On the Ninth Day of Thanksgiving...

On the ninth day of Thanksgiving my Heavenly Father gave to me......

Dallin=)

My bubba! When we decided to have another baby, I seriously could not contemplate loving another child as much as we loved Abby. I was SO worried about this. I mean we loved Abby SO much, how on earth could you love two that much.....WELL Dallin was my little bubba. When he was born, I realized just how much a person can love. I learned that love IS infinite. I learned how Heavenly Father could love ALL His children. I learned that having another baby does not lessen the love of any other child but only magnifies it.

Dallin was a mama's boy. He made this mom feel like a super hero. I could do no wrong by him. He loved me unconditionally. For the first 6 years of Dallin's life it was me and him. UNTIL one day he went to the dump with dad, and mom didn't go....Then dad was ok.

Dallin is the jam in our sandwich. The filling in our eclair. The cream in our Oreo.=)

 He is squished between the girls. But his sisters are his biggest cheerleaders. They are at all his games, baseball, football, basketball. Abby looked over her little bubba. As well as Emma and Dallin are the worst of eniemies but the best of friends=)

Dallin's first word was "Ball." i can still here his sweet little voice saying all of his cute words..."Ish".......:meooooooow"..."My Mama". 

Dallin would not let dad anywhere near mom. If Scott would sit by me, Dallin would squeeze in between and say...move.

Dallin and I were crossing buddies. We read stacks of books from the library in the car. We loved Blue's Clues. I began the best Jedi fighter. He was my buddy.

I know that when I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW I COULD POSSIBLY LOVE ANOTHER CHILD.....Heaven sent me a little boy that showed me how.

Out of the three children, Dallin, loves to pend time with his mom and dad. There is no place he would rather be, than right by our side. It could be cooking, watching a silly show, going on an errand, he loves to be with us.

Scott and I were sitting there at 6th grade graduation and they began to announce the 6th grade boy that would receive the Kiwanis Club Hope of America Award....They announced Dallin....we were so surprised! Not becasue he hasn't excelled in the classroom, because he had. But because he was new to the school. The elementary school faculty and administration were not familiar with him or his parents. It was a wonderful accomplishment because Dallin earned this award on his own. It honored the Dallin we are raising him to be. A Scholar. A leader. A example. A good person. All on his own. We are so proud of Dallin and all he is becoming.

I pray Dallin will always remember what an incredible blessing he is to our family. His strength and dedication to all he does. We could not imagine a day without the sincere hugs from our bubba ray!

"Dallin you are my sunshine, my only sunshine! I will love you forever, I will like you for always, as long as I'm living my bubba you'll be......Are you my mother?"

I am thankful to my Heavenly Father and express gratitude daily for my Dallin=)

On the Eighth Day of Thanksgiving

On the Eighth Day of Thanksgiving my Heavenly Father gave to me...
Emma=)

Emma is our youngest, our baby, our Princess, our sister, our daughter. Emma became a meember of our family in  . In August of 2003, Scott and I were doing well. We had things running smoothly, work was good. We had 2 beautiful children. One of each. We had our home and a ward we loved. A great school. I just got my first, payed, dance teaching job and was bouncing off the walls. We had finally broke down and bought the kids a dog. It was the perfect picture.....NOT

Scott would suggest having another baby...I would say things are perfect. I can handle what we have now....Well Christmas rolled around and well needless to say after taking all precautions I began to think I may be pregnant....I went into the Dr. and YUP! 3 MONTHS!....I cried...ALOT!...I can't do this....not now....I can barley handle what I have going on....another baby! What was Heavenly Father thinking!!!!!!
Well the part of the story no one knew about other than Scott and I....Actually I was unaware there was a problem at that time too. I had been struggling with an eating disorder for the past year. I had a distorted self image of myself and battled daily to make it become what I thought would make happier....Well ....Becoming pregnant with Emma saved me. At the time I found out I was pregnant I was down to 90lbs. I had no intention of changing any eating behavior before that moment. I was on a downward spiral to one of those eating disorder case studies. I had a few months of severe depression but had a life changing experience with her pregnancy. Scott and I believe it was Emma's will that she is here. WE HAVE NO DOUBT SHE FOUGHT TO COME HERE AT THAT VERY TIME BECAUSE HER MOM NEEDED HER! She saw her moment and the rrest is history.

If you have had the opportunity to sit with Emma, you have felt the special spirit that resides in her. She has a very unique understanding of things. She understands the soul and grasps things in ways others do not. She sees what is inside. She cares deeply about the things and people she loves. She has always shown extreme care for her little animals, babies and dolls. She treats them with great love. She loves her siblings so very much! Her prayers are a spiritual experience in itself. You would swear as she gives her prayers that the heaven is in the room with you. She thinks and ponders deeply about every word she says and she means them. We love our Emma.

Emma is extremely perceptive to what needs to happen. She has blessed our home in so many ways and could not imagine my life with out her! She looks for  ONLY the joy in life. Is excited about learning all she can. So many times as a toddler she would grab my face and look at me in the eyes, as if to remind me of who I am supposed to be, "You are the best mother in the entire world, I love you"

A day does not go by that I do no thank heaven for her and the incredible spirit she is and pray to be worthy to be her mom. She is an angel sent from above to rescue me and for that among all of her amazing attributes, I am grateful, forever, to my Heavenly Father for Emma.

On the Seventh day of Thanksgiving...

On the seventh day of Thanksgiving my Heavenly Father gave to me....
Relief Society=)
I spent the better part of my day setting up, crafting, eating soup, cleaning up for our relief Society Souper Saturday. I love this organization! I love how different every sister is and but how similar we all are. As we were all busy assembling our fun projects, our individual personalities came through. You know how it works, you sign up for a craft and 15 to another sisters in your ward all have the same cute decoration...well everyone put there own twist in there project! It was awesome, because while we are ALL daughters of our Heavenly Father...WE ARE ALL UNIQUE!
 I gave a lesson in relief Society a couple months ago on "Relief Society, Something Better". Boy is it. You can not find another organization in this world that supports women in righteous desires, service, motherhood, marriage, sisterhood...ect. There are so many things, as women in this world, can be a part of. but the only thing we can be apart of in this world and not be OF the world is ...Something Better than everything else. Relief Society. I am so grateful for this Divine organization. I am grateful for the Sunday lessons that always drive me to be something better. I am so thankful my Heavenly Father for the wonderful organiztion of Relief Society!

On the Sixth day of Thanksgiving....

On the sixth day of Thanksgiving my Heavenly Father gave to me....
The Gospel=)

On of the most priceless gift I have in my life is the gift of the Gospel. I am so grateful for the knowledge, peace and understanding it gives to me daily. I have never been one to bear my testimony in an eloquent manner, you know how some people can just touch your very soul with there message, ya not me. But I feel it and I feel it to be the most true and sure thing I know. I belong to the true and everlasting gospel. I belong to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am so grateful for it....I live it ...I love it!

There is still so many ways I need to grow in the gospel, but my seed has bloomed into the start of my forever vine. The roots are planted deep within the ground. What ever I have gone through...I ALWAYS come back to my Heavenly Father...no matter how difficult the challenge...I turn to Him. In return, He has been there. I would be so lost today with out my foundation, knowing that when I become lost, I just return to the basics, that I have been taught since primary. Pray, Ponder, Read, and follow the teachings of Jesus. Then I am found.

This year was monumental for our family in the gospel. Our Dallin received the Priesthood and Princess Emma was Baptised. They were wonderful days in our home, where I felt a confirmation of the truthfullness of this gospel.

I am Thankful and forever grateful to my Heavenly Father for this Gospel.

GREAT TO BE 8!

Each one of our children's Baptism Photo's

Abby 2004, Dallin 2008, Emma 2012

On the 4th and 5th day of Thanksgiving....

I got behind a day...Wednesdays are my longest days ever.....so here we go...
On the 4th Day of Thanksgiving my Heavenly father gave to me....
Music=)
I love music. I love to listen, sing, dance to, clean to, drive to MUSIC! I love listening to Emma play it on the piano. You can ask my hubby and children what my favorite music is and they will all say...Oh my....do not drive with my mom on Saturday nights...SHE LOVES SHOW TUNE SATURDAY! Then they laugh. Many of their friends have experienced my Saturday night music and are so grate to pretend like I am not crazy.....BUT I love musicals they are so fun and expressive. I love singing the  characters...It is a blast! I am so looking forward to Les Miserables this Christmas....The music in this production is incredible and so moving......anyhow luv the notes!
I am thankful my Heavenly Father gave me music=)

On the fifth day of Thanksgiving my Heavenly Father gave to me.....
Creation=)
I love to create! This is a major part of me....I can go into a depression if too many days have gone by where my hands and mind have not created something. I used to feel guilty about it...FOR YEARS! Always having to make something new...but it having nothing to do with having something new....but the entire process of creating that something new. In General Conference of    Oct. 2008 Elder Uchtdorf. I was actually sitting at my sewing machine making an apron when he gave this talk..."Happiness, your Heritage"...the entire talk is so AWESOME and you can link to it. read it! One of my favorite parts reads, "The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you."  I believe this with all of my heart along with many of his other words.
Here is a great video....Create
With that I am grateful I have been blessed with my three greatest creations=) Abigail, Emma and Dallin! Who were created and bond to us through temple Marriage and the New and EVERLASTING Covenant!
Thank you Heavenly Father for Creation!

                                                  My Latest creation...Little Miss Owl=)

I'm glad that I live in this world....Heavenly Father created for me=)

The Third day of Thanksgiving....

I know....its almost over....BUT after a very long day.....On the Third Day of Thanksgiving my Heavenly Father gave to me.....
Teachers

I am so thankful for teachers. The teachers my children have had and have. he teachers I work with daily. The teachers of the spirit. The past couple of years I have had the awesome job of working along side some of the most amazing teachers. Every day I become more in awe of what they know, what they do , and the lives they reach. It is incredible how plainly it has been made to me that the Lord truly does bless people with gifts. The teachers who have influenced my life, have the gift of teaching.
I am sooooooo thankful for the elementary teachers of all of my children. Each one was exactly what they needed. These teachers have cared so deeply for my children, there relationships with each one will be forever. I was surprised to receive a envelope in district mail...now I get envelopes daily in district mail for classes BUT this one was different...It was from Scera Park Ele. Our former elementary school. There was a letter inside address to Dallin. It was from his 4th grade teacher Mrs. Louder. Tears welled up in my eyes as we read her sweet note. Dallin is now in 7th grade....he is still important to her. I honestly feel that because of the great love my children's teachers have for them, it has helped mold them into the people they are becoming.
I am thankful for teachers who care about the success of the student but also care about more than grades. Who take the time to stop me in the halls, send me a email, asking about my children, noticing when they are having a bad day, or celebrating a success. I am grateful that my children love their teachers. They care enough about their teachers to realize they give more than grades, they are people....so they stop by to say hi to them, visit with them.
Thank you Heavenly Father for my job, for giving me the opportunity to be fed knowledge daily. Thank you


 for teachers.

The Second Day of Thanksgiving...

On the Second Day of Thanksgiving my Heavenly Father gave to me....
COLOR=)

"If you never unleash your true colors, you will always be insecure on the path to your dreams."

"Photographs taken in color show the beauty of the people in colorful clothes and scenery...photographs taken in black and white, show the beauty of peoples souls."

" Sometimes it's important to work for the pot of gold. But other times it essential to take time off to make sure your most important decision of the day, simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow"-Douglas Pagels, 'These are the Gifts I'd like to Give You: A source book of Joy and Encouragement

I am grateful for color in my life. I am grateful for the ways it allows me to express my inner self. I love to color the walls of my home. In each room, creating a personality and feeling. My children love color. They create beautiful things using color, that I treasure. My youngest, Emma...is color...she brings to life everything she touches...just like the bright golden sun rays....Dallin is color...he is the strong colors that others are drawn to and follow to become even better....Abby is color...in her own words as a five year old when asked what color she was expressing in dance class...."I am the color Rainbow"...that she is=)....Scott is color.....purple....it covers all moods and is royal...like the king he is. As for me...I am color...Black and white...if you know me, you know that is my favorite type of photograph...I love how it shows exactly what is felt.

Thank You Heavenly Father for Color.

 What color are you going to slide down today?=)

(Mom's attempt at a rainbow cake for Emma's 8th Birthday)

 Emma created this little turtle all by herself....Out of and egg carton,card stock, glue and googly eyes...She loves to color and create=)

 Dallins drew and colored his favorite shoe=) Can you tell he is a Tiger fan=)

 Abby created these colorful little bird and puff balls=)

Some of my favorite Black and white in our home=) 

On the first day of Thanksgiving...

Okay..I know I am a dork...but yes I am doing the 12 days of Thanksgiving...SO here  a goes....
On the First day Of Thanksgiving my Heavenly Father gave to me.....
Joy!

Expanding on that for a moment. I have always loved the word Joy...it is blissful to say...it brings a smile...its genuine. Last year a Christmas, an sweet friend dropped by our home with and unexpected Christmas wish. Her family gave us a block with the word JOY on it. She explained what the word meant to them...Jesus...Others...Yourself....JOY....LOVED IT!!!!! Brought a entirely different meaning to a beautiful word. She has no idea how much that ment, her kind visit brightened my holiday so much. What I would like to show gratitude with this word today is the O....Others. I have so many others in my life who serve me daily...bring me joy daily...others who have been placed in my life over my lifetime...who I may not interact on a daily, weekly or sometimes monthly basis....but always seem to know what I need, when it is needed...these individuals live close to the spirit....these individuals do the smallest things that impact me so much. These OTHERS genuinely care about my joy. For that I am thankful. Thankful my Heavenly Father has placed them in my life.

Movin' On....

Rascal Flatts- Movin' On

....

I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness
 For once I'm at peace with myself
I'm movin' on
I've lived in this place and I know all the faces
Each one is different but they're always the same
They mean no harm but it's time that I face it
They'll never allow things to change
But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong
I'm movin' on
I'm movin' on

At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me
And I know there's no guarantee's, 
but I'm not alone
There comes a time in every one's life
When all you can see are the years passing by
And I have made up my mind that those days are gone

I'm movin' on!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

There comes a time in your life when you have to let go of the things that bring you down. That keep you from experiencing joy in life. The moment when you realize, what you thought and wanted, was simply to much to ask. You realized that when you asked and nothing changed...that was the answer. 

When you realize that all you needed to find joy in your life is to let go of the things/people who are weighing you down. 

It will be okay...It will be best....you will be better. Men are that they might have joy. I know I am loved by my Heavenly Father. I know that my sweet eternal family, Scott, Abby, Dallin, and Emma, we have joy. We go through things together...thick and thin...we do not take advantage of one another...We celebrate each others success, we cry with each others failures. We believe in each other. We understand what it means to be a forever family. There is no pretending we care for one another, we do. So today...taking that drive and moving on.....

Gratitude...

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.
- Melodie Beattie

I was remembering back to a time when Scott and I were married a couple of years. We had just bought our first car, a Mazda 626.  Abby was about 6 months old. We were feeling grateful for all of our blessings. A good job, a beautiful baby, bills were paid. We decided to go for a drive and go to dinner at our favorite little ma and pop dinner. We were enjoying our meal and noticed a cute old couple eating by us. They were watching us as much as we were watching them.  As they left they came over and said how much we reminded them of when they were young and married and starting out. The asked us to enjoy this time. I will never forget the sweet spirit that couple carried with them...genuine kindness and love...how I longed to become like them...
As we got up to pay our bill, the waitress smiled and said it had been taken care of. WHAT!?! An overwhelming amount of pure joy filled our hearts. that sweet couple had paid for our dinner. They were long gone but our thanks and gratitude will forever be remembered. 
We could have paid for our meal...but I believe that when you are feeling the love of the Lord in your life, feeling gratitude for all you have...the Lord will send Angels. Angels that will make you want to be better, want to become something more.
We have tried to pay it forward when we can. There have been many moments just like these, that have come at the most unexpected times, needed times. I am grateful for this memory and will forever be grateful for the sweet couple who paid for our little families meal. I pray to be this for someone...sometime.....

Voting....

This picture has been the screen saver on my computer for the past 2 months...Kept me motivated to register again and vote. I took this responsibility very personal this time. Whether the candidates I chose to vote for were elected or not, I wanted my one vote to be counted among those who voted. Who cared. who supported.
As the presidential count was be tallied I watched with my kids...As the night went on and Romney began to be defeated, my heart sank...I have known for months that this would be...things will get worse for us...they have been written about and revealed to us through Prophets. I am not going to pretend this doesn't totally put fear into my every fiber...It does...Obama and what he doesn't stand for scares me. He is not my president...I will pray for him and this beautiful country....but he does not represent what I believe or stand for. He does not represent  or believe in what this country was founded on. As I stood and said the pledge of allegiance this morning in class...my heart was sad. United States of America....Under God...Obama and half this Nation voted and support horrible things...We are becoming a Divided States of America and I fear soon there will be no more Under God...The immoral state that America has become, we will fall. "When the people of this nation chose a leader of unrighteous over a leader of righteousness, destruction will come." With the media and the way they tore apart our religion and misrepresented it....no matter how many times they were corrected....Our freedom of religion seems to be lost as well.
But as I have been told and taught my entire life...If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear. I will follow the Prophet, live the Gospel and do what the Lord needs me to do. I will cling onto the truths more than ever and pray we will survive the falling of our nation...because it is happening...
I am grateful I was able to cast my vote, a vote that will be listed among those who supported morals, family, fiscal responsibility, self reliance...our former freedoms.  As for our country...we will destroy ourselves.

You Find Yourself...

"Find Yourself" Brad Paisley



When you find yourself, In some far off place

And it causes you, To rethink some things


When you go through life

So sure of where you're headin'

And you wind up lost

And it's the best thing that could have happened

'Cause sometimes when you lose your way

It's really just as well

Because you find yourself

Yeah, that's when you find yourself


I really love this song...reminded me of myself ....pretty lost...but as I have tuned into the needs of what my Heavenly Father wants from me...I am finding myself. This week I made dinner 7 times for my family and ate at the dinner table, together. I kept up on laundry, homework and dishes. I made a craft or two. Work was . left at work...except for the fun stories from my AP Psych class.....hahaha. The years when my kiddos were 12 and under, my entire focus was being a mother. I loved and lived for it...I found no greater joy than being a mom and wife to my family...my Heavenly Father helped me remember... This week I smiled.......So I guess when you wind up lost...maybe it is the best thing that can happen....because I feel like myself more and more each day. A Mom to my three adorable children who tell me at least 10 times a day they love me. A wife to the most incredibly supportive and cute hubby, who tells me I am pretty, even when i'm soooo not.....I am JUST Debi...ME=)

Blessed to be a part....

As my thoughts are focusing more on gratitude and being grateful for good things...I found myself reflecting about how blessed Abby, Emma and I are to be apart of the BYU Children's Dance Program. Every afternoon is occupied for us girls between the hours of 4-7. Dancing from the heart and being filled with the amazing spirit of dance. Being able to express ourselves through this amazing art. I look at all the many activities we are involved in...this is by far the most rewarding.
The past few years with Abby's busy schedule, we have considered not continuing for her. HOW grateful I am that we pray very hard about things, things that are important to us and decisions that can not be made on the whim...I am so busy...something must go moment. THIS MUST NEVER GO!

Each year as they perform the final concert of the year in the BYU De Jong concert hall...the spirit radiates from these girls. THERE IS NOTHING that compares to it....it is like watching a testimony through dance. It is one of the rare times I still see "My ABBY" The Abby unscathed by the hurts of the world. The Abby uninfluenced by what people think. The Abby full of life, confident in herself. A free Abby. I see her spirit and it radiates her Heavenly Fathers love for her. Emma was beautiful as her class danced as angels from heaven....breath taking. I am grateful my Heavenly Father placed this program in our path. This program is pure and beautiful.....unworldly.

Another blessing is the opportunities that come from this program. Being affiliated with BYU and the church Abby has had danced with several Delegation's from China and been able to express her testimony through dance to them.

This year she will participate in Christmas Around the World at the BYU Marriot Center, with her class. I am so grateful we follow inspiration and have made the sacrifice for these experiences. One of her pieces in the spring will be about the Civil War....I just saw the beginnings of it the other day and was brought to tears.

As for my role in the program...I feel humbled and honored to be teaching my little advanced 6 year olds...giving them an experience to love dance the way I do...to see there spirits grow from a little girls version of I love to dance...to hearing their mothers say they have a passion for what you are teaching them...they do your movement all through the house...they love Miss Debi.....and I love their sweet and open spirits, so teachable, so reachable, so mold able....Once a week I experience my own piece of heaven. I pray one day they will remember me ...Like I remember my Miss Morgan, Miss Janeen and Miss Debbie=) May the soles of your feet reach beyond the stars!

This is Abby's 13th year in  the program and will graduate from it when she graduates next year:,(. This is mine and Emma's 7th year.
This program is a tender Mercie in my life. I know the Lord provided the way for it to unfold. It has been a journey that started 20 years ago and would never imagined it would be such an intricate and  important part of our lives.

I am Blessed by this program and I hope...if you can...you will be touched one day by it too.


Abby and I...performing our dance JUST US @ BYU!  2007=)
 My Favorite Halloween Ever!!!!!

 Abby and KJ  at Sadie Hawkins 2012

Abby and Garret at Homecoming 2012

 Dallin recieving the Hope of America Award

Emma's Baptism....AWESOME!!!! 

Dallins last at bat before he broke his elbow=( ALL BETTER NOW 

Sadies group

 Emma and Hannah Best Miss and Little Miss Orem....Hannah played a piece for Emma's Baptism ....made it the perfect day=)

 Dallin and his goofy parents at 6th Grade Graduation

And last but not least...ONE GIANT MOUNTAIN FOR ABBY!!!! ALL BETTER threw her backhandspring tuck this week...mental block gone!!!!! WAHOOO!!!!!!!!