Family Home Evening

 A lot of things lately have been making me think that I want to hold Family Home Evening. But it's just me and Ken, so we never really do. Yesterday during Sacrament Meeting, I realized that we have LOTS of people with whom to have Family Home Evening. Lots of little people who need to know what their Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa believe. I remember one family home evening we had at my Grandma and Grandpa's house when I was a little girl. I want the grandkids to have memories like that, too. 

 So tonight we started building memories. Ah... this girl. 

 ...in her Grandpa's hat. 

 :) 

We sang "I am a Child of God" , had an opening prayer, then Ken talked a little bit about families and how we have a great big family and it will get bigger and bigger when Zack has kids, then when the grandkids grow up and have kids of their own. He said we have biological family and stepfamily and we all love each other and need to be there for each other. Then we all said something that we love about our family. I said " I was really scared when I married Grandpa that you guys wouldn't like me." And Zane said, "Not like you? You're awesome!" Alec said "In all the time I've known you, I've never heard you yell at anyone." Zack looked shocked at that one. lol. So glad I've been able to keep it in check around the grandkids. We continued around the room, and Zack said "I love my family because they accept me for who I am and love me no matter what". OK. Wow. I am SO glad he knows that because it's all that his Dad and I ever wanted for them. To know they were loved no matter what. Yay!!! Alec said he loves his family because they never act like they hate him, and Zane doesn't annoy him TOO much. 

We all colored pictures of a cute little family clip art I had found online this morning, and it turns out that Zack had used the exact same image for a project he did for a college assignment last week. 

We finished up the night with banana splits and I hope the Moms let them come back after we filled them up with sugar on a school night!!! 

Zane wanted to make sure we got a picture of his very professional looking banana split. 

This night was awesome. I want to do it again and again and again. 

9/11

These people are my whole world. 

It's September 11 and one of them is in New York.

So I got kind of emotional this morning. 

On a lot of levels for a lot of reasons. 

He's actually near Newtown, Connecticut today.. the site of the school shooting. So that's made me emotional, too. 

I wear red, white and blue on the 11th of September every year. My kids were still young when it happened, but it changed their lives forever. And my prayer is that nothing like that  EVER happens again.

And that he gets his Wednesday email sent soon cuz Mom is going a little crazy here today.

Was There Life Before Riken?

I love this little man more every time I see him.

He's pulling himself up against every piece of furniture in the house and he got his first shiner this past weekend when Grandma was watching him. Boo:( Broke my heart. 

 He's usually asleep when we do our late night Snow Creme run to Spring City, but he was bright eyed this time. Even signed the book:)

 Mom and Grandma went on a little shopping spree and got the baby all Under-Armored and Hurleyed for the Fall season. 

 We visited Mack and Ash at their new cute home in Toquerville. They spoiled us and we had a great time! 

 Mommy, food and Wreck-it-Ralph. What more could a man want?

 Aren't they perfect? They took us to Zion National Park and we had a great weekend! 

 The view from Mack and Ashli's back yard is phenomenal. 

Mommy got him his first Yankees hat. Flat brimmed like Daddy:)