Family Photos

 These three boy are the light of our lives! Aren't they adorable?! I love that they're all smiling and sweet. They are fantastic boys; we are blessed! What a great picture -definitely one of my favorites.

Yay for a great family photo! I love everything about it. I can't imagine life being any better. Life is good. It's been a great year of experiences and blessings. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my life with these four incredible cute and handsome guys.

Just pictures For Journaling

Ben is SIX.

Ben turned SIX! How is this possible? He has gotten so big, so fast. He's growing into an incredible big boy. This year we celebrated on the 9th and the 10th. On friday, his actual birthday, Joe took Ben and Kade to Pizza Hut for a guys' night. They all got there own personal pizzas. Then he opened one present -a huge pack of white paper, tracing paper and mechanical pencils. He is drawing up a storm these days. Also, on Thursday, aunt Nattie took him to the store to buy any toy he wanted (within reason), and he was thrilled to get a Mario figure.

On Saturday, we went out with grandma and our amazing friends Cami, and her boys Nathan and Ashton. We went to McDonalds and had happy meals and let the boys play for as long as we possibly could, then came home and opened presents. It was a great weekend for our big six year old! Craziness! We love him.

Proposals? Already?

This past week both boys proposed marriage. Sweet and funny boys. Kade, very seriously, told his cousin Karly that he would "be her fiance ,and kiss her when they were married, and go to the store and buy her flowers." (He was trying to make her feel better after her fiance past away a couple weeks ago. Joe went out to AZ a couple times, and we had explained that cousin Karly was sad and "dad was helping her feel better." ) Kade is always one to try to cheer someone up and make them feel better. He is such a sweet boy.
Finally, Ben has mentioned, a few times, a little girl from school named Madelyn. And, a couple days ago he stated he wanted to "write her a note" (on the back of a recently colored Mario picture, no less). He didn't want to tell us what he was going to write until later. When he finally told us, we learned he had written, "Dear Madelyn, What do you think about marrying me? Done. Ben." Haha, funny boy. We asked him what he liked the most about her, and he replied, "Her cute face."
I love my boys, they are sweet and funny, and they have the most loving hearts. They will, no doubt, make some cute husbands in the future -but, I think we easily have 20 years or so until they do so. I love these boys.

Just So I'll Always Remember....

A few weeks ago, the boys and I watched 17 Miracles. At one point a woman is kept hidden from her abusive husband -"...the Lord helped the man not see her" I explained." A couple days later, we were driving to school. The topic of magic came up, which I spun off onto a topic of "real" power -and a discussion on the power of the priesthood. I reminded them that Jesus used the power of the priesthood to do great things, like make people see..." Kade interrupted to say that He makes people not see too. I started to correct a little, and said I didn't think Jesus would make people not see, 'cause he heals people. But, then Ben piped up and said, "Uh huh, Paul." I quickly said, "Right, he did take Saul's sight, and Saul was Paul. Right!" Then Kade piped up and said, "And he made the lady's husband not see her." Again, I stood corrected and said, "Yes, he did keep the man from seeing." I was amazed and had been taught -yet again- by my boys.

Not too long ago, Joe taught Ben and Kade about the "natural man" and how we should try our best to not listen to that part of us that might want us to do wrong. Joe and I both agree that nothing has stuck with Kade quite the way this concept seems to have. Because, Kade is constantly reminding us and himself not to listen to the natural man. He is striving really hard to follow his heart, or the Holy Ghost, or the Priesthood (as he'll say). Well, last week, when Joe took the boys to McDonald's, a boy pinched Kade. Kade could not let that slide, so he found this kid's mom and told her what her son had done. Later, the mom came to Joe and explained that we'd done a "really good job teaching our son. Because, he had taught her a lesson all about how her son had followed the natural man and not the priesthood." I'm sure Joe was pretty proud of Kade for really understanding the lesson and actually relaying it to others. I was very happy to hear the story, and grateful for Kade's goodness. I try really hard to talk about the gospel with the boys throughout each day. During one of our conversations we talked about things that are the most important in the Eternal perspective and where our priorities should be. Ben has really taken to heart which things are the best things. In casual conversation he'll say, "I love my Mario game, but, not as much as I love Heavenly Father and my family." I've heard him say this type of thing several times, but while I was out of town, Joe text me to relay that Ben had said these things. He was impressed with Ben's thoughtfulness. I am grateful to have boys who already know the gospel and have testimonies of some of its principals.

I know that I have not "taught" the boys these things -just simply reminding them of things they've already learned before they ever came to me. With very little effort on my part, these boys are grasping and completely excepting the principals of the gospel. They are developing amazing testimonies of the Savior, His power and His commandments. They are such blessings to me. They teach me more than I could ever think to teach them. I am more grateful than I can say, for the gospel we have and for the blessings we see in our lives because of it.