Happy Halloween

King twins and Haynie twins...I can't wait till they can play together!

Oma, Opa, Shauna and us.

HAYNIE FAMILY

What better way to celebrate halloween then to visit a grave yard?? I'm sure Landon and Lydia would have loved halloween too. They would have been at the perfect age for dressing up and trick or treating.

I personally don't like halloween. But, I love how much kids love it. And so...ENJOY my sugar high dragon boy!

So many choices...

A little pre-halloween fun! What a goofy kid Elliot is.

Utah's first Snow

I guess Elliot forgot how cold snow is because all he wanted to do was PLAY! Notice, he has a boot in his hand, but not pants or boots on his body. What kind of mother am I?

Happy Snow Day!

An average sunday afternoon

I was in the mood to take pics and what better time then on a rowdy Sunday afternoon during a full family wrestling match.
I loved catching everyones expressions. I didn't have time to edit any of these photos, but figured if I took the time to do that it would be another month before they made it to the blog.
I sure love my family. THEY ROCK!

Diesel & Brooklyn

My mom

Sharli & Mckenna

Tyrali

Sharli

Erin

Andy

Mckenzie

T.J.

Derek, Carter and Tanner

Whitney, Elliot, Carter and Hayden

Somehow Whit and Diesel were the target of all the wrestling. That's probably why they're the favorite Aunt and Uncle. :)

Fall is in the air

The picture screams fall to me. A coat on, wind blown hair, and a small cold weather tear resting on his eyelid.
I love fall. It is by far my favorite season. The changing leaves, the changing weather, the upcoming holidays, the fresh start of a new school year, sweaters and hats, socks and gloves. It all warms my heart!!

We are throughly enjoying our stay in Utah. There is nothing like being surrounded by family during my favorite time of year!

I just finished a photography class with the guy who took our family photos last January (the pic on our header) The class was awesome! It was a great way to learn the basics of my camera.
Here's to quality picture taking....now I just need a photoshop class to refine my editing skills.

This was taken before the class, but I still love this shot.

WELCOME HOME ELDER DAVIS

I LOVE YOU!!

Wonderful Weekend

The First Presidency of the LDS church

I'm not sure if there is anything better then relaxing on the couch with a pen and journal in hand, listening to the most inspiring and inspired people on earth. What a breath of fresh air. I have always loved General Conference, but this weekend I was especially moved. There was so much good information and so much that applied directly to my life. I have so much to work on.

There were several themes that seemed to stand out to me.

#1 LOVE. This seemed to be repeated and repeated in every way and in every aspect of our lives. From loving our spouse and kids to loving our neighbors to loving God and understanding His love for us. Dieter F. Ukdorf said...(I'm paraphrasing) What we think, what we do and what we LOVE is the person we become. What do I spend the day thinking about? What do I spend my time doing and who and what do I love???

#2 SERVICE. "What did you do for someone today?" - President Thomas S. MonsonI really want to start asking myself, my husband and my son this question at the dinner table. It should be something I'm spending my time thinking about. "Mans greatest happiness comes from loosing himself for the good of others." -David O. Mckay.

#3 THE BOOK OF MORMON IS THE TRUE WORD OF GOD.

Jeffrey R. Holland's talk was so powerful and moving. The spirit consumed me and testified to me that what he was saying and what I already knew and believed was TRUE! Christ's true church that he organized while on the earth was lost with the death of his Apostles. There had to be a restoration of his gospel and that was completed through a man named Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ. He was commanded by them to translate a book that is a second witness of Christ. It would work with the Bible to declare Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. What a wonderful blessing to have more instruction from God. I know this book is true. I feel wonderful every time open it to read and study. I know it changes lives for the better and has certainly changed mine.

#4 PRAYER

Direct access to heaven is better then any modern technology we have today. Through prayer we can accomplish a testimony of all of the above. We can recieve personal revelation and be a tool in God's hand to better the lives of people around us.

#5 REVELATION

Modern day revelation exists because GOD LIVES. (Russell M. Nelson's talk) God and Jesus Christ reveled himself to the prophet Joseph Smith because this is his ONLY TRUE CHURCH on the earth today. He actively guides his church today. That is why our church is called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

#6 Parenting ("Intelligent use of agency requires knowledge of the truth."), Family, Consistancy, Recognizing the Holy Spirit, Integrity, Self Control....I could go on and on.

Such wonderfully inspired leaders of our church. I hope I can review my notes often and be better today then I was yesterday.

If you haven't watched conference yourself yet, go HERE.

91 years and counting

Happy Birthday to my Grandpa Larsen who just turned 91 years old! This man is so wonderful! He's full of one line jokes, goofy songs about the garbage mans daughter, and endless gospel doctrine.

He's known for his encouragement in creating large families and finding a way to support your family by being our own boss. He's generous, kind and loves so deeply.

His profession was a Urology Physician, but his hobbies were a huge part of who he was. He did everything in his power to make his family happy and succeeded.

His legacy continues to live on as we cheer him on to his 100th year.

Here's to you Grandpa and all the ways you have shaped the person I am today!

I LOVE YOU!

Bye Bye Binkie

While we've been dealing with his previously noted sleeping issues, I thought it would be a great time to get rid of the binkie too. I'd rather not visit Utah again with the curse of the binkie. Actually, I've loved the binkie - probably more then Elliot. It's the only way to get him to sleep when we're anywhere besides home. It's the calming mood setter on the way home from a busy day. It's the security blanket that fits in your pocket. Can you tell this was hard on me?

But, we did it. You can read the journaling for more info on the wonders of the "Binkie Fairy"

So long best friend. I guess it's time to grow up. :(