Maddy and Skyler

Maddy always has so much fun playing with her friend Skyler!

More basement pictures

Things are moving well in the basement. Here are some updated pictures for Nate and Mindy! We are almost done with the trim and then we will begin painting. We are so excited to have it done so Nate and Mindy and the boys can come and live with us :) Thanks for all your help Dad!Closets in the bedrooms Playhouse door :)

4th of July pictures

We attempted to take 4th of July pictures in our backyard and we had quite the time!!! Miss Kenna will not sit still for very long to have pictures taken. These are some of our pictures to show how busy Kenna is and how hard it is to get a good picture of all the girls looking. We finally managed to get one that I put on my header. I love to change my blog around and I thought it would be fun for the 4th!

Swimming Party

My Mom and my sister Katie came over and had a swimming party with the girls. They had so much fun and the weather was so nice, the wind didn't even blow! This was Kenna's first time swimming and she absolutely loved it. The water was cold and she didn't even care, she splashed and played for hours. Swimming is always so fun for kids, I am glad I have my sister and my parents so close to help me out so much with my kids. I appreciate them and my kids always love to have them over.

Update on the Basement

For those of you who don't know, my brother and his family are coming to live with us for a while and I told them I would keep them updated on what the basement looks like. We only have one month to get it done and it is coming along very nice. So here are the latest pictures for you. Everything is completely sheet rocked so we are moving on to the next step.

Nate and Mindy are coming home!!

Our trip to Illinois

Some of you might not know but a year ago Josh and I took our three little girls and packed up in the truck with a trailer behind us, with all of my brother and his families belongings in it, including his truck and moved them across the country to Macomb, Illinois. They took their three little boys and moved over there to take a job that my brother had been offered. It was so hard for them and hard for us to see them go. Mindy was one of my really good friends I could talk to her about anything and we always had a good time together. I have missed being able to have her close and talk to her. It has been a long year for me and for my kids without them. The girls will never forget the journey we took over there driving all day for two and half days straight. It was a long hot trip especially with a new baby, but we wanted to help them move and be there to say goodbye. The girls didn't understand why we dropped them off there and why they never get to see their cousins. Well the day has finally come, we got a phone call yesterday telling us that they are on there way back. They have there fourth baby on the way and Mindy has to have surgery so they need family. My brother Nathan got a job in Jefferson County, truly a blessing for there family. The best part about it is they will be living with me. We are finishing our basement for them and they will be staying here until they can get settled and find a house or build a house. We are so excited to have them in our home. Mindy's baby girl is due in September and I cannot wait to have a new baby in my home. You all know that I just love babies. I started a blog so I could share my life with Mindy so far away from home and she started one also, now I will get to have her right in my home. I told Mindy that I would keep them updated on the basement and post pictures. We have been slacking on the basement because we didn't think it would happen this fast, so now we have to get moving because we only have a month, so for now here are the pictures. Can't wait to see you Nate, Mindy, Max, Charlie, Ashton and new baby girl!!!! Don't be afraid of the pictures, I promise it will be done by the time you get here we have everyone lined out!!!! :) :)

Here is the tub!

This is the kitchen we are making in the corner of the family room, it will have a bar, microwave, sink, and fridge, and a desk for a computer.

This is the family room, I know it is kind of a mess but it will be a nice big room when it is done.These are two little windows that are part of the playhouse we are building under the stairway. There will actually be three little windows and a little door.

(Very fun for the little ones to play in)

This is one of the bedrooms, there are 4 bedrooms, not done with sheetrock yet, it will be done this week!!

You can let go now Daddy

Some of you wanted to know who sings the song I wrote about and I found out who it is. I put in as my second song on my play list at the bottom of my blog. It is such a great song, hope you like it!

Happy Fathers Day!

In primary today Maddy made her Daddy this page with her footprints on it with this poem and I thought it was so cute.

Daddy,

Your feet seem
awfully big to me,
Your shoes are hard
to fill,
But I will try
with all my might,
Your footsteps
to full fill.

You lead the way,
for me to go,
while I live my life
on Earth,
and I will try
with all my might,
to give your
footsteps
worth!

I have been so lucky to have such a good Father in my life and I have always wanted to follow his footsteps and be as good as he is. We are lucky to be able to celebrate Father's Day and have good Father's in our lives to look up to. There is a new country song out called "You can let go now Daddy" And it talks about a girl who tells her Daddy from the time she is very little that he can let go now, she is big enough to do things on her own. Then it goes to the time when she is getting married and she chooses another man in her life to take care of her, and then her Daddy is dying and he won't let go of life until her hears from her that she is going to be okay without him. She tells him that he has done a good job and he can let go now, she will be okay. I cry every time I hear it! I don't think I will ever let go of my Dad he has been one of my best friends throughout my entire life. He is always by my side and helps me through some hard times. Thank you for every thing Dad, Happy Father's Day and I love you!

Congratulations Nate and Mindy!

My brother and sister in law have three little boys and they just found out that their new baby on the way is a girl!!!! I am so happy for them and I just wanted to say congratulations. Mindy you are such a good Mom to those boys and you will be a great Mom to a little girl :) :)

First Camping trip of the year!!

We finally got to go camping and we had so much fun. My Grandparents have some land in Tetonia and all of my relatives park their trailers there for the summer and we all just go camping whenever we want to. We have a few reunions there in July so we decided to leave our trailer there for June and July. Now we can go every weekend and we don't have to haul the trailer every time. It is very beautiful country with the Tetons right next to us. We always have so much fun, and there is lots of green grass that the kids get to run and play on. The weather was perfect and my Mom and Dad came with us so the girls got to spend time with them. Mom played ring around the rosies on the trampoline with the girls and they thought that was wonderful. Josh gave four wheeler rides and tried pulling a wagon behind, Kenna loved that! We went to a huge green house, MD Nursery, with waterfalls and the largest supply of flowers and trees I had ever seen. It had a gift shop in it and we found Kenna this cute crocheted fish hat. We made dutch oven chicken and potatoes which is always yummy and sat around the camp fire. We had a wonderful weekend together, and it was nice to be outside in the sunshine!

Find the stronger woman in you!

I love the lyrics to the new country song out by Jewel called "The Stronger Woman in Me". I wanted to put them on my blog so I never forget them. They give me strength and hope.

"Where there is life, there is hope"
Lyrics to "Stronger Woman in Me"

I’ve lived on hope, like a child walking that mile faking that smile all the while wishing my heart had wings. Well from now on I’m gonna be the kind of woman I want my daughter to be, Oooh I’m gonna love myself more than anyone else believe in me even if someone can’t see a stronger woman in me I’m gonna be my own best friend, stick with me till the end won’t lose myself again never, no cause there’s a stronger woman, stronger woman, a stronger woman in me!

A lot of people say they couldn't do what some people do, or go through the trials they go through. But I think what some of us don't realize is that the Lord gives us the strength we need at the time of a trial to endure it. He won't ever give us anything we can't handle and it's because if we do what he has asked of us he will do his part and give that strength when we need it the most. I have a strong testimony of the Lord doing his part in our life. Life is hard, but we can all endure it to the end!

A very nice quote for the day!

Telling the future by looking at the past assumes that conditions remain constant.
This is like driving a car by looking in the rear view mirror!

The One Flaw in Women

I have really struggled lately with many things. I keep the saying "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it" deep inside my heart. How heartbreaking life can be sometimes!
I just keep moving forward and try not to look back. Thank you to all my family and friends who are so good to me and keep me focused when life seems too hard. One of my favorite songs is "I feel my Saviors Love" I truly do feel my Saviors love all around me. This is an email my sweet sister sent to me and it gave me so much hope and I wanted to share it with all of you.

By the time the Lord made woman, he was into his sixth day of working overtime. An angel appeared and said, 'Why are you spending so much time on this one?' And the Lord answered, 'Have you seen my spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable and able to run on diet coke and leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart-and she will do everything with only two hands. 'The angel was astounded at the requirements. 'Only two hands!? No way! And that's just on the standard model? That's too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish. ''But I won' t, ' the Lord protested. 'I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick and can work 18 hour days. 'The angel moved closer and touched the woman.' But you have made her so soft, Lord. ''She is soft,' the Lord agreed, 'but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish. ''Will she be able to think?', asked the angel. The Lord replied, 'Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate. 'The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek. 'Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one. ''That's not a leak, 'the Lord corrected, 'that's a tear! ''What's the tear for?' the angel asked. The Lord said, 'The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride. 'The angel was impressed. 'You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Woman is truly amazing.. 'And she is! Women have strengths that amaze men. They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice. They don't take 'no' for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE TINY FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.