Carew's 15th Birthday! :)

This year for Carew's birthday we let him invite 4 of his best friends to go to the

 Fast Kart indoor sports track in Salt Lake. They had a BLAST!!! :)

Before we went to the track, we took the boys to Chik-fil-A (Carew's favorite :) for dinner.

Clint and I even did them the favor of sitting on the other side of the restaurant at our own table so that they could feel a little more "grown -up." ;)

Of course as soon as that freedom was granted, we could here laughter in large amounts coming from "their" side of the restaurant! AND their table coincidentally became surrounded by other tables of teenage girls! 

Hmmmm.....:)

Anyways, here are these cute boys waiting for the track to open up for their turn. :)

Pierce, Zach, Larsen, Alex, and the Birthday Boy himself :)

Larsen, Alex, Carew, Pierce, and Zach

Clint (with awesome hat head :), Carew, Larsen, Zach, Alex, and Pierce...Everyone gearing up for the track!

The track time was soooo much fun! I drove too with all of those boys and loved coming up behind them and passing them :)...I could definitely tell after all of the time on the track with those boys which of Carew's friends I would NOT be allowing Carew to get into the car with when they are really able to drive! ;)

After we got home from the track the boys had cake and ice-cream and watched a movie together...

Happy Birthday to you Carew! :)

Then, on Sunday morning (Carew's actual birthday) I surprised him with a new suit and tie!

He loved it! He actual collects ties and loves getting new ones! 

All of my handsome boys in their suits ready for church!

(This was also the day that Clint was set apart as a high priest and called to be on the High Council. This day was a special day for lots of reasons:)

Handsome Carew with his best friend Zach :)

Clint, Gavin, Carew, Dallin, and Zach

All the family, and Grandma and Grandpa Trickett...Happy Birthday Carew!!!

Carew and Zach have been best friends since they were born! I love that these boys are such good friends and can get together at any time, and it's like a day hasn't gone by...too cute :) I just love these guys!

I hope all of your birthday wishes come true!!! :)

Carew we all love you! Sweet son, brother, and friend!

Happy, Happy Birthday!!!

Running the Race...

Ahhh running :)

Something that I have always loved to do, 

and yet something that I have to graciously give up.

Over the last year and a half I have really struggled with back pain

 from degenerated discs, and unfortunately for me, 

running is not good for that. :(

I am learning everyday that I can still find ways to be active, have fun,

 and be positive about the situation because it is what it is. I will always cherish my

 "running experiences" and some of my great "life's lessons learned" while out on a run! :)

Though I will never be able to be "the winner" of the running races again, I will always be able to be 

"the winner" of "luckiest mom" and "happiest wife" and other priceless "medals." :)

I am learning everyday that there are so many wonderful things in life, gifts from Heavenly Father, countless blessings to be enjoyed, AND that I am NOT my body. I am worth so much more than "what I look like" or "how fast I can run!" I am a beloved daughter of God with great worth and divine potential...and I am "winning" this race of life. I am moving upward and onward to my eternal celestial goal, and together with my amazing husband and beautiful family, we are making it! 

We will win this race of life and together reach the "Finish Line" 

where our Greatest Fan awaits us with loving and open arms! 

And although running is hard for me to do now, I still have so much fun cheering on my little ones who run their little hearts out! Grandma Trickett has started a very wonderful tradition of inviting everyone that wants to , to join her for her holiday 5K runs! Along with aunts, uncles, cousins...and whoever wants to join in on the fun, they have so much fun together and feel so accomplished to run the race and cross the finish line, only to win their prize. Thank you Grandma for encouraging this fun and healthy tradition! :)

We love you!

Sweetheart's 5K

(Valentine's Day)

 Carew (14), Dallin (10), Gavin (8), and Kambriella (4) at the finish line

 Alora, Grandma Trickett, and Kambriella

Grandma won 1st place for her age group and won that teddy bear. She gave it to Kambriella though for completing her first race!

 I loved that Kambriella's "medal" was a flashing heart necklace! So fun for a little girl! :)

 Dallin, mom, and Gavin at the starting line

 Cousin Alora and Kambriella at the starting line

St.Patrick's Day 5K

 Kambriella and mom dressed in their green! :)

 Dallin, Kambriella, and Gavin with their prizes for winning "The Team Wearing the Most Green! "

 Grandma Trickett, Gavin, and Dallin at the finish line

(I love how Dallin's handlebar mustache went from his upper lip to his eyebrows!!! Hilarious! :)

 Alora, Kambriella, and Dallin racing towards the finish line

Her comes Gavin! :)

I love my family so much and I am so proud of them for all of their good efforts in all that they do! They are awesome kids with GIANT hearts and are here in this world to WIN!!!

And together we can! :)

"Lady Kierra...You are hereby summoned to the Ball, Also known as Riverton High Prom!"

Around the end of September my dear friend and neighbor Kami Sage shared a fun little secret with me...

Her son Adam who is a senior (by the way...awesome, obedient, fun, and cute kid ;) was planning on asking Kierra to the Riverton High School Prom ON her 16th birthday!!!

Now, no one will fully comprehend what this little bit of information meant to me...

1) I know my daughter better than anyone and have sat by her side

     at the computer as she has "window shopped" for modest prom

       dresses for the past year with hopes and dreams of some cute guy

 just possibly wanting to ask her to prom...

2) Kierra is JUST like me in so many ways and I know that all she has

 ever  wanted for her high school experiences is to be whisked away to

 "the ball" and to be pampered and treated like a real life "princess!"

3) Kierra has totally respected the rule of

 "No dating until your 16"...and has thus hoped that her "reward" 

for obedience will somehow payoff...

HOLY COW!!!! IS IT EVER GOING TO PAY OFF!!!!!!!! :)

(If she only knew the information that I knew !!!)

(Well, she knows now :) but at the time I had to keep it ALL a secret!)

So, I had known 5 months prior to her birthday that she was going to be getting the most awesome gift that a 16 year old girl could get for her birthday!!!

Now, this is not a gift that I could go out and buy her...

it is not even a gift that Adam ever even knew that she would be ecstatic over...

All he knew, is that Kierra Trickett (literally the girl next door) was sweet, beautiful, talented, and had such a pure spirit about her, that he wanted to take the opportunity to get to know her better! So he decided that he would ask her to prom...ON her birthday!!!!

(Hehehe...this whole thing makes me so giddy! It's been so much fun! :)

So, despite all of my preparing of gifts and celebrations, and parties for Kierra's sweet 16th birthday, 

I knew all along that NOTHING was going to come close to this gift that she would be getting from Adam.

So, on February 11th, after my sisters family and our family returned home from the Olive Garden Restaurant for Kierra's birthday dinner, we were in the kitchen getting ready to eat the mini Oreo cheesecakes that Kierra wanted instead of a birthday cake.

The doorbell rang and this tall guy dressed in mid evil attire cleared his voice, rolled out a long scroll, and began reading a proclamation to "Lady Kierra!"

This is how it went...

"Here ye, Here ye, 

Lady Kierra!

You are hereby summoned to the Ball

Also known as Riverton High School Prom!

To accompany Sir Adam Sage!"

Then Tyllor stepped aside and here comes Adam walking up the front steps, into our home, and gets down on one knee...presents a black silk pillow and a glass rose and says,
"Kierra Trickett, will you go to prom with me?"
Everyone in the room clapped and giggled (especially me and Adam's mom Kami...she snuck over right before the boys and pretended like she needed to borrow some chocolate chips so that she could be there to witness the whole thing! ;) !
Kierra's immediate response to Adam's question was...
"Of Course!!!"

Tyllor, Adam, and Kierra  (I wish I had a picture of Tyllor's tights and shoes..they were awesome!)

Notice Adam and Kierra's red cheeks! I think they were both pretty happy and excited :)

Kierra will probably keep this pillow and rose forever! It currently occupies it's own special space in her room where she can see it all the time :)

And here is our family...(minus Gavin...their cousin Xaxton filled in for Gavin since he disappeared right when we were taking pictures ;)

What an absolutely awesome 16th birthday this lucky girl had!
There was a lot of things going on, lots of gifts, celebrating, and fun to be had...but mind you, this sweet daughter of mine has deserved every last bit of what has come to her.
She has such a pure heart and is always so happy and obedient and I can very clearly see that the Lord is already blessing her for that in all aspects of her life.

Now, I have to give myself a little credit here...
I was able to keep this big secret the entire time!

(Even when Kierra would make comments about how awesome it would be to get to go...and how awesome it would be if her cute neighbor Adam would notice her and ask her! ...Even when Kierra would say things about knowing of other boys who might ask her ...and even when we were at the mall and she would want to go looking at prom dresses just in case she got asked!!! I think this was the hardest and longest secret I have ever had to keep!!!)

After the asking was over, we invited the boys and Kami to have some cheesecake with us, and we all talked and laughed about the whole thing, how long we had all been waiting for it and planning for it to happen...and I even made a special trip over to Adam's house the weekend before he asked her to the prom simply to say "Thank You."
I don't think he originally had ANY idea just how big of a deal this was going to be to Kierra. I told him thank you in advance because I knew just how much something like this meant to Kierra, and I had seen her talk about it for so long, and I knew that I could never "buy" her a present like this! This was priceless! It would mean so much to her, and it would literally make her the happiest 16 year old on the planet! :)

It was so funny that night too, after all of the excitement had died down, everyone had gone home, and we sat down as a family for our scripture study...Kierra sat on the couch "listening" with the biggest smile glued to her face! I KNEW that there was no way her brain was anywhere near what we were reading...so I asked her, "What do you think Kierra?"
The whole family stared at her and started laughing with her as she broke out an even BIGGER smile!...
"Sorry mom! I didn't hear A WORD you just said!"
I didn't blame her at all :)
She was somewhere out in the atmosphere sitting on cloud 9 :)
She responded to the night...
"Ya, I definitely did not see that coming...but it was pretty much the BEST part of the entire day!!!"
:)
And I KNEW it would be!

One month later...

Dress bought at Petals and Promises in Logan
Jewelry from Charming Charlie

Here goes Daddy's heart...and lump in the throat :)

Beautiful Princess :)

Happy, Happy, Happy!!!

Adam Sage and Kierra Trickett

Riverton High Prom
March 15th 2014

They had a BLAST...
Oh,
and they said they were the best looking couple there!!! :)
Love that confidence!!! ;)
I would say that this was one successful  and worthwhile secret to keep!
Now...the secret is out!!! :)

Primary..."The Happy Place"

I have lived in this home for 5 1/2 years now and have served in the primary for most of that time.

When we moved here I was pregnant with Kambriella and all of my children were primary age. 

I have always loved being in there with them, teaching them and serving them, listening to them sing and share their comments...seeing how excited they get to give a talk or a scripture and a prayer.

I have gotten to write 5 primary programs that each of my children have gotten to be a part of...and I have watched them each bloom and grow in their own way.

I have grown too.

I have grown to love primary and know that it is the "Happy Place" to serve. :)

I have loved getting hugged by 6 little 3 year olds around the neck all at the same time.

I have loved seeing their smiling faces when they walk in the room.

I have loved getting even more hugs from them when I visit them in their homes. 

I have loved the women that I have served with and feel like they are true sisters and friends.

I have loved going to each of their baptisms and seeing the way that each family loves one another and that to each of them, THEIR family is the MOST important one. :)

I have loved the funny things they say, and yet the profound things they say...

"And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; 

and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth 

about the salvation of many souls." 

Alma 37:7

Though these children are SMALL, they do confound the wise...

Their hearts are clean and pure and they have blessed my life as I have served them in the primary.

I also love that the Lord's church is organized so that we have many opportunities to serve in different capacities. I love to serve in the church and am looking forward to whatever work the Lord will have me do.

For the next 6 weeks I have been given the assignment of teaching the 17 year olds the temple prep class...and I am sooo excited to have that opportunity! Teaching about my favorite place!!! I love it!!! :)

We will see where I end up after that...wherever it is, there will my heart be also.

General Conference and our Family Home Evening tradition...

I love being a member of

The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints.

My life is a beautiful culmination of blessings that have come from my knowledge and testimony of knowing my Savior, striving to keep His commandments, and following the words of a living prophet.

Just last week it was the 184th General Conference of the church. 

IT. WAS. AWESOME!!! :)

I always love these conferences because my whole family and the walls of our home are filled for 2 straight days with love, and the Spirit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

This year as we began preparing spiritually as a family for conference, I asked my children what would be the most helpful for them to get the most out of conference. Unanimously, we all decided that listening together as a family, AND having something to do with our HANDS would help us both to absorb the spirit of all the messages, AND strengthen our testimonies and our family.

So, I set out on a mission to succeed.
 Besides preparing spiritually, (which is the most important part!)

I went to the Hobby Lobby and bought each of our children a professional sketch board
 (Just a really nice poster board...much easier to draw on...), their own set of markers, and their own set of erasable colored pencils.

I also went to Seagull book and the grocery store and stocked up on some small treats and prizes for the kids to be able to "earn" while they were listening to conference.

I found 5 pictures of the temple and glued one picture to the top corner of each child's sketch board...then drew a "pathway" that winded around and ended up at the temple. The path was divided into 4 sections...one section for each session of conference. 

So, during each session of conference the children used their path and kind of made their own "timeline" of events that were talked about during that session. Instead of "writing" notes, they were able to "draw" their notes in pictures. This was so successful for our family! All of my children love to draw, and so while they were busy listening, their hands were busy, their minds were engaged, and they were NOT bothering each other! :)  (Which is HUGE in itself!)
Their posters turned out so beautiful to me, because I know my children, and I know their hearts...and I know what each little picture they drew meant to them!
On the Monday after conference they each brought their poster to Family Home Evening where they got to "show and tell" what they learned during conference. When we were done, we went to each of their bedrooms and found a good spot for them to hang their posters... a spot where they could see it often, and be reminded of the lessons they have learned, and so they can try to actually work on living the things they are learning. It's the gospel in action! It makes me so excited and I love it! :)

Here they are...drawing and listening...

Kierra and Kambriella ...sisters side by side. :)

Gavin and Dallin...the little brothers...:)

This was the "store"  that was only opened for about 5 minutes in between sessions. They earned "conference cash" for being reverent and engaged..it was fun :)

 Kierra's poster...her favorite lesson was the 1st one on her poster. The tree with the "winds of change and trials" blowing all around us, but with gospel roots that go deep...anchoring us firm in an ever changing world.

Kambriella's poster...her favorite thing was anything that had to do with FAMILY :)
 I just love her little rainbow family of stick people..so cute :)

Carew's poster...he said that he liked it all and that is why he wrote "AMEN" in big letters at the end...:) but he also especially liked hearing of the miracle of safety for the little girl who was in the middle of the tornado at her school in Oklahoma...

Gavin's poster...His favorite story was the one of the little boy who was walking on the side of the road but was lost. He prayed for help and then Sister Stephens came along in her car and helped him...she was the answer to his prayer. Gavin said that he has a testimony of prayer just like that little boy did. :)

Dallin's poster...his favorite thing was hearing about the Armor of God...knowing that our family prayers and scripture study will keep us protected. I love his pictures of the sword and armor...:)

On Sunday, the full time missionaries came and watched both sessions of conference with us.
It was fun and special to have them there with us.
 (I think they also thought it was fun to get treats from the conference cash ;)
This is Elder Bennett and Carew making chocolate chip cookies in between sessions while I was preparing dinner. They are like best friends! It is so cute! Elder Bennett calls Carew "Carew-boo" and gives him a big bear hug every time he sees him! It is so fun! And I love that Carew has such good examples in his life...he is really excited to be a missionary too. :)

Conference is such a blessing in my life.
I love that we have the opportunity to listen to General Conference every 6 months...but what I love even more is the opportunity to read and reread the talks over and over and study them until it's time for the next session of conference to come around.

It's been a little over a year since our family has started the tradition of studying Conference talks for Family Home Evening each week.
I went to Target and bought each person in our family their own folder/organizer with an attached clipboard, highlighter, and notebook. I also buy each person their own copy of the Conference issue Ensign that they put their name on and keep in their folder.
Then, every Monday we sit down as a family and share what each individual has learned as they have read through, highlighted, and studied the talk that was chosen from the previous week.
For example, this week's talk was chosen by Gavin. It is called, "Drawing Closer to God."
Each person in our family will at some point during the week read the article on their own, highlight what was important to them, and then when we all come together for Family Home Evening on Monday night, the person who chose the talk gets to lead the discussion. So, Gavin will share what he learned, and then choose who will share next, until everyone has had a turn to share.
(I always find a way to implement a fun activity to go along with the talk...and of course a yummy treat! ;)
Then, after Family Home Evening is over, each person gives themselves up to 3 stars in their notebook for their participation.
1 star for reading the article
1 star for highlighting what they learned
and 1 star for participating in the discussion.
Then after stars are given, it is the next persons turn to choose the new article to be studied throughout the coming week.
Then, when 6 months has gone by and General Conference rolls around again, we add up our family stars and reward ourselves with a fun activity or family trip of some kind. Then, everyone gets excited when the next new Conference issue of the Ensign comes out and we start the whole process over again!
It may sound complicated, but it is actually very simple, and the spirit really testifies of the words of a living prophet.

I love that my kids are studying on their own.

I love that they are becoming more and more comfortable with sharing their thoughts and feelings each week in a group setting surrounded by people who love them and can encourage them.

I love that we are heeding the words of the prophet and "studying the talks over and over again."

I love that there is no stress to my Family Home Evening. I don't have to worry about what to prepare because we are all preparing together.

I also love that my children are recognizing this goodness in their lives and have actually come to me and thanked me for teaching them how important these things are in life. They even have gratitude and say thanks for Family Home Evening in their prayers...and not just on Monday night at Family Home Evening, but during the week as well!!! It is simply amazing how much the Spirit can teach and testify even to these little ones of truth.
They know it.
They feel it.
They love it.
And so do I!
:)
Amen!

How Wide is the Straight and Narrow Path?

I've always believed that whatever you choose to do in this life, you should do it your very best.

However...believing in becoming "the best" can lead to trying to become "perfect," 

and as far as I can tell there is only one human being who has ever lived that was perfect..
 and that is Jesus Christ.

 One lesson that I learned just a few weeks ago, has forever changed my pursuit of "perfection" and the way that I view the straight and narrow path that we are traveling each and every day...

My family and I were working together one Saturday evening with service at the church.
We were all helping to clean the building to help get it ready for the Sabbath day.
It's always a neat opportunity to see everyone working together...even the little ones, and to see how good they feel when they are doing something good for someone else.
(Even if they still might fight over who gets to use the pretty feather dusters... :)

So as we all finished up the last little details, we walked around together shutting off all of the lights in the building. As soon as the last light was out I realized that one little feather duster still needed to be put back in the custodian's closet.
I told Clint to go ahead and take everyone and go to the car and I would put the duster away and be right behind them.
I hung the duster, closed the door, and turned the corner that headed down the long hallway...
I could see my family down at the other end of the hall...6 black silhouettes walking side by side, heading towards the light of the foyer and then watching them as together they rounded the corner and disappeared out of my sight.

I walked down that long hallway by myself knowing that I was only a few seconds behind them, but also learning a great lesson that has lasted much longer than a few seconds...but a lesson that will continue to influence me for the rest of my life.

My entire life I have had this "vision" of what the straight and narrow path must look like.
 But most recently I have found that this "straight and narrow path" was beginning to look more like a "tightrope" than anything like a path at all...

I am always trying so hard to be my best and do my best and help anyone and everyone that I can...my family, my children, my friends and neighbors...
But in this pursuit of "being and doing my best," I also started to see the things that I wasn't doing...I was letting something try to convince me that doing "my best" just wasn't good enough.

I'm not even talking about anything bad here...
I started seeing that even though I had taken dinner to 3 different people that day, I still hadn't stopped by to visit my 95 year old friend Bernice... or even though I had made contact with a friend I knew that was struggling through some very hard times, I still could see that I hadn't made any contact with one of my primary teachers whom I knew needed some moral support as well...

 My good deeds and efforts of what Jesus Christ wants me to be, were beginning to become overshadowed by the many many things that I still had left to do, and the things that I hadn't yet accomplished.

So, as my loving and merciful Heavenly Father always does, He sent me a message...straight into my heart and mind that day as I walked down the long, dark hallway of the church...

Lesson #1
As I walked down that hallway and saw my family heading "towards the light" of the foyer, I immediately thought to myself, "I always want to be with my family...not behind them trying to catch up! I want to be sure to always try to live the gospel so that together we can one day walk "into the light" and into the loving arms of our Heavenly Father again someday.

Lesson #2
As I walked down the hallway I suddenly realized that it looked like I was walking down a "straight and narrow path," except much wider than what I had envisioned in my mind.
 What was interesting to me, was that as I walked down the hallway I thought to myself,

 "The straight and narrow path is wider than I think..."

Walking down the hall in Heavenly Father's house, I was able to clearly see that His path is wide enough to travel alongside loving family and friends...wide enough to encompass all of the area that I need in order to be working on serving and giving to those in need...it's not a tightrope at all with no room for growth...

Sometimes I would find myself thinking that if I hadn't accomplished everything good that I had thought of in a day, then I must have failed...or slipped from the "tightrope width" of the straight and narrow path.

It is now very clear to me that Heavenly Father sees farther than we can see, and His path, though straight and narrow it is true, is still much wider than I have ever before realized.
That path is always going to be wide enough to hold everything and everyone that I have bundled up in my heart. It is always going to be wide enough for me to go about my work, and know that even if I hadn't made every possible stop doing something good that day, there was room for the ones that I did make, and there will still be room for the ones I still need to make for "tomorrow."

Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can become "perfect" in Him. That does not mean that I have to be perfect everyday, or even right now. But it does mean that I need to be sure and stay "on His path" and see the good that I can do and know that it is enough and that Heavenly Father is proud of me, and is encircling me about in His loving arms right there ON the path.

As a beloved daughter of God I know just where my potential lies...and it's not in walking a tightrope, or letting anything discourage me from not doing "enough good." It comes in knowing that I am on the right path, that I really am helping others along the path as I serve them and love them too. And it comes in seeing myself as Heavenly Father sees me...a faithful follower and beloved daughter doing my best to make it to "the light" of our eternal home...hand in hand with all those whom I love. :)

Kierra Turns "Sweet 16!"

Having your first child reach a milestone birthday like this is totally awesome, fun, exciting, CRAZY, scary, and surreal...all at the same time. Talk about a roller coaster ride of emotions!

 (And I'm talking about for this mama NOT the teenager! :)

We knew that this birthday would require an amazing celebration, so along with all of the pre-dating/birthday activities we have done, here is the fun of the actual Birthday itself!

On the Friday before Kierra's birthday, she planned a sledding party at Gorgoza Park in Park City.

Clint and I drove her and her friends there where we all had a blast screaming, laughing, and racing down the slopes. We love coming here for lots of reasons, but one of the best reasons is that there is a moving sidewalk built right into the mountain so that each time you make a run down the hill, you don't even have to walk back up! You just hop on the moving sidewalk and enjoy laughing, visiting, (or even a cuddle and a smooch like Clint and I did ;) as you are whisked away back to the top. 

It. Is. Awesome. :)

Let the PARTY begin!

 All the gang ready for fun

 Kierra with her Besties...Emma and Kaitlyn...I LOVE these girls! 

 Kierra with silly Austin and Nate...these guys ALWAYS seem hungry! ;)

Then, on February 11th, 2014...Kierra Nicole Trickett turned 16!

On the morning of her birthday I woke up and made her a yummy breakfast, gave her a new outfit to wear to school and hugged and kissed her on her way.

I went about putting her hope chest in her bedroom, getting her gifts all ready, and then went and checked her out of school early.

One of the main things that she wanted to do ON her birthday was to get her license...so, by checking her out early, we were able to beat the crowd and get in and out of there before anyone else. We literally were out of the DMV in about 15 minutes from when we arrived, so with all of our extra time, we simply decided to do what any smart girls would do...we went SHOPPING! :)

We went to Charming Charlie (LOVE that place!!!) where Kierra found a cute new shirt AND wallet to put her fancy new driver's license in. :)

Then , we drove home and got into her car that her dad had given her and took it to the gas station where we filled up the tank, vacuumed the floors and took it through the car wash. She was soooooo

excited to take it out by herself for the very first time!

I on the other hand, felt like I was going to have a panic attack. ;)

Don't get me wrong...she is an awesome driver. But I truly felt like my heart left with her as she drove away for the very first time. ( I actually took a video of her driving away...all of my kids get a kick out of watching it over and over and over. They say it sounds like I'm gonna cry...but of course I'm not...I'm just choking a little as my heart drives away with her. :)

I just LOVE this girl...(and the little one next to her :)

Did I mention that I LOVE this girl?

So, Kierra drove away but wasn't gone for very long. She just wanted to drive to Kaitlyn's house to say "Hello" and to show her best friend that it was official. :)

As soon as she got home, so did the rest of the family.

 We all jumped in the car together and headed to the Olive Garden Restaurant for Kierra's birthday dinner. We met my sister Tiffany and her family there where we all enjoyed visiting together. It was an awesome time...but all the while I had been holding in a BIG DARK SECRET.

The suspense was almost killing me and I just couldn't wait for dinner to be over so that we could get home for Kierra's final birthday present. 

The one she would NEVER ever forget!!!

Here's the clue:

This story is just sooooo awesome and so I have to finish on my next post so that I have room for all of the details. This is sooooo EXCITING!!!! :)

It IS a Happy Birthday!!!