fire-station fun

Jared needed us to bring him something while he was working one day and he was covering a different station that has a fire pole so the kids all got to slide down it.

 They wanted to sit in the fire truck as well - lucky!

rainbows and best buds

We saw a rare double rainbow outside so of course I made the kids pose so I could get a picture

This picture makes me smile - best brothers and best buds

Jadie turns 5!

Jadie turned 5 in July and part of our birthday traditions is that the birthday person gets to pick a cereal they want - of course its a yummy sugary one since I never buy them. And of course they get to share with the family.

Bailee wanted to make all of the decorations and even made her a birthday crown.

More decorations and birthday cupcakes

Eating hotdogs and Cheetos for lunch with friends

Getting ready to blow out the candle

We also had a family birthday party for her - getting ready to blow out the candles

Happy birthday Jadie bug! We love your fiery spirit and are so glad you are in our family!!!!

Worth it

Tonight:   putting off my homework to carve pumpkins with the kids, going ding dong ditching with halloween cookies - complete with kids in black commando clothes, coming back to finish carving the pumpkins, now looking at a couple hours of cleaning up - all worth it when I hear the kids tell each other its been the funnest night ever. 

Finally!

This weekend is General Conference and we weren't able to watch the first session on saturday because Raden had a basketball game at the same time.  So I get to the game and parked and as Im getting out of the car I got a text from Alicia saying that President Monson had announced that a temple was going to be built here in Tucson! At first I thought she was just playing a mean trick on me but then my phone started blowing up with all kinds of texts from a bunch of people. It didn't sink in right away at first but the more that I thought about it the more I realized what a blessing that is going to be for us! We will be able to attend more often and our kids will be able to go there more often as well. More people will be able to be temple workers too. I cant wait for them to announce where it will be and am so excited for my family to see this whole process of having a temple built here!

One other major announcement was that young men are now able to go on a mission at 18 and young women at 19 as long as they have graduated from high school. It doesn't mean everyone will leave earlier but those that are prepared and worthy will have that opportunity. I hope this means that new places will be open to missionary work!

I am so grateful for general conference, the spirit that is felt, and love hearing and learning from our prophet and apostles.

We also went back online and watched President Monson announce everything - so awesome!

Thoughts

I always question writing posts when I'm emotional - I can never put my thoughts and feelings into the right words ( even when Im not emotional )  and also in the fear that I will want to come back and erase what I wrote earlier. But some things have happened this week that have been on my mind - using this blog as a  journal I thought I would write them down.



Last night was the first presidential debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney. It has been said that never before has an election been so important. This election will determine the direction our country is going to go - and Im very scared of the direction it will continue to go if Obama is re-elected. He has basically taken everything our country was founded upon and stands for and trampled it under his foot. There are too many hidden agenda's and sneaky things being done. And even scarier to me are the Americans that either cant see that or agree with him. Romney wants to limit the powers of the federal government and get this country back to where it needs to be. Here are a few Facebook posts from friends that I noticed this last week :




My friend Stacie Kelly - who is not a member of the church said:

"Today I feel depressed and disgusted with the situations we've created in our country and our state. We can't lay all the blame on the leaders. The founding fathers knew and stated that the only force strong enough to cripple this awesome country is the peoples' loss of integrity, work ethic and honor. We are seeing the consequences of this now. We absolutely have to teach our kids to dream about what they can EARN not what they can get."


Another friend Bill Witt posted:

" I swear we heard Captain Moroni debating last night"





I dont pretend to know a lot about politics and even agree that there are ugly things on both sides - but what I do know is that Obama is leading us in the wrong direction on the wrong path. I don't pretend that Mitt Romney is perfect and will never make a mistake and may even do something that I wont agree with but I do know his values and standards and that he still believes in our country and will fight to keep it the greatest country in the world. He believes in God and that this country is still "one nation under God".







My next thought ties in with the federal government not doing its job protecting the borders and even turning a blind eye to the dangers that we border states especially are facing.

A couple days ago a border patrol agent was killed when his patrol group was ambushed in Naco. A sensor was tripped and they went out to investigate - he was shot along with another agent that survived and a third agent that wasnt hurt. This is not the first time it has happened and as the drug smugglers seem to be getting more aggressive it may not be the last. This hits closer to home to us because they lived in Sierra Vista where Jared grew up and was in the bishopric of the ward that some family and friends attend. One of Jared's best friends was also this man's close friends as well as a close co-worker. Jared was able to talk to him and se how he was handling everything. This border patrol agent has a wife and two young daughters. The more details I hear the more my heart breaks. My heart has been heavy and my emotions close to the surface. I didnt know this family but am close with family and friends that do and i ache for this young mom and young daughters that are dealing with this tragedy. I was thinking last night how exhausted and worn out I was and couldnt wait till Jared got home - then I realized how lucky and grateful I was that my husband WAS coming home. Jared mentioned how things seem to really get put into perspective when something like this happens and you are reminded of what is truly important.

 My thoughts and feelings were with this family this morning just how unfair it all was and how this poor woman was coping and a talk came into my mind that was given at the General Relief Society General Broadcast last Sat night. Linda K Burton - the new General Relief Society President - gave a talk entitled

"Is Faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ Written in Our Hearts?"

In this talk she says ,

“All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
"We, with you, bear witness of the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our testimonies, like yours, have been written in our hearts as we have faced assorted soul-stretching challenges and adversities. Without an understanding of Heavenly Father’s perfect plan of happiness and the Savior’s Atonement as the central feature of that plan, these challenges could seem unfair. We all share in the trials of life together. But in faithful hearts is written, “All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”


President Goates - their stake president - was the family spokesperson and when asked by the media how they were doing he replied that they were holding on to their faith and know that this life isn't the end and that they would be together again.
I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know of this family. They know of their heartache and pain and wont leave them to face it alone. I am so grateful that we have been sealed as a family in the temple and that we have the knowledge that this life is indeed not the end but that we can be together forever.

Fourth of July quick trip

Jared was off on the fourth of July this year for the first time in a long time so we planned a quick trip up to Phoenix  and used his hotel discount to stay at The Buttes for a couple days. The kids loved staying in a hotel and had fun playing in the pool and water slide.

We met up with some friends of ours and ate at this really cool place - of course I cant remember the name of it now. We have a rule that if we are out of town we have to eat someplace that we don't have here in Tucson. Its a fun rule - I highly recommend it. At this place we ate at they had parrots that would talk to you and the kids loved them. This one would bite though - hence the reason Bailee is keeping her distance

 We were able to get two joining rooms at the hotel - apparently its against the rules for a family of our size to stay in one room.  So the kids showed how much they liked having their own room by jumping on the beds

 Right outside our room was this little place in the wall - perfect for egyptian posing!

Another one of our rules is that we don't leave Phoenix without getting a Bahama Bucks - seriously the best thing ever! 

We had a little adventure finding a place to watch the fireworks and ended up watching them from a lookout point at the hotel with some very patriotic drunk people - that in itself is a story but of course I didnt have my camera. But we were able to see 3 or 4 different fireworks show going on.



We partied so hard Koston didnt even stay awake on the drive home. That means it was a great family
trip! He wanted earphones like everyone else so Bailee let him use hers - guess its time to get another pair!

Another new adventure

So I know Ive been trying to catch up on posts but this post is from this week.  It has been quite a week. The kids have seemed to adjust well to going to school - Jadie still gets grumpy and tired in the afternoons but who doesn't? I actually started my classes on Wednesday. I've  finally decided to buckle down and finish the couple last classes I have to take before I can apply for nursing. Why we waited till we had 5 kids I will never figure out - maybe just to make it more interesting. I was completely overwhelmed this week and have already started to second guess myself. The classes I have are Human anatomy and physiology and chemistry. They are self paced and online so its not that I have to be at class at a certain time - its just finding the time to do the school work. I promised myself that I was not going to let it interfere with family but on saturday I totally was the Mom I said I wouldn't be. I let myself get stressed out and took it out on the family. I talked to Alicia for a bit about how she went to school with kids and she told me some things that helped her. It basically comes down to putting your priorities in order and letting the little stuff go. Then school and everything else with work out. So Im just reading my scriptures first thing and saying lots of prayers. I do what I can while the kids are at school and Koston is asleep - or jared takes him if he is home - and then once the kids get home,  school gets put away until after they are asleep.  Jared has been a huge help and I know I couldn't do it without him.  The kids have stepped up to and started to be  more responsible. And if you come over and the house is upside down - now you know why. It will be an exciting semester to say the least !

At the Cabin

We try to get up to the cabin in Pinetop a couple times a year. We were able to spend 2 weeks there this summer. I went up with Laurel and Kahlil and our 5 kids (the ride up there could be a post in of itself with Jadie asking - actually yelling since she had headphones on- if we were there yet every 15 miniutes) - and Jared and Efu came up later that night. Afton and Matt were able to stop by for a night too. Efu and Laurel had to leave after the weekend -  Jared went home after a week or so to go back to work - but the kids and I stayed for another 5 days. I love being able to get away ! The pace of life is slower there and the cabin doesnt have a computer or internet - which means the kids actually have to play and spend time together!

We always stop in Globe to get out and stretch and get a snack

This was the first time Jinga came with us - we discovered that she has a weak stomach. She threw up twice. Luckily she was in the kennel.

We made it there no problem in pretty good time considering there was 6 kids and two adults. I even  drove the Sequoia with a bike rack and 4 bikes on it. Im sure we were a sight.






The girls at the playground at the clubhouse

Kahlil and Koston checking out the clubhouse area

Every Saturday there is an all you can eat pancake breakfast that costs $1 for kids and $2 for adults. You also get sausage and juice. Its awesome!

Lexi taking Jinga on a walk in the wagon

Getting ready to go on a ride. Koston only liked to ride for a little bit then wanted to get out and walk.

Mat was nice enough to give the kids a ride on their scooter

Laurel Efu and Kahlil hanging out on the porch swing. I told them this should be their Christmas card picture. I guess after spending 5 days with us we didnt scare them away cuz we are still friends

Afton and Jadie just chillin

Playing checkers. Kahlil wanted to wear the bike helmet outside all day long.

Racing bikes. There were only a couple of crashes into the ditches. No serious injuries

Playing ball in the neighbors yard before Dad had to leave

Lexi reading in the porch swing - my favorite place

Without electronics there the kids were forced to use their imagination - Lexi and Jadie made a fishing line out of hangers

Bailee got red streaks in her hair for the new school year

walking to the clubhouse - Bailee was up ahead of us

Air hockey tournaments

Playing peek  a  boo on the slide

Smile !

You cant swing without jumping off and seeing how high you can get!

Sliding down together

more fun on the playground

Mr. Cool

Even Bailee isnt too old to swing

Showing tricks

First attempt at kids picture

Second attempt - perfect



































Raden sliding down the stairs on a sleeping bag

Making forts in the family room

We had rain almost every afternoon

Koston trying to feel the rain

Koston trying to take Jinga on a walk

Decided to play tug of war instead

If you dont have someone to play Karate with then you Karate chop a tree !

We even attempted to play Tennis. We just closed all the gates and Koston was able to run around the whole court. We hit the ball back and forth and even made it over the net a couple times

Banana splits for dessert on Friday movie night

Grammie and Tata came up a day before we had to leave and Lexi asked Tata to pull out her tooth. She had been waiting forever - he gives money to pull out teeth

toothless grin

The kids and I were sad to go but we had a great time, made it home safe and cant wait to go back up for fall break! Maybe it will be cold enough to build a fire and make smores !