A splendid weekend indeed.

Our splendid weekend was full of

frosties and fries,

lots more paper snowflakes,

homemade BBQ chicken pizza,

a very short game of Scrabble by Christmas tree light,

plenty of tub time for Little B,

making delish chicken tortilla soup,

Brooks-sandwich-kisses,

preparing for another wind storm that luckily wasn't as bad as forecasted,

at-home pedicure by yours truly,

brownies a la'mode,

the most charming stockings were purchased,

and drumroll please...........

we finished decorating the tree!! haha :)

Brooks loved "hanging" the ornaments on the branches with Mom, and playing wrapping-paper-sword-fights with Dad.

Basically we consumed food in our PJ's the whole weekend. Mhmm :)

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Spiritual Health:

Read Alma 61-63 and Helaman 1-2

Physical Health:

Going to the gym after Brooks wakes up from his nap...the stairmaster and treadmill can bring it.

Thanksgiving in Spokane

We spent this Thanksgiving with some of my family in Spokane, Washington.

My sister Natalie and her husband Duane were such great hosts! Ten adults and eight kids filled their home for the Holiday weekend :) Adam, Brooks, and I...my Mom, Dad, and two sisters, Corrie and Celeste...and my brother and his wife, Nate and Jamie, with their little boy Wesley...all joined Natalie and Duane and their six sweet kidlets Amanda, Ryan, Adam, Aaron, Jason, and Amber. It made for a full house, and lots of fun memories! We all enjoyed a relaxing weekend full of:

piano music

card games and hot cocoa

time with Grandma and Grandpa

playing outside

lively debates

the kids making a fantastic fruit turkey

enjoying a DELICIOUS Thanksgiving feast

pies galore...the homemade cheesecakes (chocolate & blueberry) were my favorite

cozy naps

reading a sweet list of what Natalie's kids are grateful for :)

kickball at the park

cinnamon rolls with Grandma

Nerf wars at the gym of the church

turkey sandwich leftovers

wrestling

kissing on baby Wesley!

While it was so wonderful to come home sweet home, we miss all of them already!

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Spiritual Health:

Read Alma 31-35

"And behold, as the tree beginneth to grow, ye will say: Let us nourish it with great care, that it may get root, that it may grow up, and bring forth fruit unto us. And now behold if ye nourish it with much care it will get root, and grow up and bring forth fruit.

"But if ye neglect the tree, and take no thought for its nourishment, behold it will not get any root; and when the heat of the sun cometh and scorcheth it, because it hath no root it withers away, and ye pluck it up and cast it out.

"But if ye will nourish the word, yea, the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life."

-- Alma 32:37-38, 41

Those verses were Alma's beautiful teachings of faith...but I also applied it to my marriage. If Adam and I plant our roots deep in the Gospel and constantly nourish them with love, patience, forgiveness, faith, compassion...we will grow together with the Lord. And when the storms and dreadfully hot sun comes in life, we'll stay strong and continue to grow individually and together :)

Physical Health:

Yesterday's workout on the elliptical at home kicked my toosh...today is a day of rest :)

Indian takeout at McDonald's

When you want to get out of the house with your boys...

and you're craving lamb coconut kurma...

and you know your little boy is going to be too wiggly to sit down at the restaurant that serves that lamb coconut kurma...

there's only one think to do.

Okay, two...

Get Indian takeout and enjoy it at McDonald's.

Adam and I agreed it was a very, very good decision :)

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Spiritual Health:

Read Mosiah 10-14

Physical Health:

Yoga at home. Namaste :)

fantastic pho

Last night for family night we went out for some delicious Vietnamese.

Pho Green Papaya was good to us. Brooks couldn't get enough pho soup...most of it landed in his mouth, but plenty landed on our booth's seats too ;)

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Spirtual Health:

Read 2 Nephi 4-8

"Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation." -- 2 Nephi 4:30

Physical Health:

Burning Body Workout (the name explains itself;)

Happy Weekend

The weather man says today is supposed to be wet (which the heart of this NW girl loves)...but lets hope it dries out by tomorrow for my boy's sake :)

We went to our beloved Castle Park again early this weekend with our new neighbors...it was chilly and windy, a perfect fall day. Let's hope we get another one tomorrow...I'll bring hot cocoa to warm us up so we can play even longer :)

HAPPY WEEKEND!!

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Spiritual Health:

October 2011 ~ Visiting Teaching Message: "If We Do Not Doubt" by Julie B. Beck

"Challenging times cry out for strong parents and examples who teach the truth that Helaman’s warriors knew: 'If they did not doubt, God would deliver them' (Alma 56:47). Teaching and exemplifying this truth today requires vigilance. However, we need not fear. When we know who we are and who God is and we have made covenants with Him, we—like these mothers of warriors—will have great influence for good."

Castle Park

This past Saturday, Adam had the day off...which is rare...and it was wonderful!! That afternoon we decided to skip out on yard work and instead go to the castle park. There are only so many days of warm, summer-ish weather and we want to take advantage of them. And it definitely felt like summer...20 minutes into it I was wishing there was a pool near by! Ha! The heat didn't get to our little man though :) Brooks loved every minute of exploring the fantastic playground, being brave and going down the slides, swinging with Daddy, and running his little heart out in the grass. He and I loved having Adam at the park with us...and I just love seeing my two boys play together. It was also fun watching Little B experience this playground much differently than the last time we were there, six months ago for his one-year photo shoot :) It was a good day...a very good day.

{ all photos were taken with Adam's iphone...and turned into polaroids using the "ShakeIt" app }

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Spiritual Health:

Read Matthew 25

This chapter is full of beautiful parables that teach such vital doctrine and lessons. My to favorite verses:

21. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.