Ray-Ray's Accomplishment

(Proud dad)


Ray-Ray was just made a member of the student council in her school. This took some effort to achieve this and I am proud of her! They ask that those who apply be willing to help out with school activities and, most importantly, to help others in the school feel good about themselves. Well, Ray-Ray is really good at seeing others who are feeling bad and working to lift them up. Many times I've seen her befriend someone who is being picked on or being left out of the activities. She is also a leader and enjoys being part of the organizing of activities. She had to be interviewed by the principal and they spoke with her current and former teachers about her personality/behavior. Then Ray-Ray had to get a letter of recomendation from a neighbor about her skills. Our neighbor wrote a beautiful letter about my little girl that was extremely touching. So after all of those things, they chose 1 girl and 1 boy from her grade as student council leaders - and Ray-Ray was chosen! I am amazed and blessed that I get to raise such good kids!

Willard Bay

This summer we got to spend time with one of the cutest families we know and love! We are grateful for their friendship. We went to Willard Bay and had a great time - we had a picnic, sailed around in a canoe, played games, and found dead fish. It was great! Here are a few pics:

Cute girls!

Ray-Ray and her friend in the canoe.

Kitty and her friend catching some rays

Snorr enjoying the lake (although he kept saying how far less cool it was than the beaches of Hawaii!)

A couple of cute kiddos

Us big kids having fun!

Every lake adventure should have the hubby's at the grill, right?!

I really hope we can schedule this for next year. It really was a lot of fun!

Twenty Years!

Twenty years is a long time and I am ready to go another 20! The Mulk and I have been married 20 years and what a great 20 years it has been. Sure, we've had our trials, but I can honestly say that the trials we've had have been manageable because we turned to each other to get through them. I feel so blessed to be married to my best friend! He is very good and kind and loving. He treats me like a queen - never belittles or gets angry with me. I love spending time with him - in the garden, on dates, in the car, watching tv, reading in the same room, eating dinner, sneaking out on mini dates while the kids finish watching their show, doing chores, serving others, going for walks, playing games, and lots of other stuff. He makes me feel like I am beautiful to him. He compliments me so much. I am blessed to be with my handsome honey!

We celebrated our 20th in a big way when we went to San Francisco. So on the day of our actual anniversary, we kept it simple. We went to the temple as a reminder of the vows we made on our wedding day and it was beautiful. Then we went to our favorite restaurant, Maddox, for a great steak and yummy rolls! It was nice to spend the day together. Here's to 20+ years!!

Ray-Ray's 12 years old!

My how time flies! I can't believe Ray-Ray is now 12! She is a beautiful and vibrant young woman and it has been a whirlwind of a ride watching her grow up. Here are 12 things I love about her:

1. She is mindful of other's who are lonely or picked on.

2. She is ready to go anywhere and do anything (which can be exhausting, but exhilarating all at once).

3. She is very bright.

4. She loves to get into deep conversations about life (and usually it's right at bedtime when I am really too tired to talk, but we talk anyways, so that she will keep coming to me about those things).

5. She loves working and playing with little children and is a fabulous big sister!

6. She has a bautiful voice and loves to sing (The Mulk thinks we are living in a musical-she bursts into song at random times all day long)!

7. She has a testimony of our Heavenly Father and wants to do what is right.

8. She tries to be very responsible in her duties.

9. She has the most energy of anyone I know!

10. She has a tender heart.

11. She can't wait to be a grown up so that she can be in charge.

12. The world would be a sad place without her in it.

I can't wait to see what she does with her life! I love my Ray-Ray and feel so blessed to be her mom!

Tender Mercies

A few days ago I remembered to get my camera out so that I could set it out and take pics of the kids on their first day of school. So I looked in the spot where I keep my camera and it wasn't there. So I asked the kids if they had played with it and no they hadn't. So I asked them again a few hours later if they remembered playing with it (I mean, aren't things usually missing because the children were playing with it and didn't put it back in the right spot?), but they again said they hadn't played with it. So I was feeling very sad because cameras cost a lot of money, I lost pics on there that hadn't been downloaded yet, and I wasn't going to be able to take pics of the kids on their first day of school. So I said a prayer asking that I find it. Sometimes I feel funny saying prayers asking for help to find things when they are just small and simple, but I really was sad and I know the Lord is mindful of all our needs and desires. Anyways, late last night as I climbed into bed, the thought came to me that I used my camera when we went to the zoo last week and it might be in the cooler we used that day. And there it was! I just thought about how the Lord is mindful of us and wants to help us out in any way. He knew that I really did want to get my camera back and in his tender way, he helped me find it. I also thought about how he works sometimes. It wasn't until I was climbing into bed, when everything was quiet, and my mind wasn't pre-occupied, that he whispered his answer. And I was able to hear. I need to remember that lesson!

I'm grateful to have found my camera and that I was able to get pics of my kids on their first day of school. Now for a post all about their first day. :)