Half Moon Bay

Its been pretty chilly here lately. Olivia and I have had many pajama days inside trying to stay warm. A couple of weekends ago it got up to about 65 and was a beautiful, clear, sunny day so Dallin made plans to get us out of the house. He drove us out to Half Moon Bay where we played in the sand and watch the waves roll in. Olivia was in heaven and was sad to leave.

Christmas 2011

Last post about 2011!!  Yay!

We spent Christmas in Florida this year with my family and all of Dallins. We hadn't had a time all together like that in a long time, and never with all the cousins. I wish we could do it so much more often!!

We spent some down time at the park one day and had a blast watching the kids run around in the perfect weather.

Almost every night Olivia fell asleep out of pure exhaustion.

Christmas was a lot of fun! We spent the morning with my family and then headed over to the Sauser's. Olivia still didn't quite understand the idea of opening presents, but she sure did like playing with them. She was spoiled rotten (and not by her dad or me).

 By the time the presents were open and church was over Olivia was over the day and just needed a nap.

 We were all very tired.



We also spent a few days at sea world (Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Sauser).

We had a great time! We are already saving our pennies so we can head back again soon.

Thanksgiving

I'm still trying to catch up.

For Thanksgiving we loaded up the car and drove the 12 hours to Utah. We first stopped in Tooele to surprise my little brother who has been living with the best family ever, the McNeill's. Then we headed to Eagle mountain to spend time with Dallin's sister and her family. We had a blast! Olivia sure loves being with her cousin Max (Maa). I wish we lived closer together so that they could be best friends. I didn't take many pictures with my camera, but I got a few of the cute cousins together on my phone.

We were lucky to catch up with some of our favorite people in the whole world the Bodily's. It was so fun to catch up with them.

We also were able to head to Temple Square in Salt Lake City to see all the beautiful lights that they put of every year. We had to bundle up because it sure was cold!

Thanks everyone for making our Thanksgiving great!

Halloween

Yes, I know its already after the new year, but...ok I don't really have an excuse. Better late then never, right? And yes I still have a Thanksgiving and Christmas post coming soon to a blog near you.

For Halloween Olivia and I were visiting family back in Orlando. We had a great time. Olivia enjoyed all the attention and I enjoyed the much long talks with my parents. Olivia was Dorothy this year right down to the red sparkly shoes. I made her costume this year. It turned out a little big, which just means I might use it again next year. Here are some pictures.

Tender Mercies

Lately I have been trying to focus on all the great things that I have in my life. I try to turn the T.V. off, stop cleaning, and get off the computer, and spend more time on the floor with my daughter, snuggling with my husband and studying the many sources of the gospel.

I recently came across a talk given by Elder David A. Bednar "The Tender Mercies of the Lord". This is an amazing talk. I wanted to included my "favorite" part of the talk, but I honestly couldn't pick one part. In this talk Elder Bednar tells us what a "tender mercy" is and that everyone has an opportunity to receive them. He also explains that not everyone will recognize it as a tender mercy, but if we are faithful we will be able to recognize them for what they are worth and they will be able to touch our lives.

While Olivia has been napping I have been reflecting on the my tender mercies...A phone call from a loving parent to tell me that I am loved just when I need to hear those words, a priesthood blessing and hug from a worthy husband, a kiss and a smile from a beautiful daughter, or a kind word from a friend. I feel so very blessed to know that my Heavenly Father is aware of me and that He has a hand in my life.

On a lighter note, here are some pictures of one of my favorite tender mercies...

I have no idea why she is naked in most of these

She is the most "tender" when she is sleeping

Future Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader

Blessings Amid Despair

Many of you may not know that about a month ago Dallin and I found out that we were pregnant. We were very excited. However, about a week ago we found out that we had miscarried. Dallin and I have felt great despair as well as feeling very blessed. Physically and emotionally this experience has been very very difficult for me. I am happy to say that at this point I feel very at peace with the whole situation.

Looking back I now see some signs that it wasn't a viable pregnancy. For one I felt great. For those of you who knew me during my first pregnancy knows how sick I got. This time that never happened. I chalked it up to maybe it possibly being a boy, and decided just to be grateful for an easier pregnancy.

Dallin and I have prayed and thought a lot over the last week or so and have felt great comfort. We both know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who is aware of our sorrow and our sacrifice. We both feel that this was just part of the plan and that we will be blessed soon with other children.

This last weekend we were able to listen to modern day Prophets of the Lord. As I sat in our living room with our small family all I could think about was how blessed we really are. We have a beautiful baby girl who has brought so much happiness into our lives. Dallin has a job that allows us to pay our bills and put food on the table, all while I am able to stay home and raise our daughter. We both have loving families that have felt our sadness and comforted us during this time. We also have had friends who helped and supported us in all the ways that they could.

However, what I felt most of all was the arms of my Heavenly Father wrapped around me. I know that I am a daughter of God and I know that He is very aware of me and my life.

Dallin and I are both doing great and hope to have more children soon. Until then we are more than happy to enjoy the lives that we have.

On a happier note, here is a cute picture.

What does a sheep say? - Aaa

Olivia loves animals so last weekend we decided to take a trip to the Oakland zoo. We had such a fun time that we decided to get a year pass.

They had a petting zoo area where we were able to pet some goats and kitty cats. When you ask O what a goat, donkey or sheep says her answer is "Aaaa". She also will say "booofff" for dogs and cows. (we are working on it)

 She couldn't decide if she was beyond happy or scared to death, but in the end she didn't want to leave, because she couldn't get enough them.

 I think all of our favorites by far were the spider monkeys. They were definitely in the mood to entertain and were putting on a great show.

 We rode the sky ride and were able to get a birds eye view of some of the park.

 By the end we were all happy and tired. Some more so than others.

I think we will be heading back tomorrow!