Keeping Busy!

Well lately we have been trying to keep busy, and we have done that well! Just a little glimpse of November.

We've been going to parks.

We went to the petting zoo with neighbor friends.

Yes that is a camel.

My Grandma and Grandpa have the same birthday just 6 years apart. We went to visit them on their birthday! We had fun! Happy 86 and 80th!

Kids playing with daddy and each other!

These two are the best of friends, they have so much fun ALL THE TIME!

It was a nice day yesterday and we had fun playing outside.

And of course kids and water are magnetic!

AND look who's walking!

What is the point of being a kid if you can't get messy!

Oh and all of the girls I love from my first ward and I went to see Twilight and New Moon last night, midnight showing! It was so fun, I just love all of them thanks to all that were there! It was fun to be there with all of them, they are all a little crazy over the books. I think I was the only one that hadn't read any of the books in all 24 theaters! I had fun anyway and enjoyed the movies! There were even more girls there than are in these pictures too! I love you all!

Growing Up

Oh my sweet kids. They are getting too big and growing up so fast. I wanted to document the new things they are doing.

Kya my first born I can't believe she is really so old, she'll be 3 in a few months! She in sometimes seems older just because she speaks so well. Thanks to the Fancy Nancy books she has a pretty big vocabulary. She says things like gorgeous, exquisite, beautiful, extraordinary, hippopotamus, and of course fancy! She really is such a girl. She loves to play outside and and to get out and do things during the day. Everyday she wants to go somewhere in the car, and if I do leave it up to her she wants to see the horseys and the goats. Now it's a drive to get to them instead of a walk though. She has a big imagination and comes up with wild stories every day. She LOVES LOVES LOVES Baden and loves that he can keep up with her. She plays well with him but also likes to go off and pretend by herself. She can read (recite) the book Faster Faster, Nice and Slow. She knows how old she is and how old Baden is at any given time. She knows how to spell her name (I know it's only three letters but she's only 2!) She also knows her last name. We often make new bracelets because she usually has to have one on at all times. She still likes her fingernails painted, and she likes her hair in "horsey tails." She is a very kind girl. She is usually considerate and recognizes when someone is sad. She also keeps me on track making sure I'm being nice. If I get a tone or I don't say something very nice she usually response by saying, "Don't say it like that, that's not bury nice. You made me so so so sad." She's my little mommy. I am so grateful for her, and for the loving, obedient girl that she is.

Oh my Baden boy. He is getting to the point where he is not a baby anymore... he's not quite there yet but it's coming. He's 11 months this week, and he has taken his first few steps 5 in a row! I can see his fiery personality coming out more and more. He is a happy one and is always smiling. He is not one to fuss and is usually really good, and fun! He LOVES his Kya girl and is laughing most of the time they play together. Is just like Kya and will drink water but not milk out of a cup/sippy/bottle. Is a pretty good eater and will usually out eat Kya in most cases. He is a pretty big momma's boy (as he should be) but when daddy comes in the door he couldn't care less about me. He is such a boy and tries to figure out how things work. Baden in so loving and so fun. I couldn't have gotten luckier to get both of these great kids.

Halloween

Here it is our Halloween post, I'm a little behind in what I want to get posted but I will hopefully get it all up soon. Halloween is one of my favorites I love the season, dressing up, carving pumpkins, and love candy. It's my kind of holiday.

In the morning Preston made pancakes, he dyed them orange and made them shaped like pumpkins. By the time I thought about getting a picture of them everyone was about done eating them, so oh well you can just picture how great they looked! Preston is the one that makes the pancakes at our house because I STINK at it, I know it's weird... I can bake and I can cook some pretty amazing things but pancakes are not my specialty!

Then we carved pumpkins before Pres went to the ASU game.

He left while I was still in the middle of my pumpkins and the kids were bored of it. Mainly because Kya didn't like getting goop on her hands. So they were inside the house playing. After a while I didn't hear them. The reason why? Kya had let them both out in the front yard, while I was in the back. And I found them playing in the Oleanders... yeah you know the poisonous ones. Not to happy, but look at how much fun they were having putting dirt, leaves, and grass all over each other, the porch and in their mouths!

Halloween night we had a block party with our street. Then went to my parents to show off the costumes and to tricker-treat in their neighborhood. Kya 'got it' this year and I think got the most candy out of all of the cousins. She even cleaned out the neighbors because they let her pick, well she took the rest of their candy and they turned off their light while we walked away. She really did have a blast. Kya was the cutest Cinderella, and Baden was Batman, Preston was a snowboarder and I was totally 80's. We had fun this year.

My Testimony: What I Believe and What I Know

I wrote my testimony down in my journal a couple of years ago but I wanted to do it again. I want to write it again without looking at the past one first to see how it has changed. I’m so grateful for this knowledge that I have and feel so privileged to have a testimony of the true gospel. I also feel so blessed with everything that I have, but especially for great parents that raised me right and taught me how to find my own testimony, how to feel the Spirit and to love the teachings of Jesus Christ. Lately I have been realizing how abundantly I truly have been blessed throughout my whole life. I do not wish to take any of that for granted. I grew up in a good family with health, love, and so much support. I always had all that I needed. I still am continually blessed now. I have Preston, my sweet husband, who is more of a blessing than I could have ever thought possible. We fit together so well and I’m so blessed to always have him, for time on earth and for all eternity after death! I have two kids that are such a joy to me, and have completed me. And with all of these great blessings in my life I truly feel of my Heavenly Father’s love for me.

With that said I will share my testimony of things that I know. These things I have come to know by my individual experiences, and through the Spirit that I can feel.

As the scriptures teach, I know that I have a loving Father in Heaven. I know that He has a body. I know that He has a son Jesus Christ who is separate only in being but just as loving. I know He is my friend and my Savior. I know that He lived here on this earth, and died for each person, and for me. His atonement is so real and so personal to me that I almost can’t express it. I know that His atonement makes it possible for me to return to Him and my Heavenly Father’s presents. I don’t know how it works but I know that it does. I know that His atonement fills the gap of ALL of my short comings, in all areas of my life. When I have sinned, but also for my everyday things that I can’t do on my own… THAT is His atonement present in my life. Christ’s atonement is everything to me. I know that when I make mistakes that through His atonement I am made clean, and I am forgiven. I also know that there is a third member of the Godhead, which is the Spirit. I feel of his comfort and peace in my life. The Spirit does not lie and speaks peace. I know that by listening to the Spirit of God we will always be safe.

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true. As I have grown older I have found an even deeper hold on that statement. The Church is true! The principles taught are good and I have tested them and I know that as I add to the good I am doing my roots in the Church will only get stronger and deeper. I know that it is the same church that Christ established on the earth in his day and restored it in our day through the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Which leads me to Joseph Smith, I know he was called of God and that he was a true Prophet. I know that he received an answer to his prayer and truly did see Heavenly Father and Jesus. I feel that he is one of the greatest men that ever came to earth. I know that he did what was asked of him by God. I know that he translated the Book of Mormon, and am so grateful for it’s pages. I feel so much for the Prophet Joseph, my heart is so full of all that he did for this church and for me. I’m so grateful for the chance that I had to go to Nauvoo, a Latter-day Saint historic city that the members of old founded, I feel of his spirit there. What a great man he was.

I know that there is a Prophet on the earth today who is also called of God. The prophet on the earth today is President Thomas S. Monson. I know that he is directed from God and is a good man. He gets direction from Heavenly Father for us, for the whole Church. I know that listening, and doing what the prophet directs will protect us and help us to be better people. I have felt that in my life even when I have done the small things that have been asked. I also know that there are other apostles called and I love and support them. I can feel of their greatness when they speak in conference and I know they speak the truth. It is wonderful to know that God has a prophet on the earth today to lead and guide his church just as he did with prophets of old like Noah, Moses, Peter and others.

I know that Heavenly Father created this earth and has provided a plan for us. I know that I lived with Him before I came to earth and that I will, if faithful, return to Him again. I know that my family is forever. I know that by being sealed to my sweet husband bound us together here on earth and also through the eternities. I know that families are of God, I feel that very strong in my own home. I know families are part of the plan of God for us. I know that I was sent here to be a mother. I know of the responsibility and divinity of being a righteous woman here on the earth. I stand as a witness of my Heavenly Father. I feel of my role and know that my Heavenly Father knows ME individually and personally and loves me. I love him and hope to show that love through my actions throughout my life!

I have a testimony of service, oh how I wish I could be engulfed in it every hour. I am grateful that as a mother I have that opportunity to serve my family. I know that service blesses my life and I love the spirit that I feel.

I know that prayer is our avenue to heaven. I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayer and answers them. I know that through prayer we are able to talk directly to God. I know through prayer we come to know our Father in Heaven better and we are helped through our trials. I know that prayer lifts us up, strengthens us, and changes our hearts.

I know the scriptures are true. That the Bible testifies of Christ, and so does the Book of Mormon. I feel of the spirit of those great men that went before, who’s lives are on the pages of the scriptures. I feel of the truthfulness of their words and am grateful for a record of their lives, which were dedicated to Christ. For the examples and testimonies that were left for me to learn and to grow. I know that reading the scriptures each day blesses my life. I know that by reading them I become better each day and am blessed.

It is wonderful that God has asked us to build temples on the earth today just as he did in Bible times. Temples are a holy place that allow us to worship God. I have a testimony of the temple and how it blesses my life. I know that it is a sacred place. It renews my soul and makes it possible to return to my Heavenly Father. I am so blessed to live near one of Gods Holy Temples. I feel of its power and peace just being on its grounds, and feel connected to the heavens within its walls.

I know that we have come to this earth to experience life, to experience trials. I know that through my trials I have become a better person and for each trial and experience I have learned exactly what I have needed to learn and grow in specific areas in my life. I have grown closer to my Heavenly Father and know that going through my trials was exactly what I needed to be stronger. I would never live through them again but I would never take them back, because of the closeness I feel to my Savior and my dependence on Him.

I know of these things and the reason why I KNOW them are through prayer, asking and receiving a confirmation through the Spirit of these things.

all pictures found on Google image.

More Things I Love...

It's kind of become a tradition to go down to the pumpkin patch with the Stapley's, so we went down and had fun looking around. Baden is such a cute little boo!

Loved looking at the chicks!

Baden liked driving on the tractor.

So I've been wanting to deck my house out with Halloween decor but a little short on the denaro. So this is what I came up with, I love it. I used white lunch bags, black construction paper, string, glue and tape. Kya helped, I had cut out different eyes and mouths and she picked the type and where it would go on the face. So fun! Now we have ghosts in our house!

Made Baden some leg warmers, so festive. And so cute!

Oh my silly girl!

Last night the kids were taking a bath, Baden was trying to stand up as usual. I was trying to keep him from standing by putting my hand on his chest. Kya thought I was pushing him so she looked at me scowling and said, "Mommy don't push him that's not nice, you say sorry right now!" I'm glad I have Kya to keep me on track!

I Love October

October is one of my favorites. I love BOOing people. So we've been making goodies to take BOOing! We made my favorite cookies on the first day of October to start our BOOing! Kya helped and we both enjoyed making them!

Naps around here are still in the in between stage. Baden NEEDS two naps but doesn't want to take one. But if I set him down in front of Blue's Clues he's out. This is a normal site at our house! And as I type this very minute he has just now fallen asleep on the floor!

I've been being a little crafty too! I found this on Little Miss Crafty Pants, but I Mod Podged mine I think it looks so cute! I'll give more details later.

Oh so many more crafts I want to do lately, anyhoo, that's what I've been up to.