FACEBOOK - GIFT #2

It might sound crazy but I am go thankful for Facebook. It has been so much fun to catch up with friends from high school, college, and from previous times in my life. I feel so blessed to have been able to visit with friends who from circumstances of life, we have lost communication. I am so excited to go to Las Vegas soon and visit my dear friend Erin. She has told my kids that she has crazy stories about me from high school. However, I can only remember stories about how studious I was and how my total and complete focus in life was about obtaining an education. I have no idea what stories she is referring to! :)

THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH - #3

I love Disneyland! We have been blessed to take our children there too many times to count. We usually go every 6 months to a year. When we lived in Las Vegas, it was exactly 3 1/2 hours from our front door to the front gates of Disneyland (with no traffic.) I love Disneyland so much that each time I go there with my kids, as I walk through the front gate and smell the churros and popcorn, I start to cry. It only happens for a quick second and then I don't cry the rest of the time. There is something magical about taking my children to Disneyland. I have so many fun family memories of going there as a child and as an adult with my children. We have been taking our kids there for years and I hope to continue to take them there for many years to come!

Camille's first trip to Disneyland - 2 months old! (2002)

2005

2008

Looking through our hundreds of Disneyland pictures makes me want to go there right now!! Gift #3 is my family memories at Disneyland

GIFTS

One of my dearest friends from high school, Erin, has a really cute blog. This month she has devoted every day to express gratitude for a gift in her life. I decided to copy her idea and share gifts that I am grateful for. So each post until Christmas will be a gift that I am grateful for. They will be posted in no particular order.

Today's gift -

MY NEIGHBORHOOD

I feel so blessed to live in this neighborhood. I love living here. I love the people in my neighborhood. I love the friends we have made since we moved here. I love the people who teach my children at school, at church, in scouts, at piano, and at all the activities they are a part of. I love how my doorbell rings constantly with children who want to play with my children. I love my children's friends and I am grateful that my children have wonderful and amazing peers to grow up with.

Thank you to all of our wonderful neighbors who we are blessed to call friends! We love you all and hope you have a wonderful Christmas season!

LITTLE MISS V.I.P.

This week was the week that the kindergartner in our home has been waiting for! She was selected as her class V.I.P. We brought her favorite snacks, pictures of her family, her favorite toys and games to share with her classmates.

When asked what makes her the happiest - her reply:

"When my brother Tanner lets me hold his snake."

Her class was surprised to learn that she loves to wear the snake as a necklace. I still don't comprehend how she's afraid of a fly but she'll wear a snake as a necklace!

Congrats Abby on being the V.I.P. You are a V.I.P at school and at home!

THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER!

Twelve years ago this very night, I was laying in a hospital bed in my favorite city of Portland, Oregon. I was going to have a baby boy. The only problem was the baby would be born premature and I was extremely ill. The doctors tried everything to help me but the eclampsia had progressed to my liver, where the next phase for me would include seizures and then death. I was extremely scared. I had 2 previous miscarriages and I desperately wanted a healthy baby. I truly believe in times such as these, The Lord sends angels to help. The angel that was sent to me was a wonderful and talented nurse named Lorrie Leno. Since I had been in the hospital for quite some time before my delivery, I knew Lorrie well. She was my favorite nurse. She was kind and funny and a source of comfort.

As my labor was not progressing and Tanner's heart beat could not be found, I was rushed into the delivery room for an emergency C-Section. Lorrie was there. She was calming during a very scary time. Tanner came into the world weighing 3lbs 11oz. Again, Lorrie was there reassuring me that all would be well and Tanner would be okay. It wasn't until after Tanner was born on that beautiful Sunday morning that Lorrie told me that it was her birthday too. It was a tender mercy to have this wonderful woman, who had meant so much to me and had given me hope when all hope seemed lost, share her birthday with my son. All these years, I've never forgotten her. Each year on Tanner's birthday I always think of Lorrie Leno and in my heart I wish her a happy birthday.

Well today, I was making Tanner a birthday cake and started thinking about Lorrie. I recently signed up on Facebook and the thought came to me to see if she was on there. Sure enough, there she was. It has been a thrill to catch up with her again. I was so excited that she remembered us because we have never forgotten her. We have told Tanner numerous stories about Lorrie and have shown him pictures of her. When I told him tonight that I had found her on the internet, he just beamed! He was so excited! She has a wonderful gift of being a nurse. She is a hero in her profession and I can't wait to take Tanner to Portland someday for them to meet again.

In the meantime, Tanner has had a job for the past few months. All he has wanted for his birthday was a Nintendo DS. I told him he would need to earn half of the money. However, since I make him put half of his paycheck in the bank it has taken him a while to earn enough. But the time has finally arrived!

Happy Birthday Son! We love you!

And....

Happy Birthday Lorrie! We love you too!

SUPER WOMAN

Daren's sister, Julene, who lives in Maryland has 3 children. Her oldest son turned 4 this past July and her identical twin boys just turned 2. Just taking care of her twins and her 4-year old is a full time job.

Well, she called the other day to tell us she's pregnant. We were all really excited for her. Then came the REAL announcement. She is having another set of identical twins! By the way, she was not taking any medication which would enhance her chances of multiples. They run in her family and her husbands.

So let's do the math:

5 children under age 4
Every seat in her van will be taken - 1 with a booster, 4 with car seats
How do you put 4 children in car seats when your husband is at work?
Where do you put 2 sets of twins in a shopping cart?
They have outgrown their house
Possibly 4 in diapers
Trying to feed 2 babies with 2 2-year old running about the house

I can't stop thinking about her and the workload she will have. Just thinking about it makes me tired! I want to enter her in a contest for "Super Mom" or "Help...Amazing Woman has 5 Kids in 4 Years"

Anyway, congrats Cade & Julene!

P.S. Daren's brother has triplet boys! And no, I don't feel left out for not having multiples!

THANKS A LOT MAX HALL!

The Whittingham's moved out of the neighborhood but decided to leave this in front of our house. I knew this day would come. It was a fun weekend to see the BYU houses red and the Ute houses blue. Our neighorhood really gets into the game. It's great!

Our vote for the Ute player of the game.....#15 Max Hall.