Called To Serve

My brother has been called  to serve an LDS Mission to Washington, Everett for two years. He leaves to the Mission Training Center June 8th and we are so excited for him. This last Sunday was his last time speaking in church and so we had gotten a plane ticket for me to go out there along with Lincoln (lap rider) and see him one last time. I was so surprised when the day before we were leaving, an amazing friend-you know who you are Sarah :) posted on facebook that she had four tickets to Utah the exact days I was going and wondered if anyone could use them. Uh yeah....I immediately called Damone to tell him and see if he wanted me to get them, that way our whole family could go and say goodbye to Todd. Needless to say we booked them and the trip was amazing. What a blessing.
I flew in and then a few hours later Damone flew in with the rest of the kids. We kept it a secret from everyone that they were coming. So when Damone pulled up in the driveway in a rental, my brother said, "Someone is in our driveway in a van." My dad got up to look and see who it was, while my mom was asking who it was and his reply was, "I think it looks like Damone" as he turned to look at my just as surprised look :) Then the sliding door slid open and out jumped Cooper, Lydia and Kyler. My parents were so shocked and Todd couldn't get over that all of us were there. It was awesome, it truly was a blessing for all of us to be there. The last time all my siblings, spouses and our children were all together was 6 years ago.
Todd spoke in church on the Atonement and the spirit was so strong, so many family came up to see him who I haven't seen in years. He will be one amazing missionary as he shares his testimony and the love he has for our Savior. Good luck Todd!

Top L-R: Lincoln, Damone, Cooper, Tanna, Grandma (Denise), Grandpa (Boyd), Todd, Ryan, Jamie

Bottom L-R: Lydia, Kyler, Hanne, Ylena, Cohen and Kaeden

 I love this kid!

We were also able to meet up with Damone's sister and her family.

Lincoln, Jovie, Lydia, Cooper, Ella, Mia, Kyler

Quick Trip to Utah

I had the opportunity to take a quick four day trip to Utah. I went out to attend a Time Out For Women with my mother in law and sister in laws, you can learn more information about it here. I want to go to the one in Plano this October, let me know if you want to go. :) I'll have to post pictures of the TOFW later.

Anyways I had the amazing privilege of taking the names of my great grandma and grandpa Ward to the Bountiful temple to do their baptisms. My brother Todd and I were able to do this ordinance together for them. It was truly amazing. Here we are in front of the temple. We tried to do it that night I flew in but there were too many people already scheduled so we actually came back that next morning Friday February 5, 2010.

We got to meet up with my Grandma Staples and Grandma Christiansen. I was so glad they both got to see Lincoln before I left even though I was out there for only a few days.

This is my sweet little man. Doesn't he just make your heart melt? He was the best travel partner. I fed him right before each flight and he slept both ways. He couldn't have timed it more perfectly. I never even had to get up and leave during the Time out for women. He sat on my lap and listened, slept or ate the whole time. He is such a great baby.

Playing Catch Up

So I've been looking through all of the pictures we've taken and feel the need to blog about them. It makes better journaling when you can put a picture with it. Hopefully this will allow me to get caught up on all the summer happenings.

Cooper took a big spill on his bike. He decided to go full throttle down our sloped driveway and missed the neighbors driveway across the street and instead hit their curb. He flew off his bike and landed on his face. I was worried he might have broken his nose because of how fast it swelled up. This picture is a few hours after the swelling was starting to go down! I couldn't even bare to look at him-He didn't look like my Cooper. Luckily nothing was broken, he just took a pretty big hit on his nose and cut up the inside of his upper lip.

I tried to get a profile picture of him the day it happened but he was just wanting to be held-can you blame him? Anyway this picture is a couple days later and it doesn't do justice for how far out his upper lip was. Damone came home that day from work and was shocked. Cooper's upper lip stuck out like a ducks bill. Thankfully the mouth heals so quickly and he was back to himself in no time.

Maloree's Rose Bush

We've done a major overhaul in our front yard landscaping-ripping out old bushes, planting new ones and putting in a variety of different flowers. It is really starting to look nice. This is the rose bush we planted for Maloree. It is a Knock Out Rose and has really done well and taken off. It just keeps on blooming. The kids call it "Maloree's bush" and they really keep an eye on it and tell me when we need to cut back the dead flowers and when it needs to be watered.

We also found out in June that we were going to have another Boy. We have never found out gender on any of our other kids so it was actually a really big shock for us. We went home and it was almost surreal that we knew the gender and didn't actually have the baby yet. It was almost like we were in denial that they could even tell, because usually the baby is born and the doctor will declare the gender and Damone and I can immediately validate it. But just going off the ultrasound tech felt so weird. Lydia had a hard time adjusting to the thought of another brother. I took her to pick out his coming home outfit and we got our nails painted together. It was a really neat experience for her to realize that she can do girly things with her mom, even though her sister is not here.

We are very excited. This whole pregnancy I have felt very removed and very anxious and nervous. As the pregnancy has progressed I find myself feeling more and more confident especially now that I can feel him moving all the time. We only had one month between Maloree and this baby and as soon as we found out we were pregnant it was an overload of emotions-guilt, excitement, relief, scared, nervous and panicky to just name a few. But the whole time and even still I am humbled that Heavenly Father knows the plan for our family (I put my trust and faith in that) and needed this little guy to come at this specific time, that Maloree sacrificed her earthly experience for. Had we carried her to term we never would have been carrying this child. I have really gained a deeper understanding in the magnitude of the timing and place everyone is born and that gender does in fact play a very important role in our individual premortal, mortal and eternal identity and purpose.

Utah Trip-Shumard Reunion

Two Peas in a Pod

Cal loving Lydia / Following the Leader

Bear Lake adventure- Did I mention the water was freezing?

Kyler riding with Damone-he wanted to stay out forever / Lydia riding with Uncle Mike-she was ready at anytime to come back in.

The horses were the highlight of Kyler's trip to Utah. He was so excited to finally ride a "Spirit" horse and not a pony. The mosquitoes were so thick we were dousing our hair, clothes and any bare skin with bug repellent. Needless to say once the last kid got their turn on the horse, we made a mad dash for the cars.

The view from our cabin at Bear Lake

We had so much fun with all the cousins and the kids loved Family Home Evening with Nana and Papa.

I was so glad we had time to visit Great Grandma Staples. The kids had fun playing in her yard and picking up pine cones in the wagon. We had a great time visiting with Aunt Vickie and Blair and Kendra and Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Todd.

Lydia's highlight of the Utah trip was losing her first tooth! Dad helped it come out at Grandma and Grandpa's house. She was so excited she couldn't put it under her pillow, she had to bring it home and show her friend Mandy before the tooth fairy made her visit.

Quick Trip to Utah

I just had the opportunity to go to Utah for a quick five days- my "little" brother was ordained an Elder. Damone was such a trooper in letting me go without the kids. It was so nice to have a break and to visit with family I don't get to see very often. We were able to have dinner one night with Damone's sisters and their families, I can't believe how fast the nieces and nephews grow up.
I know this seems ridiculous that I took pictures of the snow since I grew up in Utah and saw it all the time, but my kids haven't. So I took these pictures for them because it snowed all day Monday and this is what we woke up to Tuesday.

My brother Todd (the one in the middle) was ordained an elder and received the Melchizedek Priesthood. I am so proud of him I just can't tell him enough. Todd is very ambitious and does not take anything lightly. So it is with the priesthood. He just isn't the type to go and do something because he is of age or it is the thing he is "supposed to do." Todd has taken preparing for the priesthood and to be a missionary very seriously and I knew the day would come where he felt he had prepared himself in such a way that would not only please him but also the Lord. He is such an amazing person and I look up to him so much. I am so grateful for the relationship we have and feel so blessed that I was able to be there and share this spiritual experience with him.

Congratulations again Todd.