Visiting Teaching

I've had some very new experiences recently with visiting teaching that have really opened my mind as to why we really do it and how good it can be when we actually do it and do it right. Visiting teaching really is more about getting out there and actually building a relationship with the people that you are assigned to teach. Actually getting out there and trying your hardest to be a friend and learning to love someone you may not otherwise love, including your companion, is a huge gift that teaches us more to be like Christ who truly does know and love all of us. It is also a way for us to provide and take care of each other. I was able to provide some service to someone I visit teach about a month ago and she told us today that when she needed help and thought about who to go to she wasn't really sure who to call at first. She said that she didn't feel like she knew anyone because she was new to the ward. Then she remembered that she did know her visiting teachers and we were able to help her. I could only imagine how she would have felt in her situation had we not made an effort to see her in the course of the two months previous. Visiting teaching doesn't have to be one awkward visit a month full of mediocre small talk. It can be significantly more meaningful, smaller acts of service with no time frame in which to have it done by. And in doing so we gain friendship and understanding and help when we need it as well.

Thoughts on Sunday 4/22

It felt good to get to go to church today.  The last two weeks I have not been able to attend because of other family events.

I had spent Easter weekend with my younger brother, Josh, as he was married to his sweetie Megan. It was a plus to get to be in the Mesa, AZ temple with them and to be reminded of the same things that I made promises to not so long ago to my fantastic husband. It is beautiful to see a new family unit created in the House of the Lord and to remember how I had felt on the day I was married, how I felt about my husband then and how I could have never imagined then that I would love him so much more now. I hope that Megan and Josh get the opportunity to go through struggles and hard times but then get through them with the help of the Lord and come out of them ever so much  more in love than they were before. But because of flights and what not on Sunday we missed Easter services.

Josh and Megan Bell (my mom made the dress, she's pretty amazing)

Mesa, AZ Temple (the grounds are huge and so gorgeous with the mix of spring flowers, grass, cactus, ponds and organge trees.)

Then last weekend we spent attending the Kansas City temple open house and then the visitors centers in Liberty and Independence. Independence had a great video they showed about the progression of a family that gave me big reminders on how fast time will fly and how I really needed to slow down a bit. There are lots of things that I could put aside to make time to play with my kids before they don't want to play and talk with me anymore. We also made a trip out to St. Louis so that Jason could run a marathon. Which, as most marathons go, was on a Sunday. So we missed church yet again to watch daddy run. We rode the Metrolink in order to catch him running at certain points in the race and I'm glad we did that instead of driving. So many of the roads were blocked it would have been stressful.

Kansas City Temple open to the public through April 28th



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Jason at mile 20.5 in the St Louis Marathon



So it was a good feeling to get ready for church today and to walk in on time. Though, like most Sundays, I spend more time at church wrestling with my kids than actually listening to the messages I was able to get some pearls out of what I did hear. In class the teacher talked about how Satan has two ways of getting us off the path to the Lord: he either puffs us up with pride and convices us that we are above the law or he tears us down and makes us feel like we are worthless. I think that I often feel the second one. Especially this week I have been feeling really negative like nobody really liked me or thought that I was cool or someone they could hangout with, confide in or trust. And that is likely all my own fault and I was having my own pitty party like I'm sure we all sometimes do. But there is so much to be grateful for and possitive if we just take time to look around and acknowledge it. I know that I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves me so much that He gave His only Begotten Son. I have a wonderful husband. My kids are all healthy and happy. We have a home and a job. We aren't starving. And we do have some great friends. My goal for this week is to look around and be grateful for one new thing every day. "Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprize you what the Lord has done." And then not worry about what anyone else does or thinks because that all really doesn't matter.

Blogging again

I've decided that I need to start doing this again. It's a good outlet for me and I think I spend too much time on facebook. Lots of people could probably say that. Besides, my last post was in Aug of 2010. WOW!!! So much has happened in our lives since then!!! Our family and everything is always changing and growing and I better start recording everything before it all slips away from me.

The Summer

I have totally missed keeping up with the blog. Here are some highlights from the summer! A great time in Utah with Family!!!

My grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary. We had lots of partying and lots of eating huge meals with 75 people crammed into one house.

Balloon Festival in Indianola...where I lost my phone but someone called me with it two weeks later. Honest people do exist!!!

Fourth of July at Big Creek.

Eating Watermelon at Great Grandma's.

Playing with Cousins!

Lots of swimming!!!!

Hanging out on Grandpa's Boat.

Trips to the Winter Quarters Temple and the Omaha Zoo.

Playing at on the beach for Memorial Day.

Driving by the house just about everyday to check on the progress. Rain slowed it down alot but things are moving along quickly now. Hopefully OCT 1st!

Lots of Fishing with the kids. Charly cast this and caught it all on her own!

Caelyn Getting BIG...turning 1, walking, talking, growing teeth.

1st Days of School

Charly and her buddy Parker from church who is also in her class.

All of the kids getting ready to drop Charly off.

Charly in front of our new house...someday!


My baby girl is off to kindergarten. Nobody could have prepared me for what this feels like. Dropping that little one off all day for others to watch over and trust that they will take care of her and teach her. Charly seems to have grown too fast....literally. She grew 4 inches this summer! And now she is off to school. It didn't really hit me that she was gone until I walked in to work with only two children and signed only two children into the child watch with me.


I really have felt, ever since she was born, that Charly and I must have been best buds in the premortal existance. I imagine us playing around together in heaven and playing house and deciding that it would be cool if we could go down to earth and I could pretend to be the mom and she could be the sister. She has never really felt like my daughter but like my best bud that would go anywhere and do just about anything with me. Now she is on her first adventure with out me. She will do awesome! Good luck Charly!!!

Happy Birthday CAELYN!

Caelyn Now (picture taken by Charly)
Caelyn 1 year ago


My little baby girl is one! she is growing up so fast! She is already getting the walking thing down. She says a few words and seems to be able to copy more of what we say all of the time. She is smart enough to know where the Cheetos are hidden and knows where to find me. She has a developing personality. She smiles all the time, she's snuggly, and very much a mama's girl. She is getting more curious and excited about the world around her. She is hilarious to watch when she sees and cat or a dog. I love her so much. It is crazy how as we add each child we can't image how our lives ever were before them. I love how she laughs and chases after her big brother and sister and how she squeezes me when I pick her up. I know that this is just the first of many joyful years to come with this beautiful little girl!

So it has been a really long time since I have updated the blog. After talking with my mom this afternoon I figured it is about time to fill anyone who cares in on our lives again. Above are updated fun pics of the kids. A lot has been going on with us. We put our townhouse up for rent in mid Jan. thinking we'd get it out there and then have time to look for a new house but ended up finding a renter two days after we put it up on Craigslist. We quickly cleaned up and moved out. We ended up at Jenny's house the first week of Feb. I'm still trying to figure out if she's ok with it or not. Either way we are now going to be here until the begining to middle of September. After searching for houses for several weeks we ended up deciding to build. They just started this week. A big hole is in the ground.