Our Forever Family

Here are some pictures of David’s most recent trip to the Philippines.  As always they work, work, work during the week and play on the weekends! Looking at a church.  These remind me of the churches in Chile David has pictures of. They drove 2 hours to swim with these Whale Sharks.  As David said, “the coolest thing he has ever done!”  David likes to go to the Cebu Temple every time he goes. And here is the shortest employee at the call center!  She is 23 years old!!

Things have settled down since the baptism. We are all back to "normal" and the weight of planning for that has been removed! I think that the very chopped up day (1/2 day kindergarten and preschool and naps do this!) makes me feel like I can only focus on so much a day. I feel less and less certain with myself in accomplishing anything huge. It is just so overwhelming! I am learning to juggle and finding that I do good in some areas and not so good in others. Life is all about learning, right? David left Friday night to the Philippines. It has been 6 months since the last time he has gone and I think I really needed that big of a break! He will be gone 12 days. A lady asked me at church today how I did it. My response, which is the only response, What else is there to do but do it? I have a lot planned this week to keep busy and so that should make this week fly by. Yesterday Jason and Melanie went to a 2 hour kid camp activity. There are some youth going to Indi...

Today Melanie was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!  I am so proud that Melanie has chosen this important step in her life!  And so grateful that her Dad could baptize her!   The family that was there to support Melanie.  My parents brought down Melanie’s cousins that are closest to her in age, Bailey and Kate Lynn.  She was so happy they came! This was her display table.  Those that were there signed in her journal.  I am so happy I have this beautiful picture of Melanie at this time in her life!  I think it is so important, especially after having my children’s pictures on the wall, that each child has a beautiful picture of themselves!  I know each of my children love to see them. The kids sang a special musical number with their cousin Bailey and Kate Lynn.  Another girl was there and wanted to sing with them during the practice! Melanie’s 2nd grade Teacher, Ms. Sayers was there to support ...

I can not believe our Mel Bell is 8!!!  I am so happy with the young woman that she is becoming.  She is so responsible and thrives on that!  We were so lucky and had family to celebrate with!  Chris and Andrea were down from WA and Melanie felt so special to have them here to celebrate!! This warm robe and slippers were from Chris and Andrea and she LOVES them!  She loves to get out of the shower and put this on.  She wants to learn how to wrap her wet hair in a towel on top of her head!  HAHA!!  We gave Melanie her own set of scriptures with her name on them, scripture bag, picture of the temple to put in her room and a new outfit to wear to church.  She loves that it is a skirt!  She has out grown the dresses some and loves skirts!  Another sign of her growing up!  She also got money from both grandparents and she wanted to go shopping and buy some more clothes for church!  She got another cute outfit and it includ...