Geneology

In this weeks reading for my Book of Mormon class in the first chapter of Ether we learn about the descendants of Ether. This past year I have really enjoyed researching my own family history work on family search. I have been blessed to find many of my own descendants on both of my parents side. I enjoy learning about the lives of my ancestors. My great great great grandfather on my fathers side was one of the last surviving civil war vets. I have a newspaper clipping where they wrote a story about him. My family tree has many branches of beautiful people and I am excited to do more research. Recently I was able to take some of my own ancestor names to the temple to do temple work for them. This has been such a huge blessing in my life as I have had a wonderful experience and I have felt the spirit so strong as their names were taken through the temple. I know the Lord has blessed me to be able to do this very important work. My 12 year old and 17 year old were able to participate in an indexing challenge in our ward and it really got them excited to do their own family history work. I hope to have my daughters take my own family names to the temple soon to do baptisms for their ancestors. In Doctrine and Covenants 124 we are taught the importance and sacredness of doing the temple work for our ancestors. I have a testimony of the importance of temple work so our ancestors can be sealed together forever. I am so thankful that my family can be together forever.

Kindergarten Registration...

for my baby! I just got back from registering Mackenzie for kindergarden! I can't believe she will start school this July! I'm excited for her and we have a lot to work on between now and then!

SWIMMING SEASON....

Rowena did her first year of swimming season! I told her she had to do a sport in high school and so she decided to try swimming! At first she was very scared, but now she LOVES it! She improved a lot this year, she does a great back stroke and awesome flip turns! Her favorite so far is freestyle! She swam the 500 at her last home meet last week and she did great! She decided for next year she wants to train more for that event and make that one of her main events to swim! She loves being part of a team and she has made some great friends! As a parent I got to say it has been a blast watching the girls complete in sports! For now her swim suit is taking a break, but she can't wait for swim club to start!!!

I'm hoping to get back into BLOGGING

I miss blogging and I'm hoping to get back into blogging again! I have been so busy and have let this part of my life slip!
We have been enjoying this school year with the girls!
Rowena is a freshmen in high school and is doing well! She has been on the swim team and is doing very well!
Brook is in 6th grade! She did track this year and she is in orchestra!
Courtney is in 1st grade and loves to learn. She started reading a chapter book a couple of weeks ago.
Mackenzie is at home with me! She will start school this July....what will I do?
I have been so busy with all of the girls activites! I made two quilts for Courtney and Mackenzie for christmas this year! They turned out so cute! I also took on babysitting part time and that has been a lot of fun! I watch twin 3 yr. old girls and they are so cute!!! I'm hoping to pick a few more kids!
John countinues to work hard and very long hours! He is doing a presentation today for a group in our church!
I will post again soon!

CELEBRATING 16 YEARS TOGETHER FOREVER

16 AWESOME THINGS ABOUT MARRIAGE

1. GOING TO THE TEMPLE

2. HAVING 4 BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS TOGETHER

3. HAVING A BEST FRIEND FOREVER

4. COOKING TOGETHER

5. DOING THINGS TOGETHER

6. GROWING IN THE GOSPEL TOGETHER

7. LEARNING MORE ABOUT ONE ANOTHER

8. PRAYING TOGETHER

9. READING SCRIPTURES TOGETHER

10. TEACHING PRIMARY TOGETHER

11. MOVING 18 TIMES TOGETHER (WE LIKE TO EXPLORE)

12. GOING ON TRIPS TOGETHER

13. GOING ON DATES

14. FOOT AND BACK RUBS

15. LONG LATE NIGHT TALKS

16. FAMILY GAMES AND WALKS TOGETHER

THERE ARE MORE, BUT THIS IS SOME OF THE FUN THINGS ABOUT MARRIAGE.

WE HAVE GROWN TOGETHER AND HAVE HAD OUR UPS AND DOWNS LIKE EVERYONE, BUT I AM SO THANKFUL WE CAN WORK THROUGH THOSE ROUGH TIMES AND GROW STRONGER! THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILY. I KNOW YOU WORK MANY LONG LATE NIGHTS AND THE GIRLS AND I APPRECIATE THAT. YOU ARE A WONDERFUL HUSBAND A GREAT DADDY!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! I LOVE YOU SWEETHEART!

Mothers and Birthday Day!!!

It has been a wonderful day for me. What a special day to have my birthday and mothers day on the same day. My husband and daughters have done a wonderful job of pampering ME:

FRIDAY:

BEAUTIFUL ROSES DELIVERED FROM MY SWEETHEART

A FAMILY TRADITION OF DINNER AT RED ROBIN FOR MY BIRTHDAY WITH MY SWEET FAMILY!!!

SATURDAY:

A DATE WITH MY HUBBY TO THE COLORADO ROCKY MOUNTAINS

AT

ESTES PARK

WHAT AN AWESOME DAY TALKING, LAUGHING, STROLLING THROUGH ALL THE SHOPS, WINDOW SHOPPING AND A WALK BY THE RIVER

DINNER WAS YUMMY ITALIAN!!!

DESERET WAS YUMMY PEANUT BRITTLE COVERED IN CHOCOLATE AND ALMONDS

STOPPING AT A BOOK STORE FOR A GREAT BOOK OR TWO TO READ!

SUNDAY:

BREAKFAST IN BED

QUITE READING TIME

NICE RELAXING BATH

AWESOME CHURCH TALKS

GOING TO RELIEF SOCIETY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE

(thank you YM and YW for serving all of us WOMEN)

A AWESOME LESSON FROM OUR WONDERFUL BISHOP

THE BISHOPRIC SERVED US HEART SHAPED STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

AND

GAVE US YUMMY CHOCOLATE

MY DAUGHTERS ARE MAKING MY BIRTHDAY CAKE

OF

SHORTCAKE

WITH BERRIES AND WHIPPED CREAM

I AM SUCH A LUCKY AND BLESSED WIFE, MOTHER, DAUGHTER, NEICE, COUSIN, GRANDDAUGHTER, DAUGHTER OF GOD, AND FRIEND...I AM BLESSED TO HAVE SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN MY LIFE AND I AM SO THANKFUL FOR ALL THE GREAT EXAMPLES I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE OF WHAT A MOTHER SHOULD BE.

TO MY MOTHER:

I LOVE YOU

AND

THANK YOU

FOR

LOVING

CARING

FIGHTING

FOR ME

FROM THE

VERY

BEGINNING

Our week...

is always full of busy fun things!!!

1. School for 3 girls...busy end of the year projects and homework.

Rowena: Is pulling another 4.0 and if she pulls it again this quarter she will have a straight 4.0 all her years of Jr. High.

She got accepted into the IB program for High School

Brook: Is also getting a 4.0 and the top reader in her class...Her favorite thing to do is READ and RIDE her BIKE.

She is seriously considering joining the Orchestra in Jr. High and try her hands at the violin.

She got accepted into the Pre-AP program for Jr. High.

Courtney: Loves learning and it shows in the strides she has made in school. She is reading quite well and loves to work with numbers. Her favorite thing to do this week is build with legos and play school with Mackenzie.

Mackenzie and Mom are working on Counting and ABC's. She is doing well. She loves to play with play-doh and her baby dolls....she is quite the little mommy

Dad: Countinues to work long hours and I am thankful that he is such a hard worker and sacrifices for his family.

Mom: Countinues to try to keep the many hats on chaperone, cook, maid, reader of many stories, homework helper, lunch maker, referee. Right now in my spare time I am working on organizing my home one room at a time, Cooking healthy recipes, and Exercising. My Sister-in-law gave me her treadmill and I am up to 3.5 miles a day with jogging 1.5 of those miles. I feel like I am finally getting back into the grove and I feel so much better.

Rowena and I have been racing each other in reading to Book of Mormon...she informed me tonight that she has 2 chapters left....she is way a head of me, but I am almost done too!!!

A side note: A friend of mine has been a huge inspiration with going back to college while still being at home with her family. So I am looking at an online Bachelor's program for elementary education. I really want to get my degree and this program looks really AWESOME!!!