For love of baseball and the ranch

Drew is a Dean clone by looks.. and everything else I am realizing more and more everyday. Dean has been playing softball every Monday night since May. It is just in Heber and was free so not too bad, but Drew and I had to go to EVERY game, the kid loves it. He always wants it to be his game, so on the drive over he would tell Dean it my game daddy, not yours. He wears his braves shirt, hat, and takes a bat, ball, and his glove (as I was informed it is properly called) to each game and we play in the grass until it is over and then he gets one hit on the field and gets to run the bases. Well the last game was last night and his team lost so no more baseball till next spring, but Drew still ask when daddy's games are when we drive by the park.






Their other shared love is the Ranch. Every August they "hay" that is what they call it. Anyway this year Drew was old enough to not be so in the way, and of course he loved every minute of it. He loved to ride in the tractor with uncle Randy then drive the truck with Daddy then back to get some more hays as he called it. He also likes seeing the animals, riding with grandpa in the tractor, riding the horses, looking for deer, and playing with his cousins. Last weekend we went camping there and he was Dean's little shadow, he wanted to help with everything including the fire!! and still he asks me if we can go stay in the cabin. I am glad he wants to be like his daddy!

Fear Faced, Not overcomed

So I got called to be a Relief Society teacher a couple weeks ago and have been dreading it ever since. I think next to Gospel Doctrine teacher it one of the worst callings for me. I have never taught a lesson, Dean and I were in primary in our old ward and I never taught once because I was scared of 5 year olds, this is far worse then that, I should have practiced.

I read the lesson a lot and finally this morning figured there was nothing else I could do. I had learned a lot from it and was glad to have the opportunity to really study it. But I was terrified to actually stand up there for like 40 minutes and try to talk about all that I had learned. I did survive and I think it was okay, there was never too much silence, and I don't think I said anything too crazy so that is good. However, I do not feel as relived as I was hoping because I just have to do it again next month.

Nie Nie

I have been reading these the last few days and felt a bit depressed because she does it all, and I don't even do a little, in my mind. But why not just do those little things for your husband or kids, just because. I think sometimes as a wife and a mom we are trying so hard to be the best and make things perfect that we miss the big picture and those moments that make being a wife and a mother so great!! She includes this in one of her post, which I also remember from his talk that is wonderful.

Elder M. Russell Ballard quoted her in a conference talk

"Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: “The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.”

Drew's TV debut

Drew and I had a great day today. He will probably not be on TV but it is a possibility. A guy in our ward's aunt makes these little kid movies called Little Playdates and they were shooting in Heber today at his Dad's farm. I signed Drew up about a month ago because I thought it would be fun, not to get discovered, Dean had high hopes. It was suppose to be at 9am but since Entertainment Tonight was covering the shoot, it got moved to 11. I was worried that he would be tired and crabby so I offered him a toy at Kings (in Heber that is a goldmine for toys, and the only store we have) if he would be a good boy and get dressed and let me comb his hair and go play with the kids on the hays.

He did so GREAT! he had so much fun. All the kids had to do was play on a tractor, hay stacks, pet a horse, and run around. All his favorite things!! He was so excited the whole time and I just had to point him in the right direction a couple times. There were three other boys that he played with and followed around, they were all really cute. Then when it was done after about 3 hours, he got pizza, chips, a juice box, and $27.50! When we were walking over to get the pizza he said that was fun mom!

Of course every Mom thinks there kid is the cutest and has the cutest personaility but I was so proud today to be his Mom!! He makes me laugh everyday. No doubt that kid can give me a headache and at times makes me want to scream. (Like last night when he dumped a container of sugar on the floor and was playing in it.) But today he was so darn cute and so fun to be around he was such a good boy!

Right after we headed to Kings where he had quite a difficult time picking just one toy, but finally decided on a remote control dinosaur. When we came out of Kings there was a swing set for sale in the parking lot, and without even pausing he said oh a park on the road :) I love this boy!

The Nie Nie Dialogues

So I have recently heard about this girls blog from some friends that have read them all. Then today I saw the family on the Today Show. So for those of you that have not heard about this I am sharing with you. I have not read much of the blog yet but apparently she is an awesome mom of four kids that finds so much joy in motherhood and she started blogging to remember it all. She is originally from Utah and now lives in Phoenix. People around the world have read her blog and are inspired by her dedication to her family. Last month her and her husband were in a plane crash and are were burned badly, 85% of her body and 35% of her husbands body. Her sister is now updating the blog and also has her own that is quite entertaining to read. Her name is Cjane. Through the blogging world people have raised over $100,000 to donate to this family through online auctions. Anyway thought it might be interesting to read and let others know about it.
Here is the link to the blog and also the video from the today show.

Summer Pictures

Summer Fun!

We have had a lot of fun this summer so far, and since Drew doesn't go to school for 3 years it doesn't end for us in a few weeks like almost everyone else. We have been to Meridian for Logan's blessing and the 4th of July. Over the 24th we went boating, hit Lagoon, shopping, a Bee's game, and the Tree house Museum. We went to the Rodeo and the Zoo and managed to get our fence and sandbox done! On the 24th I ran a 5k with some friends and I happen to take 2nd place. They wanted me to post a picture of my medal but I didn't take a camera, although it was in the Wasatch Wave.

Although the summer has brought some bad moments out of Drew he has discovered that it is much for fun to play with the neighbor kids then me, sad I know. However after he bit Issac twice in one day he has been spending more time with me. It was a rough few weeks he was just being mean and naughty. You know its bad when his nursery teacher asks how we discipline him.... It has been better lately he still does not go to bed before 10 but we are working on positive reinforcement :)

He did get a bike a few weeks ago he is only 2 1/2 so we were planning on getting him one for his birthday but he mastered the neighbor kids bikes and was the only one without one so he got one and a Lighting McQueen helmet. He looks so big when he rides it. I think even more exciting then that is the kid seat we put on the back of my bike, he loves it. We go somewhere everyday on it.

Dean has especially had a good summer. After the trip to Atlanta he called it the summer of Dean. He found out that he passed his professional engineering exam which is awesome! He studied a lot for it and he is just smart, so great job babe! Then he found out that he did not get his Wyoming deer tag like he was hoping so the summer of Dean could be over. Also he was called to be the Young Men's president.