Soccer

Kendra, "Look, I can fit behind the door!"

Megan, "I can't fit because of my pot belly." :(

I signed the girls up for an introductory soccer class this summer. 

 

 

 Look at Megan hustle

 

Kendra being the goalie

 

Megan tried so hard and ran so fast to keep up with the other kids.

And she cried the whole time!  I felt so bad for her!  She wanted Kendra to hold her hand but Kendra wanted to play...poor Megan.

 

 They ran into eachother...

I never thought Kendra would be athletic; I was surprised at how well she did!  Now I'm trying to talk her into playing on a team!

 

 

Interrupted Sleep

Mark and I have three little girls.  This often brings the question, "you guys gonna try for a boy?"  Sometimes I respond simply by saying, "nope."  Other times I expound and say why.  Two reasons: My body fell apart after Kylee and postpartum depression.

I read a study recently that examined the lack of sleep and interrupted sleep.  They found that interrupted sleep had far worse effects on a person's body then the lack of sleep did.   It actually changed the genes in a person's body causing many health problems.  Mice that were awakened repeatedly eventually died!

I have slept 7 hours a handful of times in the last 4 + years.  Most people with children sleep better than I have and do.  Megan sleeps through the night most of the time now.  I figure Kylee will do the same by the time she's 4.

So there are actually three reasons.  I .... am .... tired.  I think if people could see and feel what I have been through in the last 4 years they would throw their arms around me and say, "bless your heart for pressing on."

It Will Come

When Mark and I were first married and living in BYU's married housing, Wymount, we were poor.  Both of us were working and going to school.  We made enough money to pay our bills with $70 left over for food.  We had a tight budget and ate very little.  Every other week we'd go to the grocery store with $35 to spend.  Looking back I'm really not sure how we survived on so little.

Our Stake President (In the LDS church you belong to a ward, typically about 8 wards make a stake, and the Stake President is over those wards) asked us to increase our fast offerings, then one day he said, "you need to try your faith, double your fast offering."  Each month we fast for two meals, typically dinner and breakfast so that it is about a 24 hour fast.  We then give the money we would have spent on those meals to our bishop.  It is then used to help those who need it under his discretion.  The LDS church welfare system is amazing.

When our Stake President told us to double our fast offering I looked at Mark and asked how we could do that.  We were already pinching pennies, and to double our offering the money would have to come from our food budget.  We have always believed in following the counsel of our leaders but by doubling our fast offering we wouldn't be able to buy enough food to sustain us for a month.  We decided to be obedient and doubled our fast offering, knowing there would be days we wouldn't eat.  But as we stretch our faith miracles happen.  We still had $70 a month for food - it never worked out on paper, but we always had $70 in our bank account and we had food each day to sustain us.

Now here in Albuquerque our Stake Presidency has asked us to do three things as the drought is severe.

1. Pray and fast for rain
2. Keep the Sabbath Day holy
3. Increase our fast offering

Because of the experience in Wymount I believe as we do these things that the heavens will open and rain will come.  I think we should unite as a people and pray together that rain will come.  Whether you believe in God, or in good karma, send your petition to your belief system, stretch your faith, and see the miracles that come.

Mormonads

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has magazines they publish each month.  One magazine, called the New Era, is for youth.  There was a page I looked forward to each month called mormonads.  I use to put them on my wall when I was younger.  Here are some examples:


  



 

More can be viewed at https://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=0ca9835e2cd78110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

 

Brigham Young University has a comedy club called Divine Comedy.  They took some Mormonads and redid them.  Mark and I were cracking up over these:

 

  

 You can view more at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.382538581779029.96720.382537241779163&type=3

 

Enjoy.



Summer

I love summer.  I love the sunny long days, ice cream & popsicles, and the weather.  Love it.

 

First day of swim lessons:

 

You probably can't tell which kids are mine, but they're out there!

Kylee watching her sisters

Little Chubs

Every four years my kids get a birthday party.  I love that they can have a party, but that I don't have to do one every year....or three every year!  Megan wanted to go swimming, but seeing how I have Kylee we had to compromise with the spray park.  I wasn't able to rent the spray park so they told me just to show up when they opened and let them know I was doing a party.  Uh huh.  I got there five minutes after they opened and this place was crazy packed.  I have never seen it so busy!  So it didn't quite pan out like I had hoped, but Megan still enjoyed it.

 Coloring a princess bag a friend gave her.

 

 This totally cracked me up.  Here's Megan's little friend eating her lip gloss!

 

 

 Our friends

 

 

Megan's mermaid.

Daughters & Dad

Here's to a great father...

 

 

To celebrate we had hamburgers and fries...well, a brownie inside a cupcake with sugar cookie strips.

Megan's Laugh

Megan has the heartiest laugh.  Kendra is the only one who can get her to laugh with a full gut belly bursting laugh.

On this particular occasion Kendra and Megan were digging and throwing dirt.  Kendra thought it would be funny to put some down her pants.  Megan thought it was hilarious!

 

Took the girls bowling with a friend

For Kendra's birthday we invited two neighbors over

 

For The Love Of The Y

Brigham Young University

"The World Is Our Campus"

"Enter To Learn Go Forth To Serve"

 See the Y on the mountain in the background?

Those are my future cougars right there.

 

Grass!  Beautiful grass!

Utah is so green!

 

See how fun grass is to run and play on?

 



 

The cougar at Lavell Edwards Stadium.

Once again, notice the Y in the background....

Dinosaur museum at BYU