Who is that?

This is Beau.

He really doesn't look much like this,

unless he's at Lake Powell.

I was looking through old folders

and

came across this one.

Such a boy.

Dirt.

Grime.

Drool.

The goggles (oh the goggles)

Make sure to notice the shirt.

That's almost the best part.

It makes me laugh every time

I look at it.

So...

I had to share.

If this won't put a smile on your face,

then I don't know what will.

Have a

HAPPY

VALENTINE'S

WEEKEND.

(if you can't remember how cute he really is, check out the sidebar)

Trials... why?

I have been following a friends blog.

Daily.

For the past 5 days.

They are going through heartache,

faith,

and riding a huge rollercoaster right now.

It has brought back so many personal feelings.

Feelings that haven't been brought this close to the surface,

for a long time.

It's been hard but good at the same time.

It has reminded me of the hardest things I've ever,

ever,

experienced in my life.

Losing my first born.

My first son.

My pride and joy.

Payton.

How I learned so much through this time in my life.

Why do we have trials I ask?

Why do others have to have similar trials?

Hear are a few words that I liked.

One of the most difficult aspects of mortality is that we experience trials. We know that the purpose of these trials is to help us become more like God. More refined. More pure. If God is patient, then I need to learn patience; and the primary way to learn patience is to not have something that is wanted. If God is forgiving (thank heavens!), then I need to learn how to be forgiving; that usually comes through being wrongfully hurt. And so on and so on. As Elder Orson F. Whitney so beautifully said:

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven” (quoted in Spencer W. Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, 98).

I know that all of us have trials.

Some big.

Some small.

But, a trial is a trial.

They are meant for us to learn from.

To grow from.

And I have grown and still continue to grow from mine.

We have to allow the Lord into our lives to comfort us.

To help us find what we are supposed to learn from these dang things called,

TRIALS.

May we all say a quick prayer for Sara & Matt,

& Bronson

& his 3 older brothers.

Thanks

I had to share a picture of Payton and me.

He is one of the many reasons I am,

who I am,

today.

Love ya P.J.

four. bowling. pink. yellow

I love this girl and can't believe she's 4 years old!

Here's a few of Bailey's favorites:

colors -

pink

yellow

food -

noodles

cheese

chocolate

& the most recent avacado's

oh & water

T.V. shows -

Jonas brothers, (what? she's only 4)

Hannah Montana

Sid the Science kid

any Princess movie

Music -

she loves Christmas music

Princess songs

Hannah Montana

Toys-

Dollhouse

Petshops

I could list so many things that she LOVES! Everything is her favorite right now!

She is such a sweetheart (most of the time) she's a great big sister and so excited to for her baby sister to get here. She has the best laugh, it is so contagious! I love the dimple in her cheek right under her left eye. I love the relationship we have especially as she is growing up.

These are from her birthday party. She wanted to go bowling and she wanted her cake to be pink and yellow.

Well, about the cake...

I had a plan.

A plan to make a cute bowling lane cake with pink and yellow bowling balls (gum balls)

So, I baked a cake.

When it was about 1/2 way done I realized I hadn't sprayed the pan with non-stick spray.

Well, you guessed it. It all fell apart when I took it out.

I still had time to bake another one.

At least I thought I did.

I sprayed the pan, I coated that thing good.

Baked it, took it out, let it cool, but I didn't have much more time.

So I tried to start frosting it and yep.

It too fell apart.

I was getting heated by the minute...

but I took a deep breath counted to ten

and

told Bailey to come to the store with me to pick out a cake.

You know what she said,

"Mom, you're not a very good cake cooker."

I said yep, you're right so lets go pick any cake YOU want.

And she ended up with a pink and yellow, Hello Kitty cake.

She loved it, as you can tell.

Beau getting in on the bowling. He was the only boy there, besides Jeremy. (Beau looks so grown up)

Left to right: Sierra (cousin), Bailey, Callie (from preschool), Brea (good friend), and Brielle (cousin)

These girls had a lot of fun. It was a little chaotic as 4 year olds don't really have the attention span to do 10 frames of bowling. But they did and they all had a blast.

Happy Birthday to my sweet Bayes!