2 Years Ago Today

Kesslyn Natalia Trickett was born 2 years ago today!!!

At 4:49 a.m. she entered this world and changed our hearts forever.

Having children is one of the single most greatest blessings of life and one that brings the most work, and yet the most joy...

Kesslyn baby girl, continue holding our hands forever, living and learning each step of the way...we will always be here for you to teach you and love you and help you become all that our Heavenly Father wants you to be!!!

I love you so much Kesslyn!!!

Happy 2nd birthday today!!!

I'm so glad you joined our family!!!

Shots

 Here is Kesslyn's sticker that she got from the doctors office after getting her shots yesterday. :)

This brave little (almost 2 year old) didn't even flinch OR cry when she got them either!!! 

I couldn't believe how big and brave she was!

She was a good example to her big brother Carew too who had to get his flu immunization ...his last one before getting ready to head to the MTC next week!!!

We celebrated by taking Carew, Clint, and Kesslyn to lunch and enjoyed some of our precious time together...I'm going to miss this boy of mine....but at the same time am sooooo excited for him and the adventure that awaits him and the shaping of his future! :)

A Family Home Evening For Carew

Last night for Family Home Evening we had a night dedicated to Carew and missionary work!

I had planned to have a special FHE just for him because it is one of the very special times we spend as a family...and, where he will be leaving soon, I wanted to celebrate him, shower him with love, and instill in him yet another firm knowledge that what he is doing is oh so right, and that he has a family that will be back here at home cheering him on EVERY step of the way!

I made one of Carew's favorites for dinner (chicken pillows with carrots and ranch :) and  then had everyone gather for FHE.

We started off by reading a conference talk titled "Ten Things To Know Before You Go" given by James E. Faust from 1996 which was packed with soooo much good information...

Here is the List:

1) You will be under call from the Lord.

2) Your mission president is the Lord's representative.

3) Hard work is more important than intellect.

4) Forget yourself in His service.

5) Never permit contention in your companionships.

6) Keep your bodies clean and healthy and your living quarters clean.

7) Learn to love and serve the people among whom you work.

8) Study, ponder, and teach from the scriptures, especially from the Book of Mormon and the New Testament.

9) You must know that Satan will oppose, and be prepared for his opposition.

10) Your own personal testimony is your strongest arrow in your quiver.

After discussing all of these gems with Carew, we went around as a family and read to Carew the lists that each of us had made for him of the "Top 10 Things we LOVE about Carew." They were each spot on and Carew knew right away whom each letter was from by what they said...lots of sweet things that were all very true!

After we read our lists to him we each took a moment to bear our testimonies to Carew and to tell him how much we love him. I know he felt touched by the Spirit and he knows how much he is loved...

I also had asked the kids what individual treat they would like to give Carew with their letters and they each had the same response...Reeses!

So, I ended up getting Carew one of each kind of Reeses so that he could try them all and think of his family. :)

I think you could say that it was a good night, and that Carew is armed and ready to go! 

Armed with love, and the spirit, and the support of his family...he is going to do great things!

Carew's Mission Farewell

 Sunday August 27th was Carew's mission farewell!!!

What an awesome, amazing PAYDAY it was for me and Clint and our family...

We decorated the back yard in an Italian theme with flags and banners...

"Called To Serve" and "Rome Italy."

(And "Future Missionary" on the playhouse. :)

 We served a brunch with a crepe bar and all the toppings...pastries, granola and yogurt, and treats galore...(Clint was the crepe maker...almost 400 crepes!!!)

 I displayed Carew's "missionary life preparation" pictures...5 years old at the Ogden temple wearing a name badge, 12 years old at the Jordan River temple carrying his scriptures and leading the way for his little brothers (lookin' like little missionaries:), and then NOW. 18 years old and ready to embark on his mission to Rome, Italy in only 9 days!!!

(He's grown a foot or two! ;)

 Kambriella set up the playhouse with papers and crayons for all the kids to write letters to Carew...

 And...Sunday was also the day that our friend Hunter Smith in our ward was also giving his farewell address with Carew! Hunter will be going to the Busan Korea mission.

These boys did such a great job on their talks! Don't they look like companions??

 We had soooo many good friends come to visit Carew...like Zach Christensen who has been Carew's friend since birth!!! :) I LOVE these boys!!!

 My good friend Lisa came with some of her kids...(Lisa's son Jared is returning home from his mission in just 2 weeks from Texas!

 My mom and sister...(and Meloney and Andrea also came to the church to hear Carew give his talk...)

My little brother Shane came with my mom...

 And of course WE were there...we wouldn't miss this day for the world!!! We have been preparing for this day literally since the day Carew was born and he is so ready and we are soooo happy for him!!!

 Friends, family, ward family and neighbors came...

 People visited and wrote letters to Carew...signed his "Elder Cook" apron that he can wear while he cooks for his companions...;)

 Gerry and Jim also brought their new foreign exchange students Ahmad and Iliyas from Bethlehem and Nigeria, here with Dallin, Cohen, and Desiree...

 And of course sweet Kate was there with full support for Carew! She has been a rock for him, such a good friend, shining example, and encouraging word for him to hear...

 Lisa and I had a minute to catch up, then she sweetly helped clean up the food for me so that we could go over to the church to hear those cute boys speak...

 I was very proud of Carew as he gave his talk. I felt so excited to hear his thoughts about the Book of Mormon, serving a mission, and all of the years of preparation that has prepared him for this exciting time in his life...

 I must admit though that one of my very favorite parts of his talk was when he shared a story of a personal experience he had when he was about 15 years old...

He had been on the computer and watched a short video...then started watching a second one that he "thought" was going to be good. When he saw what it was it was "not good, evil, and made him feel so bad that he shut it right off and went to his room where he said a prayer to try and feel better and feel some comfort." He started to feel better and decided to read his scriptures too. He couldn't remember where he had left off from reading the time before, so he started over at the beginning of the Book of Mormon reading "I Nephi, having been born of goodly parents..."

Then, he said he started to cry. 

He was so touched by the spirit as it reminded him of his own "goodly parents" and how much they loved him and were there for him. He said it was the single most time in his life where he felt the spirit so strongly confirm truth to him and where he KNEW that he was loved and so blessed to be in a family that loved him and supported him and where he had been taught the gospel.

It really was a "payday."

It was a reward that made all of the sacrifices worth it, and I know that the "paydays" that lie ahead are going to be even better as he continues to grow and progress as a missionary and living his life loving the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love you Carew and am so grateful that Heavenly Father thought we would make a great team, me being your mom and you being my son.

YOU were born for this. 

YOU are going to do AMAZING things. I just know it!

 You are surrounded by a family that loves you and will always be here for you, quirkiness, craziness and all... :)

 You are a shining example to your siblings who look up to you and will want to follow your lead and serve missions one day too...

 You are a wonderful son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend.

WE LOVE YOU!!!

Let's do this!

Working Hard and Loving It

 This handsome young man, big and little brother, son, and friend leaves on his mission to Italy soon and we have been so so so busy preparing for that!

This weekend is his farewell where he will get to speak in our ward sacrament meeting about the power of the Book of Mormon. He will do great and I'm excited to hear what he has to say...

We've been cleaning, weeding, organizing, packing, and cleaning some more...and after a long day of work we all went to the Brick Oven for dinner.

(Because we are not going to ever get enough Italian food or pizza around here ;) ;)

We all filed in to the restaurant and as soon as the hostess said, "we will be with you in just a minute..." all of the kids took a seat...on each others laps!!!

(Except for Kesslyn who sat over in the corner yelling "CHEESE!!!" At the top of her lungs!!!

WHOSE children are these??? Oh, that's right...MINE!!! (AND Heavenly Father's;)

I really love it...they make me SMILE!!!

BACK TO SCHOOL

DALLIN CLINT TRICKETT: 

9TH GRADE! 

14 YEARS OLD

LAST YEAR OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

(RULIN' THE SCHOOL)

PTSA LEADER, ACTOR

1ST YEAR OF SEMINARY...

I LOVE HOW CAREW JUST JOINED THE KIDS FOR THEIR BACK TO SCHOOL PHOTOS...;)

SOOOO COOL...:)

 

THE ELEMENTARY GANG :) (AND CAREW OF COURSE...)

GAVIN RYKER TRICKETT:
6TH GRADE!
LAST YEAR OF ELEMENTARY
BASKETBALL SUPER LEAGUE
KICKBALL CHAMPION ;)
(RULIN" THE SCHOOL!)

GAVIN AND CAREW

 GAVIN, KAMBRIELLA, AND KESSLYN...(AND KAMBRIELLA'S CUTE SHOES;)

KAMBRIELLA NOEL TRICKETT
3RD GRADE!
8 YEARS OLD
DANCER, TUMBLING, FASHION DIVA...
STARTING PIANO AGAIN!
SWEETEST HEART IN THE SCHOOL.:)

AND THE BACKPACK!

KAMBRIELLA AND CAREW

 JAYDAN, KAMBRIELLA, MIA, AND MYA

SARAH, EMERY, KAMBRIELLA, AND HANNAH

 THE 6TH GRADE BOYS!!!

HAPPY 2017/2018 SCHOOL YEAR KIDS!!! I KNOW IT'S GONNA ROCK!!! ;) GOOD LUCK!!!

Home Sweet Home

 Yesterday as I was walking through the house working on chores, cleaning , and doing laundry, I came upon this sweet sight. :)

I reminded the children that they needed to do some reading to get back in the habit for school...and these sweet kiddos were found with their scriptures open  and Gavin helping Kambriella with some harder words. :) 

Moments like this literally make me feel like home really can be a heaven on earth...

Also, yesterday I took Carew to the book store to pick up a missionary journal and new scripture case for his mission...

While we were there I told him that I wanted him to pick out a picture of the Savior that he could take with him as well...one that he could either put by his bed or on a night stand or something to help him feel comfort and peace...

Bless his sweet heart...he chose the exact same picture that hangs in our home on the family room wall. Now, when he looks at it, he can feel comfort and peace as he thinks of his Savior AND home.

I may have shed a tear or two at the thought of it on the drive home... :)

2 weeks from today...2 WEEKS FROM TODAY!!!

1st Day of Preschool, Eclipse, and School Blessings

 This little sweetie went to her first day of preschool with April today!!!

She was so happy and excited and looked so cute in her new little outfit! :)

And wearing her back pack made her look so big yet so tiny...

 We chose a Princess Belle back pack because she is the "smart" princess that is always found reading a book! ;) Plus, she has dark hair like Kesslyn, and reminds us of Kierra because it is HER favorite princess too! ;)

I had to have Carew take her for me since I needed to be with my mom up at the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake at the same time as her preschool...My sweet mom had to have an endoscopic procedure and some biopsies done to determine the precancerous state of a part of her colon.

She was not excited about the procedure, and had to be sedated which means she couldn't drive herself home...plus, I really wanted to be there for her for moral support. She has dealt with some pretty stressful health issues and with my dad not here, I feel like I need to give her all of the support that I can.

Yesterday at the same time as my mom's procedure was a solar eclipse! There has not been another one like it in 99 years!!! I never got any glasses to try to look at the sun because I knew I wouldn't be in a position to view it at the time it would take place...My mom was just coming out of her procedure as the sun was "eclipsing" and many of the hospital staff must have planned their breaks around it because those that could, went outside with their glasses to see.

As all of this was going on, the nurse asked me to drive our car around to the front of the hospital so that it would be close for my mom to get to. As I was walking to the parking garage I noticed the shadows that were cast through the trees from the eclipse...the little shapes that it made looked like tiny mirrored images of what was taking place! I felt excited to be able to witness something beautiful and unique even though I didn't actually look at the sun. ;)

 Later on our way home from the hospital my mom and I stopped for lunch since my mom had been fasting since the day before and felt like soup sounded good. We stopped at Kneaders and enjoyed the peaceful afternoon and the quality time to talk...

Then, when I got home I started helping Carew with his mission prep process! THIS is a BIG job because we have started cleaning out his room and all of things that he does not want to keep while he is gone or that he doesn't want to worry about when he gets back...my little boy is growing up and  I just don't know what I am going to do...he started giving his animated dinosaurs to Kesslyn and his LEGOS to his brothers, and his NERF guns to the D. I. and WOW...what an eye opener for a mom...

 When Clint got home, we ate dinner together, sang old 80's songs with Carew, and then took some time for our Family Home Evening for Clint to give the kids a Father's blessing before they start school...this is ALWAYS such a neat experience for me...

 I feel such gratitude for my husband who is worthy to use the priesthood to bless our children, and the things that they are blessed with I KNOW are for their individual needs, and Heavenly Father knows them best.

 It also makes me appreciate each of the little human beings that we are raising. For their growth and accomplishments, and how much LOVE they bring into our home.

Kesslyn was too tired to stay up for the blessings so she will get hers later, and Carew decided he wanted to wait a little while longer so he can get one a little closer to when he will be leaving...Which by the way is in only 2 WEEKS!!! Time, where have you gone??? Why can't you slow down just a tiny bit??? I'm trying sooo hard to relish each tender moment of this life. I hope I NEVER wish any of the time away...each moment is truly a gift to me.

I LOVE my family!!!