Temple Rocks

On Easter sunday our primary children got to sign their names on rocks and then the rocks where put in the foundation of the Gila Valley Temple in AZ. We were so excited and I took pictures of all the primary kids. Here are the ones of my children. This is such an awesome experience for us to have a Temple being built in our valley. We drive out and see the progress every week. Right now it is just dirt work and foundation, but soon it will be so much more, what a blessing in our lives.

Katelyns Birthday

Katelyn had a good Birthday. I can't believe she is seven wow!

These are pictures of her opening her presents before she went to school. We let them do whatever they want for dinner and katelyn asked her daddy to take her on a date, she thought she was a queen. We love you katelyn and are so proud of you.

This pic is kinda goofy we sang happy birthday

while she was still in bed, wake up wake up!!

Planting our Garden

We finally planted our garden and it is so nice to go out and look at. The kids had so much fun digging in the dirt and picking the places for each plant to go. It isn't the most perfect garden but our kids did a lot of the work and they are proud of it. I love to see their faces light up when they get so excited that a new plant has emerged out of the soil. What a wonderful experience for them to learn. Heavenly Father has given us such wonderful things, little miracles everyday!!

EASTER 2009

We celebrated easter on Saturday with my Family. We spent Easter weekend at grandma's house taking care of her so all of my family came and hunted eatser eggs with us. It was fun.

enjoying the weather

We have been having wonderful 80 degree weather this week, and so my kids have been outside until after dark everyday. It has been great. They have been asking to play in the water and I said, "are you nuts it's still February wait until March 25th then you can"...HA it didn't happen. Today they convinced me to let them, and they had so much fun!!! Me and Oli built a sandcastle while the kids where at school, she said we
were at the beach.. IT was SO Much FUN!

Here are my older ones jumping away--out of control with excitement!!

OLIVIA doesn't like to be sprayed with the water

so she just sits and watches.

Hunter is a nut, he rides his sisters bike and sits on the bar because he can't reach the seat and still pedal.

On Saturday my kids had a picnic and then I made them a little fort on the trampoline with blankets and they hauled their beanbags and the TV outside. We even popped some popcorn and they had a blast. They were sick last week and this was the first day we felt like emerging from the house, at least I was ready for some fresh air! It was a good Ole' time. I love spending time with my kids. The kids were worried what the neighbors might think with the hippie camp set up on the trampoline, but I told them it was because mom wasn't dressed appropriate without a bra and I needed privacy. OH mom!!!! but they still thought it was cool.

Thank you

I just want to give a thank you to everyone for their prayers over the last few months. Things are looking up!! We finally got some good news the other day, Chris's job is safe for now. The company rated everyone on a point system, and Chris's score was good. It has relieved some stress, and Chris has finally started to sleep again. We were really having a hard time thinking about having to leave this beautiful valley, but thanks to all the prayers to keep us here, and the help from our Heavenly Father, we are staying...Yeah!! Please still continue the prayers for this valley and families that are going to be affected by all of this. I have a little brother who has already been layed off. Keep him and his precious family in your prayers, and be thankful for you blessings. Thank you again.

prayers needed

For those of you that I have talked to lately know that our family is facing an unpredictable future. Chris's employer FMI have decided to lay off half of Moreni's workers, 1550 people. Chris has a 50/50 chance of loosing his job. We are a little worried. We are trying to be optimistic but on the other hand trying not to be naive. We have looked for other places for him to work, and they would all mean that we would have to move. I love this valley so much, we have the best ward in the world. We have a great piece of land in a good location. The kids walk to school just 2 and a half blocks away, and they all have great friends. All of our family is here, mine and Chris's. We have been blessed here with so much. The future of a Temple being 5 minutes from our house and great friends is hard to think about leaving. But the Lord will put us were he needs us. We have faith that we will be taken care of. I ask with a humble heart for you to pray for my family and for all those who will be affected by this. This whole community is going to hurt. Thank all of you for your friendship and wonderful giving hearts. My heart is full and thankful for so many things that I have taken for granted lately, and the thought of moving and change makes me even more aware of how good we have had it. Our Bishop gave a talk today and he mentioned being happy, right now.. it has opened my mind and it was something I needed to hear. Prepare yourselves, listen to our leaders, you never know when you could be one paycheck away from loosing everything.

Its been a While......

Olivia was the Christmas Angel
Oli at the RanchThe kids at our house on Christmas morning, my camera date is a little off?

The 2nd Nativity at Nana's

Grand kids at the Ranch

The 1st Nativity at Nana's

Oh and Katelyn Lost her 1st tooth ACCIDENTALLY is the key word again!!

At the Ranch she comes running in and bleeding and crying that she hit her mouth and wondered if her tooth was loose, yes it was..so she worked it and twisted and out it came within twenty minutes. She has never been prouder, FINALLY I lost a tooth:)

New Years with Grandma Stauffer
Pictures from Bisbee, AZ

Hunter

Katelyn

Emily

Olivia

Hunter is not thrilled with this Idea!!

Hunter with some old fashion toaters

This is a dress that their great great grandmother made!!

PEACE TO ALL :)

Christmas at the Ranch Family Picture

Some where in there we had our ward Christmas party and they loved Santa

Okay I need to post so many things, so I am going to make one BIG POST of all the things we have been up to.

First is the weeks before Christmas... we did the twelve days of Christmas for someone in our neighborhood and it was fun. I hope that it taught my kids the real meaning of celebrating this special season, GIVING. They were so pumped to knock and run, and we as parents got a little excited too! My heart was pounding and I couldn't seem to run fast enough without the feeling that I was going to pee my pants....out of shape and getting older, HA HA.

Then we had an early Christmas at the ranch with Chris's dad and stepmother Monica. It was so much fun, and the kids enjoyed spending time with Papa and the neat things that he brought back for them from Africa. He has been down there for about two months with his job, and he is headed back to Africa for a few more months. The kids did not want to come home, they love playing in the hay and seeing all the animals. Olivia rode a horse by herself for the first time, bare back and with no reins, she was on old socks the gentlest horse in the world.

On the Monday before Christmas we celebrated the Nativity by putting on a production at my moms house, It was so much fun. My little sister bought the costumes for all the kids for Christmas, it was so neat. Thanks Rose. We actually did it again on Christmas Eve because not all of us could be there at one time.

Finally Christmas was here, it came so fast really... Chris had the day off for the first time in like 7 years. It was great, we actually woke up and the kids were all in bed and we couldn't handle it so we woke them up. It is always so fun to watch their eyes full of excitement and wonder.

After we opened presents and relaxed at our house we headed to my mom's for more excitement and then to Chris's moms. We had a talent show after Dinner and presents and the kids hammed it up. We have a bunch of mOvie stars in the making. And a whacked out break dancer, Hunter can move.

We also spent a lot of time with Grandma Stauffer over the holidays. It was neat to spend so much time with her and take care of her. We spent New Years with her last year and again this year. We will make this a tradition while she is still with us, she is 93 and has Alzheimer's, everyday is an adventure with her, but we wouldn't trade the memories for anything.

On Friday we went to Bisbee for Chris's Great Grandfather (pops) funeral he was 100. It was nice to see all of the family from that side. We took a few pictures in the down town area that turned out cute.

So this follows a plethora of pictures, enjoy. Now it is back to the old bump and grind, the kids are back at school and I am again upon my throne in front of the Computer screen.

Happy New Year everyone. Enjoy 2009 and make the best of every moment this year.