About My Cute Boy Sam....

I got a fabulous email this week:

Hi Sis. ....,
I wanted to let you know that your son, Elder Sam ..., is in my area right now. He is awesome and such a great young man!!
I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday and he said the one you make him, is his favorite. Could you please give me the recipe, so I could make sure he has the cake he would like for his birthday? He said it was chocolate wafers and whip cream, but I wanted to make sure I had it just like mom's!!
Thank you in advance!! You have raised a terrific young man that has such a sweet spirit!! He will forever have a place in my family's hearts!!
Emily .......

What a sweetheart. It melts my heart when members take such wonderful care of my missionary son.

It is no surprise that this is the quote Emily has on the bottom of her email.
She doesn't just type it, she lives it!

"What you do for yourself dies with you;

what you do for others will live forever."

Pioneer Day...

The Pioneers Trekked to the West and we Celebrate it on the 24th of July.

So this year on the 24th of July we will Trek to the Beach.

We will celebrate our pioneer spirit with a day trip to the beach. If you would like to join us... let me know. Seriously... COME. We are trying to get a group together to make a day trip down to Huntington Beach. It will be a blast (especially if YOU come).

Here are the details:
Saturday, July 24th. Leave at 6 am, be at the beach by 10.
Huntington Beach- Lifeguard Station 13 (by the Hyatt bridge).
$15 to park, but it's close and worth it. Play all day in the sun.
Leave the beach at 5 pm, home by 9 pm.

You in?

I know... it sounds kind of crazy, but when was the
last time you went on such a grand (1 day) adventure??

If the day trip is too much.... get a hotel Friday night and still join us.

Priceline is cheap in the Costa Mesa or Irvine area (20 minutes from Huntington)

Happy Fathers Day....

to the two Amazing Fathers in my life!

My dad is amazing. He is 90 years old, blind, and still an influence in my life.

There aren't too many days that I don't talk to him.

He is always teaching me and inspiring to me be a better person.

Here he is with the 13 living children.

He has raised 14 good kids.

He has 86 grandchildren

and 149 great grandchildren with 15 on the way.

He couldn't be prouder!

He keeps track of all his family and he has a great love for them all.

He wants everyone together in Heaven.

His theme is:

No empty Chairs.

What a goal to strive for. What a blessing that we can be together as a family forever.

We just need to make good choices and keep the commandments.

This cute man is the father of my darling children.

What a blessing in my life he is.

He truly loves his children.... and me.

He loves his kids and loves to support them in their endeavors.

We are so blessed that we can be an eternal family.

One happy daddy with his kiddies...

We are so blessed that we have fun together.

Mike & Katie loving life.

The boys on some of their many adventures.

"A father is someone you look up to, no matter how tall you are."

"First, fathers, listen to your sons—really listen to them. . . . A one-on-one relationship should be a routine part of your stewardship with your sons. . . .“Second, pray with and for your sons. Give them priesthood blessings. . . . One-on-one prayer and the sharing of testimonies can draw you closer to each other as well as closer to the Lord. . . .“Third, dare to have the ‘big talks’ with your sons. . . . Your boys need your counsel, guidance, and input on these subjects. As you talk about these very important matters, you will find that the trust between you will flourish....”

...There is no other relationship quite like that which can and should exist between a boy and his dad. It can be one of the most nurturing, joyful relationships in life, one that can have a profound impact on who boys become and also on who dads become."

M. Russell Ballard, “Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship,” Ensign

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Sam's Words of Wisdom...

"I enjoy being a missionary. Not so much the the laundry and cooking part. haha."

"I'm so glad that I decided to serve a mission. It's the best thing that I could be doing right now. Lately the mission has been focusing on urgency. This message that we share can bring people salvation. It's the most important thing anyone can do and learn about. Nothing else people hear will be as important as this, and it's great for everyone...Christ is going to help us if we turn to him for help. No matter what... I love being out here. It is the best work to be apart of. Some days can be hard but they are nothing compared to what Christ went through. And he is waiting to help us with our every need.

"We just have to pray like everything depends on the Lord and work like everything depends on us."

"It is a great blessing that we can all live together forever with God. It motivates you to chose the right."

...It's so great that this Gospel gives us everything that we need to be an eternal family! All we have to do is be obedient. It's great!...

"Being out on a mission has really helped me understand how great this gospel is and also the importance of living the gospel principles that we are taught starting in primary. Everyday we are continuing to take the most important test any of us will ever take. We are going to be graded on our everyday actions. My mission has helped me realize the importance of always trying to be Christ-like. Living this gospel isn't a job or a chore, you have to make it your lifestyle."

Riley's First Day of Work!

Riley got a job at Fabulous Freddy's

He will be able to have a lot of Fabulous Days!

He is following in Sam's footsteps.

Mail...

In the mail this week we got a postcard about Riley's "Senior Pictures"

It was a little startling to me... He is going to be a senior.

He is still my Baby Riley.

Well they are all growing up on me.

A little dose of reality is not always welcome.

Here is a picture from earlier days...

when they were all home and I was loving it.

I still love it!

Cherish Each Day with Your Families

"Near the end of his life, one father looked back on how he had spent his time on earth. An acclaimed, respected author of numerous scholarly works, he said, 'I wish I had written one less book and taken my children fishing more often.'"Time passes quickly. Many parents say that it seems like yesterday that their children were born. Now those children are grown, perhaps with children of their own. 'Where did the years go?' they ask. We cannot call back time that is past, we cannot stop time that now is, and we cannot experience the future in our present state. Time is a gift, a treasure not to be put aside for the future but to be used wisely in the present."
Thomas S. Monson, "Dedication Day," Ensign, Nov. 2000, 66

Family time is a treasure!

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.” -Barbara Bush

Last day of School!

Today is the last day of school!

Woo Hoo!

No more early mornings for 3 months.

We love summer...

Ward Luau

We had a great time at our Ward Luau.

Great food, entertainment and company!