Truck or Treat

Rrrr little pirate and doggy!

Henry's first Sunday tie

We finally got Henry a collar shirt for all the ties Aunt Carly and Cinnamon gave him.  He is growing fast.  Currently, he can roll across the room and stand on his own while holding onto the coffee table.  He is a very curious and likes to people watch.  If a stranger makes eye contact, he is bound to give them one of his big smiles.

Donovan family vacation

We were feeling like Vegas when the Donovans came to visit us as part of their vacation destination.  It is true that we are fun and feed everyone yummy food.  We played Simon-says and I threw the adults with my first set of instructions, granted I had given the boys some prior training.  Who knew Simon-says could be so fun!

Clarke

I have so many great memories of my brother, Clarke.  He was the big brother I aspired to be.  I used to try to squint like he did when surveying a room without his glasses.  He taught me it was not cool to run while walking across a busy road.  Whenever he gave me a ride to school he would make sure to drive his jeep up on the curb, like he was dropping off a rock star.  Clarke was a great big brother and he still is.  If I have mechanical problems or anything is broken, he is the first person I call.


Happy Birthday!

Carly

Happy Birthday Carly Jane!

One year Carly gave a special birthday post to everyone in the family when it was their birthday. I loved it! Stanford came up with the idea recently to do the same thing and it just so happens that Carly's birthday is the first to fall in line.

I can't say enough good things about my sister Carly. What I love most about her is her cheerful disposition. Ever since I can remember Carly has looked at the bright side of things. Even during hard times she focuses on the good and does not complain. What a remarkable gift she gives to herself, her family, and friends by choosing to be cheerful!

Carly is also quite the creative girl. I am in love with all her creations and love to get a handmade gift from her. I treasure them all. She definitly got my mother's gene when it comes to sewing and creativity. I know the hours she spends thinking about & researching what she wants to make for someone and the hours she spends creating it. My sister is truly talented!

Carly also has a deep love for the gospel, and for her role as a mother, wife, sister, friend. You inspire me to be a better person Carly! We sure do love you around here and hope you have an awesome birthday!!!

Maggie sleeps anywhere

Have you ever been force to sleep in an airport terminal?  Somehow I don't think it would be a problem for Maggie.  Lately, she has been falling asleep in the most awkward places, especially on a Sundays when nap time is pushed back several hours.  Last week she crawled up on the baby changing table and fell asleep.  The other day, in the middle of lunch she curled up on her chair and fell asleep.  When I tried to coax her to her bed she insisted that she needed to finish her lunch, so I replied that I would put her lunch in the refrigerator for later, but she insisted on eating.  Only after a few minutes I returned to find her asleep on her bed and her plate in the refrigerator.

It's the journey not the destination

We try to get out to the park in the morning.  Lately, it has been in the cool 70s with the recent rain.  I put Henry in the bike trailer and Maggie rides up front with me.  The Pittman Wash next to our house is adjacent to several parks that we like to visit, so it is a convenient setup.  Along our ride to the park, Maggie wanted to go down a look at the rocks in the wash.  Obviously, this was a nice detour from our usual routine.  Maggie had so much fun that we spent our morning playing in the mud and didn't even make it to the park.  Henry, who was wrapped up in a blanket, quietly slipped into a long morning nap.

Double the pleasure

The great benefit about living in between family is you get two visits instead of one.

Ten points to know if you're a baby whisper

You owe the little sanity you have left to a fifteen dollar exercise ball.

You can't remember how the baby's diapers got changed.

You sing yourself to sleep with a  lullaby.

You wake up in the night when your baby cries, only 50% of the time.

Your bounce in place even when your not holding a baby.

You think staying at home with the kids is harder than going to work.

You know the nipple flow rate of your baby's bottle.

You believe you are bilingual because you understand your baby's cry.

You can hear your baby crying even when she is not.

You could carry at ten pound bag all day and not even notice it.

Finding general conference

Las Vegas has large community of Mormons, which is not surprising since it was first settled by Mormon pioneers in the mid-eighteen hundreds.  Mormons account for about 12 percent of the population in Southern Nevada.  Due to the significant number of members living here, LDS general conference can be heard on local radio and television stations.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) broadcast general conference twice a year to members around the world.  It is a chance for anyone to hear the words of living prophet of the Lord.  I have been tuning into all TEN HOURS of the broadcast for years.  General Conference has become increasingly more important to me but every April and October, I find myself searching the internet trying to find the best place to tune into general conference. This always seems to be a fruitless endeavor since many of the keys words are common search terms.  I typically end up frustratingly thumbing through the stations until I find it.

Of course, the easiest place to find the broadcast is on the Church's official website but the online streaming video can be choppy due to the overwhelming demand.  The following are some great resources I found for watching the conference:


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints official website.
BYU Broadcasting and TV for online streaming.
Bonneville Communication, for local listing of radio, TV and cable stations.