7 Years Old

Seven things about Kyler on his 

7th Birthday. 

1. He is an excellent reader and is thriving in 1st grade. 

He loves school and his teacher once he gets there, but waking him up in the morning is always somewhat of a struggle. 

2. He is a great big brother, even when Khloe isn't being the easiest to get along with. He is always willing to help her, play with, and make sure she is happy. 

 3. He is very social and can make friends anywhere he goes. 

4. He is a goer and is happiest when we are busy doing something as a family. He especially loves it when we are outdoors and he can go off exploring. 

5. He finally got his wish of owning a dog. 

It has been a great way for him to learn some responsibility .

6. A few of his favorites include: 

Playing Minecraft, going on roller coasters at Lagoon, pizza, lemonade, Mike & Ikes, drawing and writing stories, sleeping in, and being with his cousins. 

7. We can't imagine our lives without him and feel so blessed to be his parents. We Love You Kyler!!!! 

"Puppy Party"

Kyler has wanted a dog for over two years now, but the timing just hasn't been right until this year.

After watching the KSL classified's daily for a couple of months we FINALLY found the right fit for our family and SURPRISED 

him with it for his 7th BIRTHDAY!!!! 

Since the puppy was ready to be picked up the first part of September it was a total surprise, which made it even better!!!

I love a good themed party and this by far was one of my favorites to plan. It's a good thing that I've had a couple of years to think about the details, since we decided last minute and I had to pull everything together within a week. 

I'm not a huge fan of friend parties, but since the cousins are getting older I thought they would have fun playing some games. 

By far my favorite was the "Eat like a Puppy". 

Pin the Tail on the Puppy. 

Puppy Pinata. 

Happy Birthday Buddy.

Your family sure LOVES you!!!! 

LIFE

Life for me lately has been more unsettling than usual and for some reason I haven't been able to get out of the slump that I'm in. 

I haven't been able to pinpoint the reason, but maybe it's just a combination of things that are taking a toll on my mood. 

I've had kind of a frustrating first month of preschool with parents not committing and not being able to fill my classes. With more and more competition popping up I worry that I won't be able to stay in business in the coming years:( 

Maybe it's the fact that we now have a PUPPY. As much as I love Lucy, the reality is SHE IS A LOT OF WORK!!!! 

I thrive on family time and look forward to planning and trying to create memories with cousins and my siblings. The past month there has been some contention and things said that for some reason I've struggled to let go. 

Lastly, I've been weighed down a lot with decisions and what the future will look like for our family. We have hopes of being able to sell our house and move into my mother-in-laws house when the time is right for her to down size. For someone that LOVES to have a set plan and know when and how things are going to work out this has been a real struggle for me. 

This past weekend as I watched the General Women's Conference I listened intently for answers or for a change of heart for the things that are weighing me down. It took until the very end of the meeting when the closing song was sung.

(One of my favorite hymns) 

The words in this hymn were exactly what 

I needed to be reminded of!!! 

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

verse 2

He lives to grant me rich supply. 

He lives to guide me with his eye.

He lives to comfort me when faint. 

He lives to hear my soul's complaint.

He lives to silence all my fears.

He lives to wipe away my tears.

He lives to calm my troubled heart.

He lives all blessings to impart. 

As I enjoyed being out in nature last weekend and taking pictures of the beautiful fall leaves there is no doubt in my mind that the words from this song are true. Everything that we have is because of Him. I hope that I'm able to remember that even when I feel frustrated with how things are going in my life

Here's to hoping a new month will bring a new attitude.

After all it's one of my FAVORITE months of the year!!!! 

Weekend Words

Friday: 

Cozy weather and insane amounts of rain. 

Temple date night and Maddox.

Kid's night out for Kyler.

Saturday:

Fall drive up Ogden Canyon.

Gondola ride at Snowbasin.

Collecting fall leaves. 

Going from Fall to Winter in a matter of minutes. 

Throwing first snowballs of the season.

One EXCITED dad!!!! 

Warming up in the lodge. 

Aggie's Homecoming football game for Jason.

Movie and Pizza night for the kids.

Listening to the amazing talks from the General Women's session once kids were tucked into bed:) 

Sunday: 

Favorite Sunday of the year.

Primary Program.

Family dinner at the Cooks.