Families Are Forever!

This past weekend, we headed down to Southern Utah to attend the sealing of some very special friends of ours (Todd and Elizabeth Benson) who were able to adopt a little girl back in July. Since hearing the news, we have been over the moon with Happiness for them. Todd and Liz have wanted to add another little spirit to their family for so long. There have been many family members and friends who have offered up prayers in their behalf that they might have another little one join their family. Todd and Liz are truly the most wonderful individuals we have ever known and we are so grateful that their prayers (and ours for them) have been answered. 

We are grateful for the miracle of adoption and we have become even more grateful and have a better appreciation for it as we have watched Todd and Liz go through the process of adopting. The Benson Family have been such good friends to us over the years and were there for us during a very hard period in our lives. We will forever be grateful to them, their example of love, kindness and true friendship. So when we received Emma's Sealing and Blessing invite, we wouldn't have missed out on being there to support them. We were so honored to be invited to their memorable event. 

Mark and I have not ever been to a sealing like this one and it was a very spiritual experience to be their with their family and have the reaffirmation that Families can truly be Forever.

We were also able to go to Emma's Baby Blessing on Sunday Morning. Todd invited Mark to be in the circle and he was honored to be apart of Emma's Blessing. 

Many Congratulations to Todd and Liz!! Emma is a very special little girl and is so fortunate to be able to go to such a wonderful couple/family like Todd and Liz and Sydney-we can't think of anyone that is more deserving!!

We love you Benson Family!

(Todd, Liz, Sydney and Emma)

The Respect Award

I keep forgetting to blog about an award that Kaleb received at School back in December. Kaleb's teacher (Mrs. Shelley Forman) this year nominated him for being the most polite and respectful student in her class. He came home with a certificate of achievement along with a free kids meal token to Famous Dave's BBQ Restaurant. Kaleb was so thrilled about his award. Mark and I are so proud of Kaleb and his accomplishment. Kaleb is such a great kid, we are so proud to have him as our son. He truly is an example to all his peers and to his family. We love you Kaleb!! 

Princess Party Time

Karmindy was invited to go and celebrate one of her friends birthdays yesterday and she was so excited. Her little friend Claire Trimble was having a Princess Party and all the guests were encouraged to dress up as one of their favorite princesses. Karmindy's Grandma Laurie had given her a very nice Snow White Dress for her birthday several years ago and so she chose to wear that. It is really too bad that she has only wanted to wear her cute little dress the past couple of months because it is now getting too small for her. However, it still fits a little bit and it worked out splendidly for the party. Before the party, Karmindy and I enjoyed getting her all dolled up for the Princess Party. We did her hair and sprayed glitter in it and put on some make up and did her nails. Karmindy looked like a princess....literally. I got a little choked up thinking that in the near future how she will have the opportunity to get dressed up like a princess (homecoming, prom, and her wedding). We had a really fun afternoon together and before she left I took a few darling pictures of her so she could remember her fun event.

Goodbye Florida!

On Friday, we woke up and took it easy. We had really worn the kids out the previous days so we decided to just enjoy some down time. Our hotel inside was just ok on the inside but the outside was amazing. There were several pools to lounge by and a miniature golf course and a playground that we took advantage of in the evenings.

After Breakfast on Friday morning, we packed our belongings for our flight for that afternoon and then got dressed in our Swimsuits and headed for the pools. The weather was pretty chilly on this day and unfortunately the pool heaters weren't working really well. We spent most of our time laying out and sitting in the jacuzzi. Mark did take the kids in the pool for a little bit but it was really too cold to be in it for too long. The kids both loved the slides and going down them. 

While we were swimming, Kaleb gave us a pretty good scare. While we were sitting by the pool the kids asked Mark if they could go down the slides. Mark told them that they could but he needed to be with them so he could help catch them. Kaleb tends to hear what he wants to hear at times and took off for the slides. He has no fear at times and thinks he is an amazing swimmer (even though he is only on level 1). We warned him to wait and he didn't listen. Before we knew it, he had slid down the slide and had landed in the water. He started to swim to the side but wasn't getting anywhere. He totally went under. For both Mark and I, time stood still and we just froze. Luckily, Mark's lifeguard skills took over and he dashed after Kaleb. He was able to get to him ok and pull him out but Kaleb was probably under the water for almost a minute. It truly scared us and I am pretty sure it scared Kaleb. After we got him out and let him sit by the pool for awhile, he turned to us both and said, "What took you so long?!" I could've lost it on him right there! Needless to say we will be taking more swimming lessons this summer!

After that little incident, we decided we had had enough lounging by the pool. We went back to our rooms and got ready for the day. After checking out we headed back to the pool area for lunch and dined on coconut shrimp and Pina Coladas! After lunch, we headed to the airport and headed home. We really enjoyed our Florida trip as a family and are looking forward to going again when the kids get a little older!

DISNEY WORLD: ANIMAL KINGDOM

On Thursday, we headed to the Animal Kindgom. We got an early start but the park seemed a little more busy on this day. We hopped on the little tram and made it to the park in record time. We were truly amazed at how efficient Disney hauls people in and out of the park. They have it down to a science! I guess you have to be that way with as many visitors they get each day! 

When we got to the park we headed to the back of the park and got a fast past to the jungle cruise and then headed to do some of the other rides while we waited.  

 One of the first things we did was check out the Bugs Life 3D movie. It is one of my favorites and I was so excited for the kids to see it. Both of the kids got a little "creeped" out by all the bugs. They especially didn't like the part where it feels like there are bugs climbing around under you or behind you. Here are my cute little bugs wearing their 3D bug glasses.

 One new feature at the Animal Kingdom is their Everest Ride. In the picture below you can see the kids standing in front of "Everest." There is a huge Roller coaster that goes in and out of the mountain. Mark decided to brave the ride and go on it. I have learned that I can't tolerate roller coasters anymore. To be honest, after Mark got off the ride he looked a little pale. He said it was a fun ride minus the part where you go backwards in the dark and do an upside down loop! YIKES! I was so glad I didn't go on it.

Kaleb and I also braved another ride called the River Rapids. It was cold because it had rained the night before so it was super chilly. Kaleb ended up not getting wet but I got drenched. It was fun to go on a ride with just the two of us and have some bonding time. 

The kids seemed to like Animal Kingdom but begged us continually to head back to Magic Kingdom. That was by far their favorite park. I think the most memorable part of going to Animal Kingdom was riding the Jungle Cruise ride. It is like going on an African Safari in the Savanna. Like I mentioned before it had rained the night before and so the animals were out and were very active. We had been told to go on this ride either early in the morning or late afternoon because that is when the animals were most active. We must have timed it right because we saw Giraffe's, crocs, elephants, rhinos, ostriches, Boars, Muskrats, and Flamingos. 

We were able to see most of these up close. We also got to see a lion which was sleeping among some rock formations. We really enjoyed taking this ride and having a Safari Adventure as a family. I can only imagine what a real Safari would be like. Maybe one day we will get to experience one but for now this was an amazing opportunity to experience. My favorite part along with the animals was seeing the scenery. All of the plants, trees and grasses that they have their are the kinds you would see in Africa. It was really, really beautiful.

Another Favorite of our family was seeing the large tree that is located at the beginning of the park. It is really quite neat to see all of the animals carved into the trunk of the tree.

The kids enjoyed the Animal Kingdom but I think the Magic Kingdom was by far their favorite park that we visited!!

DISNEY WORLD: THE MAGIC KINGDOM

On Tuesday and Wednesday of our trip, we took the kids to the Magic Kingdom. This by far was the kids favorite thing that we did/saw while in Florida. We really could've spent all 5 days here because the kids loved it sooo much- we wish that we would've known this before we bought park hopper passes-you live and learn!

Going to Florida in January proved to be a wonderful time to visit WDW. The crowds were relatively non-existent and the lines were short. Surprisingly we were able to see almost everything the first day! After doing some research for our trip, I learned that when you arrive you get on the train and ride it to the lands at the back of the park and visit them and then move forward to the front of the park. The kids loved riding the train!

 This ended up being Good Advice and The kids LOVED riding the train each morning!Also, during those two days at the Magic Kingdom the kids were able to go on all the rides that they wanted and we even went back to their favorites.

We were also able to see 16 characters in those two days!!

The Princesses!

Classic Characters!

Our Sparkly and Winged Friends!

Pixar Characters!

I don't know if this is a record but we were thinking it might of been because the lines were so short!! The kids absolutely adored meeting the characters and it was really so magical for them. Karmindy was really funny to watch because she would approach the character we were seeing and give them hugs and kisses. Karmindy isn't usually this friendly with other people, including strangers!! It was really cute to watch her meet Tinkerbell, Jessie, Buzz, and Woody- all her favorites. She also was really into meeting Aurora and Belle. When she went up to meet Belle, she must have loved her dress because she kept patting and touching the chest portion of Belle's dress- it had sparkles all over it. Poor Belle truly got  more than she bargained for!! Kaleb also loved meeting the characters but was a little more shy-which surprised me. He was always hesitant to go up and talk to the princesses. I think he might of had a crush on them, especially Tink whom he wouldn't even go say Hello to! :)

The kids loved going on all the rides. Kaleb's favorite ride was Splash Mountain and Karmindy's was It's a Small World- we think she liked all the dolls. Mark and I went on some rides we never had gone on. Having been to Disneyland and Disney World several times, you would think that we would've gone on everything. We liked seeing the Country Bear Jamboree, flying on the magic carpets, and going on the Peter Pan ride for the first time. Our favorite rides are still Pirates of Caribbean,  The Haunted Mansion, and Splash Mountain-classics.

The kids tried their hand at trying to pull the sword from the stone. They couldn't budge it! :(

The kids were troopers and both days we stayed until around 8pm. We walked everywhere and really wore the kids out. On the second day we got smart and rented a stroller so the kids could switch off resting. The second day they faired much better!! We would stop several hours after lunch and get treats. The kids loved their mickey ice cream bars.

One night we stayed to see the Electric Parade which we all loved, we also timed it right and got front row seats!

We had such a Magical time at the Magic Kingdom and can't wait to take the kids back again soon! What wonderful memories we made!

Our Sea World Adventure!

We decided to rent a car when we got to Florida, and we are glad that we did. It was so nice to have the luxury of doing our own thing and not having to wait on Shuttles to take us everywhere.On Monday morning, we headed to Sea World. 

Upon our arrival we took a couple of pictures and then headed to all the shows they had to offer. We first went to a Whale and Dolphin show, followed by a sea lion/walrus pirate show and lastly we checked out Shamu! While waiting for each show to begin we went to the different areas for the kids to see the different exhibits. The kids got to pet sting rays, see dolphins, sharks, turtles, flamingos they loved seeing the tame squirrels that would just come and sit by your legs! Karmindy's favorite thing was going into the Shark Exhibit! She loved going in the Exhibit and standing on a moving escalator which moved through an underground aquarium.  Kaleb's favorite thing about Sea World was going to see all the shows!

For a little break in the afternoon we went and had the kids Charactures drawn. I love how they turned out!

Kaleb and Karmindy loved seeing the SeaTurtles! They were amazed at how big they were! Here they are standing in front of the Turtle Exhibit!

Mark with the kids!

Me and the Rugrats!

Peek a Boo!

I had to take a picture of this cute little squirrel. He was so tame! I also love the plants that are in the plantar box. I love the bright colors!

A family favorite was watching the Dolphin and Whale Show!

Kaleb and Karmindy riding Shamu!

The Sunshine State

For part of our Family's Christmas this year, we decided that going on a trip and making memories together was something we wanted to focus on instead of getting the kids a bunch of toys that they would get sick of with in a few hours. On Christmas morning the kids found their own luggage under the tree, as well as, some other treasures that I made for them- Disney Shirts, Autograph books and their own Minnie and Mickey Mouse. The kids were so excited and started to count down until our trip. Mark and I were also excited too! We were looking forward to going back to were we honeymooned 8 years ago! Our trip truly couldn't come fast enough!!!

After two weeks of waiting the day finally came!!

On Sunday January 15th, we woke up and headed to the airport bright and early (around 4:30 am). We had to be there two hours early to check in. The kids did great and enjoyed rolling their luggage through the terminal. We got lots of compliments on how cute they were with their luggage, I wish that I would've taken a picture but was a little drowsy and was more focused on getting all our crap  stuff checked in! :)

The kids were so excited to fly and they were troopers and did great on the flights. Me, however, I didn't fare so well for I have never really liked flying and tend to get incredibly motion sick. On our flight into Denver, we hit some pretty bad turbulence and I got really sick!! In fact, I threw up a couple of times(thank goodness for those barf bags). I was sitting next to Kaleb during the whole thing and while I was throwing up he said, "Mom, this is so cool!" He loved the turbulence and the bouncing to and fro. I laugh now at the whole experience but I really was not feeling well. After we landed in Denver, Colorado Mark went over and bought me some Dramamine. I felt better instantly and our flight from Denver to Florida was much better!

On Sunday night after we arrived in Florida, we needed some food and some odds and ends so we headed to Wal-Mart, then we just went back to our room to relax the rest of the night. The kids and Mark and I were exhausted!

On Monday we spent time at Sea World, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Magic Kingdom and Thursday at the Animal Kingdom. On Friday our flight wasn't til 5 so we took it easy and slept in and then headed to enjoy the pools, water slides and the sunshine at our hotel. It was so nice to be able to sit in the sun and bask in the warmth. I love Florida and love the warm weather, the palm trees, how green everything is!! It truly is a beautiful state! We really had a wonderful time spending time together as a family!! I hope the kids remember our trip for years to come!

* In stead of doing one long post about our trip I am going to break it up into different posts!

Happy Birthday Kaleb!

I can't believe my little boy is 7!! Where is the time going? It truly just feels like yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital, as corny as that sounds, it is true! The past 7 years has been a joy! Kaleb is such a great kid and he makes me so proud to be his mom. He has taught me so many things and is truly an example in our home. Kaleb is also the sweetest, most kindhearted little guy. He is also an amazing big brother- he is so patient with his little sister (even when I am not so patient) and he truly looks out for the welfare of her.  Many days I can hear him disciplining his sister or reminding her to use her manners. Often I have to remind him that I am the mom and I will take care of things, however, I am glad that he is learning to be polite and is a BIG EXAMPLE to Karmindy. I truly love my little boy and I want him to always know how much his parents love him!

Happy 7th Birthday Kaleb!!

This year for Kaleb's birthday he requested to have a Angry Birds Birthday Party. Angry birds is a game that you can play on I phones. Mark and I both got new phones(our old ones were ancient) for Christmas and both of our phones have the games on them. Kaleb is constantly asking pestering us, if he can play the game on our phones. So having an Angry Birds birthday party was quite fitting for Kaleb. 

When his birthday finally came, he could barely contain his excitement. We invited 6 kids and all of them showed up! When they first arrived, they made their very own Angry Birds Game that they could take home with them. I assembled all of the materials before hand in their own individual bags. They kids loved making their own game and all were excited to play it when they got home.

The Make n' Takes

The Guests Of Honor

 L to R: Adilynne Hagen, Caleb Bradford, Kaleb Frisbey, Matthew Payne, Cadence Hattaway.

Front: Jaxon Trimble

(Rylee Parkinson, not pictured. She came after taking a picture.)

 Kaleb Opening his Presents!

After assembling the make n' takes, we opened presents, took a couple of pictures and then headed outside to play some games. (Luckily the weather cooperated- We have had a very warm Winter).We played "Pop the Pig" and "Red Rover, Red Rover Send an Angry Bird Over." 

After the games were over we came back inside for cake and Chocolate ice-cream, which the birthday boy requested!

I made it easy on myself and just bought the cupcakes from Smith's and then put these cute cupcake toppers on them.

After dessert the kids headed back outside for some free play time. The kids seemed to all have fun, especially the birthday boy.

When the time came for the kids to go home they got to take home a Pop, pencil and an Angry Bird Pencil Topper.

Party Favors

They were a huge hit with the kids!!

Kaleb said he really enjoyed his party and being with his friends.

That evening we spent some time together as a family and opened presents and then we went to Chic-Fil-A for dinner and had cupcakes for dessert! 

Happy Birthday to Our Little Man, we are so proud of you!