Spiritual Guidance

I have tried to listen to the spirit when it whispers things to me. When I don't listen I am always hitting myself up side the head wishing I had. When I did, great joy came. So Friday morning the girls and I are messing around, playing, tickling, enjoying the time together. I notice something on the back of Kira's head. At first I thought it was a scab and just when I go to pick it off. This giant feeling (very strong) tells me not to and to ask Arik about it when he gets home from work. So we are at our friend's house last night and I ask Arik what it is. He looks and this is what he finds:

It was a tick. Our friends had the necessary tools needed to remove it. We think we got the head and everything. The sucker was trying to dig fast when it felt us coming. He also wasn't bloating which is a really good sign. So we have to watch Kira for 6 weeks for signs of anything.

I feel bad that I didn't find it in the two other baths Kira had this week and I am grateful for the spirit for telling me to stop. What if I had tried to pick it off and the head stayed in her head or all the other bad things that could happen did happen. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have to get inticings from the spirit. WE check her a couple times a day and are keeping a very close eye on her.

Good news! School is over. I did it! I survived my first year of teaching and absolutely loved it. Now I get 2 and a 1/2 months off before it starts all over again. Life is flying by. In a month Brookleyn will be 4. She gets to start preschool in August also, which she is excited for.

Camping Memorial Day Weekend

This last weekend for Memorial Day weekend, we went camping with our friends from Logan. We really had a blast. Brookelyn's friend, Andrew (who she has known since she can remember) and Brookelyn were attached at the hip. Everywhere one was there was the other. They are just too cute together. Andrews's mom, Becca and I have arranged a marriage for 2025 for the two of them. HEHEHE!!!

Here are Brookelyn and Andrew being silly for the camera.

I was trying to get a picture of Brookelyn but Andrew wanted to be in it too.

Here is Kira. She was like the odd man out for a couple of days. Everyone had someone to play with but her. She just followed everyone around and tried to keep up. She is too dang cute.
We ate smores one night and Kira dug right in and loved it. Brookelyn liked cooking the marshmallows but didn't eat them. (so much like her mom.)

Brookelyn cooking smores.

Everyone enjoying the one night it didn't rain and cooking marshmallows.

Kira on the swings. She says, "Push!"

Brookelyn and Andrew were on this swing like thing. I could not get a good pic of the two of them on it.

Okay, this is not my child and sorry Rob and Lil for posting this but she is too cute. We wanted to dye her hair red and curl it and take her home with us. We love her. This is libby she is crawling everywhere and very much a oldest child (only child for the moment but they will have more some day come on she is only 8 months old.)


Thank you to the Severinsens, Crookstons, and Childs for getting together with us and playing all weekend long. Arik got to go mountain biking twice and we just got to spend time with friends. It was really nice. Thanks for everything guys.

School is over!!! I did it. I made it through my first year of school and loved it. I am in the right profession and it is really nice to know that.

Picture perfect

First off, for Mother's Day/Father's Day/my birthday/Arik's birthday we got these:

It was the first time ever we bought a gaming unit when it was new and the "thing". We love it. The girls can play and enjoy it and we can see how fat we really are.





Do you ever have one of the moments when you think, "This is exactly how I always pictured it?" Well, I got two of those days recently. We have finally been having nice weather and the girls finally have been able to get outside.

Here is my little studette riding around on her bike.

Here is Kira saying cheese. She is too cute. Kira watching her sister. Dad was mowing the lawn and she was trying to stay away from it.

We pulled out the hose and turned on the sprinkler. This is Brookelyn posing.

This is for Jamie and Levi. Kira is wearing a swim suit that Jamie and Levi bought for Brookelyn a couple years ago. They knew it was a little big but too cute that they got it. Well, here is Kira wearing a size 4 swim suit. It wasn't even big it was just right.

Kira enjoying the water.

In the beginning this was a close as they would get.

Then they got this close.


FOR MOM

My mom bought the girls dresses while we were in Mexico last summer. It is now warm enough that they can wear them again. Last year they were big and now they fit... Well, look for yourself.

Brookelyn (she got the sunglasses on Friday and they have been her constant companion ever sense.)

First, Kira didn't want a pic taken.
But then mom made her.


Life is great. I have 5 more days of school. It is so much fun. I really enjoy life right now.

GO NUGGETS!!!!!

Congrats to Brookelyn!!

Tonight was Brookelyn and Lukas' banquet for soccer. They got pizza and lemonade and then the coach passed out awards, pictures and trophies. I am so excited. My mom and dad had all our trophies displayed above the fireplace and now I want to get a shelf and start my own for my girls. It is so exciting for me!!!

Here are the kids eating dinner. From left to right: Lukas, MaKynzee, Brookelyn, and Kira. They were so good sitting and eating while all the other parents kept trying to herd their kids to the table. What examples. (It must be from perfect parenting. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!)Here is Brookelyn recieving her stuff. What award did she get...I don't know if you can read it but she got the award for Natural Ability. Brookelyn would do everything her coach asked without needing help and a demonstration. (Games were a different story but we will work on that for next year.)
Here is her pic and the team on the bottom. It is just too cute. I am so proud of her for playing this season and trying it out. I love my girlies so much. I am grateful for them and the chance I have (or honor I have) to b their mom and to raise them. We have so much fun and I look forward to all the fun times that are yet to come.

Happy Mother's Day!

I have the greatest husband ever. Arik cooked and cleaned and really made the day nice. I was even able to take a nap. We went to his parents house and Arik made us all dinner. Grilled chicken and dutch oven potatoes. (They are my favorite) For dessert he made Peach cobbler in the dutch oven. TOO GOOD!!! He really is wonderful.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to my mother the greatest woman in the world. The example of what I want to be as a mother, friend, sister, everything.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to my mother-in-law. She is the second greatest woman I know. She raised Arik for goodness sake and he turned out as one of the best men I know (coming in second to my dad but fathers day is next month more on that later). I have a great relationship with her and have always felt comfortable enough to just call her mom.


Here are some pics from our fun in Pokey last week. MaKynzee loves her uncle Arik and decided to do his hair. As you can tell Arik loved that. Here is Kira just hanging out with dad.

Happy Mothers Day to all those that are Mothers, Grandmothers, Great Grandmother, Aunt, Sisters, and Soon to be mothers, and those that want to be mothers!!!

Arik's Fun

I know it sounds like Arik never has any fun since he is usually not with us but during the summer months that is how it is for us. He did have fun on Monday. On his way home from Ogden, Arik stopped in Logan and went mountain biking with one of his best buddies. Thanks to Becca for the pics. We really miss our friends from Logan! :(

Here is Arik excited to ride. Here is Lee ready to tackle the mountain.

Arik enjoyed himself and came home covered in mud and loved it. Thank you Lee for giving Arik a little break and for riding with him. He really misses the bunch from Logan.

Teddy Bear Clinic

On Saturday Brandee and I took the kiddos to the Teddy Bear Clinic at the hospital. I am grateful that Brandee works there because she knew everyone and it justed seemed to go smoother. (Besides Kira screaming a couple of times for a good three or four minutes.) So here are the pics.

Us waiting in line to get looked at. Kira checking in "Hammy" (which is also the name of Gma and Gpa's dog). Brookelyn checking in "Pinkie" (when I tried to have Brookelyn name it something else she kept reminding me that it was pink. Hence the name) Brookelyn told them that Pinkie's ears were hurting. Can you tell the reason why Brookelyn has been going to the doctor for. (Not since her tubes got put in though. Thank goodness)Brookelyn all decked out as a doctor with her ballon and pony.
Kira decked out as a nurse. She is saying cheese in this picture and I was impressed that she kept her nurse's hat on so long.

Kira with Hammy after he had surgery. Hippo (MaKynzee's hippo) and Pinkie in the background with Brookelyn on the surgery bed.

Brookelyn getting her blood pressure taken and her heart rate checked. Kira loved checking her heart rate. She kept going back for more and more.

Pinkie getting her ears checked.

Pinkie broke her leg and Brookelyn was telling them how she broke it. She jumpd really high and then fell down.

Brookelyn with Pinkie after her surgery.

Pinkie got weighted and measured. Congrats it is a girl!!!

We had so much fun. Thanks Brandee for remembering and taking us. We then went shopping and I got a pair of pants a pant size smaller. I am losing inches around my waist. Yeah for me!!! There is one more practice and then a meet tomorrow for track and then track is over for the year. Time is flying!!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

Yesterday Arik and I celebrated our 5th year together as a married couple. Brandee, my sister, and her husband watched the kids so that Arik and I could go to Idaho Falls and attend the temple. (It is something we try and do every year on our anniversary.) Anyways, Arik surprised with a night's stay in a hotel. He took me to dinner to my favorite place to eat, Red Robin. We really enjoyed the time together. It was nice just being the two of us.

So what have we accomplished in 5 years:
1. Graduating from college with our BS's.
2. Having two beautiful daughters.
3. Buying a house.
4. Both of us having real jobs.
5. Arik starting grad school and still working on it.
6. Stilling loving each other and spending time together.


Today we went back to Pocatello to watch Brookelyn's soccer game. No one showed up but our team because of the rain. (Arik noted that it is probably because we have die hard parents.) Our little Monsters (the team name) scrimmaged each other for a little bit then called it quits. Then, Brandee and I took the kids to the Teddy Bear Clinic at the hosiptal. (More on that later when I can add pics). We then took the kids shopping, meeting up with a friend from Logan, Megan who happens to now be in Brandee's ward. It really is a small world. Afterwards, Brandee and Spencer invited us and the Poultons (Megan and Brad and really cute little Katelyn) over for a BBQ. It was great and I ate too much. It was fun to spend some time just with my sis even if we had to drag the four kids around with us everywhere.

It was a fun weekend. Now a day to prepare myself for school next week. My students are taking the ISATS. The big state test and I am a little nervous but know that they won't let me down.

Hunny, I love you and am so grateful that we have eternity together. Thank you for marrying me and raising a family with me. I love you so much!!!