Time in Utah

Before leaving for Utah, we found a little feathered friend had built its nest outside of our master bedroom window. It just sits serenely the entire day. Aubrey loves to watch the little birdie!

Aubrey and cousin Rhome skype their Canadian cousins (Emmy, Azia, Parker, and Cardiff). Skype is amazing. It's definitely something that our family will have to invest in. Not much talking actually happens - just looking and each other on the computer and making funny faces into the camera!

Grammy and Grampy were amazed at how "chunky" our little Addy has become. You can tell that they are proud Grandparents! Of course, Aubrey and Addy were happy, well, because Aubrey is a "Princess" and Addy is so cute - they were both absolutely spoiled!

Aubrey loves her cousins. Here she is hanging out with Rhome, who btw loves to wink. He's so cute! They seemed to have lots of fun together, but both were pretty possessive about their toys!

Grampy sure had fun playing with Addy. He seemed to have had the magic touch this weekend. Anytime that Addy cried or got fussy, she calmed right down as soon as Grampy held her. Since they don't get to see the kids that often, Mom and Dad had no problem having them hold the kids as much as they wanted!

Our trip to Utah was most enjoyable. We got to see Grammy and Grampy, as well as Aunt JJ and Uncle Mike and cousin Rhome. Jade is about to have another little cousin, so it was good to see her before life would become too hectic. Overall, our experience in flying with both youngsters was positive. We couldn't believe how friendly everyone was - from airport check-in, to security, to flight attendants. Everyone was so nice and helpful. Molly and I were a little worried about how the 2 younger ones would do. Aubrey got her own plane seat and was just purely excited to go on an airplane. "Airplane for me?!?!" was her favorite question. Overall, the girls did wonderfully. We've never walked right off a plane, had all of our baggage ready to be picked up immediately and had so little hassle going through the airport and security. We really couldn't have asked for a better flying experience. It's just too bad that our trip was so short.

FYI - if you have to rent a car - make sure that after they con you into getting an upgrade because it has more room - that the trunk is actually large enough to fit in everything! And do not - repeat - DO NOT get a Pontiac G6! They stink for luggage space, trunk room, and overall comfort. Automatic upgrades to SUVs or minivans are preferred.

I wish I had taken a picture of our "stack" as we pushed it through the airport. Just use your imagination...one double stroller, with two car seats stacked on top, followed by one suitcase, one carry-on, and a diaper bag underneath and a little girl in the front seat. I'm sure it was quite a sight! Fortunately, everyone was most patient and helpful and most importantly - understanding. It helps when the girls are so cute and can take most of the attention! :)

General Conference

This past weekend I (Rylan) had the opportunity to attend General Conference Priesthood session with my Dad and brother-in-law Mike. It was a wonderful experience. The vastness of the Conference Center is almost overwhelming - and to see it completely filled with honorable holders of the Holy Priesthood is truly amazing when one considers the power in that room! The spirit was very strong. As soon as the First Presidency entered the auditorium, the restlessness and the busy voices hushed almost immediately. A reverent hush overcame the auditorium in a wave as everyone stood in reverence. You literally could hear a pin drop. This sight brought tears to my eyes. The respect shown to the newly sustained Prophet of God and his counselors was quite emotional. To think that we were going to hear President Monson's first address during this conference was a treat. To all who were present, I'm sure that his talk will be forever memorable - the laughs, the ear wiggles, the stories, and the emotional experiences of a dedicated missionary that brought grown men to tears. Each talk was wonderful.

I thoroughly enjoyed the choir, the music and the spirit of the entire meeting. It was truly a blessing to be present. Overall, I was impressed with the general feeling that the message was to be better. To be a better Priesthood holder, a better friend, a better son, a better husband - and that more was expected of us. I feel like we were asked to serve a little better and a little more.

Before the session began, I was also impressed with the emphasis that was placed on "being courteous to those outside who wish to disrupt the spirit of this conference." I was also impressed with the missionaries as they lined the walls of Temple Square to sing hymns as members went to and from the Conference Center. The spirit all around Temple Square was very present and almost "palpable." You could tell this was a special conference.

The first session of Conference was amazing. I can vaguely recall my first experience during a Solemn Assembly when Pres. Hinckley was sustained, and was on my mission when Pres. Hunter was sustained. Even watching on TV and standing up in the living room, the spirit was very strong and tears came easily as I sustained a new Prophet of the Lord. To me, Pres. Monson seemed almost overwhelmed (I can't think of a better way to explain it), but seemed to have literally been strengthened and rejuvenated as Conference weekend progressed.

When the spirit was as strong as it was this past weekend, one cannot help but know - really know - that it's all real. It's all true! This weekend, the spirit has time and again confirmed and reconfirmed to me that the Church is true. That we are indeed led by a living Prophet of God in Pres. Monson. To think that he is the 16th President of this dispensation is amazing - and especially considering how he has been groomed since being called as a Bishop at age 22 and Apostle at 36! Wow. I'm sure appreciative for times like this where I can soak up the spirit of Conference and have my testimony renewed in such a powerful way.

It was also quite a treat to go to Molly's Temple Square reunion. It was fun to watch her re-acquaint herself with old missionary buddies and companions. To see them recognize each other, but forget names, or to look at their name tags to remember first names or their new married names. I will let Molly write about her reunion experiences. Suffice it to say that Temple Square, (despite it's inherent "drama" of having so many sisters there) - and I don't mean that to be rude - and the Sisters and the senior missionary couples that serve there definitely carry a special spirit about them which was still very present and noticeable during the reunion.

Our New Home

After months of delay and nervous anticipation - our home was finally finished and we closed on March 5th! We have been fortunate enough to have Amy help us order blinds and Emily help us order carpet. Jim helped tear out the old carpet and Adam helped install some of the blinds. It has been a lot of fun trying to get everything put into its place. Thanks to Taff, Mike, Tyson, and Debbie for helping out as well! Our backs are sore, but it sure is nice sleeping in our own bed again and not living out of suitcases. Here are some snapshots of the lot to the finished product...

Happy Easter

First, I want to thank everybody for the encouraging comments on my last post (My day from a very dark place). Just a quick update Aubrey has retired her mischievousness as of lately. In fact, she has been the little angel....go figure :o)

Here are the girls in their Easter dresses that I found the day before. I thought for sure that I would be out of luck shopping last minute, procrastination is a killer, however I felt so lucky these dresses were the last ones left and they happened to be in their sizes. SUCH LUCK!!!



Our Easter Day was lovely. I had a old mission companion over and she actually made us breakfast in the morning....it was very nice!!! Then we went to church and sacrament meeting was beautiful. The ward choir sang beautifully and the talks were well prepared. All of the meetings were wonderful. After church we came home and put the Aubrey and daddy down for a quick nap. Then we went of the grandparents house for Easter dinner. It was yummy!!! The kids concluded it with an Easter egg hunt which was kinda of funny because my 4 year old nephew went first with the little kids and cleaned it out before the big kids got a chance. :o) It was truly a beautiful day to think about the purpose of Easter and the blessings we enjoy because of our Savior. I hope you all had a wonderful day too.

My day from....a very dark place

I hope I can make it through this blog entry, because the things I will reveal from my very frustrating day was just !@$%&@! AHHHHH! (BIG SIGH!!!)

Okay, so yesterday I had a day, yes a very rough day. Aubrey woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I came out to find her face in the cereal bowl Rylan gave her before he left to work. I clean her up, but she was just getting started.

After breakfast is over I put her in a bath, because usually they cheer her up and plus her hair was pretty gross from dried milk in her hair, remember the cereal earlier. Yeah! Well, then my sister Emily came over to drop off her kids for a while because she is moving. I have watched her two kids with my two kids before and it was actually pretty easy, well the stars were not aligned that day. So, while she is dropping them off Aubrey comes from around the corner with pink, peptobismol pink ink on her hands. I go around the corner, to discover that she found a pink ink pad and had decided to color on my moms walls with it. I quickly respond with super hero speed and force to pry off the ink from the wall. "Whew," I think to myself that was a close one. Well, it gets even better. Emily leaves and I decide it is lunch time. I feed the girls pears and chicken nuggets with a little pile of ketchup. I sit at the table with them until the babies both start fussing and need me to hold them. So, I leave my post to console the fussy babies. Meanwhile, I hear the girls giggling behind me, and I think, "oh how sweet." As I turned my head towards the giggling, my mom's white bichon frise dog (Yuki) comes walking around the couch with ketchup covering her back. KETCHUP AND WHITE FUR!!! YUCK!!! I quickly shew her outside before she shakes and sprays ketchup everywhere. Aubrey is put in time out.

I strongly believe that while she was in time out, she was conceiving another strike against me. Once she is out Aubrey plays quietly for a moment by Addy. However, she seizes another opportunity and begins pouring water all over Addy's head. Oh my goodness!!! I need help or therapy!

THAT IS IT!!! IT IS NAPTIME!!! I put the the older girls down, and then Addy down for a nap. Emily comes and takes the little guy with her to keep packing.

I have a few hours of no mishaps, it's a miracle!

Well, the girls wake up and I give them a snack and then send them outside to play. We have been having beautiful weather here in AZ. So, I leave the sliding glass door open, so they can come and go. I begin cooking dinner. As I come around the kitchen island I discover that Aubrey has been smuggling sand in a play-doh rolling pen and dumping it in in the middle of the kitchen floor just hidden from my view!

Now, at this point in the day, I begin to question, "who is this child and what has she done with my angelic little girl !?!?!" Well, I decided that I need to take a picture of her with all of her little accomplices.



The evening continued on with a struggle to get to bed because cousin Louisa was still over and Aubrey and her just have too much fun. So, there it is my day from a very dark place!!! (SIGH)

Just some random moments

Daddy braided Aubrey's hair and I was so proud that I had to take a picture of it. What a STUD!

I need to have some fun with bath time too, instead of being just the life guard. My mom and I couldn't stop laughing, simply because they looked so funny.

Ahhhh...just a adorable pic of Addy if I may say so (:

Here is Aubrey posing in her Aunt Mimi's boots. She could hardly walk around the house. You should see the footage of it. Ummm.....we still need to figure out how to do that on our blog.