A Bunch of Jumble!! Updated just for you Jade.

Okay, I figured it's about time I post something besides "Happy Easter". I was starting to get very disgusted with the same title that popped up on the screen every time I checked my blog. So I honestly haven't the slightest clue as to what I should post now but anything would be better than that. I figure I could always post more pictures of our sweet Lizzie and her new doings or I could update everyone on the latest news but to be completely honest ...I wouldn't even know where to start! So here's a bunch of jumble and you can all decipher whatever the heck is going on in our lives right now!! Big Smiles! Enjoy!

Okay, I'm going to do my darndest to explain whats been happening in the following pictures. This is per Jack's request ;)

This beautiful baby belongs to Tara Cappo Stanley, for those of you who know her. I babysit from time to time and I just love Little Rylie! She is a sweet heart! No, I'm not baby-hungry ;)

This is us crazy kids trying to create some fun for our kids. Yes, we tied the kids jeep up to the four-wheeler and pulled them around for a bit. They Loved it!! Especially Lizzie. She can't get enough of the "Beep" (her words)

Rick rescued a bunny that was caught by our old cat. It wasn't hurt YET. Rick released it quite a ways away from the house but i don't know that it helped. He sure was cute though!

This is our Crazy Weston pulling faces!

 

This is Lizzie singing and making the actions to "Itsy, Bitsy Spider"

 

Here we all are working hard in the yard. We are building a drinking fountain for all the little kids who spend their day outside, hard at play.

 

 Okay, I don't quite know how to explain....My mom and I were talking in the kitchen one day when Weston comes walking in and declares, "Grandma, I'm a princess!" Lizzie and Brooklynne had dressed up along with him. He sure made the sweetest little princess I've ever seen though. Yes, his top is stuffed with kleenex's :)

 

Here is Brooklynne dressed up in one of her costumes for the "Alice in Wonderland" play that she performed in. She played a few parts and she did an excellent job.

And Rick is doing push-ups in this other picture. I wish I could say that he's getting "buff" for me but he just wanted to get stronger for his work. He has to tackle some kids on occasion and he's being a boy scout in "being prepared" :) Elizabeth loves to ride on dad's back while hes doing his push-ups. Rick on the other hand prefers to do them without her ;) She weighs like 35 lbs.

This is the Orem volleyball tournament I played in just this last weekend. We placed fourth out of 14 teams in the Womens B division. It was an excellent tournament! We played very well and made some friends while we were there :)

 

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! We did. We went to the traditional white sand dunes to roll our colored eggs. 

For any of you who know and understand my family, it won't surprise you that we took snowboards and sleds too.

We rolled our eggs down the sand and JD won for the second year in a row.

The kids had so much fun, whether they were riding on backs, shoulders, or sleds....

Or just eating the sand itself seemed to be a treat!

That's Our Lizzie!

(We had my aunt Laura and Uncle James and the cousins visiting this year- it was a blast!)

And this is the family!

Every Hope

"Knowing what we know and living as we are supposed to live, there really is no place, no excuse for pessimism and despair...I promise you in the name of the Lord, whose servant I am, that God will always protect and care for His people. We will have our difficulties the way every generation and people have had difficulties but with the gospel of Jesus Christ you have every hope and promise and reassurance. The Lord has power over His saints and will always prepare places of peace, defense and safety for His people. When we have faith in God we can hope for a better world for us personally and for all mankind."
                                                              -Howard W. Hunter-

I read this in the Ensign the other day and it has given me every hope in the world. Thank you all for your prayers! 
For those of you who don't know yet. Rick lost his job. They closed the business here in St. George. The good news is, we see it as a huge blessing. Rick will be going back to school and is working on finding a job that will allow him to work and go to school. Of course, it will be rough at moments and just waiting is torture, but we are ready to take on any challenge that comes our way. I thank my Heavenly Father that I have this gospel to help us through these times. He has already brought me to my knees on several occasions and I'm realizing slowly that we can't do this on our own. My stubbornness gets the best of me from time to time. But  God is humbling me one step at a time and I'm fully aware of it. We will be fine. I know it. But again, Thank you for all your prayers.

Moments of Strength

I've just spent some time starring at the blank screen in front of me, partly because I wasn't sure what to write and partly because there is so much I could write. I've been thinking about my family and friends all over and the obstacles we are all facing in life and I thank God that we have each other. 

The smallest of things is where I find my strength most often. A smile, a hug, a compliment, an opportunity to help someone else...It could go on forever.  I know that without my moments of weakness, I couldn't have found my moments of strength. I am thankful for my tests and trials in life.

Those moments that made me, ...Me. It was those tough times that forced me to make a decision, encouraged me to turn to God, and ultimately changed my life forever; I wouldn't change one thing.

At the worst and hardest of times, I find myself feeling the strongest, thanks to my Heavenly Father. He buoys me up when everything else seems to be pulling me under. How blessed are we? To know that He will ALWAYS be there for us. And to know that I have the support of my family and friends as well is.... well....I have no words. Thank you.

The Duck Pond!

Elizabeth

I thought I would update all those who don't get the chance to see Elizabeth  on a more regular basis. Lizzie is such a big girl and continues to grow in leaps and bounds. Her favorite movie is Enchanted but has recently expanded to The Bee Movie and a few others. She takes after her dad in most ways. She is our little social butterfly. She loves greeting people everywhere we go. We went to see the Princess and the Frog at the theaters the other day. The first half of the movie, she watched and the other half she spent talking to the girls sitting next to us. 

She loves loves loves nursery! When it comes time for nursery, she flings the door open and raises her hands in the air like, "Here I am"! Shes not shy at all and she can definitely hold her own. Shes had lots of practice from her cousins. She loves to help me clean. She puts the dishes away for me and tries to help me sweep the floors. I've caught her cleaning up her messes on several occasions and she always shuts the door on her way out of any room. 

Elizabeth has a pet fish that daddy won for her in a game. She spends about 5-10 minutes talking to her fish every day. She hasn't named him yet but maybe soon. Lizzie loves the ducks at the duck pond a mile from home. We like to walk over and feed them. She's not scared of them at all even after one of them tried to eat her thumb. St. George weather is looking nice these days which is even more reason to visit the ducks and the park more often.

She weighs about 30 pounds and she hasn't come across a taller 18 month old yet. 

Elizabeth loves to drive cars and ride in the bike, wagon, or anything that moves. She is also my little dancer girl and she is better at it than I am. I'm a little jealous :)

All the time, including public places, she'll grab my hands and say, " DANCE"! She's made me step out of my comfort zone on several occasions and I love it. She is putting words together now and understands so much. Her more frequently used phrases are, "whatcha doin'", "Here it is", " found it", "all done", and "what's this?".

I love my Lizzie with all my heart and I just thought you all might like to know what she's been up to.

The closer it gets, the more excited I get

Valentines Day? I was wondering what Valentines day was all about and I decided to do a little researching. I just love the mystery of it all. The stories are heartbreaking, fascinating, and wonderful. There couldn't be any greater, bitter-sweet tales to go with a more bitter-sweet holiday. Saint Valentine risking his life for those who were in love and wanted nothing more than to marry, solidifying their choice in one another. 

Or Valentine being thrown into prison, only to fall in love with the jailers daughter. In his last attempts to share his true feelings to the woman he loved, before execution, he writes a letter and signs, From your Valentine. *sigh*  Saint Valentine must had been courageous, heroic and romantic and therefore I will continue to celebrate Valentines day, if not for the boxes of chocolates and bundles of flowers, than for LOVE itself.

Most of my friends despised and dreaded Valentines day in our single days, but for me, I never got the chance to wallow in self pity and feel the sting of desolation. I only seemed to feel the sting of Cupid's arrow. I always seemed to have a guy show up on my door step when Valentines day rolled around whether I was hoping for it or not. 

First, there was Travis T. The whole first valentines was awkward and honestly, dreaded. Its something I'd much rather forget. Then there was Travis V. (what with the Travis', you say? I don't know) This Travis was cute and sweet enough to steal my first kiss. On VALENTINES day, nonetheless:)

Now I'll skip over a year or so and tell you of when I meet my true Valentine. Rick and I had our first date in February. I didn't know at the time that he would become my one true love so I agreed to have Valentines dinner with Luke, only to have Rick in the back of mind the entire night. Now I have Rick on my mind always. So I can't complain about Cupid. He eventually got it right. It just took him a few tries:)

I am very much in love with Rick and happy to be. He is my Valentine for years to come and he is my best friend, quite literally the man of my dreams and the love of my life. I'm so happy to have him by my side for all eternity. There is no better gift than to know that that will never change.