"ity's"

Warning, proud mama post ahead:

In Relief society on Sunday, the lesson was on Bishop Burton's conference address on the "ity" virtues, you know,

Charity

Integrity

Chastity

Morality

Honesty

I sat there feeling just a little frustrated because I loved this talk and completely agree with his thoughts that it is up to us to preserve these "ity" values that are so being lost.

But in a world that places no value on them, it is so hard to instill it in our children.

Try as we might, they are still involved with many who place no value on honesty, integrity, and charity.

I just recently had a conversation with Ryan about the things our kids face. Do they have any chance at all?

He calmly pointed out the fact that our parents probably thought the same thing.

Maybe, but I still think it is much worse.

I came home from church and fed the kids lunch. It was a modge podge of leftovers and the older kids were pretty much on their own to find out what they wanted to eat. I vaguely remember Sam coming up in his snow clothes. Emma was ready for a nap, and I went into her room to rock her to sleep. As I looked out her window that is in the front of the house, I saw Sam across the street at our neighbor's shoveling snow. She is a single lady, and he saw her, when I didn't. He went to help her on his own with no prodding from me or Ryan.

I can't tell you how that made me feel. He got it. He got what I have been trying to teach all these years. I'd like to take credit, but he is just an awesome kid.

It was just a tender mercy from the Lord, letting me know that it is all worth it. Those values that we try to instill, they will shine through. There will be, on the earth, those worthy to greet him when He comes. It is our responsibility to ensure that those values do not die.

It is worth every painful family home evening, every turn off the television and read scriptures, every morning devotional, it is so worth it. If just for that one moment of seeing your child choose the better part.

Caleb's Skating Birthday Party!

Caleb wanted to have a birthday party at the skating rink this year. I was thinking how fun, let's do it.

Then we got there and all 9 kids had never been skating before and I paniced thinking..."no one is going to have fun!"

It'a a good thing that kids are resilent and they all headed out there and took to it like a fish to water.

They had a blast.

WE had cake and ice cream and rootbeer. Good and sugared they...
Headed out to skate. It was a little hairy at first. Sam and Noah were such goof balls and made it fun for everyone!

Here's the birthday boy waiting in line to do the limbo! Yes it was skating complete with the limbo AND the hocky pokey!

The kids thought it was so great and new...for those of us who have been around a long time though, it was old news!

Even Max did great skating. I really didn't have to help anyone, so it was good.

Here is Noah coming out of the limbo. Do you see the stick? Can you believe he went under it without touching it?

Caleb did to, in fact Caleb and Noah were the last ones in. They even beat the girls who couldn't get down low enough because they had on skirts that were way too tight. Come on, they were only 8-10. (Okay I am now off my soap box, but really do my boys even have a chance? The girls...)

Opening gifts! Caleb got money and he was so happy with all his gifts. I was glad he exercised his good manners!

We never could get Ryan to put on skates, but we will be going back as a family to skate, even if Ryan did say when we left..."Does anyone besides me feel like they need to go home and shower?"

It was a little "dated"

And the roller skates were so ...

but it was so fun!

Baptism Day!

This is my day, my baptism day. Jesus was baptized the very same way.

Maybe I'm little, and maybe I'm small, and maybe my learning has only begun,but Heavenly Father I'm doing my best just love me and guide me and I'll do the rest.

Father I promise to walk in thy way, on this my baptism day.


Just before the event!

A new clean kid.

We love Caleb and are so happy he chose to be baptized. It was such a neat day.

We were thankful that Ryan's parents made it here, after some stress with planes and having to wait and extra day to leave, we count our blessings that they made it.

I know that we chose to move, and we were fully aware of the consequence it would be in not having family at all special events, but the reality is often harder than the thought of it.

We missed family alot, but were grateful for friends who came to our house after to help us feel not so alone! Thanks to all, we truly appreciate your support

Caleb Turns Eight!

We are so happy for Caleb, he finally turned eight! Who gets that many presents?
Caleb was so excited for everything he opened, It made it so fun.
Ryan and I were both really busy, and though I had most of his birthday done, I sent Ryan on his own
to finish up. As a result, Caleb got exactly what he wanted. Good job dad!
"G-force"
A red stretcy shirt
a 5 lb package of gummi bears
A magnetic battle strikers game
and
scriptures

Caleb extatic over the cowtails grandma sent him! And he loved all the camping stuff she sent. He now thinks he can go backpacking with the older boys this summer. We had originally said they neede to be 10, so they could carry their own gear, but Ryan may let him go now that he has so much of the stuff he needs. Time will tell.
And he was so good to share.

Hugging Papou after opening his favorite present...

A slingshot!

Now all three boys have one, this could be dangerous!

Caleb wanted a fort cake.

Again, I am not the greatest, but they have tons of fun helping me make it, so I will just keep trying.

New Year's~Here Comes 2010!

So I guess technically, they say that the new decade doesn't start until next year.

Whatever, who are "they" and why do "they get to decide.

I think it's a new decade, and so it is.

Zero is the first number so 2010 is a new decade in my mind.

So now that that is clear,

We celebrated with the Crane's

Emma, wow am I amazed at how grown up she is getting. She is trying to say all the words we say, and making us smile in the meantime.
All the kids with their party hats. We played sardines in the dark, and Emma and I had to wait for a long time for anyone to find us.(they got distracted playing with the lazer tag)

Mara and Jace. Emma says "Jace" clear as a bell. Mara insists that he is one of her best friends!

Ryan and I , Last picture of 2009!

Until I kissed his ear, he was perfectly content just sitting there in front of the fire.

The winos! Just kidding! The babies loved the Martinelli's though!

Awkward! and oh so funny!

The Crane's had had it by 10:00, so we said Happy New Year and they went on their way. I told Caleb that if he stayed awake until his birthday he could open his presents. Determined to finally stay awake until his birthday, he insisted that we watch a movie. At 12:07 I woke up and tried to tell Caleb it was his birthday, but yet again, he didn't make it. Maybe next year.

We hope the new year finds you making memories, making time and realizing just what is truly important!

Christmas Day!

Ready to see what SANTA brought!!!!

Merry Christmas morning!

The Barbie Laptop! All she ever asked for!


Even Noah and Caleb thought it was kinda cool.

I don't know who thought the fishing poles were cooler, Sam and Noah, or Ryan?

Caleb got a watch! He loves it and informs me that he will no longer have to run into the other room to tell me what time it is, and he can time himself for his one-minute math facts.

What more could a kid want?

Sam showing that he is really very happy to finally have a fishing pole that stays together and whose reel will not get stuck. It is a spin reel...whatever that means!

Emma sporting Mara's new dress-up. She loves it and Mara was nice enough to share.

She also loved the vest...thanks yiayia. She has worn it all day.

Noah thought his starwars lego..the complete saga was the best gift ever!

Caleb is opening his roller blades. Even though he didn't ask Santa for them, he loved them.

That Santa is so smart!

Max and his Imaginext castle! That was at the top of his list to Santa!

Princess Yahtzee!

Emma with her baby in a backpack from Caleb!

Do you think I look tired? I don't know why, we had to finally wake up the kids at 7:00am. Who ever heard of that...parents having to wake their kids on Christmas morning. I never would have needed my parents to wake me up.

At 5:30am I asked Ryan if we could go get them, but he said no. At 7:00 we finally woke back up and he said, okay enough, lets go get them.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Maughan for the Lazer Tag games!

And these are the presents that Grandma and Grandpa Passey sent for the kids. They all loved them. The boys were excited to have pull overs like their dad, and Emma walked around with her towel saying "duck, duck" which really sounded like "du, du" too cute. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa, we are so thankful!

The girls spent most of the day in their room playing with their Loving Family Doll house that Yiayia and Papou sent.

Okay, so I was one of those girls, it was so fun! There were twin babies and we kept letting them play then bathing them, then feeding them and then putting them to bed. Emma loved it and had specific ideas about what she wanted the dolls to do. Mara put the parents in their bed and then I said okay put the little girl in bed. Even though the little girl had her own bed, Mara put the little girl in bed with the parents. Telling of her own life.

Caleb and Max got Egyptian Playmobil! It was so cool, hidden compartment, grave robbers, camels, chariots and canyopic jars. It was so fun to play! Thank you Yiayia and Papou!

The older boys spent a good part of the day playing with their wii. They got a big game hunter shooting game, Lego rockband, and Lego starwars the complete saga.
It was a great relaxing day! and there were actually no babies born! Happy for me!

Christmas Eve Dinner with the Shephard's

We were invited to the Shephard's for Christmas Eve dinner and it was marvelous. I was feeling a little sad about not being home for Christmas...you know with family. I was even just thinking I wanted to stay home and pout, but I am so glad that we got to go to their house, it was just what we needed. They taught us their traditions and the kids got really excited and we thorougly enjoyed ourselves. The kids table, with Chris and Jenny and Ryan and Melanie.

Menu:

Martinelli's sparkling apple cider, salmon, steak, potatoes, salad, jello,

bubble bread and hot artichoke dip.
Delicious!

The "adult" table with Sam, Noah and Brent.

Emma found a christmas garland and Hillary helped her get all

"decked out"

She was so funny!... Lookin'!

Max was given "Flarp" Goop that you push into a jar and it makes farting

noises. It was quite disgusting, but the little boys thought it was really funny.

Max even said "too bad for you, you'll hear it all the way home in the car."

Yeah, too bad for me.

The little girls(Mara and Emma) and the Big Boys(Sam and Brent)!

We brought along the girls pajamas so that they could fall asleep in the car on the way home.

Good thinking on our part! They did and thankfully they were in bed at a decent hour.

(Ever since I took Emma's crib down, the girls both think that they don't have to go to bed

until we do! Not good.)