Kierra Nicole ~ 17!

My sweet Kierra Nicole turned 17 this week and never ceases to amaze me with the

 beautiful young woman that she has become...

Talented in so many ways and simply bursting with a pure heart of gold.

Kierra has loved dance for so long and it really is a part of who she is! She recently auditioned for the BYU summer intensive program, and we will hear by the end of March if she makes it or not...

either way, Kierra is very confident that whatever happens is the path that will be right for her, and will be what Heavenly Father wants for her to do.

Kierra has many friends that are good examples in her life! Friends that encourage her to develop her divine qualities, and who support her in all her endeavors. This is a picture of Kierra and her sweet friend Emma when they were going to a dance in a group together. They plan on going to St. George together this summer, going to EFY together, and spending any extra time working on their tans out by the pool. :) Emma is a true friend that brings out the best in Kierra! Her family is amazing and her grandpa is a general authority which is pretty cool...She shares all kinds of neat stories from him...it's nice to know as a mom that your children's friends have as high of standards as you have for your own family...after all, I believe it really does take the whole village to raise a child! :)

Ahhh dating...:)

This is one of those crazy things that you know eventually will come,

 but when it actually does...WOW!!! Hold on tight! 

Kierra has very high standards for choosing who she wants to date, and so far for the record has sent off a couple of missionaries that I know are hoping and praying that she will still be around when they return home in 2 years! This guy right here is one that treated Kierra like a queen and she has fond feelings for ... Adam James...Hmmm....I guess time will only tell...:)

Being a busy teenager with school, dance, a job, young womens, and other family responsibilities...Kierra hasn't really had time for a real "Party" for her birthday... But as her favorite momma ;) I was more than happy to fill the order of:

1) A favorite birthday cake

2) My special homemade banana bread per birthday girl's request :)

and 3) a surprise lunch date during her lunch break from school!

My sweet sister Tiffany brought her daughter Lexi (far right) to Kierra's school and dropped her off at the main office with balloons, a teddy bear, and a gift to surprise Kierra! Kierra definitely was surprised as she saw Lexi standing there...ran and hugged her..and then scooped her and her friend Emma up and met me and Tiffany and Kambriella at Subway for a bite of lunch. Even though Kierra had so many other places to be ON her birthday, we all knew it was so important to try and do something sweet for our sweet Kierra to try to make her day feel as special as she is!

Thank you so much Tiffany and Lexi for helping to spoil my Kierra!

Something very special to Kierra and I that I wanted to include in this birthday post was the fact that we both have recently earned our Young Women medallions together!

 This was a goal that we had set out to do together almost 4 years ago...

When Kierra turned 12 and entered the young womens program I can still remember the day that her leader came over and presented her with her personal progress book and journal, and all of the other tools that would help her to achieve these goals. I remember hearing words spoken by our church leaders that mothers were encouraged to work on this program together with their daughters...

I knew that this program was inspired and that I would come closer to my daughter if I would do this with her. I have always tried to be a good example for my children to follow, but it was also amazing to me what a good example Kierra was for me to follow while we were working on our personal progress together...

When Kierra and I recently attended a councilor meeting at the high school to help plan out the rest of Kierra's high school career, I was humbled and touched as her councilor reported to me that Kierra's plan after high school was to be a mother.

I almost let the flood gates open because I was so proud of my daughter and that she had recognized where her main goals and priorities should lie...she didn't even hesitate when she announced this to her councilor! He commended her and then asked her if there was any other areas that she was interested in for college...

After we had a brief discussion about her commendable goal, we also then discussed that she was also very intelligent with a straight A high school career and that she could probably do whatever she put her mind too. She has expressed that she would like to become a nurse and have that for an occupational goal as well...so she is preparing to receive her CNA so that it might make it easier for her to be accepted into a nursing program for college...

Kierra and I have a special relationship.

I know that first and foremost I am her mother. And I love it. 

She is first and foremost my daughter...and I love her!

But we are also sisters and friends and she has such a pure heart and soul and she brings the spirit closer to me through her relationship.

I have been blessed to have a teenager who loves and honors her parents and brings an increase of love into our home when she is there.

When your teenage daughter asks if for her birthday she can just have time with her mom, then you know that you are special to her and that you are loved. Kierra always makes me feel this way and I am eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with her for a daughter. We are enjoying the ups and downs of this mortal journey together as we move forward on the Lord's side.

Kierra, Happy Happy Birthday my sweet!

Thank you for being an inspiration and a gift to me...I love you!

My Heartthrob, My Valentine :)

I love my calling of being a wife! 

Ever since I was a little girl, I remember how I wanted nothing more out of life than to meet my Prince, marry him in the temple for time and all eternity, and then live happily ever after! :)

Well, here I am 38 years old young ;) ...and living my "happily forever after!"

Life has taught me a thing or two along the way though...

 I have learned that what you think about your spouse is exactly how you will see them. No, I am not perfect, but I believe I can love my husband perfectly if that is what I choose to do!

 I have always admired the strengths of my sweetie, and have always tried to calmly overlook any of his "flaws"... I have always tried to be very pure in my thoughts and words about him.

I have chosen to never say an unkind word to him or about him to anyone...especially our children! In fact, I have tried to do the exact opposite! I will repeatedly remind my children how they are the luckiest kids on the earth to have Clint for their dad! And even to this day, they will agree! :)

I have learned that dates are a MUST! No, they don't have to be extravagant, but one on one time with each other every week is simply necessary in order to focus on each other. When we go out, we get to talk about each other and NOT our children! Don't get me wrong...I LOVE my calling as a mother and I LOVE our children! But I believe that if I am happy in my marriage, then I will be happy as a mother too! 

Going to the temple, praying together, studying the scriptures together, and bearing testimony to each other is essential too! Oh how I love to express my love and gratitude for my husband out loud as we talk to our Heavenly Father together. I feel a deep inner sense of love and peace and reassurance that I am the most precious thing to Clint, and when that feeling of love is amplified by the warmth of the spirit and the confirmation from Heavenly Father of His love too....well, you can see how much strength that can bring to the most important eternal relationship of marriage.

The lessons I have learned are many...I could go on and on...but I feel it enough to say that marriage is ordained of God, and that I am eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father for this man that has proven to be the greatest blessing of my life! 

Clint and I on the beach in Cancun...sooo beautiful!

Clint and I at a catered dinner on the beach in Cancun...

(I wish I had a picture of us while we were line dancing!!! Hilarious!!! :)

Clint and I stopping for a picture and "another" hug while on a 26 mile snowmobile ride on New year's Day. I loved that he let me drive so he could "hug" me the whole time :)

Clint and I at one of the many JAZZ games that we get to go to! Having season tickets has been a great way for Clint to take turns taking me, and all of our kids on one on one dates. It's always a "win-win" even when the JAZZ don't win!

Clint and I sneaking away for a romantic night's stay at the Grand America...What a perfect little holiday getaway and a great way to squeeze in Christmas shopping without the little ones!

Clint and I at the Conference Center for the First Presidency Christmas Devotional...Our kids were with us too...(minus Kambriella) but of course we had to get a picture together :)

Clint and I in front of the "Tree of Life" in Draper. We had the family there too, but again, had to sneak a picture while the little ones were busy rolling down the hill! :)

Clint and I in front of Bill White's Porsche at Billy Blanco's in Park City. 

Clint became friends with Bill through work and he has invited us to come and try the food at all of his 9 restaurants in Park City! Pretty fun!!!

Me and my sweetie...Here he is once again sporting those baby blue eyes that I first fell in love with, and have always loved every day ever since! I love you Clint!!!

Valentine's Day was yesterday, and we were fortunate to have a date night alone...but like I have always said, it doesn't really matter where we go, or what we do..Being together with him is enough.

I have always felt like I have been treated like a queen, but I feel like it has been our mutual love and respect, and always "putting the other one first" that has helped us to come as close and as strong as we are today. I have been spoiled rotten and gotten to see and do some pretty awesome things with Clint...but even if I were to take all of that away, I would still feel like the Queen that he sees me as.

As much as I have loved the memories we have made, some of my favorites are still the most simple and sweet ones that I hold dear...sunrise hikes... walks in the falling snow after shoveling the driveway together... sitting up late at night and talking for hours... and his happy eyes and sweet smile that greet me with his warm embrace every single time he walks in the door...

He's my heartthrob, my Valentine, and my Best Friend for eternity!!!

I love you Clint!!!