Post Options

I found a great blogging tool and have been using it when I post my blogs. There is a post option where you can change the date of your post. Today is Friday, and I made a post for my blog that says I posted it on Monday. It's a great tool for my blog book and it also looks good that I post events when they happen. I'll admit just this once that I don't, I just change the day so it looks good. I need all the help I can get. When I make my blog book, I'm deleting this post so my family thinks I was on top of everything. I'm just telling you my secret in case you want to use it.

Court of Honor

We had a Court of Honor on Wednesday. Josh planned and conducted his Court of Honor. He made a lot of phone calls and asked leaders and boys to participate. He came early and helped set up and stayed to clean up. Josh also earned a couple of merit badges and advanced to the rank of a Star. Josh is working really hard in the scouting program and in the Deacon's Quorum. We are very proud of Josh and his accomplishments. Now, he is working towards his Life.

Josh conducting his first Court of Honor. It's a requirement for the Communications merit badge, so he was willing to do it. He probably would even if it wasn't a requirement.

Josh earning his merit badges. His scoutmaster asked Josh a lot of questions to see if Josh remembered all the stuff he learned while doing his merit badges. Josh earned the Music and Physical Fitness merit badges.

Josh with his parents after receiving his star rank advancement.

Memorable Monday6 month olds

My sister-in-law and her youngest came to visit AZ. It was so fun to see them and hold that precious neice of mine. She looks just like her siblings, what a cutie!

It reminded me of when my kids were that age - 6 months. That is a fun age when they interact with you and develop a cute persaonality. It's fun to see their baby pictures side by side and remember what they were like as babies.

Here is Josh at 6 months. He was a busy boy at 6 months. He was always interacting with his cousins. He had 4 cousins that were born within 2 months of him. He saw most of them on a daily basis and we enjoyed watching them. Josh learned to crawl at 6 months (scoot actually, but when you are a first time mom it's considered crawling right?) , he was very anxious to get moving. Luckly for me, we waited to walk until he was 11 months old.

Here is Dani at 6 months. Dani was a very well dressed baby. Dani loved her brother and they played so cute together. They were always in the same room. Dani had a lot of cousins to play with too. Dani was a joy to watch and we loved have a sweet girl. Dani is a go-getter

Here is Angela at 6 months. Angela was a such a cuddling baby and would sit hours on my lap. Angela was such a happy baby and not much has changed. Angela is a joy in my life and has taught me some incredible lessons. Angela especially taught me to be happy now even when things seem hard.

Here is Emily at 6 months. Emmy is a lovable little girl. Her sibling doted on her since she was born and still do. Emily was so fun to watch as a baby. We enjoyed every developmental step and cheered every milestone. We were in no hurry to see her grow up. She has been a big Mamma's girl, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Scout Snow Campout

Jim went with Josh on a scout snow campout. I was nervous making sure that the boys had enough warm clothes packed. When the boys came home, Josh told me of all the adventure the scouts had. They went sledding, went on a zip-line, had a snowball fight (of course, they're boys), and built a snowman. Jim took some pictures to share this campout with me. If he had two cameras, I would have double the amount of pictures. I'll remember that and sent more with him. I was surprised to see that they set their tent right on the snow. I don't know why that surprised me, but it did. Jim and Josh both said that they were cold especially at night, (of course they slept on the snow), but they had a great time. I was so glad that I slept on a nice warm bed that night.

The camp set up right on the snow.

Josh on the zip line.

Memorable Monday Friendships

A friend of mine is visiting from Germany. Families from the neighborhood gathered at a park to visit with her and her family. It was fun to reminisce about old times and hear how her family is doing. She was Dani's preschool teacher several years ago. We serve in the RS presidency together and I enjoyed serving with her.

Visiting with my friend reminded me of all the great friendships that I have made throughout the years. They have been very instrumental in the person that I am today. Some friends have challenged me and helped me find courage to do the difficult things. Some friends helped me get thought the really tough math classes. Some friends were there when I needed someone shoulder to cry on. Some friends have inspired me and helped me to grow. Some friends have laughed and shared good times with me. My family are some of my closest friends and appreciate their friendship. I have many great friends and I want to thank them for all that they have done for me.

Weekend Getaway

For Jim's Birthday, we planned a getaway in Downtown Phoenix. We picked a weekend that worked with Jim's work and school schedule and reserved a spot. We then realized it was Valentine's Day. We've discovered that Phoenix is a beautiful spot to vacation, the weather is great. We hiked Camelback Mountain and visited South Mountain. There were so beautiful views of the City of the Sun. We went swimming, even though is was only 62 degrees. It was a nice getaway.

View of Red Mountain from the Camelback Mountain.

Here I am on the hike up Camelback Mountain.

Here is a view of Camelback Mountain from South Mountain. It's a great view of the airport too. It's fun to see the mountains from different views. From my house, I can only see the Superstitions. From our viewpoint on South Mountain, you can see everything except the Superstitions.

Downtown Phoenix

The kids spent some time with their grandparents. They were so excited to go and spent time with them. Angela wanted to have a sleep over at Grandma's house for quite awhile. She was so excited when the time finally came. Dani was such a great help with the girls. What a wonderful girl she is. The kids had such a great time and so did we.

Jim's Birthday

On Tuesday, Jim had his 40th birthday. He spent his birthday at work and at school. He finally made it home at 10:30. I let the kids stay up and share some cupcakes with him. Jim is so awesome and never complained about working on his birthday. What a guy. I made a list of 40 random things about Jim.

Happy 40th Birthday Jim!

1. Jim has worked at the same company for almost 19 years. WOW!
2. Jim loves to camp and cook outdoors, especially with his family.
3. Jim loves to go on scary rides at the amusement parks.
4. Jim went to Philly on his mission and wants to return to the see the new temple being built there.
5. Jim has a great sense of humor and great timing.
6. Jim is competitive when we play board games.
7. Jim loves to do all kinds of puzzles.
8. Jim play the baritone in high school and would love it if one of his kids would play it too.
9. Jim and I used to country dance before we got married.
10. Jim loves a good Philly Cheese Steak, especially from Philly.
11. Jim loves to go four-wheel driving. LOVES IT!
12. Jim loves to drive a quad whenever he gets a chance.
13. Jim has a ham radio license.
14. Jim bought a small military trailer. I'll admit it has come in handy when we go camping.
15. Jim has the cutest blue eyes. His daughters get their eyes from their dad.
16. Jim is really smart and does very well in school.
17. Jim has a good voice and enjoys singing in the choir. Josh goes to choir with him.
18. Jim loves to spend time with his family.
19. Jim loves to hike without any incidents. There's been a few unfortunately.
20. Jim quietly does a lot of service for others. He is such a great example to me.
21. Jim went on a few field trip with the kids, and the kids loved those field trips the best.
22. Jim goes on dates with his kids and the kids love to spend time with them.
23. Jim loves to tease the kids.
24. Jim takes great care of our vehicles, especially his police car. The truck is still new.
25. Jim believes in doing things now and not procrastinating.
26. Jim gives me flowers on ordinary days, that's better than getting them on special days.
27. Jim has a strong testimony of the gospel. It's blessed our family.
28. Jim loves to go to the temple.
29. Jim loves to listen to good music and good talks on his new ipod.
30. Jim calls me during the day just to chat. That makes my day.
31. Jim is a very patient man.
32. Jim likes to play racquetball.
33. Jim loves and respects his parents and mine.
34. Jim is a great handyman at home when he has time.
35. Jim loves to reminisce about our dating years. We dated forever so there are many stories to remember.
36. Jim loves to be in the middle of a snowball fight or a water fight. He always finds himself in the middle of one.
37. Jim loves to race me home when we drive in different vehicles. He almost always wins too!
38. Jim is a good listener. I love that about him.
39. Jim is supports me when I go out with my friends for a late night or overnight.
40. Jim comes with me to plays, musicals, and other social events.

Jim is a great guy and there is a wonderful presence about him. When he comes home, he brings peace to our home. The kids and I love him and want to wish him a Happy Birthday!

Memorable Monday "From Cumorah's Hill"

We've been listening to some great music while driving around town. One song was from the soundtrack called "From Cumorah's Hill". The song is a hit with the family and all sing it together.

It reminded of the time that Jim and I, before we were married, performed "From Cumorah's Hill" in our stake. The choir was formed with just the Young Adults in our stake, including the director. It was an amazing learning this powerful songs and performing them to the members of our stake. A few of us performed an instrumental introduction before we joined our seats with the choir. When I performed this songs, the spirt was powerful and it testified to me about the importance of the Book of Mormon. It was such a great learning experience. We prepared for this performance for 1 - 2 months. It was awesome to prepare for this performance and spend time with Jim. Jim proposed to me during this time, which added to this special time.

Cash on Delivery

I took my two oldest to see Cash on Delivery at the local High School. It was an encore performance and I heard the play was very good. Dani saw it the first time around and loved it. This time around, I wanted to see it. I cleared the schedule on Thursday and went with Josh and Dani to see it. I went with my sister and her kids. They had a lot of fun together watching the play. It was fun to watch it with my niece since she attends Mesa High and know the actors in the play. I knew one of the actors and it made the play that much funner to watch. There is a lot of talent at the local high schools.

It's like they are having fun.

Memorable MondayHosting a Playoff Party

Yesterday we watched the last quarter of the Super Bowl. For just a minute or two we thought that they might win the Super Bowl, but it wasn't meant to be. We were heartbroken for the Cardinals and proud of them for such a winning season. It reminded me of the time the Suns were in the Finals in 1993 and lost when John Paxon sunk the three-pointer. It was a heartbreaking lost.

When the Suns were in the playoffs the next year, I wanted to host a Suns playoff party. Most of the playoffs games were on Pay-per-View, so hosting a party would be a great idea. My parents were willing to pay for the game and I invited about 20 people over to watch the game. We crammed in my parents family room with two TVs playing the game. It was a great night with friends, food, and fun. One guest that I invited was Jim Pace. He was the first guest to arrive and the last guest to leave. It was a great night talking to him and hanging out with him. At that time, Jim and I had been friends for 4 years, but things changed after that night. We started to hang out more and became closer friends. We dated for awhile and got married about 9 months later. I'm so glad that I convinced my parents to let me host that party.