Come, Listen To A Prophet's Voice.

In April 2011 Jeffrey R. Holland said, "As our conference comes to a close, I ask you to reflect in the days ahead not only on messages you have heard, but also on the unique phenomenon that general conference itself is-what we as Latter-day Saints believe such conferences to be and what we invite the world to hear and observe about them. We testify to every nation, kinder, tongue, and people that God not only lives but also that He speaks, that of our time and in our day the counsel you have heard is, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, "the will of the Lord, the word of the Lord, the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation."

A Day In Good Harbor Beach & Rockport, MA.

A little late in posting but I wanted to write a little bit about how  I spent my birthday this past Sunday. We spent in Rockport which is a quaint beach town in Massachusetts. I wish we could have stayed here all week since fall has been feeling more like summer, but because of work and school had to go home late in the evening. We spent the majority of the day at Good Harbor Beach where the kids collected rocks, and to their feet wet. I wish we would have packed our swimsuits, but the water was a bit nippy, but it still would have been fun to get a little wet!

Days For Girls & Women's Conference In Boston.

What an amazing weekend! The fact that I shared in the joy of assembling kits for the Days for Girls service project was the icing on the cake. We joined my dear sisters in Boston to help them out with this project, and it was the best evening that I had with my girls too! If you want to know more about this project, and see more photos you can follow them on their Facebook page. 

A Little Encouraging Post To Myself, On My Birthday Weekend.

It's Friday and we are gearing into the weekend in which I know will be spiritually edifying! General women's conference, and my 46th birthday are both this weekend and to be honest I couldn't be more excited. I love attending with my girls, and celebrating my special day with people I love. Nearing my 50's doesn't scare me too much. Maybe it's because I see my sister aging gracefully, and the way she embraces life, and her age is impressive. Same with my momma. She's in her 70's, and looks as if she's in still in her 50's. So grateful she's doing well with her battle with cancer and all! 

Happy First Day Of Fall!

Fall couldn't have fallen on a perfect day because the kids had no school today thanks to Rosh Hashanah! In spite of my allergies which have been kicking my butt all week long we decided to venture out to Alstede Farms, to look at pumpkins, and buy some vegetables. This farm has become my new favorite farm store, and I love everything this farm has to offer.

An Afternoon At Gantry Plaza State Park!

Living so close to the city definitely has its advantages, and after finding one of the most affordable ways to go into the city  has  definitely spoiled us. One of the reasons I love the city so much is because of the culture, parks, and all the sights to see. Even if it's just by walking around exploring, and looking at all the architecture of the buildings wondering what building is all about.

An Important & Timeless Quote For My Boy.

I want to see you brave 

and manly, and 

I also want to see

 you gentle and tender. 

Be practical as well as 

generous in your 

ideals. 

Keep your eyes your feet on the ground. 

Courage, hard work, 

self mastery, 

and intelligent effort 

are all essential to a successful life. 

Character, in the long run is the decisive

factor in the life of an

individual 

and of nations alike. 

~Theodore Roosevelt

Tennis Season Is Here!

Tennis season has begun and Lexie couldn't be more excited about it. She won her match the other day, and was the only one who won the match on their team. Although it was sad to see her other teammates not winning their matches Lexie was ecstatic when she won! 

Seaglass Carousel At The Battery.

One of my friends asked me the other day that I might as well move to New York since my family and I frequent there often. Although I love the city and can imagine myself living there with a family the desire to live there just isn't in me. I love that we live smack in the middle of Jersey where we have the city close enough to take advantage of the good, but we skip the inconvenience of living in it.  

Back To School Quote-"Just Keep Trying!"

I usually think of a scripture or a quote for the kids as the kids start a new school year, and after Jon gave a fathers blessing to all the kids all I could think of were three simple words from Elder Holland, "just keep trying." It's from this talk he gave this past April. In a world where there is so much chaos, and adversity especially when it comes to our children particularly in their younger years with all of them starting their second year in a new school just seemed fitting for them. Even though they had a great first year in a new school district  doesn't mean their "perfectly ok."

One World Trade Center- Never Forget.

This past weekend we took the ferry from Staten Island into battery park, and walked around the financial district pausing in our steps as we were taking in, and imagine what the city of new York must have been like on the day the terroist attacks took place. As we walked all around the One World Trade Center & the north and south pools where the towers once stood we couldn't help but to stop for a moment and be thankful. Thankful that the city of new York stood strong, and that these attacks didn't stop anyone from entering the city. Their strength, and resilience is what helps them stand strong. Thousands of people come every year to pay their respects, and living closer to the city love gives us the advantage of doing just that. 

A Memory From Sarasota, Florida Along With A Prayer.

This photo was taken back in 2008 when we visited my sister, and cousins in Sarasota, Florida. It was my first time ever going to such a lovely place, and the beaches here are a dream! You'd think your in a different country because the waters are so blue! I would hate this area to be devastated by Irma. My sister no longer lives here, but I have a lot of cousins who do, and they are staying. 

Scenes From Our Day In Cape Neddick, Maine.

I'm finally posting more photos from our Labor Day weekend in New England particularly when we were in Maine. We fell in love with Cape Neddick when we first visited here nine years ago. It's pretty much has been tradition to spend labor day weekend here, and attend the Boston temple with our kids now that they are of age. There have been times when we've come and the days here are super cloudy, and foggy but isn't that how Maine usually is?

Nostalgia On The First Day Of School.

With school starting back again today I was feeling a bit nostalgic so I pulled out the scrapbook from the bins in the basement, and as I was turning the pages I stumbled upon this sweet summer photo of the girls and I at my aunt's pool in Vegas. While living in Utah we'd travel to Vegas every summer to visit. It was tradition, and man do I long for those days. Not only the trips, but for my girls to be little again. Looking at this photo with Chelsea hanging on to my hand brings back soooo many memories, and today I was feeling all the feels as the kids were heading off to school. Especially Chelsea, and Noah. I mean, look at my Chelsea baby! Just hanging on to my hand knowing that she trusts her momma not to fall in the water. Truly bittersweet.

Boston Temple On Labor Day.

One way to end summer on a good note, and have the kids transition easily into a new school year is by attending the temple. The temple is an important tool in my life that I use to have peace, and sanity! Especially with these kids growing up, and with the way the world is changing. Although there are amazing things happening in times of trouble, and catastrophe we still need some inner peace in our life to function, and be able to do the things all in the name of service. The girls have come to really, really love the temple, and Chelsea is excited to have gone to four different temples since she turned 12 earlier this year.She's beginning to feel the difference in her life when she waits too long to go.

A Few Photos & A Little Video of Noah In New England.

We spent Labor Day weekend traveling all over New England. One thing about our trips is that if there is a temple you better believe we are going to stop by even when it's closed at night. We first stopped at the Hartford temple to take a quick look, and parked for a minute to reflect on the beauty, and the peace that these buildings bring. We continued to drive until we arrived to our somewhat final destination in Boston, and found a hotel to stay in about 25 minutes from the temple. Noah has become pretty obsessed with the temple, and every time we tell him about a certain place we are going to he'll ask if there's a temple, and if so can we can stop by. 

Happy Labor Day From New England!

We are currently in Maine spending our last days of summer before school starts again this week! It truly is beautiful here, and every summer when we come here we never want to leave! New England is super special to us since we almost moved here five years ago. I am still hoping that time will come in the near future, but for now we will take all the New England days trips, and vacations we can get! Hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend, and that y'all have a wonderful week ahead! 

The Met Cloisters.

We have been on a museum kick lately and with school literally starting next Thursday are making the best of our days by studying, and exploring different kinds of art, and culture. Although I think after going to the Cloisters yesterday Lexie had enough of seeing Jesus Christ on a cross. When she came home to tell Jon of her experience she said, and I quote,

God Bless Texas & Harvey.

Sierra, circa 1999-south padre island, tx. 

Although I've been out and about enjoying time with my kids before school resumes Texas has been on my mind a lot lately, and as I have been keeping up with the news of hurricane Harvey and all the damage he's done in the state I grew up in I am absolutely sad for my fellow texans.