PimaCountyFair

Today, we went to the PimaCountyFair.  The reason I write it all as one word is because that's exactly how Sariah says it!  As if it's all one continuous word, and it's pretty stinking cute.

The highlight of the fair?  A larger-than-life snow cone.

And then Sariah and I took a trip on the Ferris Wheel.  When I asked her what it felt like to be up that high, she said, "It's tickling my sides and I feel like a golden eagle soaring in the sky to catch food for her babies."  (I didn't even know she knew what a golden eagle was, let alone it caught food for her babies!)

And then Sariah went on the miggy-go-round (merry go round), and loved every minute of that, too!

Where are the pictures of James on the rides, you ask?  Well James is a little....how should I say this delicately....a very cautious little boy.  He wouldn't go near anything except a small choo choo train.  Don't worry sweet son - there's always next year.

I have many memories of the fair - corn dogs that were a foot long, funnel cakes, huge cows, handsome cowboys, and being there with my friends.  Now that I'm a parent, my first thought is "My parents were CRAZY to let us go there all by ourselves when we were teenagers!"  I guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.

Brides Galore

On Sunday, I gave the lesson in Relief Society which was on the blessings of the temple for both us and our ancestors.  In the lesson, it posed the question of how we can prepare our children and youth for the temple?  How can we foster an importance of the temple?  How can we get them to look forward to the temple?  Be excited about it?  Want to live worthily so they can enter and receive the blessings?  I shared an experience that I had with the kids about visiting the temple a few months back, and I realized that I never blogged about it.

One afternoon, our whole little family was at the temple, including Courtney's little one Makenzie.  It was prime bride season!  Brides were coming out of the doors quicker than we could count, and Sariah and Makenzie couldn't get enough.  She sat (and she doesn't sit!!!) on the bench just outside the front doors for a good 30 minutes while we watched brides come out.  She was fascinated.  She was mesmerized.  She was dreaming about the day she would be a bride.

 Once her attention was lost, we started walking around the temple grounds.  I talked about the day I married my sweet bacon bringer, about how much I loved him, and how happy I was that we were married in the temple.  I told her all about the bride's room, how my locker had my own name on it, and how almost our whole family was inside to watch us get married. 

As we walked, we held hands.  And then Sariah stopped dead in her tracks.  15 feet in front of her was a bride, getting her pictures taken.  Sariah's jaw hung open as she watched this beautiful young woman having her dress fluffed, her hair primped, and her husband of 10 minutes kissed her.

(Doesn't Makenzie have the cutest bum?!) This sweet bride then called Sariah and Makenzie over, fluffed out her dress, and invited the girls to sit down with her.  They asked her all kinds of questions!  But what I will never forget is the glow on this bride's face as she described how lucky she was to have a temple to get married in, how much she loved her new husband, and how she couldn't wait for these two girls to get married in the temple.

  

I can talk all I want about the temple - what an honor it is to go, etc.  But nothing will ever compare to that experience for my future bride.  A real life bride, in Sariah's eyes, was one of the most wonderful things that could have happened.  I want to do this often as a family - visit the temple, watch brides come out, and have it be a very active part of our lives.  There is a special spirit that exists on the temple grounds of peace, hope, and assurance.

As we found more brides, Jared and James were busy in the visitor's center.  We met up with them, and went to see the kids' favorite part - the Christus statue.  They remembered it from when we went to visit the temple lights with Grandma and Grandfather Franklin just after Christmas, and they couldn't wait to see it again!

 I love how James is reaching up, and his belly is totally showing!  He had a growth spurt, and all of his clothes became too short within about a week.  

As I have these experiences with my love and my two children, I am overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude for a loving Heavenly Father.  For His plan.  For His son.  For His temples.  For His purposes.  We shared many tender moments together that day, my daughter and I.

Men and Their Boots

There's a bond between a man and his boots.
Especially boots that are falling apart, are too big, and have been passed down in the family. They have seen many hours of imagination, tests of manhood, and even comfort during a nap.
When this man wears his boots, he steals many hearts...especially when wearing dinosaur pajamas.

Cowboy up.

Operation MustStayAwake: Failed

11am-2pm church. Parents love it. My toddler? Not so much. He misses his naps on Sundays, and he has a hard time making it through the afternoon. Most of the time, around 4pm, his eyelids start to weigh more than he does, his head nods to one side or the other, and he starts to drift off. I call this Operation MustStayAwake.

This particular day, he snuggled up on the floor with his blankies and started to watch an episode of "Super Why" on the computer (thank you Netflix streaming!). You can see what happened. He gave in.

Operation MustStayAwake not accomplished. Mission failed. Toddler snuck in a catnap.

Best Frenemies

These two girls are a hoot. They love each other. They can't stand each other. But the better days are starting to outnumber the hard days.

If they end up not having any sisters, they will become each other's sister. But better actually, because they don't have to live together!
This fall, Sariah will go into kindergarten and Emerson will go into full time preschool. I think they will have some withdrawals without each other all day, 4 days a week. I see lots of sleepovers and girls weekends in our future!

Cheap Entertainment

Blue paint tape, a tile floor, and trucks.

A city was created.

Entertainment for DAYS.

'Nuff said.

Evidence

Me: James! Did you put your face in that pie?!

James: Nope.

Thankful for Daddy

In today's world, girls seek affection in the wrong places. They're driven by the thought of being attractive to boys, and their self esteem depends on the size of their clothes. Girls that become teenage mothers, and lead a life different than they dreamed of when they were little usually have one thing in common - no father figure.

So when I find Jared and Sariah reading together, snuggling, loving, and being tender - I say a silent prayer of thanks. Thanks for this amazing man in my life. Thanks that Sariah has someone to help guide her in the right direction. Thanks that they are building memories and relationships. But most of all - thanks that Sariah has the ultimate example of what a loving husband and father is.