Christmas Spirit

So last Christmas I had a really hard time getting into the Christmas Spirit. Call me Scrooge if you wish, I would not mind because I know it is true. But, this year we started it all out on the right foot. Tonight, Brandon and I went to the First Presidency Devotional with some cute girls from my family. Brandon is such a good sport to escort 5 ladies downtown. If you have never been to an event at the conference center you must go. It is a beautiful building and the spirit there is unforgettable. But, tonights event was different. I have often contemplated what it would be like to be in the First Presidency. What a big job that would be. It is amazing as soon as the Presidency enters the room the visitors go silent and come to their feet. It got chills. How their words touched me this evening. The music, oh the music was beautiful. I remember when I was younger making fun of my Mom for making us listen to the MoTabs but tonight they were breathtaking. But, the thing that sticks out most in my mind is this quote "The most precious things are only seen with the heart." I have often loved things that I have seen with my eyes. How beautiful they are to the sight and then with time they become less important and I no longer desire to see them with my eyes. You can not see love you can not touch it. Although, your heart knows it is precious, recognizes it and encourages the rest of your emotions to follow. How amazing it is to have the ability to love others and to feel of their love in return. It is one of the things my heart sees and knows is precious. How blessed I am to be surrounded by such amazing people who I know are precious. Especially during this Christmas season I am so blessed.

Late night... Cute Baby!!

So again I am awake and my dear SWEET husband is having a snoring competition with the neighbor on who can annoy their wife more. Brandon is in first place as far as I am concerned, possibly may have even broken a world record. Anyhow, I was doing some blog stalking. Yes I admit it I AM A BLOG STALKER!! I don't know if there is a support group or anything but, if so I think I should possibly join. Although, then I think that I would have to outwardly admit it, saying it out loud to a group, so then again maybe not.

Anyways, I was peeking at my little sisters blog. Have you seen their cute new addition? He looks so much like my Dad, the chubby cheeks and the simple look on his face that almost screams I know something that you want to know. They have such cute babies! So, a belated congrats to them and I can tell already that the Turner's are going to be the favorite! Love you kids.

Anxious about tomorrow....

I have been thinkng a lot about life lately. Tomorrow marks the one year mark since my sweet Dad's accident. It seems to have been more than that, interesting how quickly life changes and then you find yourself wondering what happened? How did it happen and most importantly why? The last year has been one of many hard realities to face. Something that I would not wish on my worst enemy or my dearest friend.

I remember as Brandon and I were driving home from the hospital the first night he was there. I was a total wreck and I had a list of things that I wanted to accomplish that suddenly took a front seat to those things that I had thought were more important even the day before. That night as we crawled into bed, I feared what the next few days would bring. I prayed that the Lord would bless my family to make sense of the coming days and be inspired on the best way to support my parents.

Since that time, I have spend countless hours pondering about what happened within the walls of that hospital. How much my life changed, how much I loved my family and how grateful I was to have an eternal family. The moments spent there are ones that will never escape my mind. The times we prayed, pleaded and bonded as a family. All at the feet of our Dad doing his "favorite" thing listening and keeping watch of his girls. I know he does not linger far from us even now, still listening and keeping watch.

How amazing it is to be loved by such and amazing set of parents. I have been blessed beyond my comprehension. Dad and Mom thank you so much for loving me.

Cute Hubby

I just found this picture of us when we were sealed. How stinkin' cute is my husband? I decided I would post it at the top of our blog because it was such a special day and I always want to remember it. Plus, Brandon is such a hottie in this picture.

Two amazing things happened today. My lap band was too tight and I have been feeling crappy for like 4 days now. I went and got it unfilled a little bit. I feel amazing. Brand is so sweet he made me Mac and Cheese for dinner because we are on the mushy food diet for a few days. Then Brand and I spent the evening watching Chick Flicks. He watched Failure to Launch, if you have not seen it YOU MUST! It is so funny. I love it when he will humor me and watch somewhat cheesy and corny shows with me. He is so great.

I am also very excited about our soon to be here nephew "Baby D" that will be making his grand entrance next week. I know that he is coming right from the presence of my sweet Dad and that could bring pretty much anyone to tears. I hope that he has a similar spirit of my Dad. Hang in there La La he will be here soon and seeings how you are Mom and Dad's favorite and they are coming to see you soon we all have a lot of work to do here while she is gone to get back on the list. I love you and we will be planning an adventure your way here soon.

c A m P i N g and a little SUN!

Getting Ready

Pucker UP BABY!

This weekend Brandon and I went camping with our super fun friends the Barnes'. We had a total blast. I not being one for camping was a little hesitant about this adventure but, hey I can do anything once right?!? So off we went to Fish Lake. Who would have thought that so much gear was involved when you are just going to spend 2 nights. We looked like the Griswold's going down the road. We had stuff strapped to the top and were packed to the brim on the inside. Once we arrived the boys quickly set up camp and we got the fishing underway. Brandon really enjoying fishing and making jokes with Wood. While Connie and I thought up a bunch of silly games to play while in nature with the kids. Did you know it takes about 10 minutes for a 5 year old to fill an empty Pringles can with leaves. One from each tree that we were by. I know you are thinking we are so creative. As you can see fishing was a success. Brand caught a bunch of fish but he let all the little ones go. It was fun to see his face when his line would get a tug. OH THE EXCITEMENT!

All in all we had a great time fishing and camping but, by day 3 I was DONE! I remember as a child going camping with my family in Lake Powell. After the 1st night my Dad said he would spend the day in the channel trying to find someone to wanted to sale their houseboat because we were not going to spend another night in that tent. So I think this is where I found my true love for camping. Brandon asked me on the first day if I had ever been camping before (I suppose I was doing something "un-camp" like I am not sure) and I shot right back "Yeah I have... it was in a Motorhome!" I love him for being so patient with me. He is such a great man!

On DAY 3 we cleaned up camp and headed to St. George. I must have been at my wits end because about 30 miles outside Cedar I had a complete melt down freak OUT. There was lot of laughing and some crying, maybe I am not made to be in the car for that long. Who knows?!? About 10 miles outside of Cedar the fishing poles broke free from the strap on the top and began to thump against the top of the car this was more than My SWEET and EXTREMELY PATIENT friend Connie could take. She said if we didn't stop the car she was going to KILL herself in 5 minutes! We were a mess but, we made it alive. I am sure that our husbands wanted to leave us in Cedar to chill out but, they let us accompany them for the rest of the trip.

We had a great rest of the trip just relaxing and having fun. We love the Barnes family. Thank you for putting up with us and most especially me. I love you guys. Until our next adventure!!

Old Friends

Tonight Riz and I went to Cold Stone for a little treat and ran into some of my old friends from Hillcrest. They were visiting from San Fransisco and we sat down and chatted it up for a while with them. Talking about all the different grown up stuff and a few memories from high school. Good times, you made my day. You know who you are. Oh, yeah and i took some pics of the pooch\, enjoy.

Chillin' at home

After 5 solid days of confinement we are feeling better.Who would of thought that one of us would get the swine flu? My sweet husband being the joker that he is text me and said that they were going to test him just in case. I was sure he was just being funny, he likes to tease me because honestly I believe anything! Then when he texted me again and said he had it I called him right back. I was positve he would be laughing his head off when he picked up the phone. NOT THE CASE! But, I was sure when it all began that Brandon and I were going to make each other crazy but, it was not bad at all. I think it was my once daily trip to the Redbox that helped us make it through. So if any of you have any questions about a good movie to rent you just let us know... We have seen a lot of movies this week. Redbox is the greatest invention and whoever did it is probably laughing all the way to the bank. Brandon is feeling much better which translates in my language to WE CAN LEAVE THE HOUSE!

Thank you to all of you who updated your blogs for me to read while we were in isolation.
I LOVE you much.

DAY 3 OF CAPTIVITY

So, I've been in bed with the flu for since Monday night. Yesterday, when I still hadn't gotten better, I decided to go see the doctor and was informed that I have the swine flu. Not only that, but I am not to leave the house until Monday. Today I started to feel a little better though. So, I guess I'm over the hump and getting better. So, far Riz hasn't shown any signs of being sick so hopefully she's in the clear. But were being very cautious to try and avoid getting her sick too.

It is not for people like us..

Last night I went to the movie with some of my clients. Boy, I did not know what I was getting into when I agreed I would go to the Disney movie UP! I thought it would be a mindless movie about floating houses and a cute little boy who met and old man and they had many adventures together. But, it was the deeper meaning that made me cry more than once during the movie.

A brief summary of the movie, a couple gets married and the wife dreams of going to Paradise Falls and build a house there and live forever. She logs all of her adventures in a book much like a scrapbook all leading up the promise that one day she and her husband will move to Paradise Falls. Simple enough you would think. But, then the wife passes away (first big cry baby moment!) and the husband decided to continue on their adventure and float their house there with a million beautiful balloons. A whole box of Kleenex could not have saved me at this point. The husband gets there after many trials and I swear the most darling little boy in tow. (Sorry if I just ruined it for all of you!) Once he had arrived, he was reviewing their Adventure book and he saw that she had logged her biggest adventures of being special moments between the two of them. Not moving to Paradise Falls.

I left the movie feeling like I had just seen the same devotion that my parents have to eachother made up by cartoon characters. It was beautiful. The love that the characters had for one another is the same love that I have seen my parents share for years. Although, we may not be able to physically see them both at the same time you can feel of their love for eachother as my mom carries on with their BIG ADVENTURE!

I called my mom right away and told her that if any of the sisters' tried to get her to go to that movie that answer was NO a thousand times NO! I told her that movies like that are "not for people like us" I love you MOM!

We did it!

It finally happened. I have been meaning to update our blog and tell the whole world that......... we finally did it. We were sealed in the beautiful Draper temple May 29th! It was a beautiful day full of family and so many blessings. I am so thankful for my wonderful Husband for taking me there for us to be sealed for time and all eternity. I LOVE YOU Honey!

I am so humbled by the experiences we had in the temple. It almost felt like if I were to close my eyes I could see my dad sitting there smiling excited about what that day meant for our family. We truly can be an eternal family. In looking at the past few months and the trials that have been placed on our path. Nothing gives me greater comfort than to know that I have a family that truly can be together forever and we will see those who have passed on before us again.

Thank you to all of you who joined us on our special day including those who could not been seen although, we felt your presence. Thank you for your endless love and example you have been in our lives. Also, Dad thank you for being my most important witness! I love you and miss you so much!

Not my favorite...

So, I decided that the office needed a new coat of paint. The brown that it had previously been painted just needed to go. Red, well everybody seems to have red, a red accent wall, or even a whole room that's red. No, offense to those people, because for a BYU fan i get a lot of flack for my favorite color being red. But I'll keep the new color under wraps till I'm done and can post some pics. I'm waiting for the room to dry so I can paint a second coat, and I'm bored. So, I thought I'd put a new post. Pics to come....

Are YOU kidding me?

So today was an eventful Sunday. It snowed 4+ inches while we were in church! Yes it is March 29, and we got snow. Not just a little bit of snow but, A LOT of snow. I was thinking about it and I have decided that I am SICK SICK SICK of winter. I am totally jealous of Lindsie and Jake who probably ate Sunday dinner on their back porch today in shorts and T-shirts. We will come back and see you guys again real soon. LOVE YOU GUYS!!

This weekend has been one full of exciting events besides the SNOW ( which did I mention I HATE!) I had the opportunity to watch our beautiful, smart and charming niece Samantha participate in the Swiss Miss contest. She did an amazing job and she is so darling! I have decided that if it were me and I had to sing in front of a large group I would more than likely throw up and then cry. She is so brave and I admire her for her courage. She is a great oldest cousin!

I am so grateful for all of our little nieces and nephews who have been bringing us through the last few months. I admire their simplicity and zest for life. You have all made my life so sweet. I love all you very much!! Although, today I am so very proud that Samantha Lynn is my niece.
I LOVE YOU SAMI!!!

Whew, we're back.

Oh, my gosh, I can't believe I got in to all that before I wished my beautiful wife Mariessa Happy 21st Birthday!!! OK, so she's not 21 but she's young at heart. I LOVE YOU!

What a day

We had a funeral to attend up in Heber for Mariessa's Aunt Sandra yesterday. They said she loved the snow, and it was out in full force. Some of Sandra's grandchildren were in town staying with Riz's mom and couldn't go home because of the snow. Interesting group to say the least. But I have to congratulate the Kohler Women on a job well done. I first saw them in action when Sandra's husband Bud passed away a few years ago and Mark and Rae Lynne were on a cruise. The daughters dazzled us all then with their planning and on-the-fly prowess, with not only planning accommodations and for for those coming to town, but also the family dinner and an impromptu flooding disaster clean up.
This event was no different. Although, with the Luke's in Peoria we did miss their experience and expertise, got to shout out to my peeps. Riz and I weren't able to be there until the event got underway because of work so it was all up to Rae Lynne, Ang, and Kourt, and families of course. But when we arrived everything was in order and moving smoothly. We just helped get the last of things arranged for the family dinner while people were at the graveside service and the show began..... To Be Continued, I only got two hours of sleep last night and I need a nap.

Ahhhh, the end of another weekend.

Well, it's official. The another weekend in '09 is over. Not that I have much to complain about with how much we've been out of town lately. It was nice to go to our own ward though. One week away and I already miss it. They're just such a great ward we're making so many friends and enjoying the gospel more that we have in at least a very long time. And who could forget the lovable, and if you ask most people completely annoying, pooch of ours Duke. I do miss the kid when we're gone for three or four days at a time. Oh, and I changed our background again in preparation for this weekend in St. George.

Home again, home again...

Whew, wow, trips are fun. This was a dooesy. But there's always that feeling when you walk through the door when you get home that feels so good. I've been told that's because I'm a hermit and I don't like to leave the comforts of my house that I'm so accustom to, but I'm not so sure... Well, OK, maybe. I know I missed Duke. That little guy just has a way of making me feel better, even when I think my mood can't get any better. Trips and vacations are great time away, but, home will always be the place I want to be. On the way home today I got to stop at the dentist, my brother in law Dave, and get a filling fixed that I've needed done forever but seem to always find something else to do instead. Not that I hate the dentist, he's fast and about as painless as I've ever experienced. Not to mention the jokes, as if I don't already have a hard enough time keeping my mouth open he usually has me chuckling the whole time. But I can stop carrying around a pocket full of toothpicks and stick with brushing like crazy and flossing more. But, enough about my dental hygiene. We're home for a week or so and then off on the road again to St. George with some friends. So work hard while we're home then drive like a bat out of hell to warmer weather and play some golf. But Mariessa probably thinks I'm just rambling on and on about nothing and need to go to bed so I'm off. Later.

OK, I know another post today. I guess I've got the bug. What's that saying about bloggers...
Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few. I'm pretty sure I typify that saying. But, whatever, it's late, I'm on vacation and I'm feeling pretty good about it. It's nice to spend time with the family that we are blessed to have in Utah, but to be able to come down and spend time with the Luke's and Nana, and see some of the Turner family that we don't get to see very often, or at least often enough has been great.

So, this is the new suit that I found when we were moving Abner. the jacket fit like a glove. But unfortunately the whole suit ended up on the truck that went to Goodwill.

Spring Training

The Mariners and the Padres have spring training down here in Peoria and we wanted to catch a game. Luckily we got to take Paden with us, he was such a treat. We found him a hat that fit him a little better, the old one was way too small. It was a lot like being at a Bees game back home, but the stadium was actually smaller. It was pretty cool too because we sat right on the first base line and they were playing the Brewers. So we got a close up look at Prince Fielder, Dad I know you're jealous. I'm finally attaching some pictures, most of them are going to be of us at the baseball game, but they'll have to do for now.

The Blogging Continues....

So today was Stake Conference in the Lukes stake. I enjoy the talks but I must have and attention span problem. Mom, don't roll your eyes. Two hours and I'm just ready to run in circles till I pass out. Which makes it so nice to have Paden around, the kid is a constant sugar rush. I love it, by the time bedtime comes I'm out before my head even hits the pillow. And the weather!! Oh the weather, i love wearing shorts and sandals. Although my legs haven't seen the light of day all winter, which makes for an interesting sight I've been told. Oh, yeah, Mariessa's camera has a dead battery so pictures will be slow coming. Sorry.

Well, we made it!! We stopped in St. George to pick up some things. Which was lucky 'cause I missed the exit to 95, so we could turn around or just go through St. George. Grabbed some lunch at In 'n Out Burger, mmmmmmmm..... and were back on the trail. Vegas was uneventful, if you count me choosing to get off the Speedway exit considering there's a NASCAR race on Sunday, LOL. Over the Hoover Dam, and a short nap for me later and whoa!! We're there!! But, we are off to the park I think so we'll take some pictures. Oh yeah, I've got shorts and sandals on and I'm still too warm. Just thought I'd rub that in Utah. Love you all.

Our "kid" Duke, on the left, and Zoe cuddling

So it begins....

OK, so....Mariessa has wanted a blog for a while I guess to be part of the in crowd with all you cool people. I forbade it at first, I thought we we're too boring to waste everyone's time reading about our dull lives. But we've had some requests for a blog so people can keep up with our travels and the most current info on us getting sealed in the temple, July 6th people, that I finally caved and figured I should write the first entry. One day we hope to have this up to par with the likes of the Lukes, the Powells, the Princes and the Jepsons. Love ya all. So we're at Mariessa's parents house getting ready to make the great treck to see Jake, Lindsie, Kylie, and "The Dude". I promise pictures will be added frequently, especially during this trip. I'll probably let Riz take the reigns from here on out but I'll check in every now and again. Much Love...Brandon, Mariessa, and the Dukebator.