Camping!!

So I have done more camping than I have done in many years past. First of all I was able to be a part of Girls Camp for church. What a wonderful experience. I was in charge of the YCLs (Youth Camp Leaders). What a wonderful bunch of girls that put aside so much of their time to run camp. Oh what a way to build your testimony. The theme for camp was B.O.O.T. Camp Building our own Testimonies. I had the best time at camp. There were times of homesickness and sadness but the spirit at camp made up for those moments. I love my Youth Camp Leaders (YCLs) they could not have done a better job. I saw as they worked with their girls and helped them and loved them. I learned about compassion and love and selflessness and being yourself and having a great time. They made their girls shine. I had confirmation that they had been placed where they needed to be. I watched as the first year YCLs taught the cheer to their girls and it filled me with emotion. I could see the love they felt. Thursday night was life changing for me. My testimony of my Heavenly Fathers hand in my life was strengthened. During our wonderful water Olympics, which I did synchronized swimming with some other leaders (so cute!) on Thursday it started to rain. We were able to get everything ready for the rain. After dinner it got worse. I prayed that everything with the rain would work out. The fourth year YCLs had worked so hard on a great spiritual fireside that they had planned and I wanted so badly for it to work out for them. We still had fireside under the pavilion, which was a blessing to have all the girls so close. The 4th level started their presentation where they had chosen 7 women from the scriptures, history and just common women that were inspiring to them. There was Mary the mother of Jesus, pioneer women, Joan of Arc, and last the honored our Stake Young Womens President. It was wonderful to hear how she had touched all of these young women's lives. She is also very inspiring to me. But before they started the rain was very loud and they were having to yell so they decided to sing some songs. One of the YCLs said "We don't want to have to yell you spiritualness. She is so funny. So we began to sing. We sang I am a Child of God and Choose the Right and it was still raining. The Stake Presidency said to sing one more so we sang, I'm trying to be like Jesus and as we sang the rain slowly stopped. I knew Heavenly Father wanted us to hear what was going to be said. The spirit was so strong. They were able to share this great moment. After that they did role call, where each level does their cheer. There was excitement and fun. They all just got way into it and brought a great spirit of unity and love. The leaders had briefly practiced a little song and dance to Thriller. So it was our turn to perform. The mood was set by turning off all the lights and the campers turning on their flash lights. Mind you the rain had calmed and it was quiet. The music started and as soon as you heard DU-NUH DU-NUH-NUH there was a huge lightning and thunder and it began to pour as we started our dance. The girls were screaming and we could barely hear the music over the the screams. The girls were loving it or terrified I could not tell, but we all played it up and had a blast. I think Heavenly Father knew we needed something to make up for our dancing abilities. I couldn't have been better. After the fireside we split up into levels for testimony meetings. I was not sure where to to go because I was not with a level, but I did need some time to myself so I went down to the waterfront to take in all I had just experienced. When I got back I joined the second years where Garianne was a leader. It was so wonderful to hear the testimonies of these young girls. I hope and pray that they will be able to keep that experience close to their hearts and be able to draw from it in hard moments. After testimonies they had all the girls with a candle light make their way down to the waterfront where they were greeted by leaders with lights lining the beach. They formed circles by level. We waited for they third level for a while and then Garianne turned to me and said " Here they come they just didn't hear." This statement as I watched them join us with their lights was something I needed to hear. I thought of those in my family that are inactive, of those friends that I have that have fallen away. I thought of myself at times. I thought of me welcoming them as they hear the truth and follow the light. I watched as they journeyed toward the light with theirs now lit. I know I will experience this same feeling one day with each of these people I pray for. It will be so much more intense and wonderful I can't wait for those days. I am so grateful that I could go to camp and feel of the wonderful spirit there away from all the cares of the world. I hope I can have that strong spirit in my home more often and I will try my best to to this. I am excited for next year and hope it will work out so I can go again. I am so blessed. I have much to be grateful for.
So here are some pictures from girls camp. I did daily gifts for each of my YCLs and I had 31 of them so it was a chore but I just lined up my kids and their friends and had them help. They loved it. Also below that are some pictures from Camping with Becca and Steve. Clint had to work so I was my first experience camping with just the kids for 4 days, I just hadn't had enough camping from the week before so I went again. Then when I got home I had a breakdown and just wanted to go back away from all the responsibilities and realities. I'm better now.

What a Great Summer! Very Memorable!

You all make me Smile!

You all are too wonderful! I think I know all of the best people in the world. I have more support and love than I ever even knew. I have learned so much from this experience and even though it is hard I feel my Saviors love for me even more. It has helped me to grow closer to him. Hugs to everyone. You all make me smile! 

Trials only make us stronger!

I know I should have put this up a long time ago but we have been out of town with no internet at all. I thought we would be able to get it at some point during our long trip but we were never able to.
I want to thank all for the wonderful congrats on our little one but I also need to tell you on June 23rd I was having some complications and went in for another ultrasound and we found that there was no heartbeat. I should have been between ten and eleven weeks but was only still at six weeks and one day just like in the first ultrasound. So my pregnancy had not been progressing since then.  I am thankful to have been able to see the little heartbeat and I am so privileged to have been so close to this little spirit even if for only a short while. I am excited to one day meet this sweet spirit that was so needed on the other side. I send my love out to those who have helped and talked me through this and those who have been through it themselves. It was harder than I thought it would be. The hardest part was to tell the kids. We took them out to ice cream and told them. Valencia surprised me, she said "Mom Heavenly Father has a plan and we will have another baby when he is ready. " Vincent was very sad and still asks me if there is a baby in my tummy yet almost daily, he tells me how he really wants a baby brother or sister. Sometimes it makes me laugh because of his innocence and other times it hits me and I really want one too. I am so thankful for the strong faith of my children and the strength they give me when mine is down. We have to be thankful for our trials, they make us stronger.

Happy Fathers Day!

The start of your adventure as a father with little Valencia. I still remember the look on your face when she came into this world and you said" It's a girl!" with such excitement. You were so excited and ever since then she has been daddy's little girl.

Changing your first diaper. You have always been such a help to me. There are dad's that don't think this or many other things are part of their job as a father but you have always been willing to help out with what ever I needed.

I love that you took the time to include your kids in things you enjoy.

Even if you may look silly you do it for your kids to make them happy.

Your not the dad sitting over in a chair you are out playing with your kids.

Our second little angel loved just as much as the first.

Thank you for helping get the kids to sleep it is always such a big help even now.

You give Vincent everything he needs. Love, time and even your good looks.

"Anchor" a game that came out of one nights laziness and now provides hours of enjoyment for the kids. Even if you are tired you make time for them.

You teach them hard work. You are a great example of it and so many other things.

and I know you will continue to be a great father to our next little one!
I love you more than you know!

Piano Recital

 

Valencia had her piano recital yesterday. She had been given a very challenging song and had to work and practice very hard. She told me after she had played that she had only made 3 mistakes. I was glad to see that she could make a mistake in front of all those people and it was ok. She always likes to do everything perfect and I am glad that she realized that even if you work really hard at something you may still make a mistake and life goes on. We are not perfect people. She did a great job and I am thankful to her teacher Jenna for challenging her and making her work hard. She played Polynesian Breeze by Martha Mier and I had the video camera out ready to record it and it would not work. I will have to see if I can get it working in the next couple days and record her.

 

Valencia with Jenna

 

Amia also did a wonderful job. I was trying to remember the name of her song but could not I can't. It was an Indian song and very fun to listen to. Great job Amia.

 

Amia with Jenna

Maternity!

Just the other day I was able to take some maternity photos for some friends. I have taken some maternity photos one time a very long time ago. So I am glad I had the opportunity to do these. I really had a great time. So here are some of the pictures from the shoot of Brandi, Adam and Adalynn. You can't see Adalynn yet but she will be here soon and I can't wait to meet her.

What a great card!

 

It says "Happy Mother's Day from me and my sister."

Every time I look at this card I got from the kids this year it makes me laugh. 

For those of you who know Vincent this is the perfect card. We do call him Mr. Monkey Pants.

How can I be?

Found this song and love it! I need to learn to play the ukulele.
Here are the Lyrics

How can I be like my brother Nephi?
My father Lehi of old?
How can I be like Captain Moroni
In the wars that were told?

How can I see forever
Like the promise to the three Nephites?
I wanna be Samuel the Lamanite
I wanna be Benjamin the Wise
I wanna be like Abinidi
Oh tell me how can I be like them?

How can I be like Alma the Younger,
Strong servant of the Lord?
How can I be like Mighty Ammon,
Whose heart was his sword?

How can I be a stripling warrior,
And learn to fight by faith?
I wanna be Samuel the Lamanite
I wanna be Benjamin the Wise
I wanna be like Abinidi
I wanna be like Jesus Christ
Oh tell me how can I be like them?
Oh tell me how can I be like them?

Sweet Baby!

Lakai it was so nice to meet you!

I am a great Aunty to this little one and was fortunate to be able to get some pictures of him. 

Congrats Tristin and Ryan!

Family Night!

Every monday night we have Family Home Evening, which usually consists of a song, scripture, lesson and activity. Sometimes we do a game night and this is what we did last night. I had heard of this game called "Skittles" but we used M&Ms. You have a person rolling dice to get doubles and a person with a straw trying to get the skittles from the big bowl to the little bowl as quick as you can( no laughing, because it is really hard to suck and laugh at the same time) as soon as doubles are rolled it is the dice rollers turn to do the skittles and the dice go to the next player. Very fun and your lungs get a great workout. Valencia' friends Sam joined us for the night!

We always like to end the night with treat, so chocolate dipped

strawberries and bananas were so yummy!