Kidneys and Puppies (not related)

Busy day today. Lafe's brother had a kidney transplant this morning from his nephew (live transplant) and all went well. One of those days that is emotionally draining and full of the Spirit even though everything was fine and you knew it was good. It was harder on Lafe, but we're really glad it's finally done and now we just hope that it will for sure take and not reject. What a neat thing to save his life!
On a totally different note, we have a visitor dog on a romantic venture in our backyard - don't worry, it's on purpose. We're breeding again - onto another adventure. I sure hope it's a lot better than last year (two week old baby, trying to sell puppies, they all get mites and have to wait for the medicine to come from Australia because I got the cheaper one online and it didn't say it was coming from that far!, and then finally selling them all - Ahhhhhhhhh!). Anyway, we're using a different dog this time because my brother's dog ran away, but he's beautiful so we hope they make really cute puppies.

President Hinckley

President Hinckley passed away last night - I think the message of his passing traveled faster around the world than ever before. Pres. Hinckley is the only prophet our kids have known, being put in when I was 3 month pregnant with Erin. I've always loved how he made us feel good about what we were doing, and yet also had a way of letting us know when we needed to do more. I loved his sense of humor and cannot believe all he accomplished in his presidency of the church. When I heard I have to say that I had such a feeling of joy for him knowing that he was rejoining his wonderful wife and how joyful that would be.

It's Raining!!!!!

It's raining! I know that's not too exciting to some, but here in ARIZONA it can be kind of rare, so we celebrate! We came home from church and the kids all got in comfy, warm clothes and are enjoying the afternoon. Maybe I'll have to bake something - I always loved coming home from school on rainy days to baking cookies or bread - mmmmmmm! As for Sunday afternoon, I'm on the computer (obviously), Lafe is asleep (right next to the computer), the kids were watching a Sunday movie and trying to keep Talin happy when he woke up so he wouldn't wake me up (sweet, huh?). Now, Talin is trying to get Daddy, Erin climbed in with Daddy, and Jamie is doing those bead craft things. Ethan's thinking about Pinewood Derby, and I don't know what Laura and Kelcie are doing :) Once again, we are all LOVING the RAIN!

Kitchen's done!

Well, I think the kitchen is done. I painted the walls a smokey blue a couple months ago, but I hadn't gotten to the doors and replacing the wooden knobs. But, they have been taken off for a month or so - which is very handy in putting away dishes or trying to find something. So, since Talin is CRAWLING now, I figured I better get those painted and back on before he finds the cleaners under the sink (they have those child locks on them). So, I painted them all today, and even the door going out to the garage. You see, the people who lived here before us tried to "touch up" the house by brushing over the cabinets and the door with some paint. Problem is, they used the wrong color - it wasn't true white like they already were, so they had these light bluish brush marks and it just didn't look right - awful is more like it. ( o.k., not that bad, but I was sick of how they looked.) So, they are all white now, but the brush marks wouldn't sand or paint out, so the texture is still kind-of there, but that's o.k. The door looks GREAT! and the cabinet doors look good, but I guess just not as good as I expected. Lafe and the kids assure me that it looks much better. I love the new black knobs that I put on instead of those dirty looking wood ones, though! So, anyway, that project is done - WOOHOO!

Mesa Fit City

WE DID IT!!! We did our first 5K - most of it walked, but some of us ran a little. Mesa was rated the 4th fatest city in the nation last year, so our city decided to do this fun program. Once a month they do a fitness activity - this month was a 5K kickoff, next month is the city's largest aerobics class, etc. We had a fun time! Just as a side-note - I'm wearing a XL t-shirt, so I hope I'm not really as fat as I look in this picture :) Erin, Ethan, Jamie, and I ran some of it, Laura walked the whole thing, Kelcie rode/walked/ shouldered on Dad the whole thing, Talin strollered it, and Lafe walked the whole thing with 3 little ones! Woohoo! In case your interested or curious, I'll try to put it as one of my links on the side - check it out!

Hannah Montana

We were getting ready for bed the other night and Kelcie came to me and said "look, mom, I'm Hannah Montana!" - I laughed so hard, because she really does look like her on one of the episodes! Laura wanted to borrow her hat and glasses so she could do it, too, and Kelcie told her it wouldn't work because she was wearing all PINK and Laura wasn't, so she didn't look like Hannah Montana. :)

It's Finally Fall

After some Winter feeling weather, we're finally having FALL!

Our tree out front has lost it's leaves all over the yard and the kids wanted to play in them. It's funny that we have to wait until January to get to play in the leaves.

We tried to put Talin in, but something about it scared him and he SCREAMED!

New thing

O.K., we're going to try this blogging thing! I really enjoy reading others, and then it's kind-of like a journal, so we'll give it a try. We just made it through Christmas and are getting used to being back in a schedule and having to get up in the morning - that is so much harder when it's dark outside! Erin and Ethan are still doing band at 7:15am, so we have to get going bright and early. It wasn't so bad for me when Talin was waking up then, anyways, but over Christmas Break he decided to try sleeping in - we loved it!!! So, now it's hard because you know he would keep sleeping.

We had a really fun Christmas - Santa brought a Wii, and we've been having a blast! Erin loves science and she got an eyeclops, Ethan got a transformer Death Star/ Darth Vader, Jamie got an American Girl Kirsten, Laura got the growing puppy, Kelcie got a littlest pet shop town, and Talin got a little musical train (loves it!).