Ode to the dogs...

Today was a great day! As part of my Christmas present, Jeff took me to the Eukanuba/AKC national dog show at the Long Beach Convention Center. It was so much fun! I love wandering all the booths and seeing all the different breeds of dogs. Jeff did almost get us kicked out when he took a picture at the agility course and the flash came on. WOW. You would have thought we just tried to kill someone. These dog people take these shows pretty dang seriously. I toyed with the idea briefly of getting into showing dogs, but I don't think I could ever be that uptight :) I have to say, I think our dogs are just as good looking as most of those show dogs. Maybe I am biased, but we did have another lady a couple of weeks ago try to get us to sign up with her agency to have Soto be in commercials and magazines. Too bad he is such a pistol. Enjoy the random pictures above. Us in the car on the way to the show, the dogs with their new toys we got them today, etc. (You have no idea how much cheese I had to feed those two just to get them to sort of stand by each other...always an adventure!)

Hali'a

My niece is soooo stinking cute! She is such a trooper and we love her so much already! I got to spend a couple of hours at the hospital with her and just cuddle and love on her. Being able to see new babies brought into this world is always an awe-inspiring and tender moment. It truly is one of the greatest blessings Heavenly Father has given us. I was so touched to watch Jon as he interacted with Hali'a. He is so gentle and sweet; I saw new side of my brother that almost brought tears to my eyes. He is such an amazing daddy already. We are grateful for her quick recovery from her heart surgery and so "thankful" that she will be home for her first Thanksgiving!

Friday nite date :)

Poor Jeff, I just torture the heck out of him sometimes! (He really doesn't like getting his picture taken:) His hair was getting pretty long, and even though I love his curls, we buzzed his hair Friday nite. We have fun even doing the routine stuff! I just hope our kids get his curls.

We have a new niece!

We are so excited to announce the arrival of Jon and Aubrey's sweet baby girl! I won't get into details because I think that is Jon and Aubs right, but they were gracious enough to let me see her and hang out with her for awhile this afternoon. We are so extremely grateful that she is here, doing well, and that Aubs is doing good too. We are so happy to have this new baby in our family! She is a tough cookie and we are looking forward to watching her grow. Being an aunt and uncle is the greatest thing ever!!

My heart breaks...

As I sit here, there is a huge protest going on outside of the Los Angeles Temple. Needless to say, I am not surprised, but it angers, saddens, and makes me sick to my stomach. To hear people scream such derogatory, hurtful, and slanderous statements aimed at my church and in front of my temple is almost too much to bear. I find it so ironic that these protesters are screaming "No more hate" and then in the next breath screaming how much they hate us! They want a more "tolerant" and "accepting" society, yet they are trying to infringe upon our rights and tell us we are in the wrong for believing as we do. I know it will only get worse as time goes by; sometimes I wonder just what my children will have to one day endure. It brings new and empathetic feelings for our pioneer ancestors who were so persecuted and forced to sacrifice so much. The days ahead will be filled with turmoil and the world calling good, evil and evil things good. Now more than ever, it is important to pick your side and stand with the Lord and our Heavenly Father. I am comforted in knowing that I am not alone in this battle against Satan. We have our families, our wards, our friends, and most of all the Holy Ghost to comfort and guide us through these turbulent times. May Heavenly Father pour out His spirit upon us all and give us the courage to fight the good fight and be a standard of truth and righteousness. At the end of the day, we know which side will prevail and we can take comfort in knowing that the Lord and those who follow him will always come off conquerors.

Cherish the Ladies!!!

OH MY GOSH! Last night was the greatest! I got to see my favorite group in the whole entire wide world at the Cerritos Performing Arts Center, Cherish the Ladies. They are a traditional Irish folk group that I have loved for more than a decade. I used to torture my family by blaring their cd's. They all loved it, even if they deny it to your face :) My proof? Justin even came with us last night! We had so much fun. I think Lynette and Justin were surprised at my enthusiasm in the car, at dinner, throughout the whole show, hehe. Jeff, well he knows how much I adore them. He took me to my first concert of theirs 11 years ago. It has become a tradition to see them when they are within driving distance. Last night was the first time however, that I actually got to meet Joannie, the leader of the group and a world renowned whistle and flute player. She is incredible to listen to and she is really hilarious with all of her commentary between songs. They are doing an Irish Celebration cruise the first week of February to the Caribbean. She told me to email her and she would get us the family discount. She said we looked like cousins! She was too cool! I only wish I could afford to go :( Anywho, it was a super fun and amazing night. Hopefully the others got something out of it as well. If nothing else they got a good laugh at the crazy woman with red scarfs wrapped around her head, red converse shoes, gray formal dress, and crocheted sweater. She was a trip. She was a guest singer and was pretty hilarious. Too bad I couldn't get a picture of her :) Until next time Ladies, I will continue to listen to your cd's at obnoxious levels!

The last few weeks...

Seeing that I haven't posted in awhile, I thought I would take a second to update on the comings and goings of the last few weeks. Since my last post I have turned 30. Now that it has happened, I must say it wasn't tragic as I thought it would be. The security guards at the high school I work at still ask me for my hall pass every now again, and I must admit that although annoying in the beginning years, I quite enjoy it now :) Tomorrow night Jeff is taking me and my little brother Justin to see my all time most favorite group in the entire world, Cherish the Ladies. Too bad I am completely inept at figuring out how to post links because I would post the link to their website if I could. If you feel so inclined, you can google their name and you will find them pretty easily. Check back later for a lengthy post on the show ;)

It is almost time to vote, and I know all us Californians are anxiously awaiting to see what will happen. We too are yes on 8. If for no other reason then because our wise church leaders have asked us to support the values of traditional marriage, I would vote yes on 8 (there are other reasons of course, but I don't think I need to convince any of you of those reasons), no matter the cost. In these turbulent times, and the ones that will surely come, the Lord will ask us more and more frequently to take a stand and follow Him. At times, doing so will cause us heartache and be hard. But is it worth it? Absolutely. Does it make easier? Not really. One of my dearest and bestest friends for many years and I are at a crossroads. She is not happy with me because of my decision to support prop 8. Does it break my heart to think I might lose her friendship over this? Completely. But it does not sway my decision. I love my Savior and I have a testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel. I hope and pray everyday that we can all stand strong and have the conviction and strength to do what is right, what our Heavenly Father has asked of us no matter the cost at times.

Jumping to another completely different subject...It would seem that more and more frequently people are asking Jeff and I when we are having a baby, do we want kids, etc. Yes more than anything, we want a family, a huge family if possible. Do I desperately wish it happened already? YES! I am learning patience whether I like it or not. In the Lord's time, I know that blessing will be ours. Until then, thanks for keeping us in your prayers and we will let you know when it happens :)