Shaving Cream Dancing FHE

While Colt and I were going to college, we took care of an elderly couple.  We lived with them and cooked and cleaned for them.  We had room and board plus $200/month.  This was a blessing to them that they could stay in their home and not have to go to an assisted living center.  It was a huge blessing to us that we could work together and from home.  While there we once sprayed shaving cream all over the floor and danced and twirled and giggled while cleaning their kitchen floor.  They laughed and talked about that to all their friends and family.  It brought them and us many happy memories. 

For FHE We shared with our girls the magic of cleaning the floor with shaving cream!!

I got a nice clean floor after they were done having fun! :)

3 VIDEOS:  Dancing with Shaving Cream!

Oh What do You do in the Summer Time? . . . . . . . Part 1

Water, Water, Water!!

We play in the water every chance we get during the summer. 

Hoses, pools, sprinklers, water balloons, water down the slide, mud puddles - natural and man-made - maybe little girl made too :)  

Oh the pull of mud!

Wishing for Rain!

Fresh Picked Flowers for Mommy!

Even more wishing for rain. 

The pool. 

We go every chance we can get.  It's tricky now with 3 girls to go to the pool. Especially with Summer getting more and more and more active.  Tricky but worth the effort!

Winterizing the cooler for fall.

So long summer!

We had a great time :)

VIDEO:  Summer Fishing

2011 Family Picture

I enjoy pictures!  They are one of my favorite things - especially pictures of our sweet girls where their personalities shine through!  We had a family picture taken at a photo studio once and we decided that was not for us.  It was such an ordeal with clothing just right and hands placed here and tilt your head this awkward way and smile....not to mention the tears - from the kids too!  j/k!
Anyway, while those are professional and beautifully done, we would rather have real life not to mention save the $$~
Here is our 2011 Family Portrait...complete with real life and tons of personality...We managed to capture Silver's "I think I'll sit here for 2 more seconds" look complete with  her book...ready, get set GO!.  Captured River's sweetness and sweet tooth with her special sucker from church.  Summer's in Mommy's arms, her favorite place.  Colt's encircling all of us, and is wearing his tie that he is in most every day.  I love that it's not perfect, just precious to me!
True snapshot in time. 
There's a lot of love in those eyes!

Great Times!

Here's a bunch of random pics of our happenings recently:

 We like to borrow the puppies from Paca. 

The Girls love to play with them.

And I love to return them home again :)

 

 Off to the Mailbox!

 Silver's security blanket:  Her Nukies.  Lately, she has taken to having 3 with her.  She needs one to suck on and one or two to hold.  I usually give them to her only at nap time and bed time.  But on sick days or days when extra comfort is needed, she gets them for a while.  On our trip back from up North last weekend, we were stuck in the truck for 8 hours and she needed some extra help.  She would calm down when she had 2 nukies :)

 I love this picture of Silver in blue on the blue couch.

 River takes good care of Silver.

For Halloween, River painted a butterfly on my hand.  I thought it was really good for a 4 year old!

My idea of a perfect day:  Yesterday in a nutshell:

Well, for the perfect day, it really starts the night before.  Into bed at a good time to rest deeply with minimal interruptions in the night.  Wake up before the girls and read scriptures before they wake up.  River says in her prayer "please bless my mom to not yell."  With that start to the day I was set to face any trials of the day.  Colt got home early! (7:00) for Family Night.  It was a great time of family togetherness over dinner, wrestling and a short lesson about what we are most thankful for.  Counting your Blessings helps put everything in perspective.  ALL we have and ALL the blessings we enjoy are from the Lord.  We had a turkey cutout and wrote on his feathers things we were grateful for:  Some of the feathers on the turkey:  Food, That we were safe while traveling in the snow and ice, All of God's Love and Blessings, Daddy - that he provides for us and is a good leader of our home, that we got new tires for the truck after the big ice storm, That we are usually so healthy and have shots to keep us healthy, that we are safe, Music and songs that teach us about Jesus, being happy and the gospel, Mommy, that she makes good food, that we got new carpet in our house, and that River, Silver and Summer are here with us, a good marriage, a happy home, and peace.  Truly Blessed indeed! 

This was followed by having a horsey (Daddy's back) ride into their bedroom to deposit them on their beds after a family prayer.  Got into bed early again, for a good night's sleep.  Sleep, scriptures, perspective, prayer, good attitude, and family time...my idea of a great day!  Oh yes, and River's prayer helped, no yelling here today :)  

River's comment this morning:  "Mom, I can't wait to grow up and be a Mom!"  Mom:  Why's that?  River:  Because there are so many great things to teach your kids!!"  Yes, I have a Great Job!!

Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God - Elder Holland

Inbetween General Conference Sessions, they run a program for the 2 hour break.  Colt and I were trying to watch the program, but our internet wouldn't stream it...so we were watching the "Mormon Messages".  These are clips of either personal testimony or General Authority Talks with video and pictures put to their message.    The program was playing one clip after another.  We had just barely gotten all 3 kids asleep for nap, and I was cleaning up the table from lunch.  I walked up behind Colt and put my chin on his head telling him how weary I was.  I had barely gotten the words out of my mouth when this clip started playing.  Click on the following link to play this beautiful talk by Elder Holland:
Video:  Motherhood:  An Eternal Partnership with God
A very tender mercy of the Lord for me at the EXACT moment that I NEEDED it!  I have watched this clip over and over, and each time it makes me cry knowing that "I know deep down inside that I am doing God's work."

 The camera comes out, and smiles are hard to catch.

 Got A Cute One!

 Sweet Silver showing that her jams have Froggies on the toesies!

 Summer really enjoys this position - on her tummy on a big pillow.  She can still get her legs underneath her with her head up.  Too Cute!

 This is River saying "I love you THIS much!"  She usually puts her hands all the way inback of her with her hands touching, showing that she is spreading her arms as far back as they can go!

 River tucked Summer into bed after "babysitting" her on the bed for me.

 I LOVE YOU THIS MUCH!

We are so blessed to have the gospel while raising our girls.  To have prayer and scriptures to guide in the raising of these special spirits.  To know that they are Heavenly Father's daughters and have divine nature.  To have a living prophet and apostles to buoy us up with their apostolic testimonies and witness, is truly a treasure of infinite value!!