I am thankful for ...

The Gila Valley Temple! I am overjoyed that I can drive to the temple, do a session, and drive back home in the time that it would take me to drive TO the Mesa temple. We are blessed.

My family-all of them. Especially my mom. She's the one I thank the least and she does the most for me. She is SUPERmom-now SUPERgrandma :) She is the most unselfish person I know!

FRIENDS! What up?! I love these guys! (And all the other ones not in this picture) Friends have helped me become the person I am today. I have a good group of them that have been there since preschool. I LOVE FRIENDS!

Crazy times! HAHA-sorry Kamala. This IS one of our better pictures!

Photography and the beauty that I see through the lense of a camera.

The Gospel. You know what Gospel means? Good news! That about sums it up. It's the best news! There are so many things to be grateful for in the gospel. Temples, families, the atonement, the plan, Heavenly Parents, a Savior, repentance, prophets, eternity just to name a few.

Doctors. They bring these sweet kids into the world and take care of them in their first few hours of life when they are so fragile. I am grateful for Dr. Tran for delivering Brooke and Braden, Dr. Bryce for helping with Braden, Dr. Damron who decided to fly Braden to TMC just incase, and all the doctors and nurses who took care of our sweet baby in the NICU.

MY KIDS! Brooke is the light of my life. She really is my best friend. She is attached at my hip and although it gets frustrating sometimes I wouldn't have it any other way. Braden is the most smiley happy guy. I love to make eye contact with him and just smile. Although he gave us quite a scare in the beginning he is so strong and healthy now. I love these guys and my future children more than anything. It is crazy how much love you can have for someone!

I saved the best for last...hehehe...

JAROM!!!

What can I say? It might sound a little corny but he has made me complete! He treats me like a queen-although I don't always treat him the same. He is forgiving. This is what drew me to him most when we were dating. He's a hardworker (owning a business)! He is a great DADDY! I remember the first time he picked up Brooke and called her his baby doll...he just melts my heart! Aww...

I LOVE YOU!

Oh happy day!

Brooke peed in the potty today!

She trickled in it a couple months ago but I didn't stick with it.

Hopefully this time I will and we can get her out of diapers!

This is a picture of her right after she did it. She is telling her dad the good news!

Early Thanksgiving Yum Yum

Here are some pictures from the early Thanksgiving we had this weekend.

Deal of the century

I just have to let everyone know that I got

a bag of candy corn for 13 cents at Walgreens!

WWHHHAAAT???!!!

The Natural Man

I got this email from my mother in law this morning. It is regarding the "protect marriage" proposition in California. http://www.ldsmag.com/ideas/081110hate.html It is written by a police officer who is also a member of the church. As many of you know we voted on Prop 102 here in AZ which like prop 8 in CA states marriage as a union between man and woman. Thankfully it passed.

This article talks about the huge demonstrations going on outside the LA Temple in opposition of prop 8. The author brings up many feelings of anger, sadness, dissapointment that he and others felt as they witnessed this scene. He mentions people in support of the proposition receiving hate mail, vandalism, and the saddest of all; some women in tears were removing the protestors signs from the temple grounds. Apparantly these women were not LDS and while they were removing the signs, the group began to beat them to the ground.

While I was reading this article I could feel a variety of feelings brewing inside. Saddness, hate, amazement, wonder, fear. But then as I continued to read I realized what the author did. We are all children of God. Those in opposition are my brothers and sisters. Should I feel like beating them to the ground too? The natural man in me sure does, but the daughter of God is stronger and suddenly I feel so different.

I am reminded of something that happened to me back in 2005. I went to the Easter Pageant at the Mesa temple. There were protestors there as well. Shouting obsenities and getting in verbal arguments with members of the church with everything from Joseph Smith to the Temple and so on.

I went over to see what was going on, just a little curious waiting for the program to start. I saw this one protester- a very large man with some of the most awful words written on his sign. I listened as members of the church picked fights with him-each trying to be bigger and be "right." I was kind of ashamed of both of them. Although they were gathering a big crowd which seemed to feed their egos and arguments even more, I felt so sad inside. Suddenly I decided to do something I was not at all prepared to do, and to be honest, quite scared to do.

I said a little prayer and approached the man. He looked like he belonged in the WWF, had anger in his eyes, and obviously knew I was a member of the church. He looked like he was ready to squash me like a bug!

I stood in front of this giant of a man and said hello-

He said hello back and in his eyes, it was like we touched gloves and were ready to start throwing punches.

I said, "I love you."

"What?!" he replied.

"I love you and I hope you feel that. I don't know what you believe, but I believe that we are brother and sister. All of this is crazy. That's not what matters though. What matters is that I love you and I hope you feel that." I was a little teary and as I looked in his eyes I saw that he was also.

He said "Thank you"

and with that I stepped toward him and we exchanged a small hug-both completely taken back by what had just happened.

We both wished each other a good night and separated.

I returned to my blanket to watch the program. I don't really remember much about the rest of the night as what I was feeling in my heart was something I had never felt before. I had never felt that kind of love for a complete stranger.

Stranger he was - here on earth, but I know our spirits spoke to each other and it was beyond anything earthly. As I stood outside the Home of my Heavenly Father I felt like I had stepped into a little bit of heaven on the earth. I know that that experience was something we both needed. I felt like that man was now my friend. In the short 2 minute conversation we had, I learned to love that man. I was actually sad when I walked away knowing I would probably never see him on this earth again. I felt like I do when I go visit a good friend and have to leave.

I don't know what happened to that man. He may have gone on the rest of the night fighting and arguing. But I know what happened to both of us for 2 minutes of that night. I know that I now look at strangers different. I don't look at them with my eyes-but with my heart.

I know that that experience was special. It testifies of heaven and our spirits. That we lived before and we will live after this life. I wonder if that man and I were friends before this life and that is why we were able to share that experience.

I have people very dear to me on both sides of proposition 102. It is something that both sides feel very strongly about. I am sad that it has to be such a divided topic and I am VERY sad that it has to come down to people desecrating the Holy Temple.

However, I have learned a great lesson once and I am re-learning it as I write this blog and as I read that article. We are all children of God and when we are off this earth, we will feel that love for each person we come in contact with. If only we could feel it now-how much would change?

So if you made it all the way through this story-I challenge you to try it out. Say a little prayer before you face the giant protestors of the day. Whoever they may be in your life: your boss, your spouse, strangers, the walmart clercks and their long lines. Love them. Don't just love them in your heart, but let them know that you love them. They have their own giants too. You may never see them again, but what you feel will stay with you and them forever.

Whether you are "Mormon" like me, whether you believe that we are truly brothers and sisters, whether you believe in God, heaven, temples-it doesn't matter.

Try it out.

You will never be the same...

Bored during nap time!

Rules are: Anything you have done has to be in bold. How much have you done?
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars (on a trampoline-not the ground!)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (If the one in Vegas counts haha)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (going in May!!)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (giving birth count?)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (well mostly... for seminary!)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (watched Jarom do it)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Braden Jarom

Sorry-I didn't mean to leave out the little guy!

Update

Hey everyone-I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures to get you caught up a little then I will start blogging.

We have had an eventful few months.

Braden was born August 18. To make a long story short he got Group B Strep. I tested negative for it at 37 weeks but when I had him 2 weeks later I was positive! Fun huh. Within a few hours we knew something was wrong. Within 7 hours he was flown to Tucson where he stayed in the NICU for 10 days (felt like 10 months!).

Jarom stayed by his side the whole time. Many times he wasn't able to hold him but he would still sit by his bedside.

I saw him for about 2 days and the other days I was in the hospital! I went back twice after I had him-never finding out what was wrong.

Brooke was doing good until she got her chickenpox shot. Don't be fooled-you can get the chickenpox from the shot! And we did! Luckily Braden never broke out.

Jarom, me, Brooke, my parents and brother and sister have all had the flu in the last two weeks but again Braden never got it! He is a fighter!

We are all doing well now and hopefully I will keep things updated on this blog.

Enjoy the pictures below. They are all random and in no kind of order-

Not the best pictures because they are from my phone

but I love them!

Andrea Stanley pics of Brooke at 3 months

Pics

Pics

At TMC

Braden's nurse had me make this sign to try and get the doctors to let Braden breastfeed. It worked!

His first few hours of live before we knew anything was wrong.

Proud to be a big sis?

When I was in the hospital my mom was watching them and they both started fussing. She set Braden down next to Brooke and this is what happened. They both immediately fell asleep.

Braden at TMC