A Child's Prayer

Kalli has started to pray all by herself (without wanting me to whisper to her).  This is what she prayed for tonight.  Mattix thought this was hilarious and so did Matt since he started to film her half way through!

Moments

It seems so long ago when Keia was this little.  She is about 18 months in this picture and it seems like a different lifetime.  I have really been praying to have "moments" with my kids each day.  I will catch myself just trying to get through the day and get a thousand things accomplished.  And when I do have a free moment- I am checking my email on my phone.  I am so grateful when I take time to slow down and observe my children or take the time to let them share any of their random thoughts.  I felt overwhelmingly grateful for my family today.  I wish I could freeze us and put us in a bottle and never have us grow any older.  This has been the funnest stage of parenting so far and I am truly blessed for every "moment."
Today's moment:  Sitting close to Mattix during Keia's soccer practice and listening to him talk about really random things.  His eyes were twitching from his ticks that he has had since birth and he would make himself laugh and turn to me and give me his awesome smile- best smile in our fam.  He put his arm up on my leg and just gabbed away- coming from a boy who at times gets lost in the crowd from his domineering sisters.  Just me and him and all my attention- it was a beautiful moment that I could have missed. (Turned my phone off ;)

                                                                   Sweet Mattix

We Did It!!

Team Lauren had a huge fundraiser on Saturday night and was able to raise enough money for almost our entire team to do the 3-day Breast Cancer Walk in November.  We raised almost $5,000!!  It was a great night filled with very generous people who supported our cause.  I am so glad we have raised the money and will now keep getting my miles in.  I am following the suggested schedule and walking up to 35 miles a week for training.  This Friday I will be walking 14 miles.  Walking is very easy, but it takes forever!!  I'm use to getting in a quick, sweaty, heart pumping workout and being done.  Walking takes me hours, but I have been reading a lot of books during my training, which is nice!  Here are some pics from our event- GO TEAM LAUREN!!

 If any of you would still like to donate- my personal webpage is: www.the3day.org/goto/kendrahuffman

                         We LOVE Pink!!!!  Amy, me, Patrice

Self-sufficient

Five things will help us towards being self-sufficient:

1.  Learn to LOVE work

2. Acquire a spirit of self-sacrifice

3. Accept personal responsibility for spiritual strength, health, education, employment, finances, food, and other life sustaining necessities.

4. Pray for faith and courage to meet challenges.

5. Strengthen others who need assistance.

Toothless, finally!

She did it folks, Keia has finally lost her two front teeth.  She is 8 and a half and had only lost 2 teeth, but not anymore.  Keia is my bravest kid- she let Matt tie dental floss around them and just yank them out- they were wiggly, but not that wiggly.  I couldn't even watch.  I can't believe how grown-up she is becoming.  When I took this picture she was going to soccer practice (nice socks:)- it is her first "real" team.  I LOVE sports, so it is so fun having my kids starting to play and enjoy sports.  Do I want to run on the field and be a part of the team- yes, but my role now is to provide the orange slices at half time.  Anywho- love this girl.

  We started a new school this year.  It was hard for all of us to leave our old school, but I know we will learn to love the new one- the mascot is a dolphin, how can you not love the school!  So far the kids love their teachers and are slowly making new friends.  I just feel grateful that we live in a place that has such awesome schools and that my kids still love going to school.

                                        Keia started third grade.

                                    Mattix started first grade.

Me and Kalli are hanging out all day together, just the two of us.  I am loving it!  I love having this little girl with me, she is my buddy.  Life is good for this mom- trying to make each day count and battle the time of spending time with the fam and getting things done.

Disneyland weekend

Baba and Grandpa Bob took all of Matt's siblings and families to Disneyland.  We also celebrated his sister and brother's birthday.  I always have so much fun with his family- I think the highlight was sitting in Chick-fil-A with just the siblings and spouses and laughing so hard at the fights Matt and I use to have.  Ahhh, good times, good times... not the fights, but being able to laugh at them!

                                    Seriously, love how close they are!

Mission Bay

Growing up, my Uncle Mike would take his kids and us out on a boat and ride the "water weeny."  It looked like a long yellow banana with handles for about 6 people to ride.  My family did not do many things growing up, therefore I remember going out on the boat like it was yesterday.   Now "Pop" takes all the grandchildren out to ride on the boat.  It was so much fun to see my kids enjoying going on a boat- we don't do those things very often.  My cousin Alicia took all these photos- so talented.

                                          Here is Pop with the new generation =)

                      Here is a lot of my cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and their kids.

                         Umm, can you notice my 'brown kids' in the mix =)

Family Ties

We have been hanging out with Matt's fam and having a good time.  Matt's dad and brother came to visit us- my kids love their "Surfer Grandpa" and Uncle Tomi.  In fact, both Keia and Mattix have said that they want to live with Uncle Tomi if me and boo die... probably because he is always buying them toys and giving them money!  Then we were off to Vegas baby!  Matt's mom spoiled us with a hotel room while she entertained our children- ice skating, chuck-e-cheese, museum, Wet-n-Wild water park etc.  It was a much needed vacation for everyone in our family- I love hanging out with the brothers and sisters-in-laws.  Keep the memories coming this summer!!

                                         This is us at a show at the Excalabur

      Happy Fourth of July in the 117 degree weather in Vegas- the hottest it has been since the 90's!!

                       

Choose Ye THIS day...

"Indeed, one of the most cruel games anyone can play with self is the 'not yet' game- hoping to sin just a bit more longer before ceasing; to enjoy the praise of the world a little longer before turning away from the applause; to win just once more in the wearying sweepstakes of materialism; to be chaste, but not yet; to be good neighbors, but not now."

"These are not bad individuals, but good individuals who simply do not know how much better they could be."

                                                  Neil A. Maxwell

love.

"Marriage provides an ideal setting for overcoming any tendency to be selfish or self-centered... pure love is an incomparable, potent power for good, and the foundation of a successful marriage."
                                                                Richard G. Scott

*Today do a random act of kindness for your boo (hubby).  Leave him a note on his pillow or on his steering wheel to read before heading to work, surprise him with his favorite treat.  Stop letting the routine of your lives pull you apart- your spouse should be the kindest person you treat.

Camp Pendleton Mud Run

I have wanted to do this mud run for awhile, it is normally really hard to get into.  This year they opened it up to three weekends, so my friend Elise and I signed right up!  It is on the Military Base at Camp Pendleton.  It was 6 miles of running in the wilderness, up a giant hill, crawling through mud, getting hosed by Fire Fighter hoses, and jumping over walls.  It was everything I pictured- we had so much fun and I felt great!  Hoo-rah!!

**These pictures were taken with an old school waterproof camera that had film- I felt like a teenager again excited to get my pictures developed and see how they turned out!  Can I just say that it was really hard to even find a place that developed this camera... Elise and I kept wanting to turn the camera around and check if we got the picture- good times, good times.

Comparing

We all know that we should not compare ourselves to others, but we still do it... why?  I know God does not compare us to each other.

"It's so easy to forget how damaging comparisons can be and turn our attention to people who are the best examples of what we're trying to achieve- setting ourselves up for discouragement and despair."
-M. Sue Bergin

So, how do we stop?  How do we stop comparing our worst parts with others best parts?  Here is a very helpful way:
The only comparison you need to make is to compare your PRESENT self to your PAST self. 

Compare how far you have improved in a certain area.  For us perfectionists, we think that one moment of something determines who we are, but really it is just a snapshot of who we are and who we can become.  I remember vividly in High School and College replaying a scene in my head over and over about something I shouldn't of said or how I made someone feel.  I would just linger on it and make myself feel like the worst person.  That is not healthy, now I take a situation and try to learn from it and move on- knowing that one moment does not determine who I am.

What's the point... STOP reading everyone's blogs and thinking how they do things better than you- focus on your strengths and only compare your old self to the present self, and even your new future self.  You want to be better at something- go for it, but be the best YOU are at it, not how someone else is at it.