A lump in my throat ;)

Just the thought of the holidays and especially Christmas can make me get all choked up inside! But one of the sweetest things to me is when my sweet husband does just the same thing, and then makes a joke about how he feels like he's "going to choke" or there's something stuck in his throat! Last week on the day after Thanksgiving, Clint and I snuck away for a couple of hours and went to a Christmas concert by the One Voice Children's Choir. We sat cuddled up next to each other and when it was over, we walked out together laughing and smiling about how much we felt like we were going to choke! Then last night as we were setting up our Christmas tree and listening to a very beautiful piano concert by Paul Cardall, Clint stopped what he was doing and took me by the hand and started dancing with me around the room and pointed to his neck because there was once again a big lump stuck in his throat! It was too cute!
Then , somehow the lump came back at the end of the night as we sat down together to read a Christmas story together with the kids. We have so many stories that we decided to read one again over breakfast this morning, and sure enough as we did, Clint advised me that it wasn't very wise to do that to him while he is eating because then FOR SURE he felt like he was going to choke!!! Oh my cute boy, I have such deep gratitude for you and all of the many times that you make me smile, shed a tear of joy, or even get caught choking from the big lump in my throat!!! :)

Special to me...

Heavenly Father is so good to me. Both in times of laughter and sorrow, there is always something good to be found from the hand of the Lord. Even though we will all miss my brother Kelly more than words can say, there is also a strength from love that can pull a family together, and miracles can happen~ these people in my life are so special to me...









My sweet parents have committed their lifetime to giving, serving, and loving each and every one of us kids! I have always admired their devotion to one another and it has been so precious for me to see the tenderness that they have for each other especially in times of need.










My beautiful "big" sisters ;)
Meloney~Andrea ~Felicia~Cynthia
I remember when I was a little girl, I would love to wake up early in the morning just to watch them get ready for school! It was so much fun for me to watch them curl their hair, put on their make-up, and wear their fancy clothes... It was such a treat for me to spend some time with all of us together again - laughing, crying, talking, and reminiscing... They will always be women that I look up to in my life...(even though I think I am taller than most of them now ;)









Then there is this really cute guy that always seems to find a way to make me feel the most special of all ;)...
He is the one that is the most special to me, and he really knows how to make me smile... (This was at the Red Rock Canyon just a few days before Kelly passed away.)









...and although it is hard to see at night, this is the Las Vegas Nevada Temple. Clint and I went here in the evening after spending the day out hiking. Whether close to home or far away, being able to attend the temple wherever we go is also something very special to me. I love to see beautiful things, and the temples are all very beautiful to me.








And how is this for a beautiful sight?! This was what I saw out on my morning run with the first official snowfall of the year! I really love and appreciate the beauty of nature, and the changing of the seasons is yet another thing that is special to me! I love it!

Goodbye for now brother...

On October 23rd my family and I were driving home from my brother-in-law Curt's mission homecoming. We were all laughing and having such a great time together when I received a devastating phone call that my brother Kelly had passed away. Shocked, upset, and in denial, I was frozen for the rest of the ride home wondering how my brother who had just turned 40 one week earlier could be gone? It was oh so sudden and much too soon and completely unexpected. You never expect that one day you will wake up and someone you love will be gone. But, after a funeral in Georgia, a memorial and burial here in Utah, spending precious time with family, and trying to accept his death, I have an even greater resolve to live everyday with an outpouring of love and with NO regrets.
Suffice it to say that family needs love. Family needs acceptance and forgiveness. Family needs commitment and unconditional love. We need each other through the good and bad, thick and thin, happy and sad, until the end. I love my family. I love my brother Kelly. He was a great person with a big smile and an even bigger heart. I will miss you Kelly, thanks for your laughs, your love, and your memories. I will cherish them always.

Words cannot express what I am feeling in my heart.
I have a vision of your laugh and then it mends a broken part.
I remember things you said; I remember your sweet smile,
Then the tears begin to flow ~ but only for a little while.

It’s just because I miss you, I can’t call you on the phone,
I can’t just drop by later thinking maybe you’ll be home.
It hurts to know you’re gone and that you won’t be coming back
My thoughts just seem to drift, I am distracted and off track.

You were a joy to everyone, a friend and someone who was real,
Knowing just when you should stand up tall, and when to bend and kneel.
There was happiness and laughter mixed with tears that fell like rain,
Moments when you were so proud and when you couldn't bear the pain.

I wish you could come back and hug me for a little while
Because if you were here with us this would no longer be a trial.
We could all just laugh together at the jokes that you would say
And we could go down to the park and watch the little kiddies play.

We would comment on the weather, reminisce and see the view,
We could go take in a movie, or hike up a mountain too.
We could go out running together, or eat big bowls of ice-cream!
Or we could sit and share our thoughts of things you dreamt of in your dream.

I know this all sounds selfish because I miss you oh so much!
But I know that healing time will soon extend a gentle touch.
I know I must be strong, have faith and soon will come a day,
When we all will be united and together we can stay.

But until then my dear brother I send my loving thoughts to you,
Through a laugh, a tear, or smile ~a message genuine and true.
I will not forget your spirit; I will not forget your heart,
You were a hero as my brother; I loved you from the very start.

Now will you do me one last favor from the heavens where you roam?
Would you simply be an instrument to guide us all back home?
We are on the path together; the directions are precise,
But at times we need reminded of the Savior’s sacrifice.

We need to be reminded how to give so selflessly,
And to reach out to each other and discern with clarity,
Of how we all should live and just where we want to be
Gathered in the mansions where we will glimpse eternity.

So Dear Kelly, big brother, I hope you somehow will know
That I’m doing my best to both hold on and let you go.
For as much as I miss you, I hold you closer than ever
With the hope for our family to be together forever.


By Susette Trickett
November3, 2011

A BIG Princess Bubble Bath!

This past Saturday afternoon, I was busy helping Kierra get ready for her Ballet Company pictures. You know, washing, ironing, curling her hair... and little miss Kambriella was in need of a little attention as well, so I thought it was a great idea to give her a "princess" bubble bath! That way she could be in the bathroom with us and still have some fun of her own. I pulled out her strawberries and cream bubbles and proceeded to DUMP the bubbles into the bathtub! I knew that she would really like A LOT of bubbles, but when I turned my head and saw just how many we had made, we all started laughing!!!
If you notice the open window by the tub, Kambriella is becoming a product of her mother! Not only does she enjoy the warm bath, but she loves to watch the birds fly by and listen to them sing their song while she soaks!














How's this for being "perfectly pampered like a princess!" Bubbles galore!!!













I love you to pieces Kambriella!!!

Fall is in the Air!

Fall is in the air!!! I get so excited for autumn time!!! There are so many wonderful things that come along and bring with them a sense of excitement and anticipation. Beautiful scenery, changing of the colors, conference time, cooler air for the morning run! ~ Fun music, activities, pumpkin EVERYTHING!!! Pumpkin spice hot chocolate, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pancakes... harvest time, mine and Clint's birthdays, and Halloween! ~Then bring on Thanksgiving and all the holiday fun! I just LOVE it!!! So, as we jump into the fall, let's bring on the FUN!!!
~Fall decorations!

~The kiddies at the corn field...

~Picking pumpkins from the pumpkin patch!

~Looks like a good one! ;)

~Hmmm... decisions, decisions, decisions!!!

~This was my first year learning how to can the peaches from our peach tree! (Thanks to my sweet mother-in-law;) After a color and a haircut, we spent a few hours in the kitchen getting going~showing me the ropes~blanching, peeling, cutting, mashing (for the yummy jam we made), filling, boiling, sealing...

~It was an all day and all night project! Here is my sweet husband going strong! I think it was about 3 a.m. when we finally got to bed that night! Ooo and he is my BEST helper! ;)

~After we were all done, we had a couple of dozen jars of peaches, and about 18 jars of peach jam. What a good feeling to have learned and accomplished something so useful and what a pretty sight!

Decorations, pumpkin patches, and jars of peaches and jam... This is the beginning of another beautiful fall season! ~And it's always the season for having fun, learning something new, and being with those that you love! Happy Fall!!!

Our Conference Drive...

One of my favorite things to look forward to in the fall is the changing of the beautiful colors, going for a drive in the mountains to see them, and listening to inspiring and encouraging messages during general conference. This year, we watched all of the sessions at home, and then packed a picnic lunch and went for a long drive during the last session. It was like candy to my senses... beautiful scenery, riding next to my very best friend, and feeling an abundance of the spirit of it all. ~A love of being together~ and learning together what we can do to become better people, become closer as a family, and how to live more fully the gospel of Jesus Christ. I LOVE conference!!! After the sessions were all over, we had a fun time exploring through the canyon and stopping in pretty places to capture a few of the scenes on film...
Here is Clint surrounded by the kids ;)












...and the Mom surrounded by the kids ;)










Then of course Clint had to go and be funny and make us all laugh by clinging to this cozy tree trunk. What are you , a tree hugger? ;)

But then it looked like so much fun that we all wanted to try being tree huggers ;)

...and little Kambriella too ;)

This picture made me smile, but if you're wondering where Dallin is, he had decided that sitting and smiling wasn't near as exciting as...

...exploring on his own! (That cute little stinker;)

Three handsome brothers...

Here's the whole gang up at Nebo Loop.

And you know the saying, "till the cows come home?" Well, that's what we saw on our way out of the canyon! All kinds of cows just wandering around out in the wild! Kambriella even yelled out the window to the brown one, "Hey cow! I like your hair!" It gave us a good giggle for the ride home.

Conference weekend all in all was so enjoyable! Great times, great lessons, and great memories together. Now, bring on the fall! Anyone for some pumpkin spice hot chocolate?

A Day of Miracles...

I firmly believe that we live in a day of miracles. When I just look at the world around me, I can see them both great and small. For example, the other day I took the kids over to the park after they got home from school, and it didn't take long at all for all of us to start running barefoot through the grass, rolling down the hill, and spying all of the trees ~ flowers ~ and yes, even the dandelion weeds that Kambriella so instinctively started picking and blowing to make wishes on! As we sat there, I had the thought of the miracle and beauty of life and my precious children. Particularly this little princess who was born with such complicated heart problems, and now is completely healed and living life to the fullest. You would never know if you passed us in the grocery store what we have been through. Nor do we know what anyone around us may be going through as well. I have people in my life that celebrate the good and the bad daily, and it makes me realize that we all have the need for each other, the need for hope, the need for more unconditional love, and the need to have a close and loving relationship with our Heavenly Father through prayer. Miracles happen all around us every single day, but it is usually through the hand of another that we witness these things both great and small. ~Lives are touched, burdens are lifted, tragedies are overcome, and broken hearts are mended. ~Babies are born, news travels the world instantly, illnesses are battled, and our paths cross daily with all those lives that are being affected. Whether we know it or not, we may be the answer to someones prayer. We may help a miracle to come. Maybe it will only come as a thought at first, but if we listen to the spirit carefully, each one of us can bring about so much good. I am so grateful to be able to see the goodness all around me, and for humble and sincere prayer that can strengthen us when we are weak, inspire us to serve and be someones answer to a prayer, or even to recognize true miracles in our own lives everyday. Whether it's a young girl confined to a wheelchair, a sweet smile you pass in the grocery store, or a little princess making dandelion wishes...look around you and see the miracles.