Monday, October 29, 2012

Utah Vacation 2012

So we haven't had a real family vacation since Matthew and I went on our Honeymoon 5 years ago. Which I think means that life has been pretty busy. Oh well. At least we finally took the time to head to Utah as a family. It sure was nice to have Matthew go with us. The kids and I have taken a few trips together and left Matthew behind because he had to work. We headed to Utah to go visit my Dad and Cyndi. They had a few fun things planned for us, and I have to say that we had a fun time. We left Friday (26th) after Matthew got done working at the schools. Then Saturday we headed out for our day of fun!

We first headed to breakfast at Magleby's to enjoy some french toast, buttermilk syrup, and strawberries & cream. It is officially my favorite place to eat breakfast. Too bad I have only eaten there twice and will maybe be lucky to eat there once a year :)! Oh well, I will take what I can get.

Then we headed to WITCHFEST!


Proof that we were all there!
 It was a pretty cool event to go to. There was the little village will all these little shops that had clothes, books, toys, etc. The people that worked there dressed up like witches, and people that came even dressed up like witches. Next year Cyndi and I decided that we will have to come down again and dress up like witches. There were also witches placed all around the village. They also told us that in December they do an elves thing around the village. We might have to check it out one of these years :)!

Here are some of the witches:





This one made me laugh!
We sure were having fun!

THE GIRLS!!!!
THE GUYS!!!!

 We were able to head to the Living Planet Aquarium. We all loved it! 



Logan was able to poke his head up and look at the otters!

Ashlee had to too!

The otters were probably the best part of the Aquarium. They were so fun to watch. They were just so playful and active.



Trying to pet the stingrays!



Logan and Ashlee with Grandpa and Grandma!










We stopped to grab a bite to eat and Logan and Ashlee got to have some playtime with Grandma Cyndi.


 We then headed to do a little shopping. It was a long day and the kids had fun, but were pretty exhausted. We made it back to the house and then we stayed awake and played a few games. Then it was time for bed.    The next day we got up and got ready for church, we only stayed for sacrament, because we wanted to stop by and say hi to Aunt Vicki and Uncle Donny. We had a wonderful, short vacation. It is always fun to get away from everyday life and have fun and to visit family. Thanks again Dad and Cyndi for the fun weekend!!!!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Angels Among Us!

I just cant believe how lucky I am to have such wonderful kids. I truly believe that they are my two little Angels. 

Angels In Disguise!

These pictures were taken the End of September as I was inside processing my last batch of potatoes. I couldnt believe that they were outside running through the water, but they were sure having fun and it was a nice day. Apparently the last good day to run through the water :)!





Random Pictures 

She sure is growing up, into a beautiful little girl!

Suckers sent to them from Aunt Shell.

Cutie Pie!
I know its not even, but something new I tried, and  she just wasnt going for it and wouldnt hold still. 

My favorite 3 piggy tails!

Had to take a picture of Logan with his orange blankie!

Love this little boy!!!!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Stake Women's Conference 2012

I have never been to a women's conference before, but this year our stake put one together and Lisa was part of the committee put it together. I know she did a lot of work for it. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go, and I even thought Saturday morning that I would just stay home. I ended up going and I even got my mom to meet up with me, without having to convince her. Which I was so excited about. All I have to say is. WOW!!! It sure was a wonderful day and I am glad that I was able to go. Here are the details of the Women's Conference: 

Womens Conference
Saturday - October 20th - 9:30 am - Filer Stake Center


Our day will begin at 9:30 am in the chapel, you will then go to 3 classes which you have chosen. Each class will be 45 minutes.  After the 3 classes are over, there will be a main speaker for everyone in the chapel.  We will then have lunch together to end our conference.  It will be a wonderful, fulfilling day for all women!  Hope to see you there!    Below are the classes you can choose from.


The Five Love Languages:
          Are you and your spouse speaking the same language?  People express and receive love in different ways. This class will help guide you to work as a team. Before you know it, you'll learn to speak and understand the unique languages of love and effectively express your love as well as feel truly loved in return. Based on the book “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman.  Presenters are Shannon and Heidi Widmier of Kimberly who both grew up in Murtaugh, ID.  They were high school sweethearts and just celebrated their 20th anniversary this summer!  They have 3 children.  Shannon attended UT State and then dental school at the University of Oklahoma  he works as a dentist with offices in Kimberly and Jerome and is currently the bishop of Kimberly 2nd ward.   Heidi attended Ricks, she runs her own business, Soho Photography



I Can Accomplish Everything!
          Personal development is something that we all have to work at, not just for a day here and there, but forever.  Improving the person you are on the inside improves the person you are on the outside.  Sara Hope from Jerome, ID will be speaking on strengthening your personal development in the areas of self-esteem, building a positive self-image, developing superior self-confidence and improving your personal drive.  Sara is a motivational & positive thinking speaker and has been a Stake RS President, YW President, Teacher Development Teacher, RS Teacher and has raised 5 children.

Fashion Cents:
          Do you want to learn how to shop on a budget, get the most out of your basic pieces of clothing, and learn to accentuate the parts of your body you love? This class will help you do just that. This class will be presented by Jana Dille who lives in Twin Falls. Jana loves fashion and has had a lot of experience working in the fashion industry. She worked for Maurice’s and then went to The Buckle where she was trained to know denim fits, merchandising and styling. She now does personal styling and closet makeovers in her spare time as she is now a stay at home mom with 4 children.

Life is a Test:
          We all have choices of how we handle adversity. We know that this life is a testing ground, and that Heavenly Father is waiting for our return to see how we did on our test. Learn how we can accept and deal with the trials we are given in this live.  Presenter Heather Cartwright is originally from Soda Springs and has lived in Kimberly for the past 7 years.  She is the mother of 4 and owns and operates her own business “The Quilt Barn”
  
Recognizing and Reversing the Effects of Low Self-Esteem:
          Low Self-Esteem is a central issue in many people’s lives but remains misunderstood. Many assume that victims of low self-esteem are those that are unsuccessful in their relationships and career etc. This is a common misconception that will be debunked. Anyone who has struggled with the problem of self-doubt or has loved ones that do, will benefit from this class by acquiring a deeper understanding of self-esteem.  This class will be presented by Dara Larson/Kuerth. Dara is the mother of three children and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Twin Falls. She works mainly with women and adolescent girls on improving low self-esteem - recovering from abuse of all forms, grief work, ADHD coping skills, substance abuse recovery and a variety of other issues. Dara says “it is always my prayer as a counselor that I am “about my Father’s business” and I seek His guidance in my work.

Home can be a Heaven on Earth:
          Your home can and should be a heaven on earth! This class will show you how! It will be given by Rachelle Dille grew up in Boise Idaho the oldest of 3 girls. She graduated from Centennial HS and spent her first year at Ricks College. She then went to Provo and got a Bachelors degree of Fine Arts in Interior Design from BYU. She has 3 Children and has worked in the design field for 9 years designing commercial and residential spaces as well as drawing floor plans, selling furniture and tile, and decorating showrooms. She is currently self employed and loves being a stay at home mom! 


Be a H.O.T. Woman:
          Have you ever wanted to be a "HOT" woman?  Come and find out what it takes to be a

"HOT" women in the latter days.  What a blessing it would be if our wards and stakes were filled with "HOT" women.  It really is much easier than you might think! This class will be presented by Diane Workman of Twin Falls who has presented this very class at BYU-education week and BYU Hawaii.  She is a mother of 3 children and has 7 grandchildren. She taught early morning seminary for 9 years, has been a Stake Relief Society President, worked in the Young Women’s and is currently a missionary working with the Napoli Refugee people. 

Loving Who We Are by Staying Physically & Spiritually Fit:
          The marvel of our physical bodies is often overlooked.  Who has not encountered feelings of low self-esteem because of physique or appearance?  Many people wish their bodies could be more to their liking.  Jewlee Steed, from Cassia Co., will be speaking on the importance of taking care of your body physically & spiritually and in doing so it will bring a transformation of happiness into our lives.  Jewlee graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in Sports Science with an emphasis in nutrition, fitness and dance.  She and her husband are raising 6 children.  Jewlee has served in many positions in the church and enjoys speaking and telling her story about loving, serving and becoming who we are suppose to be in this life.

A Piece of Heaven on Earth:
          Temples are more than stone & mortar.  They are filled with faith and fasting.  They are built of trials and testimonies.  They are sanctified by sacrifice and service.  The world can be a challenging and difficult place in which to live.  Virginia Farnsworth, from Jerome, Idaho, will speak on how we will be able to bear every trial & to overcome temptation by temple attendance.  Learn of the countless blessings, revelations & joy found in the temples.  Virginia has been a seminary teacher, Relief Society President, YW President, Teacher Development Teacher, Relief Society Teacher and has raised 5 children. 


It was really hard to choose, because they all sounded good and you are never sure what to expect. So I choose to go to:

Loving Who We Are by Staying Physically & Spiritually Fit:
This was probably my favorite and it wasn't because the information that was given was anything new that I didn't already know. It was because the presenter was fabulous. She was a little quirky, but I loved her class, her personal stories and her approach to teaching us the importance of taking care of our bodies physically and also spiritually. She was just a wonderful lady!!!!!!

Home can be a Heaven on Earth
This was a fun class, just to get someone elses take on home decorating. She obviously loves decorating and she was fun to listen too. Gave me a little more push to get some things done around our house within the next few months so stay tuned for some fun changes :)!

I Can Accomplish Everything!
This was a great class too! We talked about Faith in Jesus Christ, and how with His help we truly can accomplish anything that we need to. It was a super fun more spiritual class. I really enjoyed it.

Then after our classes we meet back in the chapel to her from Sister Camron, from Utah and she gave us her talk from BYU Education week, when she presented it there.

All I can say is Amazing!!! You know when you hear someone talk and they are such a good speaker that you literally could listen to them all day and never get bored. That was her. She had such a fun personality. He talk truly brought out her personality, she just was such an amazing speaker. She talked about lightning our load (meaning getting rid of our guilt). Such a powerful message and such an amazing example and woman. Her personal trials and the things that she has overcome and the attitude that she has about life was just an amazing example. I think she impressed everyone in attendance. I think one of my favorite things that she said was that " She was God's Favorite." When she said that I was like what??? Then she said that she was Gods favorite because she recognized just how truly blessed she was and how much she knew God loved her. But she also said that each one of us should be able to say that we are God's Favorite.

How grateful I am to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are truly surrounded by amazing people, who have overcome trials greater than our own and we truly are blessed to have the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation, and all knowledge for that matter that comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a wonderful day, it sure was something that I needed and how grateful I am to those who put all the hard work into putting it together. 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Birthday Fun!

Another Year Behind Me!!!

That makes 28! What a wonderful 28th year it was!

Not my birthday cake, but it sure looks yummy!!
I got to celebrate my birthday 4 days this year.

The Saturday before my birthday my mom and I got to spend the day together. That's right, no kids. Matthew was nice enough to keep them so that I could spend some time with my mom. We sure had a wonderful day together, another reminder of why she is my best friend and the best mother a girl could ask for. We started the day off, by stopping by the Filer Fairgrounds to check out the craft fair that was going on. We just browsed through to see if there was anything new or anything that we needed. I found myself a couple hats and a few cute headbands. I cant wait to wear my hats this winter :)! Then we headed to Real Deals which is a pretty sweet store that is full of super cute house decor and furniture. My mom goes there way too much as the ladies working there knew her by name. Then we went and got a bite to eat. Funny story as we were deciding where to eat I told mom the two places I was thinking which were: Chilis for a bowl of soup, a salad and of course the Oreo Topped Molten Cake or Idaho Joes for a bowl of soup and a cinnamon/sugar scone. She busted up laughing because those were the two places she was thinking and she thought of the same things to eat. These have been two places we have gone to eat together since I was in High School and it was just me and her. To say the least great minds think alike. So we ended up going to Chilis and of course we ate dessert first then we enjoyed our soup and salads. Then it was off to the mall to do a little shopping. We shopped till we dropped, but enjoyed trying on clothes and getting ideas for Christmas. We were tried by the time we got done shopping that we headed back to Tim's to get dinner ready. Matthew was bringing the kids in and Mom and Tim cooked us steak and Lobster. It was a perfect Birthday Saturday with my mom!

Then Sunday, my dad was in town and he came to church with us. Logan was so excited that Papa Duck was there with him, he even took papa to sunbeams and was so proud. Then my dad came to our house and my Grandparents came out to enjoy dinner with us. My grandma made me a cake and we enjoyed a few hours together.

So it was a super special and wonderful weekend with family! I sure have been a lucky girl these past 28 years.  Sure made my birthday special this year :)!!!!

Then on my birthday, I had a presidency meeting and then spent most of the morning frustrated with primary stuff. So I decided to do nothing that afternoon besides hang out with the kids and enjoy the hours left. Matthew had a gift waiting for me when I got home. 

JVC GZHM40BUS Black HD Flash Camcorder w/ 40x Optical Zoom, 2.7" LCD display, Advanced Image Stabilizer
Yep a camcorder. I was pretty excited. Mine is blue! I love it. I have been wanting one since we had Logan and I finally got one :)! I got it just in time for our first family vacation since our honeymoon. We have plans to head to Utah to see my dad and Cyndi. So I cant wait. 

We also got to go out and eat dinner with Flint and Lisa. We met them in Twin and ate at Sizzler. It sure had been a long time since we had eaten there, but I sure enjoyed the salad bar, and my steak and Malibu chicken. We sure had fun, and we always love getting to spend time with Flint and Lisa. Thanks for the wonderful company and wonderful dinner :)!


So as you can see I had a pretty fantastic birthday!!! I sure am the luckiest girl to have such wonderful family and friends to make my birthday so special!!!!!!!