Random Pics

This past summer, I got a new camera. My very 1st Digital SLR - Cannon Rebel XSi. I have always had a love of taking pictures and most people that know me, see me behind a camera. Since I don't have kids of my own to brag about and because of privacy I cannot post pics of our 2 foster girls that were in our home, I decided to share random pictures that I have taken instead. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Walked around like a tourist and took pictures of the Cardston Alberta Temple - here are a few shots that I like ... taken the Summer of 2010 ... all rights reserved - please do not copy. Prints are available for purchase however - email me for more information.

      

Did I mention ... I LOVE my new camera?  I'm still learning all of the amazing functions of this camera and the 2 lenses.  It is so much fun and there are some amazing and beautiful, different angles of the Temple that I have never explored before.  Looking through the viewfinder brings out a whole new world to me!

Ups & Downs of trying to "Foster to Adopt"

My blog was started several years ago and I haven't done a lot on it. We started fostering and hoping to adopt an infant through fostering, so life got a bit busy back in May 2009. Lots of changes to our family as a newborn baby girl, "Princess A," came into our home. Because of privacy, we aren't allowed to share very much information, so we didn't get to "brag" about this beautiful Daughter of God that blessed our lives. A few months later, a 7 year old girl came into our care and we fast became parents of 2 girls - ages 0 to 7, it was an adventure to say the least.


After the crash course in parenting, many emotional roller coasters, saying goodbye basically three times to our baby girl and once to our 7 year old girl, we currently have no children in our home once again. We were blessed to be parents for a total of 10 months to our baby girl and 7 months to our 7 yr old girl. It's been almost 1 year now since we last had a child in our home, except for the few "sleepovers" we got to have with our "Princess T."


The one thing that we have learned so far from our foster/adopt experience is that when a child is in your heart, they never leave. It is very possible to love a child as your very own, even if you didn't give birth to them. "Princess A" will always be our baby girl in our hearts. We will also always be "Aunt" and "Uncle" to our "Princess T." We love them both and continue to pray for them and know that Heavenly Father is aware of them. Our home will always be open to them.


I will never forget the day we were reunited with our baby girl, "Princess A," in December 2009. It was a Christmas miracle for our family. I can't wait for the reunions that will take place in Heaven if it is anything like that day of pure joy to have her in our arms and home once again.


I also can imagine more clearly now how our Heavenly Father might feel about sending His children to other "parents" to be raised in this mortality. How difficult it can be to not be able to rush in and help your child through the difficulties they may face. To want to be with them and hold them in your arms, to keep them safe, to have them out there living without you, knowing where they are and not being able to be their "mom" and "dad." To have to pray and hope with all your heart that their "parents" will love them and take care of them as you would. I have a connection with her and don't understand why I feel of her presence when things are going on in her life. Interesting how I got called into Nursery and started the same Sunday that "Princess A" started Nursery as an 18 month old in another Ward, in another place. So many coincidences ... so many promptings. Our prayers are always with both our "Princess A" and "Princess T."


People tell me how strong I am, but I feel so weak and vulnerable. I fall to my knees praying for help to get through the day at times. A few have told me to "move on" and that if I didn't look at the past, I might be able to have another baby girl bless our lives. Well, easier said than done, in all aspects of these comments. We are looking to the future - We continue to take the Parenting and Foster classes that are offered - We are still an Open Foster/Adopt home - there just have not been any placements for us. Maybe kids are actually being taken care of the way they should be?

Planning a 20 Year Class Reunion

During my 10 Year Class Reunion back in 2001, I was asked by our Class Secretary if I would take on the job of planning our next reunion ... I said "yes" without really thinking.

So, here I am, 2011, trying to get things planned for a Class of about 400! I started back in 2008 by adding a group on Facebook to try and start finding all of our classmates. I stayed up late several nights looking up people on Facebook to add them as my "friend" so I could get the word out about our High School Reunion and our Facebook Group "Provo High School 1991 Alumni." Since then, I have managed to find almost 180 people - I LOVE Social Media - sure makes planning a 20 Year Reunion easier! My friend, Kevin Merrell, came on board to help me further this year. The 2 of us now are Co-Chairs and getting ready to start up our Sub-Planning Committees.

So many plans and so many thoughts that I hope will be realized to have an amazing 20 Year Provo High School Class of 1991 Reunion!

One requirement, having the Reunion in Provo - check! The date: Saturday, 30 July 2011 - check! Place to hold Reunion - wish we could do the High School, but because of the class our size, probably not going to happen for a sit down dinner, 2nd location I really wanted was the Restored Brigham Young Academy that is now the Provo Library at Academy Square, but it is booked for our date - so now securing an alternate. Type up the list of all classmates to add to our Blog - Check! Scan all classmates pictures out of our Yearbook - Check! Add onto our Blog about Provo High Couples - Check! Get Yearbook Pictures onto our Blog - almost done - Check!

Future Plans: get Sub-Planning Committees going & reporting back to me or Kevin, Get our Class Picture from the High School, Get a park booked for the Family Pic-Nic, Find Memorabilia from 1991, Find out about and Honor those that are Deceased, Plan time off work and the trip to Utah booked, Find more classmates - still missing about 1/2, and just get details going and done!

It is a fun project to be over - it's also making me put all my High School insecurities aside and really get out there! Besides - the control freak in me is Loving this adventure!

Ways to connect to the Provo High School 1991 Alumni info:

Facebook Group: Provo High School 1991 Alumni

Blog: http://provohigh91.blogspot.com/

1 Year Full of Firsts

1 Year ago today, our lives changed! We were blessed to be parents for most of the year to a beautiful baby girl. It was an amazing year of firsts for our family.

First time parents - ever (foster/adopt/birth), 1st time bring a newborn home from the hospital, 1st bath, 1st time being up all night long, 1st book, 1st Primary Song, 1st time watching her smile, 1st shots (mom cried harder than she did), 1st blood drawn (again-Mom hated it), 1st time seeing her roll over, 1st time swimming (which she loves), 1st Parade, 1st Grandma Scott visit, 1st teething, 1st ice cream, 1st babysitter, 1st scooting then crawling, 1st sleeping through the night, 1st hugs/cuddles, 1st baby food, 1st words, 1st lemon (which she loves), 1st Halloween, 1st sickness, 1st Priesthood Blessing, 1st goodbye as she returned to her family, 1st welcome back as she returned to our home (I can only imagine what Heaven must be like), 1st Christmas, 1st kisses, 1st cruising around the furniture, 1st New Years, 1st Family Scripture study (she didn't even tear the pages), 1st tooth, 1st time playing at the park, 1st actual bedtime routine, 1st finger painting & coloring with crayons (yes, she mostly tried to eat it), 1st Easter (early), 1st birthday cake (early), and even 1st steps!

Missing her dearly on her 1st Birthday today. Really wanted to shout it out to the world when she came into our lives

Another Adventure

The Queen is now officially a Librarian/Library Manager! I am really Queen of my own domain now - well, sort of, except for the Library Board - I am! I can put things where I want them and not argue with the King as to "why" I want to have something in a particular cupboard/place. Funny thing - we are re-modeling our kitchen and it's great! The hard part is just like when we move into a new place, the discussion starts as to what gets placed where. You see, this King likes to cook - and so does the Queen. And both are stubborn and have a different way of working in the kitchen. Before, it just got left to the King, because the kitchen was too small for both the King and Queen to be in it at the same time, so the Queen put up her hands and let the King do it all, mostly. Now - a nice, open and updated kitchen - the Queen really wants to take charge of the kitchen - isn't that the domain of the Queen anyway? So, the Queen is resorting to ignoring the kitchen and settling into the Library instead.

Changes

Lots of changes happening here, too many to post here though! We love the changes in our home and lives right now. It's amazing how many things can change is so little time!

I love the change from Spring/Winter to Summer - I experienced the 1st time in 5 years living in Canada that there was snow on the ground in the middle of May and June too! What a change that is! I always use to laugh that there wasn't enough months of summer up here - but when June gets snow, it really throughs me for a loop!

Life keeps us busy and we are loving it! Hope you are all doing well and whatever changes come your way - may you be blessed and love it too!

General Conference

http://lds.org/move/index.html?type=conference04-2009&event=april179&lang=english

I LOVED CONFERENCE! So much to learn again and renew my Faith in my Heavenly Fathers plan of happiness for His children - and in my Savior, Jesus Christ! What a wonderful way to spend Saturday/Sunday, and get ready for the reason Easter Sunday next week is so special - JESUS was resurrected so we all can have immortality! We can also gain Eternal Life and return to live with our Father in Heaven because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

I also really enjoyed a talk given yesterday, Saturday, about how we need more members to be strong and keep their Temple Covenants. Again today, it was talked about, how important it is for those that have been to the Holy Temple, to return there often! Those who went and never went back, to get their lives in order so they can return there again. And, those that have a current Temple Recommend and don't go, to go more often! The importance of the covenants made in the Temple that Protect us was also mentioned! It really is time to be more committed and to "Do What is Right!" I loved what was said today that, we are never really lost if we can still see the Temple! So true!

And, the humbling part of addicitons being more than alcohol/drug. That even DEBT can be an addiction to "Things!" So true! I want to do more and be better! There is much I can improve on, and I know that with my Heavenly Fathers help, I can!

I am so grateful to have made covenants in the Holy Temple. I'm so thankful for a wonderful mother, who raised 5 girls on her own with very little help! She taught us the truth and continues to love me, even when I may make wrong choices. She keeps reminding my sisters and me of the Truth and what we should be doing. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, that Heavenly Father knows me by name, that the scriptures (The Bible & The Book of Mormon) are true and go hand in hand proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ! We have the Fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the Earth! There is a Prophet of God, Pres. Thomas S. Monson, is the Prophet on the earth today! We have 12 Apostles! We can know the truth for ourselves by kneeling and asking our Heavenly Father if it is true. What a blessing it is for each individual to learn this for themselves!