Summer 2009

So, a little late but I am trying to play catch up!

Lintons came to visit!

K at Girls Camp

The girls having a spa night!


UTAH for softball camp

Visiting Cousins

Cabin Time!

Intense game of Spoons!

Spa Night!

My Cousin Ashley's Wedding

Grandpa Chuck

K gets a bad case of Osgood-Schlatter Disease and ends up in a cast for 6 weeks!

Tender Mercies

Sometime in life we get to have the kind of experiences that reach deep inside and touch our souls. Many times these experiences come through the trails of other people. And while sometimes people facing the trial say, "Why me?" others find themselves asking, "What can I gain from this trial?"

Over the passed year I have been blessed to witness a very dear friend bravely take her trial by the hand and daily choose to, as she said it, "find out what God wants me to learn through all of this." She may not even remember saying it, but when she did, it hit me hard, reached into my soul and changed me. If while in the midst of one of the most difficult trials I could imagine, she can think about what God wants her to learn, I can for sure do the same in my small, tiny, daily annoyances!

Besides the fact that my life has been touched, I know a sweet boy who has also been changed by the life of a little girl. His heart has been opened and a level of compassion that will be a blessing to others throughout his life, was cultivated.

I think one of the biggest questions in life, is, "Why do bad (or difficult) things happen to good people?" I know that I don't have all the answers, and I cannot speak for other people. I also, would never want to be so presumptuous as to say that another's trial is for my benefit. But what I do know is that if it wasn't for pain and suffering, the compassion, love, and goodness of humankind would never be known. For, it is in those moments when our hearts and souls are changed that we reach outside ourselves to demonstrate God's Love. For "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." John 13:34.

And in the end, we see that in Life's biggest trials we find God's most precious blessings.

Family Pictures

The last time that we had official family pictures was before my youngest was born. I think around October 2000(ish)

(I know you are thinking, what's up with my hair? That's ok, because

I am thinking the same thing!)

How could you not love them?

I remember it being kind of a nightmare of an experience. Figuring out what to wear so we kind of matched, getting everyone dressed, hair combed, kids fed so they were happy. I remember tears while we were there. The kids were quickly worn out of the entire experience.

Now, that doesn't mean we didn't have any pictures taken after that. Whether it be at someone's wedding, or grabbing a friend after church to take a picture while the kids were in their Sunday best, we have managed to get some decent pictures for our Christmas cards, at least! I just never felt the need to spend a lot of money to torture ourselves.

I remember this photo experience. We left from church with a friend to go to Queen Ann Hill. Got there and the memory card wasn't in the camera. Some guy that was there offered to let us use his camera and then he emailed us the pictures. Got to love technology!

This will probably be the picture that I dig out whenever I need to know that I was young once! It is also a good one when I need to remember that my kids were innocent once too!

I decided last fall that it was time to get over my 9 year aversion to family pictures. This is what we came up with!

A walk in the Park!

My cute boys!

Loving each other!

Dad telling a funny joke! (Wish I could remember what he said.)

Kids not fighting!

Action shot

Got it!

A man and his dog

Those eyes......

15 years and still in love!

It is amazing what a difference 9 years makes! Even the dog behaved! Of course only a month after we had pictures taken, she got her braces off! Just another reason to make family pictures a more reoccurring event. Although by the next time, I am sure that someone else will have braces on! I will, however, make sure to schedule pictures right at the end of Summer so at least we all have a tan!