All I Want for Christmas...

So, I asked all the kids what they wanted for Christmas this year, and reminded them not to be greedy, and that usually Santa can bring one gift for sure. We checked out the website we always go to each year to e-mail Santa. http://www.emailsanta.com/ It is free and we are sure that he gets our list. The girls were so cute and so very thoughtful about the stuff they wanted, they even said that if some of these things couldn't be given that it was alright with them. So sweet and so considerate. Anyhow, James was so funny he added a link for Santa to make sure he knew exactly what kind of Vans shoes he wants for Christmas. I had to laugh with that one!! Here is the stuff they want for Christmas this year... James: An Element Skateboard, an i-Pod Touch, and some Vans shoes Eliza: An old typewriter (what da?...she loves old stuff), a sports watch, and a lunchbox Juliette: A lunch box, a watch and a skateboard Sophia: A toy cell phone, a watch and bike helmet I think Santa can handle at least 2 out of the 3 things on their lists...

Jelly Beans Can Work Wonders...

So, I have been trying to come up with a positive way to encourage my kids to do what they know they need to do without the parents telling them a gazillion times. I have also been trying to think of ways that would encourage me to see the positive things they do more than the negative, and then praise them consistently. I am not a firm believer in bribing my kids, and I have noticed that charts don't work very well in our home with the kids. They need an instant reward, or praise, or instant gratification. So, I came up with the Jelly Bean reward system, yes I am bribing my kids, but it is working. For every random act of kindness they do or for any type of obedience they show they get a Jelly Bean. It has to be spontaneous and we have to catch them in the act...they can't tell us and they can't ask for the Jelly Bean after having done the kind deed or shown obedience to the parents. It has been 5 days and we are loving it. It works with all of them, allelujah! Life has been better lately with the kids.

Thanksgiving Dinner...

I finally got it right, after almost 15 years of being married I finally cooked a delicious Turkey. I was really not excited about cooking a Turkey this year, so I had mentioned to Rob that we were having a roast instead for Thanksgiving. He was outraged and said that is was enough reason for divorce. Well, since I wanted to stay married, I gave into the Turkey cooking thing.

I made sure this time that I thawed this 15 pounder for over 5 days. Then I let it marinate for over 24 hours in my own personal savory recipe, which I can't remember at the moment. Well, it turned out deliciously good. The flavoring was just right and as Matt cut through it the meat was just falling apart. I am more confident now that I can cook a Turkey again next year. I also think that my new convection oven helped a lot.

Anyhow, this post is not all about my Turkey cooking experience. I really wanted to share our day with you and let you know how wonderful it was to have celebrated it with Rob, the Kids and our good friends the Ferguson's. We have celebrated Thanksgiving before with them and it is always such a nice experience to be with them. I personally like spending hours with Patty, cooking and preparing our big Thanksgiving feast in the kitchen. Matt, Rob and the kids always spend time playing or side snacking.

During our late lunch, early dinner feast we took turns saying what we were grateful for, and it was neat to hear what everyone had to say, especially the kids. There is really so much to be grateful for. We are sooooo blessed! It is overwhelming to think of all the wonderful things that we have, that we are blessed with, the life, the family, friends, the Gospel, this country, etc. Life is truly Good! I am grateful for Holidays like these to celebrate with those we love. Now moving on to my favorite Holiday...CHRISTMAS!!

We truly had a great Thanksgiving. The food turned out wonderfully. The company was fantastic and the day was perfect. Thank you Matt, Patty, Will and Ben for joining us this year. We plan to have you over again next year, if you are still around! Thank you for being such delightfully wonderful people. You are all so easy to love. We just love you guys and we hate the thought of you having to move, ever.

P.S Funny thing: Juliette and Sophia were so grossed out when I was marinating the Turkey, Eliza was fascinated and wanted to see the heart, and liver. I really hope she becomes a nurse or a Dr. she has the stomach and patience for it.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Running Group...

I am surrounded by amazing people every day, but on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays I get to run with the most motivating, encouraging, supportive, inspiring and amazing women (and with Rob on some days). During the Fall and Winter I find it hard to get myself out the door to run. I don't really like the cold, or the wind, or the rain, and the snow (when we get it), but having our running group gives me that motivation I need to keep on running. We are all helping each other and encouraging each other progress in our running. I couldn't of asked for a better group of friends to run with. I am glad we have kept it together for over 2.5 years, and I hope it goes for many more years. Thank you ladies for being such a great example of persistence, dedication, and commitment. You girls ROCK!

"Nothing's better than the wind to your back, the sun in front of you, and your friends beside you."

Aaron Douglas Trimble, Runner

Service...

The kids went out with Rob the other day to rake our two Neighbor Widows' yards. They raked a ton of leaves and were so happy about it. They felt good after they were done for having helped our sweet friends with their yard. I am so gald for opportunities like these for my kids to do things for others besides our family! Thank you Rob for being the instigator, you are so full of love and compassion!

P.S Eliza's best friend Josh joined us and he was a great little helper too, thank you!

I am grateful for...

I am grateful for so many things...

for leaves that fall from the trees,

for the wind that blows softly on my cheeks,

for kisses and for hugs that warm up my soul.

I am grateful for love that eternally grows.

For family, for parents, for friends

and for the selfless hearts that continuously give without expecting nothing in return.

I am grateful for hands to feel and touch,

for legs to run and walk,

for eyes to see, for ears to hear,

and for my mouth to speak, and to taste all sorts of yummy foods.

I am grateful for a husband who progresses more spiritually every day

and goes along with me, side by side, through life.

For his selfless and unconditional love

and for his compassionate spirit.

I am grateful for my four miracles,

for their bright minds, smiles, vast amount of energy and health.

I am grateful for my children's tender hearts.

For the kindness of strangers and for the kindness of neighbors,

for the strength and health the Lord blesses me daily

for the ability to run 22 miles.

I am grateful to be serving as one of the Counselors in the Primary.

I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ,

for His atoning sacrifice and love,

for His great example of how I can be and His mercy for when I am weak.

I am grateful for the many testimonies I have heard so far in my life.

I am grateful for my own testimony of Christ,

as well as my husband's, children's, parents and friends.

I am grateful for this earth, for the beauty all around me

For knowing that I am a Child of God and that I have great potential because of that.

I am grateful for the Love I feel from my Heavenly Father,

for His blessings, for His answers to my prayers.

I am grateful for raindrops on my nose,

and tears that stream down my face of joy or sadness.

I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost,

for missionaries that go knocking on people's doors

declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and changing their lives forever.

I am grateful for our chickens and their delicious fresh eggs.

For cars that run, and a roof over my head.

For food to eat and beds to sleep on.

For clothes and shoes to keep us warm.

For phones and computers, and movies that makes the heart grow fonder.

I am grateful for body lotion, soaps, toothpaste and toothbrushes.

For good books that change lives,

for Rob's job and tax refunds.

For our Prophet Pres. Thomas S. Monson and his Counselors.

For the righteous leaders in our church.

For the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

I am grateful for my agency and for the pursuit of happiness.

For commandments and laws to help us stay in the right path

and helps us do the right things.

For chocolate in all sorts of yummy ways.

For roads and trails to run with friends.

For thrift stores and consignment shops, for e-bay and craigslist.

I am so very grateful for so many things and these are just a few of those things...

What are you grateful for?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Random Thoughts and Feelings...

Since last Sunday's experience I have been filled with thoughts and feelings about adoption and the urge to move forward with it. I have yet to feel that our timetable is lined up with the Lord's timing in things. There are still some things we need to do to move forward, but yet I am very anxious to get started.

The other night, as I laid in bed thinking about all this, making sure it was just not some random feelings I was experiencing, I felt a bit of doubt and some fear. I reminisced on my three miscarriages and how strongly I felt about getting pregnant. I looked back at the day and time that I felt such feelings and how quickly I was to get started and do our part. After my miscarriages I wondered if I had listened wrong, if perhaps I didn't hear the rest of the message/answer? But I now have come to understand that without having gone through this experience I would not have come to understand the Atonement better and applied it to heal my heart and spirit. I was able to move forward and find joy in my four children. This experience also got us to think about the options of adopting the child we so strongly feel is to come into our family.

I am grateful to have gone through what I went through. I felt I progressed and grew a little closer towards becoming who the Lord wants me to become. There was a greater sense of appreciation for my four miracles...my four healthy children that I was able to have naturally.

If it wasn't for my experience I don't think I would have been this quick to consider adopting our next child. If I had gotten pregnant and had a child, I think I would have said "we are done" and not have considered the fact of having another child any time soon...But perhaps the promptings of the spirit would have eventually put us in line with the Lord's desires and timetable, as well as His plans for us. We would of eventually gotten us on the road, on our way to adoption. There is a child out there meant to be in our home. I don't know when, where or how we are going to get him. This has us praying fervently and fasting for direction.

I have specific feelings in regards to this child, which I want to make sure it is just not me and my personal desires or emotions, but actual inspired thoughts and ideas. I feel there is a little boy less than 3 years old, with dark hair and dark eyes. I can already imagine recognizing him when I see him. He is definitely of foreign decent, like from India or something. It is very weird how detail I am feeling about this little boy. I want to make sure it is not just me. Can it be possible to be this specific about something, especially a child?

That same night, I also looked back at the time before I was married and how I had always felt that I would adopt a child of a different nationality. I believe I told that to Rob when we first were married, and it was something I thought about when I spent almost a year trying to get pregnant with James. Then after James, I was able to get pregnant with the other three so easily that the thought of ever adopting was brushed aside, although not forgotten. It is so important to listen and not brush off feelings/promptings that you find yourself feeling often, and especially at certain times in your lives. It is also very important to be on the same path and timing aligned with the Lord's path and timing. I couldn't of felt this strongly 9 months ago...I am glad I took a little time to heal and perhaps progress towards where we are now with the feelings and thoughts we are experiencing about adoption.

All we want to do is the right things according to the Lord's plan and Will. We want to be able to take the right path to find this child. To know where, when and how he is to come to us, to know how we are going to find him. It is so important for us to be in tuned with the Spirit. Please keep us in your prayers.

P.S Our Tobler Family Adoption Fund is up to $60 now. Pretty exciting?!!

Thanksgiving Week...

I Love My Husband's Sense of Humor....

Everyone that knows Rob, knows that he has a great sense of humor. Sometimes he surprises me with the stuff he finds to make me laugh. Here is one example: I woke up this morning to check my e-mails, making sure the running group girls had not cancelled our morning run. I am happy to say we are still on, but Rob did send me an e-mail and this is what the title said... "Solution to bathroom breaks during marathons..." Now that caught my eye and attention...I thought what a sweet hubby to think of me for when I run my next marathon. Well, here is the rest of the e-mail and proof of Rob's unique sense of humor: "A perfect stocking stuffer for active women, GoGirl allows the simple convenience of taking bathroom breaks standing up in situations where restrooms are unfit or nonexistent." Thanks for being so thoughtful Rob...I can't wait to check my Christmas stocking this year!

My Eternal Family...

This year's Primary theme was "My Eternal family". We spent this whole year learning about this priceless message through songs and lessons, and how we can all work in our own families to help, serve, love, etc. each other. Sunday was a wonderful day! We had our Ward Primary Program Presentation and the kids sang beautifully. What amazed me the most is that there was a whole lot of smiling going on. These kids sang their best and gave it their all. I am so very proud of our Primary. It is an honor and a privilege to be in the Presidency and be surrounded by such wonderful people and children. A whole lot of prayers were answered, because we were really worried about the kids performing their parts. Juliette didn't even want to sing at the rehearsal on Saturday. She had a Solo. But, she did it and she sang beautifully. Eliza was one of the characters in out FHE play, that was part of the program, and she did awesome. Sophia at the end turned to me and said "I am not singing any more, I am done!". I guess one hour of singing was enough for her. The best part of the program for me, was watching my son pass the Sacrament for the first time. It is tradition to have a Deacon's first time be to pass the Sacrament to the Bishopric first. He was privileged to pass it to the Stake President and the Bishopric, as well as to our entire Primary. We were all sitting up at the stands for our program. He did a great job. He was a little nervous at first, but of course he didn't show it. He looked confident and steady passing the bread and water. At one point I just cried. I witnessed my sweet Juliette show excitement over her brother passing her the Sacrament by her touch on his thigh, and then a glance up at him with a smile. It just melted my heart. It was a very tender moment. She literally looks up to her brother! Then later during Primary (after the program), I snuck out into the Nursery to check up on our Nursery leader to see if she was doing alright, and my eyes were directed towards this absolutely gorgeous baby. I asked melody how old he was and she said he was one. He was this tiny little thing, with dark, thick eyelashes, dark eyes, dark hair and just absolutely YUMMY! I left and was drawn to him so strongly that I went back and took him with me to conduct Primary. I didn't even ask for his name. I fell IN LOVE with him! He was on my hip for the next hour. He was the most sweetest thing ever. He reminded me of my James. Very mild-natured and just so tender with me. Well, he confirmed a feeling that I have been having lately in regards to adding another child to our family. I have been doing some praying and the Lord answered my prayer. As you all know we tried to have one more and after three miscarriages I sort of decided to take a break and see what needed to happen next. During this time we have thought and discussed the possibilities of adoption and foster care. I have always known that we would adopt, just didn't know when. Well, after holding this sweet Hindu baby on Sunday, I feel very strongly about this. Our family is meant to have one more and this child will come to us through adoption. We are committed. We have discussed it with the kids and have promised to read our scriptures every day and for every day that we do so, Rob and I will add $10.00 to our new Tobler Family Adoption Fund. We have $30 so far! We are praying to do the right things at the right time and with the right people. Next process will be filling out paper work through LDS Services first, to get us started, and then seeking the help and advice from friends that have been down this road before. We just haven't taken the time yet and it maybe next week or the week after that, but we are definitely serious about this and super excited!! The kids have already put in their requests as to what kind of sibling they would like. It sounds terrible, but they really would love to have a baby from another country and have it be a Boy! Although Sophia wants a Sister. Whatever the Lord has in store for us that is what we will go with. Please keep us in your prayers in regards to this. I personally felt a little discouragement as we researched online the different options, especially for adopting a child outside the U.S. For one, some have very strict restrictions, and we live in a very small house, it is less than 1,300sqft. We also have more than three children, which some foreign adoptions say that we can't have anymore than 3 kids in the family...others said no more than one child. WHAT!? But, if it is meant to happen, then the Lord will open doors for us. We just need your prayers. First we have to decide which way are we heading and then take it from there. I would love to go foreign, but we may not qualify, unless there is a child out there meant to be with us. So, please Pray that we do the right thing. Thank you! This may take us years, who knows!! P.S Sorry family that I am having to share such wonderful news publically over my blog, instead of personally over the phone. We haven't had a chance to call all of you and I really wanted to blog about it. I just couldn't wait another day!

Nightmares

My poor daughter Juliette confided in me that she has been having bad dreams. As a father I felt that listening to her feelings was the best remedy. In one dream she became Mrs. Santa Clause...”and grew a beard.” I asked what color the beard was. "Black," she replied. Then she tearfully shared that she has been having a recurring nightmare in which "aliens are watching me through my window ...they come in to my room and steal me out of my bed, take me to their alien world... ...then they dress me up.............and.........teach me Spanish." "Malditos marcianos" I thought, "they’re at it again."

"Life's tough, but..."

My wife called me at work to say that the washing machine had died. This bad news came after just having purchased and replaced 3 appliances last week; a refridgerator, dishwasher and stove. "Just my luck," I thought. I asked her what happend. She said that in the middle of a load it just quit. She told me that she had checked everything. - Power cord: Check! - Plug outlet: Check! - Circuit breaker: Check! - Control settings: Check! It's an old washer and we've had it repaired twice so I accepted that its service life had finally come to an end. After arriving home from work my son and I removed the broken washer managing to only spill half of the load's soapy water on to the kitchen and living room floors. Fortunately, we had another washer in the attic. It ran perfectly 5 years ago when we put it up there. Hoping that it would still run James and I risked our lives hauling it down the outdoor stairs during a rain storm. We dried it off, cleaned it up and installed it. Then we turned it on. Or tried to. But it didn't work. "You've got to be kidding me," I thought. "I knew my luck was bad but this sucks!" Then I plugged a vacuum (something I knew worked) in to the same outlet. It didn't work either. "Ah, ha!" Check the circuit breaker. Done. Still not working. I tried the vacuum in another outlet in the same room. It didn't work. As I glanced around the room I noticed a third outlet in the room. It looked like this: After pressing the reset button, "Wahla!" Everything worked. John Wayne said: "Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid." Thanks John.

Great Grandma Gulliver's short vist and more....

I am sooooo behind on my blogging so get ready to read a ton.... First, of all on the weekend that James was ordained G-Grandma Gulliver came to visit us for a day. We didn't get to do much with her, but the little time we had, it was very enjoyable. She is the most delightful person to be around with. I love her little chuckle and smiles. She has sooooo much patience and such a great sense of humor. I just love her attitude and spirit. I hope to be just like her when I am her age (84). The girls, on Sunday night, brought out all their Tricco blankets that G-G Gulliver had made them when they were first born. It is her tradition to make these magnificent blankies for all of her grand-kids and great-grand kids now. Every new baby born in our family has received one of these. It is an incredible tradition and a wonderful legacy. Rob still has his blankie from when he was little and James uses it. Eliza is totally attached to hers and she has chewing marks on the corners of it. She loves her blankie to death. The other two girls are not as addicted to their tricco blankies, but they sleep with them. James was attached to his when he was little, now I notice that he likes to sleep with it on his pillow. He likes the cool and soft feeling of it on his face as he sleeps. Very cute! Thank you Grandma for such a wonderful tradition! We took Grandma Thrift shopping on Monday before her bus ride back to Pasco. We also took her out to lunch an Ice cream, she did treat us to a delicious lunch. Thank you! It was sad to see her go. We sure appreciate her short visit. We just love her. We hope to be the ones to visit her next time. Thank you G-G Gulliver. You were such a pleasure to have and we really enjoyed your visit. We love you! Thank you for all that you do and for all the b-day money you send us every year. Thank you! Let's see what else...oh, Rob taught his first Merit Badge Class for the Scouts in our Stake and he did a fantastic job teaching them about PERSONAL MANAGEMENT. He had some fun activities and treats and really made this boring topic interesting and easy to understand. He is truly a gifted teacher. The boys really seemed to have enjoyed themselves and learned a great deal about stocks, savings, bonds, 401K's, CD accounts, IRA's, etc. All they need to know to be great with their money and how to manage it. Rob never ceases to amaze me. We also had our appliances arrive this week. It took us a few days to install them. The stove is up and running and I am sooooooo happy to have a convection oven to bake double the amount of cookies at the same time. WOW! We also got the new fridge up and running. We managed to mis-measure somehow the size of our wall space and purchased a fridge slightly wider. So, Rob had to sand down part of our cupboards, rip off baseboards and take out another cupboard to fit the new fridge. Quite the messy project. But we did it. I have never enjoyed a new appliance, besides a washer and dryer, in my life. This was a treat for me. Thank you Rob for all your hard work and for spoiling me with these new things that were much needed. Our next projects are finishing the kids' rooms. I managed to get the rooms painted in three days. Now we have new beds to set up. James and Sophia's room is getting new wood floors. The carpet that is in there is moldy and we need to seal the concrete floor underneath. Once this is done then we will set up their new bed as well. I wasn't planning on getting these projects done this Fall. This was something I had thought about in the Summer and we just couldn't afford it. Then I got this crazy idea of selling what we had and turning that money around to buy back stuff a little newer and that matched. We have had pieces of furniture in their rooms that were from garage sales and just didn't match, as well as their sleeping space is limited due to their small rooms, so I wanted to change their rooms and simplify their sleeping quarters. With the limited amount of space we didn't have many choices. So, we stayed with the Bunk beds idea but with more efficiency. Does that make sense? For example James and Sophia's room is an All In One bunk bed, like a loft. it has seven drawers, the top bunk and a trundle bed, a pull out desk, a book shelf, and a bit of closet space. It is an incredible bed. It is only about 1.5" wider than a regular bunk. I bought it on Craigslist for more than half the cost. Eliza and Juliette's bed is a bunk that has a twin over a full bed. So the top bunk is a twin and the bottom is a double bed, this way we can put Sophia in the room with the girls next year and we can also have guests sleep in it instead of on the floor when they come visit us. I bought that as well on craigslist for more than half the cost. I sold all the kids' furniture on Craigslist and paid for the new stuff. I love being and living frugally. There is so much access to ways of saving money and selling your things online. There is also the phrase "It does not hurt to ask". I am not afraid to ask for discounts and the worst answer I can get is NO. Which doesn't happen very often. It took me three weeks to get the folks on Craigslist to sell me the bunk bed for Eliza and Juliette. They wouldn't come down on the price. But they finally did. They wanted $900 for it and that included the full mattress. I got it for $690. Not too bad? I will be blogging about the rooms later. Sophia was my biggest helper with painting the rooms. I took some cute pictures of her. We also enjoyed some weird weather. On Friday night it hailed, and the hail hurt when it was coming down, it was big balls (mini-snow balls). The kids had fun playing outside for about five minutes, then it got too cold and wet. It was really beautiful. Well, I think that just about sums up our busy week. I will be blogging about today later. We had our Primary Program and I had a neat experience about Adoption...Stay tuned!

A boy receives power from on high...By Rob and Francys

Today I watch as my husband laid his hands on my son’s head and continue a sacred unbroken chain ordaining James to the priesthood office of deacon. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof. (Hebrews 5:4) And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

How were men like Aaron and Joshua also called?

(Exodus 25:1) the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,...(Exod. 28:1)... And take thou unto thee Aaron…that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.

(Numbers 27:18-23) the Lord said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua.. and lay thine hand upon him…and give him a charge…and thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him…and Moses did as the Lord commanded him: and he took Joshua…and he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses. The same way that Christ called and ordain apostles: (John 15: 16) Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you…

Which is the same as the apostles did: (Acts 6:2-9) Then the twelve…said…look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business…and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas…Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. (Acts 13:2)…the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them…and when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them (2 Tim. 1:6) Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. (Heb. 6:1-2) let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation…of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, Just as biblical men could trace an unbroken line of authority back to the Lord Jesus Christ, my son James has the same privilege. So to my son who has kept himself clean and worthy to receive this honour, I say: (1 Timothy 4:14) Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

We love you James. We are honored to be your parents.

Tobler Family Photoshoot...

Our neighbor and Professional Photographer, Robin Bartholick (http://www.bartholick.com/) was kind enough to take our family pictures this Fall. We went down our trail last Sunday (Nov. 1st) before Church and enjoyed the beautiful weather and stunning colors of Fall. We couldn't believe how perfect the day was. It was so bright along the Lake and Robin had to help us find shady spots to take good shots, due to how sunny it was. We couldn't of asked for a more perfect day to take pictures! Here are some of our very favorites pictures. Enjoy! Thank you Robin, you are a wonderful friend and neighbor. P.S Check Sophia's face on almost all the pictures, so cute...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

James' Birthday continues...

We enjoyed a night out as a family to celebrate James' birthday. We opened presents at home when the whole family was together. He got some church books from his nerdy parents, a Hurley belt (that he has been wanting) and some fun trendy new clothes from my side of the family. Thank you Franny, Weston, Bianca, Ryan, Dagny, Abuelo and Abuela. He loved his new clothes.

He chose to eat out at an all you can eat restaurant in town. Old Country Buffet (at the Mall) was the funnest thing for the kids. There was so much food and so many choices. It was terrible for the parents...way too much to eat! Then we headed out through the Mall and made a quick stop for me at Victoria's Secret. This is where I get my annual lotion. Seriously I enjoy their sale in November every year.

The kids went to another store with Rob and when I was ready they all came in. Rob had to pay. Anyhow, the girls got lost in their make-up section and tried on all sorts of make-up. Don't worry (Abuela) we applied everything with the provided applicators (one-use only). It was really funny to see the two youngest putting on make-up by their Daddy. Eliza is just like me, doesn't really like that stuff too much. Rob put eyeshadow and blush and lipstick on Eliza and she turned right around and wiped off the blush and eyeshadow. The other two just kept on putting it on. Sophia looked like a clown (James said). She had foundation all over her face and blush like crazy. She had a great time putting on the make-up.

Then we came home and watched a Soccer movie, James' choice and that was it. He was pretty happy all day and seemed satisfied and content. It was really a good day for our family. We just had such a wonderful time together. We love you James. Thanks for being such a great kid!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Our Historical Middle School is on fire...

James' Middle School is on fire today. Pretty sad. The school was under renovation for its historical (106 year old) landmark. The wind is terrible today!! Which is not helping the fire fighters. This is so sad. I wonder where James will be going to school next week!

http://www.kirotv.com/slideshow/news/21530249/detail.html

http://www.kirotv.com/news/21528194/detail.html

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/69281822.html

P.S James is still sleeping in, unaware of his school's disaster.

HAPPY 12TH BIRHTDAYJAMES!!!

I can't believe my baby boy, my only son, is turning 12 today. To his luck ,we got a phone call this morning telling us that school was cancelled. He is enjoying a birthday of sleeping in and staying at home! SPOILED! He will also be taken out to dinner to a place of his choice tonight and enjoying some fun presents.

He was interviewed by our Bishop yesterday and is looking forward to being ordained a Deacon this Sunday after church. He also worked on his Faith in God for three years and will be moving on to Duty to God with the Young Men Program. Pretty exciting stuff! I was able to enjoy reading his personal testimony of the Savior and of Heavenly Father, along with his testimony of the scriptures, the gospel and prophets. He shared his feelings about missionary work and his excitement to go on a mission. It just melted my heart. This was one of the requirements for the Faith in God program to be completed. He has a beautiful testimony and he knows he is a Child of God. That is just so comforting for me to know.

He is such an amazing boy, young man. James you are so very smart (blessing from God), responsible, dedicated, devoted, righteous, kind, loving, considerate, athletic, confident, independent, self-reliant, and the list goes on. You are doing great Son and heading down the right path in life. We are honored to know you and have you in our lives. We love you very much and are grateful for you! We hope you have a fantastic and memorable 12th birthday!

P.S I just had to add this extra picture of him from his First birthday. I love the fact that he hardly had teeth and that his eyes were still blue!

The Only True God & Jesus Christ Whom He Has Sent

All I needed to know I found in a Dictionary...

So today was no ordinary day. I paid more attention to the little things and it made a difference in my life. I read somewhere that our children often need certain things from us parents, and that they often struggle to let us know what that is. But, once in a while you get the feeling or inspiration (prompting) to do something or go somewhere with a specific child, and if you follow through it will make a world of difference.

Today around 11:30am I had this thought, and the thought was to take Sophia out to lunch. At first I thought NO because we are taking James out to eat for his birthday tomorrow and our budget will allow that for sure. Then, I thought "Oh I will just come home and make her her favorite sandwich". As I drove to preschool to get her I was extra excited to see her. As soon as we got in the car she tells me "Mom are we going out for lunch?". Now that struck me as odd, because we don't eat out very often, but I immediately remembered the thought I had earlier and I took her out to lunch. She chose to eat Japanese food. So we went to Little Tokyo in town and had Sushi and Teriyaki chicken. She was so very happy and so excited to have had that time with me. I am so glad I listened to that prompting and fulfilled her need.

Then Juliette was a chatter box today, more than usual. I felt the need to listened more attentively for some reason and so I did. She was filled with excitement about things she had been learning at school and she was filled with questions. One of the things we talked about was how we learn things in this life and how do we know about stuff. That is how she put it. I told her the spiritual perspective of things and then she replied "I thought I could just read the whole dictionary"....so cute!!!! "That would be nice, wouldn't it?" I said to her. She is a deep thinker and she gets things. She is constantly thinking of stuff and she is happy to ask her questions with attentiveness for the answer. She is so eager to learn and grow. She really needed for me to listen to her a little extra today and I am glad I was able to do so. I fulfilled her need.

It felt good as a mother today to be able to have made my girls feel extra loved by the simple fact that I was able to listen to the promptings of the spirit, follow through with it and fulfill my children's needs. Thank goodness for a loving Heavenly Father who loves all His children enough to make sure their needs are met somehow.

My silly children whom I love dearly...

These kids were so silly on Sunday that I just had to take these pictures of them. I love it when they make me laugh. Specially Juliette...she can really be the silliest.