Merry Christmas

Hello Blogger Friends,

...we had a little scare with our Mason last night.  It's a long story, but around midnight  he woke up crying and and with a really, really weird cough. After a few minutes I went to check on him.  He was wheezing so hard it basically scared the crap out of me.  His chest was moving funny and he was out of it. I raced him upstairs to seth and we immeditely scramble to get dressed to take him in. I had I feeling that I needed to do something right then so I called the after hours at our doctors and they told me to hurry and take him outside in the cold so his lungs would expend. Seth went and sat with him on the porch until he gained his breath back. It was scary. We followed all of the doctor's instructions, which lead for a long night of watching him. I held me til 3 am and just cried. I love that little boy so much. I don't know what I would do without him. We followed up with the doctor this morning and he said it was croup that came on a little too fast.  Great, just in time for Santa:)  So I'm signing off to get him better by Christmas & spend time with my family.

I hope all of you have an awsome Christmas as well. Weird but I feel like this blog has given me friends I've never met in person, reconnected me with ones I haven't seen in years and keeps me in touch with even my close friends and family. Thank you all for your comments, support, advice and love.  I hope you have a great holiday with your families:)

XOXO, Me

ps. if you gotta second check out my photo blog, i've had some fun sessions lately.

Family Christmas Party

This years family Christmas party was hosted by sister Chelly... which means one thing: LOTS OF YUMMY DESSERTS! She's our baker in the family and she did not disappoint!  It was a smaller group this year but just as fun. Every year my sister brings some sort of Christmas craft for the kids and well all the adults end up at the table as well:) This year it was wooden gingerbread houses and wood tree ornaments. We then all piled in the back of my brother in laws truck and went and saw the lights at Thanksgiving point & the cool reindeer that had there.  It was so fun... freezing... but fun! Thanks for the good time family!

Aiden's First Haircut

Stud muffin needed a haircut... he started to look like he was going to a rock concert when we would do his mohawk:)  I think it turned out good.  He's as cute as ever.

Before

(our lovely shower curtain fell)

 neosporin kept him entertained the whole time:)

After

What do all of these pictures have in common?

MASON doing something he's not supposed to!

That's my life in a nut shell these days!

The boys

Mase & Aid are just getting SO big I had to share some recent pictures:) I'm too tired from all the {holiday-ness} that is swirling around to edit these pictures, so you get average to poor quality pictures from my point and shoot of the most handsome boys in the world, so them alone increases the quality many, many levels:)

See a theme in these pose's? Yes, Mason now thinks crawling with Aiden is the way to go! haha.. "If Aiden gets applause for it, I should do it too:)"



J&R

Check out more of this beautiful couple HERE...

you know you want too:)

{Neat Day}

The weekend after Thanksgiving we headed down south because I had a photo shoot and we also had somewhere very special to take Mason... His Minnie's wedding reception.  Her actually wedding day was a week earlier and fell on the same day we were sealing Aiden so we were unable to make it to her big day :(  Forunately they had a Utah open house in Cedar, so we were able to attend that.  It was so a neat thing to celebrate with her and her family.  She was glowing!!! I remember her telling us how important it was that Mason be there to see her in her wedding dress, she said she knew he would be too young to remember but she wanted to take a picture with him so he would see that she made it.  She didn't get up after that point in her point, she pressed forward and accomplished something he would hopefully be proud of.  She was sealed to her sweet Andrew.  We are truly sad we couldn't be there, but I knew Aiden would be a little upset if we missed his sealing, haha! It was a beautiful open house and Minnie looked STUNNING!  We both just broke down as we walked in and saw her. We gave each other a long hug and I told her how proud I was of her.  She has a place in our heart and family that just not replaceable or even explainable. To see her so happy and {G's} peeking out of her dress made my heart swell! SO PROUD OF HER! Mason was mesmerized by her. He knows who she is but this time she looked like a princess so his eyes were very wide at first! It was very cute! It was so really neat to see her family. They live in Cali so we don't get to see them as much as we see Minnie. Infact her sister and parents haven't seen Mase for a year and a half. They've never even seen him walk!  So the reunion was sweet! I was Minnie's mom slipping him cake every chance she got... haha. That's what grandma's do i guess:)  His aunts were obsessed with him and were very cute with him.  It was a very cool night and I'm so glad we got to go:)

The beautiful {H} Family

yes, you can now see where Mase gets his beautiful eyes and eye lashes!

(& no the girls weren't dressed like this for the reception, they had just changed for the car ride home... still gorgeous though.. this family blows me away!)

Giving his Aunts kisses bye! 

Old Wound

This is such a random subject for my blog. When I started this blog five years ago it was because I lived out of state and it was a way for our families to see what was going on in our lives, however since we moved home and had children this has really turned into a journal for me and my family. It's been personal in the way of our journey to building our family, special trips or funny moments with the kids because those are things we never want to forget. However sometimes this blog is a way for me to write out my feelings... I've never been much good at verbal expression, I've always been much better with words on paper. I would write stories, poems and have kept a journal since I was very young. It helped express whatever I was feeling. So since a written journal has sort of expired since this blog became that for me once in a while I have to post things like today. Things I'm thinking. So as I said this is a random subject for this blog. No beautiful pictures of my boys, no funny moments. It's about Bullies. Odd, I know. Let me explain. Everything I see on TV lately has been stories about suicide & kids being bullied. On the today show, Dr. Phil (yes, I watch Dr. Phil:), any show on there is a story about cyber bullying, gays committing suicide as a result of being bullied, racial bullying, gender bullying, etc. These stories have brought me to tears. I am no saint however I have always, always defended the underdogs. In a way where I have no problem stepping into something that is or isn't my business to defend someone I may or may not know that is being mistreated or bullied. I simply cannot handle it when someone thinks there better than someone else. Whether it's the color of their skin, they suffer from a disorder or don't hang with the same crowd, it is not right.



Has anyone ever seen "What would you do?" It's the show that sets up different situations to see if people will help someone they don't know or step in when something’s not right. That show gets me all heated up when people don't step in and it brings me to tears when strangers help. The one's who stay out of it when someone needs there help they say "it wasn't my place" Um, if it's not your place then who's is it? We are all humans here and that is are job, it's what we're for, to help each other. I love when the people who step in are interviewed and they say without hesitation "it was the right thing to do. period!" What if it was your kid? What if it was your elderly parent? I get so flustered with this topic. My husband almost hates watching this show with me because he hears me rant for like an hour afterward. I just don't get why people walk by some things. It may make a life or death difference for someone if you do something that might be uncomfortable for 5 mins. Please note that I am in no way saying you should put yourself in danger. It's the situations where you feel like you should defend, step in or simply help someone and don't because "it's awkward" or "not your place."


I will forever remember going to San Fran with my moms best friend every summer and I would give the homeless people my 'gift money' I had saved for the trip. Once she bent down and had me watch them, she pointed out some of them had really nice watches, some had nicer clothes then us under their raggy coats, she explained sadly some of them weren't real. I instantly thought, that's their fault not mine. I'd rather give to 5 fake ones in hope of helping 1 that really needs it. She smiled and let me do whatever I wanted with my saved money. I continued to hand out my money every summer till it was gone.


When I was in 7th grade there was a boy who was in a grade above mine. Everyone knew of him, everyone avoided him or made fun of him. He was clearly different. Wore the same jazz t-shirt everyday, had a very different hair do and didn't have any friends. I remember we had the same lunch and I would watch him eat alone outside everyday. Everyday I felt like I should go sit by him but I had NO clue what to say? It's not that I was afraid of what people think, I've never really been worried about that, it that I was 12 and I didn't know how to interact with someone I didn't know? One day a cheerleader who was a friend of my older sister happened to be sitting next to me at lunch and saw me watching him. She asked me what I was doing and I explained how bad I felt and that I wish he had someone to sit with. She agreed and offered to go outside with me. We went and sat with him. I will never, ever forget the look on his face. We asked if we could sit by him and he nervously let us. I got the impression he thought we were playing a joke on him. It broke my heart. We pressed forward. We sat down, opened our lunches and started talking with him. The first time was way awkward, no doubt about that.... however since the moment I neared his bench I KNEW I was doing something I was supposed to. I will forever thank Brooke who helped me break the ice that day, I started sitting with him about once or twice a week. He slowly let down his guard each time and we were able to joke with each other. I learned his chocolate pudding was his favorite part of his lunch and he always saved it for last. I started to bring things just to see if he would trade me but he never would. It become a joke and I loved it. He finally started lifting his head and half smiling when we'd pass each other in the halfway as I would yell "Hi __________" Since I was getting more familiar with him I started to notice more the way he was treated. Sad, isn't saying enough. He couldn't get his locker open one day which is right in front where my skater friends hung out. The jokes started. I stood back debating whether to help him and let my friends see me help him or walk by. Remembering what people think of me isn't too big to me I walk up next to him and quietly asked his combination, I opened his locker and told him I'd see him at lunch. As my friends started to slowly joke with me I told them "come on guys grow up." I'll never forget one Monday morning when the announcements came over the intercom in school. Our principle said there had been an accident and "_________" my friend, had died. I remember feeling frozen. I learned throughout the day what the 'accident' was. He was invited to a party by some popular kids and when he showed up, it was a fake address. He then went home and hung himself. His little brother found him. The rage I felt towards these popular kids was far far far from Christ like. I went to the bathroom and cried. A few days later his funeral was held and the school released anyone who was attending which created quite a crowd for him. I saw some people there just to get out of school and I wanted to deck them, some of the bullies were crying and I remember hoping that they were genuine because that could have the power to change their attitude, but I also remember thinking "it's too late! Why were you so mean?" I have come a little way on how I feel towards bullies but honestly not much. I know I could have done more for __________ however I'm extremely grateful I did act on what I did. I have never forgotten him and what that accident taught me. From that day on I no longer hesitated to defend someone or help someone out. AGAIN I am no saint, this is just one area where I learned a lesson right in front of me.


Later that summer my best friend died. It turned me upside down. It started a few years that were really hard for me. In ninth grade I found myself at three different jr. highs, I switched from my old school (my original school) to another one which I got kicked out of and found myself at a third one where my first hard core experience of being bullied myself started. So you see I am sensitive to this issue for many reasons. I wasn't too different, I was the majority race however in that new school I found myself the object of a group of girls who were determined to make my everyday fearful and threatened. I was literally circled by them, pushed and threatened while the other kids just stared or walked by. I couldn't believe no one stepped in. That started the place in my life where hero's really stood out. My boyfriend at the time and still one of my best friends today Steve Hughes, my mom or my big brother started coming in the school and meeting me when the day was done, take me to my locker and protect me till I was in the car.


It lifted a bit as I entered high school my 10th grade year only to restart when me, my sister and my mom moved to down south to live with my grandparents my junior year (which was done help me go in a better direction). However that 'new direction' was delayed by another group of girls who thought it was their mission to make fun, be-little and do things to embarrass me. My junior year was seriously out of a bully movie. Some of my friends didn't even know it was happening. An embarrassing song dedicated to me over the speaker of school, a letter put in my locker anonymously of course (who would want to take credit for such kind behavior) that was three pages of rude words, personal insults and literally telling me to go away and that no one wanted me at this new school" It was hard to read. I felt like ninth grade was happening all over again, even after I moved! Then one morning my mom woke up to see her van the one I drove to school covered in words I will not put on here, basically words they used to describe who they thought I was. They trashed our van with insults. Since I was at a friends from a sleepover the night before my mom called me and told me a vague description of what happened and then with a broken heart asked me what was going on? I just cried. I felt inviolated, they got me at school constantly but to have gone to my home was another step.


After that I was DONE, DONE with their comments, DONE with the immature actions and I promised myself not one more moment, thought or tear would be given to them. After attempting to join my friend from jr high, after moving to a new school and ignoring them as best I could, I started believing in who I was and what I was meant for. With the help of my mom, good friends my senior year, a great guy I dated and a seminary teacher who took on my happiness as his daily job, I had one of the best years of my life.


Bullies got me down but they did not defeat me. It actually built who I am. I forgave them without some of them ever asking for forgiveness, I found the church in a way new way and started my life to where I am today. I had so many people 'walk by' when I needed them however I had a few hero's who stepped. I have no doubt they were sent to me by Heavenly Father. In all these years later I wouldn't change those years, it gave me a perspective and passion for the underdog some people will never have. I am far from perfect. But I think experiencing that made me a better, less judgmental and more accepting person and I love that about who I am.

We are all the same, it just doesn't resonate with some people unfortunately. So these stories on the news and on shows make me very, very sad. Some are the same results as my friend and for the others I pray for them to have strength and hero's come to them like I did. So you better believe if I was ever caught on "what would you do?" I would be the crazy over the top lady getting involved in something that 'isn't her business" :) And yes I have before and do any chance get! So people just be nice, it isn't that hard.  Nobody deserves to be treated unfairly. I know my experience was even less than one my friend _______ experienced and neither were fun.  Just because I'm an adult doesn't mean my opporunites to defend or do the right things have stopped. I'm no longer in a school setting so they may have changed but doing the 'right thing' is constantly presented to me.  Help the older gentleman at the store, telling kids on the street to "grow up" as I pass a scene that's too familiar, saying HI to the person in church that needs it.  Chances are still all arounds us.  I have not perfected this however I do my best and I know part of that is protecting my own kids now and teaching them in a way that they hopefully never become the bully.
 
Whew... if you made it through this post your one dedicated reader:)  It wasn't something that had to be read just something I needed to get out on paper!

i {love} my boy!

I hate being sick.  Have you ever had one of those colds that sets in fast and hard.  I laid down feeling fine last night to watch a movie w/the hubs and throughout the movie I felt my throat getting thick, my nose start to run and my heading beginning to feel like a thousand pounds!  By the time I stood up from the movie to go to bed, I felt like a train had hit me. Yuck! I hate being sick. I didn't wake up feeling any better this morning so after I feed the boys I took them downstairs so they could play.  Mason pulled me into the room (he does this when he wants me to dance along with him or play cars) I gave him a kiss on the forehead and said "sorry baby, mommy isn't feeling too good today" and I laid down on the couch.  Mason disappared for a minute and came back with his favorite blanket, his sippie cup and his toy truck.  He gave it all to me, kissed my arm, then proceed to dance to his cartoon. 


I love him.


That's what I do for him when he's sick.


Made my heart swell.

More of Little Miss L and her family HERE

Aiden's Blessing Day

It's been one full week with Aiden's Court hearing, Thanksgiving, Lilley's bridal shower,  Aiden's Sealing, Jamie's birthday sleepover and yesterday it ended with Aiden's Blessing! It was an amazing week!  We have felt have so loved and supported by our family and friends with our family events for Aiden.  We did his blessing in our home surrounded by family and close friends. Seth did an amazing job blessing his son. I am always amazed at how composed and intune he is during special moments and with his priesthood. Aiden did awsome and was quiet during the entire blessing... such a champ!  Mason bailed halfway through the blessing to play downstairs with his cousins but that's okay! haha.  It was an awsome day with family. Thanks to those who were able to join us for Aiden's Special day!

Becoming an Eternal Family {Aiden's Sealing Day}

This day is always my {favorite} day in the finalizing process. Something always seems to test the success of having that be a perfect day.... with Mason he was so sick, pink eye in both eyes, double ear infections and a respiratory infection, it was so sad. However the spirit got him through that day and it was still a perfect day for us! This time it was bitter, bitter cold. My vision for family pictures went out the window quick as we walked out and it was 20 something degrees. My sister-in-law was incredible and snapped some of the groups and some quick ones of our family. Our kids were frozen as were we, so we had to go fast and a few was all we could manage but that ended up to be okay too, because the sealing was so incredible and that's what mattered. It's hard to not get emotional even now as I write this because the feeling surrounding that day was so full of the spirit. It was everything I could have dreamed of and more.

We woke up, had a great morning with our kids, got ready, prepared all of our temple bags full of our {whites} and headed to the temple. We checked in, left our children with the sweet ladies in the youth center who prepare them to meet us in the sealing room as Seth and I go to paper work and get ready ourselves. It's neat, even for adoption sealings they treat you like a bride each time and have you get ready in the bridal room. I met Seth outside and they took us to the Celestial room to wait until it was time. As it was with Mason's sealing, that time is so neat to get with Seth. It does seem to take forever waiting for it to happen however we pray and talk about what's about to happen. Never could I imagine going through any of this with anyone else other than that man. He is the love of my life. The patron comes and gets us when the room is ready and seats us in the hallway to wait for our boys to be brought up. We joked how it felt like Christmas morning and we couldn't wait to see our boys! We looked to our left and we see two sweet women rolling our boys all dressed in white down the hallway in white strollers. My heart felt things in that moment I didn't know was possible. Mason saw me and lit up and in a very quite hallway he chimed "MAMA", everyone giggled and smiled. They let us hold them in the hallway 'til our sealer arrived. We met our sealer and were brought into the room. We did it a tad smaller this time and only invited those who have played a special part in our lives during Aiden's journey into our family. It was perfect. It was the smaller room and was so intimate. We could see the faces of each person there and each face represented a special connection. It was such a neat feeling. We had Mason's birth father's family present; they've become a strong part of our whole family as well as Aiden's birth grandma there who sat next to my mom. Again it was so neat. My sister Jamie, my mom, Seth's brother Josh and his sisters along with Sarah's husband, Lael's fiancé' & Em's boyfriend, dear friends, our bishop, some of both boys birth families, all there sharing this experience with us. Our sealing was amazing. He seemed extremely tuned in not only to the spirit but to our personal journey with both of our boys. He talked about Angels on the other side who had interest in our family, and who were worthy to be there were there. He shared how it is our plan/duty on earth to multiply and replenish the earth and that there is more than one way to do that. One of the most sacred is adoption. And how this, our family, was in the Lord's design a long time ago and it was on purpose. I felt goose bumps to my core. He said each of our boys had a special journey in finding our family and it was by the Lord's hand. He then told us that the greatest power of the priesthood is being able to seal here on earth... He then sealed Aiden to Seth & I. It was something Seth & I will never forget. As with Mason's, it was forever etched into our hearts and memory. It again changed who we are. It bettered us. We are so blessed to be able to experience such incredible heaven like moments. We do not take them for granted. He then stood us up and had us look in the mirror and explain that since the first time we saw the view when we were married, it had changed, even since doing this last time with our Mason it had changed. Our family had grown, spirits had found our family... and not to be surprised if their were more that were coming. We then got to hug each person we were able to share this with.

As we walked out into the waiting room were we saw {D} Aiden's birth mom waiting. We embraced her and shared with her how neat the day had been. We took pictures and then had a luncheon to celebrate Aiden and give our families the chance to meet {D} and her mom.



Aiden is such a blessing. In starting the adoption process a second time I was nervous we wouldn’t be able to top Mason's experience, story and the love we had for him.... The moment I held Aiden I sensed we wouldn't need to top them... that he was going to be different in his own way.... and he has. Everything about his experience's is different yet just as special in every way as Mason's. It's so incredible how that is even possible. Aiden has taught me a lot. He has shown me a lot. He has surprised me. He has my heart tied around his little finger. I am in love with him. He melts my heart. He is so happy and smiley. Some nights when I watch him sleep I almost don't believe he's mine (in the typical way of course) because everything about him is mine, my feelings, his spirit, our love for him, everything. He is my little angel baby. He is Mason's brother and Seth's second son and forever someone that was supposed to come into my life, when he did, how he did and why he did. I look at him and think "of course it's you.... i remember you. Hi Aider's. I've missed you!" I'm so glad he's here. I'm so glad he's ours. I'm so happy we have the divine blessing and privilege to seal our families here on earth as they are in heaven. I'm so grateful the Lord's plan for me was this. I would not change one lesson, one experience... not one thing. I am grateful for my Aiden!

 Our Forever Family