Catching up

So life is moving along day to day here... I know everyone loves to read blogs because they like to look at the pictures but right now I don't have any...my computer is being crazy...pictures will have to come later!

Summer is here and it is too hot to do too many things outside. We are swimming at least once a week and Blake is doing awesome! He loves the water and is still going strong with this swim lessons. We are blessed to have found such a great swim teacher. Thank you Ella!

He is also doing great and is now pretty much potty trained. I was DREADING this time of his life and not sure what to expect. I had heard tons of stories and wasn't quite ready to start. I was thinking we would start to think about it closer to the end of summer or when he was almost 3 (in November) but due to a HORRIBLE diaper rash we had no choice. Well... that was a Thursday, on June 14th, and up until today we have really only had about 3-4 accidents. He of course is not night trained yet and naps are hit and miss but to me that is pretty good!

Blake is however giving us a run for our money with tantrums lately! He seems to have gone back to the terrible twos. He was doing okay for a while but we have entered the tantrum phase and REALLY entered it. I hope this one doesn't last too long and we can get our sweet, fun-loving boy back. I don't like to complain too much about him, or harp on the negative but he really is draining some days and (just like most 2 1/2 year old boys) really knows how to make life miserable for all those around him. But we love him and can see the sweet Spirit that he has and are so blessed he is in our family and in our home.

Chelsea is growing bigger every day it seems. We have heard from the attorney that all is well on the termination of birthparent rights...so that is good news. We also know that all should be well and we should expect that we should be going to court to finalize her adoption in the beginning of September and then go to the temple thereafter. Such fun and exciting things to look forward to.

She is a very sweet addition to our home. She is a very happy, calm and content baby. She sleeps through the night, eats well, loves to watch her brother jump around crazy, and she is laughing and ALMOST rolling over. She just turned four months old and we can't believe how fast time is going by!

Like I said... we are just going by day by day and trying to enjoy every moment. Things get busy and hectic but we are trying to remember to just slow down when we can and enjoy the small things, do what needs to be done and let other things wait.

I will post pictures of some of the fun things we have been able to spend time doing soon.

Secretary of what?????

On April 29th Aranne was called to serve as the Relief Society Secretary. 


I got a call on Friday and was asked to come and meet with the Bishop that Sunday. We knew that the RS President was going to be changing since the old one was moving but this didn't ring a bell in my mind. I was thinking and thinking, and wondering what in the world he was going to talk to me about. I honestly thought he was going to ask me about Activity Days since I was just released from that calling and I was saddened about that and I had heard rumors that the program was still needing some help and maybe they were going to make changes there. I had no idea that I would be put into a calling in Relief Society. I especially was not expecting it since I was just released because of the placement of Chelsea and they were going to give me some time to get use to be a mom of 2... well I guess 2 months was enough time in their eyes!


So here I am now in the RS Presidency and have no idea what I am doing! 


I am excited about the calling and hope to do my best. I am always up for the challenge of a new calling and always know there is a reason I am in that calling but this time I am a little (ok a lot) overwhelmed. I am working with adult women who all know WAY more than me, and I am filling the shoes of a great secretary and I am just a little busy at home so I am struggling to find the time to actually fulfill my calling. 


But then... Sunday our wonderful new President gave a great lesson. The lesson was on why we get the callings we get, and how to respond to those callings and that we are not a church of volunteers but a church of assignments. I need to remember that I did not volunteer for this position because I was good at it, but I was assigned to do this job because I needed to learn how to do it and all that the Lord is asking of me is to do my BEST and he will help me with my shortcomings and I will have the support of the ladies in my ward and the presidency and it will all work out. 


I also attended a meeting last week and was reminded that I need to take care of myself first, my family next and then my calling. I am the kind of person who likes to say "yes" to everything and everyone so that was a good reminder. I have two little ones at home and a busy husband and busy life, so I need to be okay with saying "no" if I can't do something. I have to know that someone else needs to fill in the gaps sometimes and be okay with that. 


I am looking forward to learning in this calling and helping those that I can in whatever way I can. I hope I will do it justice and serve my Relief Society President well.

Summer fun

Summertime is in full swing around here.... We have a few weeks of great weather before it gets HOT! We love this time of year and love to spend time outside while we still can. Blake especially loves to be outside and play. He loves to be in the water, or just running around being a boy. We have been busy the last few weeks and here are some pictures to show what we have been up to.

 Hanging out at the park for a picnic

 Mr. Cool with my sunglasses

Soaking up the sun... and having a lollipop too

Showing my ticket onto the train at the Train Expo in California

Seeing how big my wingspan is at the Orange County Zoo

Sweet Sundays

Sundays are a little more fun now that there is a little girl in the house. It is more fun to dress a little girl up for church and get her in the fancy, fun dresses and bows. I will admit though that Blake has always been good about getting dressed and ready for church. He loves to wear a tie and be "just like daddy" so that is fun too. We seem to take more pictures on Sunday too. Here are just a few random pictures of us on Sundays....

Day at the Park

On Saturday, May 12th, we went out to enjoy the beautiful weather, have a nice picnic and spend the day outside. Blake can't get enough of being outside and so we decided to take advantage of the day.

Our friend Cindy had just stumbled upon a "new to us" location and we were happy to join her on this great day.

We packed up the car, got our football, bubbles, and goodies together, packed a lunch, and we were ready to go. We headed out to Spring Mountain Ranch just near Red Rock and we were pleasantly surprised. We arrived at a beautiful park and a huge grass area surrounded by trees and a nice breeze. It was the perfect spot to spend the day, and the perfect place for Blake to run and play. Chelsea also enjoyed being able to be outside and have the breeze blowing.

We spent a few hours there and then headed home. It was a great day and I am sure we will go back many times.

On Being a Mother

Mother's Day....


This day has such mixed emotions for me. For years I HATED this day. I would dream of this children I hoped would fill my home but my home was empty. I would get packages in the mail and cards that wished me a Happy Mother's Day...yet I was NOT a Mother. I would loathe going to church where I would get a candy bar wishing me a Happy Mother's Day...and again I was NOT a Mother. 


Today I have a different attitude. I sit today with toys filling my home, laughter heard throughout my house and I am thankful. Thankful that I am a Mother. Thankful for the two birthmoms that made me a Mother. Thankful for my two beautiful children who help be to become a better Mother everyday. Thankful for adoption and the chance that if gave me to be a Mother. 


I am also thankful for the years that I wasn't a Mother and the chance that I had to help "mother" many other young lives and that I can look back now and see that I did have that opportunity and how precious that is. I now know that no matter our circumstances we, as women, can "mother" know matter what our own personal circumstances may be. I am thankful for the chance that I had to be a primary teacher to many little ones. I am thankful for the chance that I had to be a Mia Maid leader and to work in Young Womens. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to work in the Camp program and be a Camp Director and work with so many wonderful young girls with that calling. I may not have touched each young life but they touched mine and taught me so many things... they taught me how to "mother" and for that I am eternally grateful. 


Happy Mother's Day!

I am back!

So I am actually sitting here doing a post... I can't believe it myself. It has been WAY TOO LONG!

I am not going to go back and I am not going to do a real re-cap but I will give you a few of the reasons of why I have been missing in action....

The main reason is because I was just too overwhelmed! And while I loved to blog and would do it constantly I found myself feeling like I had nothing to blog about or just to exhausted to blog about the events of the day. I also have come to realize that I need to make certain things in my life a priority...and others not. I often look at others from an outsiders perspective and think "I wish I was more like so and so" but I am starting to see that everyone has their faults and weakness and trials and starting to be happy with who I am and the life that I live. I am also understanding more and more the saying "there is a time and a season for everything" and right now I am in the season of being a mother to my young children and a wife to my husband and that is what is important right now. One day I may be able to learn to sew, or go back to school, or be a fabulous cook, or be caught up on my scrapbooking, or have time to sit and read all day, or whatever it is that I feel I want to do at that time, but right now my calling is to be a mother and how grateful I am for that!

With all of that being said... to fill in a little right now we are doing great. We have been blessed by adoption once again and are now a family of four. We have Chelsea Danielle in our home. She was born 2/25/12 and we love her to pieces. Blake is now 2 1/2 and is loving being a big brother. Dan is still working doing fire protection and stays plenty busy. I, like I said, am loving being a mom to these two crazy kiddos and I am also working from home doing medical transcription. We both are busy at church too. Dan is the Gospel Doctrine teacher and I was just called to be the Relief Society Secretary.

While things are busy and loud they are also filled with love and we couldn't ask for much more. I don't promise much with this blog but I do hope to do better. I miss getting on here and sharing my thoughts and connecting with family and friends and that is what I hope to do. Don't be upset if it is weeks before I post again, but fingers crossed it won't be.