Introducing Marly Anne Arnold!

Isn't she adorable!!!!! Lots of cute cheeks for aunt Lissa to Kiss. Way to go Niner!

I'm a new Aunt

My sister Jeanine had a baby girl 5 min ago.
She weighs 8 lbs. 8 oz.
20 inches long
Everyone is doing great. There are no pictures yet obviously, but you can be sure I'll post them as soon as I get them. There is also no name yet, I will post that when I get it as well. Congratulations Nate and Jeanine on your new addition!!!!!!!!!

Muddling Along

My sister in law sent me this story. I loved it and thought I'd share it with you.
Muddling Along
by Janene Wolsey Baadsgaard
Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Have you ever had one of those days where you wish you’d stayed in bed? I remember a day like that.
The dishwasher had malfunctioned, flooding our house all night as we slept. We didn’t know until one of our sleepy-eyed children came into our bedroom early in the morning and said, “Mom and Dad! It’s raining in the basement!”
The room that was hardest hit was the storage room where we’d recently carefully stacked and dated our pride and joy, a two-year supply of food. In a mad dash to save anything we could, every member of our family hauled each bucket and box out into the back yard to dry out. It took hours.
Just when we finished, we heard a clap of thunder, looked up, and felt several drops splash in our eyes. Then the heavens were opened and the few drops immediately became a downpour. We regrouped and quickly hauled our soggy mess into the garage.
When we finally got every box and bucket into the garage, my son came running to me in tears, informing me his pet rabbit was dead. After finally getting the children off to school, my daughter called from campus saying she couldn’t remember where she’d parked the car at BYU. Then my other first-grader had an accident that required a change of clothing. You get the picture.
“I can’t handle any more,” I said to my husband.
“You don’t have to handle it,” my husband replied. “There’s no rule book somewhere that says you have to go through life handling everything. Just muddle, Jan. I’ve been muddling for years and no one can tell the difference.”
Muddle, I thought. I think I can muddle.
Now every time I’m feeling overwhelmed, I remember my husband’s timely advice. Frankly, I’ve been muddling ever since and so far no one can tell the difference, just like he promised.
I remember a day when I walked into the kitchen to find my young son surrounded by the large white buckets where I stored our flour, sugar, and pasta. He was busy scooping— sugar into the flour—rice into the sugar—pasta into the rice. The whole kitchen looked like a white billowing cloud except for my son’s innocent grin and two large blue eyes staring up at me. “Look, Mom. I’m the bread maker!” my young son said as he looked up at me.
Suddenly it dawned on me that whenever I made bread I pulled out all the white buckets and started scooping. He was trying to be like me.
My feelings of frustration melted into love. I was so proud of him for trying. As we got busy cleaning the kitchen, I realized God loves us like that. No matter how big the mess or mistake we’ve made, God provides us with a Savior to help us clean it up. That is the essence of muddling.
Muddling is not mediocrity. Muddling allows us to stop keeping up appearances or worrying that we’ll never measure up. Muddling is accepting our humanness and inadequacies. Muddling is realizing there are some messes only Christ can clean up. And muddling is seeing our worth through God’s eyes and never giving up hope that things will work out.

Two in Tutu's

The girls had a ballet recital at Horton Plaza this afternoon. It was Ella's first performance ever. I was really nervousa that when she got out on stage that she would freeze because she is normally so shy, but she did great. I can't include a video because I laughed the whole time and watching it would make you sick. Needless to say it was everything that a little girls first ballet recital should be. She loves following in her big sisters footsteps. Kyla was so good at coaching Ella what it would be like on stage. It was fun to watch them do something together.

"I feel Pretty"

Kyla had her first recital of the season yesterday at a local fundraiser tea party. The girls did a fabulous job. There was a problem with the cd player so the girls stood patiently on stage for 5 minutes without wiggling till it was figured it out. Both girls perform at Horton Plaza on Sunday for the residents there. Ella is so excited to dance just like her big sister. They have a recital for family next Sat. I'll record their dances then and post them for your viewing pleasure.

"If you just let me go..."

This is Miss. Kyla serenading our backard yesterday morning.

I finally got my camera out after 20 min of seceretly watching

her through the bathroom window. When I walked into the

living room Ella said, "Do you hear Kyla singing? Isn't it beautiful"

That's what sisters are for.

Happy Mothers Day!

My Mom emailed me this and I wanted to share it with all the wonderful Mom's I know. Happy Mother's Day!

Before I was a Mom

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,

before I was a Mom.

Sleeping Ella

This picture is so amazing because anyone who knows my kids knows they only fall asleep in their beds. They take after their mother and are not cuddly in the least. Ella must have been really tuckered out today because at 5:00 she fell asleep on my lap while we were watching "Meet the Robinsons". I had to record this rare moment because their not getting any younger and who knows the next time I'll get to holding my sleeping baby.

Last Day in Paradise!

We'll we are home and finally recovering from our jet lag. I didn't think it would hit us so hard, but after 18 hour flying home we had more then just the time change to recover from. We had an amazing week, but it is great to be home with the kids again. It'a amazing how much I miss them when I'm gone. Here are some memories form our last day. We were basically just trying to waste time until our plane left at 8 pm. We toured Steelgrass Farms. Here is Jeremy

sucking on sugar cane. It brought back good memories

from his misssion. They fed it to us with a native lime

and it tasted just like limeade in our mouths.

These are cacoa pods from a chocolate tree.

They really grow that close to the ground, so foraging

animals can disperse the seed pods.

This is a golden spider that was hanging out at the chocolate tasting tent.

I think it is one of the most amazing spiders I have ever seen.

It reminds me of a chineese dragon mask.

The waterfall from the beginning of Fantasy Island.

What a way to end a fantasy trip.

Watch Your Language

So we're in Hawaii and I call my kids to say goodnight. I'm talking to Jaden about a birthday party he went to on Sat. When all of the sudden he said, "Mom, are you saying bad words to me?" A little shocked I asked him why would I being saying bad words to him. He said, "I don't know but the phone keeps beeping when you talk"

I must be sweet to eat!

Ho'opi Falls was a beautiful, adventerous hike. Over boulders, through branch mazes, and across multiple streams. All the while being chased by many biting bugs, all whom choose to eat me. Nevertheless I enjoyed it. After we ran back through the maze and immediately went to by anti itch lotion we went boogie boarding for the afternoon. The waves were rough. There were surfers out on the waves we were trying to ride. Travis and Jeremy both thought they knew better then the lifegaurd and ended up getting thrashed on the rocks, but they both said it was worth it. They got some great rides in and no one got to cut up.