Fall Pictures....

My dear friend has taken our pictures for 2 years now and I love her work! 
Fall is also my favorite time of the year.  I love everything that Fall brings!  It makes me truly appreciate and acknowledge that my Father in Heaven is so loving and has created this world for us to truly enjoy.

So.. here they are, but prepare for picture overload....:)  Thank you for taking the time to read and view this post and all of them too:)

So there you have it....I can't pick out my favorite one... although I love the one with Brayden and Ross.  Thank you for stopping by and taking time to see the latest in the crazy life of the Stevens!:)

Words of Wisdom...worth reflecting upon!

I have been reading in the book called Divine Signatures, the Confirming Hand of God by Gerald N. Lund.  I borrowed it from a friend and I am so thankful that I started reading it again.  The following quote is worth posting... something I definitely need to re-read continually!

From George Q. Cannon, of the First Presidency:

"The Saints should always remember that God sees not as man sees; that he does not willingly afflict his children, and that if he requires them to endure present privation and trial, it is that they may escape greater tribulations which would otherwise inevitably overtake them.  If He deprives them of any present blessing, it is that he may bestow upon them greater and more glorious ones by-and-by."

I really really needed to hear those words.  The timing could not have been any better.  I have never ever thought "why am I going thru this, or why me?"  I have never even really complained about my trials, although I have done my share of crying and being frustrated, but I know that they have always had a purpose, even though I don't always know what that reason is... I know that they are for my benefit.  However, to hear these profound words makes me feel more loved by my Heavenly Father because He knows that if I wasn't to endure the hardships that I have been allowed to been blessed with, I would have to face something much worse and not be able to overcome them.  I have excrutiating pain that limits me more than I would like to right now, but it is a sweet feeling to know that I am going thru this because He loves and trusts me.  How blessed I am!  I don't like it, but I'm not sure we are supposed to like it, but learn from it, become stronger, better and more empathetic of others. 

I pray that I can be a good example to someone, and to be a blessing and comfort too.  I know that I am loved by my Heavenly Father and Savior.  I know that my family loves me even though things get tough, we will always be tougher than the situation at hand.  I love you with all my heart!!

Ooky Spooky, Creepy Crawly, Frightfully Fun!

I LOVE HalloWEen!  I don't like the scary side of the holiday, just the cute, fun, smells, atmosphere of it all.  I LoVe the colors.  The crisp autumn air.  I really enJoy decorating my home for the different Holidays!

The WreaTh that you will see is made out of PlasTic table cloth and garBage bags from the dollar StoRe.   It took a couple of HouRs to maKe it but It waS all WorTh it!  I thouGht that it TurneD out CuTe!  We still are MakiNg somE from HouseHold IteMs so I wilL poSt moRe wHen wE are done.

Rae and I HaD a lot of fun as you can see in this LasT picTure.... TheY stuck To YoU baDly... so I kept StiCking them On her aNd thiS is hOw shE goT EveN witH Me!   We lauGhed sooo hard!!

Braydenisms....and Birthday

I love how simple minded little kids can be.  They generallly speak from their heart, or from what they hear from others....

One night Brayden asked if he could go outside and look at the stars.  I said sure, and thought that was so cute that he would think of that.  He came in a couple minutes later and explained what he did.  He said that he wished upon the stars to bring him what he calls his controller game... its a wii game and I can't think of the name of it.  Anyway, he said he watched Dora wish on a star and she got her wish.

The next morning he goes outside and sits next to me on the steps and says with a sincere sigh (Mom it didn't work, I wished on the star and I didn't get the game....)  Once again he wished on a star that night and the next day Jerry's friend brought it back and he was so eccstatic saying, it worked!!!


He has this thing lately that when he turns 16 he will marry me.  It is so cute. I keep trying to tell him that I am married to Daddy but it doesn't make any difference at all to him!!

Ok.. so for his 5th birthday Brayden planned on going Dog training with his Daddy.  However when it came time to get ready to leave, he said he didn't want to go... I told him that I needed him to go with Daddy so I can get things done around here.  Here is what he said to me( oh, you want me to go with daddy so you can get my birthday done while I am gone.)  :)  how on earth did that young child think of that?!  Then I said yes, I am going to do that.  " I want a strawberry cake and backyardigans on my cake...."  He has never asked for anything about his cake or how it is decorated, so of course I was going to do my best to fulfill his order.  Then he said" When I get home are you guys going to say surprise to me?"  Again, what a smart boy!!  I packed him a lunch and put it in his bag that i made him and he had it all gone by the time they got to the training grounds just 15 min away! 

So my dear friend offered her help and she did the decorating and I cleaned the house and made the cake.  It turned out pretty, even though I found out that he doesn't like coolwhip....  We held a party the next day at my sister's and they went swimming while I decorated her house to surprise Brayden..  They all had a great time!!  Rae had made a pinata earlier this year and was saving it for Brayden's birthday... oh what fun they had!!  Also, it happened to be Spirit Day at school that day so Jerry and Rae sprayed color in their hair for it... what fun!!