Even a 7-year-old knows it's not right...

The other day our little Madison was asking me why we had a Prop 8 sign on our lawn and what exactly were we voting on...So, after explaining that not everyone shared our view of the sacredness of marriage, and then having to chip away at part of her young innocence and tell her about same-sex marriage (at age 7!!), three things happened: 1) she started laughing uncontrollably, 2) she got very concerned and frightened and said, "but Mom, I don't WANT to marry a girl!  Are 'they' going to MAKE me?", 3) she revealed her logical-to-a-seven-year-old observation..."so if a dad marries a dad, they can't have any babies, and if a mom marries a mom, they would have TOO MANY BABIES!"  Seven-year-olds are so smart...that's why marriage is for a man and a woman only.  Let's PRAY that our Prop 8 passes so our children don't become even MORE confused!!!!  And let's get out there and inform our neighbors of the consequences to our rights and our children if it fails...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR BABY GIRL!

Our little Madie doesn't look like this anymore--my baby turned 7!  She's still as cute as ever, just much more grown up...This post is 2 weeks late...but so goes my life...

We've been so extremely blessed to have such a loving, compassionate, fun, helpful little girl who always seeks to do what's right. She genuinely cares about other people and is always looking out for what is good for everyone.  Even on her birthday when I kidnapped her from school early and took her shopping, she had her heart set on surprising her little sister Avery with something. So she picked out a little toy for Avery to match hers, and was SOOOOO excited to see her sister's reaction.  We had a lot of fun--just Madie and Mom...She was so thrilled that I surprised her and wanted to spend time with her alone, i don't think she even cared what we did.  I love that girl--she's never greedy about presents and it was so cute how she kept giggling and saying how much fun it was to be out together (it made me realize how much my kids value one on one time with their parents)!  Madie has such a great attitude and is so willing to try new things and include new people.  She loves ethnic food and seafood and all kinds of healthy vegetables.  

Madie LOVES...

-playing Barbies with Avery 

-practicing cartwheels

-playing soccer with her dad

-going on hikes with her dad

-reading good books like Junie B. Jones, Charlie and the  Chocolate Factory, American Girl books

-leading us giving lessons in Family Home Evening

-FHE treats

-going out to eat with her family

-making her baby brother giggle

-swimming

-playing with her MANY cousins

-sleeping over at Grandma & Grandpa's

-taking walks or going shopping with Papa

-SHRIMP!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY , MADIE LOU....WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Caribbean Cruise (I HIGHLY recommend it)!

Here is just a preview of our FABULOUS cruise to the Eastern Caribbean with our FABULOUS friends Corey and Nicole Toomer, and Uale (he really isn't a grouchy person, just likes to be a pain in the butt for pictures) and Lee Taotafa...

the men BEFORE they got sunburned.

their beautiful wives 

(the only ones on the ship NOT willing to flash their ta-tas to our skinny guide)

This is the day we went on a big pirate ship to snorkel in Turtle Cove in St. Thomas.  FUN memories (and some scary visuals of fat drunk ladies showing their big boobies)!  Thanks for such an AWESOME trip boys!  I'll post more pics when we get them all uploaded...

Living in the moment and...I'm just a pansy!

So I've been on the verge of feeling sorry for myself recently with my husband being gone so much for business and what not, but just as I'm starting to give in to the "poor me" thoughts, I am brought back to the reality that I am very blessed!  I've been thinking about how I've just been "getting by" and trying to "manage" my household...but that's not what I want to see when I look back on my life.  I want to know that I've laughed with my kids and hugged them just because, and taught them about being a follower of Christ.  I don't know why I've been so painfully aware that my children are growing up and I CAN'T STOP THEM!  I love the story that our sweet prophet shared yesterday in Conference (his talk really hit home and I thought it was crazy that he was speaking of something that's been on my mind so much lately)...The father of two children promised to take them to the circus and when he recieved an urgent call from work asking him to come right away, he answered "no, I will not be coming."  His wife reminded him that "the circus will be back again you know"...To which he responded, "Yes, but childhood will not".  Too often i think I'm in the "get it done" mode and I hurry through things and only half pay attention to what my kids are doing or saying.  And it is them (my playful kids) who have to remind me to stop and play a little and bring me back into the moment.  Anyway, I am working on enjoying and living in the moment with my children and counting my blessings.  Sometimes I wonder "why me?"  Why am I so blessed with sooooo much--3 beautiful, healthy kids, a wonderful husband who works so hard and is the best Daddy, great family (on both sides) who live close by, the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, a safe home to sleep in every night, not ever wondering IF I can feed my kids, and soooooo much more.  I guess I'm just kind of a pansy--I think Heavenly Father didn't send me to a 3rd world country because He knew I wouldn't last--I murmur when I'm alone all week and can't listen to another child whine the word "MOM!"  I moan when my dishwasher is not functioning!  The thought of watching my child starve to death would kill me...Or hiding out from evil men who rape women and children--I don't know HOW those women endure such things and raise their children in places like that.  OK, so this turned really depressing, SORRY!  Didn't mean to go in that direction...I'm just really grateful for my life...