Happy Happy Birthday Regan Dear

Today was our sweet Regan's 4th birthday! It's hard to believe she's already 4. We had a great day celebrating with her. Jeff bought some donuts for her this morning. She got phone calls from both her Grandmas. We had her favorite macaroni and cheese for lunch. Then, we went to see High School Musical 3 with her Aunt Laurie, David and cousins. She loved the movie and was singing and dancing in the aisle. We then came home and had the kids decorate cupcakes and had ice cream. Later that night, she chose to eat dinner at Red Robin. She wasn't too happy about them singing happy birthday to her, but loved the balloon and the ice cream sundae. I think she had a great birthday. Here's Kaisey, McKay, Brooke, Brennan, Bailey, Regan, Taelyn & Jadyn with their master pieces. Here's Reggie Lu on the carousel she went on the other day while shopping with me. We are so grateful that she has come to our home. She has such a fun personality, is so smart and sings and dances ALL the time. Even in the stores! I have to admit though, I've been a little bummed out lately thinking of her turning 4. She's my baby that is not quite a baby anymore. It's going to be very difficult not ever having a baby in the house again. I am mourning that this time of my life is now officially at an end. I just hate that these little ones grow up way too fast.

My Young Republican and more

I was very sick last week, so I'm a little behind in posting. Here's catch up time. The weather has been absolutely gorgeous lately. We've been able to enjoy just being outside with the kids tossing a football and riding bikes. Last weekend we had a ward camp out, but since I was still not feeling great, we decided not to go and do our own backyard camp out. Luckily, Laurie, Jeff's sister, had the same great idea so we all got together at her house. Laurie made some yummy chili and had the kids cook up hot dogs. We later roasted marshmallows and made 'smores. Here's the gang cooking away! By the way... that big guy in the middle is David. He just asked Laurie to marry him! Yippee! Here's Jadyn and Taelyn fighting with their sticks. Maddox had to get into the picture. Here's our tweens. McKay - 11, Brennan-12, and Kaisey is actually a teenager at 13. My pictures got out of order some how and I don't know how to fix that. BUT, the next night we had pumpkin carving and carmel apples with our home teachers and the Rees family(our friends and the other family they teach). Very clever home teaching. I think the kids enjoy this kind of home teaching a lot!

Somehow, Jeff got abandoned and left to carve the pumpkin by himself. Nothing to hurt himself over though. Here's Regan, Jadyn and Taelyn eating the great food they made and actually got away with not burning anything! Good job guys! Here's my fabulous sister in law, Laurie with Regan and me. I have loved getting to know her better and having her and the kids around. It's so fun to have cousins for my kids close by. Jeff and the girls hard at work. Laurie had also pitched a couple of tents in her back yard. We had the cousins sleep together in the tents while the adults went and slept in our own beds! What a way to camp! It was a great night. We all loved it. And here is my young republican. A while ago I was unloading my car full of groceries when I hear Regan singing in the front yard. I went to see what it was all about and found her doing this... I had to have her do it on camera.

It's amazing how these little ones pick up on everything you say! Unfortunately, a couple of days later, this sign was stolen from my yard! What crazy Obama people are running around my neighborhood stealing signs?

Life

This has been a crazy, crazy week. It seems like tragedy is surrounding me. I'm grateful that I haven't personally been through anything, but it seems so many people I love and care about are hurting. I just wish there was more I could do. A couple of my dearest friends are having major health issues that I wish I could just take from them and stop them from hurting. Another one of my close friends just lost her baby at 20 weeks of pregnancy. That is a pain that any of us who have miscarried just are heart broken to hear about because we understand how deep that pain is and would never want anyone else to have to have it too. We also had a very sweet man in our ward, Val Jessop, pass away at the young age of 67. As I attended his funeral I was touched by some words that he had written to his wife a few months ago. He said, "Could life be any better than this with such faithful children ... I have to pinch myself daily to assure myself that all this is real and because of you I have been so bountifully blessed. I love you most now for the fact that we can yet spend eternity together, with such a beautiful family legacy, our children truly do bring us complete and eternal joy beyond measure." It made me think of words my dad said over and over for several months before he was suddenly taken from us... "Live each day as though it were your last. You never know when you are going to die." Wouldn't that be wonderful if we all lived that way and treasured every moment we had here on earth? I want to live that way more than anything. And yet, I find that I get in the way and forget way too quickly. I wish it were easier.