Tell me a Story of Jesus!

I came upstairs last night and Chuck was asking Emma what kind of story she wanted tonight. He was expecting her to ask for a princess story, but she said she wanted a Jesus story. It was the cutest thing. Emma's favorite thing is to finish your sentences if she knows a story or a song. This is how the story went.
Dad- Once upon a time Jesus was on a
Emma- Boat
Dad- with his
Emma- Friends
Dad- and Jesus was very
Emma- Sleepy
Dad- So he decided to take a
Emma- Nap
Dad- While Jesus was sleeping it started to
Emma- Rain
Dad- and then there was
Emma- Wind
Dad- And
Emma- Big Waves
Dad- Jesus' friends were really
Emma- Scared
Dad- They didn't want to drown and the storm was getting worse and worse. So they woke up
Emma- Jesus
Dad- They said "Master, carest thou not if we"
Emma- Perish (Cayden cut in to tell us that perish means die)
Dad- So Jesus stood up and said
Emma (With her arms raised up high) Peace, Be Still
Dad- And the rain
Emma- stopped
Dad- and the wind
Emma- stopped
Dad- and the waves
Emma- stopped
Dad- and everyone was
Emma- Happy
I think it is so cute that she knows some of these stories, her favorite thing in Church is for Daddy to tell her Jesus stories. Just listening to them last night made my heart so full of Joy and Happiness. I love that little children are drawn to things of the spirit. They love the learn about Jesus and about the prophets in the scriptures. Their little spirits crave those feelings of the spirit.

My little Cowboy!!

Cayden got invited to a Cowboy party last week and the morning of the party he woke up crying. I asked him what was wrong and in the most distraught voice he said "I can't go to the party." I asked him why and he answered "I don't have any cowboy clothes to wear, so I can't go" I tried to tell him he didn't need to dress up to go but he was adimant that he needed to dress up. So we ran around to neighbors and families houses trying to find a cowboy costume. We finally found a hat, bandana, and a gun holster for his belt (this was a must). He looked so cute dressed up. Thanks to everyone who helped in his hour of need.

Cayden!

So this is what happens when your kids get ahold of the camera. I came down the other day and Cayden was taking pictures, I took the camera from him and told him to please not get it out without mommy there to help him. I didn't notice all the pictures he had taken until today when I uploaded my pics. He had taken tons of pics of himself and Emma and like 20 of his teddy, his toys, and of coarse his feet. He is so funny. i am feeling so grateful for him lately. He has been such a good boy. For the most part he has grown out of the whinny tantrum phase and he is so helpful and loving. I really cherish the time that we get to spend together. Our favorite thing is to have mommy and Cayden time while Emma is down for her nap. He is always telling me how much he loves me and that I am his favorite friend to play with. Yesterday we had so much fun, we made glow in the dark neclace's, which he loved, but he wont wear it out of the house cause he tells me "mom I don't want anyone to think I'm a girl." Then we practiced his letters. Sometimes it is so hard to keep him focused on learning so I made up the best game that keeps his attention. I write each letter on it's own piece of paper, then I tape the letters all over the house. I give him a nerf dart gun and he has to find and shoot each letter that I say. He loves it and it has really helped him learn his letters better. After that we played football and baseball in the backyard. He is getting so good at hiting the ball when I pitch to him. I wanted to record this day so that I would always remember this special time with him. We had such a great time together. We just laughed and had so much fun. I also love that he is really starting to love the scriptures. Every night when we have scripture study I can really tell he is listening cause he always has a comment about what we are reading. One night we read about the wicked being swallowed up in the earth at the second coming. He was very interested in this and had a million questions about who it would be and what it would be like. Then for a couple of days whenever I asked him not to be naught he would say "Yeah mom, I don't want to be swallowed by the dirt." He makes me laugh everyday. He is always so sweet and full of energy. I really want to remember this time with him. This is his last year before he starts kindergarten, and then I will never have this special time with him each day. It will be the beginning of a new phase in his life and I know I will enjoy it, but it will never be the same. I want to remember him this way, as my little buddy, who is always giving me hugs and helping me and who loves to hear stories about Jesus. I feel so much gratitude for this little boy with his powerful spirit that Heavenly Father has sent me. I feel like he is growing up way to fast and I wish I could stop the clock. Somday he will get married and they will spend way more time with her family cause that is always how it goes. I just hope that while his is still with me that I can teach him what is right and that he will find happiness in his life. Anyway, I have just been thinking a lot lately about him growing up and how big, and smart, and capable he is getting. I love you Cayden bug.

A visit from Grandma

We had a visit last week from Grandma and Grandpa Meeker. The kids were so excited to see them. Bill had to leave after only a couple of days with us, but Marilyn was able to stay all week. She came to help her sister Geanie who has been diagnosed with lung cancer. It was so nice to have time with her. Of coarse she took the kids to get a toy and always brought home treats for them. They always get spoiled by their grandma's. Their favorte was her story songs she would sing for them before bed. They really just adore her and I am so grateful for all that Bill and Marilyn do for us, we are so blessed to have them in our lives. I am so grateful that my kids have grandparents who love them so much.

Farewell girls night!

I am so sad. My sisters Laura and Becca are moving this month and will be gone until Chuck and I move away for Chuck's post doc, and then me and Chuck will be gone for a long time. Laura moves this weekend to Pocatello, her husband is going to physical therapy school there. And Becca is moving in 2 weeks to go to BYU Idaho. I'm glad they will be close enough for weekend visits, but I am going to miss them so much. Anyway we had one last girls night before they leave. Mom took us to the best Italian restaurant in Sandy and then we went to see The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2. We had a lot of fun. It was so nice to be all together one last time before they go. I am really sad cause it will probly be 5-10 years before we all live in the same state again. Becca is one of my best friends, We have so much fun together and she is so good with my kids, they just adore her. I can always turn to her if I need anything, she is so service oriented and is always willing to help me out. I love you Bec. Laura is also such a good friend to me, last summer her and Dave moved just down the street from us. It has been so nice to have her so close. Laura is always there to talk if I need her and she always does nice little things for us, like inviting us for dinner when she knows I've had a long day. She is so great. I love her kids and will miss them so much. I love them both so much and I am really going to be so sad when they are gone.

Flaming Gorge

We took the funnest trip to Flaming Gorge with my family last weekend. We also took Chuck's brother Steve with us. We droppped the kids off at my Step moms and she watched them for the weekend. It was so nice to get some time with Chuck and my sisters where I had no responsiblities. We got up there Thursday night and it was raining so we went into town and stayed at a motel. Then we went boating, clif jumping and jet skiing all day Friday and mid afternoon it started to rain so we came back to our camp and huddled under the canopy and talked for two hours. It was fun to get to sit around and chat. At about 4 the rain stopped so we hurried and packed up and went back out on the lake. That night Mom and Ron went into town to get a couple things at the store and we put 80's music on and had a dance party. It was so much fun, even Benny was dancing, he was doing the cutest spin and kick moves. Saturday we boated all day and then came back and packed up camp and headed home. We had so much fun. We both love being on the boat and in the sun, and Chuck had a blast wakeboarding. Thanks mom for inviting us and putting it all together it was so much fun.
Chuck and I

My handsome husband

All the girls

Benny and Ron

Mom and Ron

Me and Becca

All of us hiding from the rain at camp

Becca

Steve

Chucks swan dive of the clif, he is crazy!

We found this awesome eagles nest and the guys all tried to hike up to it, they could only make it this far. It is on top of the tower to the right of the boys.

Ron cliff jumping

Soccer!

Cayden was in Itty Bitty Soccer again this year. He loved it, and he did such a great job. I was so proud of how much he has improved since last year. He was so good at running while kicking the ball, he never had to stop to kick it like some of the other kids. And he seemed to get it that you need to kick the ball towards the goal. It was so funny to watch all the kids play, they would just kick the ball all over the place, but they were never headed for the goal. Cayden made a goal on his first day and then made two goals each day after that. I am so proud of my little guy, it is so fun to watch how excited he gets when he does well at something and when he's having so much fun.
Cayden running past me after he made his first goal. He was so proud of himself.


Cayden and his friend Taytin. They were so excited that they were assigned to the same team.

Girls Trip

I just got back from the funnest trip to St. George. I was able to go with a couple of my friends from high school that I have stayed in touch with. It was me, Stephanie, Jessica, Lindsey, Sarah, and Brittany. We left on Thursday morning and I was so dumb I was suppost to drop my kids off at my moms and be home by 9:00 for Steph to pick me up. Well, being the ditz that I am I locked my keys in the car, so my mom had to come down to my house to pick up the kids and we had to wait for the locksmith to come unlock the car so that I could get my purse out of it. Steph and Linds were so nice to wait for my until almost 10:00. Once we got there we went and saw "Mama Mia" I've already seen it and loved it so I was happy to go again. We went out to dinner and hung out all night talking. Me and Sarah were up until almost 3:00 talking, I was so tired the next day. I don't think I've stayed up that late since college, but it was so fun. The next day we went to the spa most of the girls got pedicures, but I got a wax mask and lotion massage for my hands. It was so nice. We swam the rest of the day and then went to "Sound of Music" at the Tuacahn theater that night. It was fabulous, but so hot. It started at 8:30 and it was still almost 100 degrees, with no breeze, we were all dying. But I loved the play, Maria was wonderful. Then the next day we swam and shopped at the outlets and then drove home. I had such a fun time. It was so nice to have a break from being a mom and get to relax. I also had a really good time with the girls, a couple of them I haven't talked to very much since high school and it was so fun to get to know them better. They are all such wonderful women. Thanks girls for a fabulous getaway.

At the Sound of Music, can you tell we are all dripping with sweat!

After our wonderful spa treatments

At the pool