Out of the Mouth of Babes

Birthday Boy

We love you sweetheart! Happy 3 Birthday...and many more happy ones to come.

A Great Man Has Passed . . .

Today, our family attended the funeral of Norm H. Rosell. It was a lovely service celebrating the life, service, and testimony of Jesus Christ, of President Rosell. I did not know him for nearly the time that most did, however, he always had a kind smile, a warm handshake, and a twinkle in his eye as I would see him in the halls at church or around town. President Rosell was the man who sealed Michelle and I and Michelle's grandfather, father, and family knew him very well.

He will be missed, but has gone to Paradise to await the resurrection when he will live in the eternity's with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and his sweet wife and family.

Our prayers and thoughts go out to his wife, Jerri and family.

It's All Coming Together

Side Note: Michelle is the visionary, she has done a fabulous job. I just try to make the vision a reality. We need to post more before pictures -- to see where it came from gives where it is now more meaning. Not sure when I will do this, we still have a bit to go with the house but we are loving it!

Sleep Tight

Last Sunday we got home from church and daddy went upstairs to get a change of clothes for you. This is what he found when he came back down. You conked out on the family room floor surrounded by your blankies (I guess this is what happens when church starts the same time as your nap). I just had to pick you up and hold you and the best part, you stayed asleep while I held you and even when I put you back down. You looked so peaceful! I love you!


Hayden was having quiet time a few days ago. This day his quiet time involved potato heads. He brought this one in to me and said, mom guess who this is? So I thought and thought and nothing was coming to me so finally I gave up. Hayden said, it's Jesus. Sure enough, there was the mostache and the sandals (shh - please don't tell him Hayden put him in yellow flower flip flops).

The boys are plotting. They are boycotting naps. I have tried to prepare myself for Hayden who just turned 5. I knew his naps wouldn't last much longer, but Carson? They think I cannot hear them going from room to room trying to be as quiet as can be (with doors slamming). I am trying to decide how to react. Do I show them I dis-approve, or do I let them think I have no idea and continue to enjoy some quiet computer time...with spouts of laughter. I like the latter!

Fun, Fun, and more Fun

We had the funnest Valentine's Day weekend. Jared started it off by surprising me Friday night with our V-day celebration. I have wanted to go out to eat at The Melting Pot for about 6 years. When he told me he had Valentine's dinner covered, I was wishing and hoping it would be there, but was trying to not get my hopes up too high in case it was someplace else. Well, about 7 months ago they put one in Temecula so he made reservations. It was a little pricey, but soooooooooooooooooo worth the cost. I think Jared realizes he may have made a mistake in taking me there as this is now my new favorite restaurant. I suppose we will have to figure out how to duplicate the sauces and fondue.


We went up Saturday to Palomar Mountain and had such a blast. We found the perfect spot (along with a couple hundred other people) for sledding.

Meet Texas...

We have a new addition to our home. This addition is so obvious and bold we feel it is now apart of our family. We felt we needed a little splash of color to set apart our "Oyester White" walls, and since I am a big fan of Terra Cotta - not to be confused with Burnt Orange, Pumpkin, or Pink - we painted our Texas wall Terra Cotta and we love it. Although, in the morning the light reflects off Texas and turns the rest of the room looking like it is on fire it's so bright. I love the Splash...ok so this wall is way more than a splash of color...but it adds so much more. We love it.


It ties in our Living Room perfectly. So when Jared gets a job we will have a huge party/ Open House and you can all come over and meet Texas and celebrate with us. I think Hayden especially adds a nice little touch to the picture.

GREAT TRIALS LIE AHEAD: BE PREPARED FOR TRIBULATIONS AND DESTRUCTION THAT SOON SHALL BE

My mom sent me this video and I love it. I think it especially touched me because today as I was sitting in Sunday school there was a quote that was read that I really loved by Elder Boyd K. Packer, "Inspiration comes more easily in peaceful settings. Such words as quiet, still, peaceable, Conforter about in the scripture. The world grows increasingly noisy. Clothing and grooming and conduct are looser and sloppier and more disheveled. Rauccous music, with obscene lyrics blasted through amplifiers while lights flash psychedelic colors, characterizes the drug culture. Variations of these things are gaining wide acceptance and influence over our youth. This trend to more noise, more excitement, more contention, less restraint, less dignity, less formality is not coincidental nor innocent nor harmless. The first order issued by a commander mounting a military invasion is the jamming of the channels of communication of those he intends to conquer. Irreverence suits the purposes of the adversary by obstructing the delicate channels of revelation in both mind and spirit."
Amid all the calamities that will befall us and our time, we are blessed to have personal revelation. If we stay apart from the world we will be able to stand strong and immovable. I love that we have a Heavenly Father who doesn't force us to do anything we don't want to do. If we stray from the path, he wants so badly for us to come back to him but it is on our own terms and he will always accept us with loving arms. The ultimate example. It can be easy to get wrapped up in the noise of the world, but I love having Sundays set aside to remind me again of the purpose of this life and as my role of a wife and mother. I am so grateful for my family and pray that I can fulfill those roles having no regrets.

When I grow up

I just want to let my possy know that when I grow up I am definitely going to be a professional photographer. I am also going to be an astronaut, but mom says being a photographer would go hand in hand with my space travels. In the meantime, I practice at home taking pictures on every single camera I can get ahold of. I love to take pictures of my favorite toys, and members of my family. I especially like to take pictures of myself. I asked mom to post some of my finer work, here is what she came up with...

These would be moms flowers that are on the wall. Aren't they just gorgeous. I cut off the top of one of the flowers in the picture so that it would appear more asthetically pleasing. Beautiful don't you think?

This is one of my finer self portraits. Generally my self portraits are reflected off the mirror in my room, but for some reason the mirror and the flash aren't friends and don't work well together. I wouldn't recommend taking pictures this way for those of you just getting started in photography.

This next picture is of my crazy mom. I always ask her to be silly in the pictures I take of her, this one just looks ugly to me and not really that silly, but I thought I would post it anyways. Mom says she doesn't take the best pictures right after she wakes up in the morning, so we won't hold it against her.


These last two my mom came across looking over an old memory card and mommy said they made her heart go pitter patter. Mom said she loved when Carson was a baby and when I was smaller too. I think she wants another baby because she always tells us to stop growing up so fast. I try not to eat my vegetables too often in hopes I can stay smaller longer. I think this would make mommy happy. I love my little brother.

My lil super hero. Sometimes I want to gobble him up and smother him with kisses I must confess. This morning I was thinking about how I am pretty sure I smother him but really, who can blame me?


The boys found Daddy's Shave cream and decided to make whipped cream toppings of themselves, mmmm.


Another loved gift from Grammy and Santa- they went in on this one together. Hayden wants to eat, nap, and spend all day on the tramp. We've had fun with it.

Whew

I will admit I have been lazy. Just this morning I was thinking I have got to get a better routine going with the holidays over, life is moving forward and I seem to have been stagnant, but no more. Here we go. A little review over the past several weeks (and months)...


We had Jared's family here for Thanksgiving. For our family's Christmas gift they gave us sod for the backyard and a new dack. Not only did they give it to us, they helped with the installation. I kept saying, this is the BEST Christmas present ever, and it truly was. We LOVE our backyard and the boys do too.




Here are a few more pictures of our beloved backyard.


This was one of Hayden's favorite Christmas presents from Grammy- a picture of him fighting Darth Vader at Disneyland. Let's just say this was a dream come true (in case you are wondering, before I hung the picture, I fixed it so it was straight in the frame).


Our big guy turned 5 years old and had a curious george birthday party with some of his friends.

Carson: Belch
Mom: What do you say?
Carson: Thank you! (Giggle)