McCombs Family Blog

The things we'll do for free food!

2010-07-10T14:05:00.001-07:00

Chick fil a had this promotion where if you came inside dressed up like a cow, you got all of your dinner for free. John was pretty embarrassed, but his enthusiasm for free dinner drove him to put his pride aside and participate. The girls thought it was great!

4th of July

2010-07-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

I was so tired after girl's camp, that I didn't have the energy to drive to Etowah's fourth of July celebration like I normally do, so we invited some friends over. The kids played in the pool, I didn't post the picture, but before everyone got in, Emma jumped in the pool in her birthday suit! Brylie kept making these hilarious poses! We tried putting Charley in, but you can see how well that went over! Soon after, Emma fell asleep on the floor, and the rest of us shot fireworks outside. Check out Ally's expression. She told me later that she didn't like fireworks. At one point, one of the fireworks misfired and shot right through all of us! Luckily no one was hurt, but Ally ran inside crying because she was so scared. Poor girl. Next year we might enjoy from afar. Nonetheless, it was all in all great fun!

My young women

2010-07-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

How can you not love these guys. I adore them! Oooh! Btw-I earned two more honor bee hours teaching my laurels how to sew scripture totes with pockets to hold their personal progress books. Grand total-21.5

Cousins

2010-07-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

Ad'Lynn and my parents stayed with us while Heather had her baby. We had so much fun! I wish that they lived closer so that we could visit more. I love my niece and nephew! They are so adorable!
We celebrated Joshua's first birthday. He laid in the floor face down and cried when we brought his cake and sang happy birthday!
I HAD to include this shot!
We went to the fountains downtown and had a picnic. Josh chowed on watermelon.
We also played on the slip n slide and did our best ballerina poses.

Girl's Camp 2010

2010-07-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

I just returned from girl's camp and looooved it! I always love girl's camp. I loved it as a youth and I love it even more as an adult. I love the camaraderie and being in nature. I understand that some people think that I am too girly to enjoy the out-doors. Those of you who feel this way might be surprised to know that I love nature and I love camping. In our church, some of our Sunday school lessons teach of the importance of nature and the Earth. I always assumed that the lesson to be learned was to appreciate all that has been created for us. I realized this week, though, that part of what we are to learn is that when in nature, we are in a pure, undefiled piece of the world. When there, we can more easily feel the spirit and get answers to prayers. In the Bible, we read about Christ going into a mountain to pray, Joseph Smith went into a grove of woods to pray. I wonder if we, too, are not supposed to also step out into the outdoors as well more to seek guidance and find peace. I saw the impact of that on the young women. I have always been amazed at how testimony-building girl's camp is for those attending. I can't wait for my girls to experience that one day. I wish that I could always be there to see that. I know that most likely I won't be witness to their camp experiences, but I look forward to that for them. Our theme was Follow His Road with the Wizard of Oz as a cute way to visualize it. Just like Dorothy had to follow the yellow brick road to Oz and to ultimately returning home, we need to follow Christ's path that he established to get to the temple. It was adorable! I'll post pictures later as they are on one of my young women's cameras. I also earned quite a bit of honor bee hours from helping our ycls's prepare for their responsibilities at camp and from some things that I did while at camp with the girls. In reality, I earned well more than this, but I am only counting fifteen of those hours. These were quality mentoring experiences. My grand total now is 19.5!

Honor Bee clarification

2010-06-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks Alice for your comment to my last post. I see that I need to clarify some things about the honor bee service hours. As I mentioned before, obviously I would not count every thing that I do for my children towards the completion of this program. That would be silly. Sister Dalton explained that these hours are to mostly be used for the young women, but they do not all have to be. The goal for the honor bee hours are to mentor young women. I feel that this most definitely applies to our daughters as well. The young womens program began with Brigham Young organizing his daughters in his home. I chose to count some hours for my daughters this week for the following reason: I have spent many hours working with our young women in my home since I was called to be the Young Women's President. We have girls camp next week and I have spent time teaching them how to sew various projects, paint, make posters, and come up with spiritual thoughts in preparation. I have family in town with the birth of my new niece as well. With everything going on, I wanted to make a special point to show my girls that I wouldn't push them aside. I've been taking time to do special things, things that I understand many of you do all the time, including myself. This was different, though. It required much more sacrifice, energy that I don't have, and time that I seem to never have enough of. Don't misunderstand. I love everything that I do related to my calling and here at home. My personal goal with my service hours are to use them to push myself to be better. To try harder in those moments when it seems hardest. My hours are not frivolously chosen. That is what is great about the personal progress and honor bee programs. They are personal. They are to be adapted to the individual. I will even be sending them to the bishop and Bonnie for his approval so that I am in check as well as the youth. Today I spent an hour playing with my niece, nephew, and daughters on the slip and slide and baby sat so that my sister could go and help Clark and Heather. My current total is 4.5 hours. I can't wait to hear what some of you are doing for yours!

Honor Bee: 3.5 hours

2010-06-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

I took Ally and Emma to the movies when I was so tired all I wanted to do was rest. Then I let them pick out their own awful-looking but cute because it was their idea- outfits. For any of you who know me well, that was hard.

Honor Bee Update

2010-06-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

1.5 hours taking lunch to Heather (Not that I wouldn't have done that anyway, but it was fun planning!:)

2010-06-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

Our ward leaders have encouraged we adults to do our personal progress again. I did mine as a youth, and would like to do it again with my daughters, however, there is now a new program that the church has come out with called the Honor Bee program.

The Honor Bee charm was historically given to young women who were willing to do more than was required. To continue your progress, you may earn an Honor Bee to accompany your Young Womanhood Recognition medallion. You may earn an Honor Bee charm after completing both of the following requirements*:

1. Read the Book of Mormon again

2. Serve others for a total of 40 hours.

Since I use my blog as my journal, I am going to keep track of my service hours in my blog. As parents and church leaders we could easily earn 40 hours of service in just a few days. I thought that this would be a neat opportunity, though, to push myself to do things here at home or with my calling that may be lacking. If any of you want to do it with me, let me know! It would be fun to plan together!

Charley Rose

2010-06-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

What a sweet baby! On Thursday, Heather gave birth to our fifth grandchild, Charlotte Rose Ensminger. I have to say that Heather was a trooper. If she was hurting, she didn't complain much. Charley weighed 8 pounds and 1 ounce. She was rather long. Maybe she'll be tall like her daddy! What a great Father's Day present for Clark! Our family sees a lot of Heather in her features, but Heather's family sees a lot of Clark. Maybe she's a perfect combo. She has very dark hair and very dark eyes. They're so dark that I would be surprised if they turned blue. So far, she seems to be a little bit darker complected. We'll see if that changes. At first, she appeared to have curly hair. Here are some pictures. She is absolutely perfect!

Nauvoo

2010-06-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

We just had the most wonderful trip with our friends to Nauvoo. It was wonderful! Nauvoo is the city that the early members of our church built as a refuge from persecution. In it's time it rivaled Chicago in size. Eventually the members had to leave from mob threats, however, it has been restored in it's original state for people to visit. Even the temple has been rebuilt. It was gorgeous!
This is the girls eating gingerbread cookies at the bakery. The recipe is original.

This is the rocking horse that John Taylor made for his son. When the family was leaving Nauvoo, his son was crying. They asked him what was wrong. He told his parents that he missed his rocking horse. John Taylor returned home, even though his life was being sought, to retrieve the rocking horse.

This is a picture of the trail that the saints took to leave their beautiful city. Far in the distance you can see the temple. This was one of the most special parts of the town.

Here the girls are practicing writing on slates like the pioneers did in the old school house.
Little Emma hugging her namesake.
Check out Emma's expression in this picture!

This is the room where the prophet and his brother were murdered. You can still see the tiny hole in the door where a bullet went through and killed Hyrum.
At the carthage jail visitor's center, all of the girls were looking at pass a long cards. I told them that they could take one, but that they should give them to someone who doesn't go to our church. Ally was so consumed with who she should give her card to. She ran up to this lady wearing the black shirt, gave her the card, and then ran off because she was so embarrassed. It was adorable.
More stories are to come. I wanted to go ahead and post the pictures.

Memorial Day Weekend in Winchester

2010-06-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

Check out these adorable pics from our visit to Winchester. My grandmother went all out in planning everything. It was adorable!

Ally's Field Day

2010-06-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

Check out our little athlete! Her kindergarten class won first place at field day!

Easter Part 2

2010-04-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

We had yet another wonderful Easter weekend. Saturday and Sunday we watched conference on TV. The speakers were wonderful and it was nice to be reminded of what it is that we are celebrating this weekend. I walked away with a greater desire to strengthen my family and home and to all and all be my best self. Also on Saturday we attempted another egg hunt. This time Ally and Emma knew what they were doing and did some serious egg hunting! Some of the eggs had tickets inside that you could take to a pavilion and trade for a prize. Ally had two tickets so I slipped one to Emma with neither one of them realizing what I was doing. Both girls took their tickets to be redeemed for something special. Ally got a really cute pink and white teddy bear, one of the bigger prizes. Emma turned in her ticket proudly and got a tiny bunny eraser! Not noticing Ally's nice stuffed animal Emma turned to Ally and said, "Ally, look what I got!" in a nana-booboo tone! John and I were dying laughing! She never really seemed to catch on that once again, she got jipped! Later the girls helped us decorate our cake for Easter and dyed eggs. On Sunday we had Clark and Heather and the missionaries over for dinner. It was a wonderful sequal to last weekend.

Easter Part 1

2010-03-30T11:41:00.001-07:00

Easter came a little early for us! We decided to go down to my mom and dad's for Easter a weekend early since conference is on Easter weekend. This year we attended the Athens Egg hunt at their very large park. I could not believe how many kids and parents were there! Hundreds! The egg hunt only lasted for about a minute. Ally found three eggs and Emma none! There were so many older kids who rushed in front of the little ones. One lady walked by Emma and dropped an egg in her basket. John and I were getting tickled at the the expressions on the girls' faces when we were trying to take their picture. They perked up quickly, though. We drove across the highway to the russel stover outlet and picked out chocolate bunnies and jelly beans!
As Nana and Mommy were driving home the Easter bunny was spotted. He must have heard that we were doing Easter early so he dropped of the girls' baskets at his favorite location-under Nana and Poppy's magnolia tree!

We squeezed in time for a nap and woke up Sunday morning and got ready for church in our Easter dresses. Ally and Emma had fun posing for pictures. We came home later and had Easter dinner. All and all, it was a wonderful visit.

Girl Scout Booth

2010-03-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

Thank Heavens! Girl Scout cookie sells are about over!!! I do, however, have to smile every time I look at this. How cute are these girls?!

Our girl scout tea party

2010-03-12T13:36:00.001-08:00

For our "considerate and caring" activity for girl scouts we held a tea party. I was surprised at how well behaved our girls were. Usually they are all over the place and I often have a difficult time keeping them on task, however, they were in rare form for this activity. They loved using their manners and I must say that they did an excellent job. Later, the girls used fabric markers and decorated daisies on handkerchiefs to remember to be considerate and cover their coughs. At the end one of the girls asked me if they could have a "hat parade" through the halls of the school. It was adorable! One of our older siblings led the line waving an American flag back and forth while the girls practiced walking like ladies and waving to anyone still left in the classrooms. My camera was full at that point so I couldn't get any pictures. Oh, and before I forget, for any members of my family reading this blog, I know, one of the tables was without a table cloth. I had a blue one with white polka dots to bring (daisy colors are blue and yellow), however, I accidentally left it at home. Oh well. Ally enjoyed it so much that we are planning on going to a local tea room with some friends for her birthday party in May!

This is what happens when you try taking pictures on a Sunday Morning...

2010-03-12T13:31:00.000-08:00

It's a girl!!!!!

2010-01-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

No, not for me....but Clark and Heather!!!! They just found out that they are having a baby girl!!! We are so excited. I think that we all anticipated another girl. Mom had already bought some girl clothes. This will be grandchild #5 for our family. Poor Joshua is the only boy so far. Her name will be Charlotte Rose Ensminger. (I hope that I spelled that correctly.) We will be having a shower for them at the end of the month. I know, it's a little early, but we are trying to do it before the huge "Duck, Duck, Goose" sale at the beginning of March. I will try to stay away from the bonnets and smocking and vintage baby clothes. Congratulations Clark and Heather!!!!

I loooove bonnets!

2010-01-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, do any of you realize how much I adore bonnets? I understand now which decade I was supposed to be born in. Somewhere in the 30's or 40's. This sweet set that I got for Emma for four dollars!!! Can you believe it. It's vintage, which I adore! I just had to take a picture and post it. Oh, and if you think that this is the only bonnet set that I have hunted down, think again. I will be posting more!!!!
Oh yeah, this is just a brief little update of what the girls did one day. I was busy doing something, I don't remember what, so I checked on them. I went into their bathroom to find that they had taken a rubbermaid container and filled it with water and were taking a bath. What stinkers!!!

Christmas in Gatlinburg

2009-12-26T17:13:00.001-08:00

Wow, I'm not sure where to begin. Let's just say that this will definitely be a Christmas to remember. I had this bright idea that we should all have Christmas at a cabin in Gatlinburg. I imagined a less-stressful, event-filled, memorable Christmas. We even invited my Grandmother to join us from Winchester. Well, it wasn't quite what I had in mind. Our cabin was stinky, smaller than it appeared on the website, had a mouse problem, there was a chipmunk that lived somewhere in the kitchen walls and would occasionally jump on top of the stove and also somehow climb underneath the stove and make a racket, there was what I think was a small blood stain on my bedspread, and well, I could go on. HOWEVER, I think that it will also be one of the most memorable Christmas's that we will ever have.

Our girls had so much fun playing with their cousins. I must say that I enjoyed holding a very cute baby boy and really, our objective was achieved. The girls had a blast. They made a gingerbread house together. One day we all walked around some of Gatlinburg's cute shops. My favorite was the candy store. We at lunch on top of a cheese store which was also interesting.

This is Emma throwing a penny in the fountain with Grandmother and below are both of the girls admiring a toy display in one of the windows.

Christmas Eve we first celebrated Emma's third birthday after which we siblings did our traditional gift exchange. Later, Santa (Poppy) made an appearance. The girls were entranced. We took video footage both from outside and inside the window. It was pretty cute.
The fun did not stop there, though. Christmas Eve, in the middle of the night, Emma started having really bad chest pains. We could not console her except by putting her in a warm tub. Mom, Dad, John, and I were up with her through much of the night. We almost took her to the ER, however, there was also a yucky storm going on outside and we were on the top of the mountain. Below is a picture of her and Bella in the loft looking down ready to go down the stairs Christmas morning.
In all seriousness, this was a neat Christmas, maybe a little dirtier than I imagined, but special just the same. I really enjoyed getting to see my grandmother, as well as the rest of my family, and having a reason to be reminded of how much I have to be grateful for. At one point during our stay, in a moment of frustration, I remember thinking, "This is not what I had envisioned for this Christmas with my family." Then later the thought occurred to me that Mary probably did not imagine giving birth to her son in a stable. I was sickened by a chipmunk and mice, but she gave birth to her son in much worse conditions. I don't think that I would have had my mind reflect on those things if I had been staying in a comfortable, luxurious, perfect cabin. It also didn't hurt that we were refunded a good portion of our money for our troubles! All in all, we had a special Christmas and two little girls had the time of their lives. I hope that all of your Christmas's were wonderful as well!

I know

2009-12-13T18:21:00.000-08:00

I realize that I have neglected my blog. I'm blaming it on the holidays, which I do enjoy, however, they do not enjoy me. Anyway, we had a great Thanksgiving. We went to Nashville and visited my Dad's extended family. It was nice to see cousins and aunts and uncles that I haven't seen in a while. I must say that they do a nice job of hosting holidays without panicking. I could learn a thing or two from them. It's nice that we have a holiday devoted to thanks and nothing more, well, nothing more than giant meals, however, nice just the same. I am thankful for my family. I have been thinking a lot about them and what kinds of things are most important in my life. It was pointed out to me that it's not the huge parties or craft projects, but the little things, like spending time playing with the girls and just being able to talk to John that are so important.

By the way, we also were able to see Ad'Lynn and Bella and Josh last month. That was fun. I think that Josh is the most handsome baby boy I have ever seen. What a doll!

Lastly, we recently enjoyed our first snow. As I am sure you can tell, it wasn't a huge one, however, it was enough to excite two little girls. Ally enjoyed just running in it and making a tiny snowman. Okay, really I made it under her supervision. It was still fun. Emma kept tasting the snow flakes and touching the snow with her hands. Sweet girls.

Happy Halloween!!!

2009-11-02T11:12:00.000-08:00

We had a very fun Halloween this year. I was a little bummed that it rained, however, our church planned their trunk-or-treat on Halloween evening which worked out great given the weather. Ally and Emma were Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, respectively. Emma had a hard time deciding between Cinderella and a kitty cat. I'm rather glad that she chose Cinderella.

We were not the only ones in Princess mode! These are our sweet princesses before candy......

.....and after!

Isn't this sweet?

I realized this year that if you are a cool parent, you dress up for Halloween as well. I didn't get the memo. We passed from trunk to trunk which was decorated so cute with adults handing out fun candy. Then we came to John and Doug in front of Doug's van where John was handing out smarties and dum-dums (cheap candy that no one wants). I don't know why that was so funny to me! The girls didn't seem to mind.

We then came home and ate halloween themed food with a group of our friends and played games while our kids played in the living room. It really was a blast! Hope you all had a fun evening as well!

Just can't get enough

2009-10-26T14:50:00.001-07:00

Did I mention that I love the pumpkin patch? Throw some cute girl scouts in there and we're talkin' some sweet memories! Ally's girl scout troop went to the pumpkin patch where they took a hay ride, went through a corn maze, learned about how pumpkins are grown, and drank apple cider. It was adorable. We have a rather large girl scout troop. Thankfully, all of the moms are so kind to help and volunteer. I think that it's going to be a great year!

Winchesters!

2009-10-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite places, home and Winchester! Winchester is where my mom grew up and where my grandmother as well as extended family members live. When I was little, it was my favorite place to visit. I loved everything about it. It was bliss. When we were little we used to call it "Winchesters". My daughters now do the same. My mom has said that every child needs a place outside of mom and dad where they feel unconditionally loved. Winchester was that place for me. My grandmother used to drive us to this old country store where we picked out red hots and lemon heads every time. One the way over she would sing, "Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go!". We looked forward to going to church with Poppy and taking trips to Wal-mart with Aunt-Mel. My grandmother would cook anything that your heart desired. We would also get to see my great, great, Aunt Hazel who lived next door and go shopping with her and Grandmother. Even in her 90's, Aunt Hazel loved to shop. My favorite pastime in Winchester, though, was prowling through my grandparents' closets! I could spend hours doing this and must admit that at times I still wish that I could! It's neat to see how my daughters are now getting to experience those sweet memories. Here they are during our visit for fall break!

Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

I loooove fall! I love the colors, the beginning of the holidays, the weather, I just love it! We went with some friends to the pumpkin patch. I love this little fruit and berry patch that we have here in Knoxville. I go as often as I can. I would describe the man that runs it as a good ole' boy who looks like Santa Clause. There are little animals as well as every kind of fruit at this place. You can also buy homemade BBQ, honey, and fried pies. In the fall, though, you can go there to pick pumpkins, take hayrides, go through a corn maze, and drink apple cider. It's heavenly! We're going back in a few days with the girl scouts. You can't get enough of a good thing! Anyways, here are our pictures.

Maybe it was something we ate?

2009-09-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

We just took Ally to the doctor today-yes, we have swine flu. What a yucky name, swine flu. I hate even saying it out loud. Her doctor said that she does have this particular strain, so, here we go. Poor girl, she's so sick, but she's such a trooper. She doesn't complain. Rather, she just does as she's told. It's pitiful. As for Emma, she's downstairs right now taking a nap. She doesn't really take naps anymore so she's probably getting sick as well. Oh yeah, I'm not feeling well either. Good times in the McCombs house! Can I just say, though, that I have the sweetest friend who has been taking care of us already. Karen called around finding out which pharmacy still had tamiflu in stock, offered dinner, dropped off popscicles. Even though we're all a little green, I've felt so touched by her kindness and others who have called to check in on us. So sweet. It's funny, it really is the simple things in life that are so special like having good friends and having family. I've been thinking about that today. By the way, is this picture hilarious or what!

I vowed I wasn't going to do it-

2009-09-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

I am now Ally's Daisy Girl Scout troop leader! I had just told Mom that I had too much on my plate and was not going to take this one on. I guess I'm eating crow now. Of course, no one else would do it, and I wanting Ally to experience girl scouts have signed up. I'm not bummed though, rather, I'm pretty excited, in an exhausted sort of way. I've already planned a year's worth of activities, ordered a girl scout t-shirt, and am arranging our float for the Christmas parade! The program really is a sweet and uplifting one. If any of you have any ideas, send them my way!

A nose job and weight-loss

2009-09-21T12:24:00.001-07:00

So most of you know that I have severe Sleep Apnea. Runs in the family. Well, I just had an appointment with my ENT. Guess what the remedy is-surgery to correct my deviated septum in November and lose 30 lbs! Thirty pounds! Yikes! I have been laughing to myself thinking about a Brian Regan clip on youtube where he talks about how we pay doctors to insult us! It's a pretty funny stand-up video. Anyway, yeap, I need a nose job and weight loss so that I can sleep better. Oh well, we'll see how it goes! I wonder if a tummy tuck or breast augmentation would help my GI problems!

Tennessee Valley Fair

2009-09-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

This was the first year that I have taken either one of my girls to a local fair. I realize that fairs are full of cheap thrills, are dirty, and don't always draw the best crowds, however, I HAD to take Ally and Emma and let them experience a small-town, Southern fair. This was the first vendor that we came to as we entered the park-

How funny is that? I love it. Can I just say, though, that my girls loved the fair! Especially Emma. She does have an affinity for farm animals. Not quite sure where she gets it from, but she loves cows, ducks, sheep, goats. We walked past all of these dairy cows. Some of them were so big. I thought that Emma might be a little intimidated by them. Oh no! She would get right up in their nest and pet them!
It was pretty cute. Ally, on the other hand, held her nose and almost cried if one of them even looked at her the wrong way.

My camera went out on me, but later when we were in the petting zoo pin with all of these baby goats, Emma went around to each one and laid her head on their backs. It was sweet. As for Ally, she took more pleasure in the candied apples and the merry-go-round. She and her buddy, Alex, were so cute walking down the pavement with candied apples in their hands bumping into people because they were so intranced with their treats! This is a picture of Alex's sister getting excited as she sticks a nutrigrain bar to her forehead. What's so funny, though, is Ally's face in the background! Good times!

She is her mother's daughter

2009-08-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

I walked into the office today only to see an email which read, "Congratulations, you bought this item on Ebay."

WHAT! What item? For those of you who know me well, I do have an Ebay fettish. I love finding retired items, great deals, ect... However, I did not spend over 100 dollars buying this particular item. Ally was in the office. I asked her, "Did you play on the computer?" "Yes, I was typing my name and Emma's name." "Did you see something that looked like this?" I showed her a picture of the item that I had supposedly "bought". "Uh huh." Now look at what item it was and tell me she's not her mother's daughter?

At least she has good taste.

My cute little booger

2009-08-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this for no other reason than because it was so cute!

Ally's 1st Day of School!!!!!

2009-08-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, this day has been dreaded as well as anticipated for quite some time now. It is surreal to say the least, that we are finally here. Our daughter has started kindergarten.

Some thoughts: How nice to have some quiter time to myself...Will her teacher be able to keep track of all of those kids and spot mine as she tries to run out of the classroom?....Packing lunches and buying supplies will be kind of fun....Did we really have this many school fees when I was in school?....She'll make lots of friends....What will I do when she comes home crying because someone made fun of her?....What kind of security does her school have?....I can finally get some more cleaning done.....

You get the picture. Well, as for Ally, she is stoked! We woke her up this morning and she asked why we were going to school in the dark (6:00 AM). She jumped up anyway, though. She ate yogurt and granola and told us, "If there is a kid who is scared, I'm going to go up to them and say, 'Hi, I'm Ally. It's okay.'". Cute kid. We won't have to worry about her getting scared. She asked me not to park because she didn't want me to walk her into the school. Yeah, that didn't sting. She picked out an outfit that Heather noticed at the store.

I still enjoyed my time with Emma who just followed me around and played quitely. I found time to make this and update my blog! It's a tote with miniature stuffed dolls that have pictures of our family. I'd say it's been a good day so far!

Joshua's Blessing

2009-08-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we drove to Louisville for my nephew's blessing. Ad'Lynn really is fun to visit. She always has wonderful food planned and fun things to do, while keeping everything relaxing at the same time.

Nana and Poppy had a slumber party at their hotel for the three granddaughters. This picture speaks for itself.

Lastly, Marty gave Joshua a beautiful blessing. I'm so jealous that Ad'Lynn goes to church right across from the temple.

We had a great time, but were exhausted by the end of it.

Wanna see a sweet baby?

2009-07-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

My sister had her baby on July 4th! I was able to spend a few days with her and the baby. Oh the sweetness! He is adorable, tiny, and squeaky. It was also fun spending time with Bella. I missed the girls and John, but it was nice holding someone so little for a while.

"I choose the wight!"

2009-06-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Ally and Emma do this really cute thing where they put their fists up to each other and say, "I choose the right!" Only Emma in her cute 2 year old way says, "I choose the wight!" It's pretty sweet. Anyway, here are their ctr super hero capes! I'm going to have a hard time waiting for Christmas to come around!

Here she is.....

2009-06-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, she is not perfect. Then again, most of Jane's heroines were not without flaw. We did have to do some reconstructive surgery on her right arm. Ooops. I tried to make her look like my Emma. I will try to put her away for Christmas and not cry when Emma tosses her to the side and plays instead with something that I got from Target's dollar section to put in her stocking. My next project....making reusable baggies for Ally's lunch box and a CTR super hero cape.

I am in love....

2009-05-28T05:36:00.001-07:00

Okay, most of you are aware of my love for Jane Austen. I loooove her. I love empire dresses, I love that that was the time of the restoration, I love Jane's portrayal of women during her time. She fascinates me! Anyway, I was looking on one of my favorite websites, etsy, and found this "Jane" doll. Is it adorable or what! I want to make one for Miss Emma.

Happy Birthday Ally!

2009-05-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

We just celebrated Ally's 5th birthday! I cannot believe how much she has grown up. She is still high energy and high spirited, however, she has matured quite a bit. She is the very best helper. I don't know what I would do without her. She is so smart and quick to learn. We have been working on her letters and sounds to prepare for kindergarten, which she knows quite well, however, math is her forte. I have hardly worked with her, yet she can already do addition on her own. She just taught herself. Ally also has the softest heart. She wants others to be happy. I had wanted to celebrate her birthday at a local tea room where there is a private room for little girls. She wanted instead to go to the water fountains and play outside. With it being memorial day weekend, most people were out of town, however, we had a wonderful time. Ad'Lynn and Marty were in town and Brielle and Briley came over. Thanks to everyone who remembered us and celebrated our sweet girl's birthday!

Family Vacation

2009-05-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

We just returned home from our trip to Florida to visit John's parents and his brother David. We had a wonderful time, even though it rained the entire time! It worked to our advantage, though. It wasn't insanely hot outside and we did manage to find a break in the weather to go to the beach. The girls loved it. Ally was afraid of the waves, which were very choppy due to the weather, but she did enjoy looking for shells. Emma, on the other hand, spent her time contently playing in the sand with her bucket and shovel. It is so like her to find something to occupy herself and stay there intently for a long time.

John and David and I were also able to go to the temple in Orlando which is absolutely beautiful. We did family sealings and later went to the bookstore. Can I just say that I loooooove church bookstores! I could spend all day in them. I bought the new family hymn book which I have wanted for some time now. It has pictures that go with the hymns, great to use for family home evenings. Needless to say, that wasn't all that I was able to find. Finally John and David had to drag me out. Later in the week we pretty much kicked back and took it easy. We watched movies, ate outside on the lanai, and hung out. When we were planning this trip in the beginning we talked about going to disney or sea world. We decided though, that it would be easier on our pocket books as well as be an opportunity to just give our girls our attention if we kept everything more low key. I could not believe how true that was. Both of the girls were on their best behavior. It was a good lesson to me of what things John and I should be doing with them.

Why the bad economy is good for you....

2009-05-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in a doctor's office and noticed an article advertised on the cover of a magazine titled, "Why the bad economy is good for you". I opened it an began reading about how even though the economy is hard for many of us, there are some good outcomes of it. We are a little healthier, we are more creative with our means, we spend more time with loved ones because we are doing less, and so on. I wanted to share this because it reflects some of my own feelings. Not to sound too preachy, but it does seem that we are seeing many signs of the times, however, the scriptures teach that the righteous shall not fear. I never understood that. I wondered how in the midst of so much turmoil, there could be peace and comfort. I think that I am beginning to understand. I don't want to minimize the effects that the economy has had on many of us. It is very hard and many if not all of us are feeling the effects. However, it is also about perspective and attitude. We can still be happy, if not happier, with less. To illustrate, here are some pictures of the girls and some of their friends picking strawberries at the berry patch. We had a wonderful time. I have been freezing our strawberries and making freezer jam. Would we be doing things like this if we had everything at our fingertips? If so, would we have as much fun? I don't think so. I am noticing more people planting gardens, more friends asking me how to can, we are making more home-made gifts, and doing less extra-curricular activities which results in more family and friend time. I am so sad for those of us who have been hurt by job losses, however, I have to say, there is something sweet about these experiences. We have the ability to make them for our good rather than just a trial.

In honor of my mom....

2009-05-10T20:24:00.001-07:00

Since it is Mother's Day, I thought that it would be fun to share some of my favorite memories of my mom.

Going to Hamilton Place mall with her when I was in grade school
Motivating talks after a heartbreak. Mom is one of the most comforting people I know.
Bringing treats to our classroom in grade school
Trying to sit as close to her as possible while she was on the phone so that I could listen
Being with her and my Aunt Gretchen in Winchester. They're hilarious together!
All of us crawling in bed with her in the morning when Clark was a toddler. He would come in every morning with a play frying pan and plastic egg and we would all laugh together.
Mom's frequent trips to Knoxville. Even though they are usually for doctor's appointments, I have still enjoyed the time that we get to spend together.
Her putting decals and clear nail polish on our nails when we were very little
Her presence at each of our childrens' births. Her presence was so comforting and calming.
Hearing her tell stories of some of our ancestors
Any holiday! Holidays at our home are the best! There is such an excitement. I think that the planning of them is actually my favorite part.
Phone calls
Visiting the hospital where she worked when we were little and getting banana popsicles
Mom's advice. It's always sound
I love all of the homemaking things that my mom is so talented at. I have tried over the years to implement them myself. She has taught me to sew, can, clean, budget meals, and so much more.
Notes that my mom put in our lunchboxes when we were little.
My mom's generosity. I don't know anyone who is more generous than my mom.

I know that these might sound a little random. But they are some of my favorite memories.
My mom has been so instrumental in my life. She has modeled so many wonderful things for me. Most importantly, I am grateful that she and my dad were bold and courageous as they made the important decision to join our church years ago. They both had wonderful strong churches that they belonged to, which they loved. However, they recognized a more complete truth in our church and because of that, I have been privy to so many blessings. Mom, I love you and thank you for all that have done and continue to do. Happy Mother's day.

Why God Made Moms

2009-05-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

I stole this from my friend, Katina's, blog. I was laughing out loud and tearing up at the same time while I read it! I hope you all enjoy as well. Thanks Katina!

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers? 1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Craft Explosion!

2009-04-30T09:41:00.001-07:00

For me, creating something is my "happy place" when I'm feeling dull or am needing a break. Here lately I have been on a sewing kick. I frequently sew, however, I have been so excited over my latest creation that I had to share! By "share" I mean brag. Here it is....

I'm not sure what title to give this....

2009-04-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

So, the other day while my mom was visiting, Ally and Emma came down the stairs in these get-ups. We died laughing! You can't tell in the video, but Emma really got into character (I think that Ally was trying to dress them up in some kind of gangster outfits). She lowered her voice and walked real tough. Anyway, I thought some of you might enjoy watching the dance moves that Ally came up with. What would you call this type of dancing? It looks to me like some type of Asian hip-hop!

Let's just get this over with

2009-04-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

So, if I am going to be honest and really recount my life experiences and thoughts, then I guess I am going to have to document yucky experiences as well as good ones. Just after Christmas my grandfather passed away. I suppose that he is the first person in my life who has passed on that I felt a deep connection to. I don't talk about this to most people very often because as soon as the thought creeps into my mind that he's gone, I push it out. I don't want to sound dramatic or morbid, however, I cannot leave this blog out and feel authentic at the same time. My mom's and my dad's families are both very special. They each have their different strengths. I have to be honest, though, and admit that there has always been something different that I have felt about my mom's family. For most of our childhood, we were the only grandchildren. My grandmother and Poppy were fairy-tale grandparents. It's so good for children to know that they are unconditionally adored. My family gave me that, each member serving their different roles. Poppy was our rock. He was never the center of attention, yet everyone wanted to be around him. When we were little he always gave us a "poppy dollar" as we called it, at the end of each visit. Once when we were visiting in Chattanooga Mom and Dad told us not to ask for a poppy dollar since the occasion for our meeting was another family member's illness. It was cold outside and our windows were fogged up. I believe that it was Ad'Lynn or Clark who started drawing dollar signs in the windows for Grandmother and Poppy to see! Hahaha! Poppy was hilarious! He was a hard worker. He was so big and strong, yet he was all mush on the inside. He loved my grandmother and his four girls. He loved us. He took care of everyone in a quiet way. I remember once, within the past year, I was visiting him with Ally and Emma. John had to work back home. I was leaving his house, which is in Winchester, late at night. Mom came up to me and slipped me a twenty dollar bill. I asked her what it was for. Poppy wanted to make sure that I had cash on me while I drove home. I told her, "Oh no, I have my card. I'm fine." It didn't matter, Poppy wanted me to have cash and he wouldn't take no for an answer. My favorite memories of him are: his laugh, the smell of his cologne, poppy dollars, going to church with him at Goshen, the smell of his car, receiving cards from him or grandmother especially while I was at college in Idaho, Emma kissing him, and so much more. Two weeks before he had passed away, my Aunt Hazel passed as well, both of them from Pneumonia. She also played such a significant role in our lives. I still have clothes that she made for my dolls. I have to believe that when our time comes to pass on, that it is because there is more that we can do for eachother on the other side than on this earth. Forgive my rambling, but if ever my girls grow up and read these entries, I want them to know about their great-grandfather and great-great-great aunt. I want them to know that my life consisted of more than funny stories and cute pictures, although those are special. Well, I guess you can see what happens when you stay up past midnight thinking about different things. You all probably realize why John is so funny about trying to get me to bed on time! Anyways, I love you Poppy and Aunt Hazel. Thank you for beautiful memories.

Easter

2009-04-13T13:54:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter this year! The girls were at the perfect age for Easter egg hunts, but also just old enough to begin to understand why we celebrate Easter. Here are some videos of them. Enjoy.

Congratulations Ad'Lynn!!!

2009-04-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Ad'Lynn is having a BOY!!! Our first grandson!!!! What are we going to do with a boy! Hahaha! Joshua Paul Martinez is due July 4th. There will be fireworks at our house this year! Yay!

Conference

2009-04-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Since my purpose in creating a blog has been to keep a journal of our family and of my thoughts, I felt it appropriate to share some thoughts from conference. For my friends and family who are not members of our church, twice a year we watch a broadcast from Salt Lake where our church leaders, namely our prophet and his apostles, speak to us. These talks are prayerfully prepared under the direction of the Lord. Each speaker has his own topic. Usually, there seems to be a theme that runs through the conference. This year, it seemed to me that the theme was to prepare us for hard times, but also to find joy in the process and to remember who it is that we look to for guidance. My favorite talks were Elder Hale's where he talked about living within our means, Elder Holland, who spoke about the Savior and His atonement for man, and Elder Bednar who spoke on the importance of visiting the temple. I especially liked how he spoke about the protection of going to the temple regularly. That has made it's impression on me and I am trying harder now than ever before to go at least once a month. As a child, conference was a long two-day weekend event that included playing with quiet books and eating Mom's hard candy from her purse. Now, it is what recharges me and reminds me of what is most important. I have such a testimony of those teachings and of what it does for those who hear those words and act accordingly. We do not pretend to be a perfect people, however, we try awfully hard!

Clark's Wedding

2009-04-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I realize that I have taken waaaay too long of a hiatus from blogging! Didn't mean to, just got busy. Ever since Christmas it seems that we haven't stopped! I am determined to get back on track and update my blog. Here goes!

Clark and Ad'Lynn

2008-12-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

My sister found this stockings called "baby legs". I love them! I had to share for those of you who have little girls. They are one size fits all and they come in two pieces. They are like socks only they go up to the girls' thighs. They stay up the whole time as well. You can buy them in lots of different patterns and colors. Emma's are pink and green striped. While I was thinking about what a fun aunt Ad'Lynn is, I had to include this picture of Clark. It captures his interaction with the girls which is always fun!

Portrait

2008-12-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

Check out this FREE portrait that we were given from Olan Mills! I received a phone call from them that our name had been chosen for a free canvas. Emma was a little unsure of the photographer. You can tell by her expression in the photo! I thought that the picture still turned out sweet.

Emma's Birthday

2008-12-05T08:06:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Emma's 2nd birthday just after Thanksgiving. I have never seen a child be so captivated by their presents as she was. She loved playing with her new toys. Thanks to everyone who visited and celebrated with us! What a sweet little girl. We're so lucky to have both her and Ally.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a great Thanksgiving this was. We had Clark's future in-laws in town this year and Lindsey and her kids. This was my first year hosting Thanksgiving. Even though Mom supplied much of the food, I never fully understood what all was involved in putting together a large holiday meal. This was also my first time cooking a whole turkey! Granted, Dad pulled the yucky stuff out for me which is really the worst part. I did enjoy myself, though. I hope that all of you all had a wonderful holiday.

Halloween!

2008-10-31T17:25:00.000-07:00

We had the BEST Halloween! We went trick-or-treating with several of our friends in a nearby neighborhood. It was so adorable. John was even generous enough to be a prince for Ally (Cinderella). She, of course, got a charge out of that and kept beckoning for her prince throughout the night. As you might imagine, this did not embarrass John at all! I'm adding some short videos. At first, Emma was slightly timid about the whole going up to people's doors, however, very quickly she decided that she liked it. At one of the houses I told Emma, "Say 'trick-or-treat'". She instead held out her bag and said, "I want candy." in her little baby-like voice! I took a clip of her sort of skipping with enthusiasm down the road once she started getting excited. Then I HAD to take a clip of Ally who couldn't walk straight for trying to look at the camera while walking in clear glass slippers! It was hilarious.

What I've been up to

2008-10-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would post a picture of one of the bags that I have been working on for the girls for Christmas! I've been working on it for forever it seems and am now finally finished! I thought that these would be cute for the girls to take to church. Ally has one that is exactly the same. I got the material from a website that was sent to me called ldsfabric.com. Check it out sometime. There are some adorable prints!

Primary Program

2008-10-28T05:20:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we had our yearly primary program. It was so sweet. The children all prepared their own parts in their own words. This was Ally's first program. Her parts read: "I know that Jesus loves me because I love him and he really loves me and because Jesus wants me to be reverent and Heavenly Father wants us to be reverent about the Holy Spirit. And, My favorite thing about the temple is that you get married in there when you grow up and taking pictures and going inside." She also sang a special part in the song, "I love to see the temple". Mom, Dad, Clark and Heather came to church with us. Mom and Dad brought some little corsages for the girls. How cute!

Bike Ride

2008-10-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this. Hope you do as well!

Pumpkin Patch!

2008-10-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun night on Monday. With several friends, we visited a local pumpkin patch which also had a petting zoo. Both Ally and Emma loooove animals. I can't seem to get myself to get a pet, so instead, we try to enjoy other peoples' animals! Ally loved chasing the ducks and sheep while Emma was fascinated with the pony and goats. Emma couldn't stop laughing when we let her pet the pony's face. She also cried when we tried to take her pumpkin away to pay for it! Afterward, we all went to Brusters for pumpkin and caramel apple ice cream! I am trying to get better at giving more attention to making great memories. If any of you have any great ideas for fun children's activities, let me know!

Clark's Wedding

2008-10-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

So most of you know that our brother, Clark, is getting married in December. Here is a preview of the flower girl dresses!

Visit from Nana!

2008-10-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well, as you might imagine, visits from Nana are both greatly anticipated as well as mourned when they are over. When your Nana visits, you get to do things that you don't ordinarily get to do like wear press-on nails, (that your mother is full aware will not stick to your nails, but rather to her carpet), eat a little more candy than you are typically allowed (Nanas don't mind a little hyperactivity), and of course you need to sit on Nana's lap and show her all of your boo-boos. You might enjoy such visits so well that you keep your bags packed hoping that you will be lucky enough to go home with her! At least that's what Ally did this weekend!

More Elder Bednar Notes

2008-09-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, John had a Bishopric training meeting. President Cruze, our stake president, invited the wives. He spent the majority of the meeting sharing thoughts and teachings from Elder Bednar. I wrote them down and thought that I would share them with all of you. To teach for attention is priestcraft. He compared daily prayer to the creation. When we pray, we begin with words, and then throughout the day, put those words into action. Then at the end of the day we report. It's hard to teach past our own conversion. Members would have more spiritual experiences if they would stop talking about the ones they have had. We should seek correction, rebuke, and counsel. We need to have a desire to get it right, not be right. You can only be acted on when you stop moving. Being a special witness of Jesus Christ means that you are a witness of the totality of His mission and work. When we go to conference, we should dress the part. (We were encouraged to go to the building rather than stay at home.) Our children will not be exalted by our actions, but theirs, however, by honoring our covenants, we can give them an influential tug. President Cruze said that Elder Bednar turned to him at the youth meeting with tears in his eyes and said, "These children are starving for the gospel." People will only learn what they are prepared to learn. Our young single adults on average are 10% active. We are one generation away from losing the restoration. President Cruze taught that in reference to wayward young adult children we should love them first. Do whatever it takes. Constantly remember that they were the Lord's children first. He loves them even more and will do everything a Heavenly Father will do. Never shut them out. Pray to know what the Lord would have you do. He also taught that when Nephi was bound with rope by his brothers, he didn't ask the Lord to break his bonds, but rather, to give him strength to break them. It took him a while to break through. He also said to not shrink from adversity. If we abide these teachings, we will be safe.

Ally and Brielle

2008-09-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

Okay, so you're probably beginning to see a pattern here. Whenever Ally's friends come over, you can expect some amazing dancing! What a show! Check this one out of Ally and Brielle.

Guilty

2008-09-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

"Hey Briley, what is that on your face?" Blank stare. "Briley, is that ink? Did someone draw on your face? Who drew on your face?" Look closely and see if you can guess who according to Briley, "arted on her"!

Ally's Clean Room

2008-09-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

So getting Ally to clean her room is pretty much always a chore. We usually have to go in her room and stand over her while we continually tell her to get back to work and finish her chore. The other day, I asked her to clean her room. Not only did she get it done, she did it pleasantly and without me having to go in there and stay on top of her! I was so proud of her that I had to post pictures and brag.

Music Number

2008-09-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

How sweet is this? Emma has begun to pick up on some of the songs that Ally sings. If you watch closely, Emma knows several of the words. She got a little camera shy, so she doesn't sing as much as she does without the camera, however, you can get the idea. Gotta love it! They are singing, "I am like a star shining brightly" and "I love to see the temple".

Out of the mouths of babes!

2008-09-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

Funny story. Today I was sitting with Ally on the couch watching cartoons. A commercial came on advertising "Bratz" dolls. Ally said, "I want all of those girls", referring to the dolls. I am not comfortable with the image that they portray so I responded, "No, Ally, those dolls aren't very nice." Ally said, "They're good girls, they're just having a hard time." I didn't know whether to laugh or be scared! How perceptive our children are! Quite amazing.

Elder Bednar

2008-09-07T17:40:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are not members of our church, we have the same order and church today which existed when Christ was on this earth. This means that we have a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson, who leads and directs us under the direction of Jesus Christ. As in times of old, we also have twelve apostles who bear a special testimony of the Savior. One of those apostles, Elder David Bednar, came to Knoxville to visit us. This was a very special occasion considering the fact that due to the volume of our church and the hectic schedules of the Prophet and apostles, these visits seldom happen. For those of you who might be interested, I thought that I would include a few notes which I found enlightening. First, though, I had to post a picture of the girls when I came home from listening to Elder Bednar Saturday night. Clark and Heather watched them for us while John and I were at church. How cute. Also, I took a picture of the girls Sunday morning outside the church building. I wanted Ally and Emma to remember the day that they heard an apostle speak to them. You should have seen me. I tried to draw pictures illustrating who Elder Bednar was and why it was so special that he was here. Ally and Emma were only interested in eating the sweet potato puffs that I brought them to snack on and in playing with Brielle! At least they will remember how adorable they looked when Elder Bednar came for a visit! hahaha! The theme of our conference was "Faith unto Repentance". Elder Bednar first expressed his love for the south and told us to appreciate living where we do. We are not here by coincidence. We have a work to do. He first spoke about the pre-existence. He said that we often teach that two plans were presented in the council in heaven, one by our Savior, and one by Lucifer. This is false doctrine. Heavenly Father presented one plan to which Christ responded, "Send me". Lucifer proposed a different plan, with an ulterior motive. He wanted to have us return to our Heavenly Father, without an atonement being made. Heavenly Father knew that we would need an atonement to satisfy the demands of justice because being "natural men" we would all make mistakes and sin. Through an atonement, we could have mercy and receive repentance. Elder Bednar also stated that we use the term "free agency" incorrectly. He said that agency does not mean that we have the power to make our own choices, although we do have this ability, agency means that we have the right to act independently. This right is to be executed in the making of correct choices, not just any choice. There is freedom and liberation in choosing the right. He taught that we covenanted before we ever came here to this earth to follow Heavenly Father's teachings. We should not be afraid to bear testimony to our children of what they pledged to do in the pre-existence. He said that Lucifer will do anything and work very hard to lead our children astray. We need to meet his force with equal to or greater force. Each time we covenant, we promise to do that which Heavenly Father would never take from us, the capacity for independent action, (agency). In so doing, we enlarge our agency. Without faith, we have to answer to the demands of justice without mercy. Faith in Christ is acting in accordance to His teachings. Little by little, we come to think as Christ would. Repentance is not a scary or bad thing. It simply means turning away from sin, and back toward our Heavenly Father. He blessed us with a special blessing and reinforced the teachings of our Stake President after he spoke to us. He said that often, people will comment on how wonderful it would have been to have been taught by Alma in the Book of Mormon. In referring to President Cruze he said, "He is your Alma." Over all, I learned from this stake conference that when I pray, I shouldn't ask for my trials to go away. One speaker taught that it is our trials which make us better and stronger. We should be grateful for this and should pray instead for strength in dealing with them. On Saturday evening, John and I were able to sit in the very first row of pews. This was amazing! The place was packed! Elder Bednar made eye contact with me several times. Afterwards, I was able to shake his hand. This might sound a bit silly, however, it was such a remarkable experience. We don't think of our church leaders as celebrities, but we also respect their office greatly. They are special men of God who work so closely with our Prophet who in turn, has such a special relationship with the Savior. My own testimony was strengthened as I listened to the talks which were presented this weekend. I walked away with a greater desire to do better, to be more forgiving, more humble, more loving, and more patient. I hope that these notes are not too confusing. There was so much more that was taught, however, it is hard to recall it all at once. The important thing is that we were able to feel the Holy Ghost. We learned that when we feel the Holy Spirit, there comes with that an obligation to act. I better stop typing because I've got to get to work! haha!

Ally's Late Night!

2008-09-07T17:15:00.001-07:00

Ally's friend, Brielle, invited her and a few other girls over for a late night. How adorable! They painted toe nails, drew princess pictures, and ate fun snacks. Afterwards, one of the girls, Iris, came home with us and spent the night at our house. I HAD to post these videos of the two of them dancing! How hilarious! I wonder what kind of dancing she sees her mommy doing when no one is around! Hahahaha!

1st Place!

2008-08-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

We have a friend, Kammee, who is known for taking some wonderful pictures! I received a call yesterday that she had submitted a picture of Emma in the county fair photography contest. This picture won first prize in the baby category! We are so proud of her. How lucky are we to have a friend with such mad photography skills!!!

5th Anniversary!!!

2008-08-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

So John and I just celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary! I was sitting here thinking about the life that we have shared together. So much has happened in such a seemingly short amount of time. I can remember living in "the barn", (my in-laws guest house), and being sick and pregnant and trying to figure out how both of us were going to finish school on a small income. Although that period in our life was not all a trial, and our lives now are not free from trials, I have pondered how blessed we are and how much I am learning to appreciate the different seasons in my life. I love my little family. I thought that I would share a song that a friend of ours wrote for our wedding.

Becca and John, so happy today,
started their lives together,
with faith and promises of love.
You've lived and loved each other,
your union sealed in heaven above.
As the years roll by,
may they grow into one soul,
living in the warmth of their love's glow.
Becca and John, so happy today,
holding hands as they walk along,
dreaming of plans for tomorrow.
"Where will we live?"
"What will we be?"
"Who cares as long as we're 'we',
We will share joy and pain and sorrow."
As the years roll by,
see the two grow into one,
living in the warmth of their love's glow.
Becca and John, so happy today,
as they cradle their baby in loving arms.
"She's got your green eyes."
Such a beautiful child.
"I've never felt love like this in my life,
and I bless the day that I met you,
and the day we were sealed husband and wife."

As the years roll by,
their family grows into one soul,
living in the warmth of their love's glow.
Becca and John are sad today.
Their baby's grown up and coming of age.
"What will she be?"
"Where will she go?"
"Will she know the love like we do John?"
"You know, I just don't know."
As the years roll by,
see them grow into one soul,
living in the warmth of their love's glow.
Becca and John, so happy today,
as they walk along,
surrounded by children of their children,
remembering the day long past,
when they were sealed husband and wife.
"We couldn't have dreamed it all back then."
Through all the years how we have grown into one soul,
living in the warmth of our love's glow.
Becca and John, so happy today,
started their lives together,
with faith and promises of love.
-Jeff Cravens

Ally's Tea Party!

2008-08-19T16:51:00.001-07:00

As some of you know, a tea set and a little imagination are all that are needed to entertain Ally for hours! A couple of my friends and I decided that it was high time for a tea party. Three of Ally's friends came over to our house, dressed in their finest, and gathered for a tea party. If you will notice in the picture, Ally's ensemble consisted of her Dorothy dress with her Easter hat and some white gloves! After the girls finished their treats, they made some bracelets and then finished with a fashion show. This was the best part! I could kick myself for not getting it on video! They all strutted the runway and danced to Hannah Montana! What would a tea party be without a Hannah Montana dance off!

Here we go!

2008-07-30T07:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I have decided to join the world of blogging. I can't think of a better way to keep family members updated as well as keep some form of a journal. I just hope that I don't sound too boring! I'll post some pictures to get started! Enjoy!!!