Day 1

My FAMILY is here from Florida!!!! WOO HOO! It's a happy day.

Mostly we just do nothing, cuz being together is most fun. We made lots of plans, but now that they're here, we just play, eat and nap. Bella is obviously the center of most of the attention, but I don't mind. That just means I can take a shower when I please.

Today we hit up some yard sales, followed by the Ogden Farmer's Market. Juicy cherries, homemade salsa, artisan bread, and local antique artistry makes for a fun day. Next time we'll remember the stroller though!

Yesterday I gave them a taste of the popular Zeppe's Italian Ice and a joy ride around beautiful North Ogden.

Overjoyed upon arrival! They all dropped their bags and ran towards Bella. They were all cryin' , so I was cryin', then they cried some more...chain reaction with us women.

I had to show off my garden and my friend Jenny Jaggi, of course! (My garden is in Jenny's backyard)

We moved from their home (in Florida) in October of 2010, and our last visit was February 2011. They have been missin' their Bella!!!! And Bella has been missin' them...when I ask Bella to hold my hand, she says, "No...Gamm-ma", then runs to hold Grandma Judy's hand; and she always asks for her "Ant-Tees", and runs around like a lunatic chasing and tickling.

It's so fun with family!

Sealed for Eternity

In case you didn't already know, I'm a "mormon". We don't traditionally call ourselves that - typically it's "I'm a latter-day saint". A more accurate title.

So this post may not mean as much to you, as it did me, if you aren't a latter-day saint. So here's a little background.

"Sealed for Eternity" means bound together by the authority of God (with the now restored priesthood authority that was once on the earth at the time of Christ in biblical time), and not just until death do you part. For eternity.

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being sealed in the temple is the crowning event most members strive to reach. It's not just "oh, I wanna do that" - it's I need to exercise faith in Jesus Christ, live a morally clean life, and make sacred covenants with God. It's not an easy path to live within the laws that God has set, but that's what makes it worth it. We are striving daily to have our natures changed, to be better and to be happy.

So on with my point. My wonderful neighbors and friends, Jeff and Nicole Byrne, were sealed to each other and to their children for time and all eternity yesterday in the Salt Lake Temple, and I was blessed to attend such a special time in their lives. They were civilly married a few years ago, but now they are sealed together forever.

Me, Nicole, Jaimee, and Ashley.

It was a sacred and beautiful ceremony and I am so blessed to know them. Thank you Byrne family for sharing your light with me and all those around you! We love you!

I was reminded of the day I was sealed to my family in the Atlanta Georgia temple in 1998:

Then again the day I was sealed to my eternal best friend, Tyrone, in the Denver Colorado Temple in 2005! (Still looking for that picture!)

Water Girl

Watering my flowers I started from seeds! They are finally blooming!!!

Strawberries.

My tomato plant from seed. Miraculous I didn't kill it.

First cherry tomato! So precious.

Girls camp

I ADORE my girls in my church calling. Young womens is where it's at!

We hang out once a week during activities, and once a year, we have girls camp.

The purpose of girls camp is to help the girls draw closer to their Savior and realize their relationship with Him can be personal.

The theme of our camp this year was "Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful".

We learned from our guest speaker that being our own kind of beautiful means loving ourselves the way we are, with the beauty and talents we have been blessed with.

Jaime Capener brought three bouquets of flowers - one dozen roses with a daisy in the middle, a bouquet of wild flowers, and a bouquet of daisies with one rose in the middle. Sometimes we are the rose in the middle of a bunch of daisies, wishing we had what the daisies had. Jaime then pretended to be the rose, and plucked some of the petals off, and added some daisy petals to the rose.

She asked us if the rose looked like the daisy, and of course, it only looked like a rose trying to be something it was not. She then quoted Judy Garland,

" Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else"

Before our hike, we wrote something on a rock we wanted to get rid of in our lives...and symbolically, we threw it off the hill we hiked.

Kyraya is such a fun and goofy girl! We were happy she was able to come to girls camp with us!

Testimony night around the fire was amazing.

Overall, girls camp was like a glimpse of heaven. All of us girls laughing, loving and having so much fun together!!! I wish it was girls camp ALL the time!

Flaming Gorge Trip

The drive to Flaming Gorge was BEAUTIFUL!!! Luckily I just followed Mykel who was pulling the big red boat, so I could enjoy the ride. Bella was such a trooper!!

On the side of this blue bucket Bella is sitting in, it warns against letting children play inside it. Parent of the year award?

The first night in our tent she said, "No house (refering to the tent). Mobee (movie), Eat" She didn't like the idea of living without her precious TV. Boy, have I created a monster!

One day, because of the heat, she slept in her diaper in the pack-n-play under the canopy. I couldn't believe how well she did considering the noise and wind! Again, what a trooper!

Bella became one with nature as I couldn't get her to keep her clothes on. Ugh! I finally just gave up. That's my "NAKEN" girl!

Bella adores her cousin Bryan, and I think the feeling is mutual. Bryan was such a help to me with Bella.

I got to hang out with many of Camille's family (my sis-in-law) while there. Mama Collett, Shane, Yvonne, Yarnell and Kelly came out, and it was fun to get to know them better. They are fun and awesome people!!!

Bella's Grandma Bev and Grandpa Rouel came out, too, and that was nice to see them.

My awesome bro-in-law Mykel made sure we were all well entertained by taking us boating, and wake boarding each day. Man, my neck meat was BEAT! Yowza. Need to land softer next time. Thank you Mykel for your endless accommodations and for your kindness.

Sunsets were always a beautiful sight. As evident, we made the most of our sunset light.

We always had plenty of delicious food to eat. Camille, my sis-in-law and friend, like always was a wonderful hostess and cook. With help, she made sure we were well fed and having a good time. Thanks for everything and for making me feel like part of the family!

All of the cousins had a blast together!! Bella especially loved having so many buddies. Loryn, Aubrey and Bella were so cute together.

We made them a swim area, since there was no beach front for the kids to play on. The water was a little chilly, but of course, made it work. Bella was the ring leader and would holler, "Ready! Set! GO!" Then all three would jump in the little boat/pool at once.

There's nothing like a good camp fire.

Life jacket + humming boat = stabilized sleepy 2-year-old.

Despite wind and rain on a daily basis, it was an extremely memorable trip. Bella was a super trooper, survived without her luxuries and endured tent life.

Good times.