Richard Marx Concert

Thursday night Dustin and I got to go to the Richard Marx concert with my parents and brother & sis in law.   It was AWESOME!  I loved it so much!  He played with the Teton Chamber Orchestra which made the concert so great!  Such a fun night!!

Ella at Barnes & Noble

For the past 2 years Ella's school does a fundraiser at Barnes & Noble where the kids put on a little performance by singing a couple of songs.  The school gets like 10% of whatever you spend at the book store that night.    This picture is of Ella and her 2 "BFF"s Brennady and Sharity and Logan squeezed in with them.  The little boy in the back is Gavin who apparently has a crush on Ella.  She said he asked her to be his Valentine and holds her hand at recess and walking to the bus.  I watched him in the hallway just hugging her until his dad came and told him to keep his hands to himself.  We were thankful for that.

Ella was so excited to go this year and has been counting down the days and then hours until it was time.  They sang You're a Grand Ol' Flag and My Country Tis of Thee.  

The G.A.T.E. students got to stand in the front and say the Pledge of Allegiance while the other kids sang behind them.  Ella felt super special and a little nervous about this.

She is growing up too fast!

Braithwaite Family Rules Take 1

I have been feeling like we need to make some family rules or expectations together so for Family Home Evening on Monday we did just that.  Here is take 1 on the Braithwaite Family Rules.  I was grateful for all the input Ella gave.  She even typed a bunch of them up for me today she has been so excited.  Yes, I love my OSHA!

Braithwaite Family Rules

We will pray daily.

We will read scriptures daily.

We will go to church each week.

We will have family home evening each week.

We will help others.

We will obey the laws.

We will obey mom and dad.

We will be honest always.

We will respect each other’s stuff.

We will be kind to each other and always avoid:   hitting, kicking and name calling.

We will use good manners.

We will speak with indoor voices.

We will keep the house clean by cleaning up after ourselves.

We will only poop in the toilet.

We will get our 5 things done before using electronics.

The Beatles Said:

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.

Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game
It's easy.

There's nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.

Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you
in time - It's easy.

All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love, love is all you need.

Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,

All you need is love, love, love is all you need.

The Book of Mormon

It has been a month of worry for me as my sweet Ella has struggled with making some not so good decisions.  Some I have previously mentioned and some I have not.  It has been humbling as I sit back and realize how much her decisions affect me and how grateful I am that I have the opportunity to teach her a hopefully better way before her decisions or problems become bigger.  They have taught me a lot of lessons.  One of the biggest is the role that I play as her mother.  I have got to be spiritually prepared at all times to receive guidance from the Holy Ghost to teach her because I am so not capable of doing it on my own!  I really am so thankful that I am able to stay at home and dedicate 100% to my family.  It's a HUGE blessing.  My testimony has been strengthened of the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ who has provided a means to overcome our imperfections and repent when we lose our way.  I know that through the Holy Ghost Heavenly Father WILL answer our prayers.  He knows us and He loves us.

Many times throughout this month I have been reminded that I already know a sure way to help my children return to their Heavenly Father.  I know I need to be studying the scriptures personally, as well as with my family, praying personally and as a family and holding weekly family home evenings.  As I got ready for church on Sunday I said a quick little prayer that I would have a renewed dedication to family scripture study which seems so on and off for us with 3 little kids.  As I sat in sacrament I swear my prayer was answered so perfectly I sat with a steady stream of tears and a heart so very full of gratitude for such a wonderful Father in Heaven who once again answered my prayer.

The speaker that touched me so much talked about the Book of Mormon.  He used this quote by Marion G. Romney:
 “I feel certain that if, in our homes, parents will read from the Book of Mormon prayerfully and regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein. The spirit of reverence will increase; mutual respect and consideration for each other will grow. The spirit of contention will depart. Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom. Children will be more responsive and submissive to the counsel of their parents. Righteousness will increase. Faith, hope, and charity—the pure love of Christ—will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy, and happiness” (Ensign, May 1980, p. 67).

It became more meaningful to me than every before.  He mentioned many things that have been heavily on my mind and it seemed the answer to all was to read the Book of Mormon.  I keep thinking to myself, could it really be that easy?  I'm reminded when the Lord instructed Moses to make a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole.  All who looked at it would be healed.  Don't you think that's what they thought?  Could it really be that easy?

My dedication to the simple instructions of reading the Book of Mormon have been renewed.  I pray this powerful lesson can be a lesson not only to me today but to me and my family later.

Girls Weekend in Utah

My mom, sister and I have been planning this awesome weekend in Utah for about a month.  We were to leave on Friday morning and come back Saturday night.  As luck would have it Dustin came home from work sick on Thursday.  He was super sick: body aches, fever, super sore throat, headache, the works!  Alissa had strep a week earlier so thankfully the doctor was able to just call him in some amoxicillin.  I was determined to get him better in time to leave so I picked up his medicine on my way to go get him at the bus stop and brought along some ibuprofen and started him on the meds as soon as he got in the car.  From there I was waking him up every 4 hours to keep him on ibuprofen and Tylenol.   We were also blessed to have our good home teachers come by and give him a blessing which he needed for more reasons than illness.  He has been so very stressed with work, his calling in the Elders quorum and a lack of sleep.  I know this lifted his spirit to have the priesthood administered to him.

When Friday morning came he still wasn't feeling well but knew how much I wanted to go so he toughed it out and off I went.  It made me cry to leave.. but I really felt like everything would be ok. 

On our way Heidi and I bought our first lottery tickets at a random gas station.  $.25 each so we bought 4 and guess what?  I WON!  Yay.. it was a quarter so I put it back in and lost it. :)

We drove to Logan where we stopped and saw my dear friend Heidi Baxter.  This girl is so amazing, I just love her!  It was so good to visit for a few minutes.

We made a few shopping stops in Logan and then headed to Salt Lake where mom found T&T Salon and treated us to a deluxe pedicure.  UHHH... It.was.so.nice!  Why can't I do that every week? 

My feet in paraffin wax.

The finished product.  We even had a little design on our toes!

Then we drove about 30 minutes all over looking for Target or Walmart.  When finally we found one and Heidi and I wore these awesome foam flip flops into the store and embarrassed mom.  I don't think she was too embarrassed by this though...

Yes that is me.  I am letting the air dryer in the bathroom disfigure my face.  Do you ever get the urge to do that?  I seemed like a good time.  It's ok to laugh, I do look ridiculous.

We got to have dinner at PF Chang's.  I had never been there so it was fun to experience it.  We ate lettuce wraps, broccoli and beef and honey chicken.  It was tasty.

Our motel was just a few doors down.  We stayed at the Peery Hotel which Heidi insists is haunted.  She pointed out the ripped curtains and the window was cracked open so she just knew somebody was trying to commit suicide in there.  It is a super old motel that creeks and the elevator moans, but it was just fine.  I went to sleep in seconds, just happy to have some uninterrupted sleep for a night.

We woke up at 5am to head over to the Salt Lake Temple and baptize 16 deceased family members that grandma found needed the work done.   It was a super amazing experience.  The Salt Lake Temple baptismal font is beautiful and as I watched my sister and mom get baptized my heart was so full.  I am really so blessed to have an opportunity like that and to have such a great relationship with these two amazing women.  I felt blessed to be a member of the church and have the fullness of the gospel and a testimony of it.  As I always do in the temple I felt an overwhelming love from God.  I know I am his daughter and the work we do in the temple is so vitally important. 

After walking around temple square for a while we headed to Layton, Clearfield and Ogden for some more quick shopping stops and then back home to the grind.  I must admit I get so anxious for a little "get away" and then quickly miss my normal routine.  Every time I saw a mom with a little kid I just wanted to kiss my kids soft little cheeks and squeeze them!  I was happy to come home and see that my kids missed me, but I dare say my husband missed me most.  He was so relieved to have me home and said he has a deeper love and appreciation for me and what I do.  I knew he would. :)  I love him and am so thankful to him for the service he rendered to me.  What a fantastic birthday present!  SO FUN!

I am also so very thankful for my mom and sister for being such great company and making this trip possible.  There isn't another bunch of women I'd rather hang out with.  They are 2 of my best friends!  Can't wait for next year when we can do it again!

Valentines Day!

 I LOVE VALENTINES DAY!  I love decorating with pink and red, making yummy treats and homemade valentines.  I guess I figure it's more fun and I'm only going to have about 5 years to actually make homemade valentines with each kid so why would I do anything but homemade?  Ella loves it too so that's what we do.   Every Valentines day I have put paper hearts all over Ella/Alissa's room but this year I decided to do them all over the house instead.  They thought it was pretty cool.

Here is Ella working hard on her Valentines.  She had to make 26 - one for each kid in her class, her teacher and student teacher.

Alissa even had fun trying to help.

We cut out some hearts and she wrote everybody's names on them and we punched a hole for a Valentine pencil to go through.

After school we peeled our broken crayons and made some new heart ones.

I gave the girls a balloon tied to a small bag of candy and bubbles.  The little girls fell asleep when we went to get the balloons and Ella was at school so they didn't even know I had picked them up.  So I hid them and made them find them in the house.  Molly found hers in her closet.

Ella's was in the bath tub! 

And Alissa had just woke up so she wouldn't look at me with her balloon, but she found hers in her room.  She loved the bubbles because they were Mickey and Minnie. 

Ella spread out her loot from school.

We tried to do a heart hairstyle for school, but I don't know that you could really tell they were hearts.

This is what Molly looks like CONSTANTLY when there is candy around.  She says, "I need help!"

Grandma Debbie showed up with a Valentine bag for each of the girls from her and grandpa.  They are always so happy to see my mom.  She spoiled them again with some jewelry, lip gloss, and an outfit.

When daddy got home he brought the older girls a single red rose because he says that means love and he brought Molly a heart balloon that says I love you with a bag full of suckers.  The girls were overjoyed!  And so was daddy at their reactions.

He brought me a bouquet of flowers and a sappy card.  Just the way I like it.

Then we led him into his room where we had balloons all over and they were tied to something he likes such as jerkey, pringles, lemon lime gatorade, etc.

I'm pretty sure the girls were way more excited about it than he was, but he played along. :)

I am so blessed to have these Valentines in my life.  They are so great and I love them each so much! 

City Ball

For the past 8+ weeks Dustin has been playing on a City Basketball team.  He goes once a week usually 8 or 9pm and we never get to go because it's on a school night and the kids are going to bed not to mention I always worry about how to keep 3 kids off the court. 

So this week was Dustin's last game and we decided to tough it out and go support our daddy.  I'm so glad we did.  He did great!  Their team lost, only 3 losses which puts them in the semifinals. 

He shot quite a few points for his team.  This is when he tied up the game in the last few minutes.

Molly sat with a big smile and would try really hard to balance Ella's leapster on her lap so she could clap.

Thankfully Ella found some friends which entertained her a lot and Alissa was asleep in the stroller.