Short Person Syndrome

When I hang out with some of my friends, I am the short one.  I am 5'5" so that tells you how tall these women are.  We met at Brio for dinner and to catch up because it had been too long.  I love these women.  They are strong, independent, opinionated, and amazing! 

Me, Jen, Cynthia, Rachel, Rochelle

After dinner I went shopping with Rachel and Rochelle and we met up with Rachelle and Tonya.  Yes, you read that right!  Rachel, Rochelle and Rachelle.  We also have two Jennifers, but the other one lives in Tulsa and couldn't fly in for the night.  We also have a Sally who was there earlier, but had a family party to go to.  Every single one of these women have been through some big challenges in life.  It is a powerful testament to the strength of women!  I am so grateful to count them as friends. 

Playing In November

 I snuck up on Clara when I volunteered at her Thanksgiving Feast at school. 

 She was happy to see me and gave me a big hug.

 The kids ate a LOT of crap.  It was supposed to be that they brought their favorite treat, but, I think most parents just cleaned out their pantries.  I brought cut up fruit - shocker.

 We worked on manners, saying please and thank you, for the feast. 

 Post sugar high.  Note: processed mac n cheese (microwaved), cheetos, string cheese...lovely.

 I loved this - she makes me laugh.

 Josh had a really ugly dangling tooth that FINALLY came out this month. 

 One of my cool Webelos got his Arrow of Light, 20er, and became our Denner

 We went to Thanksgiving Point with The Birds (my friends from BYU)

 I think I have 27 different pictures of this cave

 Probably as many of the Design-a-Dino

And even more of my kids playing in this sand

Neighborhood Christmas Party 2011

For the past several years we have had a neighborhood Christmas party at my house.  Everyone brings cookies or treats to share and each year we choose a different charity to donate to as a neighborhood.  This year it was the Utah Foster Care Foundation.  My friend, Michelle, has fostered and then adopted three boys over the past few years (cute kids!) and so she chose the charity for us.  In the past we have done the Road Home, the Utah Food Bank, and Primary Children's Hospital.  It's a fun way to start the Holidays! 

Michelle, Heidi, Judd and their kiddos

Becca and Jennifer

Riding the bench - Harrison, Judd, Aaron, Colin and Ryan

The cookie grabbing begins!

Everyone having a good time visiting

I had to keep her from inhaling 10 treats

My cute kid

Loree, Michelle and Lou(ri)

Cindy, Rachel and Kristen

Cute girls!

Can you believe there is a two year age difference?  Guess which one is older.

Loree, Lou(ri), Me, Cori and Kristen - the five of us used to all live across the street and next to each other, but Loree and Cori moved.  It was great to be back together for a minute!

Joshua David Totten gets Baptized

There was a big event this past weekend for my little family.  My son made the choice to be baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  This is an essential ordinance and a commandment of God.  I know that most mothers feel this way when their children make big decisions and they are the right decisions.  I have felt a great deal of love and appreciation for my husband for holding the Priesthood so that he was able to baptize and confirm our son.  I wasn't able to be baptized by my dad, but was fortunate to have wonderful Priesthood holders around me growing up.  I was baptized by my Uncle Terry, and confirmed a member of the Church by my grandfather.  

As I watched so many of our family members and friends participate in the confirmation circle for my son, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.  Later I was sitting next to my "brother from another mother", Ben, and he said, "You are very loved."  Still later my bestie said, "It was a powerful image seeing all of those men who hold the Priesthood in the confirmation circle.  Those will be wonderful examples for him." Then I said a small prayer of gratitude that because both Ben and my bestie happened to move to Utah over the past six months, they were both able to be at the baptism.  Then I said another small prayer of gratitude because my niece (who grew up in North Dakota), who gave the talk on the Holy Ghost, was able to be there because she is going to school at BYU.  I gave the talk on the Holy Ghost at her baptism when she was 8. 

There are huge moments in life to be grateful for and there are small moments to be grateful for, and yesterday included both.  To have all of my parents there was a blessing.  To have my wonderful friend Ginny and her family here from Colorado was a blessing.  They aren't members of our Church, but understood the significance for our family, and they love us so they came.  To have shared the baptism with two families in our congregation was a blessing.  Their sons are good friends with our son, and we love them.  I commented today to the father of one of our boys (who is our home teacher) that I felt like the Spirit was much stronger with the three boys getting baptized on the same day than if they had had individual programs. 

It's easy to accuse me of being sentimental, because I am.  By small and simple means do great things come to pass.  I am grateful for a Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ, who know me, love me, and know what the small things mean to me.

 Josh at the temple where Dave and I got married - Mt. Timpanogos Utah Temple

Josh - 8 years old

 November 5, 2011 - Josh's Baptism Day

 Dressed and ready!

 Josh and Heidi

 Our little Family - Dave, Heidi, Josh and Clara

 Uncle Jack, Ellen, and Aunt Karen

 Ben, Uncle Rob and Aunt Jessica

 Grandma Nancy, Josh and Dave

 Amabuela, Josh and Heidi

Ama Georgia, Papa Kirk, Josh and Heidi

 William and Josh - born on the same day!

 Uncle Eric showing off the butternut squash soup

 Josh and Uncle Curtis

 Chef Marty gives out the soup for everyone

  Chef Marty made butternut squash soup, roasted pepper soup, and minestrone - all amazing!

 The Tottens

 Ginny and Josh

June 2011: School's Out for Summer!

I realize I have been a giant slacker in the family blogging department for the past six months.  I still haven't blogged about our wonderful trip to Virginia.  I'll get to work on that.  In the meantime, we have SO many things scheduled for the summer that I am going to have to blog almost daily to make sure I don't get behind, so be ready....I think I have one reader left. 

School got out June 3rd so right after the final bell we had a picnic at the park with our Summer Adventure Society.  My fabulous friend, Melissa, created a group on Facebook and we have weekly adventures planned throughout the summer.  We sat at the park while the kids ran around and talked about the school year and how glad we were that it was summer.  Then we all went home with sunburns because we all forgot that sitting in the sun means we need sunscreen. 

Sometime in October 2010

This month has gone by too fast.  That's all there is to it.  Here are a couple of things that we have done this week!

Last week the Young Women in our ward had a Fashion Show called "Modest is Hottest".  They did a great job and it was fun for everyone that rocked the catwalk.  Below are some pictures of peeps in my ward who joined in - including my babies.

 Hip Hop G

 Brother Aaron

 Kool K - one of my Webelos

 Our former bishop rocks the 80s.  Don't know where the halo bubbles come in.

 Webelo W - another one of my boys

 Kute Kater Tot

 G - the White Witch

 The Ribbon Witch and Magician

 Lou Lou showing up in full gold pant/vest wearing power!

 Our current Bishop and his trusty sidekick 

Josh's school held another Fall Festival.  My kids were party poopers and didn't want to get dressed up, and we got there an hour late.  However, we still had a good time.

 Donuts on a string

 Love Clara's giggle in this one

 Mini-golfing

And of course, it wouldn't be Halloween without Nat's annual Witch Party!  I decided to dress comfortably this year because you  never know what she has in store.