The Gilbert AZ Temple Open House

There is a lot of temple building going on in Arizona!!  It's very VERY exciting!  The Gilbert Temple is the second to be built since we moved here in 2009. (The Gila Valley Temple was dedicated in May 2010, Reagan was pretty little so we didn't make it to the open house.)  It's the 3rd temple in AZ.  There is a Phoenix Temple currently under construction and a TUCSON Temple has been announced!  So wonderful and exciting!  And such a cool and special experience for our kids!  This was the first temple our kids have been able to walk through... And they LOVED it!

Despite it taking over 3 hours to see, they held on to their excitement and paid very close attention to everything.  :) It was really cool to watch our kids reactions to this beautiful place and the spirit there as they experienced it for the first time. :)

What a beautiful, peaceful, sacred place.  It may very well be the most beautiful temple I've ever been in.  The glass and the colors were so vivid, I loved it.  The boys eyes and smiles were so big the entire way through, and they were full of questions.  :)  

The Celestial Room was amazing! In the center of the ceiling was the biggest crystal chandelier I have ever seen, and as soon as the kids saw it there was a lot of excitement. Reagan's reaction was probably the loudest though.  She just kept pointing and yelling "Wow! WOW!" and she didn't stop saying it until we left the room. :) I felt sorta bad that she was so loud in a room that was so filled with reverence, but she really meant it. She was in awe and she was expressing her feelings using the only words she had available to her.  She just happens to be very loud when she is excited.  ;)

The boys favorite room, other than the Celestial Room, was the Font Room.  :) They also really loved all the mirrors.  They would stand and look at themselves going on forever and giggle.  It made my heart happy.  Being in that place with my forever family.

We spent some time outside walking around the grounds, which were also beautiful. The kids got a nice picture of the temple from the visitors tent and we loaded up and made the trek home.  It was a long, wonderful, beautiful day. 

Opening Ceremonies

February 7, 2014
2014 Winter Olympics... Opening Ceremonies...  We really get into the Olympics at our house!  ;)  Patrick gave the kids his Olympic pep talk, he is still hopeful that one of them will someday go.  haha.  (Although winter sports are a bit challenging to master in AZ.)  But man, we love it!  They each drew their own Olympic dream picture. 

They got their own gold medal.  :)

Jackson is going to compete in both summer and winter games as a track and field sprinter and as a snowboarder. :)  

Harrison is going to be a hockey player.  According to him, he is the one scoring the goal, playing alongside Shawn White. The goalie he's scoring on is Justin Beiber. Hahaha.

We also had our own light show.  haha. 

Both boys.

Harrison

Jackson

And even our treats were patriotic.  ;)  Graham crackers and frosting, yum!  

It's something we look forward to every 2 years, and all we watch for the entire 2.5 weeks.  The Olympics are always full of inspirational stories, amazing wins and heartbreaking losses.  The world coming together to compete somehow brings out the very best in humanity.  We sing our national anthem, we celebrate and cheer... we get to live it.  And it's never disappointing!    

Leader in Character

February 5, 2014
Jackson was given the Bobcat of the Month Award for his 3rd grade class for the month of January!  :) We got to attend the assembly at school where he was given his award in front of the school!  

And then on February 26th, he was given the Leader in Character Award for February.  They only pick one kiddo from the entire school to receive this award each month!  Pretty dang cool!  We were invited to a special meeting with the school board where each child was called up and given their award.  

What a handsome devil! He was really proud of himself, and rightfully so. We were pretty excited for him, moments like this mean so much to his tender heart!  Proud is an understatement! I may or may not have cried a tiny bit.  ;)  

He got a framed certificate, a nice gift card for Barnes & Noble and his picture in the local paper! 

And then he was spotlighted in the next Bobcat assembly, all by himself.  :)  I'm a proud mama!   

I love that he has such a big heart, and that he shows it and shares it!!  Way to go, Dude!  

Pinewood Derby

January 21, 2014
Jackson got to participate in his first derby as a Scout.  He was very excited and spent a lot of time working on his car with his dad!

He had a pretty loud cheering section!  :)  And it was fun to watch!

He didn't place, he is in the largest age group, so there was a lot of competition.  But as heartbroken as he was about it (he wanted a medal so badly), he handled it like a real sport!  He congratulated the kids that won, and even the ones that beat him in the individual races.  He tried really hard not to cry or let it get him down.  He was very grown up about it... and I could not have been prouder of him!!!  I love this boy so much!

He did get the "Cool Car" award!  :)  Don't worry, Dude!  We'll get'em next year!!  ...Or the year after that.  Or the year after that!  ;)  

Fun with the Kiddos

They just keep getting bigger and bigger!  It's crazy how long the days seem and how fast the time flies!  haha.  But they are the very best part of every second of it! 

January 2014
That moment when you realize you have enough kids to fill all the swings!  ;) 

 Brother loves... he is such a good big brother!   

 Oh the things she is learning!  How crazy is it that she is just sitting there, doing it all by her self!?!  

 He is getting SO big TOO fast!  He has decided to start doing this! 

 And he's totally crazy!  ;) 

 Trouble #1 and #2.  They are hooligans!  

 He was such a nice unwilling bow model.  hahaha.

 Love these days!!