Rexburg Rapids-Day 1 of our Summer trip to Idaho

Umm....

This is what our kids do for "fun". Should we worry?

Bella is 12 (technically not until Sept 16th but we celebrated early).

Can you believe it?  Two 12 year olds in our house.  What is it going to be like when they are both 13, 14, 15?  Ugh.  I'm nervous to even think about it!  Ryson turned 12 in May which seemed like no big deal.  Bella turning 12 however is freaking me out!
I'm not sure what the difference is, I think it's just that she seems so much older when I say that she is 12.  She will be going into Young Women's, she wants high heels, she wants to start wearing makeup.  It seems there are just more changes for 12 year old girls than boys.
In our family we refer to our kids this way:  Zak, Ryson and "the little kids".  Well, Bella no longer seems to fit in "the little kid" category.  She's crossed over to the other side.  haha
She is such a HUGE help around the house.  She is maturing every day.  I can't even remember the last time she had a bad dream or a fit over having to clean her room.  Now we find her sitting at the desk in her bedroom doing homework (without even being asked) she doesn't argue when asked to help clean or run upstairs for the billionth time because we've forgotten something.  She just does it.
This year she just asked for "money" for her Birthday.  A sure sign that she's getting older.

Happy Birthday!  We love you!

7th Grade

I took the day off for Ryson's first day of 7th Grade.  In the past, I've gone to work on these days and I sit at my desk and feel guilty and left out because I am missing the first day of school.  I don't think Ryson cares much, but for me, it was fun to stay home and watch him anxiously get ready for his first day of 7th Grade.
He laid all of his clothes out the night before, had his backpack all ready to go with this printed class schedule laying out where he wouldn't forget it. (He fogot it and Dad had to jump in the car and catch him before the bus left).

We are so lucky to live in a neighborhood that has so many boys his age.  It's even better that they all get along great.  I drove Ryson down to the bus stop so I decided to make them all take a couple of pictures while I was there.  Luckily none of them are 'to cool' for pictures....YET.

GOOD LUCK THIS YEAR BOYS!

Temple Baptisms

Ryson turned 12 in May.  Now that he is 12, he is considered a 'Young Man' at church.  This means that he now gets to pass the sacrament, attend activities with the 'Young Women' and participate in Baptisms for the Dead at the Temple.
The day after he came home from Utah, he had the opportunity to go to the Temple for the first time.
I can't believe how grown up he is!  He loved every minute of his experience and talks about it all the time.  He can't wait to go back.  It's always nice to see your kids enjoy activities that are good for them!

To Zakery: Sometimes decisions must be made in faith. You are loved.

Your Body Is a Gift

Your Heavenly Father has given you the opportunity to have your spirit and mortal body united at birth. It is a great gift, essential to your progression. Just knowing that should make you want to care for your body and avoid drugs, other harmful substances, immorality, and abuse or neglect. Part of that attitude of caring for our bodies should be to recognize that tattoos and body piercing are driven by the whims of fashion.

President Gordon B. Hinckley addressed the fads of tattooing and piercing:

“Now comes the craze of tattooing one’s body. I cannot understand why any young man—or young woman, for that matter—would wish to undergo the painful process of disfiguring the skin with various multicolored representations of people, animals, and various symbols. With tattoos, the process is permanent, unless there is another painful and costly undertaking to remove it. … A tattoo is graffiti on the temple of the body.

“Likewise the piercing of the body for multiple rings in the ears, in the nose, even in the tongue. Can they possibly think that is beautiful? It is a passing fancy, but its effects can be permanent. Some have gone to such extremes that the ring had to be removed by surgery. The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve have declared that we discourage tattoos and also ‘the piercing of the body for other than medical purposes.’ We do not, however, take any position ‘on the minimal piercing of the ears by women for one pair of earrings’” (Ensign, Nov. 2000, 52).

Since “by the Spirit are all things made known unto the prophets” (1 Ne. 22:2), we should trust in their wisdom and counsel concerning the sacred nature of our bodies and avoid potentially harmful side effects and future regrets. Equally as important, our personal spirituality will flourish if we make such far-reaching decisions based on true principles and not the pull of fleeting fashions of the world.

He's FINALLY back!!!

Ryson flew in from UT last night at 7pm.  He had some friends that really wanted to go with us to pick him up.  9 weeks is a LONG time to not be involved with your buddies. We told Ryson that his friends couldn't come to the gate so they had decided to stay home and just see him when he got there.  They snuck up on him at baggage claim and they have been all smiles ever since.  

We ordered pizza on our way home.  It was there about 2 minutes after we pulled in the driveway.  The boys ate and then went and partied in the hot tub and Jake's house.  They were doing cannon balls and belly flops.  I think there was more water on the ground than there was in the hot tub.

It was SO nice to have some noise/chaos in our house once again.  We had neighbors over, people were showing up to try on basketball warm ups, the boys were running in and out, we had 3 dogs running through the house, life is getting back to normal...



I've missed this!!