April Showers....

...bring fun parties! This month (actually the same day) I had the privilege of helping with showers for my sister-in-law Jennifer who is getting married in July and my good friend Michelle who is having a baby in July.

The yummy spread

Michelle opening gifts

I hope that everyone had a good time, I sure did even though the parties were the same day! It is great having that big room in our home where we can have such events. Congrats again Jenn and Michelle!!

Pretty Pictures

In front of our house we have a magnolia tree.




Pretty, but they sure make a mess.
Spring is finally here, and we will miss this beautiful tree.
Not bad pictures with a point and shoot, eh?

James is 9 Months!

Baby James here, just wanted to give the world an update on my progress.

I had my nine month appointment last week, and I did so well!

I weighed 14.95 lbs (not on the charts) and was 26.5 in long (2nd %tile).
That night though I woke up and wasn't happy, and my two top front teeth were coming in! After not being happy for two days, and having a fever that wouldn't stop going up even with medicine, Mommy and Daddy took me back to the doctor. They found a double ear infection, my first ever. I feel much better now after I take my pink medicine, and I'm back to smiling :)
I am also crawling around all over the place, and I'm starting to pull myself up on things. I love practicing walking if you hold my little hands too. Watch out world, I'm ready to explore you, are you ready for me?

Here is what we've been up to:

Mommy and I played at the park. We went down slides and got to swing. I went with my friend Calvin and his Mommy Dannie.

I love bath time!!

We had a picnic with Tom and Kristie, Tom's brother Coleman, and Houston at Timpanogos Park. Daddy and Tom played a fun game with me :)


I'm sleeping pretty well again too! Mommy loves that.


I'm trying lots of new foods too! Cheese, meats, all sorts of solids. Who knew that the world held such wonderful tastes and didn't tell me sooner!!!!

Happy Birthday Nathan!

Wow, where has the time gone? Is this really how fast life will be from now on? I thought that we had just celebrated Nathan's birthday, and here we are celebrating it again. We had a birthday dinner on March 31st, sorta a surprise, with lots of love in the room :)

Nathan is now 26!!

The group after dinner, except we are missing Kirstin and Trevor :( They had to go home early.

Thank you for always being such a good husband and daddy!! We love you and
Happy Birthday :)

Conference Thoughts

Every six months our church holds a General Conference where the leaders and prophet speak to the members. If interested, go HERE to find out more, or let me know and I'd be happy to answer any questions.

This year I felt as though a lot of the talks focused on families. One quote that really stuck out was by a speaker who quoted the late President James E. Faust:

"There is no greater good in all the world than motherhood.

The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation."

Wow, that is such a powerful statement and a huge responsibility to live up to. However, I know that with the help of my family and my Father in Heaven, I can be an influence for good in my childrens lives. How I love being a mommy. It is absolutely the hardest thing I've ever done. At the same time it is the most rewarding. I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to stay at home with my little James, and I know that is the most important place for me to be. I could be working and helping to earn money for my little family, but that is not where I am supposed to be. My place is here with my little one. I truly have a testimony of motherhood, it is what we as women were made for. Now I just have to continue to do my best.

Another speaker, President Henry B. Eyring, the first Counselor in the First Presidency, talked about stregthening our children. A statement that made me think was when he it doesn't have to be our one children that we strengthen, and that we should "exemplify steady and prolonged faithfulness". It made me think about examples in my life. One such example would be my old Achievement leader, Young Womens Leader, and friend, Camille Armitstead. What an incredible lady, she has raised three beautiful children, was such a great example on the pioneer trek, and though what I don't remember about her are specifics, the constant faith by example and kindness that she shows everyone is what I always remember. She will never turn away someone in need. I have always remembered her spirit, and the way that I feel when I am around her. Hopefully I can be that same kind of example. Thank you so much Camille for your example to me. You may not realize it, but you are a light upon the hill for all to see of your Christ-like attributes. Thank you. Another example to me are Bishop and Mina Colman. They are like another set of grandparents to me. Always being there to listen, to talk to, and to see their example of kindness and service to others is what I want to be like as well. How grateful I am for these examples in my life.

Finally, Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that "parents are in charge of teaching their children". This of course seems like an obvious statement, but I was again thinking of examples in my life. I immediately thought of Misty Porter, our cousin in Franklin, ID. I can tell each time I go to visit them that Misty teaches her young children, Tate (5) and Taylee (1), about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know this because of the things that Tate will talk about, or the answers that he has to hard questions, the way that he says prayers, and the way that her children behave. I hope that I can be a good teacher to my own children like she is. Thank you Misty for your example.

Hopefully this has made some of you, the readers, think about good examples of mothers, mentors, and teachers in your own lives. Now I can't wait for the next issue of the Ensign (the official magazine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints) to come out next month so that I can read again the talks that were shared during conference.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone :)

James got a really fun farm book, and enjoyed reading it with Daddy.

How grateful I am for my Savior, Jesus Christ this season.
I am also so grateful for my beautiful family, I cannot believe that I got so lucky, and I never have been so happy.
Hope that you had a Happy Easter as well!