Happy Happy Easter!

12:00 AM 3 Comments

As I sit here I contemplate on how to express the feelings that overcome me. I'm really bad at communicating my feelings and I don't know what to say without sounding childish. I want to say how much I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I want to express my gratitude to Him for His sacrifice for me, for my family. But I think this year is especially different for me as I also feel immense gratitude for Heavenly Father and for sacrificing His Son. Now that I have a son I get a tiny glimpse of what that might feel like, to sacrifice your son. My thoughts are also with Mary, the mother of Jesus. How she could have endured such pain, I can not begin to imagine what that would have been like. I am sure she must have felt such pain in watching her Son suffer and die (her perfect Son, her special Son) but then also such happiness in knowing He would be resurrected and that He would save us all from the bonds of death. I feel such gratitude to her too for being willing to be part of the plan so that I could someday, with my family, return to live with our Heavenly Family again. I'm so excited for Easter, because He lives! I don't think I've ever been more excited because this time I feel different. I guess being a mom does that to you. I know my Heavenly Father loves me! I know Jesus Christ loves me! and I love them tons. These words I type don't even begin to describe the overwhelming feelings of love and gratitude that I feel. For the first time I know without a doubt in my mind, in my heart and in my soul that they love me. I knew before...but the way I know now is different, it's better, it's sweeter.

This video is great and want to share it with all of you in case you haven't seen it.



Or click here to view video in high res from the ReflectionsofChrist.org site.

Suggested Scripture Reading: Mathew 27 & 28, Mark 15 & 16, Luke 23 & 24, John 18, 19, 20

Suggested Articles:

• The Atonement of Jesus Christ by By Elder Jeffrey R. Holland


• The Resurrection of Jesus by Marion G. Romney


• A Testimony of Christ by President James E. Faust


• Jesus is Resurrected (for Kids) "Chapter 42: Jesus Is Resurrected,” New Testament Stories

Finn is 2 Month's Old

5:36 PM 3 Comments

2 months and 3 days have gone by and it's been the best 2 months of our lives. Each day just keeps getting better than the last. Today was his 2 month check up and he's growing big and tall. :)

He's 23.5 inches tall (69%) he did have his leg bent a little so I doubt the nurse got a good measurement so I bet he is really 24 but it doesn't really matter what they write down anyways as long as he's healthy, my mom doesn't even have that kind of info on me anyways. But let's continue just to please the grandparents and other family. Weighs 11lbs 3.5 oz (35%) and has a head circumference of 16 inches (64%). I guess he doesn't spit up all of his food after all. LOL

He is so fun. Here's a list of the things I love about him thus far.

1. He smiles tons, ever since he was born he's smiled at us, only now he does it when we talk to him too. He seems to always be happy just like his Dad. That's one thing I loved about Clark when we first met, he was always happy no matter what. And still is!


2. He snuggles. I'm so glad he loves to snuggle with us it's so comforting.


3. He loves to sleep. Takes after both of us on this one. I can probably get a nap during the day if I wasn't so paranoid he'd wake up as soon as I fell asleep. LOL


4. He only wakes up 1 time in the night. Started skipping a meal on 03-05-2009 all by himself. (Mom is so proud!) Now, I just need to get rid of that feeding and we'll be all set. But I am too scared to initiate it myself for the amount of crying which I am told he might do.


5. His hair it's so cool.


6. He loves to laying on his changing table cause that's where most of his stretching and kicking happens. I just love watching him stretch and kick.


7. His cute baby coos and goos. He chats with us a lot, telling us his dreams and fun activities he wishes we'd would do with him.


8. He's let us bring him to church with us for most of the 3 hours each Sunday since he was 4 weeks old. Got to get him used to going to church.


9. Laughing while he sleeps. It's the best thing in the whole world. Sometimes just when he falls asleep he starts laughing. Must be dreaming about something funny. Maybe he's just remembering my clumsiness and frantic running around or maybe at how much stuff I bring with us everywhere we go and I'm not talking about stuff for him. LOL.


10. How he makes Clark feel. I just love seeing Clark melt at the sight of him. I've never seen anything like it. But it then melts my heart and makes me all teary-eyed. (Yes, I'm teary-eyed right now just thinking about it as I type.)

I'm so greatfull to a Heavenly Father who thinks a lot of us to send us this choice spirit to brighten our lives and give us yet another reason to be better people. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Here's some fun pics of Finn. This one is my favorite one taken by my Mom's. He looks like a cartoon. His expression is priceless! Yes, he was looking at me when my mom took the picture. My Happy Boy!





I guess maybe I talk too much cause he's trying to shut me up. LOL



Finn had a cute pose but I took the pic too late. He had his tiny little fist under his chin.



This is his curious look.



And this one he's practicing what to do when we all go to Disney and theme parks when he gets older. We all love rides!



First time on his borrowed Bombo, and loving it! This one came out blurry (taken from my cell phone) and therefore I shrunk it down so it would look a bit better. 03-18-2009









First day he fell asleep by himself. Yippy!!! He loves snuggling remember. 03-18-2009



Click here to order these pics in 4x6.

Hollywood Hills Ward Reunion 2009

5:58 PM 0 Comments

I grew up in the Hollywood Hills ward in Florida. I was probably in that ward until I turned 12 or 13. I loved that ward and made some awesome childhood friends. Like a lot of other wards, we grew in number and split and we no longer had to drive 1 hour to go to church since we lived in Coconut Creek. It was really sad because we missed our friends. Unfortunately, only a couple of my friends were able to attend the same ward and the rest of them stayed in Hollywood Hills. Our new ward was the Lauderhill Ward in the Coconut Creek building. This is the building where I went until I turned 19 and moved to Boca Raton to live on my own. However, after being in the Lauderhill ward for a little bit they asked us to go to the English ward because our whole family spoke English. This was both good and bad. I was getting to the point where I'd answer all of my Young Women leaders in English when they were all speaking Spanish. LOL. I bet I was annoying. A lot of us from the Hollywood Hills ward moved up here to Utah and this was our little reunion party which Rosiann put together. It was so much fun seeing all of my old friends and seeing how they've all turned out and a little trippy to see how their kids look like they did when they were little. I still saw some of them for weddings and stuff but this was awesome!

Here's a pic with Rosiann, my first BFF. We used to sleep over each other's houses, but she was one of my friends who stayed in the HH ward when I had to leave. But now she lives here in Utah!



Here's a pic with Michelle. I've known her family for so long and was one of the families which came with us to the new Lauderhill ward. Her sisters were my YW leaders and the gals I would annoy. I was first Vicki's (Michelle's Sister) friend but definately hung out with both of them most of the time and now we all know Michelle is in our ward here in Pleasant Grove and we've been Visiting Teaching companions for over 2 years now. Wow! Michelle's awesome!



Here's a picture of my 2 favorite boys. Isn't he so cute! Yes, I am talking about Clark, so ladies, don't answer the question. Clark is being such a wonderful and patient husband holding Finn while I enjoy some time with my old friends and even do some dancing. Finn seems a little shy around my friends. LOL He's holding on really tight to Clarks shirt. Clark was awesome to bring, set up and take down all of our equipment to the reunion so we could have some music and wireless announcing throughout the event. He's so awesome with audio visual equipment and there are seriously too many cords for me to even know where anything goes. How does he know about all these cords and equipment? I've never seen him reading any books about cords or audio visual equipment and he reads like 14 books at any given time. LOL I guess it's just one of his many talents. What would other people do without Clark's mad skills with cords and equipment? Ladies, now you can all answer this one and the answer is, "nothing." There would never be any fun parties, music playing, video watching from projectors, presentations, filming or even cool wireless announcers. I'm so proud of him!



Here's Rosiann & her brother Roy (Abraham's Friend), Michelle and her sister Patricia (aka Badida, our YW leader) and my Brother & me.



Here's all of the peeps from the Hollywood Hills ward which came to the reunion. Most of them live here in Utah. Crazy! The gentleman in the middle wearing a leather jacket was my Bishop. He was the Bishop whom I had to recite  the Articles of Faith to. I'm so old!





Because of the reunion I was thinking a lot about how amazing it is that all of the truths I was taught at such a young age can still be a part of me now. And not just me but my friends too. It's also crazy to see how much our lives have all changed but even though we're different and have been through trials and struggles our beliefs remain the same and we are still all striving to live with Heavenly Father again someday. I know it'll be a similar experience but a much sweeter reunion in the eternities, because we'll know how far we've come and know that it was all worth it. Of course we know it's worth it now too, but it'll just be better then when our earth life has finally been completed and we've passed the test. (I am really bad at tests so we'll see how I do.)

Well, thanks Rosiann for all of your hard work and putting this together for us. We love you!

VisitingTeaching.net is Live!

5:22 PM 0 Comments

So, I finally finished creating & designing VisitingTeaching.net. I created it just so I could compile all of my VT stuff in one place. Eventually, I would love it to have hundreds of helpful things for Visiting Teachers but I am just getting started and finding cool things along the way. I just always felt like there wasn't enough info out there for Visiting Teachers but, in truth there is, it's just all over the place. Feel free to download any of the free stuff and use it. If you like the site and want to share it with your friends, grab a button of your choice and paste the code onto your blog, myspace, facebook or website.

Here's a sampling of the buttons you can choose from. Aren't they lovely?

Check out this month's Enhancer, it's a Shamrock with the Visiting Teaching Message and a Recipe!

Anyways, hope you can use the info and printables from the site and I welcome and love any and all comments, feedback, experiences, tips, etc...on VisitingTeaching.net!

Be a Winner

11:17 PM 2 Comments

My friend Cory posted this yesterday. "Perhaps you've seen this before. So, the first five of you to respond (and follow all the other rules) to this will be hooked up. Here's the rules:
The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make for you!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year.
4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a card. It may be a cake or maybe even some creation I haven't yet dreamed up. I may make you something and mail it to you. It's definitely not going to be big or impressive. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure! But lets be honest here. Who doesn't want to win something but most importantly make something for someone else. So come on, sign up!
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to post this same blog post on their blog and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Let's keep the chain of love going around!!
AND, if you weren't one of the first five, feel free to post about how devastated you are because you realize how cool that would have been for you to win. Or you could just post and tell me you think I'm funny or cute. You can only tell me I'm cute if you're a girl or my husband might get mad. He won't get jealous though 'cause he's not like that. In fact, it's really quite hard to make him mad and impossible to make him jealous. Anyway, post away!"
BTW I, Linda had to edit the post above cause it didn't fit me quite the same as Cory. But I copied and pasted it here for the most part. I think this was a great way to serve those who comment on our family blog, plus I get something made by Cory. :)

Happy Birthday Abraham!

5:48 PM 0 Comments

I think it's funny how I never really feel older unless my brothers get older. Then it kind of hits me like, "wow I'm old" or "wow my bro is 27 or 15!" Anyways, It's just weird. Well, Happy Birthday Abraham! Here's all the pics we took on his birthday at our house or over the weekend at his house. BTW - My bro takes forever making his wish, does anyone else take forever? It's like he hasn't even given it any thought. LOL Oh, and love my mom's cake making/decorating skills!





Click here to order 4x6 prints.

Some Growing Into

11:34 AM 1 Comments

Here are some really cute pics of Finn with some clothes that he still needs to grow into. I think he loves all the outfits by the way he was acting.

This one is my favorite pic (Thanks to the Harringtons), I think it's his biggest smile yet. He just keeps getting cuter and cuter.







Order 4x6 prints here if you want.

Blessing our little Angel

4:49 PM 7 Comments

Today we blessed Finn. It was such an amazing experience. It's humbling to know that Heavenly Father trusts us enough to take care of such a choice spirit and teach him what he needs to know so he can return to live with him someday. I sure hope we can do a good job. He has changed our lives forever. I don't even trust myself with glass when washing dishes. LOL Probably not the best comparison, but you know what I mean. He was definitely worth the 7 year wait, just as we knew he would be. He's such a little angel. He is soooo going to end up being a spoiled kid, you all have been warned and we don't care if you talk about us behind our backs about it either. ;-)

We of course took a gazillion pics of family with Finn and some of just Finn too. I'm only posting up the good ones otherwise it could get crazy long.



He looks so handsome and dapper in his little suit. My most favorite part is his tie. I mean how cute is that? Too bad he won't fit into it for much longer. It was a tight suit, but it was the only one left.





To order pics of Finn's Blessing go here.

BTW: He is officially listed on The Church records now. Yippy! Now when anyone signs into the LDS.org ward site we'll have Finn showing up right under us, just like everyone else and their kids. LOL How awesome!!! OK well, that's just a fun perk.

Oh and here's a bonus pic. This was what he was wearing under his little suit. Thanks to our friend for making it for us!