Labor Day Weekend Beach Trip

Over Labor Day weekend we decided that we really needed to go to the beach since we didn't go all summer. We did the day trip thing, which really wasn't that bad. Nine hours in the car for five hours at the beach is well worth it. This trip was probably the best trip we have had so far. All of the kids were old enough to really enjoy it. Jaynie and Lillie were really brave and went out and were jumping the waves. I was so proud of them. All in all it was a great day.

BUY OUR HOUSE

It's for sale, we need someone to go ahead and buy it.
www.7347ridgecresttrail.blogspot.com

Sister Julie Beck in Asheville

Sister Julie Beck, the General Relief Society President for our church came to Asheville to speak and all the surrounding Stakes were invited to attend. Kim and her sister were going so I hitched a ride with them and we spent the day being spiritually fed and enjoying the beauty that Asheville has to offer.

Here is us on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I am pretty lucky to live so close to such a beautiful place.

Listening to Sister Beck was so wonderful. She did it as a question/answer session. It just amazes me that someone would be so confident in the gospel that they would let people just ask her questions and them come up with the answers on the spot. She is such a spiritual giant, but because she is so down to earth you feel like you could actually be her. I wanted to record my notes here on my blog so I will always have them and then maybe someone else could benefit from her beautiful words as well.

Life Long Responsibilities of Women:

1-Increase faith and personal righteousness

2-Strengthen Family and Home

3-Provide Relief

Women's Role in the Plan:

-Earth was created for families to dwell

-Families need a mother and father

-Adam needed Eve, for her leadership

-The fall enabled the family to grow in experience and numbers

-You can't have the sealing power with out each other

-Men are the guardians of the priesthood keys

-Women have the responsibility of influence

How are we doing?

-We are doing well, but there is always more to be done.

Modesty

-Sometimes we can be the pornography-cover up

-It is our responsibility to help the brethren

-You cannot see into the temple, the curtains are closed

Through the covenants in the temple we are endowed with power beyond our imagination-the power of angles.

-Moroni 7: 26-30, 36, 37

-Our children need our Power more than ever!!!

-Don't trust that someone else will do it-teach them

Alma 48: 7,8,9-Three strategies for our homes

1-Prepare the minds of the people to be faithful-Teach

2-Strengthen the fort-Prepare and defend your home, don't let bad things in

3-Strengthen the weak spots, put the most work into the weak spots

Alma 50

-Plan your defence so you can be happy during the war

-Celebrate the Good, Defend against the Bad

What can you do when you've done all you can and it's not enough?

-Genesis 24

-Rebekah was pretty important in the Abrahamic Covenant

-She never took her eyes off the plan

-Teach and prepare like Rebekah

-Use the power of the temple

Quotes:

-This life is not the dream-This life is to prepare for the dream

-Some of us are sad because we don't have kids, Some of us are sad because we have so many, and some of us are sad because we have the wrong ones.

-If we center our Faith on the Savior we will be O.K.

-Get to know the gray haired ladies, they are a wealth of information

Quote by the Asheville Stake President:

-You either married your biggest trial in your life or you gave birth to it. (this came from a LDS marriage counselor)

First Day of School-August 25th, 2009

The girls started school. I can't believe how fast the summer came and went. Lillie started Kindergarten and Jaynie started 2nd grade.

It was so much easier to have Lillie go to kindergarten than it was with Jaynie. Lillie was just so ready to go. I didn't worry one bit about her and because she has spent so much time at the school already and she knew right where to go and what to do. She was a little hesitant at the very last second because they did a staggered start so only 7 other kids were there and she was confused about where to sit, but she got over that quickly and she was off. She has Jaynie's same teacher, Mrs. Wuwert, which is helpful for me because I know what will be going on and what to expect.

I am having a hard time believing Jaynie is in 2nd grade. Can she really be that old? She is so grown up and was a super big help with her little sister. I guess Lillie was sad when Jaynie and Jane got on the bus after school because she sat there forever by herself, but Jaynie didn't hesitate for a second and sat down right next to her and comforted her all the way home. I hope Jaynie never gets too cool to help her younger sisters. Jaynie has Mrs. Sloop this year and we are lucky because she also goes to our church and she is an awesome teacher. Jaynie's big concern was that she would accidentally call Mrs. Sloop Sister Sloop in class. I told her she would probably answer to that too.

The first day of school also marked a first day for me too. Jaynie's kindergarten teacher approached me last spring with the idea of keeping her new baby for the school year, and after much thought and prayer I decided that I would do it. At the time I thought sure. Why not. I can do babies. I have done four. The baby will be 6 weeks when we start, so all she will do is eat and sleep. Addie's going to be two and I'm not pregnant, so why not. Not to mention it really felt right. Well I am starting to see the why nots. It has been pretty hard for me these last couple of weeks. The baby is adorable and I love her to death and I am glad to be helping a friend, but my life has had to change dramatically and I wasn't quite prepared for that. I guess when it's your baby you are totally prepared for that period of adjustment and you know it is going to be a little rough for a while. I am not sure how I forgot about that, but somehow I did. It is going to be o.k., but I have spent a lot of time mourning the gym and my clean house and the time I could be spending with Addie and Eliza. I just need a schedule and once we can get there I will be o.k. Eliza and Adeline love her and spend the time she isn't here asking when she is coming back. So it is good for them and the money is really needed right now, so I am done complaining. I am going to have faith that I can do this and I am going to start enjoying this new adventure.

Whit and His Bike

Whit spent a lot of time riding his bike this summer. It is fun to see him so passionate about something. I just hope someday we can get me a bike so I can catch the fever too. Here is Whit riding in a crit race in August. Whit we love you and your girls will always be your biggest fans!!!

Summer at the Pool

Most of summer days in North Carolina are spent at the pool because it is too hot to do anything else. This summer was not any different. The girls have really become great swimmers. Lillie and Jaynie spend most of their time in the deep end jumping and swimming and going off the diving board and Eliza decided she didn't need floaties anymore and is actually swimming under the water. Addie became quite proficient with the floaties and loves to jump in and go under. It's amazing what one summer can bring. It just stinks that we basically start all over again next season, but hopefully the courage will remain.

Whit spent one night teaching the girls to dive and Lillie (the brave one) is now jumping off the diving board and Jaynie (the determined one) is still working on it. Here are some videos of them doing their thing.

Lillie's Turns 6

On August 8th Lillie turned 6. She got a new bike for her birthday and instead of having a party she got to invite one friend to go with her and her sisters to the children's musuem where they were having an Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter Tea Party. They had a wonderful story teller telling the story of Alice in Wonderland and then they had a cute little fairy teaching them the proper manners they should have at a tea party.

Here is Lillie trying out her new big bike.

Lillie sporting the mad hatter hat at her table.

The Ladies sipping their tea properly.

These mad hats are going to be all the rage some day.

Lillie wanted to have a turtle cake so to make it go along with the Mad Hatter theme we gave him a Mad Hat.

After playing at the musuem for a while we treated the girls to McDonald's Happy Meals and we had cake and opened presents. This was my kind of party. Easy Peasy for mom!!! Lillie is so dramatic. With every present she opened it was like the best moment of her life.

Goodbye Marcia

Our Good friends the Praono Stevens family moved just shortly after we got back from Idaho. We miss them dearly. It is hard to make such good friends just to have them leave. I know that is why we are still in North Carolina-Good Friends become Family when family isn't near. Marcia was like a sister to me and she made me think I could do crazy things like run marathons and wear bikinis (Shh don't tell my mom) and guess what I discovered I can. Thanks Marcia. I love you.

As a goodbye celebration (for lack of a better word) we had a girls day. The day started with Kim, Marcia, and myself getting up for our traditional morning run. Then at 11:00 Kim and I got a babysitter and we rode our bikes to a cute little coffee shop in downtown Lewisville to get frozen lemonade and then to the pool. Cortney met us there. I tried to convince her that being 8 weeks pregnant was no excuse to not ride with us, but she just laughed in my face. After relaxing and laughing at the pool we went out to eat at a great restaurant that featured fancy Southern Cuisine. Yummy!!! Then we had a spa night at Cortney's parent's pool house. It was a crazy fun night.

We also had a chance to get all the kids together for a fun photo shoot before they left. It was a ton of fun and we got some really cute pictures. Here is the whole gang striking what I am sure is to be the newest fashion model pose: Sarp, Emilia, Addie, Eliza, Kate, Carmen, Lillie, Jane, and Jaynie. Sarp is one lucky guy.

Here We Have Idaho

Just four days after getting school over with the girls and I were able to fly out to Idaho and stay for nearly a whole month. June 16th through July 15th. The crazy thing was that it wasn't long enough. I just can't get enough of Idaho in the summer. There are so many pictures and events to post and it take me a little while to get it all on here, but I promise the pictures will be here eventually.

Last Day of School

The last day of school finally arrived on June 12th. To celebrate Lillie, Eliza and I decided to paint the car in bright colors to tell Jaynie and Jane how proud we were of them. Lillie and Eliza had tons of fun doing it and Jaynie and Jane loved seeing the car pulling up in the car rider line. I think they felt pretty cool.