3 Going on 18!

This beautiful little girl of mine just turned 4!

My camera was on the fritz so our neighbor took pictures, I'll have to down load those as soon as I get them! But she had a really wonderful birthday! We had ice cream and candles as a family on Sunday (her actual birthday) and then a party on Monday evening.

What I love most about my sweet daughter:

She wants SO much to be good

Her favorite movie is "The Testament"

Always asking me to tell her stories about Jesus

She can recite movies after watching them once

She LOVES her friends

Her competitive attitude

Every thing happened yesterday

She thoroughly enjoys riding her bike or hiking

Her love for her baby brother, and helping him learn

and her resilience to the chaos that usually surrounds her life.

She has been such a blessing in my life! What a privilege it has been thus far to be her mother. She spent a lot of time in the back ground during Henry's ordeal, being tossed around from home to home, but has grown and learned from it all. She continues to amaze me each day. And I thank the Lord every night for allowing her spirit to be a part of our family.

Happy belated birthday my spunky Elizabeth Anne!

Movin on Up..

Our neighbors graciously gave us some new furniture for Henry's room.

And yes, the walls are still periwinkle.. we're working on that.. one step at a time though.

Elizabeth got moved up stairs to the loft, and is really enjoying it. I will have pics of that soon. Her favorite thing to do... read books on her bed.

I though Granny Annie and Grandpa would appreciate this picture. I don't know how many days we would sit around and watch Henry climb in and out of the cabinets in the Ron Don.

The set included a head board, night stand and dresser with a mirror attached. Pretty awesome! I am not sure which of us is enjoying it more!

LOVE posing for the camera.

Well they both do! I love these two little kids! They brighten my life and bring such joy into our home. Elizabeth's favorite movie right now is "The Testament." A movie of Christ and his life and ministry and his visitation to the people in the America's after his resurrection. We talk a lot about the movie, about why Christ died and that the greatest blessing of all is that Christ was resurrected, so that one day (Elizabeth says two weeks) we will be able to return and live with our Father in Heaven. My children truly bring the spirit into our home, and inspire me to be a more devoted disciple of Christ.

1 YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We celebrated this MONUMENTAL day with Red cupcakes again!

Last year on Aug. 3rd, Henry received his bone marrow transplant!

We celebrate the day even though his transplant technically failed. Henry's marrow grew back rather than the donors, but it eliminated the disease and that's all we could ask for! What a blessing it has been to be home and healthy and enjoying life as a family! I want to thank all of you that prayed for our family, for our little Henry! The Lord does hear and answer prayers, in his own way, in his own time. I find it amazing to look back at the way things worked out, how the Lords will becomes more clear as we see how and why things worked the way they did. I am grateful for the Lords mercy and love and patience. And I am grateful to have my baby boy with me today!

This was the outfit he started in... I think we ended up changing a few times! haha I know he may not look excited and happy... but he was! He was a bit tired at this point, he only downed a portion of the cupcake frosting and was about to crash...but we livened him up and forced him to stay awake longer! Such fun!

I made Ribs for the first time ever! Great Success! We had Ribs, pulled pork, veggies from the garden, fruit salad, crackers & hummus, sweet corn and corn bread. I think it's funny that when we want to celebrate we think about eating a big awesome meal!

Trying to decided which is better cupcakes or corn?!

Eating cupcakes without hands leads to frosting/cake up the nose!

(Man! He looks JUST like my brother Jake!)

Making googlie eye with Grandma!

Shirtless because his dinner ended up ALL over his shirt!

Henry and his friend, Sawyer who lives next door, enjoy eating cupcakes with out their hands. Less Mess?!

After cupcakes...MORE CORN! Thank you Grandpa for bringing the sweet corn! Henry LOVED it, I think he ate about two ears.

Tuesday Henry, Elizabeth and I went swimming with the neighbor girls to celebrate Henry's Transplant day. Afterwards we went home and made Red Velvet cupcakes with coconut frosting. However, mommy's cupcakes didn't turn out very well... the frosting was good though, and that's all that really matters right?! We sang "Happy Transplant Day" and played with friends. It was really a wonderful day. And I am definitely making it a tradition to have Red Velvet cupcakes every year on the 3rd of August. What joy fills my heart!

New Doo

This was where we started...

Then Daddy got started shaving his head... and Mommy thought "Maybe I should just buzz Henry's too.

And this is what we got! Too cute!

My Little Ones

Our hike up Hatcher Pass

AMAZING

That's the only word to describe it... I love being eye level with the clouds and mountain tops!

Our Hike back down, the wind literally almost blew us off the mountain side. And that small dot of a building is where we started! It was really fun though.. and yes Elizabeth is in J's back pack! Lucky!

Elizabeth's very first BIKE!

She's a dare devil like her father! Already trying to ride with NO hands... lucky for us there are still training wheels.


He doesn't look very happy but he DID enjoy the sparklers...

Elizabeth enjoyed the s'mores... you can almost see them all over her face!

Not a good s'more unless it's all over your face.

She wasn't quite sure about riding it at first, but now Mommy pushes Henry in the stroller and Elizabeth rides her bike. It is wonderful!
(pics little out of order.. sorry)

No, we did not get a dog. And especially not a small dog. This is the neighbors dog. Elizabeth LOVES it to death...almost literally! She is obsessed! And while the dogs like the attention at first, eventually they are pleading for help to get away! She means well... she just loves them a bit too much!

BOB the Builder @ the Library

The kids got fun hats, coloring books, treats and got to do fun activities.

As you can see, the hats were the best part!

I think this is one of my favorite Henry pictures! What a goof ball!

I am so grateful to be their mother! Some times they are cranky and crazy and well, act their age, but I DO love them sooo much! They are such wonderful children! We are reading "Who's your Hero?" A book of stories from the Book of Mormon, about Nephi, Abinadi and Ammon. Every day Elizabeth makes good choices and then says, "Look mom I'm being just like Nephi!" It's so cute and I'm so grateful that she enjoys the stories and is actually learning from them. What sweet joy the gospel brings into our lives!

Not a day goes by that we don't think about where we have been and how grateful we are to the Lord for bring us through the struggles and into a time of rejoicing!