Charlotte's Web

We took a quick trip up to my parents yesterday.  My sister Rose is in the advanced drama class at the high school and they put on a production of "Charlotte's Web".  They did a good job.  Rosemary played a cat that helped narrate the story.

 Doesn't she  make a cute cat?  We took the entire family and we able to watch it with my parents.  It was a lot of fun.  I wasn't sure how Porter was going to do because he was super TIRED, but he did really well.  I really only had to give him extra attention about the last 15 minutes of it.   Vance and Porter loved it!  Tanner laughed (loudly) throughout the entire thing.  Before we left I was explaining to the boys some proper ettiquette when attending a play.  I told them they could laugh at something they found funny and clap when others were clapping, but otherwise they needed to be quiet.  At one point Vance leaned over to me and said, "Mom, I don't want to laugh.  I just want to clap."  He enjoyed it, but he was all business last night.

 A perk to being a nephew to someone in the play is that you get to explore the set a little bit.  I think that Rose had a good time showing the boys around the set. 

This morning they were asking when they could go see Rose dressed up in a costume again.  I told them they'll have to wait a couple of months.  Z Center Stage Theater Company is doing a production of Cinderella in the Spring.  I am looking forward to seeing it!

14 Days of Love: Day 14

Happy Valentine's Day!  It seemed appropriate to save Stephen for this day on my 14 Days of Love posts.

I LOVE STEPHEN!

I've known Stephen for eight years.  We've been married for seven and a half of those years.  When we first met I was not searching for someone to marry.  I was pretty content with the way I thought my life was going.  However, very early on after meeting Stephen I knew I could fall in love and marry him. 

I imagine that if you are reading this that it is obvious already that I love my husband.  He is a great person.  He is not perfect, but I think he is a perfect match for me.

Stephen does a lot for me.  In fact, I don't remember the last time I filled the car up with gas because he always does it for me.  He also always takes out the trash and mows the lawn without complaining.  He is willing to help change diapers, do laundry, or whatever else I ask him to do.  (which includes lots of handing things to me that are out of my reach)

 Stephen is very talented in many things.  He is especially awesome at doing origami.  He is detail oriented and works hard.  He is great at math and is mechanically minded.  This comes in handy because I am not good at math and am not mechanically minded at all!  He is also able to fix things around the house. 

 Stephen is a wonderful father.  He didn't have any experience with young children before we had kids.  He plays with our boys and does a lot for them.  It is fun to see him take on this role.  Our boys just love their dad!

 I love Stephen's sense of humor.  He is so fun to be around.  We get a long so well and I love that.  We probably seem like a very boring couple to people, but that doesn't matter to us because we have a good time in each others company.

 Stephen has a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He fulfills his callings.  I appreciate the example he is to me and to my children.  Stephen is AWESOME!  I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!!

14 Days of Love: Day 13

I love watching good movies!  That is a really broad statement, but it's true.  I love all kinds of different movies.  The best part of watching movies, is who I am watching them with.  I love to watch movies with my hubby.  We usually enjoy at least one evening during our weekend after the kids are in bed watching a movie.  I love it!

14 Days of Love: Day 12

I love music!  I love to listen to music.  I love to sing a long to the radio, or burst out in random song all on my own.  I love to sing with my boys too!  I also love to play the piano.  It has always been a good stress reliever for me.  I love feeling the spirit through music. I love having a piano to play and enjoy at home.  My boys love to put on music and dance around and it is fun to join in with them.  Music is a big part of my life and I love it!

14 Days of Love: Day 11

 I LOVE PORTER!

 Porter was born 11 months ago today!  I love him so much.  He came two weeks before his original due date via c-section.  I knew I had another huge baby and I tried hard to convince my doctor to induce me sooner.  As it turned out Porter did not want to be induced.  After two days of trying, nothing was happening however Porter's heartbeat was not doing good things so the doctor decided doing a c-section was the best decision at that point.  I just wanted Porter to be here and didn't care how it happened!  I instantly fell in love with this guy.  And I was right, he was a BIG boy.  They gave us two different "official" weights for him, but we go by the one that was written down 9 lbs 9 oz. (opposed to 9 lbs. 11 oz)  What's two ounces when it is over 9 pounds anyway?

 Porter is a sweet boy.  I love how each baby comes with their very own personality.  I have enjoyed watching Porter as he has grown and learned to do things the past 11 months.  When people asks who he looks like, I say Porter.  He looks like he belongs in our family, but definitely has his own cute little look.

 I love Porter's smile and his laugh.  He is always eager to play and enjoys discovering new things.  I love how fascinated he becomes over simple things.  I love to kiss and snuggle with him.  There's plenty of him to enjoy!

Lately, Porter has been standing on his own more.  He loves to play with everyone especially his older brothers.  I love playing games with him.  He loves to get into cupboards and drawers and play with bowls or spatulas.  He waves all the time especially if you tell him hello or good bye.  He also will give you five if you hold out your hand.  I love Porter so much and I look forward to watching him continue to grow and learn new things!  He is a sweetheart.

14 Days of Love: Day 10

 I LOVE TANNER!

 There were two things that I worried about a lot when I was pregnant with Tanner that ended up not being issues at all.  The first was being afraid that I wouldn't love my second child as much as I loved my first.  I suppose until you have another child you don't realize that your love isn't shared or split in two.  Something I've heard before is that you don't have to share your pie because you get a whole new pie to enjoy.

The second thing I worried about was having another big baby.  Vance was a hard baby to deliver.  Tanner, however was 7 pounds 11 ounces and compared to Vance much easier to give birth too.  He is my little runt and I love him for it.  

 Tanner has always had big beautiful blue eyes and when he was a baby he always had them wide open.  I loved that so much!  Tanner also has some of the best facial expressions in the world.  He is always pulling faces that make me smile or even laugh.

 I love snuggling with Tanner.  He will hug and kiss me and snuggle with me pretty much whenever I want.  I love that!  Tanner is very articulate and has been for a long time.  He can express himself well.  He is also a real ham when he wants to be.  He can make people laugh.  He is a smart kid too.  He knows the letters in the alphabet and the sounds they make.  We enjoy reading books together.  I also love that he enjoys singing songs with me. 

Tanner is always really good when he has check ups.  Doctors and nurses have commented on how good he is on more than one occasion.  It makes for more pleasant experiences for everyone.  I love having Tanner in our family.  He is a delight.  He always tells me he loves and you know what, I love him!

14 Days of Love: Day 9

I LOVE VANCE!

 Vance is my firstborn child.  I became a mother when I gave birth to him.  10 before his due date, after 3 hours of pushing I had my 9 pound 4 ounce angel in my arms.  I couldn't believe how big he was.  I also couldn't believe how beautiful he was.  I felt so humbled to be Vance's mother and so blessed!

 Vance has taught me so much about being a mother and about myself.  I love him for that!  He helped me learn what it is like to love a child so unconditionally.  He has helped me learn to appreciate my own parents more and to gain a better understanding of what our Heavenly Father's love for us must be like.

 I love Vance for helping me see life through a child's eyes once again.  He was a curious 2 year old and he always kept me on my toes.  I love Vance for loving me even though I am not perfect and for forgiving me when I've made poor parenting decisions.  He is eager to love and quick to forgive. 

 Vance is full of energy and helps me have a good time and stop to enjoy little things like dancing to music or laughing out loud at something funny.  His laugh can always cheer me up.  I love his compassion.  I love that he will sit next to me and play with my hair.  I love the games he comes up with to play.  I love how helpful he is to me especially with Porter.  He is always willing to get me a diaper or do other little tasks around the house when I need an extra hand.  He is a great big brother.

Vance is my planner.  From wanting to know what we are having for dinner each day, to what we will be doing preschool about to when we are going to see the grandparents again.  He likes to plan.  I love the things he comes up with.

Yesterday Vance wanted to watch "A Bug's Life" and Tanner didn't.  Tanner thought that the bird in that movie was scary.  Vance came up with an idea and shared it with Tanner, "I have an idea Tanner!  How about when the bird part comes you hide."  Tanner didn't really care for that idea, but Vance always is coming up with ideas and plans.  It makes me smile to see his wheels turning. 

Bottom line is, Vance is a wonderful boy and I LOVE him with all of my heart!  I am so blessed to be his mother!

14 Days of Love: Day 8

I love waterfalls.  They are beautiful!  I love listening to the water flow. 

14 Days of Love: Day 7

I love good books.  I enjoy reading picture books to my children.  I enjoy reading them to myself too.  Hmm... maybe that's why I got my degree in preschool education.  I also love a good novel.  Isn't there anything better to do on a cold stormy day than to snuggle in a comfy spot with a good book to read.  I think not!  I enjoy classics (Jane Austen), Harry Potter, Twilight, Fablehaven, and so much more!  I am always up for suggestions too. :)

14 Days of Love: Day 6

I love our prophet, Thomas S. Monson.  When President Hinckley passed away I knew that Thomas S. Monson was our next prophet.  I had a testimony of that, but I didn't know if I would come to love him the way I loved President Hinckley, but I do.  I have been slowly reading his biography and I find as I do, my love for him grows.  He is a wonderful person and has led quite a remarkable life.  I am only to where he was a mission president in his biography when he was in his 30's.  WOW!  I love hearing him speak and I know that he is a true, living prophet as well as a wonderful, caring person!  I love him so much that I changed my blog name to fit a talk he gave in the October 2008 General Conference. 

 

"Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family."

14 Days of Love: Day 5

Today I am expressing my love for my in-laws.  I've heard many people that don't like their in-laws and I am very grateful to be blessed to be married into a wonderful family.  Stephen's parents are caring and generous.  He has three older sisters who are kind and fun to be around.  I love each other them!  I love my in-laws so much and appreciate the way that they raised their son.  I know Stephen is a product of their hard work.  ;)  My mother and father-in-law are also awesome grandparents.  Thank you for being so wonderful to me.  I love you guys!

P.S. Our family picture above is already out of date because Mandy and Jake just adopted another beautiful baby boy!  Oh, and let's face it all of the kids are much more grown up now especially Porter. :)

14 Days of Love: Day 4

Chocolate and Peanut Butter.  MMMMM... Need I say more?

14 Days of Love: Day 3

I have two sisters and two brothers and I LOVE all of them!  I get along with each of them really well.  They are each amazing and talented people and I look up to all of them in different ways. 

 Holly is my older sister.  We shared a room together most of our growing up years.  She is fun to be around.  She inspired me to do drama in high school.  If you want to know some kind of entertainment/celebrity  question ask Holly, she probably knows the answer. It's cool.  I have looked up to Holly my entire life.  She is an awesome person and I love her!

 Eric is  my brother, just younger than me.  We've had some good times doing drama together.  I even got to play the part of his daughter in one play.  I would say as far as personalities go mine is most similar to Eric's.  He is a very talented guy.  He plays the trombone, guitar, and the piano.  He is also an intelligent guy.  He is also witty and fun to be around.  I LOVE Eric! 

 Glen is my little brother (although he is the tallest in the family).  Glen has a fun sense of humor.  I remember thinking that he was the cutest baby ever to exist (until I had my own of course).  Glen is a hard worker.  He is currently serving a mission for our church and I know he is doing awesome as a District Leader there.  I love that he is setting a good example for my sons.  I miss and love my Glenny!

  Rosemary is my baby sister.  I admire her ability to make friends.  She is able to do that anywhere she goes.  My sons just adore her too!  Rose is a very talented girl from music to drama to academics- pretty much everything she sets her heart out to do.  She has a lot of energy and is a fun person to talk to.  When you are a quiet person, like me it's nice to have people like Rose who will do most of the talking.  I love Rose!

As you can see I have been blessed with awesome siblings too.  I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!

14 Days of Love: Day 2

Today I am expressing my love for my parents.  I was truly blessed with a wonderful Mom and Dad.  They are wonderful people and they are exceptional parents.  They are great examples to me and I appreciate and that they have done and continue to do to enrich my life.  They are two of my best friends.

I never hear my dad gossip.  He treats everyone equally and I admire that.  My mom is very friendly and outgoing and since those are two things that do not come naturally I admire her for that.  They are also awesome grandparents.  They have helped me time and time in my life and I love them so much!!!!

14 Days of Love: Day 1

I am doing this fun activity with Vance and Tanner to count our way down to Valentine's Day.  I thought it would be a fun challenge to post 14 days of different things that I love here on our family blog.  (I won't be posting them in any particular order.)

Today I want to express my love for our Savior, Jesus Christ.  His love for all of us is incredible.  I wish I could eloquently put into words how I feel about Jesus Christ, but let me just say that I know he is my Savior.  He lived a perfect life and bore the sins of the world for each of us, he died for us, and was resurrected.  If that isn't the best example of love, I don't know what is.  I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of Jesus Christ and the influence that he has been on my life.  I pray that I may strive to do better to become more like him.