seminary

so i have mentioned that blake got a new calling and the early morning seminary teacher for arcadia high school.  these pictures were taken at a seminary dinner/fireside type thing the weekend before it all started.  the middle picture is of our friend "hales" who got baptized a few months back.  she is 15 and is so solid.  she gave a talk in church on sunday and it was powerful.  i felt like a proud parent watching her.  needless to say she attends seminary.  she isn't in blake's class though.  blake teaches the juniors and seniors.  he is loving teaching and i am loving getting up early and starting my day.  it has been such a blessing for us to be able to prepare his lessons together at night and really study the scriptures together.  what a great spirit it invites into our little home.

oh to dream

blake and i have been talking about new cars lately as we don't know how long my car will stay alive.  i'm trying to plan ahead and get more of a "mom car" that we can grow into as we start having kids in these next few years.  i have really liked some of the new crossovers that are out.  i think being up a little higher may help with loading kids in and out of car seats.

this is us at the car show in L.A. back in november in my future future car (not a typo just emphasizing that this is not the group of cars we have been talking about for our next car purchase), my range rover sport.  ahh... some day.

young love

my parents are so cute.  this picture is one of their engagement photos taken many years ago, but in some ways i think they look exactly the same.  i'm so glad that they got married and had a family.  i'm so grateful that they raised their family in the gospel and taught their children who God is and the relationship they can have with Him and His son Jesus Christ.  i love my family and its eternal nature.

precept upon precept

soon after blake returned from his mission in argentina he went on a trip with his mom to israel and egypt and perhaps a few other places.  (if you haven't met my mother-in-law you are missing out.  she is full on knowledge and passion for the scriptures, especially the old testament.  she has taught institute for years and now just got a calling in her ward to be the relief society president.  she doesn't know for sure if she is teaching institute for this coming semester, but told me the only way she could have time to do both is if she taught "something easy...like Isaiah.")

blake was just sustained as the new early morning seminary teacher for arcadia high school.  next week blake begins his new calling very early in the morning and i can think of no one better suited for it.  he is teaching the old testament this year and lucky for him his mother is who i said above.  i'm sure his being on that trip with his mom gave him some interesting perspective that will help him in his teaching, but more than that, his whole life has prepared him for this.  he is going to do such an amazing job with these kids.  he has such a profound influence on them, and they not only honor and respect him, but they love him.

what is old is new

my mother-in-law got a new computer and she was so very kind to give us her old one.   its been so nice to have a mac again.  the best part i have found is the old pictures that she left on for us.

here are just a few.

• my emo high school blake (he looks like he is about 8 yrs old though) 
• blake's high school graduation with his cute family (minus clint and angela)
• blake's cute baby face in the mtc.  he may look way too young to be on a mission but this guy was one of the best missionaries in the history of the church.

blake still has a baby face but slowly is looking older.  i even think he looks really young in our wedding pictures with was just over a year ago.  i sure do love you blake landon.

paint it white

as blake and i have been slowly (very slowly) looking for houses i grow more and more in love with a few things:

• white kitchens (i really love this one with a big island with bar chairs)
• wood floors (especially when they are really wide)
• huge windows (i'm such a sucker for natural light)

"the whole fam damily"

my parents and their grandchildren

my cute brother and his wife

the 7 kids

how cute are these kids?

the girls

the boys

the title here is especially dedicated to my dad who commonly uses this phrase.  the last time my family got family pictures taken was the week before i left on my mission, so a good 3.5 years ago.  (this is why i made blake promise that we would have family pictures every year so we don't let so much time go by between them.  pictures are important to me.)