Snow days

I LOVE having a trampoline.. and so do my munchkins! Snow days are fun when you can jump on the trampoline!!!

Nursery boy!

Last week, Isaac was working, and normally Sunday's are spent chasing around my ALMOST 18 month old Thomas for Sunday School and then trying to keep him quiet, contained, and entertained during Relief Society! :) Well, Bev has to stay ...or she chooses to stay in nursery with her little Jason who is just 5 weeks older than Thomas, because that little man has a bit of a biting problem, that none of us can seem to break. Travis, Bev, ...nor Isaac and I. Silly boy just doesn't do it when we're around, but as soon as we aren't looking, or he is alone.. beware! ;) Anyway, I just decided... two weeks, I think we'll go check this Nursery thing out and see how little Thomas does. Well, the nursery leaders were all for it. Asked that I stayed the first hour just to make sure everything was going to be ok, which I was totally fine with. (I love that I will have all my kiddos in classes during church, but it is bitter sweet as well... sad that I will never have a baby laying on my shoulder, or resting on my chest during church. I won't have anyone to entertain during class. It just means they are growing up...bitter sweet!) Anyway, he did great! Loved it! So, needless to stay, I went to Relief Society, kid free. Yay..and sniff sniff at the same time. :P hehe, Yeah, I know, I'm a nerd. But it was nice. I was excited and nervous at the same time. How is he doing? Is he happy? Does he want his binky? Is Danielle taking care of him? Does he want me? ....the list goes on. Anyway, after church everyone went home super happy and I asked Bev how he did, bc she stayed in there. ;) She said..."perfect! They asked him to sit, and he sat... they asked him to stand and he did... sing... he did." Then she said something to the affect of... "They probably asked him to recite his ABC's too and he did that! Perfect!" hehe He was great! Yay!
So, this Sunday, Isaac and I dropped him off at Nursery. It was a little....drop and duck out quick technique! But we peeked and he was happy. About 15 minutes later we hear SCREAMING coming down the hall. Sure enough, it was Thomas. I guess he spit up something and then just starting non consulable crying. Poor guy. He was snot faced and very sad! Anyway, I took him back and he was VERY clingy. He started to calm down during snack time and by toys he was very happy again, and I was able to slip out and go to a very wonderful Relief Society lesson on parenting!! My little man is growing up. I am so glad all of my kids have had someone in nursery with them when they hit 18 mos... makes it for a better transition!
Just something cute... while I was in there during music time, they were working on the song.. "I am like a star shining brightly." So, they were having the kids sing it out loud.... well, there wasn't a lot of participation until they asked Danielle. AND SHE DID! It was adorable! She sang that whole verse and then afterwards we all squeeled because she was that cute. Then they told me, when she goes to the bathroom, she sings for them! lol. Ohh, it makes my heart sing just thinking about it. They said she just will go in there and sing and it reminds them of the girl Boo from Monster's, Inc., singing in the stalls. Cute huh!
I love those little munchkins! I love all my little big munchkins too! They all love going to church. I love my ward and am so thankful for the leaders we have for making my primary children happy and love their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! What a wonderful blessing!! Oh, and the primary sang in our ward today! It was so cute! McKenna and Ashley did so great and were so happy up there! Then I was completely embarrassed when they came RUNNING down the stairs down the aisle all the way to the back where we were sitting. Eeek!! Yikes... I told them we LOVED their singing and then told them again... as we do every Sunday... no running in church. :) Happy Sabbath!
For your enjoyment... Boo singing in the stalls. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isc1K9ipg9A

Dani Who from Whoville

I did Danielle's hair and for some reason I put a hair thing right in the middle of her ponytail. Well, this is what it did. It was hilarious! McKenna, Ashley, and I were laughing so hard, bc it was just sticking straight up! So cute!

Pretty impressive huh! :)

Can't really tell from this angle, but she's super cute.

Man, WE love them!

Notice his baby... yeah, it's a basketball!! He rocks!







They are just all so beautiful!

Thadeus Vance Dickman

CONGRATULATIONS Thad and Bonnie! Vance is so cute! I love his little tongue sticking out! I love him so much, but know it will be too long until I meet you just like your cousins Luke and Riley. :( I love you all!!!!

2 dogs vs 1 skunk

Who loses when 2 dogs attack 1 skunk? 2 very tired, very nauseated owners. That was our night, started with a skunk ended with a funk. Nasty...So if you see Kristine or myself in the next couple of days, plug your nose and steer clear.

This was Isaac's clever little comment on fb. ;) So, I took the dogs on a walk after I played basketball at the church. (I got to play basketball- YAY!!) We were almost home and there goes a skunk across the street. Sure enough, Angel chases after it! AHHHH!! I thought I had Samson carowled (sp) but sure enough, off he goes! AHHH!! You would think that after the skunk sprayed them the first time, they would learn. But no! Angel went back 2 more times. I called Isaac in a panic, "the dogs are getting skunked! Come out here!" I was close enough that he could whistle them home, but oh my goodness the stink! We kept them outside and Isaac ran to the store for some much needed shampoo. Isaac carried each one to the bathroom and there we stayed probably for the next HOUR! Scrubbing and rinsing, scrubbing and rinsing. Nightmare! The stink is so bad it gave us a headache. So, they are locked in a room downstairs, we let them out to pee and then put them back. Just not ready to let them in the house yet. They don't smell too bad, it's just their faces where they got skunked. And on top of that! I am doing loads and loads of laundry today, just to make sure the stink doesn't stay. Boo! What a nightmare!

Baby Talk

I never really understood baby talk. eh be ba goo goo gee ... No thanks. Isaac and I have never really been into that. We have always spoken normal to them. And our kids have never really done it. McKenna talked fairly early. The early simple words. Ball, Mommy, Daddy.... and hasn't stopped since. She also signed a ton! Ashley didn't really talk much, she was a lot like Thomas is now. She didn't really start talking until she was about 2-3! And now she is our chatter! :) Danielle was like McKenna, she could say words at an early age, but was a little more quiet than the other two little talkers. :) But still, they all said little words.

Now... when Danielle cries or gets really upset, she will babble on baby talk. It's actually kind-of funny. She will just be crying and babbling so cute! She is still our baby girl. ;) But Thomas... Thomas speaks baby talk. He does not talk, he will hardly say Mommy or Daddy at almost 18 months. For the most part he will just grunt, but, he will talk baby talk. He really will! All of a sudden, he will just say, be be boo dee da.... you know. It's pretty cute! I guess that is where baby talk comes from! Sigh, I have been humbled. Adorable! :)

JAZZ GAME!!

Brett gave us tickets to go watch the Jazz vs the Wizards, and I couldn't be more excited!! In fact, I am thrilled!!! Isaac dropped the kiddos off at Bev's house and then picked me up from work and we drove in the the windy, WINDY, snow down to SL. We got to the game... a little late. But still, we were so excited and walked in with a CROWD of late people. :) We hadn't had dinner yet, so we picked up some pizza and drinks and walked to our seats. We were in the nose bleeds, but still, so fun..and FREE! That was the best part! As we were walking up to our seats, who do we see??!! Shane and Ethan! Yay! We figured that they would be there, bc we thought Brett had given them tickets but weren't quite sure. I shared half of my pizza with Ethan and we just had a great night talking and hanging out. Ethan even caught a towel...and so did Isaac. :) It was a blast! Oh, and the most important part...did they win? NOPE! Still in a now 5 game losing streak. 107-100 Poor Jazz. But it was good for Isaac. Something like, Portland won, Denver won, and Jazz lost. SO, the Blazers are a game and a half above the Jazz and a game above the Nuggets. So, he's happy. :)

Our view

My babe and me.

Ethan and Shane

Group shot!

Honestly, I thought I looked awful in that last picture, but everyone else looked perfect so I posted both, darn. I need to learn how to photo shop. :)

Deron Williams- I thought it was a cool pic. :)

Our halftime entertainment. :)

SCORE!

The game ended and we followed the crowds in the freezing snow to our car. ....this is where the adventure begins. Ah! We were on 80 and my friend from work texts and warns me.... PARLEYS CANYON IS CLOSED! Sure enough, when we got there is was all blocked off because of the snow. So, we had to go all the way around 215, down to 15 and through the Provo Canyon. The snow in SL and was pretty bad, but once we got to Utah county it wasn't snowing at all, so we thought the snow must have let up by now. But sure enough, once we got the Provo Canyon it was so bad again! We passed a semi who was wrecked on his side. CRAZY! You would think they seriously would learn. Then, Isaac almost killed us! No kidding, SO SCARED! We slid left, than we slid right, then we slide left again. Holy cow! I am so thankful no one was around us! Isaac just went on talking as normal and finally I said, "I am so freaked out!" He said, "that was 10 minutes ago!" lol, it totally was, but it gives me anxiety and makes me so scared! Isaac said, "you should be telling me what mad skills I have bc I saved our lives!" hehe, it was funny. And very true, it was impressive! I would've killed us. :(
Then the next day I was thinking... when we were leaving SL, after the Parley's Canyon we said a prayer to get home safely. (I'm a nerd like that... I pray all the time driving in the snow bc it scares me so bad) Then, when we were in the canyon... it was weird when we were sliding. Both of us were very calm, oddly calm. I was thinking how thankful I was, it wasn't Isaac's mad skills at all... well, it was, BUT, I know He was there protecting us. I KNOW He had his hand in our safety and our travel home. He is gracious!

Sunday 'FHE' lesson

I just have to write down a lesson a lady spoke about in church on Sunday. I just thought it was a great "see" lesson to teach our children one family home evening. And bare with me... I'm not that good at writing things out, but you can get the concept. ;)
She said, when we come inside with our feet all muddy and our mom has just swept the kitchen floor, what will she tell us? "Go wash your hands", or "get out of my kitchen." Mm hm! We have all heard it... or said it! Or, when we have dirty hands before dinner time... "go wash your hands!" Well, she compared it to the Atonement. When we go up to Heaven, we want to be all clean and pure. No dirty hands allowed. So, we have to do all the cleaning and washing while we are here to live our life righteously to return pure to our Heavenly Father.
Sorry, I am not the best writer when it comes to this stuff, but I loved the lesson. I am sure we can take this and just build on it! I know we will!

Oh, and I heard a great quote today by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin...

"Come What May, and Love it!"

Isn't it great! That is what his mom used to tell him when he was a little boy. Through good and bad... whatever happens, love it! That is my new motto! "The way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life."

"Do your best and leave the rest to Him"

I have heard that quote, also from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, twice in the last week. I figured maybe I needed to hear it. It is also a great one. He is there for us!

Ok, I wanted this to be a short blog, but ah well. Here is the video to Elder B. Wirthlin's talk... It is only 3 minutes. And below, I posted the talk. Which is also great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVNYhcYEwIE

When I was young I loved playing sports, and I have many fond memories of those days. But not all of them are pleasant. I remember one day after my football team lost a tough game, I came home feeling discouraged. My mother was there. She listened to my sad story. She taught her children to trust in themselves and each other, not blame others for their misfortunes, and give their best effort in everything they attempted.
When we fell down, she expected us to pick ourselves up and get going again. So the advice my mother gave to me then wasn’t altogether unexpected. It has stayed with me all my life.
“Joseph,” she said, “come what may, and love it.”
I have often reflected on that counsel.
I think she may have meant that every life has peaks and shadows and times when it seems that the birds don’t sing and bells don’t ring. Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming stronger, wiser, and happier as a result.
There may be some who think that General Authorities rarely experience pain, suffering, or distress. If only that were true. While every man and woman on this stand today has experienced an abundant measure of joy, each also has drunk deeply from the cup of disappointment, sorrow, and loss. The Lord in His wisdom does not shield anyone from grief or sadness.
For me, the Lord has opened the windows of heaven and showered blessings upon my family beyond my ability to express. Yet like everyone else, I have had times in my life when it seemed that the heaviness of my heart might be greater than I could bear. During those times I think back to those tender days of my youth when great sorrows came at the losing end of a football game.
How little I knew then of what awaited me in later years. But whenever my steps led through seasons of sadness and sorrow, my mother’s words often came back to me: “Come what may, and love it.”
How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.
If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness.
Over the years I have learned a few things that have helped me through times of testing and trial. I would like to share them with you.
Learn to Laugh
The first thing we can do is learn to laugh. Have you ever seen an angry driver who, when someone else makes a mistake, reacts as though that person has insulted his honor, his family, his dog, and his ancestors all the way back to Adam? Or have you had an encounter with an overhanging cupboard door left open at the wrong place and the wrong time which has been cursed, condemned, and avenged by a sore-headed victim?
There is an antidote for times such as these: learn to laugh.
I remember loading up our children in a station wagon and driving to Los Angeles. There were at least nine of us in the car, and we would invariably get lost. Instead of getting angry, we laughed. Every time we made a wrong turn, we laughed harder.
Getting lost was not an unusual occurrence for us. Once while heading south to Cedar City, Utah, we took a wrong turn and didn’t realize it until two hours later when we saw the “Welcome to Nevada” signs. We didn’t get angry. We laughed, and as a result, anger and resentment rarely resulted. Our laughter created cherished memories for us.
I remember when one of our daughters went on a blind date. She was all dressed up and waiting for her date to arrive when the doorbell rang. In walked a man who seemed a little old, but she tried to be polite. She introduced him to me and my wife and the other children; then she put on her coat and went out the door. We watched as she got into the car, but the car didn’t move. Eventually our daughter got out of the car and, red faced, ran back into the house. The man that she thought was her blind date had actually come to pick up another of our daughters who had agreed to be a babysitter for him and his wife.
We all had a good laugh over that. In fact, we couldn’t stop laughing. Later, when our daughter’s real blind date showed up, I couldn’t come out to meet him because I was still in the kitchen laughing. Now, I realize that our daughter could have felt humiliated and embarrassed. But she laughed with us, and as a result, we still laugh about it today.
The next time you’re tempted to groan, you might try to laugh instead. It will extend your life and make the lives of all those around you more enjoyable.
Seek for the Eternal
The second thing we can do is seek for the eternal. You may feel singled out when adversity enters your life. You shake your head and wonder, “Why me?”
But the dial on the wheel of sorrow eventually points to each of us. At one time or another, everyone must experience sorrow. No one is exempt.
I love the scriptures because they show examples of great and noble men and women such as Abraham, Sarah, Enoch, Moses, Joseph, Emma, and Brigham. Each of them experienced adversity and sorrow that tried, fortified, and refined their characters.
Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others.
Because Jesus Christ suffered greatly, He understands our suffering. He understands our grief. We experience hard things so that we too may have increased compassion and understanding for others.
Remember the sublime words of the Savior to the Prophet Joseph Smith when he suffered with his companions in the smothering darkness of Liberty Jail:
“My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
“And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” 1
With that eternal perspective, Joseph took comfort from these words, and so can we. Sometimes the very moments that seem to overcome us with suffering are those that will ultimately suffer us to overcome.
The Principle of Compensation
The third thing we can do is understand the principle of compensation. The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude.
One of the blessings of the gospel is the knowledge that when the curtain of death signals the end of our mortal lives, life will continue on the other side of the veil. There we will be given new opportunities. Not even death can take from us the eternal blessings promised by a loving Heavenly Father.
Because Heavenly Father is merciful, a principle of compensation prevails. I have seen this in my own life. My grandson Joseph has autism. It has been heartbreaking for his mother and father to come to grips with the implications of this affliction.
They knew that Joseph would probably never be like other children. They understood what that would mean not only for Joseph but for the family as well. But what a joy he has been to us. Autistic children often have a difficult time showing emotion, but every time I’m with him, Joseph gives me a big hug. While there have been challenges, he has filled our lives with joy.
His parents have encouraged him to participate in sports. When he first started playing baseball, he was in the outfield. But I don’t think he grasped the need to run after loose balls. He thought of a much more efficient way to play the game. When a ball was hit in his direction, Joseph watched it go by and then pulled another baseball out of his pocket and threw that one to the pitcher.
Any reservations that his family may have had in raising Joseph, any sacrifices they have made have been compensated tenfold. Because of this choice spirit, his mother and father have learned much about children with disabilities. They have witnessed firsthand the generosity and compassion of family, neighbors, and friends. They have rejoiced together as Joseph has progressed. They have marveled at his goodness.
Trust in the Father and the Son
The fourth thing we can do is put our trust in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” 2 The Lord Jesus Christ is our partner, helper, and advocate. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to be successful. If we do our part, He will step in.
He who descended below all things will come to our aid. He will comfort and uphold us. He will strengthen us in our weakness and fortify us in our distress. He will make weak things become strong. 3
One of our daughters, after giving birth to a baby, became seriously ill. We prayed for her, administered to her, and supported her as best we could. We hoped she would receive a blessing of healing, but days turned into months, and months turned into years. At one point I told her that this affliction might be something she would have to struggle with the rest of her life.
One morning I remember pulling out a small card and threading it through my typewriter. Among the words that I typed for her were these: “The simple secret is this: put your trust in the Lord, do your best, then leave the rest to Him.”
She did put her trust in God. But her affliction did not disappear. For years she suffered, but in due course, the Lord blessed her, and eventually she returned to health.
Knowing this daughter, I believe that even if she had never found relief, yet she would have trusted in her Heavenly Father and “[left] the rest to Him.”
Conclusion
Although my mother has long since passed to her eternal reward, her words are always with me. I still remember her advice to me given on that day long ago when my team lost a football game: “Come what may, and love it.”
I know why there must be opposition in all things. Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives. We can learn to love it.
As we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure hardship and trial. We can say, as did my mother, “Come what may, and love it.” Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Emma Kay!

We went to meet Emma on Wednesday!! 4 days after she arrived here, fresh from Heaven! We were planning on waiting until Saturday, but Isaac called me up at work and said we should go tonight! Yay! Needless to say I wasn't prepared and didn't have the cute baby vase of flowers that Christy had given me to fill last summer when her baby arrived. I told her I would do it...and I failed. :( But we will see her again.
Isaac picked me up from work and we were off to Ogden! McKenna told us that Roni and the kids were going to be there and we kindly told her, not tonight. It was just the Garner fam visiting the Cattermoles. Isaac hadn't been to Christy's in so long, I'll spill the beans, he couldn't find her house! hehe I told him we passed it, but he just kept on driving.. "around that corner." hehe We made a "uey" and made it there. As we pulled in the drive way, Isaac said, "when did they get 3 cars." And McKenna just told us, like no big deal... "Told ya, Roni and the kids are here!" Well, Isaac and I were still shocked so we told her, probably just Roni and Shane, but no kids. Well... as soon as we opened the door... you guessed it. Partay!! The whole gang was there! How did that little lady know!? :)
We finally got to meet our little niece. So little, so precious, so sweet! All my girls took turns holding her. And the kids just played played played! Christy was very brave to have us all up for the night, especially having a newborn in the house, with all lack of sleep! Poor girl. But she looked great and happy.







Thomas was very uninterested to hold baby Emma, but he did find a ball, so that is all he really cared about the rest of the night. It was cute to see him and Mason playing.
I lifted him up to see Emma and that was good enough. I sat him long enough with Ethan to get a picture! :)

Mason calls her "em." So cute!

They are doing great and it was so fun to see everyone on Wednesday and especially Emma! On the way home, the girls asked how old she was. One year? One month? We told them, only 4 days... and just 4 days ago she was with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in Heaven. Can you believe that!? It is just so truly remarkable. Silly to say, but I can feel the spirit as I write this. Children are such blessings and gifts in our lifes. MIRACLES! That is what they are! The girls like that she was just in Heaven. They mentioned who she knew up there, which was also precious! Like, Grandma with white hair- (my side of the family), and probably Thomas and her were good friends before he was born. It was cute.

Yes, her finger nails are painted! Isn't that so stinking cute!
Oh, and one other cute thing that Christy told us Ava said, that I just have to write down. Ava asked Christy who she was going to marry... bc Daddy (Brett), Uncle Ike, and Uncle Shane were already married. Cute huh! Like, who else is there..?!
Sweet precious children of our Heavenly Father!