8 is GREAT!

I was blessed to have a wonderful father. So, since it's 2011, I thought I'd share 11 reasons why my dad is great! 1- My dad is a great example of learning. He finds something he's interested in and learns all about it. 2- My dad is a people person. He's not afraid to walk up to a complete stranger and start talking to them. 3- My dad is a righteous man. He is such a great example of one who serves the Lord. 4- My dad is a funny man. He is the world's best punster and although I roll my eyes, it's endearing. 5- My dad loves the outdoors. I love camping and hiking with him. 6- My dad loves children. My kids feel his love for them whenever we're together. 7- My dad is a hard worker. He spends many hours helping my mom around the house. 8- My dad is an explorer. He loves to travel and experience the world around him. 9- My dad is a peacemaker. He tries to keep family relations close. 10- My dad is a worthy priesthood holder. I have benifite...

Today, Jason and I are celebrating our 14 year anniversary. In some ways I feel like I've been married forever. In other ways the time has completely flown. I look back at our pictures and think, "We were so young...and naive." We really didn't know each other at all! Now here we are 14 years later...with 6 kids, 2 dogs, a lot of bills and even more love. It's been a crazy roller coaster ride with lots of ups and downs. Of course no one wants to focus on the downs, so...I'm going to write a favorite memory from each year that we've been married. Warning: this could get kind of sappy. : ) 1- The look! You know...the look that Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy gives to Elizabeth Bennett. The look that makes women swoon...Well, I remember getting ready for the reception on our wedding day by playing the piano and I turned around to see Jason, giving me "the look". That moment is burned into my memory. 2- This was the year that our roles were reversed...

 We have a new addition to our family!  She's a Chiuaua/Maltese mix. Her owners gave her the name of Jessica but we'll probably change it. We just can't agree on the name. So far we have Jesse, Jessita, Daisy, Droplet, Blossom, Little Smokie....     She's pretty feisty and holds her own with Minnie. (Sorry about the blurry picture. It's hard to get 2 dogs to hold still for a picture). They actually have a lot of fun together and Minnie is very gentle with her. Just because of her size she gets privledges that poor Minnie doesn't. I mean a 120 lb. dog just can't fit into our bed or laps. She's full of energy and snuggles. We love to having her in our family!

This past week Kamary participated in the school talent show. I was very proud of her for facing her fears by trying out and then following through by performing in the talent show, even though she felt a little insecure and nervous about singing in front of people. She did a great job and I think it was a positive experience for her. There was a technical difficulty and I couldn't upload the video of Kamary singing. I'm going to try again later...so stay tuned.