Today's snapshot

Every afternoon the kids and I all read a couple of stories and then settle in for a some quiet time in our respective rooms. Today after reading some books on his on Nathan turned on the seminary New Testament CD full blast. The next time I peaked in on him I found this...

Poor little guy. His sheets (and, consequentially, his pants) were in the laundry, so this was the best he could find...right next to his BLASTING music. I'm all for it...as long as his choice in music remains this wholesome.

Man, I love this kid.

Nauvoo Trip

We just got back from a short family vacation to Nauvoo. It was wonderful! We have decided that we may need to make it a yearly tradition while we live so close. It is just about 6 hours away and the drive is beautiful. We packed our own food (as our hotel room had a fridge), so the whole trip only cost us about $300 in hotel fees and gas. That is cheap when one considers the treasured memories we made and the spirit we felt. Here are a few pictures from the trip:

Brielle spent about 15 minutes sitting quietly looking at the Christus on Friday morning while I waited in line for carriage ride tickets. It was sweet to witness her feeling Christ's love for her.

We all loved the Nauvoo temple. There is such a special spirit here. I am so grateful for the sacrifices the early saints made in order to receive the blessings of a temple. It makes me so much more grateful for the 130+ temples we have throughout the world now. Jared and I both enjoyed doing an endowment session here.

Good morning Jakes! Brielle piled all the extra pillows in Jakie's pack n' play after he woke up. They both loved it.

Snow cones and hand cart rides at the fair that they have before the pageant. What a blast.

It was the first time any of us have seen the pageant and we all really enjoyed it. What a wonderful, fun evening. We were impressed with the families who donate 2 weeks to come and run the fair and play the support roles in the pageant. What a wonderful family service opportunity. We hope to do it when our children are old enough to enjoy and participate in it.

Jakie loved the braided necklace craft Brielle made. It was one of many children crafts that they could do at the fair. And it was all free of charge. Wow.

Brielle has become quite the braider. :)

Our whole family enjoyed the carriage and wagon rides throughout Nauvoo and the surrounding countryside. We loved learning about the early saints and feeling the spirit of Elijah.

We stopped out in the countryside to sing "I am a Child of God." Since Nathan was on the front row of the carriage he was chosen to lead the music. He did a great job! Yay for all that practice in FHE. (That makes it sound like he actually beat out a 4/4 time. He didn't. He just waved his arm. But at least he felt comfortable doing that.)

Nathan "takes a shot" with the camera. We love this statue garden and this statue was the favorite this year.

Brielle's turn with the camera.

Nathan's first primary talk

Nathan gave his first talk in primary today. He talked about the temple and did it all by himself. He did a great job. His parents and older sister were pretty proud of him. It took quite a bit of persuading to get him to give the talk for the camera, so he wasn't real focused on the task at hand, but you get the idea. :) Isn't he cute?!? Oh, and apparently I should have held the camera the other direction. Sorry.

Quiet Moments

The year after I have a baby is always really hard for me. My thyroid goes skeewampus and due to the effects of that mixed with the responsibilities of being a mother I struggle emotionally. Some weeks are harder than others and I celebrate the days when I feel good. I have found things that help, regular exercise being one of the best. But recently, in casual conversation, a friend gave me another tip that has added an extra measure of joy into each day. Due to recent changes and added responsibilities, she and her husband have been feeling extra stress and demands on their time. As we were talking about this, she mentioned to me how she just keeps feeling like the most important thing she can be doing is to play with her children every day. In the busy schedules of my life, so often that important "task" gets swept aside to "do later." After that conversation, I decided to do better and try to spend some one on one time with each child each day. Some days I do it. Hooray! Some days I don't get it "done." But, still, I am doing better. I have been amazed at how those quiet moments have cheered and uplifted me...especially on the harder days. In an effort to "fill the buckets" of my children, they have filled mine. Hearing Jacob's delightful giggle when I tickle him, seeing Brielle's triumph as she answers a hard Brainquest question, and witnessing Nathan's smile as we color side by side has filled me with peace and joy. I am grateful for these simple, tender moments in life. They really are what matter most. (I love this video as it captured this principle for me.)

Last Day of School

Today Brielle finished 4K and she was THRILLED!

"Because she is excited for summer?" you ask?

No. Not at all.

Because that brings her one step closer to starting 5K on September 1st. The countdown is already on. Man, I love this girl. :)

Brielle's last day at St. Edward School. We enjoyed having her attend a Christian school. There was such a positive atmosphere.

Brielle and her class:

Front row: Joe, Aleah, Brielle, Zachary, Shaniagh, Josie, Peyton, Rachel

Middle row: Ava, Eryn, Ethan, Juanchy, Evan, Autumn, Emily, Rudy

Back row: Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Cash

Brielle and her teacher, Heather Cash

Brielle and her assistant teacher, Mrs. Smith

Snacks with Nathan, Zachary and Ava

Happy Friends. We have loved getting to know Juanchy's family.

(I'm glad Pilar survived the strangling. I guess I should teach Nathan what it really means to "put his arm around someone."

Good thing Jakie is a good sport too! Nathan was a bit excited. They all played "Duck, Duck, Goose and Nathan's full steam ahead run gave all of the adults a delighted chuckle.

Dad N Kids

Here is the kids with their Daddy:

Jared and Jakie

The Boys

Checkin' out the cows

Aren't they handsome?

Throwin' his girl

Dad n' Bre

Mom n' Kids

Piggy back rides

Mom's Rewards

Peek a Boo

My Sweet, Sweet Jakes

Happy Kid

Love My Bre

More Kisses

I'd love to hear which Jacob and kissing picture you think are better.