storm clouds and rain and a lawn mower

this was taken about a year ago but i love the pic and just had to add it....

I must admit I might be a little biased but sometimes Dean can say the funniest and cutest little things....case in point..

Dean: Mama I see a storm cloud (looking up at the sky)
Me: you do?
Dean: yeah that means its gonna rain, we cant go play until its a sunshine cloud again...

next day :
Dean: mama its a sunshine cloud today we can play!

(BIG BIG thing for him) cause and effect and recognition!!!!!!

at school yesterday Ms. Damren got so tickled at Dean :

Dean is very very attentive to any type of outside machinery
someone was outside on the school yard mowing the grass and Dean was sitting with Ms. Gina practicing writing some numbers....well he heard the mower....got up ran to the window and watched the lawn mower until he couldn't see it again
next thing you know he's going back to his seat to do more numbers again until.....
he hears the mower again....she said he kept watching until he could not see it anymore and then went back and finished his numbers... at least he knew to go back and finish his work hahaha

my little man has a number

1st Grade.... he had so much fun yesterday and did so good...everyone was commenting on it, his teacher, the physcologist, even the principal...everyone is so great @ Smyrna....We met Miss Gina who is his 1 on 1 teacher this year. She seems really nice and really interested in working with Dean. Ms. Laura who is his main teacher is really excited. I was more nervous than he was yesterday. He just went right in and kinda looked around the room a bit and then went to his seat and went to work on his morning work.....I am so proud.

Sunday during Sacrament meeting I looked down and Dean was coloring...not just scribble coloring though actually choosing a certain color for a peticular thing on the page. I was so excited that he did that and then said "l0ok mama, I colored Manny's (Handy Manny) hat yellow and his clothes green and the tools blue and the tool box red" I almost started crying right then, that is a huge step with his thought process..he sat and thought and new exactly what he wanted to do and it was a multiple step process....my little guy is on to achieving more great things!!!!!

second meeting

Since the sisters left the day right after my first meeting, I now have Elders teaching my lessons. We met them last night, I must give *kudos* to Emily because my first meeting was at her house and she fixed a really really good supper. I on the other hand opted for pre cooked and heat in the oven (food lion special). Anyways, this meeting was more of them finding out where I was and we watched a film on the Restoration. I told them about the first meeting and that I was really more of a Teach me and I'll get it sorta person. I really can't just sit down and read something and come up with questions. I'm really having a hard time coming up with questions also because I consider myself like a sponge. I'm not really comparing this to the way I was brought up, its more along the lines of just learning and learning and not really asking why is it this way sorta thing.

We have decided to meet twice a week so I can get all the lessons in before my baptism. I definatly don't want that changed to another date.

After the last meeting I took some time to just go over what the Sisters had told me. I remember how it felt when Sister Jolstead was saying what Joseph Smith saw. I re read the pamplet and as I was reading it I just cried and cried, I had goose bumps upon goose bumps and suddenly it felt like I was wrapped in a warm blanket I prayed about this to know if what I was hearing was true and couldn't hardly get any words out. I realize now my heart was speaking for me. I know that this is the true gospel. I know that Joseph Smith did see our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and that he is a prophet of God. I know that President Monson is the living prophet today.
How could it not be true ? that is the only question I have now.

Since my father passed almost two years ago, this is the first time I really have felt I still had my dad, he has just fullfilled his misson on earth and returned to Heavenly Father. Before, I just felt like he was dead and in the ground, and I didn't have a dad anymore. I can not say how much happier I am knowing he is there waiting for us and that we will be together forever.

You know I have always been around people that were of the LDS faith, I mean I went to HS with people, were in Drama at ECHS with people, and I never really had a yearning to learn, I was even friends with Richard's sister from 8th grade on, and never laid eyes on Richard until 2001. Heavenly Father has a plan for all of us, I know now he spoke to me when I was ready. I am so glad I had sense enough to listen.

As I was speaking last night it suddenly dawned on me, that Richard and I have changed the course of our families life for generations to come. Not only will we recieve all the wonderful blessings that Heavenly Father wishes for us, but so will our kids, and grand kids and great grand kids and on and on, all because we are converts. (you know I'm really starting to like that word.)

Save the Date!!!!!!!

SATURDAY AUGUST 30, 2008





MySpace Countdown

first meeting

(photo compliments of flickr)

Last night was my first meeting with the missionaries. I learned in more detail about the restoration of the church. I've decided not to get ahead of myself and to just read and study the pamphlets as they give them to me. Last night, when the Sisters, were teaching me, I had no clue that it would be so emotional. Just talking about where my life was, and how it had been so long since I had allowed Heavenly Father to talk to me and to listen to what he was telling me. As the opening prayer was being said, I felt this compleate peace and warmth from head to toe. When one of the Sisters was telling me about when Joseph Smith saw and heard Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, I got chills. It was so amazing and powerful and yet calm and peaceful, I knew what I was hearing was true and that it did happen. Last night I spent some time reflecting what I had been told and truthfully that is all I can think about today as well. It is so nice to have something in my life that I know is not going to go away, that I have to look foward to and build upon. I know that I as a person, a wife and a mother deserve that as do my family. I am so glad that my husband chose me and opened my eyes and heart to something that I have embraced for myself and have come to know and trust is the truth. My life is truly changed and blessed because Heavenly Father brought us together. I know in my heart that from the moment I opened my heart and truely listened last night and believed what they were saying, that my life as well as my family has changed course, and will be so much better, fuller,spiritful, and following Heavenly Fathers plan we will be together forever.

wow!

Sunday during the Sacrament Meeting, one of the church members were giving their testimony and part of it was about how people tend to want to shame or discourage people of the church...well basically say its out right wrong....I've just begun to learn and study about this wonderful gospel and basically a better way of life and already know just exactly what he was talking about......



I've been taking my Book of Mormon and the hand out that the Sisters gave me on Sunday to work and quietly reading them and studing them during my lunch break...Some of the employees were talking about dieting and cutting out soft drinks and stuff like that so, I joined in on the conversation and said how I have been doing really good with no tea or caffeene for about two months now...well of course since I was reading the hand out....one of them made the comment



Person 1. Are you Mormon now?



ME: well actually I have been going to the LDS church and really enjoy it....



Person 2. (in a very loud aqward voice) well how come if God made tea leaves how come its so bad then, he didn't make soda so that should be worse



Me: If you knew something was harmful for your body why would you want to put it in your body. Tobacco leaves were grown for a purpose but that doesn't mean our Heavenly Father intened for people to smoke it...



person 1 and 2 NO RESPONSE!!!!!



I was so proud of myself, after I went back to my office and thought about it I called Richard.I was so excited...the response just flew out of my mouth...no hesitation no stuttering or anything

and Im not going to quit bringing my books into the break room.......I sure don't know anywhere near all of the answers to ignorant questions like that, but I'm not gonna stop learning either....

weeks review

Lily really has taken to her cousin Ashleigh, she thinks she can hold her like a babydoll. So we indulge her by letting her hold her while one of us holds her...she even was singing rock a bye baby to her it was very cute......We were talking the other day and Dean must have out grown his medicine levels because it seems like he is starting to become more and more stimulated very easily. His emotional upsets are getting worse too, if the slighted little thing is off he will just fall all to pieces, bless his heart, it sure does break mine...Im hoping his levels just need to be upped a little.

Saturday was Richard's 34th birthday...bless his heart he really thought he was turning 33 and was going to pick on me about getting the age wrong on his cake....until he realized I was right!!!

hahahaha

Sunday at church we talked with some of the missionaries about setting up some lessons for me, this is really great because with all the reading and watching of the movies I have been doing on my own, it helps to have someone there to answer questions that I might have. I'm really bad at remembering questions after the fact. Plus, it will be nice just to hear what they have to say, and help me out on things. It's a lot to try to comprehend and trying to do it without help has proven to be very confusing mostly since I have no clue where to start. (especially the history and how the books were writen) I must say history was not my best subject. but, I am up for the challenge....Richard says I'm like a fish that doesn't need any bait to be hooked.