KYLENE AND GREG'S WEDDING!!

One of my dear friends and former health and drill team student Kylene got married last Thursday!! I was fortunate to be invited to her sealing at the Salt Lake Temple. It was a beautiful sealing and of course I bawled like a baby. Kylene is such an amazing person. She was my captain on the drill team the last year I coached. She was the best leader and such a positive example to all of the girls. This was the year that we took state and nationals. Since then she has become a dear friend. She came and stayed with me when I lived in Vegas. We have run together and gone to the gym a lot this year. She is such a sweet person and friend and I am so blessed to have her in my life. Plus I love her whole family and I feel so much love for them. Kylene married an amazing guy named Greg and I think they are a perfect match. It makes me so happy to see former students and friends so happy!! The sealer repeated several times the council that the most important decision you will make in this life is to marry the right person by the right authority. This is so true and unfortunately I have learned this the hard way!! I am so thankful that I was able to be at the sealing and share that sweet memory with Kylene. Congratultions Kylene I love you and I am so proud of you!!

STOCKTON'S PROGRAM AT SCHOOL

Stockton had his singing program at his school last week and it was adorable. His singing program was all about Sea World. When we were in Sea World in March we were looking at the Whales and all of a sudden Stockton busted out a song all about Buluga(spellling?) Whales. We were so impressed but we had no idea he was doing a whole program on Sea World until we got to the program on Monday. Leave it to boys to never tell you anything. Stock sang his little heart out and they did the cutest little partner dance with little girls. Then we were able to go in his room and see his art work. We had so much fun at Stock's program. Ever since the program Stockton is loving his school. This is a change from how he has been throughout the year. Stockton has the cutest personality. Apparantely he is quite the ladies man because he had two little girls want to get their picture taken with him after the program. Typical boy though he was so shy and jumping around being hyper not wanting to get his picture taken. He always makes me laugh and he makes me so happy!! I love you Stockton.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!

I love Mothers Day!! I think it is because I have been blessed with such an amazing mother and grandmothers. I have always had such a great respect for women of the church and for mothers. My mom and for any of you that know her can testify is super mom. She is the mother that they write books about and write hymns about. Her life is dedicated to the gospel, her family and service. I have a testimony that Heavenly Father has placed mothers with a sacred role to know how and when to help their children when they need help. My mom has been my spiritual strength, she has taught me by her example about Christ, she has instilled in me my testimony of the Savior and the gospel. She has been my cheerleader through school, dance, college, my difficulties in my marriage and having and raising my children. She always seems to know how to help, what to say and always supports and beleives in me. I beleive it was Abraham Lincoln that said, "All I am and hope to be I owe to my angel mother." This is how I feel. I feel so blessed that Heavenly Father blessed me with the specific mother I have. I must have been leaping for joy in heaven when I found out who was going to be my mother. I love you mom and I hope that you had a very Happy Mothers Day.

My kids were so sweet today. Brynlee got up with my brothers and cooked me breakfast. She gave me zone bars for mothers day (my favorite). She also made me three beautiful cards. Stockton gave me a book about a little boy that likes to snuggle bug with his mom. I was in tears reading it. It fits our relationship perfectly. Stock told me that he loved me about 100 times today. And that is not an exaggeration, it was adorable. He made me a card at school that was so funny. It said how old is your mom. He put 4. Where did your mom come from. He put the farm. He told me he wanted to put heaven but his teacher wouldn't let him. What is your mom's favorite thing to say. He put , "I love you Stockton." What is your moms favorite place to go? He put to the farm. It was so cute!!

I wanted to share a few of my favorite quotes about motherhood.

"You are doing God's work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you, and He will bless you, even-no, especially-when your days and your nights may be most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master's garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and weep over their responsibility as mothers, 'Daughter, be of good comfort; they faith hath made thee whole'. And it will make your children whole as well. " Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

I love this quote by C. S. Lewis that reminds me that God is building me. He is in charge and it helps me get through everything in this life and enjoy the ride. "Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not suprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abdominaly and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanantion is that he is building quite a different house than the one you thought of-throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is buillding a palace."

Quotes by President Hinckley in the new book my dear sisters:

"A group of ancient Roman women were, with vanity, showing their jewels one to another. Among them was Cornelia, the mother of two boys. One of the women said to her, "And where are your jewels?" to which Cornelia responded, pointing to her sons, "These are my jewels." Under her tutelage, and walking after the virtues of her life, they grew to become...two of the most persuasive and effective reformers in Roman history. For as long as they are remembered and spoken of...their mother will be remembered and spoken of with praise also."

"You must know...that you are not alone in this world. there are hundreds of thousands of you. You live in many lands. You speak various languages. And every one of you has something divine within you. You are second to none. You are daughters of God."

"You are creatures of divinity; you are daughters of the Almighty. Limitless is your potential. Magnificent is your future."

"How much more beautiful would be the world and the society in which we live if...every mother regarded her children as the jewels of her life, as gifts from the God of heaven, who is their Eternal Father, and brought them up with true affection in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord."

I gave my mom a board with this scripture on it and it is my favorite. I am so thankful for my angel mother and I and all of her posterity will call her blessed in the eternities. Of this I am cert

ain. I hope to live a life in which my posterity can say the same of me.

And her children arise up and call her blessed. Proverbs 31:28

I love all of you. You are wonderful examples to me of motherhood and friendship. I am so thankful for you in my life. I hope you all had happy mothers day and I hope you all know how amazing you are!! You are daughters of your Heavenly Father!!

NEW BEGINNINGS AND JEN'S B-DAY

Let me start this off by saying that I absolutely do not believe in divorce and I am very sad that my happily ever after did not come true. With that being said I did everything that I could of to save my marriage but there was absolutely nothing more I could do and so after a year and half of being separated I am officially divorced. It actually doesn't even seem real to me. But my sweet friends from high school gave me a little party to celebrate. I say celebrate only because at least now I am able to move on and find someone who will make the kids and I happy and that we can make happy as well. So it was a party of new beginnings. I got some sweet flip flops that light up, some bath stuff and a darling shirt. I have the sweetest friends a girl could ask for!! Jen got me a cake that said, "Welcome to the Single Life." AHHHHHH wierd that I am single. It had an awesome picture of a princess that we decided looked like a clown. We ate a rock creek pizza. It was so fun because we always ate at this pizza place growing up in junior high and high school. We have had a lot of fun memories there for sure!! We also celebrated Jen's b-day. It is such a blessing to have such sweet friends who are so thoughtful and are helping me turn a negative into a positive!!!

WOMEN'S CONFERENCE

My mom, heather and I went to Women's conference at BYU on Thursday. It was so much fun to go together and learn about ways to be better mothers, wife's, and daughters of God. Here are a few things that I wrote down that really inspired me. Hopefully these things will inspire you too.

1. Women are the Lord's secret weapon

2. Women can change the world

3. Access the power of the priesthood

4. Do we talk of Christ and testify of him?

5. Are we women on a mission to build his kingdom?

6. We need to be the last generation to be affected by the world

7. What would change in your life if you thought of your life as a ministry?

8. Ask yourself everyday, Why has the Lord brought me here today?

9. We as Latter Day Saint Women have more influence than any other women in the world

10. We are not perfect but we can become pure in our hearts, motives and actions.

11. Care more about what the Lord thinks of you than what the world thinks of you.

12. Anything that keeps us out of the temple is Satan.

13. The Holy Ghost speaks of things as they really are.

14. The temple is the key to learning how to come out of the world

15. If we ask the Lord we will recieve. But we must take time to ask.

16. Ask the Lord how to teach you how to listen to the Spirit.

17. Righteous influence comes when the the atonement changes our hearts.

18. Jesus Christ can lift us, lead us, change us.

19. Ask yourself what is one thing I could do to be better? pray who to share the gospel with, go to the temple one extra time this year.

20. Nothing is more important than working and sacraficing for the Savior. We will have a degree of influence that has no limit and no end.

21. Some of us who would not chastize a neighbor for his fralities have a field day with our own weaknesses.

22. Feelings of inadequacy are common and natural

23. See yourself as God sees you

24. Understand that Satan wants us miserable

25. God gives us weaknesses that we may be humble

26. When are motives are righteous the Lord will bless us

27. Faith- I am a daughter of Heavenly Father who loves me and I will have faith in his eternal plan which is in my Savior

28. Divine Nature- I have inherited divine qualities which I will continue to develop

29. Individual Worth- I am of infinite worth. No beginning, no end. With my own divine mission which I will strive to fufill.

30. When we call upon God's strength Satan will depart

31. If you humble yourself before God and have faith in him. God will make weak things strong

32. God is mighty to save

33. Life happens while you are making plans.

34. In the Lord's strength I can do all things

35. Say this in your mind and put in I- I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father who loves me and I love him. This made me cry saying this.

36. The Savior liberates while Satan caputres.

37. Satan is working under such a perfect disguise we may not recognize him. He comes as a theif in the night

38. Heavenly Father knows me, loves me and will help me

39. When filled with God's love we can endure pain, forgive freely, bless and help others.

40. After much tribulation the Lord did answer my prayers.

41. The atonement helps us do all things that we could never do on our own

42. The Atonement provides a way to overcome weaknesses and feelings of inadeqacy

43. Self pity and discouragement do not come from God

44. Even the humble and obedient will expierence trials

45. The hardest experiences can be our best teachers

46. No trial is wasted

47. Trials build character and purify our hearts. They instill patience, faith, fortititude, and humility

48. We gain the education that we came here to acquire when we struggle

49. A thankful heart allows us to face trials

50. Real faith comes when what we want doesn't come in the way or timing that we would like it to.

51. Keep your eyes fixed today on tomorrows promises!!!

One speaker told of a woman who lost her husband but she was crying because she was so overwhelmed with the responsibility to raise her children by herself. A woman saw her crying and came up to her and asked her what was wrong. The woman told her that her husband had died and that she had 15 children. The woman said to her oh you are blessed. My husband died and so did my two children. This made me think how grateful I am that I have three children as my companions. I know that the Lord has truely blessed me. I am so thankful for my three little companions Bryn, Stock, and Becks. There is nothing more rewarding and fulfulling than having the opportunity to be a mother.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEN!!

I wanted to wish my friend Jen a very happy 31st (ahhhh we are getting old) birthday. Jen and I have been friends since the 7th grade at good old Eastmont Junior High. She has always been the life of the party. Her house in junior high was the the place that we all hung out. We loved prank calling, making crazy videos and just hanging out. You always knew that if you were with Jen you would be laughing and having a good time. As we continued to high school we stayed good freinds and we spent even more time together because we both had boyfreinds that were on the baseball team. We were both waiting for those boys on their missions when we both set each other up with our husbands. I was writing a guy in my ward that I kind of liked and he wrote me from his mission and asked if I had any friends that would be willing to write his companion Jason because he was so bummed because his girlfriend wrote him off. I immediately thought of Jen and I finally after a few months talked her into writing her now husband Jason. Crazy!! I really think the spirit prompted me to have her write him.

Jen has always been there for me through everything really. We had our first babies two weeks apart. It was so fun because we went through that pregnancy together. Then after we went into shock from realizing how hard being a new mom is after we had our babies we would talk for hours everyday. It really helped to have each other to rely on. Our 5 year olds are still great friends to this day. One of the things that I love the very most about Jen is that you can tell her anything and she won't judge you and she will understand. I also love that she will put me in my place or set me straight when I need it. When I first found out that Ken was having an affair and my marriage was falling apart the first phone call I made after my parents was to Jen. She has stood by me, supported me and always been a true friend. One of my favorite places to go is to Jen's house. I just feel so at home and relaxed there. The kids love to play and we rarely see them the entire day and we can just sit and chat, eat and catch up. Jen is such an amazing mother, wife and friend. She has the best sense of humor and I love that she is still up for a good prank or joke. Thanks for being such an amazing friend Jen. I love ya! I hope you had a very happy birthday!!