Beautiful Inside and Out

It has been way too long since I have written a post... Oops!

Rachel has turned 18 years old and is a beautiful young woman, inside and out. She is a special gift in my life! What a sweet example of selfless service & love of family. I'm so grateful for her example of love for the Lord. Rachel enjoys attending the temple regularly to perform baptisms for the dead.  (See lds.org ) She has great faith and turns to the Savior for help with challenges in daily life. Rachel is quiet and sometimes shy, but strong and determined. 

It is a privilege to be her mother! 

What is going on...

So, the kids are out of school for the summer.  It is going to be interesting... we'll see if I can maintain my sanity on a daily basis. I do love my children. Motherhood is a lot of work, but it is worth it.

On 5/8 we took our oldest daughter, Cassie, to the Missionary training center in Provo, Utah. She is serving an 18 month full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  We are so proud of her!  She has been called to serve in the Philippines, Iloilo mission and speak the Hiligaynon language, which she is now learning in the MTC. It is a wonderful opportunity for her!

Rachel flew out today on a trip to Washington, D.C. with a group of teenagers and a few chaperones.  It is the Fast Pass/Close up program. They will tour the different sites there. It should be a fun adventure!

There she goes!

Nicki and Emily

Blake

Rachel and her friend Jake

Rachel Turns 17

My sweet little girl had a birthday today... Rachel is 17 years old!
Seriously seems like she was just born.
Rachel is such a sweet daughter; we are very blessed that she is a part of our family.
I am so grateful for Rachel's quiet way of helping with her younger siblings & with the housework without being asked!
She is an excellent student & plays the piano. Often she gets up VERY early to attend the Temple.
I am so proud of her! Happy Birthday!!!

Cooking with Emily

Emily has been "pinning" recipes on Pinterest & we have tried out a few. It has been fun to cook together in the kitchen. Emily is in the seventh grade. She enjoys cooking. Last semester she took a cooking class at school.
Today we made Lasagna Rolls. They were very good! You can find the recipe here: http://www.recipebyphoto.com/lasagna-rolls/
Emily can always be found with her iPod in hand. She likes fashion & is experimenting with hairstyles lately. I think she is outgoing & is energetic when around her friends. We just returned from a vacation to Disneyland. Emily was SO thrilled to visit with the fairies Fawn & Tinkerbell! We waited in line for one hour. Afterward she was so happy she had tears in her eyes...it was sweet.

Hope

So, yesterday was election day. I voted . Things don't always turn out the way we want them to. It has been so interesting to see Mitt Romney run as the republican nominee for USA Presidential election 2012. He is amazing! I am so impressed with his capacity and endurance throughout the campaign. Also, how exciting that some people could overcome the concerns that he is a Mormon & give him their support. Instead of feeling disappointed that he did not win the election, I am proud of how close he came to winning. I am very grateful to live in a free country where I have the right to vote!

Cassie

Today is our oldest child's birthday; Cassie was born 19 years ago. Where has the time gone? She was due to be born on October 27,1993. I had to be induced for her birth. It was very exciting and we were a little overwhelmed with our new responsibility as parents. She was 9 lbs. 2 oz. & 22 inches long.

It has been a wonderful journey having Cassie in our lives. She is friendly, outgoing, smart & talented. When she was a little girl she enjoyed creating things with clay & making little houses out of boxes. Harry Potter & violin have been a big part of her life.
Now she is away at college. It is great to watch her become more independent. I especially love to see her testimony grow as she prepares to serve a mission for the church.
We took her to dinner at the Olive Garden on Saturday night. Sunday we celebrated with cheesecake. Happy Birthday!!!

Ordinary Days

Yesterday, Blake walked over to where I was in the kitchen & whispered in my ear, "what is Dad's real name?" He looked very serious. I replied, "Steven." Blake looked stunned. He said, "I thought his name was Dad!" So, it was quite a revelation for his 5 year old mind. (At the time Dad aka Steven was sitting on the couch which explains the whispering.) He is a smart & curious boy. His sister, Nicki, mentioned tonight that she tries to eat her lunch at school quickly so she can get outside on the playground to see Blake before his recess ends. I love that!