Wheeler Farm

Since summer is in full swing, I have been trying to get my kids out of the house and involved in seeing and doing some fun activities. Over the past few weeks we have been to several parks, the South Valley Swimming Pool, and today I took the kids to Wheeler Farm. Some of my close friends joined us and we spent several hours there and had quite a nice little outing. Our outing ended with picnic lunches and wading in the little stream near our picnic table. The kids had a blast!! My kids also thoroughly enjoyed feeding the ducks and geese bread, playing in the playhouses, climbing on old tractors and seeing all the other farm animals. Kaleb is in his element when it comes to farm life and I think it stems from following his Grandpa DeMille around when ever we visit my parents home. My dad dabbles/ or has dabbled in raising chickens, pigs, sheep and horses. Kaleb loves when we visit my parents home because there is so much to see and do with his Grandpa on his "farm". Going to Wheeler farm for us is like going home to Southern Utah!

When I asked Kaleb what his favorite part about the outing was, this was his reply: "I loved feeding the ducks the bread we brought them and seeing the cows!"
Karmindy also had fun feeding the ducks and she wasn't shy about getting undressed and wadding through the streams that cut in and out of the Wheeler property.
Here are a few pictures from our outing:Matthew, Kaleb and Karmindy feeding the ducks!Avery and Karmindy having some girl time!"Gotta get some more bread to feed the duckies Mom!"Karmindy standing by one of the big ponds at Wheeler Farm
Kaleb test-driving one of the Tractors!

Kaleb and Karmindy enjoying the playhouse look out!
Big Brother showing little sis the ropes!Kaleb watching the horses!Wading in the stream! Karmindy loved it so much she decided to disrobe down to her panties. She kept saying: "Bathe, Bathe!"Little Friends!

Being a Little Bit Crafty....

is what I have been up to lately.This weekend we are planning on having our family pictures taken by one of my great friends. Go here to see what she is up to! She is such a good photographer and I am excited to have her take my little family's pictures. In an effort to get ready to have family pictures taken, I had another great friend sew me this little darling little sundress and bloomers for my daughter to wear. I would've attempted sewing the darling little outfit but I don't feel that confident in my sewing abilities quite yet. Here is the darling sundress my friend made for Karmindy:

In an effort to have my darling kidlets match, I decided I would attempt at making my son a tie to match his little sister's outfit. I recently bought a very simple tie pattern from Ashley Johnston. She is a very crafty and talented person and I love her easy to use patterns. You can order a tie pattern here and make cute little ties for the little man in your life. I have made two little ties for my little guy in the past day. They are so easy to make that I think will continue to make him a variety of ties. This pattern also doesn't require a lot of fabric so you could easily use left over scraps of material that you might have lying around in your craft room. Here are the finished products:
Also, I decided that Karmindy needed some hair bows to match her little outfit so I whipped these up last night so she would have something to wear in her hair and look even more precious in her little outfit.
I love being creative and making things for my little family, especially my kidlets! Stay tuned for the final results- Our Family Pictures!

Good Things to Come...

I have been feeling a little discouraged this morning after taking Karmindy to her 2 year old check up. She is growing and developing like any other little 2 year old girl should, but when you look inside her tiny heart and aorta there are some things that aren't right. I try to stay positive when it comes to her growth and development but in the end surgery will have to be done. While visiting with my wonderful pediatrician her uplifting words about the care that Mark and I give our daughter gave me comfort. She told me that we were good parents and our decision to wait on taking Karmindy in for surgery is the best for her right now despite what some of the top notch surgeons and physicians say. Most of them give you the stats and then want to get in and complete things now. As Karmindy's parents we have weighed the options and pro and cons and feel deep with in our hearts that we need to wait on having this procedure done. We ask ourselves why put her through this again now when most likely there will be repeated times that she will have to have it done again and again. I get so down when I know that surgery on her aorta is evident and in her future. I wish that this would all go away. I can't help but think to... "Will my daughter get to grow up and get married and have kids of her own?" "Will I get to see her complete elementary, middle and high school? Will I get to see her go on her first date?" I hope that she gets to experience all of this. Will good things come? Is it selfish that I want my daughter around for a long time? Karmindy's fight and strong will are very evident everyday and I know that she has this because of what she has gone through and what she will go through.

This video was just what I needed this morning after Karmindy's dr. appt. I know that my Heavenly Father has a plan for my life, as well as, for my daughter. I will continue to trust in Heavenly Father and pray for those good things to come....

Karmindy's Two Year old Stats:

Weight- 24 lbs 8 oz., 25th percentile

Height- 43 3/4", 75th Percentile

HC- 471/2 cm, 50th Percentile

This all equals out to a healthy happy two year old!

Going to the Movies...

Yesterday, we met up with some friends and took the kids and went to see Toy Story 3 at the District Megaplex 20. It was fun to watch our kids get so excited to go. Kaleb received a gift card to use at the Megaplex from our dentist because he got no cavities at his last Dental Visit. Kaleb has been begging us to see Toy Story 3 and to use his gift certificate for the last few weeks, so we killed 2 birds with one stone. This was the first movie that we have taken Karmindy to, and she did great. She loved being able to sit in a seat all by herself and have her own popcorn and drink all to herself. She was so cute to watch propped up on her booster so she could see the screen. I wished that I had taken a picture of he in her big theater seat because she looked so tiny in it and now I am kicking myself for not being on the ball with getting a shot of it! Karmindy did very well through the movie except for the last 20-30 minutes when she didn't want to sit still anymore. Overall, she did wonderful and we might even attempt to take her to another movie sometime soon. Kaleb enjoyed the movie as well and also enjoyed sitting by and seeing the movie with his friend Cadence. After the movie, we met our friends at Subway for dinner and enjoyed visiting with them. I love spending time with my little family and enjoying the company of friends!Kaleb and Cadence enjoying each others company while waiting for
their dinner at Subway!

Running with Angels 5k

Today I was able to cross one of my New Years Resolutions off my to do list. I completed my first 5k!! The 5k was held at Thanksgiving Point in the gardens. It was such a gorgeous atmosphere to run in. The Garden's at Thanksgiving Point are beautiful... the flowers, trees, water falls, water features, everything is gorgeous. I have been wanting to run a 5k for awhile now and I am so glad that I was able to complete one and do it in such a pretty atmosphere. I was pretty proud of my running time considering that I haven't been able to put the time into training because of "life happenings." I really wanted to get a time in the 20 minute bracket but I think that was being a little wishful on my part considering that I haven't trained much. I finished with a time of 35:42.92. I placed 384 out of 867. I was also glad to be able to experience this race with my friend Emily. We ran together for the first part of the race but my competitive nature got the better of me and I just had to take off and go at a faster pace. I really wanted to see how fast I could run the race, with not having trained. So I feel bad for ditching you Em! After the race we rested for a bit and stretched and then took off for breakfast. We decided on going to Kneaders and enjoyed some of their Cinnamon French Toast. It was a perfect finale to a wonderful morning! I think I am hooked on Running... after the race I decided I really want to run another 5k soon. I know that there are several other local races this summer so I might jump on the band wagon and try running one again to improve my time! We will see what the future holds!
Me and Emily after the race!

Last Day of Preschool...

The school year for Kaleb has finally come to a close. Yesterday was Kaleb's last day at school and he had so much fun. This weeks topic has been about the great outdoors and camping. To finish off there Great outdoor topic, they decorated a camping bag and made s'mores. Before I dropped Kaleb off at school we decided to go and get Kaleb's teacher, Mrs. Whitney, some flowers to show her how much we have appreciated her being Kaleb's teacher this year. Kaleb's favorite colors are orange and yellow, so he was very adamant about getting yellow/orange flowers. We were in luck because we found the most beautiful orange/yellow roses for her. Kaleb was so excited to give his flowers to Ms. Whitney. When he walked in to his classroom, he went right over to her and gave her a hug and handed her the flowers. I was able to get one last cute picture of him with his teacher. I am really glad that Kaleb has had such a positive experience with having Ms. Whitney as his teacher; as well as, being able to attend such a fun preschool.

Little Rookie

On Saturday, we dropped by the closing games of Kaleb's baseball league to grab his baseball pictures that were taken at the first of the season. They turned out darling... We love our little Rookie!

Our Little Graduate

On Monday night, we went to Kaleb's preschool graduation. His preschool held their end-of-the year production at the Riverton Community Center upstairs in one of their Auditoriums. Kaleb was so excited to go and sing for us and show us all the songs that he and his classmates had learned for the year. For the program, the kids sang over twenty songs and then they showed a shortslide show set to music of pictures that were taken over the course of the past year. I have been very impressed with Small Wonders Preschool and the amount of effort & time that they put into their curriculum. Kaleb has learned so much this year by going to the preschool! Kaleb was also very fortunate to get a loving Preschool teacher. Miss Whitney has been the best teacher for our son and Kaleb has truly learned so much from her!! This past year Kaleb has learned all his numbers, letters and shapes and is reading quite a few words. When I asked what his favorite part about preschool was this year, he replied that, "he loved all the art and craft projects" that they did. Each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Kaleb would bring home the most darling art projects. The art projects always coincided with what they were learning about for the week and I loved that. It helped increase Kalebs confidence and he loved displaying his art work in his bed room on his art work board.

I couldn't help but get a little sentimental while watching Kaleb up on stage singing and also when he walked across the stage to receive his diploma. I almost shed a few tears! I know this is only preschool, but I can't believe how fast the past 5 years have gone. I can only imagine how fast the next 10-15 years will go! I want to keep Kaleb little and I am not ready for him to grow up, although, I know that it will happen regardless if I want it to or not. We are so proud of Kaleb and the little boy he is becoming. He is one of the most considerate 5 year olds that I know. He has an old soul for a little boy of his age. He always asks what he can do to help me with while he is at home and is always willing to help with his little sister. Just this past week after I had picked him up from preschool he asked if Karmindy had taken a nap while he was gone. I told him that she hadn't and in the most sincere voice he said, "Mom I am sorry that Karmindy didn't take a nap, I was hoping you would get some relaxing time." He then said, "I will play with Karmindy when we get home so you can relax!" What 5 year old says that? Kaleb is such a good boy and I love him dearly! He has been such a joy to raise thus far in his short life. I hope Kaleb will always know how much his family loves him and we are so blessed to have him apart of our family! We love you son!

K-I-S-S-I-N-G!

WARNING: Mothers out there beware!! If you have small sons around the age of two you may want to hide them in the nearest room and throw away the keys! My cute little daughter is on a kissing rampage and your little boy might receive his first kiss! Karmindy sure is living her life to the fullest; especially at age two!

While I was watching Kaleb's last baseball game this week, I left Karmindy with a good friend of mine so I could go and enjoy watching Kaleb's last game without worrying about chasing her everywhere. Karmindy loves to keep up with her brother and going to the games was sometimes more work than it was worth (at least for me). While Karmindy was playing with her friend, Luke, she decided that the two of them needed to work on their kissing... Or at least Karmindy needed to work on hers. My friend Carlynn, saw Karmindy making the moves on her son and grabbed her camera!! Luke is one lucky little guy and seemed to enjoy basking in the joy of being kissed and from the pictures my little girl does not hold back and seems quite experienced for her age! Should I be worried? I am a little. I think I may be cutting down Karmindy's daily viewing of the movie "Sleeping beauty" from twice a day to once a week. I think her technique is a little too advanced for her age! Wink, Wink! All in all, I am glad that my friend grabbed her camera and was able to capture these too little mischief makers in action!! We will be keeping a closer eye on them in the future!! After Mark viewed these pictures he turned to me and firmly said he will be buying a gun for future years and that future gentlemen callers will have to be on there toes. Just though I would warn ya!!

Fun In The Sun

Even though the weather has been a little unpredictable up here in Northern Utah Country, we try to make the most of the days that are warm and sunny. Last Saturday, my friend Carlynn and I took the kids and went swimming at the South County Pool here in Riverton. The pool has such a great atmosphere and I love the layout of it. There is grass surrounding the pool so everyone has a nice place to lay out their blankets or towls and relax. I like grassy areas much better than the pools that have concrete everywhere. The concrete just seems to keep the heat in our something. Kaleb and Karmindy had a lot of fun swimming on this outing and I have enjoyed watching both of them get a little more used to being in the water. Kaleb is very cautious but is coming along with his "doggy paddle." I am planning on signing him up for swim lessons the first part of July and he is very excited. Karmindy is my "little fish!" She shows no fear and loves to jump into the pool or belly flop into her moms arms. I have also had to keep my eye on her because she thinks she is so "big" and tries to run away from me and jump into the deep ends. It scares me to death!! I am looking forward to many more days of spending time out our local pool this summer...Kaleb and Matthew enjoying the pool.

Karmindy and Mommy enjoying the pool!

Visitors..

This past weekend my baby sister Kamberee and her hubby Ross came up for a quick visit. Ross had to take an EMT test to move on to the Intermediate Level in his program. While he was doing that, Kamberee hung out with us. They were able to come up on Friday afternoon and stayed until this morning (Sunday). It was nice to spend some time with my little sister. She truly is one of my best friends. I miss living so close to her, so it is nice to have weekends like this to visit and spend time together. On Friday night after they made it to our home, we had a BBQ and hung out. On Saturday, we waited for Ross to return from taking his test. After Ross got home, we headed with the kids to Fat Cats Bowling and Fun Center. We had fun bowling and eating Pizza Factory Pizza and Bread sticks and of course my favorite drinking Raspberry lemonade. The kids thoroughly enjoyed bowling and Kaleb and Karmindy got a kick out of using the bumper pads and the bowling ball guide to help them get a strike! We had a really fun time and were so glad that Kam and Ross could come up and hang out with us for the weekend. We love you guys and miss you!!Kamrindy and Kaleb enjoying the rides!The kids bowling with daddy!

Strike A Pose!

Aspiring Victoria's Secret Model?Karmindy received a belated birthday present this past week from some close friends of ours (The Dunyons). The Dunyon girls got Karmindy a pair of white fairy/angel wings. The wings are darling and Karmindy has thoroughly enjoyed prancing around the house with them on and rarely takes them off once they are on. She even enjoys wearing her fairy/angel wings in not so modest conditions! I have enjoyed taking pictures of her wearing her wings and she doesn't hesitate to pose for the camera while wearing them. I hope that this isn't going to be future career choice!
Wink, Wink.
Oh, how I love my little angel!

Spring Baseball Season...

has come to a close for our family. Mark and Kaleb had so much fun participating in the 5 year old Coach pitch, Cal Ripkin/Babe Ruth Baseball League this year. Mark truly enjoyed being the head coach and enjoyed coaching with a friend and neighbor (Jason Bradford). Jason also has a son named Caleb who is the same age as our Kaleb. It was fun to watch the four of them this year! It was also fun to watch the little guys on Marks team. Each of the boys loved having Mark as their coach. Mark is such a patient and kind man and I think that the kids just knew that their coach cared about them. It was fun to walk by the kids on the team and hear them yell excitedly, "Hey Coach!" "Great game coach!" There were several occasions where some of the boys would ask their moms if they could "Walk with my Coach to the field!" from the parking lot. Kaleb also enjoyed having his dad as his coach. Kaleb has really come such a long way since the beginning of the season. We have worked with him a lot! At the first of the season Kaleb really struggled to swing and hold the bat up but now he does it effortlessly and can hit the baseball mid field. I am proud of our little champ! Kaleb has worked really hard to get this far and was very self driven to practice. He would ask Mark and I to work with him most nights after dinner on his hitting and throwing. What a joy it is to see Kaleb enjoy this sport. Kaleb has expressed an interest to keep playing and after his last game this past week asked when he could play again. We might look into Fall baseball so he can keep practicing his new found talents in baseball. This past Wednesday was Kaleb's last game and I was able to leave Karmindy with a friend while I went and watched. It was so nice to relax and watch my little guy and take pictures of him in action and not have to chase Karmindy around and onto the field! It was unfortunate though that there last game got rained out. However, Kaleb was excited to get a candy necklace and baseball shaped sugar cookie from the team mom after the game! We are so glad that Kaleb enjoyed his first year of Coach pitch baseball! We love you son and so proud of you and watching you have a hard work ethic in developing this talent!

Let's Go Fly a Kite...

One thing about Northern Utah weather is that it can be completely unpredictable. We get the weirdest weather here in Riverton, Utah! One minute it is hot sunny calm day and then the next minute it is cold, windy, rainy and snowy one. Go figure! On one of those completely unpredictable days, the wind was just a blowing. Instead of sitting inside and sulking that we didn't have good evening weather to enjoy, we decided that after dinner that we would take Kalebs dragon kite out in our back yard and fly it. We had fun trying to get it up in the air but we weren't too successful! We decided that flying kites are not are strong suits. Our excuse at not getting the kite air born was that there was serious lack of wind between ours and our backdoor neighbors. Next time we will walk to the nearby park to try and get our Dragon kite to fly, that way we get a strong air current and not have the barrier of the houses around us!!

Enjoying the Last Year...

of my TWENTIES. On Friday, June 4th I turned 29!! I can't believe that I am this old! I think next year will be harder when I turn the BIG 30, but for now I am going to try and enjoy the last year of my twenties. My birthday this year was a wonderful one. I was truly and completely spoiled by all my loved ones. My birthday really began memorial day weekend (Monday) because Mark gave me some money for my birthday and I hit the memorial day sales and came away with quite a few new outfits. I love shopping for clothes, so this truly was a great gift from my hubby. On Tuesday, my friend Emily Hattaway took me to see the movie, Prince of Persia at the District. It was a really good movie and I can't wait till it comes out on DVD. I will be purchasing it! It was fun to hang out with her and getting to visit and spend time with her! On Wednesday, I got together with some of my girl friends from my neighborhood and we watched The reality show, The Bachelorette. We get together each week to enjoy each others company, to watch the show and laugh at the social challenged individuals who submit themselves to public humiliation on national Television. Great fun in my opinion. That night, My friend Misty surprised me and brought a birthday cake for me and the girls to all share. On Thursday evening, I went with my dear friend Carlynn and she treated me to a pedicure. Boy, did I need one and It was nice to get some relaxing in and visit with her. On Friday, Mark took a half of a day off from work and met me in town for lunch at Texas Roadhouse. I love this restaurant. Their rolls with cinnamon/sugar butter are to die for and I also love their mashed potatoes, country fried chicken and their cherry limeades. I think I might have seriously eaten like 4,000 calories in one sitting. Oh well, it was my birthday and you can do that once a year right? After lunch, I picked Kaleb up from preschool and we all headed to watch one of Kalebs last baseball games. Kaleb told me he would hit a home run for me (since it was my birthday) and he followed through. I was a proud momma! That night we had a chocolate satin pie from Marie Calendars. On Saturday, one of my dear friends watched the kids so Mark and I could get out. We went and saw the movie, Killers." The movie was ok and had a few funny parts but was a real dud in my opinion! My favorite part of the whole evening by far, was being able to get of the house and spend some time with my hunny! All day Friday and Saturday, I received many phone calls, email messages, face book messages and gifts dropped off. I truly felt so loved and appreciated!! I am so grateful for such great friends and family. I truly am the richest woman ever!! My 29th birthday was truly by far one of my favorite birthdays. I appreciate all my family and friends for making it a wonderful one for me!!

A case of the terrible two's....

I have a two-year-old daughter for sale! Is anyone interested in taking her off my hands? No, I am just kidding!! I love my little Dee Dee girl; although, it is times like these:

that I seriously consider putting her up for adoption! I really wouldn't do that, I would miss her too much!! She is way too cute and she has the cutest, sassiest little personality! Boy, has Karmindy had a bad case of the terrible two's lately. Everyday is a new adventure with her because I never know what my little diva will get into. I have written previously about her obsession with getting into my make-up. After that incident, she found a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and dumped the remaining contents onto my bathroom tile. Thankfully, it wasn't on my carpet in my bedroom because it would have bleached my carpet!!! Our latest and greatest experience with Karmindy was finding her in my kitchen playing with her brothers markers. When I found her, she had Marked herself and my kitchen wall all up!! I am sure some of you are wondering where I am when she is getting into these things? Well, I will tell you.... I am usually in the shower or cooking dinner. I mean I do have to shower each day and our little family needs to eat! Her shenanigans are not something to report her mom to CPS, Right? Hopefully I don't get called on. If you can do anything for me or my daughter, it is to pray that I might have some serious patience to get through the next 11 months of her 2nd year and not feel the need to pull my hair out!! If this mischievous behavior continues to persist, I might not have any hair left by May 15, 2011!!

Don't you just love the pictures of her marked up face? She looks pretty proud of her actions don't you think?

Lost and Then Found

The past week and a half has been a tough one for me.... but I know that someone up above is really looking out for me and my well being. On the 18th of May we took Karmindy in for her 6 month check up for her heart. The appointment wasn't a surprise in the the fact that our fears of her aorta narrowing are true. She doesn't display any symptoms that they say would be likely of a narrowing aorta other than high blood pressure. For the time being we are choosing to monitor her blood pressure monthly now. We are hoping her high blood pressure will stay the same and not increase. If it does increase then surgery will be required, which will include many risks that are so disturbing for me as her mother to accept and swallow... (loss of her leg, and aorta bursting, death) to name a few. I have faith that she will be ok. Even before her birth, I knew that Karmindy was going to be a little bit of spitfire. After her birth, she has continued to show us and those around her, her fighting spirit. I think she wasn't born with her fiery personality for nothing. I like to believe that it is that fiery personality that she will help her to be around for a long time. I think Karmindy has a lot more to accomplish on this earth!

The day after Karmindys appointment, Karmindy and I were rear-ended while stopping at a red light. Thankfully, our car had only little scratches and we were not hurt. Our little accident could have been a lot worse.

I have been a little discouraged about life right now but try to remain positive; although, life just seems to be really tough and I feel that Satan is really trying to get me down- more than ever!! In fact, I have felt at times over the past week that I can't be pushed or stretched anymore for fear that I might lose it!

On Wednesday of this past week, was my breaking point. I misplaced my wedding ring. I was so physically sick about it. It isn't so much about losing the material item, as it was that my dear hubby worked so hard to surprise me when we got engaged, by giving me the ring of my dreams. My ring also represented those important and special covenants that we made nearly 8 years ago. I know it is silly but I felt like a failure. I first realized my rings were gone on Wednesday night and My first initial thought was to go to my room and kneel in prayer, which I did. I know it is so silly to pray about something as menial and insignificant as a ring, but I did it. I said many things in my prayer and let my Heavenly Father know I couldn't take much more. I know that "faith without works is dead" so I did my part and literally tore our home apart looking for my ring. I looked high and low, cleaned my kids rooms top to bottom, looked in our out side garbage, floor vents. You name it, I looked everywhere. I am ashamed to say I even started checking Karmindys diapers, just in case she swallowed it. On Thursday morning, I was sure it was gone. I just broke down.. I had done my part and I couldn't find it. I called one of my best friends and just vented. She was very encouraging and comforted me while I talked to her. After I got off the phone, I felt a huge impression to check our kitchen garbage- it was the one last place I hadn't looked. As I was sifting through the garbage, I grabbed an empty sweetened condensed milk can and out popped my ring. The ring was sitting in the can!! I literally screamed with happiness and I am sure I scared my kids by doing so, but I was so happy!! Looking back, I now remember that I had taken my ring off to make cookies and set my ring on the kitchen counter. After my baking adventure, I remember quickly hurrying about to clean the kitchen so I could get going on dinner and I am sure that I grabbed my ring meaning to put it back on but instead dropped it and the rest of my trash from making cookies, into the garbage. After finding my ring, I immediately went to my room and knelt in prayer and thanked my HF. Even though I have felt the help of my HF many times before, this experience has helped me realize once again that my HF is always there and is listening and is waiting to listen to the requests of our heart. It doesn't matter how big or small our problems may be or even how silly something may seem, he is always aware of us. He is aware of what I am going through in my life, even though at times I have felt all alone and deserted. I know that HF is always there and through the promptings of the spirit he can help guide us to where were need to be, keep us safe from both spiritual and physical harm and lead us to help others. I am grateful for my tiny miracle this past week and so glad that even though I have felt a little "Lost" and alone at times I can "Find" the comfort that I need when times get tough and feel like life is more than I can bear!

Back to Nature

I love the spring and summer time. I love the hint of heat in the air and I love smells of fresh cut grass, sweetly scented flowers, rain showers, and the sight of blossoms turning to leaves on the trees. I think that fall and spring are my favorite times of the year. I really like Northern Utah because here, we truly have the four seasons which I L-O-V-E!! During the winter all our neighbors stay inside but we have truly been blessed to live in a neighborhood that comes alive during the spring, summer and fall months. It is so fun because everyone comes out of their homes, grabs lawn chairs and we congregate at someones home to visit! I love the comradeship that our neighborhood has!

Last weekend, Mark and I found a killer deal on a patio set and we fell in love with it instantly. We have been wanting one for so long!! An added bonus is that it came with a fire pit! There is nothing that I like more than sitting by a fire roasting hot dogs or marshmallows. There is something also comforting by the warmth of a camp fire while there is still a little bit of a nip in the air! The past week our little family has been enjoying the great out doors in our back yard with friends. We have also been going outside during the evenings to sit and spend time as a family. We have truly enjoyed roasting hot dogs and making smores. Kaleb has been just as excited as Mark and I have been to get out side and try out our patio set and frequently asks, "Can we go outside and eat dinner and roast marshmallows tonight?" Karmindy has also liked it. Mostly because she likes the fire and she gets to eat food! We have to keep an eagle eye on her because she tries to get as close as she can to the fire before she says, "Hot! Hot!" in her sweet little voice. As her parents, It drives us crazy that she has no fear sometimes!

I love the great outdoors and I am looking forward to spending many more nights this summer enjoying the backyard with my little family and our some of our dear friends in our neighborhood!

Just Keep Swimming....

I love this little phrase from the well known Disney Movie, "Finding Nemo." My husband said this to me last night as we were retiring for bed after we had an extremely hard day yesterday. "Ashlee, we just have to keep swimming!" I know it is such a cheesy phrase but it holds so much truth! Yesterday, was a hard day for our little family. You would think that going to Cardiology appointments with our daughter every six months would get easier over the past few years but for me, my heart breaks and the old wound gets reopened as I watch my daughter go through these hard procedures. Days before and after an appointment, fear and anxiety set in and it can be almost choking at times, but as the days, weeks and months go by after an appointment that fear and anxiety lessen, only to be experienced once more. What is the most difficult is knowing that I can't fix it!! This trial that we are going through with Karmindy is one of the hardest things that I have ever had to go through or experience. It doesn't compare to anything else I have ever had to go through. It seems like in the past, a trial may only last for but a moment(even though it seemed like forever to me) but this one is ongoing and will not be one that will go away. At lease in this lifetime. I know that our Heavenly Father sent us here to be tested and with that testing he is wanting to see how we will react and if we will deny him or turn to him. I refuse to deny him because I have seen his hand in our lives repeatedly over the past few years, especially!!! He has helped us get through many hard and difficult things over the past few year that I know that we couldn't have done ourselves. I have felt a peace of love and comfort by not only turning to him but also through many caring friends and family. The outpouring of love from others has been a true testament to me that I am truly loved and I have a powerful support system!! I have learned so much from this trial with Karmindy. I have learned to be compassionate and to recognize the things that others are going through. I have learned that as bad as my trial seems, someone somewhere else is experiencing something so much more and that I need to be thankful for what I have been given and make the most of it. I have learned that when I am feeling down, that if I turn my sadness into service and serve others that I feel so much better. Through all of this, I have learned to lean on my Heavenly Father so much more. I have realized that even though I try to take on things all by my mortal self, I can't do it without my Savior and Heavenly Father. I am far from perfect, in fact I am so imperfect it isn't funny but I am trying even if it is a poor effort in mine and others eyes. I know that our Heavenly Father is seeing my efforts. As for that, I know that he is aware of our little family and of Karmindy. I know that this trial might not go away for the rest of mine or Karmindys life but I know we are not alone. With that, I know that through all of this, if I "Just keep swimming" my Father in Heaven will see my efforts and will lighten the load by throwing me a life preserver when I get tired and can't swim any more. There is Nothing more that brings me great comfort than knowing that my daughter will be mine forever despite how long she is with our little family in this lifetime, as long as I keep my covenants. I am so grateful for my husband who has stuck by my side through our many trying times. There is no one I would rather experience these things with than him. He brings so much peace and comfort to me by having him by my side. I want my kids to know that I love them dearly and that I am glad that they chose me to be there mom. How lucky I am to be a mom to these really special little people. I want my children to know that their mom has a testimony of The Gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.Through all of life's little struggles, I have truly have been blessed ten fold! So with that, I will just keep swimming, Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!!