Sunday, March 31, 2013

Easter 2013

Easter has now come and gone.  We did a few things differently this year and I feel like it was one of our best Easters ever.

We started off getting together with my sister and some of her friends and our kids to decorate eggs on Wed.  On Saturday we dyed Easter Eggs at our home using Kool-Aid and warm water.   As you can see we got some good color's!


I then put together the plastic eggs with 4 jelly beans and 4 quarters in the eggs.  The kids were to find 6 eggs with their names on them, Only 5 of them had the candy and quarters, the 6th one was empty and we then talked about the tomb being empty when Christ was risen.





On Sunday we got up and we had the kids find the 12 eggs that had the Easter Story in them.  We then talked about the Easter Story.


One of the Easter Story Eggs

Then for breakfast we went into the kitchen and we had roll dough, we talked about how the dough was the tomb and a marshmallow was Christ body.  We then explained how when they put the body in the tomb they used spices so we dipped the marshmallows in butter then then in cinnamon and sugar and rolled them up in the dough.  When they came out of the oven they were hollow (empty), so we talked again about the tomb being empty and why we celebrate Easter.




Later we got ready for church.  We had a good time at church, Jennilyn even gave a great talk on The week before Easter in primary.


We had so much fun spreading the celebration over a few days and the activities that we did that we have decided to do these things again

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter.  Here is one of my favorite pictures I saw on Facebook today.

Love you all!

Monday, February 25, 2013

Difficult Times

Life has hit us with a hard one right now.  We were excited and had started to tell people that we were pregnant again, when I started having some sharp pains.  I think I scared Jennilyn when she saw me having one of the pains shooting through my chest and couldn't breath.

Dan called a neighbor and they got one of their daughters who teaches the twins in primary over to watch kids  and Dan took me to the ER.  We had thought of going out of town for the weekend since Dan's niece Afton was getting baptized, but Dan really felt like we shouldn't go.  I was hard to convincing  that we should not go, but I am glad that he listened to the spirit after everything that went wrong on Saturday.

We got to the hospital and they got me right back since I was complaining of chest pain they did an ekg just to make sure I was not having a heart attack.

I had woken up on Saturday with a little cramping, but drinking water helped with that, but I stayed in bed and read a book.  Dan brought me breakfast in bed and later a granola bar.  Just as Jennilyn brought me some silverware to eat lunch with, I started having shooting pain that went right to my heart and I was having a hard time breathing.  I told Jennilyn to go get Dan.  Dan came up and I had another shooting pain.  I told him who he could call to come and stay with the kids.  I got my socks and shoes on and with the babysitter got here, we left for the hospital.

I told the Dr. that the first thing that went through my mind when I started to having these pains was the pains I had when I had a tubal ruppter in 2006 and lost my right tube.  My symptoms were not the same as then.

They had me have a chest x-ray and sent me back for a ultrasound.

They took lots of pictures and even got a baby heart beat, but the baby was not were it should be.  They told me they were going to do an ultrasound of my legs to make sure I did not have blood clots, but then when they came back in to do that they said no we are taking you back to the ER.  When we got back there, they told me that  my left tube had ruptured and that they were sending me into surgery.

When they got in there they found damage to my left ovary as well.  They took out the ovary, and left tube, but also found that my bladder  had grown up over my right ovary with scar tissue.  So they brought in a general surgeon to make sure all was well there, they took off a cyst that I knew was on the right ovary and sent it to be tested.  The cyst has been there since before I got pregnant with Dillon, but non of my dr's had wanted to do anything about it.  They took out my appendix too as it was about to burst.

The Dr told me that the type of cyst that I had was probably the reason that I had so many tubal pregnancies  and that it was a miracle that I have had the kids that I have had since it has been there from the beginning.

I stayed in the hospital overnight and came home on Sunday afternoon.

My mom and dad are here to help out and for that I am grateful for.  I am glad their schedule is such that is allowing them to be here for me.

As for now the only way I will be able to have any more children is to do invetrofertiliztion as I still have my uterus and one ovary.  My  other option is to adopt.

So for now our family is done growing, we will see were the Lord takes us as we have felt like there were more to come to our family, but maybe in a different way.

I feel the Lord is watching out for me and my family.  I am grateful that my husband listened to the spirit and not to what his wife wanted.

Thanks for all your prayers and love and support.

Annette

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Greatful

Can I just say that this move to our first home has been a blessing for us!  I use to struggle with Dillon to do homework, now  he wants to do his homework right when he gets home.

It is also nice to get to know my neighbors a little and we have started to carpool the kids to school in the morning.  Dillon has even been walking home from school with them (that is starting to save me on my trips back and forth to the school).

Dan has even noticed that the change has been good for him too.  We are enjoying teaching our class at church and this Sunday we get to talk in church too.

I hope you all have a great Valentines Day!

Netty

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Happy Birthday Ruth and Irene!

I know this is a few days late, but we had internet frailer for a few days...now here we are!

Wow! It has been 4 years since these little girls joined our family!

Happy Birthday Ruth Lois and Irene Marlyn!

We love you!







Monday, December 24, 2012

2012 in Review!

Wow 2012 has gone by quickly!

Dan has kept busy with his job, he did have to travel a few times this year including going to Alaska for the 1st time.

Annette has been busy as a stay at home mom, babysitting  and in July started delivering newspapers.  She was glad to finally quite when we got ready to move to our new home.

Dillon lost his 1st two teeth this year.  He is now in 1st grade and is 7 years old.  He is getting tall and is usually kind to his sisters most of the time.

Jennilyn started Kindergarten this year and is loving to learn!   Both her and Dillon are starting to read, and are doing really well.

Ruth and Irene have been busy this year.  They both finally potty-trained (yes no more diapers).  They are learning their letters and learning to write.

The biggest news we have is that the end of Sept we decided to start looking for a home thinking it would take us a while to get into one.  By the end of Oct we had an offer in and we closed on Dec 9th.
We moved our things in on Dec 15th and we finally got to sleep in the house on Dec 21st.  We are loving the space that we have as it is a  2 story home with a basement.  There are things that we are learning to fix as we go, and we are still getting settled in, but we are loving the home and it feels like it is our place.  Everything moved so fast that we felt like it was a dream in some ways.


We hope all of you have a great holiday and that the Lord will bless you this next year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Happy 7th Birthday Dillon!

Dillon's 1st Christmas Eve with Great-Grandma Burke~ This was Grandma's 1st time meeting Dillon.



Happy 7th Birthday Dillon Archibald!

7 years ago we welcomed our first child!  Dillon has been such a joy to have in our family!

Dillon, you got your name from mom's maiden name and your middle name is after your Great-Grandpa Archibald who is the inventor of Scotch tape.

You are so loving with your sisters and share so nice.  You are the big brother mommy always wished she had!
We love you and we hope today is a good day for you!
Love,
Mom


Dillon's 1st grade picture

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Updated Family Pictures 2012

In September we had some updated family pictures done by a family friend's daughter who is studing to be a photographer     I thought she did a great job and  we will have to try and do one more setting with her before she leaves on her mission next summer.

Most of the people who read this will have seen the pictures on Facebook, but since my blog is also emailed to family and friends there are some of my favorites for you to enjoy!  A big shot out to Savanna Skinner for doing these for us!  (Yes Grandma and Grandpa this is Jean Skinner's granddaughter).


Dan, Dillon, Jennilyn, Ruth, Irene and Annette

Irene, Dillon, Ruth and Jennilyn


Ruth



Dillon



Irene



Jennilyn



Jennilyn and Irene


Jennilyn



Jennilyn, Ruth and Irene...I am going to blow this one up for their bedroom!



Our Family


Irene having fun with Mommy

Kids being kids

Irene


Ruth


Dillon


Jennilyn not wanting to do pictures anymore!

The kids were done by now!




Sunday, October 21, 2012

Pumpkin Patch 2012

This year we decided to take the kids to a pumpkin patch and let them pick out their own pumpkin.  We went to Petersen Family Farm's in Riverton, UT.  We had a fun time and the kids picked out their pumpkins and we got some fresh dug potato's and some fresh local honey.

We had a great time and on Saturday we spent time carving our pumpkins.  I know it is early, but we had fun as a family doing it.




At the pumpkin farm 


Starting to carve our pumpkins



Cousin Steven came and helped us carve our pumpkins


Dillon designed his pumpkin



Our pumpkins


Ruth's carving of a kitten


Dillon's own design


Jennilyn's Spider Pumpkin


Irene's Bat pumpkin

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

1st Day of School

Well I am behind getting this posted.

The kids started school the end of Aug and beginning of Sept.

At the end of the year last year we found out we belonged in another school district then were we thought we belonged.

So far we are loving our new classes and are enjoying the teachers.  The kids walk across the bridge to Red Robin's to catch their bus.  Dillon and Jennilyn love going to school together.






Jennilyn getting on the bus for the 1st time!

I Love To See The Temple

I love to see the temple I'm going there someday to feel the Holy Spirit to listen and obey.


On Labor Day we had tickets to go to the open house of the new Brigham City Temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  You can learn more about the temples here. 

It turned out a lot of people came that day since they didn't have work or school. This is a special time to come and take a tour of the temple before it is closed to the public and only those worthy members with special recommends can go inside.

We took our friend Janet and the kids and we all stood in line for 3 1/2 hours before we were able to go inside and see the temple.  The kids did so well for having to wait so long in the hot sun.  Afterwards we took the kids to Pizza Hut for dinner before we made the drive home.

Dan and I went to the Temple Dedication on Sept 16 with my mom.  It was so wonderful to attend that.

We are looking forward to the Ogden, Payson, and new Provo Tabernacle Temples in the next few years!

Here are some of the pictures we took.

The start of our waiting


Janet

Brigham City Temple


Cooling off