Spring is springing!

I love spring. It makes me giddy to see my
little flowers come up,
adding color to the leftover blah of winter.

My sister, Emily, got chickens a few months ago and I have been crazy for some ever since. We had chickens when our boys were preschool age. We loved the fresh eggs. While we were at Thanksgiving Point we saw some chicks for sale.

I asked Lane about getting some, really.
He said it wouldn't be a problem to house them with the rabbit in her pen.



Oh, the excitement was hard to contain!
This week Claire and I went to IFA and got these two little gals,
Jellie and Millie.
Lane got two more today, a different variety, for different eggshell color of course! We love a project! Lane's already got them set up in nesting boxes, minus the boxes for a couple of weeks.
He he, I'm so happy!

????

Clogging at Thanksgiving Point

Abbie had her first clogging competition last weekend and on Monday her group performed for a missionary reunion celebrating St. Patrick's Day...perfect costumes! These aren't great photos but they certainly convey the enthusiasm and energy of the event. We're so pleased with the opportunities for Abbie to perform, learn, work hard, achieve, etc. I could watch her clog for hours! I've always been fascinated with the sport and to see my beautiful daughter doing it so well is just plain fun!

As with any sport, there is an entire lingo just for cloggers. We're getting more acquainted, slowly but surely. Abbie simply loves clogging and is getting quite muscular. She never ceases to amaze me! She learned a lot,
we better understand the lingo,
and we can't wait for the Clogging Spectacular in St. George the end of March!

It Came! It Really Did! He's Going....

Thursday, February 19th
The mail box waiting for Thomas
Mom's already seen the big envelope but has been instructed not to touch it or remove it. I've been so obedient and self-controlled! Can't he just come home NOW and open it?
Patience, Denise!

The long awaited moment has arrived!

Now Thomas and the envelope wait for the gathering. As mentioned in the previous post, Lane and I were in Salt Lake with the girls at the temple...the appointed opening time - 6:00 pm

We were a little late getting home, we were greeted by the gathered... 

So many friends, family,

some attending via cell phones...

we've all waited so long for this moment

15 months and 20 days...

Through it all Thomas has been totally steadfast, dedicated and focused. Through delays, more appointments, more information, more

time, more schooling,

more living away from home,

one more psych evaluation, stability, determination
and more of the same.

Then there was the holiday weekend to delay the mail!

At last, reading his mission call with all the emotion of a man of God, eager and ready to serve...

Richmond, Virginia
Here he comes!
You're going to love him!
He enters the MTC
April 1, 2009

And steadfast right along with him, his greatest support, Laura. We love them both more than words can possibly express.
They are tremendous examples to all of us.

Temple Open House

This was a glorious day! An opportunity to take my beautiful daughters to the place I love most. As I was nearing my teenage years, after being adopted by my new father, I was sealed to my parents in the Provo Temple. It was an unforgettable day and was, I suppose, the experience to set the tone for my future. When I was engaged to be married, it was going to the temple to be endowed that thrilled me most. When I put on my first temple garments I cried; I love them still. I love the temple. We have taken our children to every temple open house we could, Bountiful, Vernal, Mt. Timpanogos, but when the Draper temple open house came I paid it little attention. WHY!?!?!

This was the perfect time to take Claire to see the rooms in the temple that she no longer remembers but anticipates greatly! Abbie will be 12 in June and is incredible eager to have a recommend to do baptisms; the last one of my children to receive such a privilege.

As expected, they loved it, we loved it. Nothing makes me happier than knowing, seeing my children love the Lord. There were many happy tears of anticipation and gratitude shed. Thank you, Kennan, for inspiring this trip.

Celebrating Amelia

This year Amelia would be 14.
It's hard to imagine how the dynamics of our family would be different if she was with us. Abbie wouldn't feel so left out. Amelia would comfortable fill that gap...

if she were whole, healthy, strong.
But she wouldn't be, her little body was too affected by that third chromosome, it contained too much genetic information to be compatible with life.

But, as short as her life was, she made a tremendous impact on our lives and many others. We still keep in touch with her labor and delivery nurse, Tina. She wasn't just a newborn, she was full of love to give to everyone. It was an honor to have her in our home. That was a sweet, sacred, week. We feel her presence often and we often feel a void. We miss her, we love her, and every year we celebrate her.

This year we chose our Ward Nursery for our service project in honor of Amelia. They needed new toys desperately. We had a ball shopping! (Thomas literally had a ball, a big red one!) It feels so good to do something in her memory. It's a way that she, and we, can keep on giving that wonderful love she came to this earth with. Janice Hill is our Nursery Coordinator and a dear friend. She approved our purchases and let us bring the toys to each nursery and enjoy the delight of the
children seeing new toys....magical.

Thomas and Abbie lovingly made her birthday cake

Thank you, Ameila, for choosing to share your brief life with us.
We love you!

Amelia

29 Jan 2009
I should be celebrating my daughter's birthday.
Instead, I'm in bed, feeling yucky.
Fortunately, she'll understand if we
celebrate a little late.
I love you, sweet girl!