What a women ~ Happy Birthday Grandma

Cute Grandma with some of the Grandkids

Today we went out to dinner with the family to celebrate Grandmas Birthday. The kids love these family dinners. Not that we don't eat out enough. LOL



I wanted to take a second to brag about what a great Mother In Law I have. Since I am trying to document more of my feelings about my loved ones and my blessings I figure a birthday is a great time to do so.



Obviously she raised the bestest kid ever, and then sent him out to rescue me from my self, and to raise my kids and all that other fun stuff. But seriously she is so amazing! She hasn't had an easy life. She has seen much tragedy and still just keeps her head up and keeps on, keeping on. She lost her mother at the age of like 12 or 9 yrs old. (yikes I forget exactly) Her 1st marriage was not an easy one to say the least and her second husband passed away after a long and hard battle with cancer (my Samantha is named after him) and her oldest son died within 6 months of you loosing her husband. Can you even imagine loosing your husband and child within 6months. I have no idea how she did it. It was hard to say the least. She worked grave yard shifts at the hospital for years so that she could be their for my husband and raised him on her own. And like I said she did a fabulous job!! Jesse's sister too is an amazing loving and giving person. Ultra organized, mondo spiritual and has the same ability to let he kids be kids and they are turning out great. I think she learned a lot of this from her mom too. I look at Jen and she is the kind of person that you just drop your jaw and think "Hey, can I have some of that too, please?" Grandma Pat just plain raised great kids that is all there is to it!



My mother in law is the kind of person that really keeps her nose out. She lets you live your life and do your own thing yet she is there for every single event we ever have and she is always there to help us and to give advise when it is asked for. I really really lack this ability with my own children. I am always telling them exactly what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. I really need to back off and let them make choices and learn to live with those choices. I am slowly learning this. I can see by her example and by my moms that letting your kids live and learn is the way to go but boy it is so hard for me. I am a ultra control freak especially when it comes to my kids.



She re-married when my husband was on his mission and so they have only been married about 2 years longer than Jesse and I. They are so completely cute together! Super wonderful grandparents, my kids are so blessed to have them living so close to us. (my kids have 3 sets of grandparent's within 10 miles of us) I was blessed with the opportunity to be there when She and her hubby were sealed together for time and all eternity. That is something that was so special and so sacred to me. I can't even think of that day with out getting a little teary. It was so amazing to see the change that came over them as they started to attend church, and how much closer our family became as they found that family bond and strength that comes from the church.

I am so grateful for this amazing women and for her love for me and my family. She opened her arms and her heart to me from the very beginning and I love feeling a part of her family. I was only 18 when I met Jesse and I am absolutely sure that I was an obnoxious know it all young and naive girl. But she loved me anyway. This would be a great time to mention that she totally fixed us up on our 1st date. Yes, I met my husband on a blind date arranged by our mothers at work. But that is another story. Thanks for letting me brag about her. I love this blogging thing. I know that I am not one to show emotion in public, she said tonight at dinner that she wanted to give me hug but didn't know if I would want her to. (note to self,, quit being so rigid about touching people.LOL) I did hug her and I did tell you it was ok. I think she understands that I am just not the touchy feely type. Hugs aside, I do love her and I hope she had a very very happy birthday!

Leaping for Leap Year!

Enjoying our EXTRA day this year by hanging out together!

Once every 4 years we get a special gift. We get and extra day to enjoy our loved ones. So today we celebrated by spending time with the family Leaping and Jumping at the local bounce place. Again isn't Helen the greatest mom on the planet??? She comes up with the funnest ways to make events like Leap Year special. And she will not belive me that we all think she is cool!

Tell me this does it look like these kids are having fun!?

They were having a blast even it Samantha is trying to look like a pill!

She was mad I made her stop jumping long enough for a picture. LOL

And you can totally see she was trying not to smile. (rolling eyes)

Jaden in the Wax Museum as Gordon B. Hinckley

This week at school all the 5th graders did their Wax Museum Presentations. Each kid picks a famous person from American History and they prepare a 5 sentence dialog and then they get to dress as that character. They sit or stand and hold still like a wax figure and when you push their button (aka sticker) they repeat their little spill. Jaden chose to be Gordan B. Hinckley. He did a great job and I was so proud of him. Of all the famous Americans from sports, to music, to historical, that he could have picked to be Hinckley is who he chose. He is a really neat kid.

It has been so amazing to watch as this 11 year old boy has grieved the passing of the only prophet the has ever known in his lifetime so far. He will also have such a special connection to President Hinckley and I hope he will always remember how he felt about him and his teachings. Jaden has always been the one in our family to get mad at the other kids during conference and tell them "sssshhhhh that is the prophet speaking and I need to listen" He had a really hard time when he found out about the passing or the prophet, and I felt that this was a great opportunity for him to pay tribute in his own way to such a great man that not only did so much for the members of the LDS faith but for people all over the country and all over the world. I am so glad that he would pick such a great man at his hero! I don't think that he could find anyone more Christlike to follow than the leaders of our church. I am so Thankful for their testimonies of Jesus Christ and that my children have the opportunity to listen to them and learn from them.

I didn't even know that he was doing this and he did all his own research and preparation. He even called around and found a cane to use. It was a really fun night for us. I had several people come up to me after the night was over to tell me that he really, is such an amazing boy and that his presentation really made them think about President Hinckley and that he carried such a reverence to himself as he did it. I am grateful to have such a great person in my life. Jaden I learn more from you everyday than what you will ever learn from me. You are one of my greatest heroes buddy! I am one lucky mom!!!!