A brand new 10 year old!

This soccer loving cute girl turns 10 today. She is so sweet, spicy, shy, and helpful! She loves candy, ice cream, stuffed animals, and her dog Chewy. Love that she is ours! 💚💚💚

Conference Weekend!

Wow, General Conference was awesome and having it Easter Sunday was a treat! So many gems and pearls of wisdom about the family and marriage. 

Prayer

Trying to remember this when I pray. My kids have all kinds of fears and issues as young kids do. I am trying to focus on the righteous mother part lately. I want to be righteous and faithful so that my thoughts and impressions are clear when I pray for my three daughters. I think I can do this by keeping the Holy Ghost with me all of the time. Making my life a place where he can dwell in comfort. 

FHE

Tonight for Family Home Evening, we went through the Hymn I Know That My Redeemer Lives line by line. It was so great to let the girls know that He is there to silence all their fears, to wipe away their tears and that they can get through anything with Him. I want so much for them, I want to teach them so much that sometimes I feel I won't have time to get it all in! I want to take away their fears and pain so much. I get a little glimpse of what the Savior must have felt for us when he suffered for us. 

The Sabbath

I was able to attend the General Womens broadcast last night and had a full day at church with meetings afterward. I got home in time to have prayer with my family and put the girls to bed. I thought about what makes our family work and how we could do better. I found this little poster and would love to hang this in our home! Almost all of the teachings I was able to hear the last two days had to do with the family. We truely do only find happiness in the life through the gospel.

Update on Testimonies

We did our own little testimony meeting for Family Home evening this past week just like I wanted to, and it went great! My kids actually bore their sweet little simple testimonies on their own. I feel so much better knowing they felt comfortable enough to do this in front of their family at least!

It was such a great night. I have gotten so much out of this class that will help me in my family. 

Loved this week in my class!

I loved Elder Bednar's talk, More Diligent and Concerned at Home.  He talks about three ways we can become more diligent and concerned in our homes and I got some great advice that I felt was tailor made for me and my family! First is expressing love and showing it at home. We are good at that one. Maybe it is easier because I have all girls, but we are pretty affectionate and tell each other we love you all the time. The next one was Bear Testimony and live it. This was so great to know that our testimonies need not be lengthy or eloquent. What a load off. What we don't do is bear testimony at home very often to our kids or vice versa. I had an epiphany! My girls are super shy and quiet, they would never entertain the thought of going up to the pulpit to bear their testimonies in a sacrament meeting. They rarely even speak at church in front of anyone and I have one daughter that won't even participate in the primary programs because she won't speak in front of anyone. I think in a family home evening coming up, we will have a testimony meeting. What a great way to get them used to bearing their testimonies but starting small in front of just our little family. I bear my testimony occasionally and make sure they are paying attention when I do, but I never bear testimony to my husband and Elder Bednar mentions that as well. It is also important that we live what we are testifying to. Another key that I don't think about very often. It may seem dumb as I usually bear testimony about some doctrine or principle I am already passionate about, but sometimes the spirit moves you to get up and share something, we need to remember what we said and take that direction into our lives. Living what we testify about is vital. The last one he says is Be Consistent, which is just smart. Any parent knows that you need to be consistent to make habits and grow and learn. I loved this talk.
This is the first class I have taken that has flown by! I never want it to end. I know it is making me better every week.

Marriage

I have learned and grown so much this past week in my class. One of the best things I read this week was by President Spencer W. Kimball, "the spouse . . . becomes preeminent in the life of the husband or wife, and . . . No other interest or person or thing shall ever take precedence over the companion spouse."

Covenants

I saw this and it was very fitting for what I studied this week. We studied Covenants and Ordinances. I know that I have to live worthily to obtain the blessings of the covenants I have made in the temple, and at baptism. If I can make sure I am doing all I can to keep those covenants, it will be easier for me to help my family make and keep covenants. 

An FHE among the stars

We have beautiful California nights out here and we spend our family home evening in the dark under the stars on the trampoline this week. It was so great to just sit there suspended and teaching our girls about the kind of young women we want them to grow up to be. We watched a video about the Young Women leaders that found a purse at the end of a dance and how they wanted to identify it's owner so they opened the bag. They learned so much about this young girl and her devotion to the gospel and serving others. I loved sharing this with my girls and how they can show others what their values are.

I love them . . .

I had the wonderful opportunity to go on a hike today with my brother's families and my kids. It was such a nice day! While walking the trails for a little while alone today, I realized how fantastic it felt to be out in nature with everyone I love most in this world. I felt such an awesome responsibility to these three kids in which the Lord has entrusted me with. I am charged with the duties of teaching them the gospel, nurturing them, and keeping them safe. I fear a day when my influence on them will no longer be felt. I am trying to cherish these days where they love me and genuinely want to be around me. 

The cousins!

Better Late than never??

I haven't blogged in quite awhile!! It is 2015!! I am taking a Family Foundations class at BYU-I and I have chosen to keep a blog about marriage and family for the semester, so this should be interesting. 

It is only the beginning of the semester, but I have learned so much in my studies already. I cherish my family and the blessing of eternal marriage so much more. It is so vital to our eternal growth and progression. 

I am adding this photo I took at the temple. I have been making the temple more of a priority in my busy life and it makes a huge difference. 

A day in the life . . .

So Addy is obsessed with red lipstick because of Lela from Teen Beach movie. She dances around and takes pictures of herself with lipstick on. This kid is so funny and growing up way too fast. 

2014!!!!

It is 2014!! I can't believe how fast the year has come and gone. We had a terrific year. Shon had been working hard on a remodel job in Riverside at a school. I have started attending BYU I online. Hailey got straight A's and finished a great soccer season taking 2 nd place. Mckenzie is starting to open up at school a little and making new friends. Addy is smart as a whip and getting more and more mature and funny and outgoing everyday. She spends her says singing Teen Beach Movie songs to me. Here is to 2014!!

Loving Life

This kid is my free entertainment. She makes me laugh like no other. 

This kid is about to be 9!!!!! She just decided she wanted bangs to look more like Taylor Swift. 

The Sights of Summer

We are having some fun so far! Love having my little ducklings home!!

Then and Now

So we took our annual trip tonOceanside/San Diego for the summer and stayed at the same place we did two years ago. Here is the same shot two years apart. I was marveling at how fast they grow and how much more they know now! 

Say What?!?!?

Here is our newest addition. Loki! From a rescue, Shon brought him home to me for my birthday! He is so sweet!

I must be the last to know this, but I can blog from an app on my iPhone! This is earth shattering. 

Here is my ladies and myself on Mothers Day. 

Sweet little McKenzie turned 7

So I realize I am the most lame blogger and have skipped through an entire year almost, but we reached another milestone. McKenzie turned 7 and she is one special individual. Couldn't let it pass by with out an honorable mention!

Birthday Interview:

What are your nicknames? Bid, Magoo, Minnie

How old are you? 7

What is your favorite color? Orange

What is your favorite animal? Fox

What is your favorite book? My Sister is a Vampire

What is your favorite TV show? Gravity Falls

What is your favorite song? Love Story (taylor swift)

What is your favorite food? Gold Fish

What is your favorite drink? apple juice

What is your favorite snack? popsicle

Favorite game? Head Bandz

Who is your best friend? Zitlalic

Favorite thing to do? play ball with my sister

Favorite Holiday? My birthday

Favorite place to go? Zoo

Favorite restaurant? McDonalds

Where do you want to go on vacation? A hotel or camping

What do you want to be when you grow up? Artist

What did you do on your birthday? I went to Pump it Up

Still here, barely!

So much has gone in since last August when I last updated! The girls are thriving in school and doing so well. This cute kid just turned 3! I can't believe it has been three years since she entered our famly.  She is potty trained completely and what a blessing that has been. I am still in Relief Society and that is a busy place to be, Shon still a reluctant Scout leader.
Hailey is 8 1/2 and loves 3rd grade. Her and her bestie Kalia are in the same class and she now talks on the phone, which is odd. She loves to read and is very artistic. Loves to create stories and draw.
McKenzie is almost 7 and in 1st grade. She has made quite a few new friends this year and loves seeing them at school.  That is about all she loves about it. McKenzie would rather be home than just about anywhere, but she recently learned to juggle, which is fun to watch.
Addison, sweet Addison. Big Bad three year old is my social butterfly. Can't wait to start school, and loves church and her nursery class so much. She is a big kid, like literally, and has the most hilarious sense of humor. She makes me laugh like nobody else can. She says and does the funniest things at just the right time. I need to stick her in dance soon, because she loves to dance and loves all things musical. Sings all day long.
We lost my beloved Cooper right after Christmas. He was my first child. I had him before I had my sweet family and losing him was so hard. He is still in my thoughts everyday.

There is a quick update on us!