Birthday Celebrations, Halloween Events, & More!

Ryan was spoiled quite a bit this year for his Big 29! We had a little birthday party at our place with close friends and family. The guys then took him out that night, and on Sunday, we again celebrated his birthday with his parents, Shea, and Jessica. Plus, on Friday, the science department brought him a cake, and we took him balloons and treats! We sure LOVE this guy and hope he had a GREAT birthday!!! Take that Dallas Cowboy fans!!!

Ryan's mom thought it would be funny to put all 29 candles and football helmets on his cake. Gosh, you're getting old, Ry! There wasn't hardly enough room--lol!!! :D)

Matthew was actually more excited than anyone. He even took the liberty of blowing out most of the candles for his old dad.

Yes, we are in this phase. Ryan commented the other day, about a week ago to be exact, "Ker, I think we're in for it! David has hit the terrible two's! All I have to say is, "Honey, we have been there for a while!!!" Like the lotioned bedding above, we have many days of creativity by David Allred. If you supply the goods, he will get the job done and he's very thorough--did I mention very?!

Last week, several of our friends from the 6th ward threw a Halloween Party/FHE. The boys were so excited to try out their new costumes. David makes an adorable little pirate that you just want to kiss, and Matthew is our Clone Wars Storm Trooper--apparently this is different from a regular storm trooper. Who knew?

Dog food. As I said before, if you supply the goods, David will employ his engenuity and MAD creative skills! On this particular Sunday, Shea and Jessica were in town with their ever-growing child, Brownie--a darling, chocolate lab. David found her treats while we were eating, and decided, "Hey, if a dog can eat them, why not me?" Note: He cried when we took them out of his mouth.

Uncle Shea & Aunt Jessica

Ryan has an upcoming certification test, so . . . as he studied ALL Saturday long, I braved it by myself at the pumpkin patch with the boys. Things actually went really well. Again, the mark of a truly kid-fun place: everyone goes in happy and excited, and the kids come out crying. We went about an hour before closing, and although some of the activities were already closed, it was perfect timing. Very few people were roaming the little patch=no lines, no overwhelming feelings for Matt, and first pick at wagon rides.

David thought he should try to make spiders out of chicken nuggets.

Easy craft and fun. My kids loved it! Thanks for the idea, Melanie!

We've actually done quite a few crafts. We also have cut things out of construction paper, decorated cookies, and made pumpkin pie play dough. Halloween preparation has been a lot of fun this year!

We had Sunday dinner at Wayne & Barbara's last night. After dinner, Barbara planned these super fun crafts for the kids, and they were perfect for the kids' attention spans. You can make your eye ball and mummy in a matter of 60 seconds or less. Matthew was so pleased! D'Lonna had a really great picture of the eyeball too, but my computer is acting funny with the format. Anyway, you can see Matthew's a little bit.

Apparently, 60 seconds was too long of a wait for David, so he settled on eating the donut plain. Neither of my kids have ever experienced a Twinkie; David actually didn't like it. I was pretty surprised. David & James both LOVE to play Grandma's piano!

Our fun hayride at the pumpkin patch--my pics are so out of order!

Matthew was so proud of his family project for school.

We worked on it for about an hour.

Matthew was trying to comfort David here. Sometimes we have these precious moments where Matthew will actually sing a song to David to calm him down from his tantrum. It's really sweet to watch.

Our wagon ride at the patch.

This is a video of David's truck/car noises. I finally caught it on camera and it's so funny to watch him move his mouth from side to side.

Miracles

One of the greatest things about the Book of Mormon is the power that really does come into your life when you read it. You see the promises fulfilled, outlined all throughout the marvelous book. One of the promises I have been thinking about today is Ether 12:27.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

This is amazing to me. I have tested this promise so many times throughout my life and I am testing it again. I challenge you to find something you are struggling with and to take it to the Lord. He really will turn it around.

And I guess that leads me to what I really want to post about: miracles. This promise is such a blessing and complete miracle--that Christ and Heavenly Father could change our hearts.

Something that I am really trying hard to be better at is positivity and optimism. And so . . . I want to list the miracles I have witnessed today.

1) The rain. There is something so calming about a steady Texas rain. The heavens turn black and everything looks bleak, but then it's calm and peaceful as the rain falls. It leaves everything washed and refreshed.

2) Rainbows. We saw a rainbow today. I had the chance to bear my testimony to Matthew while we were in the car about Heavenly Father's love and miracles.

3) Pumpkins. How do these marvelous vegetables/fruits (which are they?) know to grow from a tiny seed into these bright or deep, rich orange colors? They're beautiful, and we drive by a cute little pumpkin patch each day.

4) Bread. I am back to making homemade bread for my family, and I love it! I love the yummy smells and the taste--HEAVENLY!!! But when you think about how bread mixes, kneads, rises, kneads, rises, kneads, and then bakes, it's pretty amazing! Plus, to think about what it does for your body. Complete miracle.

5) My children. I took Matthew to swimming lessons tonight, and had the chance to watch him with his little class. I was in complete awe, as he listened and followed the instructions of the teacher. He was so eager and excited and kept a grin the entire time. Throughout the day, we had little moments where he would tell me a joke or laugh or be silly, and I just feel like he's my little miracle everyday. He had to fight so hard to get here to Earth and everything about his life is miraculous! David, I feel just the same way about. He told me when I went to young women's tonight, "I luh lou! I luh lou! Bye, Mama!" It was so sweet! And watching how sharp his little mind is--I can talk about something and he may not be able to say the words back, but he shows understanding by bringing me the object or sticking his foot out for his shoes or whatever I say.

6) The body. While we were at swim lessons, I also had the chance to observe other children swimming and some adults. These kids were probably between 7 and 10 years old, yet some of them had amazing form! Some of them could do the butterfly, some the back, some the breast, some fast--ALL of them swimming their little hearts out. It was really sweet!

7) Service. For young women's, we had the chance to make treats for various families in our ward and deliver them. It ended up that I didn't need to drive and so I left early to do errands. But I had the chance to see these wonderful girls, completely happy and forgetting themselves to serve someone else. Another miracle that service really can heal the heart!

8) Safety. I spent almost all of my day running places. It was super busy. Much of the time, I was in the car and in traffic. Yet, I made it home with not a scratch, no accident, etc. Complete miracle.

9) The sunset. After an amazing day, the beautiful sun setted in an orangish pink color. It looked like it should be in a magazine--PERFECT!

10) The dentist. Because of a lapse of coverage, I have not seen the dentist since last December--10 months!!! I had a check-up today, free of cavities and too much excess plaque. And I could afford to pay for the visit.

11) Our bank account. As I paid the dentist today, I thought, "Gosh, where does our money go?" Then I started thinking about how the majority of our purchases are for food, bills--electricity, water, health ins., etc. All of these things are necessary, and yes, we do go out on occasion, but for the most part, everything is needed. And we are able to do it. It doesn't really make sense, but we are. Then I started thinking about tithing; yet, another blessing and miracle. This promise about opening the windows of heaven being and pouring out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it, is ENTIRELY true. Complete miracle. And insurance. So many people don't have this and some countries are without medical help. We are so blessed here in America.

12) Prayer. This morning Ryan almost ran out the door without kneeling for family prayer. Matthew quickly reminded him, "Daddy, you forgot prayers." We knelt together in prayer, and what a great way to start the day! Miracle of the Spirit and bringing the family together.

13) The temple. A family in our ward will be sealed for all time and eternity this Saturday. Completely miraculous in every way.

And there are so many more miracles that I saw today. These are just a few, but I would advise you to compile a list of the miracles you see. It doesn't have to be on the blog, but I know that it will remind you of Heavenly Father's love for you and you will know that He still is.

Tag Again!

Here's the rules for this tag:

1: Each player starts with 8 random habits/facts about themselves.

2: People who are tagged need to write a post on their blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3: At the end of the post you need to choose 8 people to get tagged and list their names.

Here it goes:

1. I am hopelessly in love with my husband. It was his birthday yesterday, and we have had such a fun day today celebrating. We took him balloons and treats to his work yesterday. Then we went to his football game last night. The game was not so much fun tending to the boys by myself. But I did feel so proud to watch Ryan last night. PESH (Plano East Senior High School) has two grades: 11 and 12 with about 3500 kids. CRAZY size! They have two football stadiums for their school. And these are not little stadiums. I'm not sure what the max capacity is, but they're huge and super nice. And people, who don't even have kids, attend these football games. It's nuts! I felt like I was at a college stadium. Anyway, I felt so proud of him, watching him last night. He's making his dream happen and he's good at it. And today, we had a birthday party for him with all of his close friends, parents, and brother/sister-in-law. It was such a great time! I love you, Hon, and I'm humbled you would choose me. You teach me so much each day about forgiveness, charity, positive thinking, respect, and love. I love you always!

2. One of my favorite things to do is sit in airports. I love watching/observing people. It's so fun to guess what they are doing and going. Of course, this doesn't happen anymore, because when we are traveling, it's me, by myself, with the boys. CHAOS!!

3. I feel like one of my callings in life is to help women. This may sound really strange, being that I am a stay-at-home mom, but honestly, I have felt this confirmation over and over again. My goal is to eventually go back to school for another degree--this time in psychology/women's studies. I have hopes, then, of starting a non-profit organization to help battered women out by providing counseling services, teaching them skills, and providing some type of immediate service--like taking over food, digging wells, medicines/vaccinations, or something of the nature. This is definitely a long way down the road, but I believe in it. I would start my company here with hopes of ending up in Africa in post-war countries. In the mean time, I take visiting teaching very seriously. I try to reach out to random women everyday and connect with them.

4. Cooking is definitely one of my favorite past times. I love to bake things and try new recipes. There's something very therapeutic for me in creating something for others to enjoy. LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!

5. I played volleyball, fast-pitch softball, basketball, and ran track in high school. I also tutored, worked a part-time job, did music, chemistry club, and early morning seminary. In college, I joined many academic clubs and Polynesian club--I actually danced in a luau!

6. I love music. I get lost in the stories behind the music and the lyrics. Finding out why someone wrote something or how they went about it means so much to me.

7. I'm high strung. Big surprise?! People are probably entirely shocked by this comment--j/k. It's something that I work on everyday. I have a lot of inner anxiety and so I have to prep. myself about my daily schedule the night before in order to be as calm as possible.

8. I have debated about putting this last comment on here, but I guess, this blog is all about honesty, right? I struggle day in and day out with being a mother. So many days I feel inadequate. My Matthew has some very serious emotional disorders/behavior disorders. This isn't a news flash or anything, although some people may not be aware. However, it's something I have been working on/we have been working on with Matthew for over two years now. We have seen many doctors, done lots of behavior therapy, programs, etc. Some days, I feel like I do great and that I am assessing my son's needs accurately. Other days, I fall short and I set us up for failure in various situations by overscheduling or attending unnecessary situations/events, and on these days, I feel rock-bottom. We have Matthew in an amazing program here in Plano, and I feel entirely blessed to be a part of it. However, I also realize that some of these issues may not be curable. We may deal with some of these issues for mortality. And I am definitely up for the challenge. Does that mean that I do not struggle, though? Absolutely not. I am trying to be more positive and be a better mom to Matthew. I'm learning. My heart aches to know what the answers are. And many prayers have been answered, but some things, we will just always be working on/learning. In the meantime, I guess I'm asking for help. Please pray for me. Please continue to be my friend and talk to me. Some days, a comment from you gets me through.

I tag Jenny U., Gabi, April, Martha, Jan, Katie Y., Twink, and Amy.

"A Veritable Smorgasbord"

THE GOOSE:
A fair is a veritable smorgasbord orgasbord orgasbord
After the crowds have ceased
Each night when the lights go out
It can be found on the ground all around
Oh, what a ratly feast!

Why a fair has enough disgusting leftover food to satisfy a whole army of rats...

TEMPLETON: Is this true? Is this appetizing yarn of yours true? Will I Find...

Melon rinds and bits of hot dogs
Cookie crumbs and rotten cotton candy
Melted ice cream, mustard dripplings
Moldy goodies everywhere

THE GOOSE: Yes, Yes Yes...

TEMPLETON: Lots of popcorn, apple cores
Bananna peels and soggy sandwiches
And gobs of gorgeous gook to gobble at the fair


Yes, that's right. We went to the Texas State Fair. What a fun day we had!! There was so much to look at and take in all at once. Matthew rode 3 rides and we bought 1 turkey leg and corn on the cob. We didn't even walk around the entire fairgrounds and it took us 3 hours! It was HUGE!

These are cupcakes I made for a Scout function. Can anyone tell what they are? (Hint: Think Halloween. Wink. Wink.)

Okay, and I didn't get any pics of the signs or food, but seriously Texans love their FRIED food--SICK!!! They had fried oreos, twinkies, snickers, veggies, food, shoes--you name it, they FRY it (Not really shoes, but why not?!)! I felt like a cardiologist and family doctor should be waiting next to every stand so that you could get your cholesterol and heart checked afterwards. It was NUTS!
Poor David. He was too short to go on any of the rides, so he did a lot of observing from the stroller and Dad's shoulders.
Matthew thought this was so cool to see these pumpkin carvings.

Big Tex. Never heard of it? Me neither.

We did get to see the Marine Corps cadence go by and the boys loved hearing the music.
This was the best part of the fair for our boys. They love to see/go to petting zoos. And this one had some really awesome animals.

Speaking of strange birds, when we first arrived at the fair, there was no where to park. So . . . we chose a side street and proceeded to get our stroller and belongings out of the van. This Chevy Subarban pulls up behind us all of a sudden. Out come multiple bodies, doing the same things we are. Or so we think. The next thing I know, my eyes just get bigger and bigger. I say out loud to Ryan, "I can't believe I'm seeing this." We walk a little further. "Did I really just see that?" Ryan looks at me and says, "Ker, it's not a big deal. Lots of people just put empty bottles on the street and litter. Get over it." I look at him completely confused. "What are you talking about?! I have NEVER seen a woman drop her pants and pee all over the side walk. Where is that normal or okay? Where did you see that happen?" He looks at me completely bewildered and dumb-struck. "What did you say?" I then explained how the woman got out of the car and leaned over the side of the bottom of the vehicle and did her business. Freak out! He didn't see because he was lifting the kids out of their car seats. What a way to start the fair off! We both started laughing.


We ended the day with ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery. What a great way to spend our all-day family date of the month. We had a fantastic time together!

Kids Tag

This one's for Star:

1. Matthew loves to build trains. Since he was a little boy he has ALWAYS loved building different types of tracks. He gets very creative.

2. He loves to play with puzzles. Matthew started doing puzzles when he was 18 months--little peg puzzles. Then when he turned 2, he moved to bigger floor puzzles, and within a few months of turning 2, starting doing 100 piece puzzles. We're not sure how he learned to do those, but he loves them, and can put them together in a snap. We're grateful he's such a problem solver--he'll sit for 30 minutes trying to figure out how these pieces fit together.

3. Matthew loves to go to pre-school. He enjoys the other kids so much, and all of the activities that he gets to do each day. Some of the highlights are the library, riding bikes, playing at the park, and finger painting. This boy loves to learn and play hard!

4. Matthew has a really big heart. From the time he was born until now, he has always recognized children with special needs. When he sees these kids, his face has always lit up and he's smiled and wanted to talk to them. I don't know if this is because he can see just how special these sweet children are or if it's because he has special needs as well. But for whatever reason, he feels drawn to kids. He loves to play and to be with friends. Matthew also loves to cuddle with his mommy. Each morning he comes into my room and jumps into bed with me. He loves to have a "good morning kiss and hug". Then, he typically likes for me to hold him. He brings his family a lot of happiness, and we love him always.

1. David came to us with a built-in motor. He makes this motor, revving sound, while moving his lips from side to side. I know that doesn't really make sense, and I'm not great with explaining it, but it's so funny to watch. He loves anything that goess--trucks, trains, airplanes, cars, motorcycles.

2. He loves his "Mimi". Mimi is David's teddy bear that he sleeps with each night. He puts it right near his face and then sucks his thumb, and he's typically out really fast!

3. David is part fish/animal. He thinks he is supposed to live outside and will always run opposite of me when we are outside to ensure that he stays out longer. He also thinks he needs to jump/lay in any puddles, lakes, rivers, water of any sort that is near by.

4. Our David has a temper, but he is also extra soft and sweet. When he reaches up to kiss me and rub my face or pulls me near him in the grocery store, my heart melts and I fall in love with him all over again. He's such a delight to have in our home. We love him so much!

The Perfect Day

Today seemed sort of surreal to me. I arose early--many thanks, Matthew. He awoke around 4:30 a.m. and crawled into bed with us. We slept a little bit later, but not too much. At any rate, we were up early--which isn't always a bad thing. It seems like the day was extra productive today. I attended to much cleaning in our home, baked homemade bread, ran errands, accomplished my workout on the up-end, followed my diet, spent time with the kids, and much more. Most days are NOT like this. Don't get me wrong; I do feel like my days are busy with random things/everyday things, but that doesn't mean that I always accomplish all of the tasks at hand. Today was an all around check. I feel like so much of my day had to do with seven positive things.

#1) General Conference. I honestly felt like each talk was so inspired. I could not begin to tell you which was my favorite. However, I can say that I felt uplifted and edified. Each talk touched my heart in some way and brought the Spirit to me. I have a renewed desire to do better. I have new goals. I want to be better. And I feel like I can be better. Conference addressed some very real circumstances/trials of our time/lives; yet, it was so positive. Each of the talks left me with a sense of encouragement. Hope is alive. And my testimony has been increased. I learned so much this conference and received many personal revelations.

#2) I started my day out with scripture study. Lately, I've been doing this during the day when I find time or most days, at night--the only time I have after the kids are in bed. But over the last few days, I have been arising earlier and studying the same. What a difference to start your day out with reminders before all of the chaos and stress of the day begins! What a difference to study when your mind is fresh--mostly!

#3) I kept a prayer in my heart all day long. I feel like this was easier for me to do because I started with the Spirit much earlier in my day. I pray in the mornings, individually and with my family. And I have our good morning songs we sing each day, along with scriptures we recite. But starting with scripture study, for me, brings the Spirit and reminds me that I need to have this constant prayer in my heart.

#4) Choice. I chose to be happy today. We still had many melt downs and tantrums. We still had many arguments, fights, and time outs. Not much changed there. However, my attitude changed. I decided last night that I was going to MAKE today a great day. I decided that I was going to be happy, regardless of whatever came my way. And it worked! :D)

#5) Working out. I work out for a little over an hour each morning. It's not much, but it's enough to get my heart going and to help me feel rejuvenated. Even though I'm spent by the end of it, I feel like I have accomplished something. I also sing primary songs in my head while I am running, bear my testimony in my heart while I am running, and read the Ensign while I am walking. The rest of the time, I am praying for different things. Over the last several weeks, this has really helped me so much.

#6) Service. I had the chance to serve someone at the grocery store today. Service always takes my mind off of my circumstances and exercise charity for someone else. It was wonderful to be able to help another mother in the parking lot and encourage her--especially when I, too well, understood what she was going through today. And I felt like I was definitely the one who benefited on this one. I learned so much from this wonderful mother in a matter of the few minutes I visited with her and helped her.

#7) Missionary work. I had the chance to bear testimony to several people today. I suppose that we always have opportunities; it's a matter of whether we are in tune or not or looking for them. I felt in tune today and jumped on these opportunities. It strengthened my testimony to share these moments with these friends/strangers. I always feel better about myself when I share the Gospel with others.

#8) Fall. Today, the weather was absolutely AMAZING!!! The temperatures were cool--I'm guessing upper 70's, possibly mid. There was no humidity. A light breeze brought crispness. GORGEOUS. After we picked Matthew up from school and attended to an errand, we raced home to put things away and go for a walk/bike ride. (Matthew is a natural on his bike; he loves to ride.) We walked through the adjacent neighborhood to our apartment complex. At one point, we were coasting down the sidewalk on the perimeter of the neighborhood. Matthew rolled ahead just slightly, and as I looked forward, I felt the breeze while sun was glistening through the massive trees above and the sky appeared to be snowing leaves. Just to the south of us were several houses with various pumpkins and Halloween decorations. It was one of those moments, you hope you always remember and never forget. And then you glance to see your children's faces, and they're completely overcome with joy, smiles through and through. I LOVED it!

This was the PERFECT day.

The Spirit of Revelation, An Amazing Blessing

I have felt the urgency to bear my testimony over the last couple of days to anyone who reads this blog. And particularly, I wanted to touch on some rather delicate things: trials.

I feel like I have allowed myself to become so consumed by some day-to-day problems as of late. And I've felt really down about it. I've felt hopeless. I've wondered just how I am going to carry this load and succeed at that.

Last night, I had the opportunity to speak to a dear friend of mine, my wonderful and wise mother, and my sweet husband (He had softball, the temple, football practice, and work all in one day, so we had to call to touch base.). Upon finishing our conversations, I felt a really strong prompting to go to lds.org to read Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk to the women at Women's Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I read it and the tears began to flow. It was as if the talk was directed to me. Everything he said in his talk, I needed to hear. The Spirit spoke strongly to my heart. I had so many impressions of what I need to be focusing my energies on and how I need to go about things.

Again this morning, I had the impression that I needed to take the Ensign to the gym with me while I was on the treadmill. Each article I read hit home.

I relearned about trials. I remembered that I need to be losing myself in the service of others to help alleviate others' burdens and that mine will be lightened as a result. I realized that sometimes I have a lot of pride and try to carry things on my own. There's a reason why Christ suffered in Gethsemane. He's already done taken on EVERYTHING. If we don't share our burdens with Him, it's as if He never overcame those things. I realized that my work as a mother is very important and has the power to save lives. Teaching my children is so important. At some point in my children's lives, when they are having a rough time, they will remember a song I taught them or a scripture we memorized and it will strengthen them.

I had so many deep impressions that are too personal to share, but I guess I just feel really grateful to my Father-in-Heaven. I know that He loves each of us, and knows how to succor us. He sent His Only Begotten Son for all of us. Christ has PERFECT empathy for each of us; He truly understands our struggles, our weaknesses, our strengths, our joys, our sorrows, everything. He loved us so much that He took on all of these things, along with our sins, and afflictions and temptations, so that we could repent and become clean again. He took them on so that we could turn to Him. I am forever grateful for prayer. I know that when we fully submit our will to Heavenly Father's that we can have so much joy. We can feel the Spirit of the Holy Ghost and feel peace. What greater blessings could we ask for?! He has given us all of the things we need to be able to return to live with Him again. Our afflictions help us grow. He loves us enough to let us struggle and be tried, but never beyond our capacity. However, He also provides the way for us to have these loads lightened. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father and my Savior. I love them and want to live with Them again. I know this is possible through faith, repentance, baptism, and the ordinances/covenants we participate/make in the Holy Temple. I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It has the fulness of the truth in its teachings and the Restored Priesthood to the earth. Joseph Smith restored it, and we now have a living Prophet on the earth, President Thomas S. Monson. I am so excited to hear from him next week. I love the Lord. And I leave these things with you in His holy name, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

"Well Done, Thou Good and Faithful Servant"

Matthew, David, and I just returned from our trip to Colorado to welcome my baby brother, Ryan, home. We had such a wonderful visit! I was a little grouchy for it--I know I chose to be--but I guess I really struggled with how the boys behaved for me while they were staying at Grandma and Grandpa's house. It's like my respect as their mom went out the window and it only mattered if Grandma or Grandpa okayed activities--which by the way, when do Grandma or Grandpa ever say "no"?

At any rate, below are the pics from the party-packed week. Okay, my mom has been talking about this rocket for quite some time. She found it at Toys 'R Us and Matthew could not let it out of his sight. He was in heaven.
My parents just finished remodeling their kitchen, and I think my dad did an amazing job! The counters were done by Lowe's, but he did the flooring, the knobs on the doors, the appliances, etc. Beautiful! And of course, I love my wonderful parents. I don't think a child could ask for better!

Kristin and Nick gave Matthew this really fun tent. He immediately thought we needed to camp. Thank you guys!
My dad built this fountain, and I love it. It has become one of my favorite things of my parents' home--to sit and listen to the water or just to watch the waterfall down the rocks. However, as of late, I HATE this fountain!!! David thinks it's a swimming pool/free drinking water. Plus, he kept filling up his bucket and dumping rocks in it when no one was looking. The child thinks he's a fish!
Steven loves to hold babies. Unfortunately, David is past this point; although, he did let him hold him in this picture. Steve was a little bit upset.
Blowing out the candles--a new found favorite for Matthew.
In case you've never been here, this is Denver International Airport (DIA). These majestic mountainlike structures cost a couple billion dollars. Do they seem so majestic now??! I just feel like we waste a lot of money on non-essentials.

Matthew was so excited about the signs that my cousin, Nicki, made for Ryan.

Kathy and Dennis McLeish
Grammy and Mom
Nick, Dennis, and Pop-pop

Kristin and Nick
Steven, Gabi, and soon-to-make-his-debut, Baby Alec (chosen name right now)
Mom and Diane
Kristin bought David and Matthew some ice cream to pass the time. It was a life saver! Thanks, Kristin!
Grammy (Isn't she absolutely beautiful?!) and Pop-Pop

David loves all the men of our family. Each has this built-in "dad-meter" of fun and "Let's throw the kids in the air!".
I have a picture of every woman in my family crying--except for Kristin, I guess. That's just what we do.
My brother, Ryan, and my mom.
Dad, Mom, and Ryan
Ryan and me

Matthew was so thrilled to see Ryan.
Okay, I'm not sure that I have a memory that did not involve cookies when it came to Ryan. This guy made cookies almost every single day after school and they were gone just as fast. We couldn't resist making them!!!
The seafood fest was probably my FAVORITE party--since there were like 4 out of 5 nights. We ate shrimp cooked different ways, crab legs, halibut, hush puppies, fries, salad, fruit, and lobster. The food was incredible!
My manly Matthew in his new Lightning boxers!
And I love this picture. This is how I mostly remember my brother. He has such a kind and caring heart. He really will give you the shirt off of his back and goes out of his way to make sure that you know he loves you. He's always checking to make sure people feel included and welcome. And he acknowledges people. This is a guy who assumes the best in people and just loves unconditionally.

When missionaries come home, it is customary for them to give a talk about their mission, sort of like a report in of what they did over the last two years. I felt like I was looking at different person. He left a boy and came back a man. He left with a testimony, but came back deeply, deeply rooted in the Gospel. He has such a strong testimony now and a vast knowledge of the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants. Ryan grew up so much, and I'm so proud of him. His mission was not easy for him in any way. It took a lot of courage to leave all of his comforts at home to serve the Lord for two years of his life. I know there were many days where he was rejected and felt down from the trials of being out there. He struggled with health issues. He felt alone. For those who don't know, missions last for 24 months for male missionaries/ 18 months for female missionaries. They are not permitted to call their families, but 4 times total (Christmas and Mother's Day). They, of course, can exchange emails once a week with family, and write letters, but that's it. They're with a companion the same age for those two years. It's a big challenge. I think Ryan had a lot of joy in the work (He had a lot of success in teaching. And his mission president commented about how Ryan was such a good part of the field. There were definitely many good and even GREAT days), but it was also difficult. I am so proud of him for finishing strong, and never giving up. He worked hard each day, and I'm just aboslutely touched by his example of Christlike attributes. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."