I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE, I'M GOING THERE SOMEDAY...

I have always loved this primary song, its words ring deep in my heart!

And the day finally came on February 3rd & 4th, 2012!

We are so excited to finally get to this point in our lives, and have each other forever. We had a lot of family and friends there to support us and to enjoy this special day with us. The temple is such a beautiful place and so peaceful. Clay was so precious and such a handsome little guy all dressed in white. The moment they brought him into the room, I knew we were doing what the Lord wanted us to. The sealer gave our family wonderful words of wisdom and then proceeded to seal us together as a family for time and all eternity. It was a beautiful moment! The spirit was so strong, I could have stayed in that moment forever!

It was a bitter-sweet day for me as the girls' fathers would not give us permission to have them sealed even though they both wanted to. I will never give up on this goal of being a complete and eternal family, girls included. I know that if I live worthily and keep my covenants the Lord will bless us and I know that the time will come when the girls will have opportunity to be sealed to Dirk and I. I look forward to this day with open arms.

I will always remember these 2 special days spent at the Logan, Utah Temple. We are so grateful to have each other! I am so thankful to everyone who helped us get to this point in our lives and the examples that have been shown unto us. I would like to tell everyone who helped make this day possible THANK YOU...we love each one of you very much and appreciate all that you have done for our family!

Dreams really do come true and prayers are really answered!

My Lil Cowboy aka Dirks Mini Me

Wow, I can hardly believe it is February 9, 2010! My sweet little guy is 18 months old today. He is the light of our lives. We all have so much love for this little cowboy. He has come into our home and changed the dynamic so much. I can't imagine life without him. He is a very funny little boy and he is just that ALL BOY! Some of his favorite things include: boots, balls, books, out (outside) and nanny (candy)! He would live outside all day everyday if I would let him. The first thing he wants to do in the mornings is put on his boots and points and says out, out! So I humor him with the boots but I have to pick my time wisely when we do go outside because we won't be coming back in any time soon! He also has a shoe fetish lately. He loves to
wear the girl’s shoes and for some reason my snow boots all through the house. Surprisingly he can get around quite well for them being as big as he is! He is my little buddy. He helps me clean the house by riding on the vacuum, sweeping the
kitchen and his all-time favorite scrubbing the toilet. He keeps us a clean toilet because he loves scrubbing it every day. I am so thankful I get to spend my day’s home with him. He is definitely worth it.


We all love this little boy so much and feel so blessed we were the lucky ones to have him come into our family! I look forward to every new day because with it brings "new" Clay discoveries!

Bringing the Cows Home

On January 20th, we finally brought our cows home to start feeding and also to get them ready for calving season! Something we all look forward to...it's like Christmas all over again every single day waiting for new babies and sometimes even getting lucky to see the miracle happen. Fun times ahead!

It turned out to be a nice day with no precipitation. Although I think there was a gentle breeze which made it a little brisk. Clay and I got to follow in the truck. We jammed out to some tunes and had fun playing with each other. Jeslyn was a trooper and is always up to helping out. Jauncee, she stayed behind with Grandma Johnson and made us all dinner.

Everyday I am grateful for the lifestyle that we get to live! Such a blessing.

Celebrate!

The world is full of small wonders. Who can argue with the magnificence of babies or big fluffy clouds. Who could deny the beauty of snow-capped mountains or a plane streaking it's way across a blazing sky? There is so much beauty in small things, all you have to do is look for it. While its said the beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it really starts from the mind of the observer and the focus of ones attention. Often we don't find beauty until it overwhelms us by being so big it's impossible to miss it--simply because beauty's not what we were looking for.

There are 3 things we all require to survive:

Something to do

Someone to love

Something to hope for

Each small and beautiful, these things are worth celebrating, and there is always more if we choose to look for them.

2012 - It will be my duty to delight in the details. Live a life that I love filled with the small wonders of the simple things. And to Celebrate everything!

Christmas

Our family had a wonderful Christmas this year! It started out the Eve of Christmas Eve. We went to a community Christmas Party held at the church. The primary kids presented the nativity story. Jeslyn was the star and Jauncee was an angel. Both parts were last minute due to the fact that we all were out of town the Sunday before when they assigned parts. I think they were glad they still got to be a part of it. Prior to the program they served soup in bread bowls and of course dessert. After the program, a special visitor game--SANTA! Clay was not a big fan of Jolly Ol Saint Nick! During the program Clay was wandering out in the hallway and went into one of the rooms and you know who just happened to be hiding out in there. Well, it surprised and scared our little man to say the least!

Christmas Eve

The girls, Clay and I went to the matinee movie, Arthur Christmas it was fun and entertaining. Later that night we went to Dirk's parents and had dinner with them. Prior to bed the kids each got to open one present. Surprise, Surprise...new pajamas! We had plans to watch the movie Joy To the World, but the DVD player just wasn't working right. The girls set out cookies and milk for Santa, and wrote him a little note, then retired off to bed. They were both really excited!

We actually had 3 Christmas trees. A fir, a cedar and a dormant/dead quake type tree. I loved all 3 of them. The girls like the quake, which was the carousel.

Christmas Day

As a family we all agreed that we would get up and attend Church prior to opening any gifts. The girls weren't ecstatic about it but they both willingly agreed. It proved to be the perfect way to celebrate Christmas! (In fact, I wish it is something we could do every year.) Sacrament meeting was beautiful and very spiritual. I was touched by the program and the spirit was so strong.

Clay Boy, however, ventured in the "off-limits" living room and headed right toward his stocking. It was really cute, the girls hardly found it to be fair.

My cute kids after church!

Santa must have came! He even wrote the girls back!

After we got home, Dirk and I tried to drag it out as long as we could before allowing them to open up any presents. A tradition both our parents were famous for!

Finally! At about 12:30 we started opening gifts!

I think each kid got everything on their list! They must have been good.

Once Clay opened up his tractor, he was done! That was all he needed.

Jeslyn got the American doll Kaya and Jauncee got Kanani.

After we finished opening up all our gifts, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Johnsons for dinner and more celebrating!

Dirk cooked this amazing prime rib for dinner. It was so tender and delightful.

After dinner we all opened up more presents and sat around enjoying each others company.

It was the best Christmas ever! And all of us were spoiled. I know I definitley was with a new laptop, dishwasher, robe and gift certificate for 2 pairs of Silver jeans!

But none of us will forget that Jesus is the real reason for the season!

The gift of Christmas isn't wrapped up in presents or parties. The gift of Christmas is Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, the Son of God. As you follow Him, you put people first. You may spend less time in lines and more time serving others. You may spend less money on - and more time with - the people you love. You may lose yourself and you may find everything else that matters.

I am so grateful for our loving Savior and for all the blessings that we receive because of him. I love my family so much and am truly blessed.