They just keep getting older....

 I am still trying to get used to having a teenager...then she turns 14. Now I actually am looking forward to her getting her driver's license so she can go to the grocery store for me!

 I Love this Girl so much! She loves being with her friends and always wants to have a "late night" with them. She loves clothes and has a lot of them. She loves to joke and has a good sense of humor. She has a strong testimony of the gospel and is always willing to serve others. She has become quite talented with the piano and singing. She tried out for her school talent show and performed in front of all of the 8th and 9th graders on the south end of the valley.

 We started doing the spanking machine this year with birthdays. Those spanking quite like it!!

The Big 5

My baby is 5! Wow! She asked for a snowflake cake. I showed her a few pictures on pinterest and this is the one she choose. 

I Love this girl so much and can't believe she is 5. She is my best little buddy. She keeps me company and helps so much with the daycare kids.

We registered her for kindergarten last week. I told her I wasn't going to let her go to school. She was ok with that!

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For her birthday we picked up her friend Jaxyn and took them to the JumpZone. It's a place that is a bunch of trampolines. She had a blast. I kept hearing her say, "This is the best birthday ever!" After the jumping, we went to Golden Corral. She choose that place for the cotton candy. And yup, I let her have a couple sticks of it.

Spouse Relationships

I LOVE the relationship I have with Jim. I Love that he knows me better than anyone else knows me. And I can say, I know him better than anyone else knows him! 

I had an "Ah Ha" moment a few months ago. Watching a husband and wife close to me go through some struggles made me realize a few things. After being together for almost 16 years (which speaking of 16 years, It was 16 years ago today that I saw Jim for the first time after he got off his mission.)...Jim and I know each other better than any others know us. Jim knows me better than my parents....not trying to take anything from my parents....but it's true. I am so grateful for a relationship with someone that knows how I will react in any given circumstance....Someone who defends me for the way I am because they know me and what is going on with me. He understands my thinking and knows my needs....whether I need a laugh, a Dr. Pepper, a hug, a quiet moment, time with family, money to spend on me, girl time, camping time, him and me time, serious conversation, night time tv....whatever it is.... he knows.

"Each Life that Touches Ours for Good"

I have paused several times the last few weeks thinking of those dear to me. Life can be taken so quickly and unexpectedly sometimes. I am truly grateful for the comfort I receive in knowing Families are Forever.

Over the last couple weeks I have heard of the passing of 2 acquaintances. The first one....Shirley....She was the aid on the bus that one of my daycare boys road on. She would great me 4 times a week. I only saw her less than 5 minutes on those days. Not much time....but enough to make a connection. One day Shirley had a sub. The driver said that Shirley stayed home with some stomach issues and for Shirley to miss, she had to of been pretty bad. She missed 2 days, then was back for a day. The next day she was gone again and the bus driver told me that Shirley wouldn't be back for the year. I paused for a moment thinking of her but then went on about my day. After a week of getting used to the new bus aid, I get the news that Shirley had passed....WHAT? HOW? WHEN? I was shocked. So quickly....Shirley apparently had pancreatic cancer and it took her that quick. It was very strange for me to think that she was gone. She had appeared so healthy the last I had seen her....Thank you Shirley for those few moments you shared with me.

The 2nd passing was of a friend's daughter-in-law. Raysha Neilson (21 years old). She was killed in a snow mobile accident. She was a champion snowmobiler who competed in snowmobile racing. I really had never met her, but I know her in-laws. They are members in our ward and are outstanding people. Maria, the mother-in-law is also the Principal at Millville Elem. where my kids go. Her son (husband to Raysha) was one of Jim's young men a few years back. They have a 3 year old boy together. My heart hurts for the family. I pray for their comfort and peace. To the Neilson family....Your strength lifts each of us. Thanks for touching my heart and sharing your testimony of the gospel with us.

The Results of Prayer and Fasting

I am so overwhelmed with emotion as I see the immediate response to a unified prayer and fast that took place in our valley. Not only was the fasting done in our valley but also Ogden area and in California.

We were asked by church leaders in our stake to include in our fast the blessing of moisture. We have had very little snow. I believe and have faith in prayer and fasting. My thought was, "Oh, we will get more moisture, but it will be a storm for a day here and maybe a week later another day with some snow." Well, it has pretty much snowed everyday since the day before the fast. It is beautiful. It is a testimony to what prayer and fasting can do. 

When ever an opportunity to pray and fast for a specific thing comes about, I try to explain to my girls about fasting. It seems like the more I explain, the more frustrating it is dealing with them. They get after each other for one eating something. They ask questions like, "Can we swallow our spit?" Seriously, I lose my patients  ....But as I went to bed Sunday night after having prayer with my girls 3 times during the day to ask for moisture, I checked the forecast. I wanted to cry. I immediately showed Jim then went and showed the girls that were still awake. 4 of the 7 days had snow in them. I know forecasts can changed and this one did, but with an increase of snow. WOW! So blessed!

I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing us with the moisture, but I also thank him for giving us an opportunity to share with our children how prayer and fasting works with his immediate response to our prayer.

Snow Bunny

She Loves the Snow!!

Trying to keep up...

It has been a busy week. Monday was MLK Day. I always hope to do something fun with the kids but never get to it with everything else going on. Mom had her heart shocked on Monday also. So I went with Suzanne down to see Mom and Dad at LDS Hospital. Mom was admitted so they could help her get the fluid off her. She retains it very easily. Tuesday I had one of those days with daycare that made me wish I wasn't trying to eat better cause I really needed a Dr. Pepper. I went with the Primary Presidency to do visits of the in-actives. It was a successful night and boosted my spirits. Now today, I luckily started some split pea soup in the crock pot because in about an hour I am headed to SLC again to see Mom and Dad. They are saying she will be released to go home tomorrow.....

So yup, busy week.

Tomorrow we have an orthodontists appointment for Brindley. It is Temple night also that we are planning to go to.