they watched from the church across they street. How would I feel if it was my apartment going up in smoke?Would I cry? But I had to stay and care for my baby while everything was moving outside. 

 It made me very grateful for several things. One was for the organization of the church. In minutes the men in our ward were gathered, large trucks and trailers assembled to help move our neighbors out of their apartment. These everyday dads and men you see at church became heros.  At one point during the night I looked out my window and saw a band of these men marching forward together with purposeful expressions on their faces. The elders quorum pres. in the front, as if leading them to battle. In my mind I pictured him leading them to battle sword in hand, the title of liberty waving, prepared to protect the families and homes of our ward.  Yes, I am a little dramatic, but seeing this brought tears to my eyes. It made me grateful for the priesthood brethren and for their heroics of everyday life. I saw these simple wonderful men taking care of a crisis with dedication, smiles on their faces and a willingness to do all that was required.  

It made me want to thank my hero, my own strippling warrior for the small and the large things he does for us daily. Things like waking up early to scrape everyone's sidewalks and dust them with ice melt, for getting ready in the morning with only the bathroom light glowing into our room so I can still sleep, for eating a bowl of oatmeal nearly every morning because he doesn't want to wake me knowing I was up with the baby; for taking out the garbage, putting gas in the car, and loving me. 

Also, I was grateful for the women who I knew were inside the church caring for the families now without homes. Beautiful! 

I was also grateful for skilled firemen and others who helped.  They were great! And now I am grateful for the experience, the emotions, gratitude, and etc. 

When Scott finally came in, after it was finished, around midnight, he was tired but so happy to have served. He continued his thoughtfulness about me; knowing that I am definitely a worrier, he made sure that I was okay before he threw his smoky clothes into the washer and got ready for bed. WOW!! We are all so blessed. What a sad night but good at the same time. We have much to be grateful for! Our prayers and thoughts to go our friends who have lost their home and some of their things to smoke damage. We are so glad that you are safe!

Time flies when you're having fun!

this is what happens when I leave to go to Wal-Mart 

for a 1/2 hour.  When mommy is away, 

daddy and the baby will play. 

Can you say... a little too much stimuli.

last week Scott came up with a fun idea for our date. 

We went to the store and had to find the entire alphabet 

for as cheep as possible. using only the brand 

name and flavor of the product. 

We found it for only $2.51

Kind of silly but it was super fun!

Happy 5 months last week!! Whaahooo!

I haven't felt much like blogging the 

last few weeks. But we are grrrreat!

We spent the last weekend with Scott's family.

We visited his grandma Fillmore and took

some four generation pictures. She is such a hoot.

Mostly we have been singing, laughing, learning 

new tricks, trying to sit-up, growing and growing!

Anne thinks that she must hold conversations while

she is eating, especially if anyone else in the room

is talking.  She refuses to be left out!  She thinks

that her mommy and daddy are pretty funny.

And she has the lower pouty lip trick down to an 

art. She never really cries, she just screams really

high pitched until she get what she wants...oh, great!

I am glad that she is not a crier, but I may experience

early hearing loss. Really she is a sweetheart who is

always happy. We can't believe that five months have

past so quickly. Anne and I are now "mall walkers"! 

I go walking in the morning with my mom and since

we live in good'ol Idaho we have no choice but to 

walk indoors. But really it's like an obstacle course;

weaving in and out of all the old folks. It is 2.5 miles

if you walk 4x around the mall. Who knew?  Besides

one crazy fast lady we are the fastest "mall walkers"

in town. Anne loves to ride in her stroller.