Musician in Training

I found this as I was going through the pictures that were taken on my mom's birthday. I just loved it too much to not share it. Danny has loved this toy guitar since we got here and he is just too cute.

Surprise Party

My mom's birthday was on Tuesday. She can now state her age with the help of the word CENTURY!! And for the very special occasion, I decided that I just needed to be there. So with the help of my awesome family, I made arrangements to fly to Idaho to be there on my mom's birthday and planned a little surprise party for her. Nearly everyone except my mom knew about the plans and when she came home from mutual, she walked in the door and entered the kitchen and there we all were. But these pictures tell the story best.

I love this one. It is just so funny. This is raw, real emotion. She had no idea. I don't think her jaw could have been any lower. So fun!

It took her nearly a half a minute to move from her initial position. See picture #1. Once things sank in a bit, then she was able to move and being speaking in a somewhat coherent fashion.

Still in shock.

Josh made the lengthy trip down from BYU-I.

All the grandbabies were there. Danny had been practicing the Birthday song for a month for this very moment. But he of course wanted to help her blow out the candles.

My beautiful sister Alisha and her husband Ben.

Enjoying the pleasant evening out on the patio. We were only missing Kelsey who wasn't able to ditch her class midweek to join us. (She teaches a second grade special education class.) But she will be coming down this weekend. And of course Autie who is serving his mission in Vancouver. We missed him too!

Further Evidence

We went to the circus a few weeks ago and I found him chewing up his popcorn box. Yes, the box was still half full of popcorn.

This isn't really evidence of Danny's chewing obsession, as much as evidence that the tight ropers were awesome!

Evidence that while Kate is growing up, she still is just a baby and just couldn't stay awake for the whole performance.

Growin' up!

Kate is turning into a big girl! It all started when she got her first tooth in Hawaii and it's been nonstop ever sense!

Soon after the life changing moment of cutting her first tooth (on the bottom), the two top ones began poking thru as well!

Then she figured out how to crawl overnight! She had been getting up onto her hands and knees for a while, but wasn't showing much interest in really c-r-a-w-l-i-n-g. But then, WHAM! All of the sudden she shot accross the room like she had been doing it all her life.

And now, she is a fast little bugger. Tonight, she had been playing under my feet while I was preparing a lesson and then all of the sudden she was gone. So I left the kitchen to see if she had gone into the family room to play with Danny, but no, she was climbing up the stairs! She was already up four steps by the time I got to her!

How did this happen?! :)

FREE CHOCOLATE!

So my good friend Stacey informed me of this fun bit of information. Every Friday, through September, the chocolate company Mars (makers of M&Ms, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, etc) is giving away tons of coupons for one free chocolate bar. They're calling it The Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act.

So go sign up and get free chocolate coupons in the mail!

Virtue: For Such a Time as This (Ether 4:14)

I felt the Spirt so strongly while I watched this for the first time during the Young Women's broadcast. It is very powerful and pure. I am so grateful for my calling to serve with the wonderful young women in my ward. They are such examples to me!

Please take the time to watch it. It's just over five minutes long. I loved it.

Four years ago today...

It was a very happy day.
We were lucky enough to have a short break in the rain to get some pictures.

Time is an interesting concept. At times it seems like we were just dating, but then at other times, it seems like we've been together forever. I realize four years isn't a huge amount of time, but a lot sure has happend in these last four years!