Father's Day

I don't know what my family would be like without David.  He brings so much peace and happiness into our home.  He loves us so much.  The other day we walked to the park, and as I was fixing up these photos on instagram later that night it helped remind me that he is the reason our family is this happy.  He is never too tired to mess around with the kids.  You know how some people struggle to live in the present and just keep telling themselves "I'll be happy once I get this or get to this point."  Well he is actually someone who really enjoys all the little moments in life.  He is the reason why my little one's stop along our way to the park to notice "seashells" hanging from dry brush along the sidewalk. They were actual snail shells all clustered together.  We have never seen anything like it.  Just tons of beautiful snail shells of all different sizes and patterns. I think he just makes my life more beautiful.  I look around and all I see are beautiful things. Something as simple as watching little Micah watch his Dad and brother and sister play in the distance just makes me so happy. And I think it's because I am with someone who just makes life better.  He is never afraid to try something new.  And encourages us to do the same.  He keeps life exciting and new.  One day I hope to find a gift for you that could encompass all that we feel for you.  But I am afraid that will be an impossible task.  Because, you keep getting better every year.  We love you David.  I hope you enjoyed your breakfast and dinner on Father's Day. And I hope you know how much we all love you! You truly make life more beautiful.  ( And no it's not just because of your body lol )

Sorry for all the cheese, but I can't help it. It's all true.

Micah Four Months

Ariana's Kindergarten Promotion

Ariana's Kindergarten Promotion

( I love the instagram photo-collages that people have been using, so I messed around and tried to make my own.)

I am so behind in blogging our little families events, we have just been so busy lately.  But at least we have been busy doing fun things.  Ariana's promotion was on May 30, 2012 on a Wednesday.  It was the cutest thing ever! The kids preformed their little hearts out.  I had so much fun watching her sing, and dance, she looked like she was having the time of her life.  I filmed it all, but I still have to put the video together.  After her promotion we went back to her kinder class where they handed out their certificates. I think reality set in on her, because she went from bopping around with no care in the world to one where she was deep in thought.  She loved her kinder year so much.  She had the best teacher, and the best group of friends. Ariana is my first to enter the public school system, and it was such a good experience.  I can not say enough good things about her teacher Ms. Melendez.  She was just so wonderful, and my daughter adored her.  

Ariana watched the movie Matlida for the first time a couple of days before school went out for summer, and you should have seen her face when the teacher got to adopt Matilda.  Ariana quickly looked at me, and she just said "teacher's are the best!" ( I think what she wanted to say was, "my teacher can adopt me!")  I am just so glad that she has started out on the right foot.  She thinks school is fun, she is eager to learn, and loves socializing with all her friends.  I know as she grows we will have some speed bumps along the road, but I am just so happy that her little life's journey has started out on the right foot.  As sad as I was to have her little school year end, and having to face the reality that my little girl will be a first grader next year, I have come to realize that when a chapter in life ends a new one always opens.  And I have learned that although I long for certain chapters in my life to never end,  I am never disappointed with the new ones.  Had Ariana's school year not ended I wouldn't get to have my little girl 24/7 again.  We have gotten to lounge around in pajamas, go to the park, go swimming, and she has gotten to spend a whole weekend with her Aunt Sara and Uncle Kevin up in Manhattan Beach.  We are having a lot of fun not having a set schedule. Viggo I think is the one who is enjoying her the most! Yay for Summer Vacation!

Young Women's Camp 2012

In February I was called to work as the Mia Maid's teacher.  I was so nervous about taking the calling because I had amazing leaders growing up.  I have always worked in Primary, and I even was a Sunday School teacher once.  And all those callings had their challenges but this one is the one that  had me the most scared.  This is how I describe it, in Primary I felt like I was teaching my little one's teachings that one day they would have to put into practice.  So I said I would fill their little cups each Sunday, and they would take a sip here and there out of it.  But when they would return to me each Sunday their cups where still pretty much full, because the kind of trials and temptations they face each day aren't so crazy like when your a teenager.  Then with Yong Women's I feel like I try and fill their cups up, but they quickly get used because they are putting into practice EACH DAY what they are learning from their parents and leaders.  So I just feel like I needed to be extra prepared each Sunday to make sure each girl got their cup filled.  I feel like I have to prepare extra because each girl has such a different and unique personality.  And I want to connect with each, because if I don't I feel that hurts how much I can fill their little cups. 

Anyways with all these things in mind I thought this calling would be hard for me to really enjoy.  I mean responsibility is not something I am quick to correlate with fun lol.  But let me tell you I have enjoyed this calling so much!!! The girls are so wonderful. They are all so beautiful, and kind.  I just can't say enough about them.  It's a little bit crazy to be teaching the girls from my home ward.  I use to see some of these girls when they were little sunbeams.  Some I even babysat for. 

I got to spend some time with them at their yearly camp out.  I laughed so hard sometimes.  When they had gathered around the camp fire, it was so weird for me, because I was surrounded by some of my favorite leaders when I was growing up (who left lasting impressions on me) and then I could just see myself with my friends back in the day doing the same thing.  Time does fly by so fast.  Here are some shots I wanted to share of the fun.  

This is Sister Moulton.  I love her!! The girls are so lucky to have her as their leader.

 Probably my favorite picture

I know the girls are blurry looking back I know how to fix that, but I was so focused on trying to get the little glow lights to blur and make it spell out
"CTR that I forgot to make sure my shutter speed was still just fast enough to keep the girls sharp." Oh well....  I still love it.  And I kinda like that its not perfect :0)

Love Young Women's! I am just sad I don't have the much more time with left with these girls.  We are moving to Tuscon in July :0(