Creating Life - Creative Gifting for hubbies who go to girls camp. :)

For the past few years Brad has volunteered to go to our ward girls camp as one of the Priesthood leaders.   This year isn't any different.   He has a great time helping with this camp and he is a good sport when it comes to being silly.   This year the Young Women's President asked the wives of the Priesthood leaders to put together a little gift for each day of camp.   They can be silly or serious.   I had a whole lot of fun with this project.  
This is what I did for Brad.

Break The Ice Gift
The tag says "Help "break the ice"..Bring out your inner Calvin. 
Brad is a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan so I thought he would get a laugh out of this.   I included a box of "Ice" gum and a bag of pretend spiders and a snake so he can play silly tricks on the girls.   :)
If you don't read Calvin and Hobbes just know Calvin is very mischievous. 

A Dozen Sweet Word Gift
Rather than give Brad a dozen roses...I created a dozen tags each with a word that reflect Brad. 
I then attached a candy bar that represents that word.
Here is a few pictures for an example.

After I finished the tags and attached the candy to the back of each tag I took 2 pieces of 12x12 scrapbook paper and glued/taped them together (this had to be travel proof so I had to use tape and I didn't have any two sided tape...that would have looked much better). Then I rolled them into a cone shape and taped it again.




"You Pop" Gift
Brad has a few nicknames.  Like B-Rad, "B", on his  LDS mission they called him Elder 'Rocks because of his last name.   When we started dating everyone called us the "BB's" because our names started with the same letter.   So Bumble Bee's became kind of our "symbol".   So I used that symbol and his "Rocks" nickname for this gift.   The tag says "B (using a bumble bee image) Rocks You really Pop!"  I then attached a bottle of soda pop, bottle caps candy, pop rocks and a ring pop.

What I've been up to.

A few weeks ago we received a surprising phone call and we were asked to meet with the Stake President. After a couple of nervous days we sat in the Presidents office and Brad received a call to serve as 1st Counselor in our Ward Bishopric.    From that point on life has been put hyper speed.    On top of keeping up with Brad's schedule we have had family activities going on and date nights (which I LOVE).   Life is full and joyful and crazy.   As you have noticed I haven't posted much the past few weeks....I am trying to find balance in my new schedule and then I will come back and post more often.   I miss blogging but I am loving the time I have with my kids.   Yesterday in the hustle and bustle of trying to get house and children ready for the Sabbath day I took some time out to sit and hold Spencer after his bath.   He was all clean in his jammies and I wrapped him in his blanket and held him while he had a nighttime bottle (yes we are still using the bottle....slowly weaning).   This is a nighttime routine for Spencer but last night he fell asleep in my arms and I just held him for a while and loved every moment.  These are the kind of moments I want to have with my kids this summer.  
Sweet moments to remember.

I just wanted  you to know I am still here...just taking time to get some order in my home and then will add other things into my life again.

Our fun all day date.

Today was like one long wonderful date!!!!
Brad and I woke up early got ready, welcomed one of our favorites baby sitters (Brad's sister Vicki) and off we went. After picking up a friend and fellow FSA national board member (and her really cute 3 month old baby boy) we headed up to Morgan. It is BEATUIFUL up there!!!! We were welcomed to our FSA Advisor's home (Steve Sunday) where we were greeted by other fsa nb members, 2 really cute dogs and Steve's sweet wife Karen. We had a great meeting and I left even more excited for the upcoming conference!
If you want conference details go here or if you are an FSA member visit the FSA Website at http://www.familiessupportingadoption.org

After the meeting Steve took us to lunch at this great placed called Grill. The food was sooo yummy!!!! I highly suggest trying this place out...the drive is a little long depending upon where you are in Utah (or out of Utah) but it was really good food!

Later in the day Brad and I went to his Employee Recognition dinner. Brad has been with his employer for 10 years so he got a special award and we were treated to a great dinner! We were also entertained by Jon Schmidt and got to hear this song. Jon Schmidt calls it
LOVE STORY (Taylor Swift) meets VIVA LA VIDA (Coldplay)

Love it!!!!

On our way home we stopped at Walmart and picked up an aquarium for a baby frog...I will have to share the baby frog story this coming week....it is took funny not to share!

So it is now 12:01am Sunday morning and I am tired...so off to bed I go. Enjoy the youtube clip! We sure enjoyed the live version!

Happy Birthday Brad!

Happy Happy Birthday Bradley Dear!
Happy days will come to you all year.
If I had a wish then it would be
a Happy Happy Birthday to You from Me!!!

Happy 37th!
You get better looking every year!
We are ALL CRAZY about you!!!!
Picture taken by Leisha Kelsey.
This picture was taken the day before we said goodbye to Ashanti....it is also my most recent family photo so that is why I used it. Well ..and I LOVE it! Any picture with my favorite baby in it is a good picture. :)

For Brad

Has it really been 14 years?? Wasn't it just yesterday that we celebrated our 1st anniversary by you taking care of me after my tonsillectomy? We have been through so many things together! It is nice to look back and see we made it through those hard times. I love the place we are in right now in our relationship..there is so much love and kindness! I married an incredible guy!!! Here are 14 things I love about You!
I LOVE...
the way you look...I actually think you get more handsome all the time!
that you work so hard for our family...you would do anything for us.
that you like me to rub your feet.
that your can fix anything, anytime and anyplace. You are like the Maguyver or fix it's.
the way you give me love pats every time you pass by me. You have no idea what it does for me!
how cute you are with our kids. They know that Daddy loves them!
that you bring home surprises every time you leave on business.
how you like to snuggle your feet next to mine at night.
the way you heat me up when I am freezing. You are my personal heater.
that you work hard in your calling and you enjoy serving.
that you love me for me. You love my curly, brown hair and blue eyes and you don't want me to be anything other than myself.
how you embrace adoption! I watch you serve along side me and it means more than I could ever express with words.
that you take me to the temple.
staying up late and watching movies with you.
the way you honor my role as wife, mother and nurturer.

Thank You for sticking with me through thick, thin, hard time and easy. Thank You for being there when I need to talk and for not judging me. Thank you for loving adoption, Birth Parents, foster care and FSA.
I love sharing all these adventures with you!
Thank You for marrying me!!
Happy Anniversary Brad!!!!
I wonder what the next 14 years will bring?
I LOVE YOU!!! !

What a Week

I should have realized I was in for a crazy week when Haley was already sick before Brad even left for Orlando. Here are the basics of my not so easy week.

Sunday - Brad takes of for his Florida conference. I stay home from church because Haley was sick. By evening she is covered in a rash. I guess scarlet fever.
Monday - I take Haley to see her doctor. DX: Scarlet Fever. Sent home with meds. By the time we get home I am in pain and wondering what is up. Monday evening...I have swelling and a lump.
Tuesday - I go to the doctor and find out I have an infection. Start on meds and have to go home and try to bring infection to the surface with hot packs. Swelling gets worse.
Wednesday - more hot packs. finally infection comes to the surface and starts to drain. The best news of the week....Haley starts to feel alot better.
Thursday- more hot packs. I wake up with a sore throat.
Friday - Surgery to drain the infection. Surgery was NOT fun....I could feel it way more than I ever wanted. More sore throat. Brad comes home and I am so glad about it!

So after an exhausting week I am hoping for a calm weekend.

A Day full of Promise.

(August 2, 2008)
Today Brenley was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints! It was an incredible day that couldn't have gone more perfectly! One of my favorite parts of this day was helping Brenley get ready to go to the Stake Center and then helping her change into and out of her baptism jumper. I could remember doing that with my own mother. I loved having those few moments alone with Brenley. I also LOVED seeing Brad in his White jumper and loved that he honor's the Priesthood and has lived in such a way that he was the one who performed the ordinances. I love my very handsome husband!!!

Today I realized just how grown up my little girl has become and I once again feel so incredibly blessed to be her mother!






Special Thanks to our Fathers (Joe & Don) for being witnesses, Craig for saying the prayer, Diane for giving the talk on Baptism & Trevor for singing "When I am Baptized". The talk was perfect and the song was really beautiful! Thank you for being willing to be part of Brenley's special day! We also wanted to say thank you to all the family and friends that came! Brenley had been afraid no one would come. It is funny the things kids worry about. :)

For Brad

I think I must have the best husband in the whole world. I realized I am kind of biased BUT! lol I just wanted to take a moment to say Thank You to my best friend!

Thank You for:

Working so hard to keep me home with the kids. You and I both see how this has blessed our life! Without being home bringing children to our family would have been harder to do. And we both see how it blesses their life each day.

Meeting me at doctors appointments. I don't know what I would do without you! Trying to take one of the children to the doctor with all the other kids is so hard and feels like a circus. Thank You for helping me by watching the other kids. I also appreciate more than you know when you take the kids while I see the doctor when I am sick etc. When you do this you say to me that I am important and worth the time. It also helps me remember that my health is just as important as the kids.

Taking Time off for FSA Functions. I LOVE serving on the FSA board with you!!! It has been something fun that is just me and you! I enjoy having a common passion and having someone to share this special part of me with! I think our service together has strengthened our marriage in so many ways!

Believing in and Supporting our Foster Care efforts. I am so blessed to have you understand foster care and how important this work is. Thank you for having such a soft and open heart to this and especially to baby A. You are a great Foster Dad!

Encouraging me. When I say I can't do it....you say I can. You helped me feel I can do anything!

Being happy with whatever I got done that day. I love the way you don't judge the laundry pile size, or the un-swept floor. You tell me how good the house looks and tell me it is ok that I didn't get upstairs cleaned for the weekend. When I am too hard on myself you are the soft voice that tells me it is ok to take a break once in a while.

Eating whatever is put on your plate. I am so grateful you are not a picky eater. Thank you for being happy with whatever I made for dinner....even when it is truly yucky!

Sticking with me. We have been through so much the past 14 years. Thank You for making infertility "our" issue instead of just mine. Thank you for continuing to love me even when I ask stupid questions about things I fear. And thank you for sticking with me through my "thick" and my thin days (especially since the thin days don't stay very long lol).

Loving me for me! I love that you love my curly brown hair instead of wishing my hair was straight and blond. I love that you love my singing voice and the cookies I make. I love that you think my feet are cute and my hands pretty. I love the love taps and hugs and kisses (and other things). I love that you love me!

Picking you for forever was the best thing I ever did!
I love you Brad!!! !