8 weeks ago

These family pictures were taken about 8 weeks ago by a close friend of mine, Tessa. She is amazing and captured the sweet, fun personalities of my boys. She captured the love we all have for each other in these family pictures too. So happy with them. Thanks so much Tessa for taking these special pictures of my family and my baby bump!

Spring Wreath

I made my spring wreath finally. I actually made 2. We did a service auction at Enrichment and I offered to make a spring craft for someone. This wreath was it. Someone bid on my item and I got the privilege The only difference between hers and mine is the letter B and W.

Mark it!

Today while eating lunch Quinn was wondering around and got very quiet. I didnt get up right away to go look for him, I just called for him. I continued eating and he didn't come. I called for him again. He came in saying "color" and pointing to his leg. Apparently he found a purple sharpie...somewhere!

It was in BOTH ears. Like IN his ears. On his tongue, legs, head, lips,

all over! Its still stained on his legs, but thankfully the rest came off. He definitely is my mischievous boy!

Life Changes at 30

I started a new blog today.

Life is constantly changing. Good and/or bad. This is pretty much my new journal. I need a place to vent. To share excitement. To drown in my sorrows. To brag. This will be it.

I plan on being myself on this blog. No beating around the bush. No sugar coating. This is me. This is real. This is my life. So if you get offended easily, you might not want to read this new blog of mine. I'm not going to be dirty or anything...but I do use the words crap, dang, freak and so forth....again if those offend, don't read the new blog.

Ladies and Gentlemen? Introducing my NEW blog....

protest

It seems like now a days all the pictures I get are like this. Kasen and a cheeseball smile. Quinn just staring at me or sleeping. Kasen will pose whenever I ask him to. Quinn growls and turns his head when I try to get one of him smiling. So for now, these will have to do :)

we are working hard on getting rid of the paci, I've given in a lot more than normal lately since i've been sick that past week. Once I get my energy back we will only get the paci out at night again.

PT day 3 update

Quinn is doing great at his potting training. He has only had a couple accidents during the day and has pooped on the potty twice now! Im so so proud of him. He is pretty proud of himself too. It's cute. He still likes his privacy and has yet to go potty with me in the room with him. I have to get up and leave so that he will go. It's pretty funny. I sure do hope this continues!!!! Wish me luck!

Too soon?

This adorable, yet goofy 20 mos old (today) has decided that he wants to go pee pee on the potty. He has shown interest since around Christmas when we were at my parents and they had a little potty in their bathroom for my nephew. The last week we got our little potty out and he has been sitting in it for like a half hour at a time but never did anything other than sit. Well TODAY, he shocked me.

We were sitting on the potty, well HE was and I was on the cold tile floor in front of him. -if I ask him if he needs to go, he grabs his diaper and runs for the bathroom- and I was getting impatient so I thought id speed the process and turn on the water. I told him I would be right back and that he needed to sit there and I was going to go get a snack for him. I ran to the kitchen because I didn't want his nude body following me across the house in case of an accident. I grabbed the fruit snacks, ran back and he was still sitting there. As Im walking back over to sit by him he says " HA HA" and I look in the potty and he went!!! That was 8 pee pee in the pottys ago! He woke up from his nap dry. Coincidence im sure...but still! He has told me once that he had to go by grabbing his diaper and saying potty. Here is the funny thing though. He will NOT pee with me in the room. I have to tell him i'll be right back, leave, give him 15 seconds or so and then come back. Each time he has gone. Ive yet to see him actually go, but he DOES!

Hopefully today is not just a fluke and it continues on to having more dry diapers ahead!
Wish us LUCK!

Have I done any good?

On days like these I often wonder...have I done anything RIGHT? Have I dont any good today?

While thinking these things and feeling sorry for myself, the words to this song came to mind...

Notice how it says so sing CHEERFULLY? When I read that I had a "snap out of it" moment. We'll I haven't yet, but I sure am trying!

Have I don't any Good in the world today,
Have I helped anyone in need?

Have I cheered up the sad?
or made someone feel glad?

If not I have failed indeed.

Has anyone's burdens been lighter today,
because I was willing to share?

Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?

Chorus:
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansions above

Doing good is a pleasure,
a job beyond measure

A BLESSING of beauty and love.


Now as I reflected on the words to that song again while typing it for you folks to read, I realized AGAIN..snap out of it! The best thing I can do for my attitude right now is to go out and serve someone else. To do something kind for someone other than myself. Don't get me wrong, thats nice too...but the point is to bless someone else and you will feel the good you have done.

Im going to go out and do good...a little later. lol....but I AM! I WILL! Just thought i'd share!

Fancy Toes

For Christmas from my sis in law, I got a gift certificate to Jamberry Nails. I ordered my decals that night but just barely did my toes yesterday! LOVE how they turned out. Next time Im going to pick something brighter so they stand out more from a distance so people don't have to bend over to see them.

Anyway, I LOVE them! Thanks Nichole!

Full

My heart is very full tonight. You know, I read a bunch of peoples blogs. They are so good with words. They can express things that I feel, into words. I know this is something that I'm not quite good at. I think I get too overwhelmed with my feelings that nothing I can type seems to express what I'm feeling at the moment. I need to get better at this. Even if it takes me an hour of typing and deleting on this post, I want to get my feelings, coherent, and on this post.

These are my 2 boys. Quinn, 19 mos. and Kasen, 6 yrs. This is where my heart feels full. Happy. I look at these boys and the love that I feel for them brings tears to my eyes. Then I go speechless. The words won't come out. To try and put into words the way I feel about these boys seems like an insurmountable task.

The last couple months of my life have been very up and down. The things that kept me grounded, waking up in the morning and smiling were those boys above. Times when I felt like nothing in my life was good, like nothing was happy. They would remind me day in and day out with a simple "I love you", "mamamamama" or even just a smile, hug or giggle.

There have been some dark days. Days where I would just cry and cry at night. I would sneak into Kasen's room and get into bed with him and just hold him and cry. He never woke up, never even realized I was there. Just being around him and next to him reminded me how blessed I am. There are times when I just cuddle Quinn in his glider and rock back and forth. Where I just go in, shut the door, and hold him. He reminds me that there IS good in my life. No matter how messed up everything else in my life may seem. Those little boys are some of the biggest blessings to ME.

Kasen has such attitude, spunk and enthusiasm. He is a character and definitely picked up the Campbell trait of sarcasm. I can joke with him, be silly with him, and even tell him about my day and he will be happy and excited. I really feel like he is our son to keep us patient, loving and laughing.

Quinn is such a cheery, happy go lucky little boy. He is so easy going and is always being silly. He is a total mamas boy right now and I have to admit, I LOVE it. He cuddles me, loves me, and pokes me. All things that just make me smile. I really feel like he is my son to make me feel loved, patient and blessed.

I snuck into the boys rooms tonight to take those pictures of them sleeping. I love them when they are sleeping. My love grows even more for them while they are sleeping! lol...

Really though? They are my world. No matter how they got here, no matter how they became my children, I am a changed woman because of them. I am better, wiser, more loving, more patient, and more blessed. As much as they can drive me crazy at times, I would never ever give them away. Even though I say I want to rent them out sometimes. Children are a complete miracle.

"While we try to teach our children about life, our children are teaching us what life is about."

Lately I've been pondering on the important things in my life. What I want, what I need, what I have...I just feel so blessed with what I have. Pondering on the things I don't have has gotten me nowhere. Well nowhere good at least. I want to be in a good place. I want to be happy with my life just as it is. I want to know that if I die tomorrow I can be grateful for what I did have. I don't have all the things I feel I need in my life. But I am learning to grow and accept that I don't need them to be happy. I just need to be grateful for what I do have. I have been blessed with so much throughout my life. If the things I want and feel I need do come to me, then I will be forever grateful. If they don't I know I may not ever understand why, or what for, but I know that I can trust the Lord and his timeline.

The past couple weeks my family has been waking up 10 minutes earlier in the morning to read scriptures together. It's hard, I find myself wanting to make excuses, but once I find my way out of bed? I am so grateful I did. The first day I noticed a huge difference. I was happy. Just in general had a good day. It has now become part of our daily routine and I don't ever want it to stop. This is one of the things I have to be grateful for.

I have decided that this year, one of my new years resolutions is to be grateful. So to end my post, I will give you the top 25 things I am grateful for in my life.

In no particular order:

1. Family Scripture Reading

2. My boys. Jeremy, Kasen and Quinn.

3. My faith in the Lord

4. a home to live in

5. my dog Bailey

6. a working car to get me and my fam places

7. water

8. visiting teachers

9. modern medicine

10. my camera

11. the atonement

12. my parents and siblings

13. smoothies

14. Jeremy's job

15. my good friends

16. clocks

17. music

18. temples

19. love

20. flowers

21. quinns nursery leader

22. kasens bff

23. Park Lane

24. good neighbors

25. the priesthood