Something We Shouldn't Do

Sadie was looking through Gary's phone looking for a picture to put on of me for my birthday. These are the pictures we came across and decided that we really shouldn't act out the nativity at our house. It totally doesn't bring the Spirit into our home on Christmas Eve. Enjoy the laugh!!!!!!

Baby Bentley

Brooke had her baby on Sept. 16. 6#9oz. She sure is a cute little thing. Brooke is doing amazing. She is such a good little mommy. I'm so proud of her and that the nursing is going so well. It is so different being the grandma and not the mom while having a newborn in the house. We had scheduled the shower for the 17th, but that didn't happen so we had it on the 24th. We are surrounded by such good people. I almost want another baby so someone will make me a beautiful blanket, but I guess I can just get my act together and make myself one. Thanks to everyone for making it so special for Brooke and showing her how many people love her.

Sadie's doodling:

View from labor/delivery room:

New Mommy and baby:

Taylor Brown & Kodee:

Home:

Proud Grandpa:

Even Bentley is happy to be here.

Great-Grandparents:

Happy 23rd Anniversary to Us!

It is so weird to think of where we were so many years ago. I didn't realize where I'd be at this point in my life, so I'm just going to list some of the changes that have taken place.

I didn't know that we would have 7 of the most beautiful children.

I didn't know that we would be grandparents already...we're still young aren't we?

I didn't know of the joy that comes when you take a child to the Temple.

I didn't know that we'd be living so far away from where we were raised.

I didn't know that we'd be so overweight....we can still fix this!!!!!

I didn't know that Gary would have already had a heart attack.

I didn't know that I would be so much more in love than I was on our wedding day!

It's amazing that we still feel so young and yet it is such a deeper love than I ever thought existed. I'm so grateful that families are forever. Thanks, Gary for the years behind us and the many ahead.

Easter

The kids don't really get to enjoy searching for eggs until after church on 9 a.m. years, but they do peek at what the Easter Bunny has left them. It is getting a lot less dramatic around here, but the girlies still enjoy it quite a bit. The rest of us just enjoy the fruits of their labors...we all love creme eggs! Here's a couple of pics of the girls and their stuffed animals and playing around like bunny rabbits.

Facing Reality

I have a lot of catching up to do. I have just been dragging my feet because there seems to be so much to write about. A lot of it brings up so many emotions that I have been really avoiding it, not that it is anyone's business, but for my posterity it should all be out there on the table.

Just as we were getting used to the idea of having a son-in-law, we found out we were going to be grandparents. I had such a hard time trying to sort my feelings of joy over the good decisions that one daughter was making while struggling to make sense of the bad choices another one was making. I wanted them both to feel loved, not just for their choices but just because they were my daughters. I also didn't want all the attention taken away from Jordan on her wedding day. I had to take one day at a time and just let things take their course. We've come a long way. This is how Brooke looks today:

Almost 8 mos.

It's kind of hard not to say how cute she looks. We sit on my bed at night watching Criminal Minds and feeling the little baby girl inside her move around. It is still hard to know what the future holds, but back in December I was afraid of losing my daughter forever and though we have had a rough 6 months, I feel like I have her back. A lot of the conference talks reminded me that our trials refine us, make us stronger, teach us to be humble and help us on our path to become more like our Savior. Isn't that what this life is for? My daughter having a baby isn't the end. There are still eternal goals to be set and lessons to be learned and good times to be had. We just have to endure some of the bumps on our path of life. And right now we are looking forward to seeing this sweet baby girl that has helped my daughter see that Heavenly Father knows what is best for each of us.

P.S. Thank you to the wonderful people that have surrounded us, lifted us and eased our burdens. Your prayers and words of encouragement mean more to us than you will ever know.

A Forever Family starts here:

We've been so busy with wedding business that blogging about it just hasn't been a priority. We are having a hard time figuring out how we got from this:

to this:

in such a short time. It feels like this was us just yesterday. Only I feel like our love is so much deeper now.

Gary drove out to Maryland with Brooke, Sadie, Trevor, Blake and Mckenzie while Kodee and I flew with Niki. They had lots of adventures including snow and 90 degree weather in the same day, while I got to visit the airplane restroom 3 times on the way to D.C. Kodee thought they were pretty cool. Me...not so much. Gary took the kids to the Smithsonian, the zoo and we all went to the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. The boys went to the International Spy Museum and from Trevor up went to the Holocaust Museum. We enjoyed having Natalia hanging out with us for the week. I'm pretty sure she went home to her family and told them how goofy we all are. It was really a lot of fun.

It was so nice to stay at Kevin's parent's home. We were hoping to play hide & seek but were sure they might call off the wedding due to our weirdness. It gave us a chance to get to know the family that our daughter will be a part of. It was so rewarding to see their whole family in the temple together and something that we are so looking forward to some day. What an awesome sealing ceremony. The spirit was so strong and I could feel their posterity surrounding them. I'm sure that I have only felt a portion of the joy that our Father in Heaven feels as an eternal family is formed. It has been hard to realize that my baby is not coming back to my home again, but it is a lot like sending your child off to kindergarten. I thought that it would get easier with each one, but I still cried (and occasionally still do) when I took #6. I know that they were meant to be together and that they make each other happy. When my kids are happy, I am happy! The day was so beautiful even with the rain and I am grateful that I have taught Jordan to be a strong individual and to follow the promptings of the spirit. I am also thankful for the man that Kevin is. We tried so hard to get him to say some silly comments for her bridal shower but he wouldn't have any part of it. He even got emotional and you can just feel the love he has for Jordan. When I get sad about having to let go of her, I feel peace in knowing that he cares for her. I think of where Gary & I are today and realize that I would never want to take the opportunity from my kids of having the joy I feel with my eternal companion. I truly am learning more about how Heavenly Father feels about us every day.

Congratulations to the beautiful/handsome couple.....Dad says almost as good looking as we are!!! May you have eternal happiness always!

Cross Country Skiing

Sadie and Trevor both had the opportunity to go with the Young Women and Young Men in our ward (not together). Sadie went on Feb. 4-5 and Trevor went Feb. 11-12. Gary didn't go with them because he had to take a weekend in both Feb. and March for soccer tournaments and then the time off that we will need in April for the wedding. They both had a blast and we are grateful to such good leaders and friends that spent the time with them.

Sadie's pics:

Trevor's pics: