Getting Behind!

With school being busy and everything going on I've really neglected my blog the last month. I'ts my goal this week to try and get it updated! A lot happened and there is a lot to share!

Charity and her Minnow

I was helping Charity finish a worksheet she brought home from school. She had a list of letters and had to write the letter that came after it. She got to l and was insisting that p came after l, because when you sing the alphabet is h, i, j, k, l, minnow, p. And since minnow isn't a letter P was next! LOL!

I Know Where My God Was

Author Unknown

How many of us have heard that question, "Where was your God when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked?" Well, I know where my God was the morning of September 11, 2001, and He was very busy.

He was trying to discourage anyone from taking these flights. Those four flights could have held over 1000 passengers and there were only 266 aboard. On one of the flights he was giving strength to passengers to try to overtake the hijackers.

He was on four commercial flights giving terrified passengers the ability to stay calm. Not one of the family members who were called by a loved one on one of the hijacked planes said that passengers were screaming in the background.

He was busy trying to create obstacles for employees at the World Trade Center. After all, only around 20,000 were at the towers when the first jet hit. Since the buildings held over 50,000 workers, this was a miracle in itself. How many of the people who were employed at the World Trade Center told the media that they were late for work or they had traffic delays.

He was holding up two 110 story buildings so that two-thirds of the workers could get out. I was so amazed that the top of the towers didn't topple when the jets impacted. And when they did fall, they fell inward. God didn't allow them to topple over, as many more lives would have been lost.

And when the buildings went down, my God picked up almost 6,000 of his children and carried them home with him. Reassuring his frightened children that the worst was over and the best was yet to come.

He sat down and cried that 19 of his children could have so much hate in their hearts. That they didn't choose him, and now they are lost forever.

He sent his children that are best trained for this disaster and had them save the few that were still alive, but unable to help themselves. And then sent many others to help in any way they were needed.

He still isn't finished though, He held the loved ones that were left behind in His arms. He comforts them daily. His other children are given the strength to reach out to them and help them in any way they can.

And I believe He will continue to help us in what is to come. He will give the people in charge of this great nation the strength and the wisdom to do the right thing. He would never leave us in our time of need.

So, when anyone asks, "Where was your God on September 11th?", you can say "Everywhere!" And yes, although this is without a doubt the worst thing I have seen in my life, I see God's miracles in every bit of it.

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I read this in the year following September 11 and I'm posting it today in Honor of the 10th Anniversary. May we never forget.

9 Year Anniversary!

Today Dennis and I celebrate our 9 Year Wedding Anniversary! Wow, how the years have flown by. I put together an I Love You Basket for Dennis and included a list of 101 ways I Love him. Here it is:

101 Reasons I Love You

1. I love that you cook dinner.
2. I love that you are such a wonderful Father.
3. I love that you make me smile.
4. I love that you such a sweet person.
5. I love how kind you are.
6. I love that you treat me like a Princess.
7. I love that you love me no matter what.
8. I love you because I know I can count on you.
9. I love that you love to surprise me.
10. I love that you help me feel financially secure.
11. I love that you love to play games.
12. I love that you love to spend time with me.
13. I love that you rough house with the girls.
14. I love that you listen to me.
15. I love that you’re a good son.
16. I love that you help out around the house.
17. I love that your faith and dedication inspires me.
18. I love that you because of how much you care for others.
19. I love how much you love your family.
20. I love that you because you spoil me.
21. I love that we love spending time together.
22. I love that we love playing games together.
23. I love that you feed me chocolate.
24. I love the way you love me..
25. I love that you give me hugs and kisses.
26. I love that you buy me flowers.
27. I love that your girls love you.
28. I love the way you look at me.
29. I love your smile when you’re happy.
30. I love your thoughtfulness.
31. I love that you would do anything to make me happy.
32. I love how we can always count on one another.
33. I love getting back rubs from you.
34. I love cuddling with you.

35. I love your sense of humor.
36. I love that you try to make others laugh.
37. I love the thought of growing old with you.
38. I love how you’re willing to go shopping for me.
39. I love you because you put up with me.
40. I love you because you make me feel safe.
41. I love that you let me put my feet on you and don’t complain... too much
42. I love that you still like to hold hands.
43. I love you because you open my door for me.
44. I love you because you watch chick flicks with me.
45. I love you because you make me feel beautiful.
46. I love how much we miss each other when we’re apart.
47. I love that you kill spiders for me.
48. And that you set your favorites free, outside.
49. I love that you remember our Anniversary.
50. I love that you remember my Birthday.
51. I love that you dress up for Halloween with me.
52. I love how you let me be myself.
53. I love you because you don’t expect me to be perfect.
54. I love that you put up with my nagging about chores.
55. I love you because you get along with my family.
56. I love you because your are just wonderful.
57. I love you because you have given me 3 wonderful children.
58. I love that you always kiss me goodbye.
59. I love how you always kiss me hello.
60. I love snuggling with you.
61. I love that you help me see the other side to things.
62. I love that you keep a clear head under pressure.
63. I love you because you make me feel wanted.
64. I love the sense of peace I get when we’re together.
65. I love talking with you.
66. I love how you love spending time together as a family.

67. I love that you are a romantic at heart.
68. I love how romantic you can be.
69. I love that we’re the most important people to each other.
70. I love how I can’t imagine my life with out you in it.
71. I love how you are constantly trying to be better.
72. I love that you can say you’re sorry.
73. I love how you don’t mind too much if the house is a mess.
74. I love your taste in jewelry.
75. I love that your favorite thing to do is spend time with me.
76. I love that my favorite thing to do is spend time with you.
77. I love that Heavenly Father brought us together.
78. I love that you picked me.
79. I love you because of how much we’ve grown together.
80. I love the way you hold me.
81. I love how we feel right together.
82. I love that you tell me every day that you love me.
83. I love how you believe in me.
84. I love your love notes.
85. I love how forgiving you are.
86. I love how you have a hard time keeping surprises a secret.
87. I love spending Holidays with you.
88. I love you because I can never get enough time with you.
89. I love that you can never get enough time with me.
90. I love that you stay up late to spend a little more time with me.

91. I love that you like computers as much as I do.
92. I love that you like video games as much as I do.
93. I love you for loving our daughters so much.
94. I love how you sometimes text me just to say hi.
95. I love that we have similar goals for life.
96. I love that you want to go on a mission one day together.
97. I love you because I need to.
98. I love you because I choose to.
99. I love you because I want to.
100. I love how easy this list was to write because 101 things to love about you don’t even begin to scratch the surface of how amazing you are.
101. I love YOU.

Danielle & Being Sick

So, last Monday after we came home from the Zoo Danielle started running a fever, I thought maybe it was from heat exhaustion or something. The next day she seemed fine. Then on Wednesday night I think it was she started running a fever again and off and on it's been since then. She was also crankier than usual, wanted to be carried and babied more, seemed more tired. I attributed the tiredness and off sleep schedule over the last week from remnants from when her cousins were here because their sleeping and schedules and everything were practically non-existent and all messed up for a few weeks, and I attributed the crankiness and wanting to be carried to some of that as well. Well, Tuesday night once again she was running a fever in the middle of the night. Then Wednesday morning at swim lessons she refused to get in the water and was just unhappy and cranky and I'd had enough so I decided to take her to see the doctor, plus her dental work is next Tuesday (which she needs to be put under for) and I figured if something was going on we needed to get it resolved before then. So, I called and set up an appointment.

It turns out that she has walking pneumonia :( My poor girl! I had no idea what could be going on but pneumonia or any form of it was so far away from even being considered :( She now on a good strong antibiotic and then we'll be taking her back in on Monday to get her cleared for her dental work on Tuesday. My poor girl. I feel so bad for her. I really hope she gets feeling better quickly!

Family Visiting

Isn't it great when family comes to visit? We had a fun surprise this year! The week before Laura's annual trip up here my Aunt Marilyn called Mom and Dad and told them she was coming for a visit! And it turned out it was going to be while Laura was here! (She couldn't have planned a better time if she'd meant to :) The girls and I spent some time at Mom and Dads and then they all came here for a few days during the visit. It was so great getting to see her and catch up. We hadn't seen her for a lot of years and she'd never met Dennis. She brought pictures to show us and I showed her lots of pictures (ha, getting all those printed recently had been a wonderful idea!). We hope to see you again soon Aunt Marilyn!

I'm not sure who Mom and Dad looked forward to more, Aunt Marilyn or Laura! Laura came the weekend before Aunt Marilyn did and we went down and met her in Cedar City and stayed the night there and visited Zion National Park the next day. It was a lot of fun! Dennis and I are thinking we definitely need to go back sometime when it's a bit cooler!

Charity had so much fun playing with her cousins. Laura's kids just love Charity. Poor Danielle though was left out a lot since they only wanted to play with Charity but hopefully that'll change within a few years. Luckily, she didn't mind this trip. She just went off and did her own thing. She had Grandma and Grandpa to entertain her though :) She sure does love her grandparents!

It was sad to see them go at the end of the trip, always is, but at the same time it was a bit nice to get back to normal life at the same time. The house certainly was a lot quieter after they left! Almost too quiet! And the kids really do miss their cousins! I've decided it was a good thing I signed them up for swimming lessons the last two weeks of July so they'll have something to occupy them!

4th of July and Fireworks

In Utah, some aerial fireworks were made legal this year and while we didn't buy any to shoot off (though I wish we had! Maybe for the 24th.... hmmm....) setting off fireworks and watching them from the front yard was a lot of fun this year! It was so cool to be able to watch out over the neighborhood as the fireworks went off and to see so many without having to go somewhere! Though, we do have a good view of a couple different fireworks displays where we live, but these were closer which was a lot more fun!