On The Road Again

It's official! Our house is up for sale. The reality of our family moving back to Utah is here. Our real estate agent put the sign in our yard last night. So if you know of anyone that wants to move to Hutto, send them our way!

Have you ever wondered.....?

I have often wondered what goes on in a child's mind. What do they think about? I love to just watch them as they go through their day. Lindsey, my 4 year old, is just full of life. She says the funniest things. Steve and I were in the kitchen tonight talking with my mom and brother. We were discussing the way Texans talk by saying ya'll and all ya'll. Steve went in our bathroom to check on Lindsey who was supposed to be brushing her teeth. Steve entered the bathroom and asked, "How ya'll doin' in here?'

Lindsey replied, "I'm Farmer Elka and I'm from Texas." (She was of course using her best Texas drawl!)

Steve responded with a chuckle and an okay (probably followed by a "whatever")

Steve asked, "Are you brushin' your teeth, Farmer Elka?"

Lindsey replied, "Why, I don't really brush my teeth, but I'll give 'er a try?"

You have to imagine and hear this conversation with Lindsey using her best Texas drawl....She was also wearing her cowboy boots at the time and had been line dancing in the kitchen a few minutes before!

Oh to be 4 years old, without a care in the world!

Joke...

I know most of you have probably heard this joke at some point in your life but it is always good for a laugh.


President Hinckley was returning to Salt Lake City from a trip to South America, so President Monson sends a limo to the airport to bring him home. After getting all of President Hinckley's luggage loaded into the limousine, the chauffeur notices that the Prophet is still standing on the curb.

Chauffeur:"Excuse me, President, would you please take your seat now so we can leave?"

"Well, to tell you the truth," says President Hinckley, "they never let me drive since I became the prophet, and I'd really like to drive today."

Chauffeur: "I'm sorry, President, but I cannot let you do that. I'd lose my job, and what if something should happen?" protests the driver, wishing he'd never gone to work that morning.

"Who's going to tell?" says President Hinckley with a smile. Reluctantly, the chauffeur gets in the back as President Hinckley climbs in behind the wheel. The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the prophet floors it, accelerating to 105 mph.

Chauffeur: "Please slow down, President!" President Hinckley keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens.

Chauffeur: "Oh, dear, I'm going to lose my license--and my job!"

President Hinckley pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio.

Cop: "I need to talk to the Chief," he says to the dispatcher.

The Chief gets on and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going 105.

"So bust him," says the Chief.

Cop: "I don't think we want to do that, he's really important."

Chief: "All the more reason!"

Cop: "No, I mean really important."

The Chief then asked, "Who do you have there, the mayor?"

Cop: "Bigger."
Chief: "A senator?"
Cop: "Bigger.
Chief: "President Bush?"
Cop: "Bigger."
"Well," said the Chief, "who is it?"
Cop: "I think it's God!"

The Chief is even more puzzled and curious, "What makes you think it's God?"

Cop: "His chauffeur is President Hinckley."

Braeden earns Wolf Badge in Cub Scouts

Braeden earned his Wolf Badge in Cub Scouts at our last Pack Meeting. He has only been in cub scouts since last August. He LOVES scouts. He LOVES to earn the awards. I'm so proud of him for all of his hard work.

Pack Meeting

This is Steve at our last Pack Meeting. He was performing a little skit for the awards ceremony. He is such a good sport. Even if he is holding a mop handle...it is suppose to be a walking stick.

Sam turns the BIG 17

Sam turned 17 on the 26th of January. We got him a suit. Didn't know what he would think about getting that for his birthday. I think he liked it though.

Of course, no birthday is complete without Legos! (Steve's rule)

To make Sam's birthday a little more interesting Steve duct taped one of his presents underneath the kitchen table.

And just to make it even a little more interesting he put one of his presents inside this balloon.

Sam's never been one for cake. He doesn't like it. So he always asks for a birthday pie. I don't know why but this year seems to be a year of reflection for me. As I post these pictures of my kids I think back to when they were little. I remember the first time we met Sam. He was about a week shy of his 5th birthday. He had a bit of an articulation problem with his speech. He talked so fast and didn't articulate very well. I swore that kid was speaking Japanese! Sometimes I still have to remind him to take a breath and slow down! I remember telling him that he was going to come live at our house. He replied, "Do you have Halloween at your house?" I guess he had a neighbor that didn't celebrate Halloween and he was worried! We assured him that we "had Halloween" at our house. He was fine after that...

T-R-O-U-B-L-E in training...

This was a recent Saturday morning. One of Braeden's Saturday chores is to clean the half bath downstairs. Lindsey's chores include cleaning the mirrors in the house. I usually help her but Braeden decided to be the BIG brother and teach her his secret to cleaning the mirror. Too cute for mom's camera to pass up. What a good "big brother!"

A Message from my friends: Brandt & Shannon, Hoping to Adopt

Hi Everyone

Below is a message from some friends of mine. They are such a great family. They are hoping to adopt another child. Please read their message and send it to anyone you know! Thanks.

Dear Family and Friends (and family & friends of family & friends),

Our family was blessed with a miracle in 2007 when Carston joined our family through adoption. We greatly appreciate the love and support you gave us at that time. As most of you know, we have started and finished the paperwork for another adoption. Now, we are just waiting to be picked. We are again asking for your prayers and assistance. Our chances of adopting increase with exposure. With all the ways of networking and communication that are available through the internet, we are asking for your help to let others know about us. Our hope is that someone might know someone (etc…) who is dealing with an unexpected pregnancy and thinking about adoption. LDS Family Services is getting ready to launch a great new website that has great resources for birth parents and adoptive parents alike. I have included the link in this email. Our new profile is also listed on this website.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

• Forward this email to everyone in your address book.
• If you have a blog (Blogger, Typepad, Facebook, Myspace, ect.) copy and paste this email to a post.
  
• Link our Internet profiles on your blog accounts:
  https://beta.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/6397755/ourMessage.jsf
  
• Bookmark our online profile for future reference.
  
• If you know of a woman who is thinking about placing her baby for adoption, or doesn't quite know what to do, please give her our web address.
• You can also direct her to the LDS Family Services website: https://beta.itsaboutlove.org/ial/ct/eng/site/pregnant/ The website offers great information about all her options, about getting in contact with a counselor, and experiences of other women.
  

We have grown to love adoption and it has become a huge part of our lives. We know we might not be the only couple you know that is adopting. However, we appreciate you help in our behalf and would encourage you to be pro-active for other couples you might know. We are always willing to talk about our adoption and give you more information. Please, feel free to ask at anytime. You or the potential birth parents may contact us or our caseworker Bradley Forsgren at LDS Family Services (210-731-8426) to request more information. Thank you in advance for all your help as well as your love and support.

With Love,
Brandt, Shannon and Carston
brandt.shannon@gmail.com