Sad Day

I just went to post on my blog - went to browse for pictures and alas...they are gone. I do have backups from 2007 and before but not since then. We did back up everything on an external drive - but that seems to have malfunctioned as well...hmmm...very inconvenient but not the end of the world.

She's Gone to Heaven

My friend Emy's little girl has gone to heaven. My daughter Jacee said, "I think that's good. She'll be happy and she can run around and play now."

Rachel was in the hospital for 12 days - this time. And it was time to let her go. I can't imagine how hard it was for them to make. They have a firm belief in the gospel and know that Rachel is with her older sister and triplet brother now. It is so hard for us here, but she really is in a heavenly place.

We love you Darrington family and are saying many prayers that you will be comforted.

Love you.

A New Tradition

I think we've started a new tradition of "Gingerbread" Houses on Christmas Eve. We've done it twice now, so I'm counting it as a tradition. Jacee is very creative and has alot of intricate ideas.

Jack wanted it to be realistic - he had trees out front, a sleigh and santa and a doorknob.

Maddie was pretty funny. She discovered that the inside of her house was hollow so...

...she could fill it with candy! Once she found that out - the decorating was over and the hoarding began! She did fill it to the top and then she could lift a corner of the house and sneak a piece of candy to eat whenever she wanted. Worked out rather well.

Thank You God

Thank you God, for my little angels. Thank you for letting them come to our home and trusting us to do our best to raise them. Thank you for these blessings.

The Dreams of the Young

Here is my sweetie pie posing on the "bride's pedestal" at Temple Square. I just love to talk with her and hear about all her hopes and dreams. Right now she is enthralled with all things white and wedding and her future husband. I'm glad we had the opportunity to go to Temple Square a couple of times this winter so the temple is included in those dreams. She loves to muse about her future - what it will be like, what kind of mother she will be, and of course what role her husband will play in all of this. We had an interesting conversation about dad's who don't go to church with their families. She has decided if her husband ever decided he did not want to go to church she will just push him out the door and into the car and say, "You're going Mister!" Not sure why she was thinking about that or how she came to that solution, but at least she has a plan if she ever needs it.

Of course the number one reason she wants to get married at the temple in December is so she can have a beautiful white cape with a fur-lined hood to wear around the temple grounds, so one day she might inspire other little girls to dream of a December wedding at the temple.

Blessing from Heaven

Here is Jack. Our most laid back child. He is holding his own in our female-strong family. Good thing he has some great cousins to spend some much needed boy time with...

Some of my best friends just had a baby after waiting for nine years (adoption). It has been so fun to watch them anticipate, get excited, argue over names, get the nursery ready, and just wonder at the miracle of new babies. Their little guy was born this morning and all ready two status updates on Face Book - so fun!

All this excitement has made me reflect on my three little miracles. Sometimes we forget the magic moments of the newborn just joining the family. We forget about the quite moments of just watching them breath and wondering at the perfect hands and feet. I am so thankful to have been blessed three times and to have a wonderful man to share these experiences with. I love my family.

Maddie was our easiest baby and is now proving to be our hardest toddler. She is so full of life and mischief. Her saving grace is that she sleeps through the night in her own bed. I count that as a miracle in our small family.

And our sweet Jacee. I could not have predicted her personality at all. I think she will be like her dad, shy - but enjoys the spotlight when doing something she can do well.

Wow - three beautiful babies that we can't really remember what our life was like before them. Thanks for the miracles!

I am so excited for the Ruffells and can't wait to see what their little bundle of joy will add to their family. What an exciting time!

This and That

I haven't really wrapped my mind around the thought that the holidays are over - so I'm not blogging them yet. Maybe as soon as I get the Christmas Decore put away...

Anyway, here are just a few fun pictures. We decided to have Jack and Jacee sleep in the same bed - and it has been great! They sleep so much better an comfort each other in the night if they have bad dreams. They seem so much more content and then I don't worry about them so much!

Here's what I found one day. Jack told me the stair landing was his and Maddie's house so they needed to put all their toys there. And I mean ALL their toys!

Such a precious sight for any momma. I love when they snuggle together. And then just to illustrate the difference between boys and girls - the pic below is of daddy and Jack "snuggling".

Love my boys!