I ♥ faces- chalk

I haven't done one of these in a long time, but this one sounded fun. I had some energy today and so we played outside a three different times today and did some chalking. Isn't my girl so cute?

To see more I ♥ faces photographs click HERE

Miracle

{I know that I do a post every year. Sorry if you don't like it, but this is a big part of my life and I am so thankful for today.}

24 years ago my mom woke up to me screaming in the middle of the night. I was panicked, I started explaining that something happened to Josh and I described that he was in the mountains in a hole and he couldn't get out. Everyone was looking for him but couldn't help him. I described more of my dream to her. She explained to me Joshua was okay and sleeping in his room. It was just a dream. Well 3 years later when I was 7 years old this dream became very real.



September 22, 1989 my older brother Joshua Dennis was 10 years old and went missing in a mine. He got seperated from the other scouts and leaders and didn't have a light. He couldn't find his way back out. Family, friends, Tooele police and Search and Rescue scoured the mountain and mine for 5 long days. Wednesday September 27th the last day of the search, the mine was to be closed and sealed to prevent this from happening again. John Skinner knew where to find Josh, he dreamt about it. After being turned away day after day, finally they let him have one last look. John along with two search and rescue workers went in for our final hope. After about an hour Josh was brought out to the light safetly. I am very grateful for all the people who helped search, and for John Skinner's persistance and faith.



While Josh was still in the MTC, he wrote John Skinner a letter. "I've been pondering in my mind all day," said Josh, "the things that I'm thankful for, and the list never ends. I thought of you when I read this scripture in Mosiah 7:12, {'I am very thankful before God this day that I am yet alive, and am permitted to speak and I will endeavor to speak with boldness.'} P.S.," Josh ended the letter, "I'm glad you know what it means to search."



Some times we will be rescued and sometimes we will be the rescuers. I know I need to be rescued more often than I like. We need to remember to be open, listen to the spirit so we will know our purpose at every moment. Although we may never experience anything like this, we have our moments of darkness. We need to have faith, know that miracles do happen and we will see the light. {Love you Josh}

Today is a day that I realize all my blessings. I am thankful for husband and kids and grateful for their love and support. I need to take time and enjoy the moment more often.

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in the years." ~Abraham Lincoln

To read the whole story that I wrote 2 years ago click HERE

My loves

The last two days have been hard. I have been tired and hurting and not wanting to do much. It doesn't help that Cameron is a wild boy and every 30 seconds is into something else and climbing on something. I have told people in the past how busy he is and I always get "the look." You know the one that people think I am just complaining and my child really isn't that hard. Until they see, I have had so many people lately tell me what a mover Cameron is and they can't believe he is such a busy boy. It is true he keeps me up and moving after him.


Brooklynn isn't as busy, but she is definately a girl and always wants me to play with her. She loves lots of attention and when she doesn't get it... Well life is OVER. Lately she has been a little more whiney than usual. I think it is more just that I can't do as much as the kids would like. Tonight we went to the store to get a couple things and we ended up staying there for over an hour. There was no shortage of tears either. Poor girl told me that her friend told her that her eyes are beautiful with out her glasses. She told me she doesn't like glasses anymore. She is more of an emotional challenge.



On the way home I heard the new Brad Paisley song. It reminds me of Cameron to the T. It is such a good song. I just can't believe how much I love both Brooklynn and Cameron. No matter the bad days, it is all worth it. They are always my babies and I will love them forever. Seriously who can resist these cute faces??? I can't.


There isn't a music video yet, but here is the song. Remember to click on the side and pause my other music. Enjoy!

Preschool

Brooklynn started Preschool last week and she was SO excited.


They had to bring a poster about themselves sometime in the next few weeks, but Brooklynn was so excited she wanted it ready for the first day.


I decided to have a special lunch for her first day. I wasn't really prepared ahead of time, so it wasn't really "school themed", but Muffin tin lunch is always fun.


Cam enjoyed the lunch too. It was really a weird day for him though, last year when Brooklynn was gone at preschool he was napping so for him to be awake with out his sister was strange. He didn't know what to do. He kept asking for BEBE. (Berkie)


We had a special gift for Brooklynn after her first day of preschool. This is what I gave all my neices and nephews for their first day of school too. The book I just added, because she LOVES Junie B. Jones and I have a box full of books and other misc. toys in my basement that I have bought and save for special occasions.


Second day came around and she still loves school. I hope that she continues to love to learn and read.

Labor Day

Ryan had to work the whole Labor Day weekend so we spent a few hours Monday at my mom's and then after with Ryan's family too.

At At my mom's the kids played outside to play some new games that my mom bought.


Unfortunately the kids were not interested in the games and just ran around.



Caleb loves it when Brooklynn comes over to play with him, but doesn't get along with Cameron so well. They still had fun though.


I take that back... Zack played with the games. Just not how it says in the rule book.

Hail Storm

A few weeks ago there was a horrible rain, wind and hail storm. It scared us so bad. Ryan and I both jumped out of bed and shut all the windows. We waited for the kids to wake up crying and neither of them made a peep.




They were so excited to go outside the next morning and play in the "snow".


Brooklynn loved it, Cameron took a minute to figure out what it was since really he doesn't remember last winter much.


He definately enjoyed it after a few minutes and kept throwing the hail at us.


Our garden started out really good, but then wasn't doing so good. We were just getting it to grow stuff again and then it got frozen. Luckily we have gotten some tomatoes, cucumber and potatoes from it. At least we got some fun out of the storm.

Baby Names

I did this with Cameron and we ended up with the name that got the least amount of votes. It wasn't my first choice, but right when he was born I knew that was his name. So this time I had a list of probably 25 names for Ryan. He managed to tell me he liked about 6 of them. Well it is now down to 4. So.... tell me what you think.



McKenna Mae

Jadyn Sue

Charlotte Mae

or Sydney Mae

You can leave a comment or vote on the side.

Brianna Sue Oldroyd

Here are some pictures I took of my neice Brianna. She is a cutie. She looks like her sister but at the same time different with her own look.


Of course we had to do a cowgirl picture. 3 years ago we did a similar picture of her older sister Gracie.


Brianna finally fell asleep so we could get a couple sleepy pictures. Those are my very favorite baby pictures.

31 weeks

Today I hit 31 weeks. Wahoo only 9 weeks left. Long post. Big update on pregnancy, mostly for my own journaling.



To update on the last 5 weeks, there is a lot of info. 6 weeks ago I had my 26 week appointment and things were good. I gained the appropriate 1 pound a week. Baby sounded good and was moving around. I have been keeping hydrated which has helped with my kidneys and stones, although I still have a few painful ones. My heart rate has been doing good and not getting too high. I went almost 3 weeks without any protein, but it has come back and have traces of it showing up, but not a large amount to worry and my blood pressure is great.



At the end of that appointment I did my glucose test. It is no fun but doesn't bug me too bad. I wasn't surprised when I didn't pass. I did the same with Cameron, but passed the 3 hour test. So I went back a few days later to do the 3 hour one. First time passed, second time passed again. I knew that I didn't need to do it. I already went through this with Cam. Third and fourth came around and I failed. I was not happy. My doctor said mine was not very bad, but still had to take care of it. I went to see a diabetic specialist and nutritionist.



After seeing them it was not as horrible as I thought, but still a whole lot different than I was eating. It is difficult there are so many things I can't eat and have to watch. One of my favorite things is a bowl of cereal. That has always been my pregnancy food of choice. I can't even have that. I only get 30 carbs per meal (with 6 meals a day) so I have to be really careful. I eat a lot of salad for lunch and dinner and breakfast I either have cottage cheese and a fruit or one peice of toast with almond butter. I get pretty sick of eating the same old stuff, but of course I will do whatever I have to for the baby. There are a lot of risks and if I take good care of myself it will help minimize them. I am doing good and in 5 weeks have only had a few times that my blood sugar has gone up. I told Ryan that if this baby is born before my birthday I get a big yummy chocolate cake.

Now for my 30 week appointment it went good although I should have gained another 3-4 pounds I acctually lost a pound and a half. My doctor thinks it is just my drastic food change and they will keep an eye on it. I am also measuring 2 weeks smaller, but it is okay to be two weeks bigger or smaller. Everything else went good, she is still moving around and has a good heart rate and sometimes she likes to even wake me up in the middle of the night because she is so active. Next week I go to my 32 week apt and will start weekly stress tests to keep an eye on the baby. My doctor is being really positive and hopes to get me to 38 weeks at least... We will see. He also said "But also be prepared if we take her early." Cameron had the same due date as this babe and he was born at 37 weeks. Myself and Ryan's cousins wife are both pregnant and one baby will be #65 and one #66. We will see who's comes first. (Hopefully hers since her due date is 2 weeks earlier.)

I have been going through some Nesting stages and even though I am so tired I pull through cause I am just going crazy with cleaning, organizing and decorating. It has been a lot of fun though.

Brooklynn's pictures

(Self Portrait)

Last year Brooklynn got a camera for her birthday, and she loved it. I got it at the day after Thanksgiving sale for only $5. The problem is it doesn't have the screen on the back, so the only way I know what pictures were taken are to download them first. Half of them are black because she puts it the wrong way or covers up where it takes the picture. The other half just are bad quality since it is a cheapo camera. Here are a few of her pictures...

Daddy walking in the kitchen.

Little brother Cameron.

Mommy and Cam.

Brooklynn wanted me to take a picture with her camera of her with her eye patch on.

Cameron's self portrait