Cancer

This picture was taken last year around this time. My great friend Alexis and lots of others had been helping out with our remodel project. One night they were all at our house until around 2:30 in the morning working to clean things up for our family Christmas party. She has served with me in church callings, she is wonderful and amazing and I love her dearly. This year she is battling cancer. She is one of the strongest women I know. She was meant to be one of those pioneer woman that pulled the handcarts, but right now she is at home sick and tired. She does chemo and radiation everyday and it makes me so sad that I can't do more for her and her family. Cancer stinks. My dad had colon cancer when I was in the 8th grade and again when I was a junior in high school. I knew it was hard and that he was sick, but I think watching a friend go through it I now realize that my parents didn't let me see how bad it really was. I talked to him about cancer once Alexis was diagnosed and asked if there were days he wanted to die. He said that he did and that he hated how sick he was and how much pain he was in. The first time he got cancer I got mad at him and didn't want to talk to him. I really just didn't want him to die and leave us. I love my dad and am so glad that he is still around. He is a great man that I now know has been blessed with the power to be healed. I know it is a gift of the Spirit and that he is a miracle that I will appreciate everyday.
I think that was one of the things that scared me the most of Alexis getting cancer. I even told my mom that I was afraid I had already used my cancer miracle. She told me to let Alexis be another persons miracle then. We did a ward fast for her and I think that was the easiest fasting has ever been for me. I fasted that she would be able to take the chemo pills because she is not good at swallowing pills and she has been able to take them. I know that fasting works and I now know that I didn't use up my cancer miracle because there isn't a limit on miracles. God loves us and is aware of Alexis and that He has a plan for each of us. I have faith that He hears our prayers and He will answer them and we can feel peace and comfort right now when everything feels so scary and hard.

11 Years

Miya you turned 11 today. Yikes! I can't even believe you are that old and yet I really can't remember what is was like before you came to our little family. You are a beautiful and wonderful girl and we are so very happy that you are in our family. Here are 11 things I love about you:

1. You love to cook and you will happily make lunch for your family Sundays after church while I am at meetings.
2. You are an excellent example for your brother and sister.
3. You are dependable.
4. You are the best babysitter. You always are willing to make dinner and you have everyone in bed and asleep when we get home late.
5. You are smart. Every time I am at your school another teacher comes up to tell me how smart you are and that you are always asking amazing questions. You started taking my Japanese book to school and have started teaching yourself Japanese.
6. You are kind and take great care of other kids.
7. You are willing to try new things. You try to cook harder things when dad throws them at you.
8. You like to have fun. When we were camping this summer you jumped right off those rocks into the river without a second thought. Then you jumped off the higher cliff when you went back with just dad.
9. You listen to what Heavenly Father wants you to do even when it is hard. You thought about quitting piano until you prayed about it and knew is was a talent Heavenly Father could use from you and you have been great about practicing ever since.
10. You love earrings. It took a few trips to the mall to get the job done, but once you got your ears pierced you have loved wearing different earrings.
11. You are always prepared. You are the one with the snacks in your bag or the one with something to draw on if we are waiting in the car for something.

I love you so much and am so grateful I get to be your mom.

Father/Son Campout 2013

Cannon looks forward to the fathers/son campout each year and was super excited about all the time he gets to spend with Phil. They got there a little late, but found a A-frame campsite that nobody was using so they spent most of the time just hanging out alone. They even brought Settlers of Catan to play Friday night by flashlight. Cannon got up early and stoked the fire from the night before and had a nice fire going before Phil crawled out of his sleeping bag. They hung out Saturday morning at Nisqually doing the service project and playing kickball before heading to Olympia for a little tour around the Capitol building. I am so glad to have such a wonderful husband who loves spending time with his kids and makes things so fun.

Memorial Day Part 2

We spent the second part of the trip out at a resort and the kids had a great time. We took them to the fish hatchery, swam in the big pool and outdoor hot tub, played ultimate Frisbee, cooked some smore's and ate at a super greasy spoon type place for breakfast the last day. I love these little weekend trips it makes all of Phil's work travel just a little bit easier.
Phil had met a lady on the airplane on his way home from Vegas and he told her where we were headed for vacation. She lived on the way out to this resort in Oregon so she invited us to come out to her house and hang out. She had some dogs that the kids thought were amazing. They would chase these balloons and keep them up in the air. They also had some llamas the kids weren't sure about. Only Phil could meet someone on an airplane and end up at there house for the day. He is such a super friendly guy and for some reason people on planes love talking to him. He has found out a lot about people (sometimes a little too much) on his flights.

Cannon laughed so hard at these dogs. For a long time he wanted a dog, but just the other day he let me know he no longer wants a dog because he doesn't want to clean up the poop. Miya said she would do all the poop cleanup so we might be back to wanting a dog around here.

Memorial Day Part 1

 Just a little proof that I beat Phil once at bowling. (he might have been using his left hand)

 We made the kids dance back down the lane once we were done bowling and they were so embarrassed. Phil and I had a great time doing it. I love hanging out with these guys.

I love how it looks like I am photo bombing Phil's picture whenever the kids take our picture for us.

We did another trip with the kids to Oregon for memorial day this past year. We loved the pool at the hotel, bowling and playing at Big Al's and then a few days outside hiking and playing. The sun was out for us on our hiking day for a few hours and we loved it. The kids have been so great at getting out and hiking with us this year. We even did one that was about  7 miles and they didn't even complain.

Sunday Walks

We took a little Sunday walk down to the waterfront in Dupont. The walk was fun and the kids did a great job answering all of Phil's botany questions about plant classification like they always do on our hikes. They loved getting down to the water and finding crab and throwing rocks. I love the long summer days here in the PNW. The sun comes up before 5:00 and sets close to 10:00. It is only November and I am already missing all that light. I will enjoy it in pictures as I get caught-up on this blog.