Beautiful moon

Lately, I have become obsessed with taking pictures of the extraordinary sunsets and sunrises.

It seems that almost everyday my attention is taken to the sky and its' beauty.

This particular night it was the moon.

I don't know if it is just because it is that time of day where life starts to wind down.

It is the time of day when children are worn down, parents are exhausted and we end it with prayer and bedtime.

I don't know about you, but I love sleep.

I love being nestled in tight to John after a long hard day.

Long. Hard. Days.

There seem to be plenty of these to go around, but I wouldn't trade anything right now.

My little Tymber has decided that she officially forgot how to sleep through the night.

Easton has decided that he wants to spend his evening studying for every test in his future. (Love this new attitude, but with it comes the many questions and endless study guides.)

Brooke just needs someone to listen to her. To listen, and listen, and listen and listen. :)

Ellie is ready for bed. She rarely sees the moon, because she is the one who crawls in her bed and by the time you listen to Brooke's last story of the day, she is out!

Madie is showering, setting out clothes for the next day and loving on little Annie.

Annie is curled up in Madie's bed highjacking the IPad to watch a little Dora or trace her latest number and letter page.

A.J. is usually found at the computer tweaking his latest paper or project.

John is helping any of the above after a long day himself.

It is our life, and we love it, but I love seeing that beautiful moon to remind me that it is time to wrap up the day.

Good night, sleep tight.

Remembering 9.11.01

Every year since that fateful day...

We collect food for a local food bank in memory of all those lost that day.

We remember the thousands of victims on that day.

We remember the heroes who went to help others.

We remember the families and the loss that they feel every day.

We remember that each one of us can make a small difference every day in the life of someone else.

As we make these bags, drop them to neighbors, pick them up on September 11th, and drop them to the food bank, we remember.

It gives us a chance to remember that event that changed our country forever.

Ellie, Annie and Tymber were not even alive when the moments of that day occurred, but we share with them everything we remember.

I am so grateful for the examples of so many.

The brave souls who took down their own plane to save so many others.

The firefighters who ran up those stairs against the hundreds running down and out.

The families who waited, with tears streaming down their faces, for their phone call, for the news of their loved one.

May we all be so brave.

Funny girl's FIRSTS

Little Tymber fell in love with the heavenly bed in the Marriott at Temple Square!

She and I could have cuddled up on that bed for weeks, not just days, WEEKS!

This was the first time Tymber was almost laughing while smiling.

I just kept saying her name, and she would BEAM!

She would have a straight face like the one below and as soon as I said her name, she would smile so hard she was almost laughing.

***I took the yellow ones while I was messing with my camera. I loved them because they reminded me of all the "yellow" photos my mom had of me when I was a baby.

Life is the same...

It always amazes me to travel somewhere and have so many similarities to my own life.

It is comforting to know that there are other families all over the world who get up everyday and desire the things for their children and spouse that I do.

They want to nurture, teach and love each child.

They want to make a positive difference in the lives of the people around them.

They want to share what they know and learn about the things they don't know.

They want to laugh and love in a way that makes all the hard things worth doing.

They want to create a home that is a safe place for the ones they love, and a welcoming place for every person who steps through the door.

They are busy running kids to activities that increase their talents and create memories.

I love this concept.

While I was waiting for my sweet friend Michele to prepare for our friend Jen's funeral, I wandered the mountainside of Bountiful, Utah.

There I found all those things I wrote of before.

I saw a Young Women's group with leaders who had ice chests full of ice blocks for a fun activity, just like Madison had several weeks ago.

I saw this sweet soccer team beaming in the fading sunshine, just like so many of Easton's football practices.

I saw youth groups coming out of the temple after doing baptisms for people they never knew, just like A.J. and Madison so many months ago.

I saw dads watching this practice below, rooting their children on, and desiring in their hearts for their child to succeed.

I saw babies being held like Tymber and little girls like Brooke, Ellie and Annie tumbling on the sidelines while a sibling practiced.

Life...just like mine.

Not in every way, but in so many of the same ways.

I love that we are all so different, yet so connected as we continue on this journey we call life.

Annie's V.I.P. day at Six Flags

Annie is so fun to be with~

She brightens my life every. single. day!

A.J. is often heard saying, "How can you not love her? She is so cute!"

I agree.

Last month I took some of the kids to Six Flags to squeeze in one more summer day.

We started off in the waterpark together, but eventually the big kids longed to ride the big rides, leaving Annie and I to enjoy the kiddie area.

Fortunately for us, it was practically empty, so hence the V.I.P. tour for Annie.

Every ride has less than 5 kids in line, and so we enjoyed every. single. one. of. them!

We have pictures to capture the fun times.

Love that girl.

Even as she is sleeping in my arms right now.

She loved having the other kids "crash" into her!

She was so brave on the rollercoaster, holding her hands in the air!

This picture is hilarious! The ride operator instructed the kids to give him a "thumbs up" if they wanted to keep going and a thumbs down if it was too much and they wanted to get off the ride.

Annie gave him the "#1" sign instead :)

This was on the carousel ride on the way out. Tymber was smiling, but remembered she was hungry as I snapped a quick photo.

(Don't worry, she got lunch a short time later before the ride home!)

This picture was taken in our driveway! She didn't even make it out of the parking lot of Six Flags before she crashed!

Great day, followed by a great nap!

Temple beauty

Temples are beautiful.

They can be described in so many different ways, but beautiful is what I saw as I drove up and down Utah's I-15 weeks ago.

The spacious mountains were beautifully dotted with exquisite temples.

Each designed by a team who probably prayed, fasted and studied as they were given the privilege of being part of something that would last forever, and be the place where eternity was granted to those waiting on the other side and where covenant making people could go and receive those blessings that accompanied those sacred promises.

I have so many memories in many different temples.

I remember, as vivid in my mind as yesterday, walking in the room and seeing my parents, dressed in white, waiting with tear-stained eyes, to be sealed to their little ones.

I remember being privileged to carry in the little babies as they were bonded forever with parents and families who were unable to bear the children themselves, but were blessed to be sealed as a family forever.

I remember John's face as he lovingly reached across that sacred altar and wiped away the tears that were streaming down my face.

I remember watching as a dear friend, (OK, one of my young women many years my junior) as she smiled at her sweetheart, as I sat next to five of his sisters watching as their baby brother was sealed to his love forever.

I remember wanting to fly home and fly all of my girls back and have them witness the blessings of purity and righteousness.

I remember so many different times, being with the ones I love, and being a part of their eternal plan.

The beauty is in the plan.

I love that plan.