My new baby!!!

I've been dreaming and scheming for MONTHS

and FINALLY.... got my Canon Rebel.

Thanks to the IRS.

(they probably don't get that very often)

WOW - look how dirty my mirror is!
I don't have time to clean.
I'm a photographer. A professional.
and professionals don't have to clean.
They have to WORK. WORK. WORK.

a sample of my early work...

So... the kids were at school and I had to practice on

SOMEONE.

Thank you, Sasha the Evil Dog.

Shea's first swim meet

Today was Shea's first swim meet. We were up at 6 a.m. to drive to Abilene.... I love being a mom!

This first photo is of Shea and her friend Hailey - so cute! They were great sports at all the waiting that goes on during a swim meet. Since they have only been on the team for about a month, they competed in just two events; 25 Free Style and 25 Back stroke. They both did fabulous!

Yes - I am dying for my new camera, and hopefully I can figure out how to take these kinds of photos and actually have them look good. This is a photo of Shea doing a practice dive-start. This is not easy to do with your body extended and she looks great!

Shea and Robert... waiting for the next event....

Shea doing the Free Style.

Frugal Challenge - Month #2

I would have been right at $200 (see original posts here & here)

but I was able to pick up 20 1lb

packages of pasta today for .20 a box!!

So my total for February is:

$205.33!!

~free mentos and cheap pasta~

This was a great shopping day earlier in the month.

Lotsa lotsa food for only $39.48!

Here are some of the things I got for FREE this month:

Razors, Excedrine, Wheat Thins, Ritz, cashews, canned tomatoes, cleaning supplies, deoderant, Ocean Spray juice, dog & cat treats, shampoo, makeup, first aid stuff, aluminum foil. And then lots more for much, much less than regular price. My cupboards are filling up and I have been able to share stuff. I did add back in $60 for opening new bank accounts and $10 from a rebate.

All so we can walk on this street...

Creek Street in Ketchikan, AK

Doesn't that look fun??

I'm definitely taking my kids on the tour of this old

"red light" district. Isn't that what all good mom's do?

We will be taking the AK Marine Ferry to and from Ketchikan.
Only way to get our vehicle there!
6 hours up. 36 hours back.
Fun. Fun. Fun.
I've already got dramamine for the kids.

Ouch!

IF you play dodgeball

make sure

you see the wall BEFORE

you hit it with your hand

and break two very important bones.

The medal is for first place...trumpet, not dodgeball.

Trumpet Man....

Braden had his solo competition today for Band.

He did very well!

My camera only videos for 60 seconds and then

makes a beep... so I didn't want to do that while

he was playing.. so here is just a few seconds

of his warm up.

Valentines day....

I told Robert I wanted to go biking or hiking for Valentines Day... and being the great husband he is - he delivered! We drove about 90 minutes to a trail called "Rails to Trails" It is an old railroad track that has been converted for biking, hiking and horses. It is a total of 17 miles one way. Robert said we would just go to the old tunnel which was 14 miles.

14 miles one way.

28 miles round trip.

I've been road biking between one and two hours a week. I haven't been mountain biking for 5 years. 28 miles on a rocky trail = 4 1/2 hours.

The first 2 were great. Not another person in site. I told Robert I couldn't believe no one else was out on this gorgeous day. He said that not everyone thought mountain biking was romantic. I said "That's Crazy!"

Yes - that statement was made some point during the first 2 hours.

Lesson to Self

Don't go mountain biking for more than 14 miles.

Ever.

The last 14 miles wasn't so romantic. It was hard. I felt old. And very out of shape. It was still beautiful. I was still with my honey. And yet... I was glad when it ended.

Here are some photos...

Yes - that's a dead pig.

Obviously this picture was taken during the first 2 hours.... I look happy.

The tunnel!

While we were on our romantic bike ride...
Lois was making 100 sugar cookies for
my sharing time today.
This is one mother in law that gets a ticket
straight to heaven!

Special Time

I was inspired by a recent post about special times on my friends blog. (See here and here.) So Robert and I decided we would start this tradition with Shea and Braden. Robert already spend quality time with Andrew each week beating him up in basketball and I lecture him at least once a week on managing his money. Can't get better quality than that!


Last week Robert picked Braden up from school and they went out for a sandwich. Braden said it was the best he's ever had. I think it was the company.



Today, Shea and I went on our adventure....

Love the lips!

We played 20 questions and Shea wasn't able to

guess what our adventure was going to be

until she saw the pedestrian bridge.

This is on the other side of town and every

time Shea sees it she wants to walk across.

Her dream came true today!

What's an adventure without food?

Today's letter from Kayla

I haven't shared one of Kayla's letter for a while... so here is today's. I think she is feeling a bit overwhelmed with the companionship change and not having a senior companion. But like I told her... You can do anything!

I've decided to start titling my emails according to the biggest thing that has happened that week. So the biggest thing happening this week is transfers! So.......drumroll..............I'm staying in Lakota Creek! Sister Barlow is going home and Sister Yura is being in-zone transfered, so I'll still see her a lot, which is good cause I love her! But I won't find out until 2 today who my new companion is. But I have an idea of who it will be, and if I am correct it is a sister that came out with me from korea, so I will be driving and such....wish me luck! This week has been crazy visiting people and packing, all getting ready for sister barlow to leave. She is so sad to go home. The mission means eveyrthing and more to her. I'm so grateful I have 15 more months of this, I really love being a missionary :).

We had a good lesson with Carolyn this week. We taught her the 3rd lesson, the gospel of Jesus Christ. We brought a member with us, sister gregerson, who was catholic all her life (taught sunday school and everything) and converted to the church 3 years ago, with her husband following 2 weeks later. It was wonderful, I felt the spirit so strong. I know this church is true, without a doubt. We invited Carolyn to be baptized. She knows the book of mormon is true, and alot of the things we have taught her just feel right she says. But she is concerned about her husband. He doesn't like the church and won't come or listen to our lessons. And she is hesitnat to get involved in something that creates any kind of separation between her and her husband. Just keep praying for her and her husband, Dan. I'm excited to continue teaching her, and hopefully prepare her for baptism.

Sorry I don't have any funny stories or anything this week, I'm very overwhelmed with transfers and everything going on with sister barlow leaving and such, so i'm afraid my email is going to be short again this week. But I lvoe you all!!!!! Thank you for all of your love and support and your prayers.

I want to leave my testimony of my Savior. I know that He lives. He was chosen to perform the Atonement for us so that we may return to live with our Father in Heaven on conditions that he has set. Christ suffered so much for each and everyone of us, so that He would know how we feel, and he does. I know that my Savior has felt everything that I feel. I'm so grateful for my Savior and that I can turn to him for anything and everything. I would not be able to do anything without Him. He is the way. He wants nothing but for us to be Happy. With my Savior I am happy, that Is the best way I can describe how I feel, I am happy.
Love, Kayla

Sickness & Swimming

Shea was sick again this week.... but she entertained herself by taking her temperature every few minutes :)

Unfortunately, she had to miss a few days of swimming. But I was able to take a few pictures on Friday. My camera doesn't take good pictures in this kind of light, but she loves being on the swim club and I wanted to document how hard she is working!

My handsome missionary-to-be

I guess I should have started my boys in suits when they were little - Braden was completely traumatized when I told him he had to wear this suit today. Literally writhing on the floor in disgust that we would ask this of him (while wearing the suit). You would have thought we wanted him to go to church in his underwear.

When I told him looked handsome and wonderful - but he just responded with "you have to say that - you're my mother" So... I told him to sit with me in the living room and I forced him to listen while I read him the children's book titled "Mommy, Do I Have To Serve A Mission" I got this book for Braden when he was baptized (6 years ago - can you believe it!) and there is a wonderful part where the mom takes her son to buy a suit. Well... I was crying like a baby while I read. But he did stop complaining about the suit after that. Having a missionary out makes me a bit weepy at times.

And he did look so very wonderful. (must be all that great DNA)