Mormon Tabernacle

We had the pleasure of seeing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir perform in Kansas City on Thursday night. It was great to have Papa and Nana come join us for the performance and the weekend but also unfortunate that Papa Dave and Grandma Ree could not attend. It was our Mother's and Father's day gift to them. This is the first time I have seen the choir perform and they were absolutely amazing. They sang a wide variety of music that included patriotic, spiritual, classical, and cultural. My favorite was the Nigerian carol that sounded very native and included great instrumentals. I was also very touched by a segment that included a song from my Grandfather's funerals and also one from Grandma Poole's which we were unable to attend.
The Choir is a great outlet to feel the strength of the Spirit through music. As a child growing up I came from a family that focused a lot of attention on musical talents. I have always loved music and the closeness it brings to my family and the spirit. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to see the Tabernacle and it's orchestra perform.

Father's Day

I am glad we get the opportunity to celebrate our Dad's once a year. I enjoy getting to tell my dad, father in law, and my baby's daddy just how much I love them all! Fathers play an important role in every child's life and I am glad I got to share my childhood with such a great man and look forward to the way Jonathan will influence the life of our child and future children.

This father's day started out on a bad note. Chase woke up five minutes before my alarm was set to go off which was no big deal. Who couldn't use an extra five minutes on a Sunday morning?!?!? Well, that is definitely not what I got.

I went in Chase's room to find him laying in pee that soaked him, his pj's, and his bedding. So instead of an extra five minutes I was now about 1o behind. I quickly started a load of laundry and a bath. As soon as I took his diaper off he decided it was time to add to the mix by pooping on his changing pad! So, after cleaning it up and adding that to the wash I got him bathed, fed and dressed. Why couldn't this have been Mother's Day?!? Now it was my turn and at this point I was about 25 minutes behind. Time sure does fly when you are having FUN!!! I got myself quickly ready and loaded everything up to try and make it to church on time. When I turned on the truck my gas light was on. Lovely, could anything else go wrong? Well, needless to say I put it in the Lord's hands to get us to church without running out of gas and that we did. Finally, a much needed turning point.

We spent the afternoon as a family out by the pool enjoying the beautiful day. After a wonderful dinner we put Chase to bed and cuddled up to watch a movie. Aside from the crazy morning I would label it another successful day.

Because of the hectic morning and the fact that Chase fell asleep on the way home from church we didn't get a picture. Here are just a few of the great Fathers in my life.

7 Months

I can hardly believe it, my son is seven months old and not a baby anymore. Whenever I get sad and tell Jonathan how I can't believe my baby isn't a baby anymore he informs me that he is still a baby. I guess I look at Chase as a big boy mainly because I love newborns (I still love them after that) and he sooooo isn't that anymore; while, Jonathan looks at him as a baby still because he can't run around and be ruff with him yet. If the past seven months have any bearing I feel like Chase will be running around tomorrow! It seems like I was holding him in my arms for the very first time just yesterday. I love every minute I spend with him whether it's making him laugh, reading him a book, or even changing his diaper. Chase has a lively personality as you can see by the many facial expressions he has in these few shots. I have definitely been blessed to be with him every minute of every day for these past seven months and can't wait for the many years we have ahead of us.

Summer Fun

The weather in Kansas has been gradually getting warmer and allowed for us to have some much needed outdoor fun. Chase loves being outside come rain or shine. When the sun is beaming we frequent the pool. Chase loves to play in his float even though the water is still freezing! I wear him out and then let him nap in the stroller while I catch a few rays. It is one of my many perks of having a great kid and being a stay at home mom. We have also enjoyed taking walks as a family on the slightly cooler evenings. Ironically today has been very rainy. Chase still loved sitting out on the porch watching the storms. The huge cracks of lightning and thunder didn't even phase him.

Along with loving the outdoors Chase loves his stroller. One day I brought the stroller up and set him out on the balcony. I wanted to see what he would do if I shut the door and came inside leaving him out on his own. He could have cared less if I was out there with him. He just sat in his stroller and played while I watched him through the door. He truly is the best and cutest kid in the world! (I could be slightly biased)

Chase and I made friends one day out by the pool with a lady named Erin and her son Calin. Calin is just shy of two and is so full of life and a joy to watch play. I can't wait for Chase to run around with him one day. They introduced Chase and I to a neat little place called the Deanna Rose Farmstead. It is a petting zoo, playground, farm, Indian reservation, and garden all rolled in to one and made just for kids. The best part of all is that it's completely free! There are some things you can pay for like pony & wagon rides, arts & crafts, and bottle feeding but everything else is free. It was a fun place to visit and we hope to return many more times.