Clement

Mya Learns To Blog For Momma

2012-01-28T19:00:00.001-07:00

Since I have been really, REALLY slacking about blogging I have recruited a secretary to do it for me. She writes it all down and I just post it all. She does a pretty good job at ........ well, holding the pen for a one-year-old (that is how she grabbed it I did not help her at all) and making some pretty cute faces. Brian brought home this little table from work. She loves to sit at it and hang out. I handed her a pen and a notebook to see what she would do one day and she knew that the pen writes on the paper. I think I might just have a genius on my hands.

Camping With Pops

2012-01-28T18:55:00.002-07:00

While Grandma was out of town Pops decided to go out to Saguaro Lake. Brian felt like he needed to join in the fun. Since I was working Friday night he took Mya up to spend the night with Pops in the trailer. I got to hear lots of stories about the sweet neighbors that just loved Mya to pieces, missing out on watching Open Range (really I didn't miss out on that), and how pretty it was. I am glad my little family is back home now although it was really nice sleeping in until 9 this morning.

Princess Pajamas

2012-01-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is over a year old and still fits in her jammies she wore at the hospital.

Goats

2012-01-28T18:42:00.001-07:00

Mya LOVES the goats.

Random Pictures of Mya

2012-01-28T18:41:00.002-07:00

More Landscaping

2012-01-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

Brian has been very busy with the yard. He has finished the front yard and now just started on the back yard. Mya likes to hang out with her daddy help him sometimes but mainly just likes to eat dirt and suck on rocks. She is such a happy camper outside and hates to come back in the house. There are lots of plans for the backyard and we are taking it slow but its coming along great so far.

Birdies

2012-01-28T18:30:00.001-07:00

We have these doves that for some reason love our back yard. There are about 6-9 of them that just hang out and sleep on our fence. We bought some bird seed and set it out each morning. Mya loves to watch them and hangs out until they leave.

Grandpa Williamson

2012-01-28T17:11:00.001-07:00

Grandpa Williamson came down and hung out at our house for a few nights. It was fun having him here and so fun watching Mya interact with him. She got to really know him and bond with him. There is nothing better than to see my little girl build relationships with my family that doesn't get to see her all that often. I am so glad to be here in Phoenix. It has brought more opportunity to see my dad who comes down here every few weeks or months and build up the relationship that we have.We are glad we have a home that everyone can come and stay in. Grandpa brought gifts for Mya for her birthday and Christmas but like most kids she liked the wrapping better. We called Grandma Mary to thank her and tell her we were going to sad that she wouldn't be able to come play. Mya kept taking the phone and putting it in the bags with her shoes and pants and anything that she could fit in them. She is still playing with the bags. Next year she is just getting bags and boxes.

Our "Fore"th Anniversary

2012-01-28T17:03:00.001-07:00

Somehow all of our anniversaries have been spent in Phoenix. Our first year we were down here hanging out for Christmas and New Year's and stopped at Arizona Snowbowl on the way home. Second year we hung out in Cave Creek and had a romantic (so not Brian or I) sunset,7-up toast in the desert surrounded by saguaros. Since Brian planned the first 2 I told him I would do the next 2 and then we would flip-flop each year after that. Our third anniversary came just a few weeks after having our first baby. Since the 3rd year traditional gift is leather I thought it would be fun to sit on a leather saddle and go horse back riding but my doctor wouldn't give me the O.K. so we went and saw True Grit instead. This year I came up with the idea to go golfing since you say "FORE" when you swing. Get it? I have never really been golfing, just crashed the golf cart while my dad tried to golf when I was younger and Brian only had been a few times. It was a very interesting evening and a dang good thing we were that last ones on the course. We had fun and only made it through 5 holes. I won't tell you my score but Brian did pretty well.

I have been so greatly blessed to be married to Brian. He means the world to me and I couldn't have asked for anyone better to spend eternity with and be the father of our little girl. I love him more than I could ever let him know. Happy Anniversary. I Love You.

At The Park With Grammy And Gpa Griz

2012-01-28T16:52:00.002-07:00

I had to work the beautiful Saturday that my family was here. But, I got hear about all the fun that they had teaching Mya to climb stairs and my husband had playing on the jungle gym. When I got home we headed up to Anthem to do some shopping and just dink around. It's a good thing I left my wallet in the car or I would have spent plenty of mullah. Then on Sunday I wanted to go back to the park and watch my play because it sounded like they had so much fun. I thought that I had seen a park right behind our house up the street. Comes to find out it wasn't much of a park instead it was a goat farm. Haha I know Brian made fun of me. But in my defense it totally looks like one when you are driving and you just glance up the street. Mya loves the goats and now Brian takes her to see them all the time. It was a really good relaxing weekend with my family here. Hopefully we can do it again and maybe Macey can host next time.

Felsted & Bryce Families Come To Town

2012-01-28T16:44:00.003-07:00

It was so good to go home and see my family back in October. We enjoyed so much seeing each other and being together as a family again that Macey suggested to get together again after Christmas Day to celebrate Christmas with our little families together. Macey and Carl brought Miles down to our home and Mom and Dad brought Dillan and Bailey, too. We all crammed into our little home and enjoyed a short weekend together. Sometimes I really start to miss my family and although they are so far away I know that they are close enough to visit or be visited. Since I have moved out of my parents 6 years ago I have grown closer to my family and I feel like we have built stronger bonds. I am thankful not to live down the street from my parents because it makes me feel like we appreciate the times that we do have together a little bit more. Even though we have had more tough times than great times I am so thankful for my family and love them with all of my heart. I am so glad Macey had the idea to get together again during this Christmas season to share our company with the ones that we love so much. We are so thankful for the new family members that have joined this last year. I really wish Chris and Becky were able to join us with their little boy Davin but, we understand how it is to travel with a new born. I can't wait to meet the little guy and give him all my love. As you can see Mya loved little Miles. She liked to pick on him, climb on him, and every once in awhile share her toys with him. It will be fun when Mya and Miles are older and can have the bond that me and his mommy do.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-28T16:28:00.000-07:00

This Christmas was a big one. We stayed here in Phoenix with Brian's family. We started off Christmas Eve with the usual dinner and "Grab-Bag". This year's dinner we went to Benihana's (my first time there). Mya and her boy's wore their matching snowman pajamas to bed while they waited for Santa to come and leave their gifts. Santa brought Mya a rocking horse this year that has really ugly, non-matching, uneven eyes so mommy will be fixing those babies! Mya got a whole boat load of noisy gifts this year. The only ones that didn't make a single sound were her rocking horse and her first baby doll, which she absolutely adores and is just as big as her. Daddy went so far out of budget this year and got Mommy her camera she has been wanting forever. I am getting used to it and figuring it out so from now on there will be 900 pictures per post instead of just 9. Once I get the technique down I'll adventure out and maybe figure out a way to save up for Photoshop and some other essentials for good photos. I never want to have to pay for a photographer for pictures again. Well maybe for Mya's wedding and that's it. Scratch that she isn't getting married or ever dating for that matter. I got to update my Christmas tree this year to a little more modern and less traditional. We decided to go with a turquoise to match my turquoise wall and added touches of green once we found the cute giant candy canes. I couldn't really capture the beauty of the tree with the flash directly on it or with no flash so it's a really cruddy picture of our pretty tree. Now that I have read a few things about flash I should put my tree back up and try it again. Nah! I'll wait 11 more months. Brian was so excited to have a house again this year to decorate. He was a little bummed last year that we couldn't really Griswold the apartment last year and Jamie didn't really want her house looking like the Northern Star. Mya finally got to meet Santa this year at Bass Pro Shops since last year we didn't get home and settled in quick enough to go and meet him. She did really well but wouldn't smile because she was being so observant to all the hustle and bustle that was going on. Before Kate headed back out to Utah we decided to squeeze in sometime to hang out and see what the Glendale Glitters was all about. It was a nice relaxing evening but the best part is always when Pop's tops it off with yelling random things to people out the window. We can't wait until this next Christmas to see what fun and joy it brings.

Happy 1st Birthday, Mya

2012-01-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

Mya is 1! She turned one so fast. This last year just flew by. I just got used to saying I am a mom now I have to get used to saying I have a one-year-old. For her birthday she got a new four-wheeler that she loves. She rides it all day. She even knows how to hold the handles and push the button with her thumb it's the cutest thing ever. She just needs to learn how to steer now. It's so funny, she will run into things laugh, jump up and down, and then continue to push the button so the tires just spin and continues to laugh until we move her. She ate so much icing off her cake she had diarrhea the whole week after but didn't care one bit. She is wanting to walk and has us help her walk all the time. She loves her boys to pieces and gets so excited when she is around them. In the picture they were trying to get her to smile and hold still for a few seconds but she was too wiggly. After a few shots I just decided to be done and said "All Done" because it was useless and this was the best one. Then, Parker goes "See, it wasn't that bad" I'm sure he has heard this saying a few times before while getting pictures done. Mya still isn't talking yet we are kind of enjoying her babbling though.

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving was spent with Brian's family this year. We had fun sleeping over at Pop's and Grandma's house with all the kids and Aunt Katie. I had the opportunity to learn how to make pie crusts from scratch so I could teach the ladies at Enrichment Night. I had never even attempted to think about making a pie let alone teach how to make one. But, I just got done giving a talk in sacrament about finding our talents and gifts so I decided to take on the challenge of public speaking and expanding my recipe box. Brian got told how well I did he decided to put me charge of making my very first Apple Pies for Thanksgiving. They turned out pretty yummy. I was kind of impressed with myself. I had a lot of pressure on my shoulders since I had to live up to Aunt Meribeth's famous Apple Pies. I didn't quiet make it there because I used green apples and her secret ingredient are Golden Delicious apples. I'll make sure to make note of that for next year. All in all we had a blast four-wheeling, eating and enduring the 20 minutes of family pictures for Christmas cards.

11 Months

2012-01-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

This little girl is growing up so fast. She is so stinking funny and getting more and more personality every day. At this time she loves playing behind her highchair. It has become her little hiding spot (and pooping spot). No matter where I am in the house she is either with me or under her high chair. She has an obsession with crawling between things like your legs, behind the couch anywhere where her little body can fit. She still isn't speaking words but babbles all the time and not walking just yet we think it will be coming before we know it. Her hair is getting longer and more blonde and the curl is starting to come back. She is a sweet girl who absolutely loves her daddy to pieces.

Landscaping

2011-12-04T12:51:00.003-07:00

Brian has been very busy in the front yard making it look so pretty.

Mya Being Silly

2011-12-04T12:51:00.001-07:00

For some dumb reason I can't post the videos I'll keep trying though.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-04T12:50:00.001-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Christmas Home

2011-12-04T12:45:00.003-07:00

Here is our Christmas lights for this year. Brian did an amazing job with the tree and all the decor again this year.

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-04T12:45:00.001-07:00

Merry be your Christmas,

Peaceful be your home,

Joyful be your family,

Blessed be each one.

Sending our love this holiday season.

Halloween 2011

2011-12-02T15:28:00.001-07:00

For Mya's first Halloween she was a little Sailor girl!

Utah vs. Arizona

2011-12-02T15:25:00.001-07:00

The family got to go to Tucson a few weeks ago for the Arizona vs. Utah game. I had to stay home and work but I heard that the trip was freezing cold but lots of fun.

Tonto National Forest

2011-11-04T23:54:00.000-07:00

We miss the good ol' days when Brian and I could just grab our sleeping bags and some movies, jump in the car and go find a place to pull over and camp. Now we have to plan out our outings and pack a ton of shiz. Brian is in the transition of jobs at the moment so he had a few days off. We wanted to take out the boat and go to Lake Pleasant and camp out for a couple of days. When we pulled up to prep the boat Brian noticed this centipede half alive on the road it was huge to say the least. I am so so so glad that it wasn't alive when he had gotten out of the truck. Brian tried to start the boat but it wouldn't turn over for some reason. After working on it for 2 hours going to 3 different places for new spark plugs that didn't end up working and dealing with a tired, cranky, cramped up baby we both had had enough. We decided just to take the boat back home and go look for a camp spot to stay the night. We ended up driving up through Cave Creek and came across Tonto National Forest. They had some camp grounds that worked perfect for the night. We were even lucky enough to score quite a bit of fire wood and had a pretty nice fire to heat the absolutely freezing night. We brought Mya's play'n'pack but just ended up letting her sleep next to us because we needed the blankets and didn't want her to freeze. We all slept okay due to not having air in the air mattress (Brian left it in the boat), the weather being freaking cold, and worrying about rolling over Mya in the middle of the night. All in all we had fun and it was good for our little family to go out by ourselves and build memories. We can't wait to do this later down the road with our other kids and roast some sh'mores.

Halloween Decor

2011-11-02T10:38:00.002-07:00

Our Lil Pumpkin Pie

2011-11-02T10:36:00.002-07:00

Pumpkin Carving

2011-11-02T10:35:00.002-07:00

Not much carving here just eating the pumpkin.

Helping Daddy

2011-11-02T10:34:00.001-07:00

I came home from work last night to find Mya helping Daddy clean up the garage.

Working With Daddy

2011-11-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

We love spending Saturdays with Dad. We get to go garage selling and pick up 174 cars for $5 and do work around the house. Brian laid his pavers for his BBQ area on the side of our little patio. We are excited to finally use a grill again and have something more than baked chicken.

Meeting Miles

2011-11-01T12:40:00.002-07:00

Miles and Mya are so cute together. Mya just climbs all over him like he is a stuffed animal and he doesn't even care. She gives him love slaps and he just takes them. He is just as big as she is and so sweet. I am so glad Macey was able to make it to the baby shower so we could see her again and meet our little Miles. We missed Carl and wished he was there. Hopefully we can squeeze in a trip to Macey's here in the near future.

Baby Shower For Becky

2011-11-01T12:34:00.001-07:00

Mya is getting more and more cousins by the month it seems. She got to meet 2 new cousins while we were up in St.George for Becky's baby shower. Mya got to hang out with Jorja and Miles the whole weekend. We are so excited for little Davin to get here and we can't wait to meet him. Just a little over a month left is all we have to wait!!!

Pumpkin Patch At MacDonald Ranch

2011-11-01T12:31:00.003-07:00

Our Visitors

2011-11-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

It was so sad when CJ, Robin, Jaysa and Paisley had to go home. We had so much fun with them. Mya loved waking up every morning to having friends in the house ready to play. They had a blast just hanging out playing with toys all weekend. It was nice to have a buddy and helper of my own around the house. ( No baths weren't the only things the girls did. It was just the only times we pulled out the camera. ) We went on walks with the girls at night, went to the mall, ran errands childless, and went out to dinner for Robin's birthday. We really wished we lived down the street from them again. We miss them tons and can't wait for the next time we are able to get together.

Photoshoot Attempt

2011-11-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

I tried to take Mya out to the park to take pictures of her in my favorite outfit of hers. I have been waiting forever it seems like for Mya to grow into this outfit. My mom's sister Crystal sent this to Mya for the baby shower. She finally has grown into it so I thought I would take pictures before the outfit gets ruined. The grass was wet and full of mushrooms. It was too sunny. Mya was not in the mood to smile and I couldn't really get a good angle. Parker and Jamie came and joined us at the park to play after we were done with pictures. My wasn't so sure on the idea of going down the slide but climbed up it like a spider. It's so fun having little cousins so close that we can just meet up and play with for a few minutes. Parker loves his Mya more than anything and gives her the sweetest loves all the time.

Helping Mommy Out

2011-10-31T21:28:00.002-07:00

Mya loves to play with her dishes. I put everything that is not breakable and can't hurt her in our island so she can just tear it to pieces and throw things around. I have to pick up the dishes 3 or 4 times a day. I think I'm getting to the point where I just want leave it all over for the whole day and pick them up before we go to bed. She gets so excited when I open the dishwasher to load the dishes. She climbs on it and tries to pull all of those dishes out too. I really don't think she can find anything more entertaining than this!

Good-Bye Apartment Life

2011-10-31T21:23:00.001-07:00

Mya came with me and helped me do the last cleaning at the apartment before we were completely moved out. It was a little bittersweet leaving the apartment. It was the home we brought Mya home to so it was a little sad leaving it behind but we are so happy to finally be in our own home that has lots of room for our baby to run around we can go out and walk around an actual neighborhood and not a shopping center. I do miss having the pool and not having to worry about the maintenance of it. So good-bye #2023 and hello home of our own!!!

Mya Gives Loves

2011-10-31T21:17:00.002-07:00

Mya gives everything loves. It is the sweetest thing ever especially when she crawls over to Brian out of the blue and gives him one. I can't wait until she learns to give kisses.

10 months

2011-10-31T14:48:00.001-07:00

It is so crazy how much Mya looks like me at the moment. I am not sure how old I am in these last 3 photos but it looks around the same age as she is right now. She is going through the funniest stage; she loves to crawl into, around and through things that barely fits her. She thinks it's the funniest thing in the world to play with the electrical outlets and when mom and dad get mad at her she just looks at us and giggles, if we start to walk toward her to take her away from them she gets all excited and tries to touch it as many times as she can or she runs away while giggling. She absolutely loves going on walks at night and we love it too. Walks are the only time that Brian and I have time to talk with out having to worry about what the little lady is getting into. She makes us laugh every day. She knows how to open up cupboards and drawers and pull absolutely everything out of them. She thinks that q-tips are the coolest things to dump on the floor. She pulls up on the furniture and stands by herself for about 2-3 seconds. When we try to hold her hand and walk with her she just bends her legs and wants us to do the work for her. She gives the best loves ever she even adds her little pats. She is still on a great schedule she wakes up around 6:45 goes down for a nap at 9:00 wakes up at 11:00 and then back down for her second nap at 1:00 until 3:00 and then down for the night around 7:00. She hates to eat baby food and fights it every time we give it to her. I cut up almost everything we eat for her and when she puts the food in her mouth she says "Mmmm" it's so stinking cute. She babbles all day long non-stop I love to hear her new sounds she makes. So far she has mastered; S, Th, T, D, M, B, and squealing. Brian says she is such a girl because at total random times she squeals with excitement so loudly. She is very patient and well tempered. We mess with her all the time and she just sits there and takes it or she laughs with us. She is the same size as her 3 month old cousin and her 7 and 8 month old friends. She hates to wear shoes. She picks out her outfits for the day. She is sleeping through the night for the most part. Every once in awhile she wakes up when she hears us up getting Brian ready for work then goes back to bed. She has 7 teeth 4 on top and 3 on the bottom. She is now turning pages in her cardboard books and feeling for the sensory spots on the feeler books. She absolutely hates getting in her car seat but is just fine after she is buckled in. She loves to stand up in her car seat and dance (when the car is parked of coarse). She is a dancing fanatic any sort of beat or music she jams out to. She knows to wave good-bye and blow kisses. She just started walking while holding on the couches. She crawls on the cement and across rocks like they aren't even there. She follows the turtle across the back yard and pats him. She loves the little guy. She thinks all little kids are her friends and talks to them all the time wherever we are. Her hair is getting more and more blonde. She is starting to point at objects and learning to put objects into other ones. She knows shoes go on her feet. When we tell her to wash her body she rubs her hands across her belly. She is growing up so fast I miss when she used to be so dependent ( but it is nice that she can entertain herself for a little while now). She doesn't share very well. Her cheeks are very kissable and she still loves for me to kiss the palm of her hand when she is drinking her bottle just like I have always done since she was nursing. She loves to look in peoples mouths for their teeth and grab their nose. She is growing up so fast I miss the little baby but it always makes me so excited when she starts learning new things.

Planting Our Tree

2011-10-31T14:47:00.000-07:00

Brian is starting to work on the landscaping of our back yard. He started the whole thing off by planting a little Palo Verde in the back corner. He is pretty proud of his tree so far it is doing great and already has grown a lot.

Stealing Candy From A Baby..

2011-09-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

*check out the 5th tooth! 6th is on its way in on the other side.*

...is so not easy like people say. This little girl got so mad at me this morning. She was being so rowdy and cranky this morning and I was trying to get out of the house. I had to get her dressed, change her diaper, pack her diaper bag, feed her, and pack up the car. I got everything done while she cried and followed me around. I was eating a sucker and she kept getting up and trying to grab it when I was changing her. I couldn't keep her down so I handed her the dang thing to get her to sit for 7 seconds. It worked like a charm. Everything was loaded in the car and so was she. It came time for me to seize the sucker and wipe her down before she mugged everything up. She screamed like I had just dropped her and screamed the whole entire way to Trillium. Once we got there she looked at me with a big huge smile like 'I get my sucker back?' Nope, sorry sweet heart I ate it. She was such a good girl while I was cleaning the hot apartment and was being so funny I thought she deserved her own sucker when we got back home. I didn't really like giving her such a big sucker, I don't think she should have that much sugar but I couldn't resist. I think I am going to be bringing home some DumDum suckers for her on my next grocery day. She was in heaven the whole 30 minutes she ate her sucker. She kept grunting and smiling it was like she was saying 'YUMMM'. When I took the stick away from her to clean her up she freaked out again. I didn't dare walk to the bathroom with her to put her in the tub so I just plopped her in the sink. She thought she was the coolest kid on the block she laughed and splashed the whole time. It was a Tootsie Pop that is why it is the color of diarrhea.

Miss Teethers

2011-09-29T20:49:00.001-07:00

This little girl is so funny with her teeth she doesn't bite very often but when she does its pretty hard and in the most random spots. She goes after my toes when I am sitting on the computer chair and goes after my arms if I am on the ground with her. She has 5 teeth now and 1 more is coming through. She grinds them all the time and laughs about it. Her whole face has changed since her little pearlies have popped through. I miss her little gummy smile.

Gramma, and Papa Griz

2011-09-29T20:43:00.001-07:00

My parents and Bailey came down for a quick trip for my Mom's birthday. They came late Friday night and had to go home Monday. I hated seeing them leave so soon but we will be up in St.Geezy in just a few weeks, and we can't wait! They stopped and got Mya this huge bear before they got to the house. Mya was a little skeptical at first and didn't know what to think about these all these people in her house. But she warmed up fast and loved all the attention. She snuggles with her bear all the time and tackles him I need to get a video posted it is the cutest thing ever. When Mya wakes up from her naps I take her straight to her bear and she gives him big loves over and over again and looks up at me and smiles in between each hug.

P.s. Check out my hair it's starting to grow back I am so excited. I have stuck to my "New Year's Resolution": only cutting my hair once to even out my asymmetric sides. This time I am determined to not get impatient with my slow growing hair and embrace every half inch!

2011-09-29T20:18:00.002-07:00

The other night I decided to try something new for dinner. Brian and I are fans of sushi and we hardly ever go out to eat together so I decided to make my own. We usually get the California Roll if we do end up eating sushi. I chose yellow bell pepper, avocado, crab meat, and cucumbers to go in our rolls. Thanks to my sister I knew could easily figure out were to go for help and ingredient ideas.

Finding Out What Is With In Us

2011-09-24T13:42:00.001-07:00

Coming from a ward that is full of athletes, singers, piano players, and dancers I was always the first to come up with an excuse to not attend Young Women in Excellence nights. We were always invited to decorate a table showing our talents, hobbies or achievements we have developed during that year. I couldn't dance, sing or play piano, I usually burnt everything I baked, I didn't excel in academics and I was as far from athletic as you can be. I felt as though I didn't have anything to share or show for that matter. I must have been sleeping or something when they were handing out talents in the preexistence. I would go home and whine and complain to my mom that I wasn't 'talented' like the other young women in my ward. I couldn't compete with the 'talent' that I was up against. I wish I knew then what I know now.

We often over look our natural abilities of personality and character. My sister can walk into a room and with just a few words she makes everyone feel comfortable and at ease. My father-in-law attracts people as if he is magnetized. Both are blessed with a natural goodwill towards others. D&C 46:12 states "To some is given one, and to some another, that all may be profited thereby." Knowing the talents and gifts Heavenly Father has given us can give us a greater perspective of our own self-worth, and an even greater appreciation for his love. Acknowledging our strong personal traits and abilities allows us to understand more of who we are and to better develop our talents.

The question "What gives me satisfaction?" can help us learn what our strengths are. If you ask me to name my talents I am quick to say I don't have any. But if you switch it around and ask me what I enjoy I can go on and on about how I love being a mother, my love for working hard, and how I liked to copy crafts and try to recreate them and try new recipes, granted they don't come out well but those are two areas were I can strengthen my talent.

What makes me, me and you, you? Heavenly Father through his divine intelligence and infinite wisdom, has prepared and provided us with our own talents and strengths. As we learn to acknowledge these things as gifts rather than talents and abilities it somehow becomes a little easier. If I asked you to jot down some of your strengths you could probably fit everything you can come up with on an index card. But, if I told you to look at the challenge as though the gifts were not credits to you but credits from a loving father you may seem to add a lot more to your small list. True humility is a willingness to give credit to our Father in Heaven in all things and to acknowledge our reliance on him. Who can better help us find our gifts than he who gave them to us?

As we strengthen our testimonies and become closer with our Father, we can recognize more our unique and profound worth- who we are, where our greatest areas of contribution might be and how we can use our gifts to bless and serve others.

Too often we decide that we don't have a particular talent because that talent is not complete or perfect. Like my craftiness or cooking for example. We forget that a gift in its beginning stages is still a gift. It is so important to remember that most things take time and that few of us can perfect talents overnight.

Jesus told the story of a master who gave each of his three servants a sum of money. The amounts were set according to each servant’s previously demonstrated capabilities. The man then left for a long time. When he returned, he asked each of these servants to report what he had done with the money.

The first two servants revealed they had doubled his investment. “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,” was the master’s reply (Matt. 25:21; see also Matt. 25:23).

The third servant then came trembling before his master. He had already heard what the others had reported and knew that he could not give a similar report. “I was afraid,” the servant said, “and went and hid thy talent in the earth” (Matt. 25:25). The master was upset. “Thou wicked and slothful servant,” he said. Then he commanded, “Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents” (Matt. 25:26, 28).

The Savior then gave the interpretation of the parable: Those who obtain other talents receive more talents in abundance. But those who do not obtain other talents shall lose even the talents they had initially (see Matt. 25:28–29).

Nephi let us know that we aren't asked to do anything we can't do; Heavenly Father always provides a way. 1 Nephi 3:7 "...he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." 1 Nephi 17:3 "...And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them..." With Heavenly Father's help followers can become leaders. Powers we didn't know we had within us come through him as we seek his righteous purpose. The power to appreciate our talents is often overlooked, yet certainly this high form of charity is one of the most important of talents.

Recognizing our own talents and strengths is an ongoing process. Fortunately, we have all been given talents, strengths and inner resources- these are gifts from our Heavenly Father. When we discover what we have been blessed with we serve with greater confidence and effectiveness in building his kingdom.

Wednesday night I was watching Survivor with my family. I had spent a good amount of time earlier that day preparing my talk so the thought of talents and gifts were still on my mind. As I watched the players prepare for their challenge I watched as each of them shared their talents and abilities to get their team to the finish. One team had a pretty good lead in the two part challenge. This team was working on the second half while the other team was still finishing up the first. The decision to put their teammates with the talents of strength and puzzle solving on the second obstacle the losing team ended up surpassing the leading team and winning. When the loosing team goes back to camp there is usually a lot of deliberating going on about who they should send home that night. The majority of the team usually makes their decision off of the other teammate's physical talents and abilities. Although it is important to have team members who are physically strong and athletic it is also a good idea to keep a member around to help ground the other players when times become hard to stay on the island. Having a friend with the talent of listening and understanding can help you get through tough times.

If we compare our talents and blessings with others we can become distracted and destroy our own happiness. The growth in our own talents is the best measure of personal progress. In recent years the concept of “personal best” has become widely accepted. This has great merit. Remember we usually judge others at their best and ourselves at our worst. In the parable of the talents, the servants who received five talents and two talents were praised by the Lord for increasing their talents and told to “enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” The servant who was rebuked was the servant who buried the talent given him. Comparing blessings is almost certain to drive out joy. We cannot be grateful and envious at the same time. If we truly want to have the Spirit of the Lord and experience joy and happiness, we should rejoice in our blessings and be grateful.

I know that if we are constantly comparing ourselves to others accomplishments we can not grow and strengthen our own talents. I know that we have each been given individual gifts and talents to help us succeed throughout our lives here on earth. When we strengthen each talent it brings us closer to our Father in Heaven. He loves us and wants us to share our talents and gifts with others and by sharing our talents we can help others to recognize the gifts they have been blessed with.

When I remember to find my talents and share them with others I can strengthen those gifts through the spirit. I know that if we have the determination to develope our talents we will be blessed with more.

Happy Day To My Madre

2011-09-21T19:47:00.002-07:00

Hey Mommy,

I just wanted to tell you Happy Birthday. I am so grateful for all you do for me and my little family. I am so thankful for everything you have taught me through out my life. I can't thank you enough for the opportunities you have given me to become the person I am today. Thank you for your support and pushing me to be the best I can be. I know we haven't had the greatest mother-daughter relationship but I am thankful for the one that we do have. I am so grateful to have a mom like you. You are a great mom and grandmommy. You are a great example to me in showing me the kind of mother that I want to be to my kids. I hope you have a great BIRTHDAY!!!! Love you, Mommy

Love, Shelbie, Brian and Mya

Counting My Blessings

2011-09-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

Lately every time I come across some one's blog, Facebook page or watch the news it seems as though some one's little baby or small child is going through some kind of medical difficulty. I can't help but feel for them. I can't help but be so thankful for the health Mya has had thus far in her life. She is a ball of energy and I couldn't ask for a better baby. She had her few colds and flu's when she was just a couple months old but she was a trooper through them and she battled them out. It's so great to be able to hear her call for me in the morning and have a huge smile on her face when I walk into her room. She keeps me laughing all day long and I just can't get enough of her. Every time I read or hear about these little once that are going through their trials I have the hardest time not scooping Mya up out of her crib or off the floor where she is playing and just hold her for the rest of the day and embrace every moment I have with her. The other night I had to go lay on the bed in her room just so I could be with her. I can't imagine loosing my little one this early or ever. I can't wrap my head around how hard it must be to watch your own child fight through illnesses and complications not even adults can handle. I can't stress how important I feel it is to become a donor to help someone not just babies and children but family, friends or strangers. One can save a life by just donating some of your blood or plasma. They even offer to pay people to donate plasma, why wouldn't you give up such a small thing that your body can refuel just to save a life. I have a friend who goes in almost every month to receive plasma so they won't die from a blood clot traveling to their brain or their heart. Why wouldn't you be willing to get tested to help someone who needs a kidney you only need one. Why isn't there more donors out there? Who knows but maybe something will inspire them to give something so small to save someones life. I can only hope and pray that I don't have to go through what some of these moms and dads have to. It would just tear my heart to pieces. I know after all is said and done I would stronger but the journey to get there is something I just really don't want to go through. If it's in my plan I will accept it. My heart goes out to those parents young and old that have to watch there babies go through everything that they do. I am so thankful for my health and my families. I am so thankful for the family that I have because I know every single one of them would be there for us no matter the circumstances. I am so thankful everything.

Lunch At Daddy's Work

2011-09-15T15:50:00.001-07:00

I always try to plan Mya's doc appointments around Brian's schedule so we can meet up with him and have lunch. It's nice that Brian's work is about 7 minutes from her doctor's office. Mya loves her Daddy and loves every minute that she gets to spend with him.

9 Months

2011-09-15T15:45:00.000-07:00

That's right my little lady is already 9 months I can't believe it. She is getting so big and developing so much. She loves videos of herself and other babies. She straightens her legs when she is in the crawling position and tries to stand up. She pulls up on the furniture, bath tubs, and everything she can. She makes me laugh all day long. She follows me around the house all the time. She likes to hang out with me when I am in the kitchen and help me do dishes. She pulls open cupboards like a champ and is even better at pulling things out and making messes. She loves to go on walks. She watches these baby development shows and absolutely loves them. Every time we are holding her she climbs up us like a tree trunk. She is discovering her belly and belly button and pulls on her little boobies when they catch her eye.

She went in for her 9 month check up.

25 3/4 Inches Long: 25%

15lbs 9oz: 5%

43cm Head: 50%

She is running small but the doc isn't concerned. Although, if she isn't 18lbs by the time she is a year he wants to run tests to find out why she isn't gaining weight. I am not worried at all she has a pretty petite genes and she eats pretty well. After her doc appointment we went to get her blood drawn for Anemia ( just a regular 9 month old test ). It was so sad I had to hold her down and watch her get poked. She was really good about it she was only upset that she was being held down. She hated the bandage and tried to take it off the whole way home. She would pull on it, bite it and scream to get it off.

Working In The Garage With Daddy

2011-09-15T15:16:00.002-07:00

When I go to work Mya hangs out with Daddy. Last Saturday was a busy day. We woke up early and had a garage sale, cleaned and organized the house. I headed out for work and Brian was still working on the garage so he brought Mya outside to hang out with him while he picked up. The Ice-Cream Man came to visit the neighborhood and Daddy bought his little princess her first Popsicle. She wasn't much of a fan of being sticky but, she did love the bath that came after.

Mess Maker

2011-09-15T15:02:00.002-07:00

Brian and I were laying on the rug Sunday just resting. Well, Brian was sleeping and I was trying as hard as I could to stay awake to make sure Mya wasn't getting into anything. Well... I was listening her to tackling the game boxes. She thought it was so fun and was entertained for quiet awhile. She is so funny.

I Caught Ya

2011-09-15T14:53:00.001-07:00

I finally caught Mya doing her tongue thing. It's really embarrassing when she sticks her tongue out at total strangers after they get done telling her how adorable she is. As cute and funny as it is I hope this tongue thing doesn't last long.

Brusha Brusha Brusha

2011-09-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Lake Powell 2011

2011-09-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Just a few extra pictures from this year's Lake Powell trip.

Exploring With Dad

2011-09-08T16:01:00.003-07:00

Brian took Mya up above our campsite for a little exploring and to get Mya out of the houseboat for a bit. I had no clue where they had gone and had no idea he took these cute pictures of Mya.

Mya's First Hair Cut

2011-09-08T15:55:00.004-07:00

Mya's mullet was getting way too long and yucky. I promised Kate a long time ago that she could have the honors of Mya's first hair cut. We have been waiting forever it seems to cut her hair because she has needed it so bad. Her hair looked like a rat's nest in the back and the top was growing into her eyes *notice the pony tail on top at Powell to keep it out of her eyes*. She was cranky before we started cutting but Aunt Jamie and Pops kept Mya pretty entertained while Kate cut and I held her down. We cut almost an inch of the top and her tail was almost 2.5 inches. Now she is mostly blonde with hardly any brunette left and still lots of curls. We can now focus on her face instead of her crazy hair.

Thanks Aunt Katie.

Hikin' It Up

2011-09-08T15:46:00.002-07:00

Second to last day we went on a small hike up to some narrows. It was pretty....pretty hot and sandy, but it was fun. We took a nice cold dip when we got back to the boat to cool off and clean up. Brian carried Mya the whole way in and back she is getting heavy I think we may be looking for a back pack thing to put her in.

Kickin Back

2011-09-08T15:38:00.004-07:00

Mya absolutely loves the water even when she is getting cold she doesn't fuss at all. She splashes like a maniac and loves every second of it.

Beach Bum

2011-09-08T15:34:00.000-07:00

Mya's New Faces

2011-09-08T15:15:00.001-07:00

Mya just picked up some new faces while we were at Powell. She off centers her bottom jaw, sticks out her tongue on the side of her mouth and chews on it (I didn't get a picture, yet) and she scrunches her nose when she is concentrating on something like Brian does.

Rise And Shine Lake Powell

2011-09-08T15:09:00.001-07:00

At Powell Mya slept like a champ. The first night on the dock was a little rough. There was so much to see and so many new faces and things to explore she was not about to miss out on anything. We were lucky enough to upgrade the house boat to a nicer one because the one we were supposed to take out smelled of poo. Mya and I got our own little bunk, she slept next to me in her play 'n' pack on my bed. When she woke up every morning first thing she would do is climb over the top of me to look out side. She is definitely our daughter and loves the lake.

A Little Courage

2011-09-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

I kinda liked this picture of me. It's been awhile since I have taken a picture of myself that I have liked. After most the baby fat has worked its way off, and a bad idea of chopping off my hair has grown out to a decent length (I get so dang impatient waiting for it to grow out again and make stupid mistakes of constantly hacking it), I am starting to feel a little bit more human again and a little bit more confident in my appearance. It's been a hard road of looking in the mirror after having a baby. I have a hard time appreciating the body I have been blessed with. I know now looking back that I used to be a hot babe. Now, it's a little harder to look passed the stretch marks, the flabby skin, the short hair, my full of love love-handles, my thighs that touch and the acne I have always fought with on a daily basis. I know that all of this is 100% worth the misery. I have been blessed with the most amazing little girl and I wouldn't trade all of this nonsense I go through to have to have her here. I need to not be so harsh about myself and actually realize that on the inside I am prettier than what I feel like I need to be on the outside.

Packing For Powell

2011-09-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

Mya wasn't too happy last night when I packed up her blamy. She scooted from across the hall in a hurry when she saw me zipping up her blanket to send with Mops and Pops. She has another one so don't think I was depriving her but this one is her favorite so I wanted to make 100% sure that it was packed. She is so much more intelligent than I think sometimes. The last 2 pictures are blurry cause she was crawling on her blanket so fast I almost didn't get the shots.

Kitchen Kritter

2011-09-01T06:57:00.004-07:00

Just some cute shots I got of Mya eating snacks and playing in her cupboard!

Home Before and After-ISH

2011-09-01T06:50:00.001-07:00

My mommy has been begging me to do a post about the house. We have done a lot of work to our home and have a ton more work that we want to do. Our house was completely move in ready but, we were so not fans of the mustard colored planter shelf, the pee yellow kitchen, and the random bushes in the backyard. Also, I grew up in a warm colored house and wanted to try something totally new so we have gone to more cool colors and so far I am in love. We chose gray as our neutral to do the walls in. We chose a light shade of gray because we were worried about it darkening our already dark living room. Now I wish we would have gone a shade or two darker, the gray now kind of blends in with the white , I just wanted a little bit more contrast. This is a total picture over load but I wanted to show what kind of progress we have made to our {unfinished} updates to the home. I didn't post any pictures of Brian's fishing room or our bedroom because we haven't done anything with those yet. But, once we have started our projects we will let you know!

Kitchen:

Family Room:

Guest Bath:

Hallway:

Laundry Room:

Mya's Room:

Brian's Garage:

Card Vs Chargers

2011-08-31T14:12:00.000-07:00

Pops, Mops, Brian, Mya and I went to the Cardinals game against the Chargers last Saturday. It was a lot of fun. The Cards lost right at the end. I'm not a big football fan so I don't know what went on at all but it's fun to be at the game and around all the excitement. Mya is really good at the games she even sleeps and claps when everyone else does.

Chin Lifts

2011-08-31T14:00:00.000-07:00

Most of the time Mya goes down for bed so good but on this particular night she was up for a fight. She was crying and crying and crying for about 20 minutes before Brian went in and rescued her. He got a little panicked and was a little frightened to walk in and see Mya standing in her crib. He called out 'Hun, Hun, Hun get in here look at Mya.' I got scared and ran in. Seeing her standing there wasn't a surprise to me but I don't think Brian was quite ready for it just yet. She was so mad already but I had to go and grab the camera so I let her scream for a bit longer while I grabbed the camera and got a few shots of her upset. I don't know if it's just me but I think she makes the cutest faces when she is mad. She hasn't stood completely up in her crib since that night but kneels and holds on and babbles until I come in. She is growing way too fast and is starting to take steps when we hold onto her arms. She will be walking in no time then I will definitely be in big trouble!

Squirrel Named Rusty

2011-08-31T13:51:00.000-07:00

We have a squirrel that lives in our backyard that we accidentally named Rusty. We feed him Ranch flavored sunflower seeds and Mya watches. She crawls to the window and looks out side for him. She is getting so funny with everything she does she just cracks us up.

Daddy's Girl

2011-08-31T13:49:00.000-07:00

Brian jumped in the shower the other day while Mya and I were getting things ready to leave. I turned around and heard Mya crying so I ran into the bathroom to find her upset that Daddy was in the shower without her. She had pulled her self up on the tub and was standing there bawling. Our little fish loves the shower and being in the water, was it that or she just wanted her daddy.

Curly

2011-08-31T13:45:00.004-07:00

This curly haired girl is getting a trim here shortly!!!!!!

Camera Attacker

2011-08-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

Every time we bust out the camera the little one stops what she is doing and wants to see what is so exciting that we have to take a picture.

Sleep Training

2011-08-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

Mya has been doing so so so good with her sleep training. But, one night she was having issues going down so Brian and I just let her cry in her crib for almost 20 minutes before we headed into bed. I walked in to check on her on my way to my room like I always do and this is how I found the poor girl. Her blamy over her head and her face stuffed into the corner of the crib. She crawls to the end of her crib by the door when she wants us to come get her. I come in every morning and she is at the same spot pulling down the bumper peeking over it waiting for me to come get her. She is so smart. I know all parents think their kid is the smartest but to be honest Mya amazes me everyday with how much she has grown in motor skills, intelligence and development in general. This girl sleeps funny anyway but seeing her like this didn't really suprise me but I am glad that I did go in and check on her.

C Is For Cookies

2011-08-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

After Mya's morning nap she gets a cookie and watches about 2.5 minutes of Sesame Street or Mickey Mouse Club House. She eats all by herself now. She holds her bottles all on her own and feeds herself finger foods like a pro. It's nice because I can set her down and hand her some snacks or fruit and it occupies herself for a bit while I get ready or do dishes or something. She makes a mess but it's totally okay.

8 Months

2011-08-20T21:44:00.002-07:00

Mya is into everything. Literally, EVERYTHING climbs into the cubby hole all the time and is moving so much I can't keep up with her. She wants to be held only so she can get to things she can't reach from the ground. She laughs at her self all the time. She grinds her 4 front teeth that she has. The little munchkin is talking up a storm and acts shy when people tell her how adorable she is. She is growing like a weed I feel like every time I do a load of laundry I have to toss more outfits in the outgrown box. She has completely mastered the pincer grasp and feeds her self so good. She squeals like a girl when she gets excited or just whenever she is sitting there and no one is paying her any attention. She coughs and makes a choking sound until i look at her then she just smiles. She still scoots but is starting to crawl on her hands and knees. She easily transfers from the crawling position to sitting and claps for herself every time she does it. Mya waves bye-bye and is learning hi. She understands and listens to 'no' from her Daddy but completely ignores her mom. Her eyes are getting gold in the centers like Brian and mine so we are thinking that she is going to have hazel eyes like us. Mya is so good when I clip her finger nails and toe nails it's the only time I can ever get her to hold still. She loves when Daddy comes home she scoots straight to him and waits for him to pick her up then she lays on his shoulder and gives him loves, not just when he gets home from work but all the time she is a Daddy's Girl for sure. She stops whatever she is doing when we break out the camera. She eats anything including shoes and she loves paper. She has almost no interest in her toys but diapers are fascinating to her, good thing she hasn't figured out how to take them off just yet. When someone laughs she laughs with them. She gives us the sweetest looks all the time that make our hearts melt. She loves watching any little kid play and loves babies. My 3 year old I mean 8 month old is growing so fast I couldn't help but reminisce earlier today when I was watching a video on Macey's blog of little Miles' noises Mya once made. I miss the little Little Mya but love what she has grown into so far. I can wait for what comes next Mya is in such a fun age right now I want to keep this time for just a few months longer.

Our First Supper

2011-08-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

Finally we got our kitchen table for our new home. We had our first dinner on it the other night. Baked BBQ chicken, pasta, and peas is what we ate. A fast yummy meal was perfect for our little family to sit down together to.

Chop The Locks

2011-08-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

Mya needs a serious hair cut. This is how she looks on a good hair day. I can't get the courage to cut the curls yet but the mullet in the back has got to go. She has such cute curls on top that are long and adorable, a nasty rat's tail in the back like a Jedi, and broken hair on the sides. When she gets mad, frustrated or when she is really tired she grabs the hair on the sides of her head and rips out a hand full. She needs Aunt Katie to pay her a visit for some freshening up.

Score For The Lord

2011-08-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

Taylor and I became pretty good buddies one fine Saturday morning. We sat in a hot stinky sweaty gym watching Brian and Dan play basketball for 6 hours. A guy from Brian's work invited him to get a team together and come play in a tournament to raise money for his church.

Sleep Training Night #4

2011-08-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, so last night was the 4th night. She ate around 6:30 and didn't go down until 9. We came home from Pop's and Mom's around 10 or so and I never topped Mya off before we went down for bed. She slept until 5:15 and I figured I should probably feed her since I was going to be getting up with Brian in 10 minutes anyway. She went back to bed until 7:30. I think tonight I might let her go the whole 12 hours and see how she does. Cross your fingers and keep us in your prayers!

Sleep Training Night #3

2011-08-08T14:42:00.001-07:00

Last night was a really good night. She didn't fuss until 4:30 for about 10 minutes, no crying just a little fussing. Around 5:30 she woke up again and I went into her room and fed her 4oz. We started the sleep training on Thursday night so she would be on her own by the time Brian had to go back to work tomorrow morning. She has been doing so good and has picked up the training pretty well. For right now we are just working on getting rid of the feeding that usually happens between 11 and 1 and then once we get that down we will work on the feeding that she has between 4 and 5:30. Once we conquer all the feedings and she is sleeping through the night we are going to work on her going down at 7 o'clock so we can have about 2 hours to ourselves. Hopefully that part of all of this will start this coming weekend. My hopes are high because she has done so well so far. Mya is such a good baby and has been a great learner through all of this. We will see what to night has in store for us.

Sleep Training Night #2

2011-08-07T19:22:00.001-07:00

Second night of sleep training went a little better she didn't fuss at all when we put her down, she fell right asleep. We laid her down around 9:30 and she slept until 12:30am and fussed on and off for about 30 seconds every 3-5 minutes for about 20 minutes and then just babbled for a couple of seconds on and off for the rest of the hour almost like she was playing. She slept until we had to wake her up to go to Brian's basketball game in the morning.

Missing Our Auntie Bailey

2011-08-06T01:05:00.002-07:00