All you need is love!

Okay, hands down to whoever can figure out these blog designing things, I tried to do something new.........and screwed it all up.......and I'm sick of working on it...so this is it for a while. Terri, I'm going to need you to design something for me again...you're amazing!!!
BUT--on to my post!
Life is hard. I called my mom crying the other day, because I just wanted to give up. And I knew she could help me put things into perspective (she always does, even if it comes down to her telling me I'm "bitchy")But, I'm thankful for our conversations, they keep me strong, and remind me who I am, and that I can do ANYTHING. Me and my mom like analogies, and I made one up, and maybe that was why I was drawn to my blog design......here's my analogy.......
My life is like a tree.....and the things that I am dealing with right now are only affecting the leaves on my tree. I still have my branches, and my trunk, and life will NOT take those down. I'm so thankful I have a husband who loves me, and children who are healthy. And that's all there is to it. That's all I need---and life --as far as you go. You can't get me.....I'm strong, because my mom said so! So go bug someone else's leaves!!!

Newport Beach

Click here to view these pictures larger

Spoke too soon

Dear Blanklet,
Last night Aislee was trying to be so brave, she tried so hard not to cry when she asked for you at bed time. She finally broke down. I cried and held her while she cried herself to sleep. This is harder than I thought. I feel like we've lost a person, you became a part of our family. We really miss you. I hope your not too cold and lonely wherever you are.
Love, Aislee's Mommy

Dear Blanklet

Dear Blanklet,
I'm writing to you because we've lost you, again. This is the second time, but this time I don't have a good feeling about it. In Newport, Aislee was having so much fun, she just wasn't paying much attention to you. I remember laying in bed our last night and thinking I hadn't seen you that day and that I needed to remember to find you before we packed up. Well, I forgot, and about an hour or two on our drive home, Aislee in a panicked voice yelled...." WHERE'S MY BLANKLET?" Me and Bri just stared at each other knowing neither one of us remembered to find it before we left.
She's been fine. She asks for you every night, and every night we tell her we haven't found you. She hasn't cried.....yet. I've called every day to see if the resort has found you, and every day the lady tells me...I promise we'll call you if we found it. Do they know I can't just go find you in a store??? Did they ever have a favorite blankey? Do they have children with favorite blankies??? If so, I'm SURE you would've been found by now.
I cried about you the other night, I miss you. I miss you for Aislee. I miss you because I fear that this is going to make her grow up that much faster. I know that I've let her hold you every night since she was two only because it kept her little. You keep her little, and small, and young.
This time I want you found not for Aislee, but for me. I thought on the Newport trip that as soon as we got home I was going to put you away, so I could give you to her when she was older, and she could remember how much she loved you! I'm so heartbroken. Please come back.
Whatever corner you're in, come out. We need you. Aislee needs you. I need you.

Aislee's Mommy

And I also LOVE.......

And if you haven't seen the trailer for New Moon, look here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYBF3HKzrmE
I'm already depressed and have a knot in my stomach because of how Edward leaves....but I do have to say...Jacob's muscles might make up for it.
I seriously can't wait!!!!!

Newport Beach

Julie just emailed me this pic, and I had to post it. Brian had no idea we were taking it, and I love it! I love my husband, he's so cute. And I LOVE my family! We had so much fun at Newport Beach with the whole fan-damly. Thanks so much Mom and Dad, we appreciate EVERYTHING!
I'll post more pics soon!

I LOVE my HUBBY!

Me and Bri were having a moment just now, where I looked into his eyes, and just was so thankful for him, and how really meant-to-be we are for each other. For a moment, I forgot all his weaknesses, and just loved him. Then I remembered everything about him, and I told him how well-balanced he is. And how much I LOVE that!!!
These are the reasons I love my husband!

He's annoying, except for sometimes he doesn't bug me.
He's so freaking sexy, but doesn't have a six-pack (he said 'yet')

He's smart, but ridiculously foolish.

He's strong and brave, but afraid of spiders. (he still doesn't admit it though)

He's mature, but still I categorize him as a child in our family.

He's so sweet, and other times ruder than the devil. (ok, not that rude)

He knows politcal things, which is boring when he needs to talk about it, but I'm thankful he knows who the hell everyone is talking about, so he can explain everything to me!

He's so sensitive, actually nevermind. He was the first month we were married!

Oh, and did I mention his muscles, they are freaking awesome, and there's nothing wrong with that!

Really it just comes down to the simple fact that

He's perfect, yet always wrong!!

I love you Brian, wouldn't change anything about you, except for when you're bugging me!

You're my bestest friend in the whole wide world!!!!!!!

Bestest Friends

Presenting Aislee and Avery!!!

These two little friends were born 2 weeks apart. They had their first birthday party together and have always been such good friends. They were separated for a couple years when we moved to Pennsylvania, but a couple weeks ago we got them together, and they picked up right where they left off! These cute little girls put on a fashion show for us and had so much fun, giggling the whole time!! Linds-you sure have raised such a sweet daughter! We LOVE her!!

I present Aislee and Avery's fashion show:



Love the leg warmer Avery, and the wig looks marvelous Ais

Ready for the Prom!

Had to Brag!!

I just had to post this on my blog. Stole it from you Ju!!! This is my little nephew Bremen (pronounced..Bray-min) He is Jade and Brad's little boy! LOOK AT HIS EYES! Aren't they amazing???
And of course, the photographer, Julie Burton, my sis, is amazing at taking pictures--her key to success--she's a natural and she LOVES doing it!
So proud of you sisters!

Women's Conference

Sad cause we got the gross acai frozen yogurt and Linds and Jode got the good stuff

Ash, Jode, Liz, me, Bev, and Linds (my other pic with Neeley in it didn't upload..try again tomorrow)

opening session-Jode, Linds, Bev, and me, ready to hear it!!!!!!

Where do I start???

Me and my girls from highschool went and stayed in the BYU dorms and attended Women's Conference. So fun, and amazingly uplifting. It was exactly what I needed. So fun to catch up on all my friends and hear the latest, and so great to hear messages about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, on marriage, on being a mother, on making a home a safe place, on being content with life and all it's struggles, on missionary work, and on our Savior. From the first session to the last, we totally felt such a strong spirit, and knew this was what we all needed to be hearing. I feel so lucky to have been there to hear all the powerful messages. It was so fun to hear Elder L Tom Perry speak and he gave a lot of statistics on our church. Did you know that 80% of the world has had some type of information about our church, whether it be from a missionary, a pamphlet, a friend, the Book of Mormon, and only 30% of those who aren't members actually know what are beliefs are. He had a video that interviewed people asking them who the "Mormons" were. It was pretty sad to hear their answers. One lady said, I know they live in a community and do lots of crafts together.....one said we don't believe in Jesus Christ (if he only knew), one said that when the wives get older, they just get a new one. So sad, it made me want to walk the streets and ask if anyone if they had any questions.

We were in the Marriott Center for a lot of the sessions, and when all the 15000 women would sing, I couldn't help but feel the spirit, and know that God lives, and that he loves me, and that I cannot be without Him and my Savior. The words to "Now let us Rejoice" struck me the hardest. Knowing that WW Phelps wrote that song when the saints were driven from Jackson County Missouri in freezing cold weather, and some with no food or clothing. I can't help but feel so blessed for what I have, and for the knowledge of the gospel. I am so thankful for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I'm also so thankful for my friends! We had so much fun being together, feeling uplifted, going to dinner, shopping, and lots of chatting, and laughing!!!! Love you girls, can't wait for next year!!