Highland Highschool Homecoming

This year Laurisa is the Student Body Vice President at Highland High and boy is she a busy girl at this time of the year. This week she was incharge of the homecoming school assembly. We saw her for seconds a day because she lived at the highschool getting ready the big weekend. Friday morning she left the house at 3:30 in the morning to set everything up for channel 3 morning show who came to highlight Highland High. We watched Laurisa on T.V all morning as they highlighted the assembly. The hard work paid off and she loved every minute of it. I talked to the school administrators and they said it was the best assembly they've ever had! Way to go Laurisa! We went and saw her at the half time show and she was the damsel in distress trying to escape the grasp of King Kong on the top of the Empire State Building.

Laurisa getting ready for the big dance! Nana and I doing an updo! I love helping the girls get ready for dances. It is weird just getting one girl ready now that Joslyn is married.


Laurisa and her Homecoming date Kyle Souza

Wow what a sharp group of 36! My friend just around the corner was a brave soul to feed this large group. She called me minutes before the couples showed up to invite me over to take pictures so Wade and I headed over after we took pictures of Laurisa. As we headed over a storm was brewing, so upon entering her front door they were going to plan B which was bring all the tables and chairs inside her house. We came the perfect time to help her pull this off. I was still in awe that her and her husband were doing this all themselves. So we stayed and helped. I was amazed at how calm she was, especially because she was told 26 people but 36 came. It all came together and Laurisa said it was a blast! Her favorite dance ever!!!

Road Trip

I love sunsets!!!

Wade and I escaped reality for 4 days and headed to Cedar City Utah for a leadership education training seminar a few weeks back. My sister in-law home schools her children and uses this Thomas Jefferson based education model. She is always talking about it and getting me excited about the things she is learning in parenting practices so Wade and I decided to go see what it was all about! We were so impressed and motivated after two full days of seminars. We came away with so many wonderful concepts to apply in our lives. It made us want to be better parenting mentors for our children. I love the idea inspire not require. It really works in motivating children. Children will do things because it is their idea and they want to do it rather than if it is the parent wanting them to do it! It is so fun to see it in action! I also believe so strongly in the concept that you have to have a relationship based on respect with your children in order to teach them and also correct them. The relationship has to come first or they won't listen! I can't get enough of the CDs and books from the seminar. I love applying the principles in parenting. It makes parenting so much fun! Thank you Amber for inspiring us!
Wade and I couldn't resist stopping off the side of the road for a hike. The scenery was irresistible.
Wade and I with our mentors Amber and Jeff Parish

Girls just wanna have fun!!!

Talk about a fun memory! I haven't had this much fun in a long time. After we got all the kids off to school my friends and I, Kathy Gray, Britt Booher, Kelly Breinholt, Daneen Wilson, and Kathy Rollendar grabed our tubes, towels, and swimsuits and headed for the river. It is so fun to be an adult and get to do things that you never got to do as a teenager because your mom thought it was too dangerous. I'm reliving my teenage years, being silly and having fun floating down the river. I have such amazing friends that are always ready to have fun at a drop of a hat! I am so blessed to have such fun friends to create memories with! This has to become a tradition every year once the kids go back to school! Pinky promise girls!!!

Relationships are one of the most important things we have !

Two months before my uncle Jeffs passing I went to visit him in Utah. What an incredible experience to be able to say goodbye. We had so many discussions on life and what this whole journey is all about. Relationships and memories are truly all we have left when loved ones leave us. He told me he wasn't afraid to die. He said that he was ready to meet God. That one statement has had such a profound impact on me! Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all felt that comfortable with our standing with God. I just kept thinking of that scripture that says 'Now is the time to prepare to meet God' My goal is to work on that on a daily basis because none of us know when are earthly existence will be over so we need to treat each day as if it were are last. Easier said than done but it left a strong impression on me that hopefully I can carry with me forever! I love you Uncle Jeff thank you for teaching me what is important.

Remembering Uncle Jeff

My Uncle Jeff is been on my mind a lot lately. I went to his funeral two weeks ago. He was an amazing man and I'm so thankful to have known him and to have had his influence in my life. He always made me feel better about myself just being around him! He always made me feel so loved and special. One of the many things that had an impact on me was he always told people how much they meant to him. He was so filled with love and goodness. He had a very difficult life before he found the gospel 8 years ago. He completely changed his life and embraced the gospel full heartedly. He never took any of the gospel principles forgranted and applied them on a daily basis. He had such an amazing love for the Lord and the Savior. He truly led a life of example for me and so many others!

Forever Strong

Tonight for family night we went to the premier of the movie "Forever Strong" All the Whitings give it a thumbs up! There needs to be more movies like this one out there. It is a true story of a boy that gets his life back together after making bad choices. They focus on building character instead of just on winning! Definately a winner and feel good movie! It should be out in theatres in two weeks for all to see! Enjoy!

The Price of Freedom

This week is constititution week! Last night we had the chance to go to the constitution fair. It was amazing to see the turn out! It is the largest in the United States. It made me feel so blessed to live in America. The patriotic program was amazing! The Lowe family singers came from Branson , Missouri. They are so amazingly talented. It was awesome to see a family perform together. It was so inspiring to see the good they have done through using their talents. The presentation was a remembrance of all the good acts and services that go on in the world. It definately inspired me to want to make difference in the lives of others.

I have never felt so incredibly patriotic as I did tonight. We just got back from a musical presentation called The Price for Freedom. It depicted different lives throughout World War II and their accounts from their journals. It was a tear jerker. I think it is hard to really know the sacrifices that have gone into making this country free, but tonight I got a small glimpse! How grateful I feel for the many lives that have been sacrificed for our freedom that we enjoy everyday. I hope I can never take freedom forgranted and live everyday in honor of the sacrifices that have been made in our behalf. There are so many brave men and women that are examples to me! PBS just bought this musical presentation , "The Price of Freedom", so hopefully everyone will get the opportunity to see it!

A night with Emily

How do I even begin to descibe my trip to Utah to get to spend a night with Emily. I was so blessed to get to spend the night with Emily on her first night home from the hospital. She is my hero along with her family! She helps me realize the importance of life and how incredibly important and valuable a soul is. Her sweet soul touched mine in ways that are hard to explain. She blesses so many lives and she has blessed ours. That night she taught me many lessons. She taught me to have courage when faced with adversity and to have courage with a smile. She taught me to sing when afraid and when you have a hard time falling asleep. She taught me that our loving Heavenly Father is always there to comfort us. She taught me to live in the moment to be present in the here and now and treat each day as a gift! She taught me that you need to be persistant and I am glad she was persistant in getting me to come over and spend the night with her. Emily thank you for teaching me and reminding me of lifes important principles. Heavenly Father has a great mission for Emilly and she already is fulfilling it each day by the life she leads.
Matt, Jill, Jacqueline, Thomas and Emily I love you and want you to know you have been my examples of courage, strength and love! I felt so much love in your home. Love can get us through anything.
The last two weeks after her visit I made this book for Emily so she can know how much she is loved by all! I love you Emily!

Emily