Beauty Baby!

This is what makes all of my misery worthwhile! :)
Even as I post this I can feel my little angel squirming around inside and I absolutely love her to pieces! Yes, we are having a darling baby girl! I should probably tell you all that we have already chosen a name, but it is a secret that we will tell on her birthday :D

Complaining

It has been a very difficult month of January for me this year. I have been pregnant, which makes me unbearably moody, tired, and completly overwhelmed. Our computer broke. Which wasn't the end of the world or anything, its just a nice window to the outside world when stuck inside all day long. And I still haven't taken down all of my Christmas decorations, something that irritates me constantly.
I must admit I haven't taken these things lightly. I have been very, and I must stress VERY, ornery and whiny. You'd think I would know better, I am a grown woman afterall. How many times have I told my boys not to whine because it is soooooo annoying? If you have kids you know all about this. They start whining about something that you have no control over and expect you to fix it. Or its something that you are working on and you just need them to leave you alone long enough so you can, make them a snack, or get them a drink, or get the door open, or whatever it happens to be.
Knowing this as I do I have learned nothing. I have gone on and on to my own Mom about things that she has no control over and cannot fix for me. I have gone on and on to my husband who is working on it but needs me to leave him alone long enough so he can get whatever it is at the moment, done. I think I have whined to just about everyone who will listen to me.
How funny would it have been if my son had said to me: "Stop Whining, its so annoying!"
Maybe I would have snapped out of it sooner.
The point I am trying to make, to myself mostly, is that we all have troubles. Its okay to vent once in a while. However there is a time and a place. Its not okay to whine through every conversation one has. So I have decided that if I want people to continue talking to me I must change my attitude, NOW!
This is my new New Years Resolution! Having a good attitude makes me, and those around me, happier. I will remember that I have been greatly blessed and very well taken care of. I can do it!

And, I'll save the whining for my monthly visit to the doctors office, LOL!

Bear cracks me up :D

Today after he had licked yes licked a stick of butter, my 3 almost 4 year old son, Bear, told me this:
As he drank some Gatorade to wash down the butter,
"I want my belly to look like Grandpa's and Dad's"

Lol!

Stars and Sprite

This is the treat that we are taking around to all our neighbors. Along with the story that is posted below. If you can't tell the sprite represents the Christmas tree and the starbursts is the tree topper.
Lol!

The Christmas ornament By Phil and Rose Graves

She sat atop a fragrant Christmas tree decorated with lights, bows and ornaments of all kinds, she felt especially special as she crowned the treetop. The star looked around, could she have cried she would have, for joy wrapped itself around her as she admired her surroundings. She could see outside the front window as frozen flakes began to fall. They decorated the landscape covering it with sparkling white. It was Christmas Eve and she had been watching as the house filled with loved ones.
Relatives! Cousins, aunties, uncles, and grandparents too, the house filled quickly and more and more gifts were piled underneath the tree. The star glittered and glowed as she watched the love that filled the house. The family gathered together in front of the tree and sang Christmas carols while sipping hot wassail. The star thought it was the most wonderful thing she had seen, warm and inviting in every way. Soon every one drifted off to find their beds and go to sleep.
The crystal star sat atop her perch and watched the snow outside. One by one the houses of the neighborhood turned down their lights and went to sleep.
Christmas morning arrived, dawn crept outside and brilliant light was cast across the freshly fallen snow. The house began to stir. First the star watched as children began to peek around the corner to see the sight of the presents under the tree. Next were the parents, groggy and still tired, excitement evident on their faces as they watched the children’s faces shine in anticipation. The family gathered and gifts were passed around. The star watched thrills of joy crowning her. The gifts were opened and at first the smiles and joy were palpable, but it wasn’t long before cries of joy were replaced by tears of anger. Yells overtook the joy and the poor star watched in dismay as what had started out to be a joyous occasion became a room full of apology and despair. The children were unhappy with what they had received. The grownups were not thrilled with what they had either. Disappointment at their children’s reactions to the gifts they had lovingly picked out. Smiles were replaced with frowns. The joy that had filled the once bright star’s heart was fast retreating. The star now sat atop the Christmas tree no longer glowing, no longer entranced by what had been beauty all around. At last as the family left the room stomping out and frustrated. The poor stars heart broke; at this she shattered into a million dimly glittering pieces, which fell unnoticed to the floor.
My Dear Friends and loved ones, Too often we get carried away with what it is we want to receive or even what it is we want to give to others and we forget that the true purpose of Christmas isn’t about gifts at all. Christmas is about remembering Christ and the love he has for us. The Savior came to earth selflessly with no thought for himself or his own glory. He tenderly suffered all pain and affliction because of his great love for each and every one of us. Is it really too much to ask to give that love back to him and to all mankind. Maybe it is? Perhaps we could start with our families and neighbors, simply loving each other and expecting nothing in return.
Let us remember the true meaning of Christmas this year: The pure love of Christ for all mankind.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The start of a new year is always exciting. Fresh and full of surprises. Here is a taste of the surprises and excitement we have experienced this past year: )

January: Bear was enrolled in a kiddie gym with his cousin Aiden. They went once a week, it was always Bears favorite thing that he did during the week.

February: We celebrated Bears third Birthday! (has it really been that long, Wow)

March: We purchased our first house! We wasted no time putting in a fence, the grass and flowers come later.

April: We moved into our new house!

May: Phil and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary! I love him so much and I know he loves me! We totally complete each other ;)

June: Our Yard was completly put in and we started our very first garden :D

July: We celebrated Lyons 1st Birthday! We also enjoyed a trip to Indiana and Ohio where we visited family and did some site seeing.

August: We celebrated my birthday :) We also enjoyed watching the olympics, Michael Phelps has become a household name for us. Bear loves to see him on commercials, it always cracks Phil and I up when he starts yelling "Thats Michael Phelps!"

September: My dear Grandmother passed away :( Phil and I left the kids with his parents while we drove out to San diego for her funeral.
On a better note, Phil got a much better job as a Purchasing Agent for USSynthetic. We are so thrilled about this, it has been wonderful and he loves it!

October: I found out that I am pregnant with our third child and she/he is due in June 2009!

November: We celebrated my True Love, Phillilps, Birthday! And we enjoyed Thanksgiving with my family :D

December: The boys have loved playing in the snow! I can't wait to take them sledding even if I only get to watch, just watching their expressions as they zoom down a snowy hill is worth every second in the freezing cold :D
We hope you all have a very merry Christmas, and an adventurous and wonderful year in 2009!

Thanksgiving!

It has been a long time since I have actually looked forward to Thanksgiving dinner. It was about 7 years ago that it started, I went to CA for the holiday and was anticipating an amazing dinner. Well I was very disappointed. Anyone who knows me really well knows that my favorite food is in fact salad. I must have a salad with every meal. That was what my Mom did as I grew up and well I liked it, a lot! My Mother is an excellent cook and I had grown accustomed to eating good and healthy food especially for Thanksgiving. Well the years have past quickly and each year my disappointment grew either from an ill prepared meal made from inexperienced hands or from a lack of a good salad. Not to mention the conversation that should follow dinner, has been less than appealing. Well this year dinner was planned to be with my family. We had all of my brothers and sisters except one and we had my cousin and her family and one of my aunties. It was a full house and it was wonderful! We all participated in making the food, I brought the salad :D My brother in law made the turkey. He makes some good food, I'll tell you that. The Turkey was amazing, cooked to perfection. My cousin brought the cranberry sauce, it was delectable. I have never had good cranberry sauce until then. The mashed potatoes and stuffing were also amazing thanks to my sister and her husband again. My mouth is watering just thinking about it again! The conversations had after dinner were also fun and memorable just the way I like it. My only regret is that I didn't get seconds, I was so full so fast and then the food was gone and I was out of luck :( Oh well I enjoyed it while it lasted and hope for perfect Thanksgivings to be thankful for in the future.

My friend Kevin posted this on his blog and I wanted to pass it along for more people to see...:)

"...by their fruits ye shall; know them.."
To any who may doubt the Prophetic Authority of the Lord's Church. Listen to the prophecy given by the Lord's servant Gordon Hinckley in 2001:


Occasions of this kind pull us up sharply to a realization that life is fragile, peace is fragile, civilization itself is fragile. The economy is particularly vulnerable. We have been counseled again and again concerning self-reliance, concerning debt, concerning thrift. So many of our people are heavily in debt for things that are not entirely necessary. When I was a young man, my father counseled me to build a modest home, sufficient for the needs of my family, and make it beautiful and attractive and pleasant and secure. He counseled me to pay off the mortgage as quickly as I could so that, come what may, there would be a roof over the heads of my wife and children. I was reared on that kind of doctrine. I urge you as members of this Church to get free of debt where possible and to have a little laid aside against a rainy day.

We cannot provide against every contingency. But we can provide against many contingencies. Let the present situation remind us that this we should do.

As we have been continuously counseled for more than 60 years, let us have some food set aside that would sustain us for a time in case of need. But let us not panic nor go to extremes. Let us be prudent in every respect. And, above all, my brothers and sisters, let us move forward with faith in the Living God and His Beloved Son.

Great are the promises concerning this land of America. We are told unequivocally that it “is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ” (Ether 2:12). This is the crux of the entire matter—obedience to the commandments of God.

The Constitution under which we live, and which has not only blessed us but has become a model for other constitutions, is our God-inspired national safeguard ensuring freedom and liberty, justice and equality before the law.

I do not know what the future holds. I do not wish to sound negative, but I wish to remind you of the warnings of scripture and the teachings of the prophets which we have had constantly before us.

I cannot forget the great lesson of Pharaoh’s dream of the fat and lean kine and of the full and withered stalks of corn.

I cannot dismiss from my mind the grim warnings of the Lord as set forth in the 24th chapter of Matthew.

I am familiar, as are you, with the declarations of modern revelation that the time will come when the earth will be cleansed and there will be indescribable distress, with weeping and mourning and lamentation (see D&C 112:24).

Now, I do not wish to be an alarmist. I do not wish to be a prophet of doom. I am optimistic. I do not believe the time is here when an all-consuming calamity will overtake us. I earnestly pray that it may not. There is so much of the Lord’s work yet to be done. We, and our children after us, must do it.

I can assure you that we who are responsible for the management of the affairs of the Church will be prudent and careful as we have tried to be in the past. The tithes of the Church are sacred. They are appropriated in the manner set forth by the Lord Himself. We have become a very large and complex organization. We carry on many extensive and costly programs. But I can assure you that we will not exceed our income. We will not place the Church in debt. We will tailor what we do to the resources that are available.

How grateful I am for the law of tithing. It is the Lord’s law of finance. It is set forth in a few words in the 119th section of the Doctrine and Covenants. It comes of His wisdom. To every man and woman, to every boy and girl, to every child in this Church who pays an honest tithing, be it large or small, I express gratitude for the faith that is in your hearts. I remind you, and those who do not pay tithing but who should, that the Lord has promised marvelous blessings (see Mal. 3:10–12). He has also promised that “he that is tithed shall not be burned at his coming” (D&C 64:23).

I express appreciation to those who pay a fast offering. This costs the giver nothing other than going without two meals a month. It becomes the backbone of our welfare program, designed to assist those in distress.

Now, all of us know that war, contention, hatred, suffering of the worst kind are not new. The conflict we see today is but another expression of the conflict that began with the War in Heaven. I quote from the book of Revelation:

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

“And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ” (Rev. 12:7–10).

That must have been a terrible conflict. The forces of evil were pitted against the forces of good. The great deceiver, the son of the morning, was defeated and banished, and took with him a third of the hosts of heaven.

The book of Moses and the book of Abraham shed further light concerning this great contest. Satan would have taken from man his agency and taken unto himself all credit and honor and glory. Opposed to this was the plan of the Father which the Son said He would fulfill, under which He came to earth and gave His life to atone for the sins of mankind.

From the day of Cain to the present, the adversary has been the great mastermind of the terrible conflicts that have brought so much suffering.

Treachery and terrorism began with him. And they will continue until the Son of God returns to rule and reign with peace and righteousness among the sons and daughters of God.

Through centuries of time, men and women, so very, very many, have lived and died. Some may die in the conflict that lies ahead. To us, and we bear solemn testimony of this, death will not be the end. There is life beyond this as surely as there is life here. Through the great plan which became the very essence of the War in Heaven, men shall go on living.

Job asked, “If a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). He replied: “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

“And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

“Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:25–27).

Now, brothers and sisters, we must do our duty, whatever that duty might be. Peace may be denied for a season. Some of our liberties may be curtailed. We may be inconvenienced. We may even be called on to suffer in one way or another. But God our Eternal Father will watch over this nation and all of the civilized world who look to Him. He has declared, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Ps. 33:12). Our safety lies in repentance. Our strength comes of obedience to the commandments of God.

Let us be prayerful. Let us pray for righteousness. Let us pray for the forces of good. Let us reach out to help men and women of goodwill, whatever their religious persuasion and wherever they live. Let us stand firm against evil, both at home and abroad. Let us live worthy of the blessings of heaven, reforming our lives where necessary and looking to Him, the Father of us all. He has said, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10).

Are these perilous times? They are. But there is no need to fear. We can have peace in our hearts and peace in our homes. We can be an influence for good in this world, every one of us.

May the God of heaven, the Almighty, bless us, help us, as we walk our various ways in the uncertain days that lie ahead. May we look to Him with unfailing faith. May we worthily place our reliance on His Beloved Son who is our great Redeemer, whether it be in life or in death, is my prayer in His holy name, even the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
-President Gorden B. Hinckley

Tag from Kendra: Thanksgiving ABC

The picture is kinda random, I know, but...
What I am thankful for:

A-Airplanes, they carry me to loved ones or loved ones to me :)
B-Bear, My sweet baby Bear:)
C-Canned food, lets face it I couldn't live with out it
D-Dancing, its such good exercise and its fun too
E-Eggs, something my three year old will actually eat
F-Family, I love being with family
G-Grass, what would summer be without a lawn to run around on barefoot
H-Houses, My house in particular, its so wonderful to be in our own place
I-Independence, need I say more
J-Jersey's, Bear loves his, they were totally worth buying for Christmas last year
K-Kitchen, I can't imagine life without a kitchen
L-Lyon, My sweet baby boy:)
M-Miracles, they happen every day whether we acknowledge them or notice them or not
N-Nutrition, I am so thankful that I can provide this for my family
O-OB-GYN, Let's face it I don't want anyone else to deliver my baby
P-Phillip, He is my whole world
Q-Quiet-its nice to have some once in a while
R-Rose, Yes I am thankful to be myself
S-Sisters, ok brothers too but My sisters are my best friends and my brothers my buds
T-Thanksgiving, the food the family the love whats not to be thankful for
U-Uterus', Yeah where do you think babies come from
V-Victory, How could we go on if we didn't succeed once in a while
W-Water, that pure and holy nectar of life
X-X-rays, eh its good to know if you've broken a bone or not
Ok not very creative but still
Y-Ylang ylang, have you smelt this mixed with lavender it's like cologne
Z-Zofran, the miracle anti nausea drug that makes it possible for me to function

The fact that I got through this whole alphabet without pulling out my dictionary :)

Problem solved ;)

Apparently I am a little idiotic. Lol! I think the pregnancy has had a negative affect on my brain. It is not functioning as fast as it should, lol! Anyway, Wendy thank you for being intelligent and giving me proper instructions and all that. I am so happy to see you all have been commenting it is much appreciated :D

Where are your comments?

What's up people? Its easier than ever to leave comments on my blog, so why am I lacking feedback? I can see that your still coming to visit, so why won't anyone talk to me? I am starting to feel bad :( Oh well, I appreciate your visits just the same :)

Happy Birthday Phillip!

Over the weekend we celebrated Phillips Birthday. We had a lot of fun! On Saturday we woke up early and went to the SLC temple. Afterward we went to lunch and then to the exhibit that is currently at The Leonardo, Body Worlds 3. It was so amazing!

We had a ton of fun :) After the exhibit, which took three hours, we drove back down to Utah county and met Phils family at a restaurant where we all celebrated his birthday together. We then went back to our house and had ice cream and cake. It was a good day!


Phillips birthday cake, Happy birthday to you!

The tail end of the gay rights march.
This was really funny strange, we didn't know there was a huge gay rights protest going on that afternoon. So we were totally taken by surprise when there was this huge march around the block we were on. We had to cross the street as they were marching.

Phillip in front of The Leonardo
Cool




On Monday Phil surprised me with lower bowl tickets to the Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns. I got a lot of great pictures and we had a lot of fun! It was really awesome to be sitting so close to the game instead of up in the nose bleed section. :) And of course, the Jazz won!

Go Jazz!


Go AK!



CAAALOWS BOOOOOZAA!!!!!
Carlos Boozer

Picture Tag from Kendra :)

"The idea is to go to your pictures and go in the fourth folder and pick the fourth picture and post it. Then, go to the six folder and get the sixth picture and post it."
-Kendra's instructions



This is a picture my Mother-in-law, LaRayne, took at Phillip's Grandma and Grandpa Graves anniversary party in may.




This picture is of the Team Dimondcutters, Phil played ball this last spring and summer and this is the picture I got of his team. You can see Phil is there in the middle with the white shorts.

Ok now I tag: Wendy, Shannon, Shayla, and Heather.

This last Week Bear started Wrestling. Yep, my boy is growing up! This is the first sport that he has been able to participate in. He is finally old enough, yay! Anyway he calls it his push up sport. I really don't know why. When we went to his first practice he saw some of the other boys wearing their wrestling clothes and immediately informed me that he needed a push-up suit. Lol!

In the picture you can see he is doing a push-up, he is so funny! I did not teach him this. I am pretty sure that he saw his Uncle Ben doing them at football practice and has been doing them ever since. Every time he does them he tells me that he is doing them how one is supposed to do them. At first I thought it was really funny because he basically was just sticking his butt up in the air and then bringing it back down again. However his form has improved as is obvious from the picture. How he came up with putting his feet up like he is, again I really don't know.

The picture there at the top is the best shot I got at his wrestling match on Thurs. Sadly its not very good. It was only his second time going and already he was thrown out there to do what he could. Amazingly he did alright. He would wrestle the kid down to the floor and then stand back up instead of pining his opponent. I don't blame him though, we have drilled it into him that when he tackles someone he is to immediately to jump back up and help the other person up. Unfortunately that is not the case in wrestling. Oh well, he learns very quickly just by watching, so I am sure he will catch on in no time.

I am just so excited that he is finally able to participate in something. It has been a long wait. He honestly was good enough a year ago to do just about any sport out there. He was hitting baseballs off a tee on his first Birthday and could shoot a basketball in a small hoop by his second. He could also hit a baseball pitched to him by about the same time. He could kick a football off a kicking tee not to mention throw it and catch it. I am so proud of both of my boys, as Lyon is following in Bears footsteps, and the best part is that I never pushed sports on either of my boys. They have a natural love for it all not to mention a natural talent to go along with it.
Now that we have officially started the sports I can tell that it is going to be really fun!

How weird is this?

Before...


After...

Oh yeah, that is the same house!
This was just the weirdest thing to see, at least for me anyway.

Halloween Pics

We had so much fun Trick-or-Treating this year! Lyon was a dragon Bear a cowboy and Aiden was Spiderman. I really wanted Phil to dress up as Batman, I thought the kids would enjoy that, but he wouldn't :( Bear asked me what I was going to be and I wasn't planning on dressing up, but at the last minute I threw on some makeup to look like bruising and two dots to be holes. So what was I? I was bitten. Yeah, I know it was lame, but it was a costume and that was good enough :) All in all, it was great to get together with my family, we had a great night!

Trick-or-Treat

Ok, so I have not yet uploaded pictures from halloween to my computer. My sister Wendy did an excellent job blogging all about it though. So if you really want to read about how it went, go see her blog. She is on my blog list as Wendy and Michael, so go check it out. :) I will post more pictures a little later when I have them. I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!