Thursday, April 29, 2010

Talking to Thadd










Kate is beginning to coo and talk all the time now. It is so cute to watch and the other day I had been trying to get her to smile so I could get a picture of it and then Thadd came home. I know that I've said it before and I'll say it a lot, but Thadd and Kate have some sort of connection that is hard to describe. We just need to see it. They are so in-tune with each other. Kate loves her Thadd and Thadd loves his Kate. Thadd was the first to get a smile too. On this day, Thadd had just come home from school. I really wish I had video taped the whole thing because you can't hear all the cute noises she makes for him and everything. I tried to put the pictures in order so you can kind of see how it all went. I really wish you could have heard it though.

Such a blessing!

I just needed to write some of my feelings lately. I have been over come with the Spirit lately and feel the need to share. I have been truly blessed over this last year. Things have just fallen into place for me and my family. I have had a trying year, starting with the miscarriage, getting pregnant again so quickly and on from there.

Kate is my blessing. I know that she is here because I asked for her. I know that everything went so well with labor and delivery because Heavenly Father knew I needed it. I know that Kate is a healthy little baby because of the prayers of others for our family and the prayers of my heart. I am truly blessed with my health, the health of my husband and children and the health of my new little baby. I have had too many friends and acquaintances have so many health issues with their new babies that it just makes me more aware of the blessings being poured out on my family. I have never felt the Spirit so strongly in my home as I have these last few months. I can really feel all the prayers and love for my family. It is a tangible feeling in the home. I need to thank you all for that. It has helped me with Nate going back to work and being a mom of 4.

I am so very grateful for my testimony. For my Heavenly Father and his love for me and my family. For the knowledge that I have, that He knows me, He knows my faults, He knows my strengths, and He know just what I need right now in my life. I love feeling His presence in my life and I know that He is there because He knows that I need it right now and He hears the prayers of others in my behalf.

"I know my Father lives and loves me too. The Spirit whispers this to me and tells me it is true, And tells me it is true."
The Children's SongBook pg 5


Monday, April 26, 2010

Popsicles

I guess I needed to set the scene a little better for this post.

The kids have been begging for popsicles for an after school treat for a while and since it have been 80 degrees the last few days I gave in. They all want the same color and today it was brown. This was Tuckers statement after the first taste; "That's not just any rootbeer! That's Papa's home-made rootbeer!" Got to love the brown Popsicles!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Vernon Resovor

Finally, we made it camping! We have been trying to go for over a month and the weather cooperated with us last week. It was a beautiful weekend! Last year we got a little pop-up tent trailer. We thought that it would make for some wonderful family memories. This trip sure was full of things I will always remember.

We were very lucky that our friends Jered and Stephanie could come with us. We love going camping with them. Their daughter Madison and their son Eli play so well with Norma and the boys. It is nice for them to have friends to play with and it is nice for Nate and I to have some one to talk to and play games with too.
We loved being right next to the water and just fishing right there too. The kids played baseball and collected rocks, rode their bikes, played in the mud and loved throwing rocks in the water.
The first day was a little windy so I stayed in the trailer with Kate most of the day. That night while we were at the Taylors trailer playing pirates our propane went out. It was so cold when we came back! But another reason why we love camping with the Taylors, they always help us out of a bind. They had an extra tank that they let us use so the we didn't freeze.

The camp site from across the water.
This is just such a perfect spot to go camping! We can just do so much! There is the water and all the open area. They boys loved fishing. Nate made them eat the first fish they caught. He said they needed to learn that if they were going to kill something, then they needed to learn to eat it too. He made them watch him gut it and everything, then he cooked it and made them eat it. Nate and I are not fish fans. We can do tuna but that is about it, so it really surprised me that he would make them taste it. So we all had a little bite. It wasn't too bad. Thadd even asked for more.

Thadd and Tucker loved riding their bikes here! I was a little put out that Nate had even brought their bikes. I thought it would be too rocky for them to ride. I was very wrong. We were in the perfect spot for them. They found a little loop that they rode around the whole time. At first they would go up the steep part and come down on the not so steep part. Well, Thadd decided to come down the other way once. He was coming so fast! Nate saw him and started running for him, yelling for him to use his brakes. So what does Thadd do, slams on his brakes, fish tailing it and falling flat on his face. A helmet only protects heads, not faces. We thought for sure that he had broken his nose. But I have to say how proud I am, he got back on his bike and just was a little more careful about hitting the brakes.

All bundled up.
This is the bonnet and jacket that my Great Aunt Carlie made for Tucker when I first had him. All the kids have worn it camping. I just love it! It is a little big but she'll be able to wear it all summer long. We plan on camping a lot.
These dogs were so funny. Walle would come hide under my feet thinking I was going to save him and Sadie would just follow him. This was the best thing for Walle. Some one to play with that wanted to play back. Although he got tired a lot sooner than she did. When he was ready to quit and walk away, she didn't let him. It was awesome!
All the kids enjoying lunch
This is a craw-dad that they found right on the waters edge.
Nate calls this our "red-neck truck". It works.

Picnic


Last week as I was trying to get ready to go camping, I told Norma that if she picked up her room, I would take her on a picnic. She did so good that I had to put everything else on hold and take her on a picnic. I should have taken a picture of her clean room too. I might have to use this as an incentive more often.

Scripture bags

Nate told me I couldn't blog about this but too bad. :) Tucker had gotten scriptures and a case from my parents for his baptism and so my Aunt Kathryn got a Book of Mormon for Thadd and Norma. Thadd was feeling a little left out not having a bag to carry his scriptures in so I told him I would make a bag for him latter that week. Nate didn't think he needed to wait that long so he got out this fishy material and made Thadd this bag. I have to admit, it is much better than I ever would have done. Thadd was so excited that his DAD was making it for him.

Look how happy this boy is! He does this finger fumble when he gets really excited! I don't know any other way to describe it.


Norma couldn't be left out so I made Nate make her one too. I have such a talented husband!

"Don't worry. I don't think boys who sew are sissys." -Grandpa (Wayne) Powell
This is something he said to Nate when he was younger and Grandpa came in and saw Nate cross-stitching. Nate's thoughts were, "I'm a sissy?" No honey, you are not a sissy, You are a wonderful father that will do anything for his kids.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Just a preview...

We went camping over the weekend and when I get a minute, I'll post about that and a few other things.