Happy Birthday Carew! And a Weekend of "Firsts"

This weekend has been an interesting one full of "firsts."

And "first" of all I would like to wish a happy birthday to my first born son...

Happy Happy Birthday Carew!!! ;)

Today we will celebrate Carew by opening up and blowing up those 4 large boxes that Clint couldn't wait to give him yesterday...4 large hamster balls!!! You know, the ones you climb inside of and ram into each other with??!! I just wonder who will be the first one crying...(and will she take it personally if you know who I mean...;)

We will go outside, go to Scheels, have sushi for dinner, and eat birthday cake too! :)

Maybe even end the day with a movie in the basement. ;)

What we will NOT be doing is going to the Jazz vs. Lakers game that was originally the plan, since the coronavirus has shut down the NBA for a while.

Which brings me to more of the "firsts" that we experienced as a family this weekend.

The president of the United States announced that the coronavirus is a world wide pandemic.

 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints announced a worldwide suspension of all church meetings due to the coronavirus and trying to take preventative measures in the spreading of the virus. 

On Friday Governor Herbert announced a mandatory preventative shut down of all schools in Utah. And the shelves at all of the grocery stores are more bare than I have ever seen in my lifetime.

These are interesting times and I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Through times of economic and social uncertainty, I feel so much peace.

Yesterday was the first time ever that I participated in a "virtual" ward council meeting from the comfort of my own home. Through the blessing of modern technology, 11 members of the ward council were able to meet in a Zoom classroom and carry on and conduct necessary things to help our ward family function and still be taken care of. It was a modern day miracle that I got to be a part of!

We also held  (with authorization from our bishop) our very first ever Sacrament meeting at home.

The Spirit was strong. 

I had so much gratitude in my heart for the Priesthood and for ALL of the boys in my family who dressed in their Sunday best and prepared, blessed, and passed the sacrament to everyone in our family.

We had a program where everyone participated and we learned and grew together.

It wasn't perfect.

 I think we'll get better as we go, 

but the most important thing was that we were able to renew our covenants and keep it sacred and special.

These times are different, but I am looking at them as a blessing and a gift.

What a better time than now to be able to have a few weeks right before general conference to spend some extra quality time with the ones you love the most (with a TOTALLY FREE schedule!)

No games, school, or extra activities to worry about.

And all the time in the world to spend on things that matter most.

I am grateful for this "silver lining" to the virus that has the world worried...

I have a testimony that Heavenly Father loves us and is mindful of us, and that we will be better and stronger people because of this experience, and because I am prepared, I am not afraid!

The Peace the Gospel Brings

 Yesterday as I listened  to Elder and Sister Stevensen for the online family discovery day, I was moved by the spirit so immensely at the power of family, and that the Spirit of Elijah can literally unleash the power of families. They spoke of fortifying our homes and building up walls of protection spiritually and reminded us of angels that are watching over us that we cannot see...

I believe this so wholeheartedly. I KNOW that they are there. I have seen them dressed in white and busy about their work. I love these promises and live by them.

 I also believe that not only are the angels who watch over us are our family members who have traveled on to the other side of the veil, but I believe that they are also the people for whom we have done temple work for.. That's why I am so glad that Clint and I were able to go to the temple together early Tuesday morning! We left armed with power and authority from God, and with angels that have charge over us.
And with all of the doubt and uncertainty in the world right now with the COVID-19 Virus, or Coronavirus, things are changing rapidly. The church just today announced that all church meetings worldwide are cancelled effective immediately. 

With the bicentennial celebration of the First Vision, everyone will be watching and participating in that through technology only. I know that President Nelson had great vision in many ways when he said that this conference would be both "memorable AND unforgettable."

I'm so grateful for the peace the gospel brings through cloud AND sunshine!

A Girls Date

 The little girls and I had a dinner date the other night while the boys were at the Jazz game and making movies. They LOVED the old fashioned diner that I took them to! Nielsen's Frozen Custard is a place that my sister introduced us to in Bountiful, and when we learned that one had opened near us, we just HAD to go! I enjoyed sitting and talking with these 2 cuties and laughing at their giggles and silliness. Family bonds are the best, especially the bond between sisters. :) We will definitely have to do this again when Kierra comes to town. ;) by unanimous little sister's request!

I LOVE my girls!!!

Gavin Gives HOPE

 So fun to check the mail and find my sweet Gavin on the front and center cover of the mailer! :)

Gavin is a member of the HOPE squad and that makes me soooo proud! He was nominated by many of his peers as "someone they could turn to for help and friendship." He is SUCH a good boy and I love being his mom. I want to try and help all of my kids continually find more and more ways to be happy, help others, and serve where our Savior needs them to.

Way to go Gavin!!! 

 We are also busy planning and preparing for this big event on Sunday!!!

Our LAST EVER Eagle Court of Honor!!!

A Little Prayer and a Win

 Kesslyn and her friends were having a play date and playing outside in the grass with the sun shining down, and it was a great feeling with a little hope of Spring in the air. 

As they ran and played and giggled, they came inside to tell me that they had lost baby Jesus in the grass! They had all kinds of small toys with them and losing this one made them all sad, but they also told me that they had already prayed to find him, and so I told them I KNEW that they would!

What sweet little girls who all on their own thought to pray when they needed help. It was so sweet and made me smile, and my mom heart happy. 

Sure enough, after the friends had all gone home and Kesslyn and I went back outside and retraced their steps, we found baby Jesus! Kesslyn ran right over to the spot they had been playing and said one more little prayer..."Thank You for finding baby Jesus!"

It was a good day, and a good little life lesson.

This weekend was also full of service projects and basketball games! Kambriella's team had their first game in the Utah county Bantam spring league and won, and then we all drove for a quick smoothie in between games. I'm so glad that she has great friends to play with and encourage her! That's a "win" all around!

Closing the Chapter

This week we finally closed on our Buckwheat home!!!

I walked through the house one last time saying goodbye and saying thank you for all of the memories...

We lived in this home for almost exactly 11 years! We had 2 babies here, a marriage, a mission, lots and lots of parties...we built traditions and made lots and lots of memories here, including the biggest and loudest homecoming party EVER. (You remember that one...where the cops came??;)

We just had to go out with a bang!

Now, we are ready to make new memories, create new traditions, and relive old ones too..

We are happy and blessed and grateful for our new home and all of the good opportunities it brings!

This chapter is over, but the best is yet to come!

I'm sure of it. ;)

Turks and Caicos

 Clint and I were blessed to be able to spend a week together in paradise. 

Literally! 

We went to the Turks and Caicos Islands all inclusive Beaches resort for 5 blissful days together and did not want to leave!

 I cannot remember the last time I felt so relaxed  and care free and SPOILED, and it was wonderful!!!

We sat around a lot of the time talking, snuggling up together, and reading or listening to a book together!! WHEN have I ever had time to sit and read for fun??? Never. It was the BEST. :)

 We explored our resort and found so many fun things to do from the swimming pools and lazy river, to the little shops and restaurants, to water sports and tennis and pickle-ball courts...

The water was so beautiful, the perfect shade of turquoise blue! And sitting at the end of this pier that we had all to ourselves was the first spot where we sat down together and read our book, the Saints. It's a book in the lds gospel library app about the early history of the church and I have been wanting to read it for soooo long! Together on our trip we got through 18 of the 46 chapters, and we are going to try and finish it before our church history trip to New York this summer. It is so good!

  Each night we would get to try a new restaurant, but my favorite one was this one called Barefoot By the Sea. We sat together by the light of tiki torches and candles with our feet in the sand right on the beach. To say it was romantic would be an understatement! I was in heaven. And after dinner we walked along the boardwalk talking, holding hands, and listening to a mixture of blissful sounds...the ocean waves, the palm tree leaves blowing in the breeze, and love songs played by a steel drum band...I felt so peaceful and happy...

 We also took an island tour and visited this beautiful and iconic restaurant called the Conch Shack. It is a famous movie stars favorite where they can go and enjoy life there like a "typical" person because fame and stature don't really matter to the people on this island...

 We enjoyed a Hibachi dinner with the Sound Off Signal crew ( which were the people who made this whole trip possible) and laughed at the jokes of this Asian man from "Philly!" ~ The Philippines! Ha! ,)

 On the last night of the trip we were treated to a beautiful dinner on the beach where Sound Off awarded their Distributor of the Year and celebrated the successes of all of our companies for 2019. Mark Litke and his wife Janet are some amazing people and we always have a great time visiting and getting to know each other better...and Clint and I are always trying to "stand out" a little (which isn't hard to do since we are the only ones that do not drink alcohol) and be good examples and good missionaries. We always have something gospel related to talk about and it's great.

 This is a banana split that we shared one afternoon, which was a bad habit that we developed quickly there (dessert after almost every meal!) because EVERYTHING was included! We had to pay for NOTHING. (Except for souvenirs...:)

 We even enjoyed little milkshakes by the lazy river...

 ...they had converted a Volkswagen bus into a mobile milkshake hut and it was the cutest!!!

 Everything there was so clean and beautiful...

 And although I didn't take my camera out on the water, we did go out on the ocean in this kayak where we could look down through the glassy water and see the ocean floor beautifully and clearly!

 We drove these buggy's around the island on a tour too where we saw a few famous people's vacation homes...mansions I should say...

 We spent most of our time being lazy on the beach...and of course I had to capture a few lasting memories with photos by the pier...:)

My sweetie :)

 The beautiful water and the shells that we combed the beach for...

 This is one souvenir I love bringing home to share with everyone...it's fun finding them, they are beautiful to add to my collection, and they are free. :)

 I LOVE this boy!!!!

This amazing view is one that I never want to forget, and one that I feel so blessed to have been able to see with my own eyes... a REAL piece of heaven!

 As our stay was nearing it's end, we both found every reason to fill our time with as much enjoyment as possible, so we also played tennis, pickle ball, and ping pong tournaments for back rubs. 

Clint ended up getting a lot of back rubs! ;) (One day I'm going to beat him!!!;)

 We took in every detail we could...

 ...and focused on US.

I loved every minute of it, and when Clint would say, "Are you sick of me yet?" I would just laugh and then get another kiss. :) 

 Grandpa Trickett saved the day (or the week I should say) by staying with the kids, making pink pancakes for the little girls for breakfast, taking them mini golfing, and playing games etc.

 Then what a sweet surprise to come home to such love! There really is no place like home to come home to! (Unless you are on the island of Turks and Caicos with your best friend!!!!!!!!! :)