My Three Special Grandmother's

With Mother's Day coming up I wanted to pay tribute to my Grandma's. I'm a lucky girl. I still have three healthy and happy Grandma's. I've learned so much from each one of them and hopefully have taken that with me when it has come to parenting my own children. If I could thank them most for one thing though, it would be for giving me two wonderful parents. I thank them for that and I thank them for being wonderful grandmothers and great grandmothers also.

My Grandma's have given me some special memories that I could go on and on about but the ones that stick out most are.....

My Grandma Hooper... I love my Grandma's potato salad and her bottled pickles. I love the smell of her house. I love the smell of Jergens Cherry Almond lotion because of her. I love Logan, and I absolutely admire her for the genealogy she has done.

My Grandma Elene... I love my Grandma's sarcasm. I love her picture wall in her house. I love the smell of her car. I love meeting her for lunch. I love that her fingernails are always done, and I love vanilla coke just like she does.

My Grandma Mare...I love my Grandma's smile. I love her style. I love how she has so much energy for life. I love how she entertains. I loved going on all granddaughter vacations with her. Especially to Palm Springs. (Remember that crazy one Mindy and Emily...Oh good times! Even though the drinks were on me. LOL!)

Thanks Grandma's. You're the best!

Poor Little Ryleigh

So my Smiley Ryleigh hasn't been so smiley the past couple of days. She got out of bed yesterday and cried out in pain that she couldn't walk. When I looked under her foot this is what I found. I watched it for a few hours and then decided it would be best to take her in to her Pediatrician. I kind of wondered if it was a spider bite but wanted a professional opinion, especially not being from around here and familiar with the spiders.

The doctor said it could perhaps be a Brown Recluse spider bite but wasn't 100%. So he gave us a strong prescription for an antibiotic, told us to soak her foot 2x a day for two days, really keep our eyes on it, and if I didn't notice any changes for the good to give him a call.

So in the meantime I've been researching spider bites and freaking myself out. Note to self: don't go online and research, it just does crazy things to the mind. I called my favorite doctor "Dr. Jim" (my father in law) and he helped put my mind at ease, saying that it didn't look like a Brown Recluse to him. So now we're keeping an eye on it hoping for some visual changes tomorrow. I would hate if my little Ryleigh had to go in for surgery. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best!

YW Standards Night

We had our Young Women Standards Night tonight and it turned out great. We used this years theme "Steadfast and Immovable" along with this Jenny Phillips C.D. as our guide. We touched on modesty, image, and becoming more like him. If you don't have this C.D. already I would encourage to buy it. I love it. It's one of those C.D.'s where when you listen to it alone in your car you catch yourself crying. I love my calling and I love our Young Women. I love having smaller numbers. I feel like it really gives me the chance to get to know each one of them on a more personal level. I have the best calling!

"Don't spend your life wishing you looked like her....Spend your life becoming more like Him."

The Rees Clan

THE REES FAMILY

(This picture is a little old. Missing are Blake-in Kim's belly and Ryleigh-in my belly!)

I spend so much time bragging about my family that I tend to forget I have another family that is just as amazing and wonderful. Those of you who know the Rees' know that they are one of the most fun families. Dave along with his brothers have the best humor. They never take one another too serious and that's what I love about each one of them. My sister in laws are great too. They're both so laid back and easy going. How can I complain about that. I have been very blessed to have each one of them in my life and my kids lives. If I had to explain the Rees' in a few words this is what I would say~

Non-Judgemental, Humorous, Laid Back, Unselfish, and very accepting of others.

Our Cara Bear

CaraAnn is the cutest little thing ever. I just love her to pieces. There have been many times where I have felt sorry for her because she tends to take the back seat to Ryleigh. Those of you who know Cara know that....

She is a firecracker! Full of spunk and personality.
She has no fear! She will give anything a try....at least once.
She is a leader not a follower.
She is a team player and makes friends extremely easy.
She is a pretty little thing with a big smile (shown above).
Cara is very affectionate and loves to be loved.
She is extremely funny.

We are constantly entertained by Cara and so blessed to have her as part of our family.

Carson Rocks Guitar Hero 3

Dave and I are a little behind the times. We just recently purchased Guitar Hero 3. I must admit it's very addicting. I can see why so many of the blogs I read have Guitar Hero Posts. It's definitely an easy source of entertainment. Dave and I love watching Carson play. He gets so into it. His head bops every time he hits a note. Here's a backstage pass to Carson's performance of "Welcome To The Jungle."

My Dear Friend Cheri

I meant to post this last month (yesterday) but didn't get to it. With April being National Friends Month I decided I wanted to pay tribute to my dear friend Cheri Sharp. Cheri was just recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer and is also due with her 4th child this month. Cheri is one of the strongest, caring, most Christlike people I know. Being pregnant is one thing, but having chemo treatments on top of that and knowing it could possibly be harming your baby is another. Since her diagnosis I have not heard her complain or feel sorry for herself once. If we could all be more like you Cheri. I had the opportunity of working under Cheri for two years in the Young Women's organization. She taught me everything I know when it comes to leadership and loving the girls and I thank her for that. Cheri you are amazing! Because of your love for your family, the gospel, and life, I truly believe you will fight this. Our prayers and thoughts continue to be with you.

WE LOVE YOU!