Family Pictures!

So a little P.S. to my last post. I recently listened again to some conference talks from April and

Elder Holland's from Sunday afternoon session was one of my favorites. He made me laugh, he made me cry and he made me feel so happy! I encourage everyone to read, watch or listen to, not only his, but all conference talks again. LDS.org is a great site. Also Mormonchannel.org is so great too! I have the app on my ipod and can listen, watch and read talks and more whenever I want! It's great.

Here's a fun quick quote from Elder Holland's talk, "So if you are trying to do the best you can—if, for example, you keep trying to hold family home evening in spite of the bedlam that sometimes reigns in a houseful of little bedlamites—then give yourself high marks,...". I just love that!

Anyway ;) Here are our recent family pictures. I love them! They turned out so good!

Just some thoughts...

I've had a lot of things on my mind lately. Life is so great ;) I just can't help but watch others and wonder why they can't see life the way I do. I have such a hard time listening and watching other people who are negative. I definitely am not perfect and I have my moments of negativity, but I think less and less often as I "grow up". The first couple of years after Jeremy and I were married we definitely had a lot to learn! We argued A LOT! I noticed everything he did wrong and pointed them out, or got quiet and mad about things he didn't even know he did wrong!

At some point I read a great article in the Jan. 2005 Ensign called "Falling out of love... and climbing back in". It changed my life. I realized that if I wanted to have a good relationship with my husband I had to change myself! I really worked on not sulking about things that Jeremy didn't even know about. Talking to him calmly if something was bothering me. Telling him how much I love him and thank you for all the little things he did, and most of all doing the things I needed to do to be closer to my Heavenly Father. I have always been active. As in I go to church. (Except for a few months when we were first married. He didn't want to go and so I didn't go either. I learned quick that I didn't like it).

What I realized (only like a year or so ago), what I needed to do was do all the "Sunday School Answers". I needed to be closer to my Heavenly Father and earn the help I needed from the Holy Ghost. I needed to read my scriptures, pray (on my knees!), and have family home evening and scripture study with my family!

I have noticed a huge difference not only in my life; my personal happiness, but in my family too! Jer and I get along so good! No, we're not perfect. We never will be, but we can solve issues so much better and we have issues way less! We have had, almost ;), consistent FHE for almost a year, and we have read scriptures and the friend daily with only a few misses also. I definitely feel opposition sometimes. Satan pushes us hard to argue and for me to yell, etc. But we feel the benefits so much more.

The whole reason though, this has been so much on my mind is how much I have seen with people in my life (close family and friends) the sadness that comes from not doing these things, and being negative. People are going to hurt you. You are going to be annoyed by people. The key is not lowering yourself to their level!! I have had to remind my kids lately that talking bad about ANYONE is not ok! No matter what they have done! And if someone is talking negative about someone else to them, they should ask them not to, change the subject or leave the situation. It is a lot harder as an adult though. Especially if it's someone close to you.

I also feel so sad when people question ANYTHING the church tells us. I have a strong testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which means I believe President Thomas S. Monson is the Prophet of God. That means that anything he, or his servants; ex. members of the Seventy or Stake Presidencies or Bishoprics, is from God! Everything! You don't question that! Heavenly Father will not lead you wrong. Yes people are imperfect and sometimes they won't do things right. That is when you listen to the Holy Ghost and everything will be ok.

Phew. I feel so much better I got that off my mind ;).

On a more exciting note:

Kylee tried out for and got into a play this weekend!!! She will be part of the Ensemble (the background singers etc.) in Alice in Wonderland in November! Till then it will be a lot of practicing and some fun times ;) Summer is really excited to try out next year! Let me know if anyone is interested in coming to see it!

P.S. School starts on Monday! I'm excited, but can't believe it!

Where to start?

It has been such an awesome summer! We have been so busy, and having so much fun! First we got to go on a 2 1/2 week vacation. We went to Grandma and Grandpa Ovards in Nevada. We were there a week, had fun playing on the slip and slide and riding our bikes, etc. Hangin' with Uncle Austin

The kids stayed there, but the next weekend Jer and I got to drive down to Disneyland for our 12th Anniversary! It was so much fun! I LOVE being with my hubby! I'm glad I'm still so in love with him. I know we will still have so much fun together when all the kids are gone ;)

We got to go to an Angels game while we were there. It was so fun!


I loved the new Toy Story ride! I won too! :)
I love Disneyland! It will be fun to take the kids again when Jenna is older, but it is so fun to go with out them! I'm just a big kid I guess.

When Jer and I got back, we got to stay in Minden till the next weekend. We went bowling (which is so fun the older the kids get!) and just hung out and relaxed.

We got home and got to get our new picnic table from Grandma Hayes! (Early Christmas present) We love it!

Then Jer and I got crazy again. We got home Sunday and decided to go back to California on Friday! Jer's 20 yr reunion was that Saturday. We weren't going to go, but Jer got an extra check, so... Jeremy's awesome cousin Kelcey and her husband Brad took the kids for the weekend and we drove to his sister Jennie's house on Friday in Vegas. Saturday we drove to California for the reunion and Sunday we drove home! Fast, but fun!

Then Thursday the 28th was my little Jenna's birthday! 3!!! Wow! We got to meet my Sisters and Sis-in-law at the Lehi pool and swim. Jenna had so much fun! We all did! I hope to do that again soon.

Here she is showing us her Chocolate Cupcake.

The next day Jer's Brothers Scott and Brady and their families got to come go swim with us at the Payson Pool! Another so fun day! After swimming we met at a cool park in Provo, with Jer's Mom and Sister Jennie, and ate and played baseball and rolled down the giant hill. I wish they didn't live so far away! The kids all had so much fun together!


We also had some family pictures while we were there (well, part family. It's so hard to get everyone together! So we did the 4 oldest siblings and families. Jer's Mom and Dad will get one of them and the 3 youngest) Kylee thought we should all wear a green shirt. Everyone had one but Jer, so on the way I got Jer a shirt at JCPenney. I love it! He looks so hot in it! ;) I love his mischievous look on his face!Sorry, couldn't help it. He's so cute!
The this last weekend we got to go to SL and help my lil sis move. And this next weekend, and the next, I am doing craft fairs! Then there is our Williams side family reunion and then school starts! AAAAHHHH! ;) We'll see if I can post again before September!