Past 2 months

About the middle of January we drove down to Vegas to witness our little nephew Conrad be blessed. He was so peaceful & handsome.















A few weeks ago Mark went skiing with some friends from our ward. I had to take a picture because I thought he looked so funny. No offense hunny, but you did. You still look handsome though.

The rest of the pictures of just random moments of the girls like Eve drenching her whole head in apple sauce. So not fun to clean up by the way. I love my girls:)



















Eve just cracks me up. The things that she says and does leaves me thinking "are you serious?" I love my emotional, sensitive yet fun family:)

Soul Surfer

My dear friend Mica has invited me to read this book called Soul Surfer. I finally was able to find some time to read it yesterday. I started it in the afternoon and was finished with the book by the evening. What can I say I enjoyed it. I'm sure most of you heard of the 13 year old surfer girl in Kauai who got her whole arm eaten by a shark. Well her story impresses me. I just think it is amazing that such a young girl has so much love & faith in God not only before the attack but AFTER. I can't but help and think of the scripture in John chapter 9 verses 2&3 when the disciples ask the Lord about the man that was born blind. "saying, Master who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?" the Lord's response strikes me "Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents:but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." As I read her story it was quite clear that God used Bethany Hamilton to manifest himself. Her devotion to spreading the love of the Lord and wanting to be a missionary is very tender to me. It's a miracle that she lived to tell her story. I think God preserved her life to share her experience in hopes to bring more people to worship him. I'll be honest after reading that book I started to get scared of the ocean again. It's so weird! I'm here in Utah and overcome with fear of sharks. I'm no where near the water and I had nightmares of sharks. I have a few fears in my life and one of them are sharks. I have a hard time going in the water with out being worried that I'm going to be attacked by a shark. I admire all my friends that have no fear and just go! Yah Ashley I'm talking about you. I will never forget the time we snorkeled from bikini beach to the point. I probably peed in the water like 5 times. At different points of that adventure it was about 30-50 feet deep. You swam all the way to the bottom of the ocean floor to retrieve my roxy red watch. I'll be honest I didn't love it that much to swim for it, but I loved you for it. I just kept thinking you were so darn brave! There are many stories that I feared my life while swimming in the water. How do you guys do it? How do you swim with no fear? Does it ever cross your mind at all? Or am I just crazy? Seriously I want to know. That invitation is extended to all you all. Anyhow I just think Bethany is full of a lot of faith to even return to the water after a shark attack. I wish I can live my care free days when I was younger and didn't worry about stuff like that. My Pop's would take my sister and I beach hopping and we would go body surfing pretty far out. I didn't care at the time I was having to much fun. It's weird there are certain people I can swim a little further out with and feel at peace, knowing with confidence that I will be okay and that's my mommy and daddy. Oh yes and Chanelle. With my parents I feel that they will protect me with Chanelle I just feel one with the earth and everything is in perfect harmony. Weird but true. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I really need to overcome this fear. Especially if I want to build my home there someday.

Thus Far....

To My Darling Eve Mahealani (2yrs 3mon.): I still remember the moment I first saw you! Your eyes were wide open staring at mine. The connection was REAL and long awaited. You left me with battle wounds from head to toe as a result of your pregnancy and birth and I still currently suffer from them. You were a ferocious eater and always needed to be attached to me. Oh how I craved an ounce of sleep and just a moment to myself to take a shower. You made me stretch spiritually! I had to rediscover who I was and who I wanted to become. You were so STRONG and continually amaze me of your physical strength. Trying at such a early age to pick up my dumb bells and push tables and chairs around. I think you were only 11 months. I loved how you uttered my name first. Gosh darn it, I deserved it! It's so funny how you are literally blossoming in front of my eyes. You started off with jet black curly hair and now it's almost blond. You disliked water up until 4 months and now you're obsessed with it. It doesn't matter the temperature, color or smell you seriously love it. You have always been a good eater and always scored in the high 90's(percentile) for your height. I still remember witnessing your first REAL tantrum on the kitchen floor when you were about or around 14 months. I didn't think I could ever console you! It was at those times I wished I was still nursing to just stick my boob in your mouth and call it good. I love being astonished of the new things you're learning and the phrases that you say. I appreciate you handing me the scriptures telling me to read them. I love hearing you sing even though you don't know all the words and hum most of it. I love the way you randomly point to the temple replica and shot "Temple" to grandma Vega on the phone. Someday hunny she will clearly understand what your spirit is trying to tell her. I love how you pretend you're sleeping as you hear my footsteps coming down the hall. I love how you would sing or say anything for grandpa on the phone for a piece of dark chocolate. I'll never forget the first time you wore your snow suit and just thought the snow was evil. It's crazy to think you ever hated it because I have such a hard time getting you in the house because your face is on the ground eating it and rubbing it all over your hands. You crack me up when you got to poo, you love to hide behind large objects to keep your privacy. You went from ripping up books and pulling the binding apart when you were less then a year to reading them and protecting them from your little sister. I love how you're a great helper. I leave diapers on the ground and you pick them up and throw them away with out me even asking you. You love to feed your sister with the bottle and by spoon. You're such a little mommy that I adore so greatly. I love how you do all the steps of potty training except the major one of releasing urine or feces on the potty. but you do a great job sitting on the potty, wiping and washing your hands. I love how you call your father by his pet name. It cracks me up! Although daddy doesn't think it's funny so try not to say it to much. Just enough to make me smile. ex// "Markus poo" translation Daddy I pooed in my diaper can you change me please. I will never forget when we went back to Hawaii when you were 19 months and the joy that filled your face as you played on the sand and splashed in the water. I didn't want to go back on that plane. Not only because the beautiful things I witnessed on the island with you on the canvas but it was miserable being on a plane with you. I will never forget the flight attendant who tried to kick us off thinking we had the H1N1 virus because you wouldn't stop screaming for hours. Don't worry hunny I'll never bring you on a plane again with out drugging you first. You are such a delight! There are so many Ying and Yang experiences that I always want to remember. It's the simple things that tickle me pink with you. Thank you for your sweet, wet kisses on my cheek. Thank you for letting me hold you when you're sad, happy, upset and excited. Thank you for the sounds you make whenever I make a meal for you. "yummy mommy! Hmmmm!" You make me feel appreciated. I love dressing you up for church and putting clips in your hair. I love seeing your curls fall down on your back. You're lovely! and you're my little spiritual, active, fun, and gorgeous princess. Ahhhhhh I love you so much!

My Pledge Today & Forever

Tears are streaming down my face as I watched and heard the many stories of children dying because someone was talking on their cellphone. Or the mother or father who died and didn't make it home to their children because someone was texting while driving. It breaks my heart to hear these tragic stories. It's a STUPID thing to do! Talking and or texting while driving is equivalent of having 4 beers and driving. The percentage increases by 80% that you are likely to get into an accident. The call can WAIT! That text can WAIT! I have precious cargo in my car and I want to LIVE! I want my family to LIVE! I want YOU to LIVE!


HERE ON OUT,I PLEDGE NOT TO TALK OR TEXT WHILE I'M DRIVING!

P.s. Check out www.focusdriven.org & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPSpKZpEHLQ