Our Year of the Family

Dear Fam,

This month I read an article in the Ensign about "Teaching the Doctrine of the Family".  I felt the strong impression that we needed to really focus on learning about the Family, its purpose, and how we can be stronger as a family unit.

So here's our plan.  We are studying the Family Proclamation.  Actually we are memorizing it, one paragraph a month for the rest of 2011.  One of the paragraphs is really, really long so we are going to split that one in two.  But we've already memorized the first paragraph and it's so awesome.  You guys are pretty incredible at that.

We are also taking the important principles (faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities), and one at a time they will be our family theme for an entire month.  Mostly that means we are studying it every week for family home evening.  It's on our garage door as well, vinyl sticker, and we try to talk about it often. 

Our first family home evening this month was awesome.  We learned about the story of Samuel the Lamanite , and about how he had to have a lot of faith to return to preaching when he had already been thrown out of the city.  So we "threw" Daddy out of the living room and when he returned and started preaching on the "city wall" (our ottoman), we pelted him with "rocks" (marshamallows).  It was pretty awesome.

Having the monthly theme has really helped keep us on track with Family Home Evening and it's pretty much blessed us in a ton of ways.  The "work" month probably won't be so fun but I can bet "wholesome recreational activities" will be a blast.

Love you guys.  You are my family.  And you are my everything. 

Reunion sneak peek

Dear kiddoes,

About last summer, we received an email from Aunt Darla that she wanted to host a family reunion in Salt Lake City.  The weekend before Christmas.  Seriously.  But still it sounded like a ton of fun so I talked with Daddy.  Come to find out that weekend would be his busiest 4 days in a whole 3 month period.  It would mean me driving by myself with a newborn, a toddler, and two boys, all the way to SLC and Dad would fly up on Thursday night.  Maybe.

I kindly responded that we would love to come but it would take a miracle.  Aunt Darla responded that she believed in miracles and would pray for one.  Then your Aunt Tanya and Aunt Jaime went to work on me.  Basically they convinced me that with their help, it would be a piece of cake and I didn't have one excuse left.

It actually took a few miracles but it ended up the most amazing family reunion ever and I am so grateful we were able to go.  Your aunts are pretty amazing, Uncle Nick was a strong shoulder to lean on, and everything worked out amazingly well. 

Within three weeks of the reunion, Uncle Brent passed away.  But it was okay.  It was more than okay.  It was the way it was meant to be.

 I'm currently in the process of making an entire book about it for our family.  But here are a few pictures for a sneak peek. 

Got Family?  We do.

Birthday-Rific!

Dear Marcus,

So for your seventh birthday, you decided  you'd rather have cash for legos than have a party (hooray!).  Now your birthday happens to fall on Spring Break pretty much every year, which when you are in college, you are going to looove.  Trust me.  But right now it's kind of a bummer because its hard to have a party with all of your buddies.  But getting $150 to spend on Legos is pretty much awesome.

Since it was Spring Break and Mommy was itching to get out of town, Daddy and I secretly planned a trip to Legoland so you could buy your birthday legos there.  The trip was not for your birthday.  Do not expect a theme park every year for your special day.  It just happened to work out that way.

So off we went, on a whirlwind trip to Carlsbad, CA and back.  We spend one whole day at Legoland and then next day we checked out the beach in La Jolla and the San Diego Temple before driving the whole way home.  It was so fast but really, really fun.

While at Legoland, you and Jonah both said it was the best day ever.  That was awesome to hear.  It made it all worth it. 

PS.  While we were at the San Diego Temple, there was a bride getting pictures taken.  I explained to Kariah that when women are married in the Temple, they become princesses.  She thought about that, and then asked "And then I get a ring?"  yup, then you get a ring.

PPS.  At church today, the congregation sang the sacrament hymn, in the quiet pause between the song and the sacrament prayer, Kariah says loudly "Good singing everybody".  It was awesome.

From Kari

Dear Grandparents,



I thought you might appreciate knowing a little about my life. As exciting as it is and all.



With the weather so nice, Mommy tries to take us out to the park at least once a day. Last Thursday, Jonah was at piano practice so it was just Marcus and us girls.

Kariah practiced going up the slide.  Marcus practiced torturing her. 













I practiced posing cute for Mom.  The woman never puts her camera down, seriously.  All I hear is "Kari over here!  Kari smile!  Kari look at me!!"  She's obsessed I tell you.



Then I practiced falling.  On my face.  I do that a lot lately.  I swear, one of these days I'll figure out the whole crawling thing.  But for now I lunge around until I fall flat on my face, then I cry hysterically.  About 20 times an hour. 

Mom is still sane.  Pretty much. 





Then Marcus and Kariah practiced loving me.  They do a darn good job of that.
















Then Marcus practiced teaching me how to do a push up.  No, I don't know why.  He's weird like that. 













Then I practiced spitting.  I do a pretty good job of that.  It's a gift.
















Then I practiced my Grandpa Thurston impression.  Nailed it!!  It's another gift.












I love you, my Grandparents.  I really do.  And so does my Mommy.