A Dozen Years

It is so hard to believe that it has been 12 years since Mark and I were married in the Jordan River Temple! Mark celebrated it by taking me away ALL day!!! It was soooooooooo nice!!! Some of the things we got to do was go have delicious dinner, see a great movie and finished the evening off with some incredible cup cakes!
We have seen so many places and done so many things in our twelve years of marriage. Although it has not been a simple ride through the years, we have been side by side and that makes it all worth it!

My Sweetheart's Special Day!

This past Monday, my sweetheart turned thirty-four! He was not too excited about that and the fact that he had 5 meetings at work that day but we tried to live it up when he got home!

When he got home, he was greeted by an all out paper heart attack!! There were hearts everywhere that told him reasons why we love and appreciate him.

He got some fun gifts and just lit up our home with his excitement! He got to do a few things that usually take the back burner with all of the things our kids always need to get done so I hope he had a very special day!




There are far too many reasons why I absolutely love and adore this man to list on this post. Here are just few of the major things I Love about him:
*Mark is a happy person and he can light up whatever room he enters.
*Mark makes my hardest times seem so temporary and fills me with hope and a happiness I wouldn't have otherwise while going through the pressures and trials this world constantly throws at us.
*Mark is such an amazing dad! The kids look forward for him to get home! He really relates to them and they know and love that!
*Mark has such a beautiful testimony of the Gospel. It is straight forward without all of the fancy frills some people feel they have to stick into a testimony! He knows who he is, where he comes from, where he wants to go someday and he makes no secret of the fact that he wants all of us together with him forever and he pushes us to attain that, no matter how difficult, when it comes to his forever imperfect wife who likes to push his buttons a lot!
*Mark works hard! We have had some very low times and some high. We have had times and still do, when money seems stretched so thin it seems non-existant and Mark has always made sure that we are okay! He has worked jobs he would never go back to again unless he HAD to; however, he worked just as hard for those as he has to get a degree and he does now at his current job! I am so grateful for that and he will probably never know how completely I am indebted to him that he has done that for us!
* Above all, Mark still loves me despite the twelve years of flaws he has seen, the melt downs when times got too tough, and my constant craving to compete and tease with him about everything. He loves me for it all and has been so good to me. I love you Mark more than I could ever say in words! Happy, happy 34th year!

My Nine Year Old!

My little boy turned 9 this week!! It never ceases to amaze me how fast time really does fly. He wanted to know the story of when he was born, again, this is an annual story telling with all of my kids when their birthdays come around and I have to say I really enjoy telling them their story!! It makes me think back to that day I finally got to hold those precious babies in my arms for the first time and what a wonderful time to remember! Matthew is such a fun kid and he had a total blast on his birthday! I am thankful for him in so many ways.
Here are nine things I love and am grateful for about this precious little boy:
1. Matt is HILARIOUS!!! He can make us laugh without trying! I can't believe the sense of humor on that kid.
2. Matthew works hard! It doesn't matter what a project is for, he will work his buns off until it is complete...not a usual thing for most kids as well as many adults!
3. Matthew has an imagination! He can design something in his head and he will build it, draw it, or whatever it takes to get what is inside his noggin out for him to play with or see. It is incredible.
4. Matt is clean! As a mom who has to make cleaning a part of her everyday life, it gets really hard when I have to beg the kids to tidy up and I do not have to do that with Matt, he loves things in order and cleaned up and I appreciate that more than he will ever know!
5. Matt is such a guys guy! He loves all things that have to do with large machines, farm equipment, motorcycles, etc. The funny thing is, that is usually what he is constantly designing in his head and it is so fun to watch his eyes light up when he sees something big that makes some serious noise!
6. Matthew makes no excuses when it comes to doing what he thinks is right. He isn't perfect and will let a whine or excuse slip when he knows he isn't being the nicest brother but when it comes to the gospel and what he knows is right, he doesn't let things get confused or try to justify behaviors. I admire that because it is hard for me not to justify my behaviors sometimes.
7. Matt loves his family! He gets so excited when Friday nights roll around and it is family movie night followed by the kids' sleepover. I know this might change as he gets older but I love the excitement in his eyes as he helps to get it all planned out for us!
8. Matt has a soft heart! It doesn't always show, he can really put up a hard little shell if he doesn't want you to know he is feeling something but when he lets his guard down he sure is a big softy, it just melts my heart!
9. Matthew still doesn't mind that I love to be with him as much as I can! I am so grateful that he lets me be a mommy and hang out with him. I know he will probably grow out of that too a little bit but I hope he never minds having friends come over to our house so I can be a part of their lives and know the people he is with and the young man he is becoming!

My Little Girl

This little girl in my life is a wonderful blessing! Makenna is growing up so fast and becoming my number one helper! She always has a smile on her face and if for some reason that smile slips, she lets us know why she is upset and then quickly bounces back to being a super happy girl! She has an opinion about everything, including her clothes and hairstyles. I am very lucky to have her in my life and I know that she was sent to our home to keep happiness and joy here. Her brothers don't quite know what to think about this very girly intrusion in their lives but you can see the love that they have for her on their faces when she talks to them and it is so fun to watch and be a part of.