The Flossin' Crossens

Ginny Mae’s First Christmas

2012-01-04T15:20:00.001-08:00

Here She is in her first Christmas outfit!

Don’t let my lack of blogging fool you. I have been very good at taking pictures of all her latest milestones. Her smiles, lifting her head up. I plan on getting a video of her rolling over and sitting up…

I know I want to squeeze the one in the middle

Here she’s wearing her new empress shoes from Patrick and Ping. so cute!

Here she is in candy cane dress with her first Christmas ornament and a toy from Aunt Ann Marie and Uncle Larry.

And NOW for the main event. As a very special Christmas present, here is Ginny Mae’s crib. This crib has heirloom value. This crib was given to us by Dan’s parents and through Dan’s hard work, it has been renovated into this adorable bed for his baby girl. so sweet.

And Uncle Patrick came to visit us this Christmas. While he spent the week with us, he painted this for Ginny Mae on her crib. We call her several nick names and Monkey Mae is one of them. What a sweet uncle huh and what a wonderful gift for her first Christmas from her daddy and uncle.

For New Year’s we went to visit Dan’s parents in Spokane, WA. Now they’re only 5 hours away. Here is Ginny Mae with her Grandma Crossen. Wow she must love Grandma!

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. It is so wonderful to be parents. We are loving every minute of it.

Look for more update posts on Ginny coming up!

What a Cutie Pie!!

2011-11-08T17:23:00.001-08:00

Ginny is becoming so responsive. Dan and I love to see her smile, coo, and talk to us.

Monkey Mae

2011-10-28T15:04:00.001-07:00

Ginny Mae 2 months old. 10.28.11

Halloween Spectacular!

2011-10-23T14:23:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone!

Well since we won’t have any trick or treaters this year again cuz we live in an apartment, our church ward isn’t having a Halloween party, and this is Ginny’s first Halloween so no trick or treating…

We had to find a reason to dress up this year. So thank you Ann Marie for inviting us to your annual Halloween party! The decorations were so fun! Loved it!

Our Lil’ Pumpkin!

Michael, Jessica, Nicole- my cousins

Wow you give me nightmares… haha

Ginny Mae visiting the Crossen Clan

2011-10-23T14:05:00.001-07:00

SO on our trip up to Washington state, we stopped in Provo for a day and were also able to visit with Dan’s side of the family.

Below is Great Aunt Nancy and Uncles Steve & Darrold

Great Grandma Crossen

Fall & Pumpkins in Sumner

2011-10-07T11:00:00.001-07:00

Watch out for those crazy Miami Drivers!

aka gords

BOO!

I’ve never seen so many pumpkins in my life!

Seriously! Lots of cool old trucks.

Dan posed for me in this giant cornucopia.

Fresh WA farm produce

Geez! Look at the size of these cabbages and apples! Do Washingtonians use steroids or is it just in the soil?

My 1st Real Corn Maze

Now I understand why they say “The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye” haha wow it was so tall and thick, like a corn forest.

The Cow Train! For you mom

Below very cool painted pumpkins.

Flashbacks from the past Month

2011-10-07T10:42:00.001-07:00

Since we moved to WA state with our newborn, life has been crazy. Mom has been bugging me to post so these next two posts are for you mom. Enjoy!

4 Generations! Can you believe it?

Ginny with her mama’s side of the family! :D

Ginny with her Great Grandparents.

Aunt Andrea

Great Aunt Mary Ann

Ginny’s First Bath

Whew that was stressful, glad that’s over. Dan and I do it now as a team. Hint to new moms: I have discovered it calms them down a lot when you put a warm wet wash cloth on their tummy. I also pour warm water over her body throughout the bath. She loves it. Thanks for the help mom… she took the pics while I bathed…

Ginny’s Blessing Day

2011-10-07T10:32:00.001-07:00

So tiny!

A big thank you to Janet and David for flying out special for Ginny’s blessing day. It meant so much to us having you there!

The Many Faces of Ginny Mae

2011-10-07T10:11:00.001-07:00

SO CUTE!

Special Thanks to Ginny’s aunt Emily. She made her this adorable sweater just in time for fall in WA!

This last one is one of my favorites- so curious.

Virginia Mae Crossen

2011-08-28T16:13:00.001-07:00

Born August 18th 2011 4:36am

6 lbs 9 0z, 19 inches

SO CUTE!

"Hello World" by Lady Antebellum

Traffic crawls, cell phone calls
Talk radio screams at me
Through my tinted window I see
A little girl, rust red minivan
She's got chocolate on her face
Got little hands, and she waves at me
Yeah, she smiles at me

Our First Day as a Family:

Mommy, Daddy and baby Ginny Mae

Hello world
How've you been?
Good to see you, my old friend
Sometimes I feel cold as steel
Broken like I'm never gonna heal
I see a light, a little hope
In a little girl

Preggo Pics:

(Above 5 months;

Below 8 1/2 months)

Hello world
Every day I drive by
A little white church
It's got these little white crosses
Like angels in the yard
Maybe I should stop on in
Say a prayer
Maybe talk to God
Like he is there
Oh I know he is there
Yeah, I know he's there

(Above) Audrey on oxygen, IV’s, blood pressure and heart monitors- the works! whew…

(Below) Dan cutting Ginny’s umbilical cord

Hello world
How've you been?
Good to see you, my old friend
Sometimes I feel as cold as steel
And broken like I'm never going to heal
I see a light
A little grace, a little faith unfurled
Hello world

Vital Statistics- being weighed, measured

(Below) Dr. Stephen W. Thompson: my doctor and my mother’s doctor. He delivered my two youngest sisters. No relation… :)

Sometimes I forget what living's for
And I hear my life through my front door
And I'll be there
Oh I'm home again

We’re both smiling… awww

Hello world
All the empty disappears
I remember why I'm here
Just surrender and believe
I fall down on my knees
Oh hello world
Hello world

The Proud Parents! yay!

Ginny’s collection of Dental outfits, perfect for a dentist’s daughter. Thank you Amber! They are the cutest, most creative onesies ever!

Welcome baby Mae! We love you!

Baby Girl 23 weeks

2011-05-06T06:24:00.001-07:00

This is our baby girl at 23 weeks 2 days. Isn’t she beautiful? And she’s so strong. I’ve gone through so much physically so far in this pregnancy but she has remained healthy through it all.

So the 1st pic below is a profile view of her cute lil nose and lips. She’s gonna be a hottie….

Another profile pic below but I love this one cuz it shows her head and especially her little hand.

Cute story: When we were doing the ultrasound last time, every time the sonographer tried to get a pic of her face, she would cover her face with her hands. So eventually we had to trick her and take pics of other parts and then really fast come back to the face, and we got one! haha She’s smart…

I really like this pic below because she’s about to suck her thumb. Yea you see the thumb? That thing about to go into her mouth! haha So cute.

(Below) Just so there’s no confusion the doc labeled it for you all… haha

Another funny story about the above pic is that the sonographer kept commenting on what a cute bum the baby had and so naturally I said “I guess it’s genetic.” She laughed so hard she had to stop the ultrasound for a second. haha

Here’s a pic of her spine and the best pic we could get of her whole body.

So we can’t decide on a name. We NEED YOUR HELP! We have two potential names. Please place your vote and help us decide.

Your Voting Options:

1. Virginia Mae (Ginny Mae) and yes we know Harry Potter’s girlfriend is named Ginny haha

2. AdaMarie (first name, no middle)

WICKED

2011-04-08T08:30:00.001-07:00

So in honor of Dan’s graduation, we decided to go to the Broward Performing Arts Center to watch the off-Broadway musical “WICKED” depicting the Wicked West of the West from the Wizard of OZ.

It’s all from her point of view. The music, costumes, and plot were amazing! We absolutely LOVED the actress who plays Alphaba (the Wicked Witch.)

Dan & I have seen many musicals & we both say this one is the BEST we’ve EVER seen. We HIGHLY recommend it. They are traveling ALL AROUND the country so if you can catch them, DO IT!

Dan’s Graduation Part 1

2011-04-08T08:14:00.001-07:00

Dun Dun dun dun dun dun….

Dan graduates May 29th 2011 from Nova South Eastern University with a Doctorate in Dental Science. I just wanted to let you all know how proud I am of my husband. He has worked 8 years to graduate from dental school. It has been a long, hard road for both of us & I’m so so proud of him!!

He will graduate with Honors from being in the top 10% of his class. Go Dan!

Loss

2011-03-09T12:16:00.001-08:00

I usually don’t share personal things online but I have learned that healing comes in many ways. I hope by sharing my experiences that I can help others dealing with similar loss.

Yesterday, at 15 weeks, I went to the OB and learned the genders of my two babies. A fraternal boy and girl pair.

Sadly I also learned that my baby boy did not make it through the week. This is the 3rd baby I have lost since Dan and I were married in 2006. We do not yet have any living children. The baby girl is still ok.

Jeremy Camp

There Will Be A Day Lyrics

“I try to hold on with everything I have

But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that tries to grab

The many trials that seem to never end, His word declares this truth

That we will enter in this rest with wonders anew

I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings

That there will be a place with no more suffering

There will be a day with no more tears

No more pain, and no more fears

There will be a day when the burdens of this place

Will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face

But until that day, we'll hold on

I know the journey seems so long

[we] feel [we]’re walking on [our] own

But there has never been a step

Where [we’ve] walked alone

Troubled soul don’t lose your heart

Joy and peace he brings

And the beauty that’s in store

Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings

That there will be a place with no more suffering

There will be a day with no more tears

No more pain, and no more fears

There will be a day when the burdens of this place

Will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face

But until that day, we'll hold on

I can’t wait until that day where the very one

I’ve lived for always will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced

To [heal] the scars from a life of shame and misery

O, this is why, this is why I sing

There will be a day with no more tears

No more pain, and no more fears

There will be a day when the burdens of this place

Will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face

There will be a day he will wipe away the tears

He will wipe away the tears

Girls Camp Countdown begins… 7 days

2011-03-08T05:13:00.001-08:00

Now that I’m starting to feel better at 15 weeks, I can concentrate on my Stake Girls Camp calling. I have been way behind because all I wanted to do was lay down and drink ginger ale haha. But I am so happy.

This year our theme is IRON Young Women Hold to the Rod. We are focusing on Lehi’s dream and the Tree of Life. We are so excited! We’re doing High Cope, a Tree of Life experience complete with a lit up Tree, as well as tons of fun activities like water fights, Tomahawk competitions, canoe races, and ward impromptu skits.

Since this is my last year as the Fort Lauderdale Stake Camp Director, I plan on making it the best yet, despite the fact that I feel so pregnant.

Speaking of being pregnant, they say with twins you’re body grows faster/feels more intense and you feel like you’re farther along than you really are. Dan says even though I’m only 15 weeks, 3 1/2 months, I look much farther. We’ll see what the OB says today! :D

Diary of a pregnant woman’s husband…

2011-03-06T13:51:00.001-08:00

For those of you who may have missed our big announcement, Audrey is pregnant…

with twins!

So it is incumbent upon me to keep up the blog, as Audrey’s time is now largely spent between eating and being nauseous. Any time she has left over is spent preparing for girls’ camp.

One of Audrey’s friends told her that a woman’s brain shrinks during pregnancy, then returns to normal afterwards. I told Audrey that can’t be true, as your brain really can’t increase in size after about age 2.

While there may or may not be any truth to it, Audrey has definitely started to say and do some odd things lately. I’ll spare her the embarrassment of any specific stories, but it’s fun to watch her go red.

For those who are interested in minor details instead of fun embarrassing stories, the babies are due in August and we will be finding out the genders in a little over a month.

More to follow!

Rodeo

2010-11-29T12:46:00.001-08:00

Yee Haw!! Hey Ya’ll!!

Dan and I at his first concert! Can you believe it? A country concert by Gretchen Wilson… haha

Country Rock. I could get used to this…

Well since Dan and I live in Davie, FL, the South Florida center of all things rodeo, we decided to join up. We went to our 1st rodeo together.

Dan laughed so hard as I screamed at the men riding the bucking broncos. I thought they were gonna die! geez

It was fun. I loved the country music and the food. But not so much the cold (it got down to the 50’s) or the smells haha.

I am 28…

2010-11-29T12:32:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone

so shocker! we took pics of my birthday! Dan really did make it great for me. He somehow bought me balloons without me knowing- which if you know me it's super hard to surprise me.

He made me a home-made velvet cake, helped me buy some new snazzy running shoes, and made me a special breakfast and dinner. How cute is that? :D

Here's a pic of my new shoes! I went running this morning. LOVE THEM LOVE THEM! It's like running on air. Thanks Dan!

Experience the real Florida keys…

2010-08-25T12:41:00.001-07:00

So now it was my turn to teach Dan something new again.. we headed down to the FL keys and I took Dan snorkeling in the ‘big blue’ for his first time ever!

We spent 2 days in Key Largo’s John Pennekamp State Park. The FL Keys is the world’s 3rd largest coral reef, absolutely gorgeous and so unique!

Dan said he didn’t realize snorkeling was so easy, the flippers esp. help make it easy! You just float around, kick to go somewhere and follow amazingly cool fish as they eat coral and swim.

We saw 2-3 feet parrot fish, blue french angel fish, and the blue “Dorie” fish off Finding Nemo. We saw five 3-4 feet barracuda, giant lobsters, and many other schools of fish. It was such a cool feeling swimming into a school of fish- feeling their currents around you, watching them systematically divert their swimming patterns around you like music.

We also went snorkeling at the State Park beaches where they have old Spanish canons. It’s good practice cuz it’s way shallow at parts but deep enough to dive if you want and practice before going out into the ocean. ;)

Do you see the lobster?

Afterwards we went to Key West with my parents. My mom’s posted all the historical sites we visited. But we also went snorkeling again at Higg’s beach in Key West along the pier. And I saw a Lion Fish. Whew! It looked like a sea urchin so I got about 1 foot away to get a better view. It was upside down and side ways eating the coral, as it turned around and faced me it was about 1 foot long, then add its poisonous spines… And no I didn’t get a picture because I was busy screaming and backing up as fast as I could. My dad and Dan heard him and came over. My dad did the same thing I did- got close enough to tell what it was and backed up, yelling haha. We had a blast!

Next snorkel adventure is Bahia Honda State Park! Wanna come?

Just a boy and a girl in a leaky canoe…

2010-08-25T12:28:00.001-07:00

Have you heard the camp song above? Well dan, I and my parents experienced what this song feels like a few weeks ago. Dan and I enjoy teaching each other new things, so since I taught him/got him to go white water rafting, he’s been teaching me how to canoe. So we decided to go canoeing in Jupiter, FL and invited my parents to come along- lonely empty nesters you know…

We had a great time till we realized that my parents’ canoe was leaking… whoops! :( Here’s a pic of dan and dad dumping the water out.) So we tried to make the best of it and switched canoes with my parents after we had already paddled 2 miles down the river.

It was so peaceful and beautiful. It is Florida’s wet season so the man-made waterfalls on this river were flooded so that was lame but we enjoyed the rustic nature of the river complete with fallen trees, bridges and other obstacles.

Another time when we were emptying the water out of the 2nd canoe, Dan and I decided to climb out on a fallen tree to have a picture taken… well what do you think happened? Take a look…

That’s right.. we decided to jump in haha! no…

Of course I lost my balance and knocked Dan in with me, but it was way fun. Too bad mom was too far away for me to pull in too… And of course dad got it all on camera. thanks dad ;p

North Carolina

2010-08-25T12:12:00.001-07:00

It was beautiful. Just look at that view! Dan and I have always thought of NC as a perfect place to live so we went to visit western NC in May. (We took a kodak and water camera so just now got it developed haha).

We climbed several mountains, did EVERYTHING on the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway, and stayed with our good family friends, Merle and Marty Share.

It was so nice staying with them. Merle was my primary teacher in church and they always tell us such fun, old stories about our family. ;) Thanks again for letting us stay with you! We had a wonderful time!

And I didn’t take a picture sadly but the view we had from our bedroom window in their house was amazing. I opened the window that first morning because I couldn’t believe what I saw. The mountain view with the clouds and sun were gorgeous. Then when I opened the window and smelt and felt the beautiful mountain air, heard birds and a running river, I felt like I was in heaven.

The Shares went with us to a local park near Asheville, NC. It was raining so the park and all its gardens were pretty much empty. We enjoyed it so much. We walked all the trails, talked all about botany. But our favorite was the bonsai garden. It was amazing to see all these miniature trees and gardens made from real trees, dwarfed down to 1 ft. tall- maples, oaks and even willows!

We also went white water rafting! It was Dan’s first time so I took him on the low-intermediate level and sat him in the front. He loved it and is ready to go again on high intermediate! The river was gorgeous and so fun.

We were heroes that day too. A raft behind us with 8 people went backwards over a class 5 rapid, 6 of the 8 fell out and began floating down the river. Dan and I put out our paddles and brought 2 of them on board our raft. They were all perfectly safe- lucky that they were rescued before next big rapid. Awesome adventure!

Here’s a pic of their empty raft. whoops ;p

And below here’s some more random photos we took on the trip while adventuring on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Temple Service

2010-08-23T05:18:00.001-07:00

We went to the temple this weekend. It was hard to get there but Dan and I have made a family goal of going to the temple every month. And we have been greatly blessed for it.

It was our first time chaperoning in the baptismal area together. I had done it once as a YW leader but that was with a family ward. This time Dan was the branch presidency rep for our group. When he walked up to the Temple desk to check in, he said "We're here for our 1pm appt in the baptistry." The attendant said "ok, just step to the side then and we'll wait for your leader." Then Dan said "I am the leader." Well needless to say the man didn't believe him. He thought Dan was just another YSA trying to be funny. So we waited ten minutes for all the YSAs to get there, then Dan approached the man again. This time another temple worker was also standing there. Dan said 'I am a member of our YSA branch presidency, and my wife and I are chaperones for this group today." Well when they saw me, haha I don’t think that helped Dan's case too much. But they finally allowed him to start filling out the forms for our group. They collected cell phones. That is a new rule too.

But it was fun and such an enjoyable experience serving the YSA in the baptistry. I served as a matron. Several of them were doing family names for the first time. It was wonderful to see the light and happiness in their eyes as they were baptized and confirmed for their ancestors. God truly is a God of mercy and justice, allowing us to have temples again on the Earth, just like in the days of Adam or Paul. I can’t wait to go as a chaperone again!

Reading is a way of life

2010-07-13T09:38:00.001-07:00

Well as anyone knows me I absolutely love reading! I guess I take after my Grandma Wampler in that regard. I also have an affinity for historical fiction.

Right now I am reading the following books and each has made such an impact on my life:

We are reading Lord of the Rings together- love it! This is the 2nd series of fiction books I have ever read. Can you guess the first? That’s right not TWILIGHT…. but Harry Potter. My kitties Fred and George are dan and I’s constant private joke… it’s always so funny when I tell people my cats’ names and they say oh weird names… then later, randomly they get it and haha hilarious!

I am also reading lots of religious books that keep me close to God and help me so much through all our family and personal trials… and we all have many.

Old Testament

Family Proclamation Textbooks: Helping and Healing our Families; Strengthening our Families

Domestic Violence Books

Right now for my English 315 class I am writing a research paper on Domestic violence. I have read several books and articles now on this subject and I have learned so much!

Here is a list of some of the best of the best I’ve read on this hidden American epidemic:

Shattered Dreams by Fedders

Men Who Hate Women and the Women Who Love them by Forward

I am reading several more. The statistics today are shocking.

Domestic abuse is not just physical; it can be emotional/psychological and even just verbal…

For your knowledge, here are some statistics below:

“It is estimated that 2 to 4 million U.S. women are physically abused each year and that domestic violence may occur in as many as one of every four U.S. families.”

McCauley, J. et al. (1995). The “battering syndrome”: Prevalence and clinical characteristics of domestic violence in primary care internal medicine practices. Annals of Internal Medicine, 123, 10, 737-746.

Table 1. Violence by intimate partners, by type of crime and gender of the victims, 2008

Total Violent Crimes Committed Against Female Victims

Against Male

	Number	Rate	Number	Rate
Overall violent crime	551,590	4.3	101,050	0.8
Rape/sexual assault	35,690	0.3^	101,050	0.8
Robbery	38,820	0.3^	--	--
Aggravated assault	70,550	0.5	40,970	0.3^
Simple assault	406,530	3.1	51,770	0.4

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey, 2008.

Institute "Feed Your Soul"

2010-07-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Brother McIlrath, our regional CES Institute teacher has asked me to be his substitute for the Nova (university) Institute while he is gone in Utah doing EFY for the next 3 weeks! haha what? yea so we are learning the Old Testament. And i was so excited to start this Institute class this year because that is the book I know least about... hmmm. We are on Genesis 27 this week. Any ideas guys?

I love attending institute as a married couple. We learn so much about the gospel! And we have other Dental couples who come too even with their adorable babies! Not a problem!

Ft. Lauderdale Stake Pioneer Trek 2010

2010-07-12T06:45:00.001-07:00

Check out the posts below to get a glimpse into our Trek experience. 3 days walking, pulling handcarts and sleeping out under the stars. We had to cook all our own food in iron dutch ovens and use the wide open as our bathroom…

This is my favorite picture of our Trek Family.

This was typical. Me and the kids hanging out, playing games, talking and dan working haha. ;) No really Dan was a wonderful Trek father and all our kids loved and respected him. He was a true mountain man, complete with hat, scruff and B.O. haha!

We had one afternoon of down time. It was so fun to have this time to get to know my kids.

Gathering for the Trek West

2010-07-12T06:41:00.001-07:00

The Kirkman Family

These are our Trek children, ages 14-18. We had 2 14 year old girls, two 16 year old girls, one 14 yr old boy, one 17 yr old boy and two 18 yr old boys…

I am stylin’ huh? Who said all pioneers matched? haha

Spiritual time: we had the kids read stories about their pioneer ancestors and record their feelings in their Trek journals.

Lots of buckets everywhere- all our our stuff had to fit into one bucket each. yikes!

We had the best kids ever! They were all spiritual and got so much out of this Trek experience. I feel so blessed to have been their Ma and treasure my relationships with them and the experiences we had together.

Pioneers Sang as they walked and walked and walked and walked and walked…

2010-07-12T06:19:00.001-07:00

I have never walked so long in my entire life! Once home I took several showers to get the caked layers of dirt off but it was worth it for the experiences we had.

“We became acquainted with our God in our extremities….”

I absolutely love this picture. Look at our reflections in the water. This photo brings back all the feelings and spirit of the Pioneer Trek for me- deep, powerful feelings that only the Spirit of God can give.

Do you see that bonneted young pioneer woman (pink bonnet, purple apron) pointing towards the river? Yea guess who? Yours Truly…

Here’s our Chillin’- 4 girls and 4 boys. Left to Right: Chloe Rampton, Sierra Wangeman, Taylor Brown, Allie Pratt, Devon Bartholomew, John Galleo, Ben and Sammy (my momma’s boys)

Here’s Dan and I talking to a reporter from the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper- giving our ‘Ma’ and ‘Pa’ perspective. A full page article on the Modern Mormon Trek was published in the Orlando and Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel Newspapers.

Here is our miracle tree- see story on Trek Journal on earlier post.

Pioneer Children sang as they walked and walked…

There’s me and my fam. haha I don’t even recognize me!

My sons- what hunks huh? ;)

Re-enactment of the Sweet Water Crossing. Our Trek Sons carried several young women across a canal and back to re-enact the courageous and powerfully inspirational story of the Sweet Water Crossing.

It was during a freezing winter as the last of the Mormon Hand Cart Pioneers were crossing this river. They were so frozen, physically spent and demoralized they could not cross. In their pioneer journals, they say they saw grown men crumpled to the floor crying as they saw this river and the ice chunks floating in it.

In the most loving act of service I can think of besides the Atonement of our Savior, 3 young men about the age of 18, carried over 200 people each across the partly frozen river. These three rescuers all died at an early age from this exposure to the elements.

When the prophet at the time, Brigham Young, heard of their loving sacrifice, he wept too and said that this act alone would grant them eternal life with Heavenly Father. I agree. As I watched my Trek Sons carry those young girls across, my heart filled with sorrow, gratitude and awe at the love that must have motivated those boys…

The WOMEN’s PULL

During the Hand Cart Pioneers Trek west to Utah, the U.S. government came and required all their able men to fight in the Mexican-American war. Their battalion became known as the Mormon Battalion.

While their husbands, sons and fathers went to fight for a nation, who at the time had deserted them and denied them their basic rights, these pioneer women continued their journey on alone to the Rocky Mountains.

I was so proud of my daughters. It was a moving experience for me. (Ma’s were not allowed to help push.)

Nights Under the Stars

2010-07-11T16:31:00.001-07:00

We spent two nights sleeping literally under the stars. It was the first time I had ever done that in my life. It was beautiful and I will never forget it.

Our Trek family of 8 slept on a tarp in our sleeping bags in the wide open. God was protecting us for sure because at night nothing crawled on me but during the day, I got scorpions, termites, giant centipedes, snakes, you name it!

Ok Kiddies time for din-din! MMMmmmm my favorite! Chicken broth! Yum!

Wakey-wakey! How would you feel the morning after sleeping out in the open, walking 13 miles the day before? Did I mention what I had for dinner last night?

Let the Pioneer Games Begin!

2010-07-11T16:15:00.001-07:00

Haha! Hi Chip munk cheeks...

Candle making just like the pioneers!

Hand Wrestling- Sierra Wangeman was really good, got to the semi-finals round for the two stakes :D

Chris Rincon, one of our Stake Presidency's daughters laid the smack down and became the Hand Wrestling Champ for the women! whew!

As you can see below I was quite impressed with her thwomping skills...

Our Son Johnny was bested by the Male Hand Wrestling champ (Trekky, another boy from our stake) but what a way to go! haha You can just hear the thud as he lands can't you?

Women's Stick Pull- here's one of our Trek Daughters, Taylor Brown and Andrea Rincon. They were at it for almost 10 minutes...

Our Son Sammy (in hat) put up a good fight...

And I did too I swear! haha I never let go of the stick during the pull, she pulled me right on top of her haha

Dan and I were meant for agile, swift sports, not sports built for bulk and brute strength... ;)

Kennedy Space Center

2010-06-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

We had a two week vacation this summer and on our way up to visit Marty and Merle Share in Waynesville, North Carolina, we stopped at the Kennedy Space Center.

It was amazing. Only $40 and we had a day at the Space Center complete with a full day of amusement park style attractions and rides along with great historical and scientific tours and artifacts. It was wonderful for us to see real rockets and shuttles, to experience a shuttle launch and feel the inspiration and honor of space travel.

My absolute favorite part was learning about all the science they have been doing on the international space station. They can grow plants in space now, experiment on drugs and diseases that couldn't be tested on earth because of gravity and other restrictions. They have found cures to various cancers and developed many new technologies from advances in space travel: from ear drums to roadway traction at airports, much of our nations best technological advances have come from the Nasa Shuttle Program.

It was awe inspiring and I encourage any who can to be there for the last two shuttle launches- one this year and one at the beginning of next year. These are the last two, because President Obama is shutting down the Space Shuttle Program. I hope our next President brings it back and the Nasa scientists can continue their great work.

Our Stake Youth Pioneer Trek

2010-06-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

well Trek was definitely an experience. haha wow we were exhausted in every sense of the word. And I had dirt on my dirt that was on another layer of dirt... I hope I can get those pioneer clothes clean...Unfortunately, to be realistic we were not allowed to be bring anything battery powered including cameras or watches.

But besides the exertion and the dirt it was a great experience and we will remember it forever.

Pioneer Trek is a 3 day reenactment of the Latter-day Saint Pioneers' Trek across the nation to pursue religious freedom. They walked, pulling hand carts on average 20 miles a day. Two of these companies, Martin and Willie, had some devastating delays and ending up in the snow and ice of Wyoming during Winter. Although many died, most lived and they have passed on their faith and love of God to us, their decedents. We praise and love them for their examples and willingness to sacrifice for the religious freedoms we now enjoy today.

Stories from my Trek:

We had 8 kids, 4 girls and 4 boys ages 14-18. And they were wonderful. We walked 13 miles the first day pulling hand carts with nothing to eat. The second day about 1/2 that and the third day half again. They gave the kids food on the second and third days.

The walking combined with looking after 8 kids, cooking with dutch ovens over wood fires out in the open w/o a tent covering was what exhausted me.

Plus it was 'that time of the month' if you all know what I mean and geez that didn't help having to use the bathroom outside in the open.

This was my first trek but I am so glad I went. I learned so much and grew in character. I used to admire the pioneers for what they did. But now I think I understand them better than ever before.

I felt a small taste of what they went through. And I know that it was their faith and love of God and nothing else that kept them going. I know now what it feels like to trek 13 miles in one day in the blistering sun through deep sand and mud. I know how it feels to want to cry from exhaustion. And I also know how it feels to pray to God for strength and feel the power of the Spirit give you the energy, strength and will you need to keep going. It was the Spirit of God that kept many of the pioneers alive and moving when there was nothing else.

I watched strong teenage boys struggle in tears, girls collapse or throw up on the side of the road. I shouldered two of my 'daughters' holding them by the waist and pulling them along for almost 3 miles when they were too dizzy and exhausted to keep walking by themselves.

One of our 'daughters' threw up and had heat exhaustion on the first day. We pulled over to the side, as the handcarts passed, and I asked my other 'children' what they wanted to do? We could leave her with the EMT truck or carry her on the handcart. To my surprise and joy they lifted her onto the cart and we moved on. It seemed to me the next 3 miles was the deepest sand yet and I watched them struggle even harder with her on the handcart without complaining. (Unfortunately Ma's and Pa's were not allowed to help pull or push.)

At one point on our Trek, all the boys and men left to join the Mormon Battalion (historically at one point in their journey, the U.S. government who had denounced the Mormons, asked these very same people to come serve in the American-Mexican War; the prophet Brigham Young prophesied that not one Latter-day Saint man who served in the war would die in battle; his prophecy was realized).

After my husband and 4 sons left, I had my just my four girls left to pull a cart outfitted for 10 people, two of which were only fourteen and small. Our Trek leaders chose the hardest part of the course, through the deepest sand. At one point, I was again shouldering one of my girls while I urged the other three on. By themselves, those 3 smallest of my girls ages, two 14 and one 16, were pulling our handcart through ankle deep sand faster than the Mormon Battalion, across the way, was walking. The women's pull lasted over 200 yards.

The most touching experience for Dan was the moving of a tree. The leaders had cut a giant tree down and it was blocking the road on purpose- a make-shift obstacle to get us to unload our wagons, pick up the cart up and over the log and reload them again. All the boys and men were called to the front and all 60 or so of them pushed on the tree and it didn't budge. Then they discussed options of what they could do. The Trek leaders whispered to the adult men to not help push if they tried again, that way the children would be forced to unload and reload their carts and their make-shift obstacle plan would work...

One of the teen boys offered the option to pray for God's help to move the log so they could continue on with their journey. He prayed a simple prayer. And Dan said he thought to himself, 'this will be a great learning experience for the kids to have to unload and reload their wagons.' So he did what the Trek leaders had asked, and along with the other adult male leaders pulled/or hindered the pushing instead of helping. But even with all the adult men hindering the teens efforts, on the count of 3 the tree flew in one great lunge off the road and out of the way. It was moved by just the few teenage boys that were left and hadn't already gone back to their carts. There was no way they moved it alone. There were 60 before, then 1/2 that left and 1/2 of those left were adult men hindering the process.

God moved that tree and taught everyone, including the adult leaders that simple prayers are heard and miracles do not cease.

It was beautiful to watch these teens come to know God in their extremities and I know that they and I will never be the same again.

How the Mighty Have Fallen

2009-11-10T05:25:00.001-08:00

As a personal disclaimer before I start, Audrey chose the title of this post. With that out there, here goes…

It has always been a fact of life that I win at board games. I don’t mean to; I don’t know how to lose without making it obvious. (Ha! you let your queen fall right into my hands! Wait a minute…) And even in such situations, when I am determined to lose to let someone else feel good about themselves, something snaps in my brain, it sounds like this: Pop! look at the board, I’m massively down, but they’ve left a weakness right there. If I take advantage like so while at the same time attacking point A, I’ll come back and win in two turns! That’s too good to pass up!! And Audrey ends up not talking to me for the next 30-90 minutes, depending on how underhanded my idea was. It’s been that way as long as I can remember. I don’t know why.

So with that in mind, perhaps you can understand what a blow to my ego it was when first my mother-in-law, then sister-in-law, and then wife beat me at the famed board game “Settlers of Catan” in recent times. With my mother-in-law, it was easily passed by with a “Well, both I and Audrey were helping her. In all reality, her win was a result of my and Audrey’s intellect combined. Then when Andrea beat me, the justification was a little more difficult. “She has been gunning for me for a while now. Everyone finally teamed up and shut me down.” But when Audrey beat me, it was an all-out shutout. Her roads and settlements dotted the board while my miniscule empire was practically forced to pay tribute at the hands of her well-fed knights. So I decided a pay-back was in order, and we went home to play stratego.

I can’t remember ever losing at Stratego. I could beat my dad since before I was baptized. (If Dad is reading this, please understand that any possible losses that may be slipping my mind are due to my inheritance of my mother’s memory, you can blame her.) So when Audrey outsmarted me on three crucial battles and snuck her general to my back lines, I was worried. In a mad race to find the flag, I made a wrong turn, she made a right one, and boom! I now have a memorable loss.

I don’t take such losses easily. Saturday, I dragged Audrey to Target to buy Trivial Pursuit. The only time she has ever played, she fell asleep. What a perfect game to flex my intellectual muscle and recover a piece of my now broken ego. Target didn’t have it, so we went to Toys R Us (I was determined.) We bought it, took it home, and I immediately set it up. For those who are unfamiliar with the new version, it keeps track of the number of questions answered correctly by each person. What to my surprise when my marker had moved two spots and Audrey’s had moved nearly 20. Searching the depths of my game-playing soul, I came back, and at game end, while we had answered the same number of questions correctly, it was Audrey who answered the final “In the center to win-it-all” question first to win the game.

After such a series of defeats, I now stand before you with a bruised and broken ego. I don’t know what is left for me in life. Maybe I need to rethink the board games I play. Perhaps I need to start challenging Audrey in “Hungry Hungry Hippos” or “Candy Land.” Oh how the mighty have fallen!

Halloween Scariness.... BOoo-oooo!!

2009-11-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

This is Dan's pumpkin! Isn't it Amazing?

I guess working with all those dental tools

all day has given him 'Artist Precision'!

My pumpkin's on the left and Andrea's is in the middle.

Dan and I used stencils and Andrea did it by hand.

She is a real artist huh? Like my lame bat? haha ;)

OOOooo Spooky :D

Halloween Treats! YUM! yum!!

2009-11-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

Carmel Apples!

Do some of the cupcakes have eyes?

Anyone for some brain?

Our Special Halloween Dinner!

Pumpkin Carving!

2009-11-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

Gardening 101

2009-11-02T07:27:00.001-08:00

Our 1st Pepper!

Orchids are Blooming!

CANOE ADVENTURE!

2009-11-02T06:23:00.000-08:00

It looks like they're trying to help

us in the canoe doesn't it?

WRONG! They are trying to tip us!! HELP!!

The NOVA YSA Gang!!

With an Eye Single to His Glory ;)

2009-10-22T07:20:00.000-07:00

We are having an investigator, a new member and the missionaries over tonight for dinner and a lesson. I am excited! I love missionary work!! Once we were called to the Nova YSA branch I didn't think I would get many opportunities to share the gospel because I was married and they were all single... different worlds. But as I pray every day for opportunities I recognize them and take advantage of them.

I carry pass along cards in my purse now too. haha I'll let you all know how tonight goes!

I absolutely love the lyrics to this EFY song:

"I've never been the kind to testify.

I don't have the words His truth deserves.

But it's a simple thing He asks:

a worthy heart and willing hands.

He says if I'll make the choice,

He'll help me find my voice.

He calls me to serve and I cannot fail Him-

the One who has given me all that I have.

I place my trust in Him alone.

He knows the yearnings of my soul.

Because He believes in me,

I will go willingly.

How can I keep this gift to myself

when I can lift somebody else?

I'll be a witness of His miracles and His mercy.

I put my future in His hands,

knowing He's made me all I am.

I put my faith in Him and truth begins to speak.

His power is real.

It moves me until I will not be still.

Lifting the hands that hang down in sorrow,

strengthening knees that bend in despair.

Reaching the hopeless hearts that do not know His love.

Seeing their lives begin to change,

I know I'll never be the same!

How can I keep this gift to myself

when I can lift somebody else?

I'll be a witness of His miracles and His mercy.

I put my future in His hands,

knowing He's made me all I am.

I put my faith in Him and truth begins to speak.

His power is real.

It moves me until I will not be still.

His power his real.

I trust in His will.

I will not be still."

God is real. The Savior lives and loves us. We are His children. He has provided His gospel through prophets, even living prophets today, to help us be happy in this life and return to live with Him and our families again after this life.

Where should we live? Take a Poll

2009-10-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

The last two days have been absolutely beautiful! We had a cold front come through that dropped the temp to 55 degrees! yahoo! It reminded Dan and I how much we love cooler weather and the seasons.

So now this realization has raised a problem for us and we need all your help: Where should we live? Here are the options. We have about a year left to decide. :D

1. (Well since we're already so close) SW FL. It's gorgeous and lots of old people's teeth to fix. ;) Not to mention some really amazing people live here. :)

2. Seattle WA. Also a beautiful place, that secretly has great weather- despite all the tales you've heard about it raining all the time.

3. Asheville, NC: Could this be the middle ground we are all looking for? Mountains, Forests, Country festivals and fairs, The 4 Seasons and relatively close to some family... Did I mention it's gorgeous?

4. Abroad: Asia? Hen Hao!! Dan is currently applying for the army to help repay our loans. And if we get the option we want, we'll be banking! ya! We could also choose to work abroad for those years he works as an army dentist.

So there are the choices! Let the battle of wills begin!! Please post your ideas, suggestions and choices! Who ever makes the best argument will help decide our fates!

Our Garden

2009-10-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Our Avocado plant has really shot up!

Dan grew it from a seed!

Our Pepper Plant has also done well...

our Topsy Turvy though is not Pepper approved.

All the stems and leaves are twisting in crazy directions trying to get sunlight;

all the blossoms died but one and now it's growing one giant Pepper! haha

Our orchids are also getting ready to bloom.

The first buds on our big orchid

should bloom next week.

The smaller Phaleonopsis

should bloom next month.

It's red-green bloom leaf has come already!

2009-10-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

WWF

I took them to the vet last week and she asks me "How old are they?" "3 1/2 months." "Really?" She asked. "yes". "Let me check the records." She comes back from the other room and says "The humane society must've gotten their birth date wrong. They look at least 5 months." And I said "no its right they were tiny when we got them and they couldn't eat and we had to potty train them." "They're huge then; they are going really fast. They will be very large cats." AHhhh she made me so happy! I would love for them both to be as big as comet! :D

2009-10-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

TWO HOTTIES.... meeeee----ooooowwwwww!

look at my boys... ahhhh

LUMP in the COVERS ;)

2009-10-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Aren't they so cute?

Split Pea Surprise

2009-09-09T05:55:00.001-07:00

So one of my favorite meals growing up was lentil stew. I always say that I can understand why Esau was willing to give up the birthright. One day, I discovered split pea soup, also good. Kinda gross looking, but tastes good.

Anyway, lately I have been craving soup. So I bought some split peas at Target and made some good split pea soup, it was great. Worked so well we bought some more for future soupage.

In the meantime, Audrey had bought some lentils to surprise me with lentil stew last week. Surprise dinner came, I came home to smell a house full of sausagey odor and veggies….yum! I was all excited for my lentil stew.

The dish was served… I didn’t see any lentils. I dug to the bottom of the stew, and mush came up to the top. Audrey said, “I don’t remember lentils being this green.” I said, “They usually don’t break down like this, that must be why.” Audrey, “Well, I did stew it all day.” End of story.

I take a bite of stew. “Well, this tastes different. Audrey says, “Oh shoot, I forgot the vinegar!!” Adds vinegar. In the meantime, I sneak into the kitchen pantry and find two full bags of lentils, unopened. I laugh to myself and eat the rest of my “lentil” stew without saying a word.

About 3 days later, after eating most of the left-overs, Audrey stumbles across the lentil bags. Confused, she checks the “open bag basket” to find the bag of split peas. Priceless. She’s too cute. She got really sad that she messed up a recipe. But here’s what I don’t understand… I mess up a recipe and it’s completely unedible. (I ran out of flour for cookies and substituted cornmeal. Did you know that cornmeal absolutely will not rise in cookie recipes?) Audrey messes up a recipe and it still tastes great. Is that fair? So whenever we experiment a little with our cooking we can always remember our “Split pea surprise” and know that even if we don’t use the main ingredient it can still turn out alright. (As long as Audrey’s cooking at least.)

Sleepy Time

2009-08-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

Fred (blue collar) & George (black collar)

are cute all the time.

But I especially love how absolutely adorable

they are when they sleep.

And check out their hilarious sleeping positions!

Look at our little spooners haha

Is Fred smiling or is it just me? ;)

haha how did they get in here? They're tiny...

Can you see the poka-dots on their tummies? ahhhh

Play Time

2009-08-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

Fred and George have lots of games:

the ball of yarn, balloons, and tag.

My favorite to watch is hide and seek.

They take turns hiding in the funniest places-

behind me- ahh!, pillows, wall corners, their toys...

Here Fred is hiding behind a curtain

while George stalks him. haha

Key West Rocks!

2009-08-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

We took a day trip to Key West FL

this week for a mini-vacation.

FL has the most beautiful sunsets in the world!

2009-08-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

The new Pirate Museum was our favorite!

So many ancient pirate artifacts!

Help ME!!

Can you say you've been to Mile 0?

Where the US of A begins...

2009-08-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to DownTown Key West!

Ahh! Look out for the Sponge Man!!!

Key West Key Lime Pie on a stick!

Yum! These are the best popsicles ever!!

Bouquets of flowers made of shells!

Very Cool!

Malory's Square has a ton of cool shops.

Our favorite is the shell store in the Sponge Market.

Ouch!

2009-08-07T05:34:00.000-07:00

The Shipwreck Museum was interesting-

Did you know Key West was a town

of wreckers and salvagers?

Here's some views from the tower

of the Shipwreck Museum.

Our Red Headed Twins!!

2009-08-07T05:12:00.000-07:00

We adopted two American shorthair kittens from the Broward County Pound yesterday!

Here are their original ID info.

We changed their names to Fred and George.

2009-08-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

We played so much we fell asleep....

Ahhh my boys... how cute!

2009-08-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

2009-08-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

Our little kitties! Aren't they adorable!

They're from the same litter and are brothers.

Both are orange tiger short hairs

and have green eyes.

Which is Fred? George?

Can YOU tell?

My 1st Root Canal!

2009-07-28T09:57:00.001-07:00

Click on the pic and you can zoom in and see my cavity circled on the x-rays!

2009-07-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

We both went to the dentist.

Dan had perfect teeth of course

and I need a root canal.

I am scared I've never had one before.

I will be so happy when dan's a dentist

and can fix all my teeth. :(

Chili Cook Off!

2009-07-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

Ben risked his life at the Swap Shop to

find the 'Hottest Peppers in Existence'

Then Dan used them to make a chili

for our Pioneer Day Chili Cook Off.

Unfortunately we didn't realize that the oils

from the jalapeno peppers would burn so badly...

As he cooked he wiped his face, etc and

had to rub baking soda all over

to balance out the Ph. Ouch! Poor Guy!

2009-07-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Pioneers What? what?

We get dooowwwwnnnn on Pioneer Day!

Ready? Set? GO Human Guinea Pigs!!!

2009-07-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

Pie Throw! Watch Out Peter George!!

Benton and Dan- three legged speed demons!

so fast they're a blurr! haha

Pioneers nailed lots of boards... I guess?? haha

Rebecca and Alana hammering away!

2009-07-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

Human Wheel Barrowers Anonymous!

Human Wheel Barrow AfterMath

2009-07-28T08:02:00.001-07:00

Dan was such a fast wheel barrow

that he rubbed his hands raw! oucch!

Happy FOURTH of July Everyone!!

2009-07-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

We went to Naples, FL to visit my family for the holiday

weekend.We also invited our friends, Joe, Melissa and

their son Tommy to come along and my parents

graciously opened their house up to them. so sweet... ;)

Andrea, me and Dan- cool picture

but weird effects on the clouds and our heads...

Our Trip to Forks, WA

2009-07-12T05:12:00.000-07:00

La Push Beach at Sunset!

Beautiful and Romantic isn't it? ;)

Ahhhhhh.....

The Terror Continues! ahhhh! haha

2009-07-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

Edward We love you! AHHHHHhhh! haha

This is a little late but I had to scan everything.

So when we visited Janet, David and family in WA

we went on a mini road trip to Forks, where the

gushy girl romance novel that my sisters love-

the'Twilight' Series- was set.

Check out the hilariously funny stuff below!

Check out these ads- it seems every store slogan is about Twilight! wow!

And there were some seriously funny ones!

8.5 vampires... that .5 part very creepy!

Here is a map of Forks, copy it and enlarge to view all the sites from book.

Dan turns the BIG 25! A Quarter of a Century!!

2009-07-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

I threw a surprise birthday party for Dan

(my first attempt ever!!!)

I suggested he should play 'Diplomacy' with some friends

that weekend and that kept him busy

and distracted all that week.. hehehe

I did an Open invite to his school and church friends.

We didn't know we were so popular! haha

We had around 30 people and

Dad had to make a couple runs to Publix,

but it was wonderful to see Dan so happy!!

It was fun but a ton of work... I don't think I'll be doing

another for quite some time. ;)

Dan's 25th SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY!!

2009-07-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Joe, Melissa and Tommy

Dan, Sean, Jeff, Tapa and Morgan

Christie and Janelle

Chelsey and Lara

President Michaud, Chris and Peter

Our Trip to Seattle!

2009-06-17T13:57:00.001-07:00

Taking the ferry across the Puget Sound!

Milk that golden piggie!

Look Wild Life!!!

2009-06-17T13:22:00.001-07:00

Rainforests and Waterfalls...

2009-06-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hmmm how did this tree grow this way?

Where the moss grows....

Tree Huggers Anonymous....

2009-06-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Bike Ride Anyone?

2009-06-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

We went bike riding in the Spokane Mountains across

railroad tracks and bridges in the wind and rain!

I love a challenge!!

We rode a bike trail along Core D'laine Lake! Absolutely beautiful!!

EASTER Sunday!

2009-04-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone! It was nice after Girls' Camp to visit the fam! Below we're all blowing conchs- at Girls' Camp we taught the YCLs how to use our conch to wake up the whole camp each morning- imagine what all three of these could do?! :D

TIME OUT for Women

2009-04-26T18:39:00.001-07:00

My mom, Grandma and I went to Orlando for a two-day Women's Conference!

Wow! It was great! Thanks mom!

Beca's Bridal Shower

2009-04-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

Beca's Bridal Shower

2009-04-26T14:53:00.001-07:00

We played some way funny and embarrassing games. Here's a clip of Beca from the game where we asked her questions about her fiance, Davis. If she got them wrong she had to put gum in her mouth... she already has like 5 in there!

DAN the Mer-Man!!

2009-04-25T19:14:00.000-07:00

Dan was a hit at this year's Girls' Camp!

He participated in our Leader Skits and serenaded me on stage!

Take a Look!

Our Own Peppers and Tomatoes! Aren't Topsy Turvies cool?

2009-04-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Planting Begins!

2009-04-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

We planted our own tomato and pepper plants to hang in our Topsy Turvys! Can you see it?

2009-04-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

Cookies for the Camp Director!

2009-04-17T13:06:00.001-07:00

Another Day Another Puzzle!

2009-04-17T13:03:00.001-07:00

Dan and I finished this 1000 piece puzzle together a couple weeks ago,

hard work, but Dan loves it!

Orchid roots are the COOLEST!

2009-04-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

This orchid's Aerail roots grow upwards and feel their way through cracks,

like the wooden openings in its hanging pot.

My First Orchid!

2009-04-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

Beautiful isn't it?! We've been nursing this amazing plant for almost and year and it's all been worth it! They only blume once a year for about 3 months.

2009-02-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

Nova Gong Show

2009-02-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

Dan's practice before the branch non-talent show!

2009-01-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

All we can say is 'Ahhhh...'

Better Late Than Never! Wed Pics!

2009-01-14T07:51:00.000-08:00

XOXOXO

Red is everyone's color!

2009-01-14T07:44:00.000-08:00

C'est l'amore!

2009-01-14T07:39:00.001-08:00

Seen any of these guys on GQ lately?

2009-01-14T07:29:00.000-08:00

Look at the little princesses

2008-11-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

OOOHHH LALA!